At that moment, Sun Li suddenly halted his movements, raising his palm and shouting loudly.
With an excited expression, he continued, "Do you feel it? The pulse of a treasure!"
Hearing this, the others quickly stopped what they were doing and focused intently, sensing the surroundings.
Soon, their eyes lit up one after another.
"Yes, yes! I feel it too!"
Excited voices rose among the group.
"Last time, that black box was snatched by some freak who showed up out of nowhere. Now that the freak’s gone, I refuse to believe another one will pop up."
"Regardless, this treasure beneath us—the Three Lives Sect will claim it without fail!"
"The Three Lives Sect will claim it!"
The crowd echoed in unison, their morale soaring.
After the rallying cries, they resumed their work with even greater fervor.
Before long, the last few zhang of earth were cleared away.
By now, the pit stretched over two hundred zhang deep. Looking up, only a sliver of sky was visible.
Elder Sun Li himself took up a shovel.
With one decisive strike, a sword hilt was unearthed.
The moment the hilt was revealed, Sun Li sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes widening in shock.
The others also dropped their tools, staring intently at the partially exposed hilt.
"Such—such an overwhelming aura!"
"Indeed! This must be a peerless divine sword. I can’t even bring myself to look at it too closely."
"Exactly. It radiates an indescribable pressure."
As they murmured among themselves, their gazes turned to Sun Li. Unable to hold back, they asked, "Elder Sun, can you tell what rank this sword is?"
Sun Li studied it with grave focus.
Though he desperately wanted to identify the sword’s rank, he soon realized its power surpassed his knowledge.
Seeing that even Sun Li couldn’t recognize it, the group felt a mix of disappointment and even greater excitement.
"Though we don’t know what sword this is, one thing is certain—this blade is the reason this area remains untouched by the Black Domain’s influence!"
Sun Li declared with delight. "And once the Three Lives Sect possesses it, the Black Domain will be nothing to us!"
Hearing this, the group grew even more exhilarated.
Even disregarding the sword’s combat potential, its ability to repel the Black Domain alone made it a supreme treasure for any sect.
After all, the Black Domain, shrouded in dark mist, concealed countless ruins of former sacred grounds—along with untold treasures buried within.
Yet for these hidden sanctuaries and relics, most sects could only fantasize.
Even a supreme expert at the Dao-Proving Realm couldn’t fully resist the Black Domain’s corruption. At best, they could endure slightly longer within its bounds.
Though spirit ships could traverse the Black Domain, the cost of doing so was exorbitant.
Take Zhao Qi and his group, the first to discover the Nine Realms—their spirit ship’s journey was only possible because the major sects of the Heavenly Domain pooled their resources to sustain it.
No need to worry about the Black Domain’s hazards or resource consumption. They could assemble elite teams and plunder any corner of the Black Domain at will.
"Hahaha! With this sword, the Three Lives Sect will endure eternally. Forget this backwater—soon, the entire Heavenly Domain will bow to us!"
"And with enough resources, our sect could even give rise to a Saint!"
Sun Li’s excitement grew as he threw his head back in laughter, his hands raised triumphantly.
The others, too, grinned from ear to ear.
"Elder Sun, in that case, let’s claim the sword at once!"
"Yes, yes! We must take it now—no time for delays!"
Impatience burned in their voices.
"Good! I’ll draw the sword now!"
Sun Li understood the risks of delay. Channeling his vital energy, he stepped cautiously toward the hilt.
His expression solemn, he reached out and grasped it.
The moment his fingers closed around the hilt, the terrifying power within surged against his palm, deepening his grin.
Planting his feet firmly, he roared and yanked with all his might, attempting to pull the sword free from the earth.
"Why won’t it budge?"
His face flushed red with exertion, veins bulging—yet the sword remained immovable.