Theodore’s eyes flickered as his mind raced with thoughts. After a moment of contemplation, he lifted his head and looked at Leo, confirming once again, “Are you really able to help me and the elders advance to the Warrior Sect Realm in such a short amount of time?”
“Of course. I’m not bored enough to lie to you,” Leo nodded in response.
Leo has prepared a considerable stock of Vitality Pills. It would not be difficult for him to use the Vitality Pills to help Theodore and others break through their cultivation.
Leo’s affirmative response ignited a burning desire in Hellfire, who had been standing on the sidelines without being mentioned.
“Leo, Mr. Bloomer, what about me?” Hellfire immediately changed his tone and asked Leo.
“You?” Leo raised an eyebrow. “You can slowly cultivate on your own.”
“Uh…” Hellfire looked disappointed. He knew he had incurred Leo’s displeasure by taking Jayden with him to pressure the Pater family for a marriage alliance.
Leo’s gaze sharpened once again as he looked at Serene Dark and the others. He spoke loudly, “Let me repeat my conditions. If the Iron Sword Sect submits to me, I will cure Serene Dark’s burning chest pain and help Sect Master Theodore and three other Elders break through to the Upper-tier Warrior Sect Realm.”
“If you refuse my conditions, then after killing you here, I will personally go to the Iron Sword Sect and annihilate it!”
After finishing his words, Leo activated his Spiritual Power, releasing a powerful aura that pressed down on Serene Dark and the others.
Serene Dark, Theodore, and the others exchanged glances and fell into silence. Their faces showed conflicting emotions of struggle, desire, and reluctance.
In reality, Leo had presented a very good choice, and anyone who wasn’t a fool would know which path to take. However, the pride of being a top-tier Martial Arts Sect made them unwilling to submit to others.
“It seems like you are still undecided. My time is precious. Since you cannot make a choice, I will decide for you when the countdown reaches ten,” Leo’s expression turned cold.
“Ten!”
“Nine!”
“Eight!”
Leo began the countdown.
“Elder Serene Dark, Sect Master, what should we do?” Ocean Source could only leave the decision to Serene Dark and Theodore.
Cold River, Skyfire, and Hellfire also looked at Serene Dark and Theodore.
Serene Dark was an absolute authority in the Iron Sword Sect, and Theodore was the Sect Master. Their decision would determine the future of the Iron Sword Sect.
Fight or submit?
Theodore had never felt that making a choice would be so difficult. As the Sect Master of the Iron Sword Sect, he naturally didn’t want the sect to submit to others and be at someone else’s command.
But choosing to fight would have slim chances of success, considering that even their own people would be injured. On the other hand, submitting meant not only curing Serene Dark’s illness but also allowing himself and the other three Elders to break through to the coveted Upper-tier Warrior Sect Realm.
On one hand, there was humiliation.
On the other hand, there was temptation.
And then there was the future of the Iron Sword Sect.
“Elder Serene Dark?” Theodore turned his gaze to Serene Dark, seeking his opinion.
Serene Dark sighed and replied, “You are the Sect Master of the Iron Sword Sect. This decision is yours to make. If you choose to fight, I am willing to risk my life. If you choose to submit, I have no objections.”
Theodore fell silent again. Regardless of the choice he made, he would bear all the responsibility in the end.
Fight or submit?
“Three!”
“Two!”
Leo’s countdown continued without interruption.
The struggling expression on Theodore’s face suddenly calmed down. He let out a deep sigh and gritted his teeth, saying, “The Iron Sword Sect is willing to submit to you, but you must fulfill everything you just said.”
“That’s not a problem. However, I won’t stay here for a month. Let’s set a three-day period for now. Within three days, I will cure Serene Dark’s illness and help you break through to the Upper-tier Warrior Sect Realm,” Leo replied.
“As for the other three Elders, I will help them all reach the Upper-tier Warrior Sect Realm within a month. From today onwards, the Iron Sword Sect must obey my commands without any doubts. Is there a problem?”
Theodore instinctively looked at Serene Dark, Ocean Source, and the others. Seeing that they had no objections, he nodded and said, “No problem.”
Leo took out a small black bottle from his body and poured out a black pill, handing it to Theodore.
“What is this?” Theodore’s expression tightened.
Leo said, “This is a pill that I refined called the Heartbreak Pill. If you take this pill and there is no antidote after a month, you will surely die a painful death.”
“After you take the Heartbreak Pill, I can then treat Serene Dark and help you break through in your cultivation. This way, I can prevent you from going back on your word after I help you achieve a breakthrough. As for the other Elders, they don’t need to take it.”
Leo couldn’t trust Theodore and the others, as it was only natural to be cautious.
At this point, Theodore had no choice left. After hesitating for a moment, he reached out and accepted the pill, swallowing it.
“Don’t worry, if the Iron Sword Sect truly submits to me, I will definitely provide you with the antidote within a month,” Leo added.
Theodore nodded, not saying anything more.
Meanwhile, Jason couldn’t help but admire Leo. In his eyes, the Iron Sword Sect was a formidable force, and he never expected Leo to bring them under his command. It was truly impressive.
Leo looked towards the narrow passage and said, “Uncle Pater, Sect Master Theodore, and all the Elders, let’s go and take a look at the mineral vein.”
Before entering, Leo revived the four elite disciples of the Iron Sword Sect who were lying on the ground.
When the four elite disciples woke up, they were about to attack Leo, but Theodore scolded them, “The person in front of you is Mr. Bloomer, the most esteemed guest of our Iron Sword Sect. His status is equal to mine and the Grand Elder’s. You must not be disrespectful.”
Upon hearing this, the four elite disciples were momentarily stunned, their faces showing expressions of astonishment.
“In the future, when you meet Mr. Bloomer, you must receive him with the highest courtesy. Do you understand?” Theodore sternly reprimanded them.
Theodore didn’t immediately reveal that the Iron Sword Sect had submitted to Leo. At this moment, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Although the four elite disciples didn’t understand the situation, they obediently replied, “Yes, Sect Master!”
The group passed through the narrow passage and entered the Wolong Pool.
Within the Wolong Pool, the vegetation was lush, with green trees providing shade. The air was fresh, filled with the fragrance of flowers, and butterflies danced among the grass and flowers. It felt like a secluded paradise.
Continuing forward for some distance, they came across a serene and clear water pool about the size of a basketball court.
As the saying goes, “When the water is clear, there are no fish,” and indeed, the crystal-clear pool had no fish swimming in it.
About a hundred Iron Sword Sect disciples dressed in moon-white robes stood about a hundred steps away from the water pool. They held shovels and had already dug a deep pit spanning thousands of square meters.
Within the deep pit lay a piece of white jade, as large as a small mountain.