The Romance of the Immortal Cauldron

Chapter 2174 Exploring the Order of Life and Death

"Life and Death Order..."

Matthew's fingers gently stroked the mysterious token in his hand, and the rough texture passed through his fingertips. His eyes were fixed on the token. Thoughts surged in the depths of his eyes, and he muttered to himself, his voice as faint as the trembling of fallen leaves in the wind.

"So, what exactly does it do?" Matthew frowned slightly, and a shallow groove appeared between his eyebrows, which was the external manifestation of his inner uneasiness and expectation.

His eyes were like the twinkling stars in the deep night sky, expressing fear of the unknown but also an irrepressible longing.

His gaze seemed to be attracted by a magnet, and never left the token in his hand for a moment, as if he was trying to penetrate its ancient appearance and spy on the shocking secrets hidden deep inside.

At this moment, the skinny old man kneeling on the ninth step slightly raised the corners of his mouth, revealing an elusive smile.

"As long as you can take me to a higher place, I will tell you all the secrets." The skinny old man said in a hoarse voice.

However, to the old man's surprise, Matthew turned away without hesitation as if he had not heard what he said.

His back was straight and resolute, his steps were steady and firm, and he walked slowly towards the center of the platform, step by step. Every step he took seemed to raise a puff of invisible dust in this silent place, demonstrating his unshakable determination.

After arriving at the center of the platform, Matthew slowly sat down cross-legged, placed his hands lightly on his knees, palms facing up, and the Order of Life and Death lying quietly in the palm of his right hand.

Under the seemingly calm appearance, his heart is actually turbulent, just like the sea in a storm, with huge waves constantly surging.

He knew very well that the skinny old man in front of him was no pushover and would never easily reveal any important information about such a crucial item as the Life and Death Order. He would definitely, like a cunning businessman, propose all kinds of extremely harsh and difficult conditions as bargaining chips.

For a moment, countless possible trading scenarios flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. Some might ask him to exchange for an extremely precious magic weapon, some might ask him to risk his life to find something in a desperate situation, or some might force him to swear a blood oath...

Each assumption was like a sharp dagger, piercing straight into the softest corner of his heart, making him feel deeply uneasy, as if he was on the edge of a cliff, which would lead to eternal damnation if he was not careful.

After thinking it over again and again, he decided to keep doing nothing for the time being and just sit there quietly, as if he had ignored the old man's suggestion.

He intended to use stillness to overcome movement, and deliberately left the old man alone, trying to wear down the other party's patience and temper in the silent confrontation, making the old man confused in the long wait, thus buying himself more room for maneuver.

At the same time, Matthew's thoughts seemed to break free from the shackles of the world and began to fly freely.

He thought to himself that perhaps with his own wisdom and strength, he could uncover some of the mysteries of the Order of Life and Death.

After all, this is his chance. If he relies on others, he will inevitably fall into a more passive situation.

So he gently closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing. Inhaling was like smelling the fragrance of flowers, long and slow, and exhaling was like dispersing mist, soft and even.

Gradually, he seemed to have built an invisible barrier in this small world, completely isolating himself from the chaos around him. He immersed himself in it wholeheartedly, concentrating his mind, trying to feel the tremendous power contained in the mysterious token in his hand with the purest perception.

He carefully guided the magic power in his body and slowly transferred it into the life and death order in his hand.

The magic power was like a trickle of water, continuously seeping into the token.

However, the token's reaction shocked him greatly, as if a basin of cold water was poured over his head, instantly extinguishing his expectations.

Soon, Matthew was shocked to find that the Life and Death Order was like a bottomless pit. No matter how much mana he put into it, once it entered, it disappeared without a trace, without even a ripple. It was like a high-handed spectator, mocking his weakness and powerlessness with a bit of teasing.

"What the hell is this?"

Matthew was secretly panicked, and made a prompt decision. He immediately stopped transferring his magic power into the Life and Death Order, and instead carefully transferred his spiritual consciousness into it.

As his spiritual awareness gradually penetrated deeper, everything in the outside world seemed to be slowly covered by a veil. The surrounding scenes gradually became blurred, like a faded painting, losing its original vividness.

In the blink of an eye, a vast and boundless darkness suddenly appeared before his eyes, like the chaos at the beginning of the universe, boundless and endless, as if the endless void had opened its bloody mouth, wanting to devour his consciousness, soul, and hope.

Just when he was tightly wrapped in fear and loneliness, as if he was in a desperate situation and isolated and helpless, the magic-forbidden rune that had been dormant in his body seemed to be awakened by a mysterious force at this moment, and suddenly began to move.

It was like a venomous snake that had been dormant for a long time and sensed the scent of its prey. It instantly followed Matthew's consciousness and rushed directly into the interior of the Life and Death Order at lightning speed.

After entering, the Magic Forbidden Talisman Culture made countless thin black threads, like black fireworks blooming in the night sky, rushing straight into the depths of darkness inside without hesitation.

These black silk threads seemed to be carrying some kind of mission, and as if being pulled by an unknown force, they all disappeared in the blink of an eye, as if they had never appeared in this darkness.

At this moment, Matthew's consciousness seemed to be pulled out by an invisible hand, and he retreated from the inside of the Life and Death Order in a panic.

This was not an active decision on his part, but was forced out by an overwhelming, suffocating and terrifying pressure. The pressure was like the roar of a demon from ancient times, which made his soul tremble.

Fortunately, the magic-forbidden rune is still inside, like a spark of hope that has taken root in the darkness and has never been extinguished.

At this moment, Matthew seemed to see a ray of light in the abyss of despair, and he felt a little more expectant.

He knew very well that the Forbidden Magic Rune's proactive attack was no accident and must have had its own purpose.

At the moment, all he can do is wait silently, like a traveler waiting for the return of spring in the cold winter, holding hope and waiting for a turning point.

Time is like solidified amber, flowing slowly.

Matthew still sat quietly in the middle of the platform. There was deathly silence all around him, with only his even breathing echoing softly in the silence.

During this long wait, his mood gradually calmed down from the initial panic, as if the turbulent surface of a lake returned to calm, but in the depths of his eyes, a more determined fire burned.

The life and death order in his hand was still icy cold, like a thousand-year-old piece of black ice.

As for the skinny old man, he had been lying there quietly since Matthew turned around.