Marrying Wives and Attaining Immortality in a Chaotic World

Chapter 307: The Sword Pavilion

After listening to Huo Xin’er’s explanation, Xu Lian gained a general understanding of the structure of the Sword Pavilion.

The Sword Pavilion was composed of many families, each of which adhered to a strict hierarchical system.

The larger and more powerful families could form bonds with honorary disciples, assigning them a top-tier guardian and a talented sword attendant.

Smaller and weaker families, on the other hand, lacked the qualifications to directly bond with honorary disciples. Instead, they could only send two sword disciples to loyally serve the honorary disciple, hoping to bask in their reflected glory.

Huo Xin’er couldn’t help but smile proudly. “Our Huo Clan is considered a mid-level clan among the dozens of major families in the Sword Pavilion. We’re not the strongest, but we’re far from weak. When the Sword Seeker’s emissary Chen Fei reported the Sword of Destruction to the Sword Pavilion, no one knew much about you, Master. You were an unknown figure with no background or reputation to speak of, so none of the stronger families wanted to bind themselves to an obscure honorary disciple like you.

“But our Huo Clan was far-sighted! We decided to bind ourselves to you. Who would have thought that you would rise to such heights? Not only do you have the backing of the Thirteen Founding Clans and the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands, but you’ve also been blessed by the divine laws of the Divine Kingdom. Your future accomplishments are limitless. I bet those stronger families in the Sword Pavilion are regretting their decisions now.”

Xu Lian chuckled and playfully tapped her upturned nose. “If I remember correctly, you weren’t exactly thrilled at first either.”

Huo Xin’er snuggled closer, affectionately wrapping her arms around his arm. “But Master tamed me with his strength, proving that it was my destiny to become your sword attendant!”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Xu Lian replied indulgently as he held her hand and flew toward the heart of the Sword Pavilion. Yun Conglong and Feng Conghu followed close behind.

Suddenly…

Whoosh!

An invisible force abruptly blocked their path.

Xu Lian narrowed his eyes, sensing that this resistance emanated from the colossal sword towering nearby.

Huo Xin’er reminded him, “Master, you need to present the Sword Pavilion’s identity token to enter.”

Xu Lian then remembered that when he became an honorary disciple of the Sword Pavilion, he had received a sword-shaped identity token. He quickly retrieved it.

The invisible barrier immediately dissipated, allowing them passage.

“Welcome, Holy Son of the Nine Heavens, to the Sword Pavilion.”

An elderly man with snow-white hair stepped forward with a warm smile. “The Holy Son of the Nine Heavens is truly remarkable-young and accomplished. In less than a century of cultivation, you’ve defeated all the opponents in the Origin Tracing Realm track and emerged victorious. Your arrival here is the culmination of your journey so far. Truly impressive for someone so young.”

Xu Lian looked puzzled. “And you are?”

Huo Xin’er introduced him. “This is the current Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion.”

Xu Lian respectfully clasped his hands. “Ah, Pavilion Master. It is an honor to meet you. Forgive me if I seem presumptuous, but it’s unexpected for the Pavilion Master himself to greet a mere disciple.”

The Pavilion Master laughed. “Honorary disciples are different from ordinary disciples. Any honorary disciple who wields a legendary sword has the status of an elder within the Sword Pavilion. There’s no harm in me welcoming you personally.

“Moreover, your cultivation and strength have already reached the pinnacle of the Origin Tracing Realm, placing you on a par with me. We can consider ourselves equal.”

Xu Lian nodded. “That makes sense. My messenger, Chen Fei, mentioned that each victor of their respective traces will receive rewards upon arriving at the Sword Pavilion, regardless of whether they receive the Sword Emperor’s Inheritance. These rewards include cultivation resources corresponding to their current level, correct?”

The Pavilion Master was taken aback for a moment. Why was the illustrious Holy Son of the Nine Heavens so eager for cultivation resources? Rumors suggested that Xu Lian frequently visited Wuguang City in search of the Origin Tracing Light.

Although the Pavilion Master was curious, he refrained from prying and simply smiled. “Chen Fei told the truth. Every victor receives cultivation resources corresponding to their level upon arriving at the Sword Pavilion.”

Xu Lian didn’t feign any modesty when it came to cultivation resources. “When can I claim my reward?”

The Pavilion Master explained, “The rewards will be distributed after all the victors from the various tracks have arrived at the Sword Pavilion. Please don’t rush, Holy Son. You can rest at the Huo Clan for a few days.”

Xu Lian asked, “Are the trials for the other tracks still going on?”

The Pavilion Master replied, “The first to arrive at the Sword Pavilion was an honorary disciple who had reached the Sage Realm. Since there was only one Sage Realm participant among the honorary disciples, no competition was necessary for that track, making it the fastest to conclude.

“The second to arrive was you, Holy Son of the Nine Heavens. In the Origin Tracing Realm track, there were only seven participants, requiring just three matches to determine the victor.

“The other tracks, however, have a larger number of participants, resulting in more matches. It will take a few more days for these competitions to be completed.”

Xu Lian understood and exchanged a few more pleasantries with the Pavilion Master before leaving with Huo Xin’er to visit the Huo Clan.

The Huo Clan was Huo Xin’er’s maternal family, and her great-grandfather had once served as Xu Lian’s guardian. Within the Sword Pavilion, the Huo Clan was bound to Xu Lian by mutual interests. As such, it was only proper for him to pay them a visit.

As Expected—

When Xu Lian arrived at the Huo Clan with Huo Xin’er, he was greeted with an enthusiastic welcome. The reception was nothing less than the highest standard. The clan’s elder patriarch and several senior elders personally greeted him. Huo Xin’er’s great-grandfather, the elder patriarch, was none other than “Old Six”, the guardian who often hid in the void to protect Xu Lian.

“Excellent, excellent! Welcome!”

The Huo Clan Elder Patriarch beamed with joy. Xu Lian’s growth had far exceeded his expectations. In less than a century, Xu Lian’s cultivation and strength had reached the pinnacle of the Origin Tracing Realm, rivaling even his own.

Amidst the praise from the elders and clan members, Huo Xin’er was practically beaming with pride. Bringing back such an extraordinary husband as Xu Lian made her a hero in the eyes of her family. She had returned home in triumph, fulfilling the clan’s hopes and expectations.

Aside from the elderly patriarch and senior elders, Xu Lian sensed another powerful presence within the Huo Clan – a Sage-level expert. This revelation made him cautious. Obviously, the Huo Clan was not to be underestimated.

Even so, the Huo Clan was only considered a mid-level clan within the Sword Pavilion. The stronger families probably had quasi-supreme experts.

No wonder, despite lacking a Supreme-level expert, the Sword Pavilion was still regarded as a top-tier power. Any one of its stronger families would likely rival the Ghost Soul Sect in strength.

Of course, there were still differences between top-tier powers. Even in their current weakened state, the Sword Pavilion couldn’t compare to the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands. Even now, the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands boasted an ancient Supreme, the Goddess of Time with Supreme-level strength, and over a dozen Super Sages on the verge of breaking through to the Supreme Realm.

“Master, the patriarch of our clan would like to visit you. Would it be convenient?” Yun Conglong asked cautiously.

Feng Conghu’s eyes were filled with anticipation. As sword disciples, their families lacked the strength of the Huo Clan and didn’t qualify to receive a visit from Xu Lian. They could only humbly ask for an audience.

Xu Lian, who had risen from humble beginnings himself, understood their feelings. “I will stay with the Huo clan tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll visit your families.”

Yun Conglong and Feng Conghu were stunned, then overwhelmed with gratitude. If Xu Lian agreed to visit their families, it would be the greatest recognition a sword disciple could hope for.

So Xu Lian stayed at the Huo Clan for the night. Naturally, he took the opportunity to further deepen his bond with Huo Xin’er-details unnecessary.

The next day, he accompanied Yun Conglong and Feng Conghu to visit their families, acknowledging their years of loyalty and dedication as his sword disciples.