NOVEL WEB Chapter 313: Threats
Chapter 313: Threats
“Xin’er.”
Xu Lian waved at Huo Xin’er.
Huo Xin’er smiled and ran to his side, leaning against him affectionately.
“Master!”
Xu Lian said, “With my current cultivation at Origin Tracing Realm Stage 7, I am not yet ready to formally ascend to the position of Sword Emperor. For now, I cannot elevate you to the position of Sword Emperor’s Consort. Please bear with me.”
Huo Xin’er looked at him with fervent admiration. “It’s alright. I believe it won’t be long before Master fully comprehends the Sword Emperor’s inheritance and officially becomes the new Sword Emperor.”
Xu Lian nodded slightly and decided not to elaborate further. Instead, he turned to the clan heads and elders of the various families and announced, “I will enter seclusion within the Sword Pavilion for some time. My first goal is to break through into the Sage Realm”.
The clan leaders and elders were stunned by this announcement. To speak of breaking through to the Sage Realm so casually and confidently, it was a testament to Xu Lian’s boldness. No wonder he was the new Sword Emperor. Could it really be that simple for him to ascend to the ranks of the sages?
Feeling that the timing was right, Xu Lian asked, “How much Origin Tracing Light remains in the Sword Pavilion’s treasury?”
The clan heads and elders were taken aback for a moment before falling silent. The cultivation resources of the Sword Pavilion had been accumulated during the time of the previous Sword Emperor. Over the years, it had almost been depleted. Theoretically, as the Holy Son of the Ninth Heaven, Xu Lian should have no shortage of cultivation resources. However, since the new Sword Emperor had requested their use, they had no choice but to comply. After all, the new Sword Emperor was the true master of the Sword Pavilion, and its resources naturally took priority for his use.
The Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion replied, “My lord, there are a total of one hundred and twenty-seven strands of Origin Tracing Light remaining.”
Only one hundred and twenty-seven? Xu Lian frowned. Even if he took all of them, it wouldn’t be enough for him to reach Trace Origin Stage 9, let alone break through to the Sage Realm.
“Bring me one hundred strands,” Xu Lian instructed.
He deliberately left twenty-seven strands behind, ensuring that he didn’t cut off the advancement paths of the clan heads and elders entirely. If he took everything, it would provoke too much backlash, which wouldn’t bode well for him.
Take a hundred strands at once? The pavilion master hesitated and looked at the clan elders. Seeing no objection, he reluctantly acquiesced. “Yes, my lord.”
Just as the Pavilion Master was about to retrieve the Origin Tracing Light from the Treasury, the residual consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife transmitted her voice from deep within the Sword Emperor’s Mausoleum. “Do not believe him. He has not received the Sword Emperor’s inheritance.”
The entire crowd fell silent!
The clan chiefs, elders, honored disciples, and sword attendants were all stunned. He hadn’t received the Sword Emperor’s Heir?
Xu Lian’s expression froze. He had been so close – just moments away from securing one hundred strands of Origin Tracing Light. He had never expected that the residual consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife, someone who had been dead for countless years, could still transmit her voice from such depths to expose him.
The clan chiefs and elders came to their senses and glared at Xu Lian with fury.
“Ninth Heaven Holy Son, what is the meaning of this? You dare to impersonate the new Sword Emperor?”
“Playing us all for fools – was it amusing?”
The saints and quasi-supreme experts of the various families also stared at Xu Lian with icy glances. They had believed that he had obtained the inheritance and become the new Sword Emperor. They never did expect it to be a fraud.
Trapped under the gaze of so many powerful individuals, Xu Lian’s body tensed. But recalling the divine kingdom’s laws protecting him, he relaxed. After all, he wouldn’t die. Moreover, with the backing of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands and the Goddess of Time, the Sword Pavilion – lacking even a Supreme – wouldn’t dare to detain him.
“Master, you…”
Huo Xin’er was also stunned. Xu Lian hadn’t obtained the Sword Emperor’s inheritance, yet he dared to impersonate the new Sword Emperor. This was absolutely outrageous.
The Elder Patriarch and the elders of the Huo Clan turned pale, their hearts sinking. Xu Lian had dug a huge hole for the Huo Clan. While the other families couldn’t touch Xu Lian, they would undoubtedly take out their anger on the Huo Clan. What a mess!
“I suspected this earlier! He couldn’t produce the Nine Leaf Sword Grass-he never received the Sword Emperor’s inheritance!” Xiao Xiang’er exclaimed triumphantly, her lips curling into a cold smile. “He pretended to be the new Sword Emperor with malicious intent. His treachery deserves death!”
Sheng Tianyun and the other honored disciples were left speechless. Impersonating the new Sword Emperor, such audacity! It was extremely ridiculous.
In truth, Xu Lian had merely been testing his luck. If he succeeded, he would have gained the Sword Pavilion’s cultivation resources for free. Even if he failed, the worst outcome would be condemnation and a tarnished reputation-hardly a significant loss.
“Everyone, please calm down. Let me talk to the Sword Emperor’s wife,” Xu Lian said as he turned around and headed back to the Sword Emperor’s Mausoleum. He wasn’t willing to give up those one hundred strands of Origin Tracing Light just yet. An idea had formed in his mind.
Behind him, the faces of the clan chiefs and elders turned ashen with rage, their bodies trembling. Moments ago, they had been kneeling before Xu Lian in awe. If word of this spread, the entire Sword Pavilion would lose face – it was utterly humiliating!
The Elder Patriarch, the elders, and Huo Xin’er of the Huo clan fell silent. There was nothing they could do to defend Xu Lian now. At the same time, their hearts felt hollow-they had celebrated prematurely for nothing.
Inside the Sword Emperor’s Mausoleum
Xu Lian descended directly into the burial chamber where the coffin of the Sword Emperor’s wife rested. Without any preamble, he said, “How about we strike a deal?”
The residual consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife coldly responded, “To impersonate the Sword Emperor without obtaining his inheritance – you have quite the audacity. If the Sword Emperor and I were still alive, you’d be dead ten thousand times over for deceiving the Sword Pavilion like this.”
Xu Lian remained unfazed. “But the Sword Emperor and you are both dead. The Sword Pavilion doesn’t even have a single Supreme now. Moreover, I have the backing of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands. What can the Sword Pavilion do to me? Even if I’m exposed, I won’t lose anything. Why not take a chance?
“As for you, your intention to confiscate my body-if I spread this information, how do you think the Sword Pavilion would react? Throughout its history, the Sword Pavilion has recruited countless disciples of honor. If word gets out that the Sword Pavilion seeks to seize their bodies, it will enrage all the honored disciples of the past. The major powers have long coveted the Sword Pavilion, and this would give them the perfect excuse to launch a full-scale attack.”
The remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife replied coldly, “You are overthinking things. I have no intention of taking your body. That’s just your speculation – you have no proof.”
Xu Lian chuckled. “Whether it’s speculation or not, whether there’s evidence or not, if I release this information, it will cause an uproar regardless of its truth. If that happens, the Sword Pavilion will be in grave danger, and there will be no way to salvage the situation.”
The remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife fell silent.
Xu Lian pressed on with his threat. “It’s easy to silence me. Just have the Sword Pavilion give me one hundred strands of Origin Tracing Light, and I’ll keep everything that happened in this tomb a secret. I’ll pretend that nothing ever happened.
“I don’t know what your intentions are in wanting my conscious intention to connect with your remaining consciousness, but you’re already dead. The Origin Tracing Light of the Sword Pavilion is useless to you anyway. Giving me a hundred strands shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Seeing that the Sword Emperor’s wife remained unresponsive, Xu Lian turned to leave. “If you refuse, then we’ll see. After I spread this information, we’ll see if you can rest in peace here.”
The remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife called out to him, finally deciding to compromise.
Xu Lian smiled. In the end, he had gotten his way.