LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 206: Surrounded by Powerful Enemies
Chapter 206: Surrounded by Powerful Enemies
Xu Lian really didn’t want this hot potato. As the saying goes, “The only crime of an ordinary person is to possess a priceless treasure.” His current strength simply wasn’t up to such a “high-end” thing.
Most importantly, he could advance through adding points. Any treasure wasn’t a necessity for him. As long as his future rank and cultivation level were high enough, any treasure would seem like mere decoration. It was as simple as that.
If he were to give the laws of the Divine Kingdom to someone else, he’d feel somewhat unwilling. After all, he had spent a year painstakingly obtaining it from the Hundred Boats Secret Realm.
However, he was willing to give it to White Fox. Bai Hu had practically watched him grow up to where he was now, helping him countless times along the way. Without Bai Hu’s intervention, he would have died many times over.
There was another reason – in his mind, Bai Hu was his second official wife… Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud, lest he get beaten up.
Bai Hu looked at him deeply, unsure if he was just being polite, trying to curry favor, or genuinely sincere. “This is your own fate and destiny. I don’t want it. Moreover, once the laws of the Divine Kingdom have chosen you, it’s not easy for others to take them away.
You shouldn’t give up this heaven-sent opportunity just to avoid trouble. It’s not wise to give up eating for fear of choking.
You must understand that the more trouble you have now, the more benefits the laws of the Divine Kingdom will bring you in the future.”
Xu Lian, who was never afraid to ask questions, said, “Logically, my Sword of Destruction is also an incomparable divine sword. Why hasn’t anyone tried to steal it? Why are so many powerful beings going crazy over the laws of the Divine Kingdom?”
Bai Hu explained, “The Sword of Destruction is the life-bound weapon of the ancestor of the Jiang family, one of the Thirteen Clans. Once it recognizes a master, even if someone else steals it, it’s useless to them. At most, it’s just a sturdy and sharp sword, unable to unleash its true power.
Besides, the Thirteen Clans are not to be trifled with. If anyone dares to steal the Sword of Destruction, the Thirteen Clans will definitely fight to the death, no matter what.
Although the Thirteen Clans are in decline, their ancestors were legendary figures who once stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation world. What if one or two of them are still alive? No power would dare to risk stealing the Sword of Destruction, because they couldn’t bear the possible consequences of being destroyed.
Even if all the ancestors of the Thirteen Clans are dead, it’s impossible that they have left no powerful legacy for their descendants. There must be some formidable hidden measures.
That’s why the Thirteen Clans have dominated Taizhou Prefecture for countless years. At most, other major forces might infiltrate or test them, but no one dares to truly move against the Thirteen Clans, let alone steal the Sword of Destruction.
The laws of the Divine Kingdom, on the other hand, come from the Hundred Boats Secret Realm and are essentially ownerless.
Legend has it that the Divine Kingdom attempted to ascend to immortality as a whole, but was struck down by divine punishment. All of its cultivators vanished overnight. Even if someone steals the laws of the Divine Kingdom, no one will come after them.
There’s another important reason.
The Sword of Destruction is only a weapon. It has no effect on cultivation. A cultivator’s strength depends entirely on his cultivation level. If his cultivation isn’t strong enough, even the best weapon won’t help him.
The laws of the Divine Kingdom, on the other hand, are more like a legacy that contains the true meaning of a great path. Think about it-if the laws of the Divine Kingdom weren’t powerful, how could the Divine Kingdom have attempted to ascend to immortality as a whole?
So those who understand the laws of the Divine Kingdom, even if they don’t become a true immortal, will be close to it. Who wouldn’t want that?”
Xu Lian listened in silence, finally understanding the stakes. “So how am I supposed to protect myself in the future? Facing endless powerful enemies, I can’t live in constant fear. You protected me once, but you can’t protect me forever.”
Bai Hu thought for a moment. “Stay in Pingyang County for now and see how the various powers react. If it becomes untenable, I’ll arrange a safe place for you to stay.”
Xu Lian bowed deeply in gratitude. There was no need for further pleasantries – he was already on the same boat as Bai Hu.
As soon as he stepped out from the Spirit Tree, he saw Yun Conglong and Feng Conghu, his two sword attendants, waiting for him. They had clearly heard of his return.
“Congratulations, Master, for obtaining the laws of the Divine Kingdom!”
“We rejoice for you, Master!”
The two sword disciples knelt on one knee, their faces filled with excitement, even more thrilled than Xu Lian himself.
“…” Xu Lian raised his hand, signaling for them to rise. “What happened in the year I was away?”
Yun Conglong reported, “Everything has been peaceful.
Lady Pei Zhaoxi successfully refined her skin and became a Skin Refining Stage Cultivator. We celebrated for a while…”
The first sentence left Xu Lian speechless.
“Lady Lin Ying, in your name, requested a Class C residence from the First Street’s spirit property leasing office for rental purposes.
Lady Wang Cuiyun, your mother, has been going out with Caixia, Yu Qingning, and Miao Yueyue almost every day, mainly to enjoy good food, and occasionally to buy clothes and jewelry.
Lady Lin Wan, Zhao Yuqing, Zhao Yuhe, Jiang Yunyan, and Jing Se spent most of their time cultivating. The sword attendant Huo Xin’er has been doing the same.
Lady Chuntao’s Lichun Brothel is flourishing. She comes out once a day to sing and dance, but she hasn’t overstepped any boundaries.
According to your instructions, I’ve been visiting Xu Xiaomei in Stone Town every month, delivering silver and food. She’s still living with her parents and goes out for walks with them every evening. She seems to be living comfortably, but every time I visit her, she asks about your return”.
After listening to this, Xu Lian had a clear picture of the situation. He took out one million Spirit Stones from his spatial bag and distributed them to Yun Conglong and Feng Conghu. With 33 billion Spirit Stones at his disposal, he could afford to be generous.
The two sword disciples gratefully accepted their master’s reward and left happily.
Next, Xu Lian planned to personally check the affection levels and stabilize them.
Affection levels don’t lie or make mistakes. If the affection level drops, it means that there’s a problem.
This was necessary. It wasn’t that he was overly suspicious, but with so many women at home and him often being away, he had to manage things this way.
Xu Lian’s first thought was of the fiery Pei Zhaoxi. In terms of status, she was the highest one. From another perspective, Fang Shaoze had arrived in Pingyang County a year ago. While he trusted Pei Zhaoxi, he couldn’t fully trust Fang Shaoze.
Thus, he headed to B Class Residence, which was allocated to the Pei family.
“Zhaoxi.”
He called out as he entered the residence.
Pei Zhaoxi ran out in surprise. “Husband.”
Xu Lian smiled and embraced her, then carried her into the house.
The joy of reunion after a long separation needs no elaboration.
The next day, he checked the affection level, which remained steadily at 94. This greatly pleased Xu Lian-his care for her hadn’t been in vain.
He then took her out shopping, buying her a vast amount of cultivation resources. She certainly couldn’t use it all herself, but it would be enough for the entire Pei family for a long time.
Next was Lin Wan, whose affection level was also stable at 93. Xu Lian didn’t play favorites and also bought a large amount of cultivation materials for the Lin family.
He intended to move on to other places, but Lin Ying insisted that he stay, demanding that he fulfill a promise he made a year ago. Seeing her affection level at 70 surprised him a bit. Lin Ying cried tears of joy, finally getting her wish.
For the next month or so, Xu Lian continued to check the affection levels. None had dropped, and he even received a pleasant surprise – Jing Se’s affection level had reached the 90 mark, earning him a progression point.
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Rank: Great Grandmaster Sixth Stage]
[Skills: Four Symbols Battle Tactics (requires four people to perform), Great Desolate Dragon Grasping Technique, Sacred Spirit Record (Immortal Technique Supplement), Breaking Wind Sword Technique (Volumes 1-3)…]
[Items: Sword of Destruction (not equipped)]
[Note: You currently have 6 unused progression points.]
Unknowingly, he had accumulated 6 progression points. If he used them all, he could break through to the Transcendent Realm!
Transcendent wasn’t just a title. Once you entered the Transcendent Realm, you really left the realm of mortals. You could fly through the air – could someone who could fly still be called a mortal?
Xu Lian remembered something. Now that the affection levels of the women were high-most at 92 or 93, with Pei Zhaoxi at 94-it would be hard to raise them further. Only Jing Se at 90 and Lin Ying at 80 had room for improvement.
This meant that gaining progression points through affection levels would be slow. However, he could now consider gaining progression points through offspring as he had unlocked that function…
He was eager. Once a bunch of children were born, wouldn’t the affection levels “rain down”? Just thinking about it made him feel giddy.
After all, only children born with an affection level above 90/100 could earn progression points. This wasn’t a problem for him, since except for Lin Ying at 70, all the others were above 90.
“Quantity leads to quality. After working so hard, the time has finally come to reap the rewards.”
Xu Lian was full of confidence for the future. Of course, all of this depended on him surviving the crisis of the Divine Kingdom’s laws. Otherwise, it would all be for nothing.
Just as he was feeling ambitious, a Supreme Elder from the Yi Sect arrived!
It’s important to note that Supreme Elders have a golden identity level, which is two levels higher than Bai Hu’s purple identity level as a Town Guard Commander. Of course, Bai Hu’s strength couldn’t be measured solely by her purple identity level. If she wanted to, she could easily obtain a golden identity token.
This Earth Flesh Avatar of the Supreme Elder took the form of a young man with an arrogant attitude. He directly ordered Bai Hu, “Hand over Xu Lian, the manager of First Street under your command. I’m taking him with me.”
Bai Hu’s voice was icy, with just one word: “Go away.”
Xu Lian almost laughed out loud…
The Supreme Elder in the form of a young man was stunned, then furious. He flipped out his golden identity token and showed it to Bai Hu. “Are you disobeying orders?”
Bai Hu merely glanced at the golden token and ignored it.
The Supreme Elder was so angry that he reached out to grab Xu Lian’s shoulder, intending to take him by force. But upon contact, his hand melted… He quickly retracted it.
This alone showed that this Supreme Elder’s strength was inferior to that of the Old Vine Demon. Of course, this Supreme Elder was only using an Earth Flesh avatar, not his true body.
Bai Hu coldly said, “If you want the laws of the Divine Kingdom, this Earth Flesh avatar of yours isn’t enough to take Xu Lian. Send your true body here. I want to see who you really are.”
The Supreme Elder’s expression turned ugly. He threw a harsh threat at Bai Hu and left in a huff.
Xu Lian was puzzled. “Is the Supreme Elder of the Yi Sect really this weak? Even if it’s just an avatar, it shouldn’t be so feeble. Otherwise, how could the Yi Sect be a top-tier power?”
The Supreme Elder, who hadn’t gone far, heard this and was almost furious. He glared at Xu Lian, clearly holding a grudge.
Bai Hu explained, “Everyone in the Yi Sect enters the sect through avatars. No one knows each other’s true identities. A higher identity mark doesn’t necessarily mean greater strength. Many people simply don’t want to raise their identity tokens too high.
It’s possible for a disciple with a blue identity token to be stronger than the sect elder with a golden identity token,”
Xu Lian understood.
It was like her-she only had a purple identity token, but her projected strength was greater than many powerful beings… Who knew how many such hidden powerhouses there were in the Yi Sect? It was no wonder that the Yi Sect was considered a top-tier power.
On the other hand, those with silver or gold identity tokens – Elders and Supreme Elders – were “not so strong”… As the saying goes, “A full bottle makes no noise; a half-empty bottle clatters. This was the truth.”
Truly powerful figures were very low-key and didn’t want to raise their identity tokens too high, as higher tokens meant more responsibilities within the Yi Sect. True powerhouses didn’t want to waste too much cultivation time on sect affairs.
Of course, this didn’t mean that the elders and supreme elders of the Yi Sect were weak. To become an elder or supreme elder, one had to be at least at the level of a powerful being.
Just a few days after the Yi Sect’s Supreme Elder left, a pair of blood-red eyes as large as mountains appeared in the sky above Pingyang County. Their crimson gaze looked down upon the entire county, filling the people with fear and a sense of impending doom.
Soon after, a huge blurry figure appeared on the distant horizon and stared at Pingyang County. From its silhouette, it didn’t look human – it was either a ghost or a demon.
Xu Lian quickly noticed that his shadow was constantly emitting an eerie laughter, sending chills down his spine. Clearly, another ghostly entity had set its sights on him.
An unknown creature appeared in the sky, hidden within the clouds, its massive form only partially visible. It was undoubtedly a great demon.
Things had been peaceful for over a month. After all, this was the territory of the Yi Sect, and various powerful beings were somewhat wary of having to consider the Yi Sect’s stance. But after Bai Hu refused the Yi Sect’s Supreme Elder’s demand to take Xu Lian away, the powerful beings finally lost patience and decided to act.
As more and more powerful beings appeared, the air in Pingyang County seemed to freeze. The winds and clouds shifted, and a great battle seemed imminent. The ordinary people lived in constant fear, on the verge of collapse.
The entire population of the city gathered in front of the First Street barrier and knelt down.
“Manager Xu, please have mercy. Please have mercy on my family. Please leave Pingyang County. This small town can’t accommodate a figure like you.”
“After the last upheaval, nearly 30% of Pingyang County’s population died. We can’t bear such turmoil again. Can you bear to see the whole town go down with you?”
Seeing the endless sea of kneeling men, women, and children, Xu Lian felt a heavy weight in his heart, but he understood the people’s fear.
In this world filled with strange and terrifying creatures, the common people couldn’t escape to distant lands. Pingyang County was their home, their livelihood. They had nowhere else to go and could only beg him to leave.
Xu Lian said, “Fellow villagers, neighbors, please stand up. I will leave now and bring no disaster upon you.”
Hearing this, the people breathed a sigh of relief. They left eggs, flatbread, dried meat, and other items by the roadside as tokens of gratitude for his “great mercy.”
Bai Hu also knew that Xu Lian couldn’t stay. “Have your wives pack their belongings quickly. I’ll arrange a safe place for you.”
Xu Lian didn’t need to say any more words of thanks. He had the women pack as quickly as possible. There wasn’t much to bring – everyone had a storage bag, so they only needed to take their cultivation materials. Everything else could be left behind and replaced once they reached safety.