Marrying Wives and Attaining Immortality in a Chaotic World

Chapter 311: The Game of Wits

“Senior, please recite the Sword Dao secret techniques of the Sword Emperor once,” Xu Lian said.

Xu Lian really didn’t want to release his own conscious intent to come into contact with the Sword Emperor’s wife’s residual consciousness. He had his own plans. As long as he had seen or heard a secret technique, he could record it directly-this was the safest method!

The Sword Emperor’s Wife’s residual consciousness replied, “Some of the Sword Dao secrets and cultivation insights of the Sword Emperor can only be understood, not spoken. I cannot recite them. You’ll have to release your conscious intent and let it connect with my residual consciousness so that I can transmit them to you.”

Xu Lian’s eyes flickered as he responded, “I can’t control my conscious intent well enough to release it.”

The Sword Emperor’s Wife coldly chuckled, “You possess the cultivation of Origin Tracing Realm Stage 7. How can you not control your conscious intention? You don’t trust me, do you?”

Of course I don’t trust you, you old fox, Xu Lian cursed inwardly, but outwardly, he smiled and said, “How could I distrust a senior like you? It’s just that during the Sword Dao competition at the Sword Pavilion, my conscious intent was damaged. It’s currently resting in my sea of consciousness, and it really can’t be released. Senior, why don’t you recite some of the Sword Emperor’s Sword Dao secrets that can be spoken aloud?”

The Sword Emperor’s wife replied, “So your conscious intent is injured? Then rest here and recuperate. Once your conscious intent has healed and you can release it, connect with my residual consciousness and I will transmit the Sword Emperor’s Sword Dao Secrets to you.”

“…” Xu Lian fell silent.

The remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife also retreated, leaving no further response.

The entire tomb chamber became deathly silent.

One person, one corpse – they were now locked in a stalemate.

Both were cunning foxes who had lived for a thousand years; what kind of ghost stories could they possibly believe? Of course, both of them knew that the other was difficult to deal with and couldn’t be fooled easily.

Xu Lian thought to himself that this deadlock wasn’t going to solve anything. He decided to stop pretending and asked directly with a cold laugh, “Senior, are you planning to seize my body?”

The remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife sighed weakly, “You’re thinking too much. I’ve been dead for countless years. Only this fragment of my consciousness remains. Even if I wanted to seize your body, how could I resurrect myself? You’re being far too cautious. It seems that you and the Sword Emperor’s legacy are destined to part ways.”

Still pretending…

Xu Lian said, “If you’re not planning to seize my body, then Senior, please recite the Sword Emperor’s Sword Dao Secrets that can be spoken aloud.”

The remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife replied, “As I’ve said, some of the Sword Dao secrets and cultivation insights of the Sword Emperor can only be understood, not spoken. You must release your conscious intent and connect with my residual consciousness for me to transmit them to you.”

Xu Lian countered, “Senior, your cultivation is unfathomably deep. Even this fragment of your consciousness is beyond my ability to deal with. Releasing my conscious intent would be far too risky. Please first recite some of the secrets of the Sword Emperor that can be spoken aloud as a gesture of goodwill.”

The residual consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife replied, “If I’m going to transmit anything, it will be the complete inheritance of the Sword Emperor. What kind of nonsense is it to transmit only a small part? It’s better not to transmit anything at all. It is up to you to either release your conscious intent or give up the Sword Emperor’s legacy.”

The tomb chamber fell silent once again. One person, one corpse – they were locked in yet another stalemate.

Through their earlier probing and conversation, Xu Lian had already concluded in his heart that this Sword Emperor’s wife harbored ill intentions. She wouldn’t give him the Sword Emperor’s inheritance – or perhaps she didn’t even possess it at all!

In contrast to the eerie atmosphere inside the tomb, the outside world of the Sword Pavilion was in an uproar. Everyone had learned that the Sword Emperor’s wife had chosen Xu Lian as the heir to the Sword Emperor’s legacy.

The elders and clan chiefs of dozens of major families within the Sword Pavilion had all gathered at the entrance to the Sword Emperor’s Mausoleum, waiting for the final result.

Dozens of saints and quasi-supreme experts from these great families were also watching from afar, their gaze fixed on the Sword Emperor’s Mausoleum, waiting for the results.

Among all the families, the Huo Clan was undoubtedly the most excited and enthusiastic. If Xu Lian successfully obtained the Sword Emperor’s inheritance, he would become the master of the Sword Pavilion. And since the Huo Clan was tied to Xu Lian, they would naturally rise to become the most important family of the Sword Pavilion-the core family!

Although members of other families were reluctant to accept this outcome, they had no choice but to endure it. Internal conflict was out of the question; otherwise, the entire Sword Pavilion would collapse, leaving all the families without a home. Without the Sword Pavilion as their support, each family would be powerless in the outside world, a consequence no one could afford.

However, even if Xu Lian and the Huo clan took control of the Sword Pavilion, they would still have to rely on the other families. All in all, the status of these families wouldn’t be shaken too much – a small blessing in the midst of misfortune.

The time ticked by – one hour, two hours, three hours…

“Why hasn’t he come out yet?”

Huo Clan’s Elder Patriarch – the same Sixth Elder who had once been Xu Lian’s guardian – grew increasingly anxious. At a time like this, waiting was pure torture.

Huo Xin’er was also restless, muttering to herself as if to comfort her ancestors or perhaps herself: “Master will definitely succeed. Master reached Origin Tracing Rrealm Stage 7 in less than a hundred years, a talent unparalleled in history. With the laws of the divine kingdom protecting him, if even Master cannot obtain the Sword Emperor’s inheritance, then no one in this world deserves it.”

The members of the Huo Clan were like ants on a hot pan. Whether the Huo Clan would rise to greatness depended entirely on this moment.

As for the most aggrieved family in the Sword Pavilion, it was undoubtedly the Xiao Clan. They had come so close, just a hair’s breadth away, from having the Sword Emperor’s wife point to Sheng Tianyun. Unfortunately, Xu Lian’s overwhelming talent and the laws of the divine kingdom that he radiated had overshadowed Sheng Tianyun, causing the Sword Emperor’s Wife to finally choose Xu Lian.

Damn Xu Lian!

May Xu Lian be struck by lightning!

The members of the Xiao Clan cursed Xu Lian’s ancestors for generations.

Xiao Xiang’er’s eyes were red and swollen as she glared fiercely at Huo Xin’er, wishing she could devour her flesh and blood. All this glory – this honor – had almost been hers, only to be snatched away by Huo Xin’er.

Sheng Tianyun’s face was grim. What could he do? He was helpless.

Inside the tomb.

Xu Lian knew that continuing this stalemate wouldn’t lead to any results. He clasped his hands together and bowed once more, saying, “Since the Sword Emperor’s wife doesn’t wish to grant me the Sword Emperor’s inheritance, I can only take my leave.”

With that, he turned to leave.

But inwardly, he began counting silently: One, two, three… Hoping that the Sword Emperor’s wife would call him back and give him the upper hand.

It was like haggling in a brick-and-mortar store. When negotiations with the shopkeeper failed, you pretended to walk away. If the shopkeeper called you back, it meant that there was still hope. If not, it meant your offer was too low, and they’d lose money by accepting it.

“Seven.”

By the time he silently counted to seven, he had already reached the entrance of the tomb chamber. Still, the remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife hadn’t called him back.

This forced him to stop in his tracks.

He couldn’t leave.

But staying here was also useless.

Leaving would mean giving up the Sword Emperor’s inheritance. Staying here in this impasse wouldn’t accomplish anything either.

Or… should I release my conscious intent and connect with the remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife?

The thought flashed through Xu Lian’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

No matter what, he couldn’t do it. Once his conscious intent left his body and stepped outside the protection of the Divine Kingdom’s laws, it would be extremely dangerous – a gamble with his life. Absolutely not!

Most importantly, this remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife clearly wasn’t trustworthy. Releasing his conscious intent would be like placing himself on a chopping block, ready to be carved up at her whim.

“Senior, I’ve returned.”

Xu Lian turned around and walked back with a smile. As long as he didn’t feel awkward, the awkwardness would fall on the other party.

The remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife spoke, “It seems you really want the Sword Emperor’s legacy.”

Xu Lian replied, “Throughout the long history of the Sword Pavilion, countless honorable disciples have sought the Sword Emperor’s inheritance. As an honored disciple of the Sword Pavilion, of course I want it.”

The remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife said, “Then release your conscious intent. The Sword Emperor was a man of great courage in life. He did not like people with overly cautious personalities like you. If you’re not willing to take that risk and make that step, I can’t possibly grant you the Sword Emperor’s inheritance.”

Keep spinning your lies, Xu Lian thought, refusing to believe her words. “I don’t know what kind of person the Sword Emperor was in life. I only know that a person must be true to himself. I am who I am – an extraordinary firework.

“The Sword Emperor founded the Sword Pavilion with all his courage, but look at it now-it’s declining. The current state of the Sword Pavilion is dire, coveted by powerful forces from all sides. Perhaps the Sword Pavilion needs a new, cautious Sword Emperor?”

The residual consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife replied, “No matter how sharp your tongue is, it won’t change anything. If you refuse to release your conscious intent and merge with my remnant consciousness, I will not grant you the Sword Emperor’s inheritance. There’s no point in arguing anymore.”

Xu Lian had realized by now that with the protection of the divine nation’s laws, she couldn’t harm him. Thus, he no longer feared her and sneered, “In my opinion, you don’t even possess the Sword Emperor’s inheritance! Your remnant consciousness is trying every trick in the book to get me to release my conscious intent-you must have an ulterior motive, right?”

The Sword Emperor’s wife’s remnant consciousness fell silent, refusing to answer.

Xu Lian was certain that she couldn’t do anything to him and thus wasn’t afraid of provoking her. “Let me guess – what unfinished wish does someone who has been dead for who knows how many years still have?

“Could it be that the divine kingdom’s laws within me can bring you back to life?”

At this, Xu Lian’s eyes widened as he feigned a sudden realization. “So the laws of the divine kingdom can resurrect the dead!”

The remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife couldn’t help but reply, “You’re thinking too much. The dead are dead. There’s no law in this world that can bring someone back to life. If the laws of the divine kingdom could resurrect the dead, why haven’t the supreme beings of the divine kingdom used them to revive themselves?”

Xu Lian thought about it and realized that she was right. So if reviving the dead wasn’t her goal, then what could a dead person possibly want?

He couldn’t figure it out. After all, he had never died before and couldn’t understand the thoughts of the deceased.

“Senior, if you have any unfinished wishes, please tell me. I will do everything in my power to fulfill them so that you may rest in peace.”

He still hadn’t given up. Whether he obtained the Sword Emperor’s inheritance or not was irrelevant. His real goal was to take control of the Sword Pavilion and use its cultivation resources to advance his own cultivation.

The remaining consciousness of the Sword Emperor’s wife replied, “I have no unfinished business. The sole purpose of my remaining consciousness is to find a suitable heir for the Sword Emperor. By asking you to release your conscious intent, I am testing you. If you cannot pass this test, you will never receive the Sword Emperor’s inheritance. Stop wasting your energy.”

Xu Lian felt a headache coming on. He was completely out of options. This Sword Emperor’s wife was utterly unyielding, insisting that he release his conscious intent. He absolutely refused to comply-no inheritance was worth risking his life for. He didn’t want to gamble his life on the Sword Emperor’s wife’s supposed “kindness”.

Were there truly kind-hearted people in this world?

Perhaps. But they certainly weren’t people like the Sword Emperor’s Wife.