NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 316: The Factions
Chapter 316: The Factions
Although the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands, Blazing Flame Sect, and Divine Flower Palace had provided compelling arguments to the various powers explaining that Xu Lian had not violated their agreement, the Divine Thunder Sect, Dark Moon Holy Land, and Fuyao Holy Land were not willing to let the matter rest. They also had their reasons for believing that Xu Lian had indeed broken the agreement.
“Even though Xu Lian is only at the eighth stage of Origin Tracing cultivation,” they argued, “he is protected by the divine laws of a divine kingdom and wields the Sword of Destruction , an ancestral weapon of the Jiang family, one of the thirteen great clans. When fighting without holding back, his true strength rivals that of someone at the ninth peak stage of Origin Tracing. How is this any different from those who deliberately avoided breaking into the Sage Realm while still being at the peak ninth stage?”
“If this doesn’t count as violating the agreement,” they continued, “then we can send our own peak ninth-stage cultivators armed with supreme artifacts to dominate Wuguang City’s Origin Tracing Light!”
“That’s right!” another voice chimed in. “If all the factions start sending ninth-stage peak cultivators equipped with supreme artifacts to guard Wuguang City and snatch the Origin Tracing Light, wouldn’t everything descend into chaos?”
Without a doubt, this was a direct challenge to the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands !
The implication was clear: if the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands refused to recall Xu Lian from Wuguang City, the Divine Thunder Sect, the Dark Moon Holy Land, and the Fuyao Holy Land would dispatch their own peak ninth-stage cultivators wielding supreme artifacts to confront him and seize control of Wuguang City.
An elderly sovereign from the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands spoke again. “When the major factions originally agreed upon the terms, there was no rule prohibiting the use of Heavenly Artifacts in Wuguang City. Since that is the case, Xu Lian’s use of the Sword of Destruction in Wuguang City is in accordance with the agreement. If you wish to send your ninth-stage peak cultivators armed with supreme artifacts to Wuguang City, then by all means, go ahead.”
Clearly, the Elder Sovereign had absolute confidence in the divine laws protecting Xu Lian and wasn’t worried about his safety. Unless a Supreme Being personally intervened, no one could harm Xu Lian-not even a ninth-stage peak cultivator wielding a Supreme Artifact.
A supreme being from the Blazing Flame Sect added forcefully, “If Xu Lian, the Nine Heavenly Holy Son, ends up seizing your supreme artifact during the fight, don’t come crying afterward.”
The female Supreme Being of the Divine Flower Palace remarked coolly, “I’d like to see what kind of talent the Divine Thunder Sect, Dark Moon Holy Land, and Fuyao Holy Land can produce within the Origin Tracing Realm.”
The indescribable Supreme Being of the Divine Thunder Sect sneered, “We’ll see how things unfold. If my sect sends a ninth-stage peak cultivator armed with a supreme artifact and manages to strip away the divine laws shielding Xu Lian, don’t expect the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands to remain calm!”
Similarly, the unnamed supreme beings of the Dark Moon Sacred Lands and the Fuyao Sacred Lands announced their intentions. They vowed to send peak ninth-stage cultivators armed with supreme artifacts to Wuguang City-not for the Origin Tracing Light, but solely to capture Xu Lian and claim the divine laws protecting him.
As the two factions escalated their verbal sparring, tensions grew thick with hostility. Meanwhile, the other great powers watched in silence, secretly pleased. They hoped that the conflict would continue to escalate, ideally culminating in open warfare in which both sides would suffer heavy casualties. Only then could they move in and reap the benefits.
In the dilapidated courtyard of the city lord’s residence in Wuguang City, Xu Lian felt confused. The news of the confrontation between the two factions had already spread far and wide, causing quite a stir. From the looks of it, the Divine Thunder Sect, Dark Moon Holy Land, and Fuyao Holy Land were preparing to send their strongest peak ninth-stage cultivators armed with supreme artifacts to take him down.
It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t under pressure. Being targeted by these three top-tier forces was no small matter. However, as a member of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands-and more importantly, as its Holy Son, the face of the sect-he couldn’t afford to show weakness or tarnish his faction’s reputation.
Standing resolutely in the ruined courtyard, Xu Lian made his stance known. “If they want a fight, then bring it on! If one comes, I’ll cut one down. If two come, I’ll kill them both!”
With his eighth-stage cultivation base, his voice carried effortlessly across the entire Wuguang City. Once the people of Wuguang City spread his words, the whole world would know.
Upon hearing Xu Lian’s declaration, the people of Wuguang City fled overnight. They understood that staying here would mean certain death, and the city would inevitably become a deadly battleground.
In fact, there weren’t many people left in Wuguang City to begin with. After Xu Lian drove out over twenty Origin Tracing Realm experts, only a handful of opportunistic adventurers remained, hoping to strike it rich by finding an Origin Tracing Light or catching the eye of a powerful mentor.
Overnight, Wuguang City had become a ghost town. Only Xu Lian remained, standing alone amidst the desolation. The once bustling city was now eerily silent, shrouded in darkness. The faint glow of the lanterns in the city lord’s residence stood out against the pitch-black sky, like a lone beacon in the night.
The eyes of the entire country were focused on Wuguang City, waiting to see how events would unfold.
While Xu Lian awaited the appearance of the Origin Tracing Light, he also prepared himself for the arrival of representatives from the Divine Thunder Sect, the Dark Moon Holy Land, and the Fuyao Holy Land. He stood ready to meet them head on.
However, the days passed without incident. Despite the escalating rhetoric, the three top-tier forces showed no signs of action. Wuguang City remained eerily calm.
Everyone knew that these three factions couldn’t just back down. Their threats had been broadcast far and wide. To do nothing now would invite the ridicule of the entire world. Although dignity had little value in this era, even the most powerful factions cared about their reputations.
For Xu Lian, however, the lack of activity was frustrating. Living alone in Wuguang City had become unbearably boring. Aside from cooking meals to pass the time and wandering aimlessly through every corner of the city, he had nothing else to occupy himself with.
One day, a figure suddenly appeared in Wuguang City. Thanks to his constant awareness covering the entire city, Xu Lian immediately detected the presence.
“You?”
Xu Lian stared at the young woman in front of him in surprise. Strictly speaking, she appeared youthful, but her decades-long cultivation journey belied her age.
It was none other than Shui Yingyue-the very same Shui Yingyue with whom he had spent a year living as husband and wife in the Hundred Boats Secret Realm. Later, due to a disagreement over the distribution of a “luminous treasure,” she sided with the Shui family, leading to their estrangement ever since.
Shui Yingyue smiled faintly. “Has it really been fifty-six years since the last time we met?”
“Yes, fifty-six years,” Xu Lian replied with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
His curiosity piqued, he asked, “What brings you to Wuguang City?”
Shui Yingyue’s cultivation had reached the Return to Void stage, far beyond the need for Origin Tracing Light. Clearly, her visit wasn’t motivated by the resource. Instead, she likely came because of the brewing conflict between the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands and the opposing faction.
Could the Shui family be planning to act as mediators?
As one of the two ruling families that controlled Yunzhou Province, the Shui Family possessed immense power, including a supreme being in their ranks. Coupled with their unparalleled combined attack techniques, they were undoubtedly a top-tier force capable of playing peacemaker.