Chapter 265: Azure Phoenix Tower Welcomes You!
Yun Xiao was lost in thought when the Sword Warden continued, "I was just saying how Qingzan changed drastically after marrying into the Calamity Seal Purgatory. My master intended for her to return and take over as the next Sword Warden. But I disagreed, sparking our first conflict."
"Was the Withered Bone Keeper your predecessor?" Yun Xiao asked.
"Yes!" The Sword Warden nodded.
"You succeeded him, and now he wants his granddaughter to succeed you. Isn't that illogical?" Yun Xiao queried.
"Indeed," the Sword Warden replied, gazing deeply at Yun Xiao. "Qingzan has been in the Calamity Seal Purgatory for years, married to its ruler. Her children are all Inscription Cultivators. If she returns to the Sword Ruins, others might see it as a powerful alliance, but I fear it would make us a vassal to them. This wouldn't bode well for the Sword Cultivators of the Eternal Sword Prison. If a conflict of interest arises, we'll be the sacrificial lambs."
"Can't your master see this problem?" Yun Xiao inquired.
"He's close to Qingzan, and she's promised to prioritize the Sword Ruins. So, my master chooses to trust family. But I believe, no matter how much you trust someone, you shouldn't risk the Sword Ruins. It's an unnecessary gamble," the Sword Warden earnestly stated.
"A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall," Yun Xiao understood his point.
"My master's family has long been a prominent household in the Sword Ruins, accustomed to favoritism. If it weren't for my far superior abilities compared to his children, I'd never have become the Sword Warden. He's always felt that my ascension was a debt to his children. So, he desires to bring his granddaughter back to fulfill his wish," the Sword Warden sighed softly.
"But now, this conflict must be resolved, right?" Yun Xiao paused, "With the rise of the two Exiled Sword Immortals in the Sword Ruins, the Eternal Sword Prison has better successors. It's not Qingzan's turn."
"True!" The Sword Warden looked at Yun Xiao deeply, then smiled slightly, "However, you're reincarnated Immortals, destined to ascend. Someone must oversee the Eternal Sword Prison. So, my master won't give up."
The conflict remained.
"And the second conflict?" Yun Xiao asked.
"This one's simpler yet more intractable." The Sword Warden took a deep breath, looking towards the direction of the Ancestral Sword Tomb. "My master's getting old and doesn't want to die a natural death. Over the years, his temperament has grown more twisted, coveting the Sword Relic."
"The Sword Relic?" Yun Xiao echoed, curious.
"This ancient treasure of the Eternal Sword Prison is said to prolong life and regenerate flesh," the Sword Warden explained. "Enshrouded in mystery and legend, it's rumored to even create flesh from thin air. Resting in the Ancestral Sword Tomb for eons, it's the reason the remains of our ancestors defy decay even after millennia."
"Create flesh from thin air?" Yun Xiao paused, his mind wandering to Lady Hua Lian.
"Merely legends, I believe." The Sword Warden chuckled.
"I see." Yun Xiao nodded, then turned to the Sword Warden, "So, beneath the Ancestral Sword Tomb, the remains of your ancestors remain intact?"
"In the Sword Ruins, we call it a perfect rest. Only Sword Wardens are buried there. So, centuries from now, my flesh and bones will still persist in this world... You understand, it's the perfect full stop for each generation of Sword Wardens, right?" the Sword Warden said.
"Retiring with honors, leaving a dignified legacy, forever a part of this world. It's indeed beautiful," Yun Xiao agreed.
"But my master, lured by the relic's promise of youth, is like a man possessed, craving to extract it to rejuvenate himself! He fears death to the point of madness, willing to disturb the eternal rest of our ancestors. He wants to be the black sheep, but I won't let him," the Sword Warden's voice grew heavy.
Yun Xiao could sense the Sword Warden's headache. Before the two Exiled Sword Immortals appeared, Qingzan and the Sword Relic were irreconcilable issues.
"As death draws near, he grows more desperate," the Sword Warden continued. "He calls me an ingrate, forms cliques to ostracize and slander me. Even his eagerness to bring Qingzan back is ultimately for the Sword Relic." He spread his hands and sighed, "Exile Yun, what can I do when an old man loses his mind? It's even tougher since I owe him."
It was a bigger headache because the Sword Warden was his disciple! Clearly, the Withered Bone Keeper was different in his youth.
"Forming factions? Do the Overseers of the Sword Ruins, like Feng Buihui, Yun Xinghe, and Shuangjiang, not understand the significance of the Sword Relic?" Yun Xiao asked.
"They do! Those siding with my master either come from families that have fallen in recent generations or have never had a Sword Warden as an ancestor. They don't care about the relic. To them, preserving the remains of ancestors pales in comparison to the prospect of overthrowing me and elevating their own families... But as of now, even without the relic matter being public, most of the powerful in the Sword Ruins stand with me." The Sword Warden nodded.
"You mean to say, you could've handled the issue of the Withered Bone Keeper. But after the Sword Baptism Ceremony, you felt immense pressure from Ling Chen?" Yun Xiao looked intently at the Sword Warden.
"Yes!" The Sword Warden nodded gravely. "As soon as Exile Ling confirmed his identity, my master promised to unearth the Sword Relic for him. The moment Exile Ling heard about the Sword Relic, he was on board."
"He's giving it to Ling Chen? He's not using it himself?"
"The Sword Relic has immense power. A tenth of its effect would be enough for my master to rejuvenate," the Sword Warden said, his eyes glinting coldly. "I refuse to give the Sword Relic to anyone, but my master and his entourage are willing. So, Exile Ling will never be on my side. Standing with my master, if he succeeds in his cultivation, he'll surely overthrow me to seize the key to the tomb of the Sword Relic. So, the emergence of an Exiled Sword Immortal in the Sword Ruins has become my personal nightmare."
"Just give the key to Ling Chen. He could kick that old fool out in a heartbeat. Your nightmare would turn into good news," Yun Xiao joked.
The Sword Warden couldn't help but laugh, then sighed deeply, "All my life, I've lived with integrity. I don't want to betray my ancestors in my twilight years. I still hope to lie in peace for 10,000 years, letting future generations behold my remains."
"It's because we have lines we won't cross, principles we uphold, that things get tough. Without such lines, glory and riches would come easily," Yun Xiao reflected thoughtfully.
"Indeed" Pouring another drink for Yun Xiao, the Sword Warden smiled, "I thought I was at a dead end, but it seems the heavens dont forsake the persistent. I never expected someone like you to come along."
Yun Xiao was like a gift from the heavens, affirming his steadfastness.
The Sword Warden wasn't afraid of the Withered Bone Keeper or the Overseers of the Sword Ruins, not even of Qingzan and the Calamity Seal Purgatory. But he feared a reincarnated immortal, a child of destiny, the future Ling Chen!
Ling Chen was the future of the Eternal Sword Prison, and the Sword Warden couldn't simply dispose of him. If he tried, the entire Eternal Sword Prison would wish for the demise of the Sword Warden.
The Sword Warden wasn't alone; he had a clan, children, and grandchildren!
After hearing everything, Yun Xiao had a much clearer understanding of the Sword Warden's predicament and the entire situation in the Sword Ruins. His relationship with Ling Chen seemed more transparent now.
"Two tigers can't share the same mountain." Blue Star chuckled. "When the territory is limited, only one can reign supreme. How can they not be at odds?"
"If he wasn't so frail and emaciated now, he'd be easy prey." Red Moon snickered.
After all, Ling Chen had just been reborn, and his potential was yet to be fully unearthed.
Yun Xiao suddenly stood up and faced the Sword Warden, "Since you've been so frank, I'll join you in this game of honesty."
"What do you mean?" the Sword Warden asked, puzzled.
"How dense is your Sword Aura?" Yun Xiao inquired.
"Though I'm no prodigy, my Sword Aura is at 10,000 layers. I'm known as the top swordsman of the Nine Hells," the Sword Warden said with a smile.
"10,000 layers?" Yun Xiao admired, then seriously said, "Let's not waste time then. Today, I also want a 10,000 layer Sword Aura."
".." The Sword Warden's smile vanished, slowly creeping onto Yun Xiao's face.
"Besides that, I want Sword Rings, Sword Hearts, Saint Stones, and Immortal Jades all the good stuff. Hand them over," Yun Xiao finished, glancing at the wine jug on the table, "And the stock of this Golden Springs Wine, give me half. No, make it nine-tenths!"
".." The Sword Warden was speechless. Exiled Sword Immortals? It was more like two bandits just waltzed in!
"Don't worry, at least I'm not after the Sword Relic of your ancestors... Besides, my principle is to do as much work as the payment covers. You nurture me with the treasures of the Sword Ruins, and I'll put in my efforts for you personally. You won't be at a loss," Yun Xiao said with a smile, gazing at the Sword Warden.
The Sword Warden lowered his head, clearly pondering the recent conversation with Mu Daxiong about the Sword Puppet being split into 100,000 fragments, each identical in weight, and marked with the Taiji Sword Art. These were all keys Yun Xiao had calculated to pry open the vast resources of the Sword Ruins. Mu Daxiong's choice to keep it within the family, not spreading it further, was within Yun Xiao's expectations. This high-level act of Yun Xiao seemed to be working exceptionally well.
"Only a talent that defies the heavens can defeat another of its kind!" With a flourish, the Sword Warden stood up, his eyes burning with intensity as he looked at Yun Xiao. "Come with me to the Azure Phoenix Tower. Whether you can achieve 10,000 layers of Sword Aura depends on your skills."
Clouds swirled, and swords soared in the sky! Atop a lofty peak stood an imposing azure tower, rising like a sharp sword piercing the heavens.
This was the Azure Phoenix Tower, one of the liveliest places in the Sword Ruins. Shrouded in mystic fog, the tower was adorned with numerous monstrous sculptures, and its spires were hung with azure bells that chimed eerily in the fierce wind.
Inside the tower, it seemed as if a thousand demons roared, their voices chilling.
At that moment, several figures appeared before the Azure Phoenix Tower, instantly drawing cheers and shouts.
"All hail Exile Ling!"
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