SWNOVELXO Chapter 156: Sword Attendant
Chapter 156: Sword Attendant
A few days later.
Outside Pingyang County, at the altar.
A blinding light flashed.
As the light dissipated, it revealed a woman in her twenties dressed in black martial attire, accompanied by two young men who looked strikingly similar, each carrying a sword on their backs.
The three of them walked toward Pingyang County. Although their steps seemed slow, each step covered several meters. Every cultivator they encountered along the way was astonished, realizing that three formidable young geniuses had arrived in Pingyang County.
When Xu Lian and Miao Yueyue went for a walk to get to know each other, the trio approached him.
After a brief exchange of glances, Xu Lian guessed their identities. The faint sword intent emanating from them was similar to Chen Fei’s, suggesting that they were from the Sword Pavilion.
The two young men, who looked almost identical and carried swords on their backs, looked solemnly at Xu Lian before kneeling down.
“Sword Disciple, Yun Conglong, pays homage to the master!”
“Sword Disciple, Feng Conghu, pays homage to the master!”
Xu Lian raised his hand. “Rise.”
The two young men stood up.
Xu Lian asked curiously, “You two look exactly alike. You must be twins, right? Why do you have different family names?”
Yun Conglong replied, “Reporting to the master, we were born as sword disciples, honorary disciples without surnames. Our names are just placeholders.”
Xu Lian understood and turned his gaze to the woman in the black martial attire. She was in her twenties, with both looks and figure of exceptional quality. It would be a waste not to build a rapport with her… or perhaps it was possible?
“What is your name? Are you my Sword Attendant?” Xu Lian asked.
The woman dressed in black replied indifferently, “My name is Huo Xin’er. I am not your Sword Attendant yet. You have to pass my test first.”
Xu Lian raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her arrogance. “And if I fail? Will you refuse to be my Sword Attendant?”
Huo Xin’er replied calmly, “I am different from those two sword disciples. They have no choice but to accept you as their master and follow you for life. I am a direct descendant of the Huo family of the Sword Pavilion. I am a prodigy in my own right. Even without relying on a famous swordsman, I can still become a powerful figure in the Sword Pavilion. Therefore, I have the right to choose. If you fail my test, then you are not worthy of me, and the Huo family will send a less talented branch family member to be your Sword Attendant.”
Xu Lian roughly understood. “You are one of the most talented direct descendants of the Huo family. They sent you first to test my worth before deciding what kind of Sword Attendant to give me?”
Huo Xin’er replied indifferently, “You could say that.”
Xu Lian stared at her. “Then I choose you. Is that acceptable?”
Huo Xin’er sneered. “Sure. Pass my test and I’ll be yours.”
Xu Lian asked, “What is your test?”
Huo Xin’er declared loudly, “Tame me!”
Miao Yueyue, who was standing next to Xu Lian, couldn’t help but blush, and the people on the street cast strange glances at her.
Xu Lian had never heard such a request before, and his heart burned with eagerness. He was more than willing.
But then, like a bucket of cold water poured over him… a sharp sword hummed as Huo Xin’er appeared in front of him in an instant, her battle sword aimed at his throat!
Fast!
Ruthless!
Precise!
The sharp blade made his skin tingle with pain.
Xu Lian broke out in a cold sweat. He instantly activated the Sacred Spirit Record’s movement technique, leaving behind an afterimage as he moved sideways with Miao Yueyue, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike.
“Boom!”
The sword struck the afterimage, missing its target. The sword energy erupted onto the street, causing the stone pavement to explode and leaving a long, deep gash in the ground.
The people on the street panicked, no longer interested in watching the spectacle. They fled for their lives, scattering far and wide.
Xu Lian let go of Miao Yueyue and waved his hand in the air.
Miao Yueyue’s face turned pale as she called out, “Husband, be careful!” She then quickly ran away and joined the crowd of onlookers at a safe distance.
“Hum!”
Another sharp sword hum echoed as Huo Xin’er swung her battle sword, sending out layers of sword energy that resembled overlapping mountain peaks.
Xu Lian’s figure flickered as he dodged the attack once again.
“Boom!”
A deafening explosion followed as the sword energy hit the road, creating a huge crater.
“Are you just going to dodge?” Huo Xin’er sneered coldly.
Xu Lian waved his hand. “There’s not enough room here. Follow me.”
With that, Xu Lian sprinted down the street.
Huo Xin’er grabbed her battle sword and chased after him.
The two of them leaped over the city walls, crossed the moat, and arrived in the forest outside the city.
Xu Lian came to a halt.
Huo Xin’er also halted, locking eyes with him for a moment before thrusting her sword at him once more.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The sharp blade sliced through tree after tree, sending splinters flying into the air. The tip of the sword aimed straight for Xu Lian’s chest, targeting his heart.
Xu Lian’s eyes narrowed. This time, he didn’t dodge. Instead, he stepped forward and activated the Sacred Spirit Record’s secret technique. He pointed a finger, his index finger transforming into something as clear and translucent as crystal!
“Clang!”
The tip of his finger collided with the tip of Huo Xin’er’s sword, sparks flying like a clash of titans!
The two of them were locked in a stalemate.
Both of them were at the 8th Stage of the Transformation Strength Realm, and their cultivation levels were equal.
Suddenly, a creaking sound was heard. The tip of Huo Xin’er’s sword began to rust, and the corrosion quickly spread across the blade and towards the hilt!
Huo Xin’er’s face turned pale with shock. She quickly withdrew her sword and examined the now rust-covered blade. “What kind of martial art is this?”
“Calamity Finger,” Xu Lian replied, his finger still glowing like crystal as he pointed at her from a distance.
Huo Xin’er raised her sword hastily to block.
“Clang!”
Sparks flew once again!
The battle sword trembled, emitting a mournful humming sound!
She was forced several steps back, nearly losing her grip on the sword!
Realizing the power of Calamity Finger and knowing that defense alone wouldn’t work, she decided to switch to offense. She moved with her sword, her body and blade becoming one as she flew toward Xu Lian in a fierce slash.
“Crack! Crack! Crack!”
The sword energy flashed, cutting down large swaths of ancient trees as if they were mere straw!
Xu Lian’s body erupted with golden energy, burning like flames. He raised his hand and unleashed the Sacred Spirit Record’s secret technique, summoning a golden Demon Sealing Cave!
“Boom!”
An explosion rocked the forest, and Huo Xin’er was sent flying along with her sword!
Xu Lian’s figure flickered, and he appeared behind Huo Xin’er, wrapping his arms around her waist before gently landing on the ground.
Huo Xin’er looked at Xu Lian with admiration. Then she stepped out of his embrace and solemnly knelt on the ground, placing her hands on the floor as she bowed respectfully. “Sword Attendant Huo Xin’er, pay homage to the master!”
Her figure was already exceptional, and this posture accentuated it even more. Xu Lian helped her up and asked with a smile, “Are you willing to obey me now?”
Blushing, Huo Xin’er took out a fiery red sword-shaped identity token and held it above her head with both hands. “I am willing.”
What was there to wait for? Xu Lian took the sword-shaped identity token, held her hand, and ran into the forest with her.
Until nightfall.
Xu Lian and Huo Xin’er walked out of the forest hand in hand, chatting and laughing like a perfect couple.
He noticed that Huo Xin’er’s favorability was at 70/100. Starting at such a high level was quite good, indicating that Huo Xin’er was truly devoted to him.
“You and the two sword disciples came, but where is the powerful guardian?” Xu Lian suddenly remembered this matter.
Huo Xin’er replied, “The Ancestor arrived in Pingyang County yesterday and should already be by your side, master.”
So he’s hiding in the shadows, playing the role of a silent protector… Xu Lian said, “Won’t the old man come out to meet me?”
Huo Xin’er explained, “The ancestor can only protect you in secret. It’s not appropriate for him to have too much contact with you. This is the rule of the Sword Pavilion.”
Alright… Xu Lian didn’t push any further. He initially thought of asking her not to call him “Master”, but it sounded quite pleasing, so he decided not to bother correcting her.
Return to Pingyang County
Xu Lian had originally planned to take her directly back to First Street, but then he remembered the two sword disciples. “Where are Yun Conglong and Feng Conghu?”
Huo Xin’er said, “Without your orders, they won’t leave on their own. They should still be on the road where we first fought.”
“…” Xu Lian was speechless. He had no choice but to take her back to the street where the fight had taken place. Sure enough, the two sword-wielding youths were standing by the side of the road, attracting curious glances from passersby.
Miao Yueyue was nowhere in sight. She had probably returned home after such a long time.
“Let’s go.”
Xu Lian brought Huo Xin’er and the two sword disciples back to First Street and assigned Huo Xin’er to house number 6 in the A section.
That’s right… the top ten houses in the A section were all reserved for his personal use.
After all, there were many illegally constructed spirit houses on First Street, and apart from the spirit stones handed over to the Yi Sect each month, there was still a considerable surplus.
“Why is this tile a different color from Chen Fei’s?” Xu Lian took out the fiery red sword-shaped identity token.
Huo Xin’er explained, “Chen Fei is an internal disciple of the Sword Pavilion. His identity tag is only for internal disciples. You, master, are an honorary disciple. This mark comes from our Huo family, symbolizing our family’s loyalty to you.”
Xu Lian was silent for a moment. “Have you met any other honorary disciples? How strong are they? Do I have a chance to win in the end?”
Huo Xin’er looked at him with admiration. “I haven’t met them yet, so I don’t know how strong they are. But I think you will definitely win, Master!”
Xu Lian was surprised. “Why?”
Huo Xin’er said firmly, “Because you’ve already tamed me. My fate is tied to yours. If you rise, I rise; if you fall, I fall. I must absolutely believe that you can defeat the other competitors and become the new Sword Emperor. This is my conviction!”
“That’s a good belief.”
Looking at Huo Xin’er’s adoring gaze, Xu Lian smiled. For a woman with such unwavering faith, as long as he remained undefeated among the younger generation, her favorability would continue to grow. This made things easier for him.