novelzi Chapter 366: The Sword Command
Chapter 366: The Sword Command
Chapter 366: The Sword Command
"Why won't you submit?" Just then, a chilling voice rang out.
Unnoticed, a Red-Crowned Crane Demon had silently appeared not far in front of Tang San.
Tang San's heart skipped a beat, for he had no idea how the other had appeared, indicating formidable strength. Although indeed not the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, this was no ordinary Demon King.
Tang San bowed slightly in greeting and said, "Our attributes are incompatible, so..."
"Why come here if your attributes are incompatible?" the Red-Crowned Crane Demon King asked coldly.
Tang San bowed again, "I came to refine my spiritual power."
The Red-Crowned Crane Demon King's gaze softened slightly, sizing him up a few times, and said indifferently, "Your spiritual power is stable, already at its peak. Well-rounded and flawless. Quite rare. If you wish to join the Sword Saint Palace, even as a human, you will be valued. You could even attain the rank of Demon King. Why not?"
Tang San bowed again and replied, "Because I have not yet found my own true path, I am still in the process of searching. If I find it in the future, I will naturally seek a worthy lord to serve."
The Red-Crowned Crane Demon King's gaze intensified, staring at him, "Interesting. You are one of the most interesting humans I have met. Despite the lowly status of humans, you possess considerable ambition, which is rare. Should you wish to join the Sword Saint Palace in the future, you are welcome to do so anytime. You should know that among the eight palaces of the Demon Emperors, our Sword Saint Palace is the most free of racial discrimination."
He flicked his hand as he spoke, and a small token flew towards Tang San.
Tang San quickly caught it; it was a token shaped like a tiny sword, compact yet sharp. Forged from very fine metal, it could even be used as a small dagger.
"This is the Sword Command of my Sword Saint Palace. With this token, should you find yourself in trouble, you can claim to be of the Sword Saint Palace and will be protected. I give you a year to find your path. After a year, if you have not found your way or choose not to join the Sword Saint Palace, you must return this Sword Command."
"Thank you, senior." Tang San looked at the Red-Crowned Crane Demon King before him, somewhat surprised. Was this a bribe to win him over? Were the Demon Emperor Palaces now so desperate for talent?
"Go," said the Red-Crowned Crane Demon King with a sweeping gesture of his hand. A force swept up, propelling Tang San out of the grand gates of te Sword Saint Palace.
As the sharp sword intent surrounded him again, Tang San looked once more at the Sword Command in his hand, tucked it away, and then descended the mountain to find his companions.
Having truly visited this Demon Emperor Palace, Tang San realized that they could not possibly visit all the surrounding Demon Emperor and Nymph Emperor palaces before the start of the Great Beast Fighting Arena. Just one palace would likelyake a day to explore.
This assistance, of course, was not without strings. Once a breakthrough to the god level was successful, one had received great benefits. There would be no more choice but to submit to that Emperor's Palace and become part of it. Otherwise, one's divine consciousness would be destroyed before they were allowed to leave.
Previously, Zhang Haoxuan had not expected anyone from their group to enter an Emperor's Palace, so he had not explained these details. Yet unexpectedly, Tang San had entered the first palace they visited.
Different Emperor Palaces exert different kinds of pressures. Being able to enter one does not necessarily mean one could enter another, even for god-level powerhouses—this required compatibility in attributes and also a certain amount of fate. Thus, being able to step through the gates of an Emperor's Palace was akin to passing its test.
Tang San, unaware of these nuances, had simply walked in and was immediately enveloped by the will of the Sword Saint Demon Emperor.
This piqued Tang San's interest. If he were to enter other Emperor Palaces, could he also receive protective tokens? And was it better to have as many of these tokens as possible?
He posed this question to Zhang Haoxuan, who surprisingly confirmed this was true.
Before breaking through to god-level, the more Emperor Palaces recognized him, the more resources he would receive and the more he would be valued if he chose to join one of them.
It was said that a dragon clan powerhouse had once gained the favor of eight Emperor Palaces, becoming a key figure for cultivation. He joined the Crystal Palace and, although he could not become the heir to the Crystal Demon Emperor, he became the chief steward of the Crystal Palace with the cultivation of a peak Demon King. It was rumored that if he could break through to the Demon Emperor tier, he might inherit the Crystal Palace should the Crystal Demon Emperor fall.
Since then, all the grand palaces have highly valued those who could gain recognition from multiple Emperor Palaces, sometimes even receiving early investments.
Receiving the Sword Command from the Sword Saint Palace was an investment in Tang San.
With sufficient information, Tang San thought carefully, and an idea swiftly formed in his mind.
As a human, to accomplish more, one indeed needs considerable strength, especially when facing the entire realm. Twelfth-order powerhouses are formidable beings within the realm. If one's breakthrough could garner sufficient support from beings of such stature, even the realm's master would have to reconsider their stance. The path through the Emperor Palaces seemed increasingly viable!
The only concern was his identity as a human. If he could gain widespread recognition from numerous Emperor Palaces, could they overlook his human status and support his eventual breakthrough?
This was uncertain, but it wasn't entirely impossible either. Much would depend on how he managed the situation.
The journey through the Emperor Palaces must continue, and so must his companions'. However, they would have to adopt different approaches.
By leveraging his connections and proving his worth within the Emperor Palaces, Tang San could potentially build a coalition powerful enough to challenge even the greatest authorities of the realm, transcending the usual limitations humans face.