Chapter 176: Thirteen Swords (1/2)
Lu Yin’s eyebrows arched up in surprise; he had never expected that the Astral Combat Tournament would actually have sponsors. It seemed that the people at the Astral Combat Academy were smarter than he had given them credit for.
“Mr Lu, since you’re Astral-10’s top student, you’ll definitely be taking part in the Astral Combat Tournament, correct? Would you like to know what the Nalan family has prepared for the Astral Combat Tournament?” Madam Nalan asked temptingly.
Lu Yin smiled confidently. “There’s no need to tell me anything. No matter what the rewards are, they’ll be mine if I win, or they’ll mean nothing to me if I lose.”
Madam Nalan enticingly continued, “The reward that we’ve contributed is something that suits you very well.”
Lu Yin finally grew curious.
Madam Nalan lifted up a finger, “One harmless Sourcebox that’s suitable for Intermediate Lockbreakers to unlock.”
Lu Yin was shocked. A Sourcebox that was suitable for Intermediate Lockbreakers was already something uncommon, but for one to also be harmless was extremely rare. The previous Sourcebox that he had unlocked had immediately rewarded him with a one star contribution. If he could become an Intermediate Lockbreaker, then having an Sourcebox like this in his possession would almost certainly allow him to instantly become a one star Intermediate Lockbreaker. It was no wonder why she had said the reward was suitable for him; rather, it was suitable for all Lockbreakers.
“The Nalan family is truly a prosperous clan of the Outerverse. You are very generous,” Lu Yin praised.
Madam Nalan smiled. “This is but a small contribution. However, Mr. Lu, the Nalan family has some connections with the Sword Sect of the Innerverse. I can give you some inside information about the sect to apologize for my earlier actions.”
“How is the Sword Sect related to me?” Lu Yin asked.
“Isn’t Mr. Lu interested in becoming the champion of the Astral Combat Tournament?” Madam Nalan enquired with a smile.
Lu Yin laughed. “Madam, do you really believe that I can defeat those top geniuses and become the champion?”
“The universe is filled with mysteries, but that’s what makes it interesting, no? There’s nothing wrong with learning more, and this information might be of great use to you,” Madam Nalan said persuasively.
Lu Yin nodded. “I’m listening.”
Madam Nalan explained, “There are countless disciples in the Sword Sect, but only two of them are monstrously talented. One of them is a member of the Ten Arbiters who rules over the universe, while the other remains reclusive, training in the clan. However, I suspect that one will join one of the Astral Combat Academies in order to participate in the Astral Combat Tournament. Hence, he will be one of your opponents.”
Lu Yin’s eyes glinted fiercely. “There’s someone from the Sword Sect among the Ten Arbiters?”
Lu Yin’s finger twitched reflexively, but he stayed quiet,
Madam Nalan observed Lu Yin’s expression as she continued explaining. “There’s an ancient battle technique in the Sword Sect called the Thirteen Swords. However, nobody can learn this technique as they wish. Instead, the technique actually chooses a suitable inheritor of its own volition.”
“It will choose someone to inherit it?” Lu Yin was stunned. He had never heard of anything like this before.
Madam Nalan continued solemnly, saying, “No one knows where this technique came from, but everyone is aware of how powerful it is. In the past, one of the former leaders of the Sword Sect defeated three of his peers using this technique. He also relied on the technique to contribute greatly to the border war. One could say that the most valuable experience for a Sword Sect disciple is to interact with the Thirteen Swords in hopes of receiving the inheritance. Normally, only one person from each generation can receive the Thirteen Swords inheritance. However, in this generation, two disciples have managed to receive the inheritance. One is a member of the Ten Arbiters while the other is the reclusive person that I mentioned previously: Liu Shaoqiu.”
Lu Yin narrowed his eyes; he had heard of the Sword Sect’s Liu family before. They were a clan with an ancient surname that faced hostility from countless people. They had never received an official status, but despite that, they had still managed to climb to the peak of the universe. This was a terrifying family. Liu was originally a royal surname. The Liu family was a noble family for sword wielders, and anyone who used a sword as their weapon yearned to join them.
“Liu Shaoqiu. The first thing he saw when he was born was neither his mother nor his relatives. He was abandoned beside a door and a rusty sword. From the moment he opened his eyes, that rusty sword became his companion weapon,” Madam Nalan said in a reminiscing tone.
Lu Yin glanced at Madam Nalan in surprise.
“It was just a normal sword that could be easily broken by any cultivator. Nonetheless, this sword has defeated numerous powerhouses in the hands of Liu Shaoqiu. However, this sword hasn’t been unsheathed ever since he inherited Thirteen Swords. None of his peers in the Sword Sect were worthy of him using his sword. He will be a scary opponent to face during the Astral Combat Tournament,” Madam Nalan said earnestly.
Lu Yin took a deep breath as he felt a mounting sense of pressure. “What realm is Liu Shaoqiu at, and how many swords of the Thirteen Swords can he use?”
“He should be at the Limiteer realm, but no one knows how many swords he can use. Some say that he has only learned two, while others say that he has learned three; the only thing everyone can agree on is that no one besides Liu Shaoqiu knows the actual number. However, he once injured an Explorer while he was travelling through the universe.”
Lu Yin closed his eyes; this was a truly powerful opponent. Explorers could traverse outer space without a spacecraft. Lu Yin was still unable to interact with people of this realm, and yet, here was someone who could cross realms to challenge an Explorer!
Madam Nalan clinked her glass against Lu Yin’s, causing a light sound to ring out which nudged Lu Yin out of his daze. “Mr. Lu, I’m not telling you this to cause you excess concern. Rather, I wanted to inform you of the Astral Combat Tournament’s top participants’ abilities. Personally, I don’t like taking a battle without making any preparations. You saved my life, so I will try to help you with the tournament. However, if you become paralyzed from fear of your opponents, then any preparations will be useless.”
Lu Yin laughed wryly. “Madam, don’t worry. No matter how powerful my opponents are, I will not be daunted. It doesn’t matter if I’m defeated as I’ll always have another chance to rise in the future. Moreover, the date for the Astral Combat Tournament still hasn’t been decided yet. I was able to become Astral-10’s top student in just a few months, so I might still have a chance to catch up to these geniuses too.”
“Well then, here’s to Mr. Lu becoming the tournament’s champion,” Madam Nalan said as she raised her glass. Lu Yin lifted his glass, too, and gently touched it to Madam Nalan’s glass.