NOVEL NEXT Chapter 350: Exchanging for the Origin Tracing Light
Chapter 350: Exchanging for the Origin Tracing Light
After eliminating the hidden danger, Xu Lian resumed his peaceful life in this exclusive cultivation resource zone.
During the day, he worked alongside Chi Sui to refine the Metamorphosis Elixir, and at night, he enjoyed a fulfilling life as Ning Meixue’s Dao Companion.
After some time, Xu Lian had fully mastered the highly complicated techniques required to refine the Metamorphosis Elixir. With nothing left to learn, he informed Chi Sui that he had some personal matters to attend to and requested a few days off.
“Go ahead.”
Chi Sui nodded with a smile, thoroughly satisfied with this student. No matter what alchemical technique he taught, Qin Feng would master it after just a few trials and reach unparalleled heights. There was really nothing more Chi Sui could teach him.
Before leaving the exclusive cultivation resource zone, Xu Lian also informed Ning Meixue of his departure.
Crossing through space, he retrieved the skull of the supreme divine race being, restored his true appearance, and descended directly upon the Shui family estate in Yunzhou Prefecture.
“The Holy Son of the Nine Heavens!”
The female elder of the Shui family detected his presence immediately. Wrapped in mist, she appeared before him, her voice tinged with admiration. “Back then, you were merely a young genius at the Grandmaster Realm. In just over two hundred years, you’ve grown to this level-it’s truly an unprecedented talent.”
Xu Lian’s cultivation at Origin Tracing Realm Level 8 surpassed that of this Shui Family elder. His gaze pierced through the mist effortlessly, revealing her appearance. Although her life force indicated that she was over three to four thousand years old, her features and figure remained impeccable. Obviously, this elder had once been a top-class female prodigy of the Shui family, similar to Shui Yingyue. Even now, her vitality was abundant, her youth preserved, with barely any traces of time etched upon her.
“Elder of the Shui Family, long time no see.”
Xu Lian and this Shui Family elder had once clashed over the distribution of opportunities from the Hundred Boats Secret Realm. One argued for distribution based on quantity, while the other insisted on distribution based on the importance of the opportunity. Their disagreement had soured relations at the time. However, more than two centuries had passed, and those events were a distant memory – no longer significant.
Xu Lian spoke light-heartedly, his curiosity piqued. “Given my astonishing growth, Elder, do you ever regret clashing with me back then?”
The Shui Family elder shook her head firmly. “No regrets. What is there to regret? Our disagreement stemmed from differing views on how to allocate the opportunities of the Hundred Boats Secret Realm-all for the benefit of the Shui Family. The interests of the family always come first, so there’s nothing to regret. Even if I had the chance to relive that moment, I wouldn’t change my mind.
“You broke your promise and still owe our Shui family fifty glowing treasures. This debt will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
“…” Xu Lian replied, “I have already given the Shui Family fifty-one glowing treasures, fulfilling my promise. I don’t think I owe the Shui family anything. If anything, it’s generous of me not to hold a grudge against you for making things difficult for me back then.”
The Shui Family elder waved her hand dismissively. “What is past is past. Bringing it up now serves no purpose. Surely you didn’t come to the Shui Family just to argue about these things, did you?”
Xu Lian explained, “I am here because Shui Yingyue visited me in Wuguang City. She mentioned that the Shui Family wanted to buy the fifty glowing treasures in my possession. Is the Shui family still interested?”
The Shui Family elder’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, we’re interested. We’ll take them anytime.”
Xu Lian continued, “Shui Yingyue said that the fifty Glowing Treasures in my possession could fetch up to seventy strands of Origin Tracing Light. I’d like to add ten more – I want eighty strands of Origin Tracing Light.”
The Shui Family elder immediately refused. “Impossible. Seventy strands is our absolute limit. The Shui Family cannot go beyond that.”
Xu Lian gently pressed, “I have come with sincerity. While ten additional strands of Origin Tracing Light are indeed precious, surely the Shui Family can manage to scrape together ten more?”
“How about giving the Holy Son of the Nine Heavens a little face?”
The Shui Family elder paused, her gaze fixed intently on him. “Are you asking for the sake of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands, or for yourself personally?”
“…” Xu Lian asked, “Does it make much of a difference?”
The Shui Family elder firmly responded, “Of course it does! The difference is significant!”
Xu Lian gestured politely. “Please enlighten me.”
The Shui Family elder elaborated, “If it’s for the sake of the Holy Son of the Nine Heavens, then have the Time Sovereign pay us a visit. If she comes, granting ten additional strands of Origin Tracing Light would be no issue at all.”
“She is the overseer of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands, and only she can represent them. You are merely one Holy Son among many throughout history – you cannot speak for the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands,”
Xu Lian was at a loss for words.
The Shui Family elder continued, “However, if it’s for your personal sake, granting you this favor isn’t entirely out of the question. Your cultivation talent is unparalleled in history, and with the divine laws of the Divine Kingdom with you, our Shui family sees immense potential and future achievements in you. It might be worthwhile to grant you a personal favor.”
“However, in order to ensure that you’ll repay this favor in the future, we have a small request to further deepen our relationship with you. For example, you could form a Dao partnership with one of our female direct line members and leave an heir within the Shui family. What do you think?”
Xu Lian didn’t know what to say. “…”
In a moment of impulsiveness, he blurted out, “Do you have a Dao companion? If not, what about me?”
The Shui Family elder blushed slightly and hesitated for a moment before replying, “It is possible.”
Xu Lian quickly backtracked, “I was just kidding. Actually, Yingyue and I spent a year in the Hundred Boats Secret Realm as Dao Companions. It was only because of a disagreement over the distribution of opportunities that things fell apart – she stood by the Shui Family’s interests.”
The Shui Family elder nodded firmly. “Yingyue has done nothing wrong. The interests of the family always come before personal feelings.”
As they spoke, Shui Yingyue arrived. She looked at Xu Lian expectantly. “Are you here to exchange for the Origin Tracing Light?”
Xu Lian nodded. “I’ve thought it through. These glowing treasures are useless to me now. I might as well exchange them for Origin Tracing Light.”
The Shui Family elder interjected, “He’s asking for eighty strands of Origin Tracing Light. My condition is that the Shui Family must deepen its ties with him-specifically, by forming a Dao partnership with a direct-line woman from the Shui Family and leaving an heir. Yingyue, are you willing?”
Shui Yingyue didn’t hesitate. “I am willing.”
The Shui family elder replied, “Good. I’ll report this to the family. They should agree. You two can start working on producing an heir immediately.”
With that, she left, clearly giving them some privacy.
Xu Lian and Shui Yingyue exchanged glances, their expressions becoming heated. It had been a long time since they had seen each other.
Shui Yingyue turned around and walked into a room. Xu Lian followed her inside silently and closed the door behind him.
A few days later, the Shui family elder returned. “The family has agreed, and eighty strands of Origin Tracing Light have been approved and placed in my care. Once there’s an heir, the exchange will be completed.”
After delivering this message, she left again, clearly avoiding any further disturbances.
Xu Lian had no choice but to stay in Yunzhou Prefecture to secure those extra ten strands of Origin Tracing Light. However, a month passed, then two, and there was still no sign of progress. His cultivation at Origin Tracing Realm Stage 8 made conceiving an heir far more difficult than before. This began to worry him. Who knew when—if ever—an heir would come? It was hard to predict: it could take half a year, several years, or even decades.
But the Shui family was even more eager to see this exchange through. Thus, on a dark and windy night, a graceful figure shrouded in mist slipped into his quarters.
And so, after another two to three months, the conditions for the exchange were finally met – but unexpectedly, with not one heir, but two! Who could have foreseen such an outcome? Where there was none, there was none; where there was one heir, there were suddenly two. Perhaps this was fate’s way of ensuring that the bond between Xu Lian and the Shui family would become even stronger.
The Shui family didn’t complain – they welcomed the deeper connection.
Xu Lian left behind fifty glowing treasures and departed with eighty strands of Origin Tracing Light. He felt a slight pang of regret that his affinity level hadn’t reached the critical threshold of ninety points, meaning that he hadn’t earned a progression point. But it didn’t matter much – he didn’t lack any progression points now. What he lacked was raw materials.