Chapter 166

Chapter 166: Chapter 166

If Alaric Steele discovered that someone else was using his signature technique, he might naturally ask where that person had learned it.

And what answer could Xavier possibly give?

System, you’ve really put me in a difficult position this time.

Fortunately, there was one comforting thought.

The Highland Sword Emperor was an extremely busy person. With his responsibility of guarding against the Abyss Demon Clan, he probably had little time to concern himself with a mysterious martial artist in the Destiny Space.

Even if news of Xavier’s sword technique eventually reached him, that didn’t necessarily mean he would come looking for an explanation.

Besides, Xavier could always abandon the identity of Major if things became troublesome.

After considering these possibilities, he finally relaxed.

"That’s right. It’s the Phantom God-Slaying Sword Technique."

Xavier nodded.

Based on the battle they had just fought and the way Liam had behaved afterward, Xavier had developed a fairly good impression of him. Liam appeared to be a straightforward martial artist who genuinely loved swordsmanship. At least for now, he didn’t seem to have any malicious intentions.

There was just one thing Xavier couldn’t help complaining about.

Of all the names he could have, why did he have to be called Liam Shelby?

"I knew it! Brother Major, let’s have another match! I want to experience the Phantom God-Slaying Sword Technique again!"

Xavier looked at Liam and shook his head.

"No. I’m getting a little tired. I don’t feel like fighting anymore."

Liam immediately raised his offer.

"What if I increase the payment? I’ll give you one seventh-grade pill for every match. You don’t even have to wager anything. I’ll simply hand it over after each battle!"

Xavier paused.

"Well, if you’re putting it that way, I suppose we can have another match."

He hadn’t intended to continue fighting, but Liam’s offer was simply too tempting to refuse.

After getting Xavier’s agreement, Liam became extremely excited. He couldn’t wait to challenge him again.

The two men went on to fight two more matches.

Unlike their first battle, these encounters lasted much longer. Together, they spent a full two and a half hours exchanging attacks.

Liam became increasingly enthusiastic as the fights continued. Although he lost both matches, he didn’t seem bothered by the defeats.

After the final battle, he sat down and carefully reviewed everything he had learned. Once he had finished reflecting, he approached Xavier and shared some exciting news.

"Brother Major, I have to thank you! I’ve finally broken through to the Second Star of the Divine Power Realm!"

Xavier was momentarily stunned.

Liam explained that the battles had given him a major breakthrough in his understanding of swordsmanship. By experiencing the Phantom God-Slaying Sword Technique repeatedly and studying how Xavier used it, he had gained several important insights into the Law of the Sword.

Those insights had finally pushed him past the bottleneck.

The Divine Power Realm, like the Foundation Establishment, Spirit Platform, and Star Sea Realms, was divided into nine minor stages, each represented by a star. Advancing through those stages required a deeper understanding of the laws a martial artist had comprehended.

After reaching the First Star of the Divine Power Realm, Liam’s progress in the Law of the Sword had practically come to a standstill. No matter how much he practiced, he couldn’t make any meaningful improvement.

He had originally estimated that he would need at least another two years before he could advance to the Second Star.

Who would have thought that three battles in a single day would change everything?

His understanding of swordsmanship had improved by leaps and bounds, allowing him to break through much earlier than expected.

Naturally, he was overjoyed.

Xavier, however, didn’t share his excitement.

He had gained quite a few things from the encounters, but hearing that his opponent had advanced because of their battles left him feeling somewhat complicated.

After all, he had spent a considerable amount of time fighting Liam, and the man had benefited so much that he had broken through to another star.

"No wonder you were willing to offer two seventh-grade pills."

Xavier gave him a rather expressionless look.

"Congratulations."

"Hehehe! Thank you, Brother Major!"

Liam grinned from ear to ear.

"The Phantom God-Slaying Sword Technique has been incredibly helpful to my swordsmanship. Today is June second, and the Destiny Space will remain open for another three days. How about we continue tomorrow?"

Xavier stared at him.

Seriously? Have you decided to use me as a training tool for breaking through?

He was beginning to suspect that Liam had no intention of letting him go until he had advanced several more stages.

"No time," Xavier replied flatly. "Besides, how many seventh-grade pills do you have left?"

Liam’s smile immediately disappeared.

That was indeed a problem.

There was nothing wrong with fighting Xavier. In fact, Liam enjoyed every moment of it. The only difficulty was the cost.

Brother Major was a wonderful opponent in every way, but fighting him was simply too expensive!

Even with the backing of the Shelby Family of Groundcrest, Liam couldn’t get his hands on an unlimited supply of seventh-grade pills.

"Can’t we just have a normal sparring session without any wagers?" he asked.

He quickly added, "It would benefit you too, wouldn’t it? Or do you think I’m too weak to be a worthwhile opponent? If that’s what you’re thinking, I can assure you that I haven’t shown you everything I have. I didn’t use my full strength in any of our three battles!"

Xavier couldn’t help rolling his eyes.

As if I used all my strength either.

He hadn’t even brought out the Great Wilderness Imprisoning Heaven Finger.

That technique was a Heavenly-level martial skill. Once he used it, Xavier doubted Liam would have any way to turn the situation around, no matter what abilities he had kept hidden.

"Do you have another sword technique that’s even stronger than the Phantom God-Slaying Sword Technique?"

Liam’s eyes suddenly lit up.

If Xavier possessed an even more powerful sword technique, he would have an even better reason to keep challenging him.

He wouldn’t mind setting aside his pride and asking for guidance.

"No. Don’t get the wrong idea."

Xavier chuckled.

"The Phantom God-Slaying Sword Technique is already a ninth-grade martial skill. It’s considered one of the highest levels of martial arts known in the world."

The Great Wilderness Imprisoning Heaven Finger was an entirely different matter. It was an unexpected reward from the system, and Xavier was certain that none of the famous experts in the world possessed it.

If such a technique were known to the public, the Six Directions Heaven-Piercing Finger wouldn’t have such a remarkable reputation.

"Ah, I see."

Liam looked a little disappointed.

Still, he wasn’t ready to give up.

"Brother Major, one seventh-grade pill is quite expensive. Is there anything else I can offer that would convince you to keep fighting me?"

Xavier looked at him for a moment before rolling his eyes.

"Actually, there is. But I have one condition."

"What condition? Just tell me! I’ll agree to anything!"

Liam answered without hesitation.

Xavier decided to get straight to the point.

"Have you ever heard of Maya Knox?"

"Maya Knox?"

Liam repeated the name, then thought for a moment.

"I don’t think so. It sounds like a woman’s name. Did you have some kind of conflict with her?"

Xavier looked at him strangely.

"Are you sure you’re a member of the Shelby Family of Groundcrest?"

"Of course I am!"

Liam immediately protested.

"I’m a direct descendant of the Shelby Family. If you don’t believe me, you can visit Groundcrest. I’ll personally come out to welcome you!"

Xavier studied him for a moment.

"Then how come you’ve never heard of Maya Knox? And tell me, what is your relationship with Sarah Shelby?"

Liam’s expression changed.

"Sarah Shelby is my elder sister. Brother Major, how do you know her?"

Xavier almost laughed.

"She’s your elder sister, yet you don’t even know that her daughter is Maya Knox?"

"My elder sister’s daughter?"

Liam froze.

Then, as though something had finally clicked in his mind, his expression changed.

"Oh! Right! I remember now!"

Seeing the suspicion in Xavier’s eyes, he hurriedly explained.

"I’m sorry, Brother Major. I rarely pay attention to family affairs. I did hear that my elder sister had a daughter, but I’ve never actually met her. Do you know my niece?"

Liam had known about his sister’s daughter for years, but he had never seen the girl.

The matter was also treated as a sensitive topic within the family. When Liam was younger, he had tried to find out what happened, but his elders had repeatedly scolded him and refused to explain anything.

Eventually, he became so absorbed in sword cultivation that he stopped asking.

Xavier was speechless.

He had expected to learn something useful about the Shelby Family, but Liam seemed to know almost nothing about his own relatives.

"Give me your phone number."

After a brief pause, Xavier continued.

"When you return, ask your elders about Maya Knox. Find out what their attitude toward her is. I’ll contact you later."

He had initially intended to tell Liam that Maya had awakened the Calamity Poison Body.

However, just as he was about to mention it, he reconsidered.

Revealing that information might influence the Shelby Family’s attitude toward Maya. He wanted to know how they viewed her before giving them any reason to change their behavior.

Maya was a pitiful girl, but she had a good heart. Xavier genuinely regarded her as his disciple. He didn’t want her to be deceived or hurt simply because of her blood ties.

After receiving Liam’s phone number, Xavier got up and prepared to leave.

"Brother Major, I have an Azure Tree Fruit. Would you be interested in exchanging it for a Longevity Pill?"

"Major, how much do you want for a seventh-grade Enlightenment Pill? Name your price. I’ll find a way to get it!"

"Brother Major, you can’t dismiss my formation manual just because it’s a formation technique! I’ll exchange this seventh-grade Nine-Bend God-Slaying Formation manual for just one creationPill!"

After settling things with Liam, Xavier returned to the trading area.

He called out a few times, attracting the attention of several people who had valuable items to offer. Before long, he had completed quite a number of worthwhile exchanges.

Some offered rare fruits, others brought pills and formation manuals, while a few tried to persuade him to buy their treasured resources.

Xavier carefully considered their offers and purchased several useful items.

By the time another half hour had passed, he was completely satisfied with what he had gained.

He finally left the Destiny Space.

Leaving the Destiny Space was straightforward. Anyone who wished to return to the real world simply had to walk back through the passage they had used to enter.

However, before departing, Xavier made one final stop.

At the center of the entire Destiny Space, between the trading area and the combat zone, stood a well that gave off a faint golden glow. It was located at the very heart of this mysterious realm.

Xavier approached it and took out four fifth-grade pills.

He tossed them into the well.

The moment the pills disappeared, two golden invitation letters flew out and landed neatly in his hand.

These were Invitation from Destiny tokens.

Since the Destiny Space was such a convenient place to exchange resources, Xavier naturally wanted to keep a few invitations for future visits. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about finding another opportunity to enter whenever he needed to trade.

The second invitation was meant for Victoria Quill. He had promised to prepare one for her, so he intended to keep his word.

After securing both invitations, Xavier finally walked into the passage and returned to the real world.

It was worth taking stock of his gains from this trip.

Although the overall number of pills in his spatial ring had not changed, their distribution had. He now had approximately three hundred fifth-grade pills, thirty sixth-grade pills, and five seventh-grade pills that could still be used for system investments.

As for the pills he had received through system returns, which could not be invested again, he had around five hundred fifth-grade pills, fifteen sixth-grade pills, and five seventh-grade pills remaining.

Considering how many valuable resources he had acquired and the number of successful trades he had completed, Xavier was very satisfied.

This trip had been well worth it.

Although Xavier had already left, the name Major was beginning to spread throughout the Destiny Space.

Some martial artists were thinking of ways to establish a connection with this mysterious newcomer. Others, however, were more interested in the wealth he possessed and were already considering how they might get their hands on it.

*********

Ashford City.

Inside a private room at an upscale martial arts gym, Mark and Connor were seated together, searching for information on their recent opponent.

The two had reconciled.

More accurately, after watching Xavier fight Liam three times, Mark had finally calmed down and understood why Connor had refused to support him when he had lost his temper.

If Connor had agreed to help him challenge Xavier again, the result would probably have been another humiliating defeat.

Mark didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t deny the truth.

However, the Regeneration Fruit and space-type runestone he had lost were his two most valuable treasures. Accepting such a huge loss was naturally difficult.

"Have you found anything about Major’s real identity?" Mark asked.