Because this sword is named the Emperor's Sword, only those recognized by the sword have the opportunity to obtain it and wield it. If someone who is not recognized tries to use it, they will soon meet a violent end.
This sword is incredibly powerful, possessing the miraculous effect of helping outstanding individuals dominate the world, and even holding the secret to immortality. Heh heh, with Xiang Yu's talent, entering this sword's space to achieve immortality wouldn't be difficult for him, but would the God of Wine be willing to let Xiang Yu commit suicide?
"Ha, immortality? What kind of immortality is it when a person is dead? It's just a space for nurturing the soul, and you can't even come and go as you please. What's the point of living a lonely life without any enjoyment? Do you know why this sword is called the Emperor's Sword?"
Hao Jiu scoffed at this kind of immortality, but the name of the Emperor's Sword was legendary. It was a very ominous sword, discovered by the last Duke of Yu during the Spring and Autumn Period, after which the state of Yu was destroyed.
Legend has it that hegemons such as Duke Huan of Qi, King Zhuang of Chu, Duke Mu of Qin, and King Fuchai of Wu all used this mysterious Emperor's Sword, but without exception, they all died not long after achieving their hegemony.
If we add the story of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King who committed suicide with this sword, then this sword truly becomes an extremely ominous weapon.
Hao Jiu had asked Xiang Yu if the sword was called the Emperor's Sword, but the answer he received was that the sword was nameless, a family heirloom given to him by Yu Ji, and that it was unknown whether it was a very unlucky sword.
Hao Jiu had also studied the sword, but he couldn't figure it out, so he forgot about it and just assumed that the Emperor's Sword was a legend fabricated by later generations.
Now that this story is coming from the older man, it's much more credible because the other party has no reason to lie to him about this.
"Why is it called the Emperor's Sword? I don't know, or perhaps I've forgotten. I suppose it simply means 'the Son of Heaven'? God of Wine, I've answered all my questions. Now, please answer my question from earlier: Is there one of me among those copied swords?" the old man asked impatiently.
"I don't know about that." Hao Jiu picked his nose, which was spotless.
? ? ?
"You don't know Dionysus?" The old man was dumbfounded. Had he been tricked again? Who the hell was the devil here?!
"Of course I don't know. Xiang Yu and I haven't even had a chance to smash the other swords yet. Even if there were any inside, you wouldn't come out. So, my lord, you should go back and rest." Hao Jiu said impatiently.
Old Shou thought to himself, "What rest? I've already started this huge secret and I'm not going to stop now." He continued, "God of Wine, I risked burning my own life force to get this conversation time. It's not fair of you to play tricks on me like this."
"Alright then, since you've just burned your source energy, rest for a couple more days. Five days later, I'll know for sure if you're among the other swords." Hao Jiu said, then changed the subject.
"Of course, we can make some preparations in advance. Let's assume that there are clones of you in the other swords, and that they are all as cunning as you... Oh no! Tell me the truth, can you see or hear what's happening outside from inside the sword?!"
"No, that can't be..." Old Shou's heart skipped a beat, and he jumped up in surprise!
Chapter 175 Cooperation
"No way..." The older man was a little unsure of what the other person meant by asking this question. Was it another trap?
"Really? I hope the others don't overhear me saying this, or it will be very bad for you. Because you are the original body, you have a natural advantage over them, so they will definitely want to get rid of you as soon as possible."
If they all give a different answer than you, it proves you're lying to me and using me to get rid of you. You are a remnant soul, and so are they. Once they merge with other remnant souls, they might no longer be remnant.
You must understand that each of those clones possesses its own independent thought and personality; each one would want to become the main soul. Why should someone inferior to them be allowed to devour them?
So if you want to maintain your dominant position, or even save your life, that won't be easy. It all depends on whether you're worthy of me. Don't hide anything from me anymore; tell me everything you know. This is for your own good.
Hao Jiu patiently and kindly guided him, much like a loving elder.
"Huh? This..." Old Shou was dumbfounded. If he didn't cooperate, this God of Wine would definitely negotiate with the other versions of himself in the other swords. He could sell him out in no time. One clone could get some information out of him, and after going around in circles, there wouldn't be many secrets left.
"It's not impossible for me to reveal everything, but I wonder what the God of Wine's purpose is in inquiring about the Emperor's Sword with me?" After thinking it over, the old man decided that he should seize the initiative. If he could really devour the other clones, that would be great.
But there's a prerequisite: his safety can't be jeopardized. A powerful being who can travel between dimensions is not someone an old ghost like him can handle.
If you try to curry favor with the wrong person, you're essentially asking a tiger for its skin and courting disaster.
Hao Jiu smiled slightly, "The goal is cooperation. I suspect that the other swords not only contain your clone, but also Xiang Yu's fragmented soul. I want to help Xiang Yu retrieve his fragmented soul."
I don't know your purpose in tricking the souls of these powerful heroes into the Emperor's Sword, but I suspect that if the other swords also had the assistance of Xiang Yu's soul, their strength would definitely be greater than yours.
"Help me retrieve Xiang Yu's fragmented soul; it will also help you devour the other fragments in the future. But if anything happens to Xiang Yu's fragmented soul, you will have no reason to exist!"
I see!
Old Shou thought to himself, no wonder this God of Wine kept asking about the method to enter the Emperor's Sword space, yet it seemed that he didn't necessarily have to enter his space.
Because there was no part of Xiang Yu's soul in the space of this sword, this was Xiang Yu's original sword, and Xiang Yu was alive and well.
The other six clone swords all contain fragments of Xiang Yu's soul. As long as we get the method from him, the God of Wine can enter those spaces and bring out Xiang Yu's fragmented souls.
As for why Xiang Yu's divided soul ended up in the other swords, he couldn't figure it out. Perhaps Xiang Yu's clones had all committed suicide with the Emperor's Sword.
In any case, if Xiang Yu can merge with the divided soul, then he can also merge with those clones. Moreover, merging with clones must have great benefits, otherwise the God of Wine and Xiang Yu would not be so concerned, it can be said that they are determined to succeed.
If I don't cooperate with Dionysus, he will find me among the other swords. Even if I don't get the way to enter the barrier in the end, I can just use this sword without Xiang Yu's soul to experiment and see if I can destroy the sword and save the soul.
"Hiss..." The old man gasped. It seemed that the other party really didn't care about his Emperor's Sword, which didn't have Xiang Yu's divided soul.
"Where is the person? Uh, no, where is the ghost? Could it be that they have already gone back to rest?" Hao Jiu was not in a hurry. He had seen pigs run before, but he had seen pork before. To deal with this kind of old ghost, he had to have the means to control its life and death. He had to be careful at all times. Ghost stories were the least credible.
"No, no, I was truly shocked, which is why I lost my composure. I am willing to cooperate with the God of Wine to help him rescue Xiang Yu's divided soul." The old man's attitude became much more respectful.
"Ah~ That's right. Then let me explain the situation in the space in more detail. As long as you can successfully rescue Xiang Yu's divided soul, in addition to helping you devour other clones, I will also give you some other benefits. After all, we will be partners in the future, and I will definitely not treat my own people unfairly." Hao Jiu felt that this old ghost was not very reliable, so it was safer to offer him more benefits.
Old Shou was overjoyed and immediately became much more enthusiastic. "Yes, we're all on the same side. Now I'll explain the Emperor's Sword in detail."
In truth, the Emperor's Sword was my prison. However, over the years, the spiritual energy within the sword was depleted, and the spiritual energy of the world became increasingly scarce. The lack of spiritual energy replenishment caused many of the restrictions on the Emperor's Sword to fail, which allowed me to seize control of a portion of the spatial barrier and barely release a wisp of my divine soul.
When I sent my divine soul outside, I was shocked to find that the world had changed drastically, and the environment outside was not as good as inside the Emperor's Sword.
The key issue is that my soul injury has not fully healed. If I go out now, my injury will inevitably worsen. Therefore, I can only continue to live in this prison. If the God of Wine wants to reward me, he can take me and this sword with him when he travels through time and space to places with abundant spiritual energy.
Because this Emperor's Sword is a spatial prison, one usually cannot see or hear anything outside the sword. If one wants to see or hear anything, I have to use magic to open the spatial barrier.
Once the spatial barrier is activated, even if the Emperor's Sword is in its sheath or covered by something not too thick, it will not affect the ability to monitor the outside world.
However, if the Emperor's Sword were inside the God of Wine's Mustard Seed Space, even if the spatial barrier were opened, he would not be able to hear the conversations outside, nor would he be able to see or hear anything happening within the Mustard Seed Space.
Dionysus, rest assured, the Overlord's soul will be safe once it enters the space. I enjoy befriending ghost heroes, and taking their souls into the space is a great opportunity for them.
"If Xiang Yu's divided soul truly resides in those spaces, I can directly help the God of Wine break their barrier. Surely, the God of Wine rescuing Xiang Yu's divided soul shouldn't be a problem then?"
"Of course, let's settle on that. After I rescue the Overlord's split soul, you can go and merge with the clone."
Hao Jiu believed that Xiang Yu's frequent appearances near the Emperor's Sword were due to the influence of the split soul within the sword, and the reason for the lack of merging between the main and split souls lay in the barrier. If this old man could open the barrier, he could naturally merge souls, and Xiang Yu would gain strength again. Having resolved the issue of the split planes, the next step would likely be to launch expeditions to other planes; having more strength and trump cards was always beneficial.
"I'm afraid I'll need the God of Wine's help to merge with my clone. Although I control part of the barrier, it's still my prison. It's relatively easy for those overlords' souls to enter and leave, but I can only send out a wisp of my divine soul at most. Therefore, it would be best if the God of Wine could help me bring my clone into this space. I wonder if the God of Wine can do me this favor?"
After much deliberation, the old man decided that this was the safest option, putting him in an invincible position. Moreover, since he was cooperating so readily, it would be difficult for the God of Wine to refuse to help him.
Once I successfully merge with one of my clones, the other clones will naturally be no match for me. At that time, the terms of this cooperation will need to be renegotiated, hehe.
"Of course I can help; cooperation requires mutual assistance. However, since you can't get out, I'm afraid your clone is in the same situation. If I use the wrong method and forcibly bring your clone out, damaging it, that's probably something you wouldn't want, right?"
Hao Jiu gave the old man an ambiguous answer.
...
Chapter 176 Barrier Opening
Hey! They didn't say they wouldn't help, but it's possible that helping them would be worse than not helping them at all.
Old Shou sighed inwardly, realizing that it would be too difficult for him to gain any advantage from this god of wine.
"In that case, I'll deal with my own affairs later when I'm more confident. Anyway, we're all in the same boat, and I still need to rely on Dionysus to take me through time and space."
Old Shou figured it out. The God of Wine mainly wanted to win him over to protect Xiang Yu. What's meant to be will be. He could even replicate a treasure like the Emperor's Sword. What could he do when such a powerful figure came knocking on his door?
Not cooperating right now is definitely not an option, so why not take this opportunity to make the other party owe me a favor? Anyway, my clones are locked in the Emperor's Sword and can't escape, so what's the rush?
Compared to merging with a clone to repair soul damage, being able to leave this world lacking in spiritual energy is more important; if one could have both, that would be even better.
"If that's what you think, then that's wonderful. I never mistreat my own people. It's your great fortune to have me by your side. Haha, let's not delay any longer and start now. Let's rescue Xiang Yu's divided soul first."
Hao Jiu hadn't originally planned to give all of the old man's clones to him. Who knew if the old ghost would still be obedient after merging with the clones? The ability to control others to commit suicide was terrifying.
Although the old man can only control ordinary people now, what if his soul injury is repaired after merging with the clone?
“What the God of Wine says is quite right, but just to be on the safe side, please allow me to rest for a day first, as the losses this time have been too great. Of course, if the God of Wine insists on starting now, I can only do my best,” the old man said politely.
Hao Jiu frowned. "Then let's take a day off, Shou Jun. We've both compromised. I hope we can cooperate happily in the future."
"Thank you for your understanding, God of Wine. I'll take my leave now..." As soon as the old man finished speaking, the possessed soldier died with blood flowing from all seven orifices, for reasons unknown.
"God of Wine, this..." Xiang Yu's eyes showed a hint of anger. Regardless of whether this person's death was the normal price of possession or the old ghost's deliberate act, it made Xiang Yu feel a little uncomfortable. The old ghost dared to take a life on his own.
"There's no point in saying more now. Let's find a place to rest. Wuzhui must be tired from flying all this time. We can also give this person a proper burial." Hao Jiu felt more and more that this old ghost was unreliable and that he needed to be more careful. He would throw him into a cultivation world to fulfill their agreement when he had the chance.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu was deeply moved. He hadn't expected the God of Wine to be so kind and benevolent, even giving Liu Ji's soldiers a proper burial. However, this man's death was indeed somewhat unjust, though that was all.
Soon, Xiang Yu rode his black horse to a nearby mountain, where he used his Emperor's Sword to dig out a tomb chamber and cut out stone slabs.
In the past, if one possessed a sword as sharp as the Emperor's Sword, one would certainly use it with utmost care, sparing even the slightest effort to cut someone.
But now that Xiang Yu knows this sword was forged by immortals, how could a mere mountain stone damage it? He should use it to the death; if there's even a scratch, I'll admit defeat.
Hao Jiu naturally wouldn't care about such things. Let Xiang Yu vent his dissatisfaction with that old ghost, whether the old ghost knows or not.
As night fell, Liu Ji's troops, who had been pursuing Ying Bu's defeated army, gradually returned to the Yongcheng fortress.
Xiang Yu also changed into Han army armor and brazenly blended into the fortified camp. Then, under the cover of night, he secretly approached Liu Ji's residence.
"King Xiang, remember, we are not here to kill Liu Ji this time, but..."
"You switched swords and ran away with lightning speed, right? Don't worry, Dionysus. To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of killing Liu Ji after killing him so many times." Xiang Yu dodged a patrol and landed in Liu Ji's courtyard.
When Liu Ji was injured, several ministers forcibly imprisoned the beauties he had brought with him in a certain place so that Liu Ji could recuperate in peace.
No matter how unhappy Liu Ji was, he could only endure it. The Black Dragon wouldn't treat his wound, nor would it give him the little blue pill. Even if he had a beautiful woman by his side to serve him in bed, it would be useless.
Therefore, Liu Ji went to bed early, and the Emperor's Sword was placed beside him.
After some research, Heilong came to an astonishing conclusion: it seemed to be a celestial sword!
Black Dragon originally thought this sword was an evil sword, containing evil spirits, monsters, demons, or other things that could bewitch the mind, but no matter how hard Black Dragon searched, he couldn't find it.
Heilong even once thought that Liu Ji had deliberately run into the sword because Ying Bu had mastered some kind of evil magic.
Later, Heilong bought a sensor bead that could identify the types of magical treasures, which confirmed that the sword belonged to the category of magical swords.
Of course, there are also evil immortals among the immortals, so it is possible that Liu Ji was attracted to one and almost lost his life.
Looking back now, Liu Ji must have been scared and instinctively tried to back away, but then he was attracted by the sword and wanted to take it, which led him to deliberately run into the sword and get injured.
After figuring this out, the black dragon shrank back into Liu Ji's body to rest while anonymously posting a bounty in the free market, intending to find out the origin of this immortal sword, as well as its usage and taboos.
It should be understood that the Evil Immortal Sword is naturally extremely powerful when used properly, but if used improperly, the user will most likely suffer a backlash, so one must be careful.
*Slap slap*