Little Fellow

At that moment, a look of remembrance and relief surfaced on his face.

"The reason we could meet here today could be called coincidence, or it could be called inevitability."

"I sensed the familiar aura of the Xuanyuan Divine Sword, which was why I came out to meet you."

As he spoke, his tone turned cold. "Otherwise, I would have cut you down with a single stroke long ago."

"For those villains harboring designs on the Xuanyuan Divine Sword, this Emperor grants no mercy!"

The moment he finished speaking, Emperor Xuanyuan's eyes fixed on Lin Feng suddenly lit up. Even his expression, one that would not change even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, turned astonished, as though he had discovered something extraordinary.

The next moment.

He suddenly revealed a kindly smile. "Little fellow, do you want to obtain the Xuanyuan Divine Sword?"

"Huh?"

Hearing that, Lin Feng was somewhat baffled. Emperor Xuanyuan's temperament was truly erratic—one moment he was lofty and imposing, and the next he was asking pleasantly whether Lin Feng wanted the Xuanyuan Divine Sword?

"I do..."

Lin Feng stopped halfway through, hesitated, and said, "But you just said it yourself, Elder, that it depends on my own ability. With my mere Eighth Stage Form Manifestation Realm..."

Emperor Xuanyuan interrupted him in irritation at his failure to strive. "If you want it, then stop hemming and hawing, looking forward and backward. Do you expect to reap without sowing?"

His tone carried a hint of impatience. "Just answer me one thing: do you want the Xuanyuan Divine Sword or not?"

Lin Feng was a little dumbfounded. Why did Emperor Xuanyuan seem even more concerned about this than he was?

What did that mean?

Still, Emperor Xuanyuan's words made sense. There was no such thing as getting something for nothing in this world.

Ever since obtaining the system, Lin Feng had been getting things for nothing, and he had already developed a dependence on it. That was not a good sign.

If the system disappeared one day, he would still be that weak little shrimp. What would he use to contend against the powerful?

At that thought, Lin Feng broke out in a cold sweat. Iron must be hard before it can be forged; whether he had the system or not, he needed to strengthen himself. Relying entirely on external power was ultimately putting the cart before the horse.

Now, the chance to obtain the Xuanyuan Divine Sword lay right before him. No matter what, he could not let it slip away!

With that thought, Lin Feng nodded decisively. "I must obtain the Xuanyuan Divine Sword!"

Hearing this, Emperor Xuanyuan laughed heartily. "Good! That's more like a true man!"

At that moment, it was as though a huge boulder in his heart had finally fallen to the ground, and his whole person seemed to glow with renewed vigor.

He glanced at Lin Feng. "Come with me!"

With that, he took the lead and walked toward the Golden Staircase.

Seeing Emperor Xuanyuan suddenly become so radiant, Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. For some reason, he suddenly felt as though he had fallen into a pit.

But he quickly dismissed the thought. Emperor Xuanyuan was humanity's great ancestor—why would he stoop to trick a green youngster like him?

Afterward, Lin Feng strode quickly toward the Golden Staircase.

However, the instant Lin Feng stepped onto the staircase, a sudden change erupted.

The entire space began to twist for no apparent reason, and countless scenes flashed past his eyes like fleeting shadows.

Then came boundless darkness.

When the first wisp of light appeared, Lin Feng instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes. Only after adjusting did he look up.

He discovered that he seemed to have entered another world—no, a massive plaza.

The original Golden Staircase was gone, and Emperor Xuanyuan was nowhere to be seen.

Only at the highest point of the plaza stood an altar, upon which something seemed to have been placed.

Lin Feng unconsciously walked toward it.

At that moment, Emperor Xuanyuan's voice suddenly came from the void. "Do you see the altar at the highest point of the plaza?"

Lin Feng hurriedly replied, "I-I see it, but where is this?"

In that silent space, a voice suddenly emerging out of nowhere truly gave him a fright.

To say he was not afraid would be a lie.

Everything here was beyond his control. Any uncertain or unknown existence could make people feel fear; it was simply human instinct.

"This is the true burial place of the Xuanyuan Divine Sword. The thing you seek is on that altar."

"You only need to go over and pull the Xuanyuan Divine Sword from the altar. Then you will have truly gained its recognition."

That simple?

Lin Feng even suspected that he had heard wrong.

This was the place where the strongest sword was buried. How could there be no restrictions at all?

This was not scientific at all!

If it were truly that simple, the Xuanyuan Divine Sword would have long since become someone else's possession. Why would it still be waiting for him to claim it?

"Since you think it is simple, that is all the better..."

Emperor Xuanyuan's voice suddenly rang out. "But I must remind you of one thing. You only have one chance to pull the sword. If you fail, then you will never have another chance."

His voice was calm, as though he were explaining some trivial matter of daily life, without even the slightest ripple.

Yet Lin Feng instantly felt terrible all over.

His face darkened.

This was fucking obviously a trap!

Who could guarantee that they would pull it out in one try?

But since he was already here, Lin Feng was unwilling to leave without trying. Gritting his teeth, he said, "This junior understands."

With that, he strode toward the altar.

A moment later, Lin Feng reached the altar. The whole process had gone astonishingly smoothly, without any mechanisms or traps. It felt unreal to him.

Yet that was indeed the truth.

Lin Feng looked excitedly toward the altar.

But soon, he furrowed his brow, his face filled with surprise.

The altar was far too ordinary. It possessed none of the mysterious profundity he had imagined, nor did it emit any spiritual energy fluctuations. It was merely a square stone platform, roughly three meters in length and width and about one meter high.

Its material was somewhat strange, however. It was made from an unknown black stone that looked dark and glossy. Lin Feng stared at it for a long while but could not make heads or tails of it.

At the very center of the stone platform was a concave stone socket. Many ancient runes surrounded it, and faint golden light occasionally flowed through those runes, releasing wisps of sharp aura.

And the legendary Xuanyuan Divine Sword was inserted into that stone socket, sheath and all.

No light flickered on its surface. Likewise, there were not the slightest spiritual energy fluctuations, nor even a sharp aura.

This sword had nothing eye-catching about its appearance. Its hilt was pitch-black, its blade thick and broad, and it looked like nothing more than an ordinary iron sword.

"This is the Xuanyuan Divine Sword? The foremost of the Ten Great Immortal Treasures of Chaos?" Lin Feng muttered. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed far too undeserving of its reputation.

"That's right." Emperor Xuanyuan's tone revealed extremely complicated emotions. He sighed. "Back then, it was by relying on it that I gave humanity a homeland where they could live and work in peace, and drove the incomparably savage Jiuli Tribe into the barbaric wilderness."

"Go. Since fate has brought you here, whether the final result is success or failure, you should do your utmost to accept its ultimate trial."

"I believe in you, and I also believe in the Xuanyuan Divine Sword's choice."

"Alright—"

Lin Feng wore a resolute expression and nodded sharply. Then he raised his head toward Emperor Xuanyuan, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you for granting me this opportunity, Elder. This junior is deeply grateful!"

In truth, Lin Feng knew that reaching the altar should have required passing layer upon layer of trials, perhaps even something as difficult as climbing to the heavens. After all, there was no such thing as gold ingots falling from the sky.

Yet he had encountered no difficulty whatsoever. Besides the system, the greater reason was Emperor Xuanyuan...