Chapter 1280: Guiding the Situation to Plan a Purge, Three Choices of Rewards for You to Select

"Who could it be?"

Familiar names flashed through Yilisaier's mind, but he quickly dismissed them one by one; the Sword of Ruling was far more than just a symbol, and possessing the Sword of Ruling meant that no one could ever deceive him.

Otherwise, how could a thousand-year reign have gone so smoothly!

Any rebellion always has signs, and Yilisaier believed he had a firm grasp on the attitudes of all the upper families in Cormanthor.

Those with the power to rebel lacked the intent, and those with the intent lacked the power.

Just as Yilisaier was searching through his millennial memories, trying to find a possible suspect, his attendant brought him another distressing piece of news—

The Underground Passage in the Dragonspine Mountains had suddenly lost contact; investigations revealed it was the work of the remnants of the human Arcane Empire, Illefarn, and the Drow. The Underground Passage was now occupied by Drow, and a large number of Drow had appeared in the Dragonspine Mountains, suspected of preparing an offensive!

Upon hearing this news, Yilisaier's expression grew even uglier; these two events had happened so coincidentally that it was hard for him not to suspect a connection.

"Human remnants, Illefarn, Drow—even if they joined forces, how could they possibly know the secrets of the Sword of Ruling?"

After much thought, Yilisaier still placed his suspicions within the country.

Perhaps some Upper Family was dissatisfied with his interference in the Sword Trial and had secretly plotted to steal the Sword of Ruling, attempting to force him to concede in this way, but could he concede?

A concession like this might lead to an immediate abdication, and even if a new Crown King were to emerge later, they would be nothing more than a puppet pushed forward by those Upper Families. From this perspective, the eternal rulers should be them!

"You are forcing my hand!"

Yilisaier muttered, his eyes gradually turning ruthless.

"Huo Ke, Jialanuode, bring the divine swords and come to me at once!"

Bypassing his attendants, Yilisaier used a secret private channel to directly extend an invitation to meet to the other two divine sword holders.

To successfully steal a divine sword from the Tower of Governance, the matter must have deep implications. In the current treacherous situation, the only ones who could stand firmly by his side were the other two sword families.

The temptation of being an eternal ruler was the best basis for an alliance of interests; Huo Ke had already tasted the dividends of this alliance, and Jialanuode would certainly not be willing to give it up.

Yilisaier went to the Study, and while waiting for Huo Ke and Jialanuode to arrive, he pondered how to properly purge the other Upper Families.

Although the lessons of the past Aryvandaar had passed for thousands of years, they still served as a warning to him; one could not be too careful with such matters.

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, Yilisaier returned to the secret room he had just left and opened an elegantly decorated, long, narrow oak box.

Inside the box was nothing else but the Sword of Ruling, though this was the substitute he had originally prepared to replace the real Sword of Ruling.

The true divine sword trial was not based on bloodline; any Elf, even the lowest Wood Elf, could potentially pass.

To ensure the divine sword remained within one family, Yilisaier had created this substitute.

The substitute could also be used for the trial, but the sole condition for the trial was the bloodline of the Yilisaier family.

As long as he replaced the real Sword of Ruling with this sword at the right opportunity, then even if he did not actively interfere with the trial, the final winner of the trial would be his own descendants.

"This purge must also wipe out everyone capable of Identifying the Sword of Ruling!"

Almost without hesitation, Yilisaier made this decision quite naturally. In the past, he used the 【Sword of Ruling】 to prove he was the Crown King; now, with over a thousand years of ruling foundation, he could use his status as Crown King to prove the 【Sword of Ruling】.

In terms of pure power, the Sword of Ruling did not rank at the top of Yilisaier's various trump cards. Once the purge was complete, even if that sword remained lost, it would pose no threat to his rule.

Gradually, Yilisaier had shaken off the anger and panic he felt upon first learning the Sword of Ruling had been stolen. This incident had disrupted his original plans, but was it not also an excellent opportunity!

"The loss of the Underground Passage must be due to rebels. Daring to collude with the Drow is an original sin. If they want to clear their names, then go use the heads of the Drow to prove themselves!"

The other side had even found the reason for the purge for him; how could Yilisaier not make good use of it!

A moment later, Huo Ke and Jialanuode arrived, and the three top rulers of Cormanthor began to discuss the various details of the purge plan.

On the other side, Xia Duo had hidden on Wolf God Mountain for three full days without discovering any movement from Cormanthor. Not only did they not look for him, but they also ignored the large number of Drow appearing in the Dragonspine Mountains.

"Could it be that Cormanthor is in chaos just because the Sword of Ruling was lost?"

It was not impossible, but Xia Duo was no longer prepared to pay too much attention to this matter.

Now that the Underground Passage was open and the Drow had reached the Surface, the pressure on the Empire Remnants would certainly be greatly reduced.

And Xia Duo was also preparing to return to the Vengeance Tribunal to collect his rewards!

Yilisi branch base.

Having just returned to the base, Xia Duo hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath before being called to the Study by Yilisi. This woman seemed to be in a very good mood today, and she even showed a rare smile when she saw Xia Duo.

"Maikade, you have performed a great service this time! Establishing contact with the Drow has provided the Empire with a major strategic turning point for the counterattack against Cormanthor."

"As for your reward, the superiors have provided several options; you decide what to choose. As for the supplies from before, consider them a personal gift from me."

"What are the rewards?" Xia Duo asked hurriedly.

If the reward allowed him direct access to resurrection Spells, that would be best; even if he couldn't access them directly, having a channel would be good!

At the very least, he couldn't stay in the field department of the Vengeance Tribunal. Being here meant being a mere lackey, thug, or cannon fodder, with no access to any secrets.

Yilisi fully understood Xia Duo's impatient attitude. She smiled and said, "First is a pure point reward, enough to redeem fifteen resurrection opportunities."

"However, I personally think you don't need to choose this. Regardless of which department you are in, as long as you work normally, it won't be difficult to accumulate enough points for resurrection before encountering an accident."

"The second option only has points for one resurrection, but the superiors have also prepared an Arcane Fire Secret Scroll for you. However, to choose this reward, you must also complete an additional mission."

"What is the mission? Can I hear it first?" Xia Duo asked out of habit.

If he only looked at the first reward, although it was enough for fifteen resurrections, he would likely be stuck in the Vengeance Tribunal's field department until he died.

The reward with the mission attached was more like a test for a reserve cadre; if he passed, he might be able to successfully transfer to a better department.

For Xia Duo, this was far more attractive than those fifteen resurrection points, as it meant he would be able to access more classified information.