Chapter 165: The Patriarch

Sylvia’s flat rejection soured Patriarch Corvinus’s expression. He had not expected her to leave zero room for negotiation. As a Supreme-tier Master of the Academy, if not for the Abyssal Sovereign standing right beside her, would this Oracle dare dismiss him so easily?

Theo, standing beside her, smirked. This was his former Professor’s style—blunt with outsiders, devoid of nonsense, and always ready to draw blood. He still recalled her days at the Academy, storming the High Magister’s peak when Theo had been bullied as a junior operative. During his Aether-Core tribulation, she had executed an interfering elder without a second thought. Only with him did she ever show that helpless, yielding side.

Theo glanced at Corvinus, wondering if the Patriarch would try stealing the Primeval Obsidian Sword the moment he turned his back. If so, should he just execute the man now and save himself the headache? Observing the Patriarch closely, Theo decided that if the man leaked even a sliver of killing intent, his life was forfeit.

Seeing Corvinus remain silent, Sylvia, entirely unfazed by offending a Supreme-tier expert, spoke calmly. "If Patriarch Corvinus has no other business, I will take my leave. I have matters to discuss with my rebellious student..."

Corvinus glanced at Theo, a monster capable of slaughtering Exarchs like cattle, and then at Sylvia, who was barely touching the Supreme tier herself. What could she possibly "discuss" with such a power gap?

With Theo present, Corvinus abandoned all thoughts of seizing the sword by force. But his backup plan kicked in.

An elder of the Corvinus clan stepped forward, forcing a polite smile at Sylvia. "Oracle Sylvia, Patriarch Corvinus is our Academy’s brightest prodigy, bearing our only hope of vying for the Primeval tier. I know the Obsidian Sword matters to you, but for the Academy’s future, could you part with it? The council will compensate you in time."

"Indeed, Oracle," another elder chimed in. "The Academy traces its deepest roots back to the Corvinus clan. That sword, though in your hands, belonged to the Patriarch’s ancestor. Is it not improper to keep it when the true heir needs it?"

The elder leaned in slightly. "You may not know, but the Supreme Elder who passed you the sword intent was the Patriarch’s great-grandmother. Your cultivation speed and your Invincible Sword Matrix owe much to her guidance. Receiving such a monumental favor yet refusing to aid her heir... would she not regret choosing you if she knew?"

Many Academy elders clung to family loyalty. They desperately wanted Corvinus to rise. They also firmly believed the Obsidian Sword belonged to the sect. Sylvia, having retrieved it, was merely its temporary keeper. It had to be returned.

Theo smirked. Moral blackmail, huh? This was getting interesting.

Seeing Theo’s grim expression, the elders’ words faltered, and they quickly fell silent. They had the courage to pressure Sylvia using sect politics, but crossing Theo? Risking his wrath? Out of the question. The Abyssal Sovereign, despite his reputation as a political womanizer, possessed a fearsome killing streak. The three fallen scions of the Astral Senate were bloody proof of that.

Theo ignored the trembling elders, shifting his gaze to Corvinus and gripping Sylvia’s hand a fraction tighter. She didn’t need to worry. He had everything covered.

But he had overestimated the situation. His former Professor, unsteady only when dealing with him, was otherwise resolute. She didn’t need his protection for this.

Yet, unexpectedly, Sylvia’s face turned pensive. She looked at him. "If I leave the sword with the Academy, will you be upset?"

Corvinus’s eyelids twitched. He had zero desire to clash with Theo. He had feared total failure. But Sylvia seemed willing?

The elders were shocked but deeply uneasy, stealing glances at Theo, terrified of incurring his grudge.

Theo, unfazed by her unusual words, smiled, knowing her character intimately. His Professor was crystal clear on gratitude and grudges. She had stayed at the Academy all these years purely to repay a Supreme Elder’s kindness. Now, leaving the Obsidian Sword meant settling that karmic debt in full. She was preparing to leave with him.

The Primeval Obsidian Sword? A supreme Extreme-Dao Weapon, invaluable to any sect. But to Theo, it was garbage. If his Professor wanted one, he would forge her two better ones. Trading it for her peace of mind, allowing her to officially join the Abyssal Syndicate? A steal!

Without hesitation, he shook his head. "I support whatever you do. The Obsidian Sword is not worth a fraction of you."

His words made Sylvia smile, her expression blooming with genuine warmth.

Standing in the crowd, Lady Livia, however, sneered inwardly. A supreme Extreme-Dao Weapon, an artifact used by ancient immortals, was rare even in the central Imperial Capital. Theo gave it up just to please a woman—what a pathetic wastrel. But this display boosted her confidence tremendously. If he was so hopelessly generous with Sylvia, effortlessly discarding a supreme artifact, then she—who was vastly superior to Sylvia in beauty and pedigree—could easily manipulate him into giving her the Primeval Aether-Forge with a little effort. Her eyes gleamed with greedy anticipation.

***

Before the gathered crowd, Sylvia raised her hand, calmly summoning the Primeval Obsidian Sword. Because she had not yet stabilized her Supreme-tier realm, she couldn’t fully wield it. Even so, as it materialized in the air, its Extreme-Dao aura surged, causing every operative below the Supreme tier to stagger backward.

Corvinus, feeling its immense resonance, trembled with excitement, staring greedily at Sylvia.

She scanned him and the silent elders. "Long ago, a Supreme Elder’s kindness granted me the Sword Scripture, the Invincible Sword Matrix, and her ancestral intent. I am deeply grateful. Today, I gift the Obsidian Sword to her heir, returning it to the Academy to repay her grace. From this day forward, I resign my position as Oracle and leave the Academy..."

Her words stunned the elders. Sylvia was leaving? But with the Obsidian Sword staying, it was hardly a loss for them!

Corvinus certainly had no objections.

Seeing no dissent, Sylvia gently pushed the hovering blade toward Corvinus with her Aether. The Patriarch’s heart raced, his hands trembling. Only basic decorum kept him from snatching it out of the air like a starved beast.

But then, a cold, thunderous voice echoed across the Academy peaks.

"I object!"

A colossal hand forged from golden Aether materialized out of nowhere, seizing the Primeval Obsidian Sword and forcibly returning it to Sylvia’s side.