Chapter 1596 - It's Really You

Mu Xuankong’s face slightly changed when he examined Lin Yun. He said, “You’re really a troublemaker to cause so much trouble for a Black Tortoise’s Saint Blood. Even the four Demonic Ranking’s rising stars are dead…”

Hearing those words made Lin Yun smile awkwardly. “This is a coincidence. I also didn’t expect to run into so much trouble on this trip…”

“Since you know there will be trouble, why did you still head over there?” Mu Xuankong glared at Lin Yun.

Lin Yun scratched his head and didn’t dare to look at Mu Xuankong. He knew that he was a little too daring before because Lil’ Purple had already warned him, not to mention that he was even betrayed by the Heavenly Profound Tortoise and nearly died because of it.

“You…” Mu Xuankong ultimately couldn’t bear to blame Lin Yun and wore a weak smile. A moment later, he asked, “You made a breakthrough in your sword intent?”

“Yeah. I made a breakthrough.” Flames flashed across Lin Yun’s pupils.

“Your master will be happy if he knows about this!” Mu Xuankong smiled. “We observed how you tried to make a breakthrough before, but you’re still lacking then. You were one step away, but many people would be stuck at that last step for decades or even centuries!”

Lin Yun nodded his head in acknowledgment upon hearing that. This was because the Heavenly Dome Sword Intent was utterly different from the past. After all, who could’ve thought that aside from wielding the sword, they could also be wielded by the sword? This was the true meaning behind one with the sword, and it was hard to explain. One would only comprehend it after grasping the Heavenly Dome Sword Intent.

“Oh, right. You’ve done a good job this time. No matter what, four demonic cultivators are dead because of you, especially Jiang Tong. Since he left the Profound Sky Sect, he has been targeting my Sword Sect, trying to return to the sect by relying on contributions.” Mu Xuankong smiled.

“It’s my duty. I don’t care if he kills the disciples of other sects, but I won’t stand by and do nothing since he dares to lay his hands on my Sword Sect’s disciples.” Lin Yun smiled.

“The Ancient Barren Battlefield will open in two months. You can stay in the Divine Firmament Peak during this period.”

“Okay.” Lin Yun nodded. His strength had undergone a significant transformation on this trip, and he needed time to digest it all.

“Keep your Heavenly Dome Sword Intent a secret for now. Remember to tell no one!” Mu Xuankong said with a grave expression.

“I understand.” Lin Yun bowed and left.

“He really made a breakthrough!” When Lin Yun left, Mu Chuan came back in, and he had excitement on his face. But he soon sighed, “It’s no wonder why I can feel a faint pressure coming from him. He’s even faster than Junior Brother Jian back then. I can really see the hope of Sword Sect rising on him.”

“Too fast isn’t necessarily good.” Mu Xuankong shook his head with a faint concern on his face.

“Tian Xuanzi?” Mu Chuan’s face sank.

Mu Xuankong’s face also sank. Tian Xuanzi might seem gentle, but he was a decisive person, and he was also proficient at scheming. No one who caught his attention had a good outcome. After all, the Sword Sect lost their Golden Generation two decades ago, and Jian Jingtian was also trapped in the Fleeting Cloud Sword Sect for the rest of his life.

This was clearly schemed by him, but the Sword Sect had no choice but to lower their heads. This humiliation was something that Mu Xuankong wouldn’t forget even when a hundred years pass by.

“If he dares to use the same trick on Lin Yun, I won’t let him off even if I have to throw my life away. I won’t allow what happened two decades ago to reenact on Lin Yun!” Mu Xuankong said coldly. He chose to take a step back two decades ago, but never again.

“You didn’t tell him my master is trying to make a breakthrough?” Mu Chuan suddenly asked.

“Martial Uncle is a little anxious, and I don’t want Lin Yun to be distracted. So it’s best not to tell him about it.”

“We don’t have a choice. No one can predict what will happen in this Ancient Barren Battlefield since Tian Xuanzi has been lying low for so long.”

“Let’s just watch, then make our move. I won’t bother with a conflict between juniors. But if he dares to turn the tables around, I’ll play with him, then!”

After returning to the Cloud Soaring Peak, Lin Yun spent his time playing the flute, practicing his calligraphy, observing the Divine Dragon Monument, practicing the Sovereign Dragon Fist, or observing other martial techniques. Playing the flute was to practice the Heavenly Dragon Score, and practicing calligraphy was for the ninth sword form in the Carefree 9 Swords. He felt that the ninth sword form existed, and his master had already grasped it.

His master nearly wrote it down back then, but he ultimately chose not to write it in the end. So Lin Yun felt that he could give it a try to comprehend the ninth sword form. The Sword Sect's atmosphere gradually became tense since no one dared to relax, especially the Dragon Pulse Realm disciples of the various peaks. They were doing their best to cultivate, and they didn’t give up so that they could increase their strength, even if it’s only a little more.

They were all under immense pressure with the Ancient Barren Battlefield approaching. They couldn’t help it because the Sword Sect lost too terribly in the past, and they became weaker since they didn’t obtain any harvests, especially since they lost their Golden Generation two decades ago.

On the other hand, the Profound Sky Sect had a huge harvest, and their strength underwent a massive boost, in addition to Tian Xuanzi’s existence. In recent years, they even showed signs of surpassing the Sword Sect, and this made everyone in the Sword Sect feel suffocating. Even the Radiant Sword Saint was under immense pressure.

If the Sword Sect’s harvest in this Ancient Barren Battlefield could be on the same level as the Profound Sky Sect, the pressure on the Radiant Sword Saint would decrease, and he could face his tribulation with a more relaxed mentality, unlike how he had to support the entire Sword Sect by himself.

It had been two decades, and the Sword Sect’s disciples had been waiting to vent it all out. Under this tense atmosphere, the opening of the Ancient Barren Battlefield slowly approached, and the entire Sword Sect became quiet. This was the calm before the storm.

Everyone knew that the Ancient Barren Battlefield wasn’t the Heavenly Pool Manor, where it was only a spar between disciples and no life was threatened. The Ancient Barren Battlefield was an opportunity, and a boundless threat also accompanied it. Anyone could die in it if they weren’t careful.

Aside from the Sword Sect, the other sect’s experts weren’t pushovers either, not to mention those ancient demons. Those were monsters, far more terrifying than demonic beasts.

On a pavilion at the edge of a spiritual lake, Lin Yun was standing before a window, practicing his calligraphy. The ground was covered in papers with Heaven, Earth, Profound, Desolation, Wind, Fire, Lightning, and Ice written on them. As he practiced his calligraphy, Lin Yun also practiced his sword, using the brush and ink as a path toward dao.

Every time he wrote on the paper, his proficiency in the Carefree 9 Swords would increase, and he gradually had his own comprehension of it. There was no question that the ninth sword form far exceeded the previous eight swords, but the ninth sword form would also overthrow the intent of the first eight swords, containing an unimaginable sorrow.

But even when he could clearly sense it, he could faintly feel that behind this helplessness and sorrow, it contained an even greater carefree intent. This carefree intent far exceeded the Heaven, Earth, Profound, Desolation, Wind, Fire, Lightning, and Ice Sword Forms.

“Master is afraid I won’t be able to learn the eight sword forms after reaching the ninth?” Lin Yun finally understood something as he held onto the brush. But he suddenly furrowed his brows upon sensing a faint ripple in the Cloud Soaring Peak. Someone had intruded.

No, rather than intruding, this person didn’t trigger any restriction on the Cloud Soaring Peak. So Lin Yun began to wonder if this person was an elder of the Sword Sect or… a spy!

When a massive killing intent enveloped him, the entire pavilion began to tremble, and the ink on Lin Yun’s table jumped. He didn’t have much time to think as a black figure appeared on the lake, charging over with a terrifying killing aura.

As this person approached, the restrictions on the pavilion shattered, and an overbearing sword intent exploded from this person. Under his sword aura, the broken spiritual runes in the pavilion flew out. If this person got close, the restriction on the pavilion would completely shatter and collapse.

“Heaven.” Lin Yun lowered his head and wrote a word down on the paper. As thirty-six layers of heaven descended, it instantly stabilized the crumbling restriction on the pavilion.

“Earth!” When Lin Yun wrote another word down, the papers scattered in the room flew out, and the words written on those papers came to life, swiftly enveloping the intruder.

As the intruder drew his sword, a dazzling light bloomed, and the surrounding papers fell to the ground, but his footsteps were still hindered. He swung his sword, unleashing the massive sun at the pavilion.

“Profound!” When Lin Yun was done writing, the fireball bounced back.

But facing the rebounded fireball, the intruder didn’t panic and swung his sword, slicing the fireball in two. Charging forth, the intruder charged towards the window.

“Desolation!” Lin Yun smiled as waves of erosive intent were emitted, swiftly corroding the intruder’s sword aura. His sword aura significantly decreased when that person got close to the window.

Lin Yun leaned back and sat down on the chair as the chair moved back by ten meters, avoiding the sword directed at him. As the intruder stood on the table, the surrounding papers rose before him and Lin Yun.

“What sword technique is this? Martial Uncle Radiant taught it to you?” The intruder asked.

“You can think of it that way.” Lin Yun replied after a brief pondering. The Southern Emperor left behind the sword technique, but he could grasp it so quickly thanks to his master, especially the Wind, Fire, Lightning, and Ice Sword Forms. His master slowed time to help him master them, exhausting quite a bit of his lifespan.

“You’re not afraid of me?” The intruder said in a playful tone.

“Your killing aura might seem strong, but you have no intention to kill me. You’re also a swordsman; you should know how keen swordsmen are to sword aura.” Lin Yun smiled and continued, “Most importantly, I have already guessed your identity.”

“Radiant Sword Saint’s disciple is extraordinary, indeed.” The intruder smiled and removed the mask.

As expected, the intruder was the person that Lin Yun had guessed.