Chapter 1600 - Everyone Gathered
“First, tell me how you came in.” Lin Yun asked, looking at An Liuyan. The Sword Sect’s branch had strict guards, and it was unrealistic for someone to sneak in under the eyes of Samsara Edict Realm experts.
“I was already here before you came.” An Liuyan smiled as she took out a medal. “Look at this.”
When Lin Yun looked at the medal, he was surprised because that was the token of Divine Firmament Peak’s inner disciples.
“I’m now a Sword Sect’s disciple.” An Liuyan smiled.
“What’s going on?” Lin Yun asked.
“There are no rooms for demonic sects in the Ancient Barren Domain. If we want to enter the Ancient Barren Battlefield, we have to find a sect in the Ancient Barren Domain to cooperate with. Then again, this form of cooperation isn’t written in black and white but only a rapport between us.” An Liuyan smiled. “As long as it’s within a certain range, it’s not considered breaking the rules. I told you previously that the Heavenly Cauldron Pavilion cooperates with the Sword Sect.”
Lin Yun nodded and didn’t have any opinion about it. He already knew that the world wasn’t just black and white. Cooperation was possible as long as they weren’t mortal enemies, and Lin Yun had no prejudice against demonic cultivators.
Demonic cultivators practiced demonic martial techniques, and not all were evil. After all, the power lied in how one used it, not what that person cultivated.
“Can we leave now? Heavenly Barren City is bustling now.” An Liuyan winked.
“Not interested.” Lin Yun shook his head. The Ancient Barren Battlefield was opening, and he didn’t want to waste time. He took out some paper and ink before he started writing. If he couldn’t grasp the ninth sword form of the Carefree 9 Swords, he wouldn’t have the confidence to suppress the Golden Generation.
According to Gu Ruochen, the top three of the Profound Sky Sect all had the strength to kill fifth-pulse Dragon Pulse Realm cultivators, and their actual fighting strength was at the sixth-pulse Dragon Pulse Realm. Not to mention that they were the Golden Generation, personally taught by Tian Xuanzi.
“I’ll grind ink for you, then.” An Liuyan smiled.
Since Lin Yun couldn’t refuse her, he could only let her grind ink from the side. He could trust her and wouldn’t mind letting her see the Carefree 9 Swords. Every stroke was slow, and he infused his Heavenly Dome Sword Intent into those words.
When he was done, he had exhausted his sword intent and started feeling dizzy. But he still couldn’t come into contact with the ninth sword form.
But he wasn’t in a hurry. He sat down and circulated the Dragon-Phoenix World Annihilating Sword Canon to recover his exhausted origin energy and sword intent. When he recovered, he repeated and continued to write on the paper.
This process was dry, and it was hard for ordinary people to endure it. This made An Liuyan stumped, wondering how Lin Yun managed to endure it. While she was inwardly shocked, Lin Yun sat down once more. Seeing his forehead covered in sweat, she quickly took her fan and fanned Lin Yun.
Half an hour later, Lin Yun opened his eyes. Seeing An Liuyan fanning for him, he smiled, “What are you doing?”
“Fanning for you after seeing you sweating. At least it’s better than doing nothing.” An Liuyan explained.
Her words made Lin Yun smile and shake his head.
“What are you smiling at…” An Liuyan blushed, looking gentle, even if she had disguised herself as a man.
Lin Yun was smiling because the fan was a myriad-rune saint artifact, but she used it to fan him. This was probably something the fan"s owner never thought of, and he also couldn’t tell An Liuyan that. Thus, he smiled, “I’m fine.”
“Is there a meaning in you doing this? You’ve repeated this several times.” An Liuyan couldn’t help asking.
“Of course there is.” Lin Yun replied. “Even if I can’t write the ninth word, my sword intent will improve every time I write on the paper. I’ve just grasped the fifth-grade sword intent, which can be considered a form of cultivation for me.”
“But… wait, fifth-grade sword intent?!” An Liuyan exclaimed.
“Hush. Lower your voice.” Lin Yun said, and An Liuyan quickly covered her mouth as she examined Lin Yun with disbelief.
“But I have some doubts. Does the ninth word really exist?”
“Of course. My master can write it.”
“But… that’s the Radiant Sword Saint.”
Hearing that, Lin Yun took the brush and continued to write as he said, “As a disciple, I have to respect my master, but I can’t just be satisfied with reaching my master’s height. This is what my master told me, not to mention that I have no clues to the ninth word yet.”
As he spoke, he turned to look at An Liuyan, ”If you have to use a word to describe the boundless sorrow and loneliness after being carefree, what word will you use?”
An Liuyan opened her mouth and wanted to reply, but she soon furrowed her brows upon pondering that question. A brief moment later, she replied, “If I had to use a word, I’d use ‘Pain’ to describe the boundless sorrow after being carefree. After all, what is left after sorrow is endless pain.”
“Pain…” Lin Yun muttered. “I previously thought of ‘Empty’ or ‘None’ to describe it, seeing through everything from the sorrow after carefree.”
“No.” An Liuyan refuted. “Everyone is different. Everyone has their own thought of it, and some might even think of ‘Death’, wanting to die.”
Lin Yun was surprised upon hearing that with his brush pausing. Everyone had different thoughts about it. He finally figured it out, and it was no wonder his master would stop. This was because everyone’s ninth sword was different.
If his master didn’t want to teach him, he wouldn’t have stopped halfway, nor would he slow down time at the cost of his lifespan. His master paid such a great price, and it would make no sense if his master didn’t want to teach him the ninth sword form. So this only meant that there was a reason why his master stopped writing the ninth word, and An Liuyan’s words were like a bolt of lightning tearing apart the sky.
“Hahaha!” Lin Yun started laughing as the path ahead of him cleared up.
“Young Master Lin, what’s wrong?” An Liuyan asked.
“You helped me greatly!” Lin Yun came to his senses and said, “You’re right. Everyone is different. So I don’t have to think of others’ comprehension of the ninth sword form. I just have to follow my heart.”
“So, Young Master Lin, what’s your ninth word?”
“Kill!” Lin Yun said without hesitation and wrote down a ‘Kill’ word that looked like blood containing boundless killing intent. The Southern Emperor created the ninth sword form after losing his loved one. To Lin Yun, the Sword Sect was his love, and he couldn’t think of another word if the Sword Sect was destroyed.
At that time, he would just kill and make those who were responsible pay the price. When he wrote down the ‘Kill’ word, all the papers in the room hovered and emitted a dazzling sword ray. The words on those papers seemed like they came to life as they flew out and converged into a ‘Kill’ word before entering Lin Yun’s body.
Lin Yun’s mind also exploded because his ninth sword form was finally created. Lin Yun opened his eyes a long time later and smiled, “I succeeded.”
“Congratulations.” An Liuyan smiled with her eyes narrowed into two crescent moons.
The atmosphere in the Heavenly Barren City grew increasingly heated as time pa.s.sed and the day the Ancient Barren Battlefield finally arrived.
Three days later, when the first glimpse of dawn shone down from the clouds, all of Heavenly Barren City became heated as countless people streaked across the horizon.
They were like a flock of birds bolting toward the Ancient Barren Battlefield’s location that was a thousand miles away from Heavenly Barren City. The ground was dyed black by blood with an uneasy aura being emitted from the black earth. This was the Ancient Barren Battlefield.
This ancient battlefield was long enveloped in a terrifying spiritual array. It was rumored that numerous top-tiered experts joined hands to set up this spiritual array in the Darkest Era. For a long time, this place was considered a forbidden zone. But through the corrosion of time, the spiritual array had weakened, thus creating a flaw for people to enter.
This was a vast black plain, and the far end had s.p.a.ce distorting that formed into a terrifying vortex, separating heaven and earth. But today, countless people were descending before the vortex.
Under Chen Lei and Mu Chuan’s lead, the Sword Sect’s disciples also landed a few thousand meters away from the vortex.
“So many people.” Lin Yun and others hovered in the air, exclaiming when they saw this majestic scene. The plain was covered with lots of Dragon Pulse Realm geniuses. Everyone here was a Dragon Pulse Realm genius under the age of thirty in the Ancient Barren Domain. It was so much so that the sects and demonic cults outside of the Ancient Barren Domain were also here.
Lin Yun’s gaze pa.s.sed through the mult.i.tudes of people and fell onto a group of people. These people were donned in green robes and had outstanding temperaments, like pure emerald gemstones.
“They’re from the Emerald Jade Manor and the leader of their strongest Golden Generation, Emerald Chen Tao. It was rumored that he had reached the pinnacle fourth-pulse Dragon Pulse Realm and the ninth-stage in the Divine Phaseless Art, reaching the height of the Glazed Treasure Physique. I heard he’s immune to elements, and it’s hard to injure him with a sword or blade. Not only that, his attacks are bizarre because he can a.s.similate the dragon origin of others into an emerald!” Mu Xueqin said.
“Glazed Treasure Physique?” Lin Yun raised his brow and wondered which was stronger, the Glazed Treasure Physique or his Azure Dragon Saint Physique.
“Don’t underestimate him. Senior Brother once suffered in his hand and couldn’t do anything to his Glazed Treasure Physique with the Firmament Sword Intent.” Mu Xueqin saw through Lin Yun’s thoughts and continued, “Furthermore, his cultivation is high. Let’s leave him to Senior Brother Gu to deal with. Let me tell you a secret. Senior Brother Gu has reached the pinnacle ninth stage in the Scarlet Firmament Sword Sutra!”
Lin Yun was surprised and turned to look at Gu Ruochen. To a certain degree, the Scarlet Firmament Sword Sutra wasn’t any weaker than the Divine Firmament Sword Sutra. In terms of pure power, the Scarlet Firmament Sword Sutra was even more overbearing.
Mu Xuankong practiced the Scarlet Firmament Sword Sutra, and Lin Yun was surprised that Gu Ruochen could reach the ninth stage. Even he had reached the fifth stage in the Divine Firmament Sword Sutra. Then again, this was also because he didn’t practice the Divine Firmament Sword Sutra for long, especially since nether energy was hard to find.
If he couldn’t find sufficient nether energy, he would have to rely on his comprehension to make a breakthrough.
“The Heavenly Note Sect and Profound Valley are here.” Mu Xueqin’s eyes lit up. They had a good relations.h.i.+p with those two sects and could join forces in the Ancient Barren Battlefield.