Chapter 1577 - Never!
When Lin Yun met up with Mu Xueqin and others at the foot of the mountain, they made their journey back to the sect. On the boat, Lin Yun smiled upon seeing the excitement on their faces. His conversation with the Heavenly Pool Saint Lord still made him feel immense pressure, despite not showing anything on his face.
It felt as though a sword was hovering above the Sword Sect and it would descend at any moment with all the peals of laughter and everyone he knew turning into ashes. Although the Heavenly Pool Saint Lord didn’t say it clearly, his hint was enough to know that the destruction of the Sword Sect was inevitable, and it was hard for his master to make it through this ordeal.
The competition between the Profound Sky Sect and Sword Sect wasn’t just a conflict between the two sects; many things were involved. If you follow up to the previous era, the Nine Emperor’s level was involved, and just thinking about it would numb his scalp.
“Junior Brother, do you have anything in your heart?” Mu Xueqin smiled as she looked at Lin Yun.
When Lin Yun raised his head and looked at Mu Xueqin, he knew that this woman had keen senses.
“Follow me.” Mu Xueqin called Lin Yun to the highest floor of the boat and asked, “What did the Heavenly Pool Saint Lord tell you?”
“I promised him not to tell anyone.” Lin Yun smiled, shaking his head. Upon hearing that, Mu Xueqin nodded and no longer asked about it.
“Senior Sister Mu, what level is the strongest disciple in the Profound Sky Sect?” Lin Yun asked.
Only Elysium Core Realm geniuses were involved in the Heavenly Pool Gathering, not the top-tiered fighting prowess of the various sects. After all, the two strongest geniuses on Sword Sect’s Heaven Ranking didn’t show up, and this was the same for the other sects.
After all, the disciples' strength at the top of the pyramid would affect the outcome of the Ancient Barren Battlefield. There were no rules, and those geniuses would definitely experience the most danger because they had to carry the burden of their sects.
This was why they didn’t attend the gathering, and Mu Xueqin took the initiative to take responsibility. She should be training in the God Burial Forest. It might be dangerous there, but she would undergo a drastic transformation if she could make it out alive.
If she could have some encounters, she would only become stronger. Mu Xueqin came back because her talent wasn’t comparable to Ye Qingxuan and Gu Ruochen, not to mention that she was the daughter of the sect master.
She might not be the strongest, but she knew the most about the other sects’ geniuses. Since the Profound Sky Sect was the Sword Sect’s greatest enemy, Mu Xueqin naturally knew them well.
“Junior Brother, why are you suddenly concerned about this?”
“I heard that the Ancient Barren Battlefield will open soon, and the eight sects’ geniuses will enter. There won’t be any rules and regulations. It’ll bring huge benefits to the sect if we can obtain victory. But if we fail, the sect will suffer an immense loss, and the sect’s strength will be gradually weakened as time passes.”
“Where did you hear that from?” Mu Xueqin’s face changed.
“The peak master told me.”
“You already knew what happened to Jian Jingtian?” Mu Xueqin asked upon hearing that, and Lin Yun nodded in response.
“So you already know… The Ancient Barren Battlefield…” Mu Xueqin muttered, and her gaze became complicated upon mentioning the Ancient Barren Battlefield. There would be a huge conflict between the Sword Sect and Profound Sky Sect at every Ancient Barren Battlefield. As the feud between the two sects grew, it grew to a point where the hostility between them couldn’t be resolved.
The moment the Sword Sect or the Profound Sky Sect found an opportunity, they would send the other party into the abyss without hesitation. Since Tian Xuanzi appeared, the Profound Sky Sect swiftly rose within the Ancient Barren Domain, and the comprehensive strength of the Profound Sky Sect’s geniuses had exceeded the Sword Sect.
Thus, the Sword Sect’s elites would be heavily injured at every Ancient Barren Battlefield, and the name ‘Ancient Barren Battlefield’ had become a nightmare for the Sword Sect. Even her father’s expression would change upon mentioning the Ancient Barren Battlefield, especially since the strongest geniuses of the Sword Sect all died on the previous Ancient Barren Battlefield. At the same time, Jian Jingtian was trapped in the Fleeting Cloud Sword Sect, which was equivalent to being crippled.
“During the previous Ancient Barren Battlefield, all of the Sword Sect’s geniuses died aside from Jian Jingtian?” Lin Yun was shocked to hear what Mu Xueqin said. “Senior Brother Mu Chuan didn’t tell me about that.”
“Jian Jingtian was a peerless genius back then, but the other peaks’ geniuses weren’t pushovers either. During the previous Ancient Barren Battlefield, Senior Jian Jingtian was trapped. Not only was his junior sister killed, but the other peaks’ geniuses also died.” Mu Xueqin replied. “It was fine if they were openly defeated, but the Profound Sky Sect was too despicable. This is also why Senior Jian Jingtian couldn’t hold it in.”
“The Profound Sky Sect is too much…” Lin Yun said with a cold light flickering within his pupils.
Mu Xueqin fell silent when she heard that. The competition between the sects within the Ancient Barren domain was brutal. The Sword Sect might have been a holy land in the past, but one had to admit that the Profound Sky Sect’s comprehensive strength was stronger. If the Radiant Sword Saint wasn’t around, the Sword Sect’s situation would only be even more terrible.
What happened to Jian Jingtian had been a prick in Mu Xuankong’s heart. He would naturally save Jian Jingtian if he risked it all, but this would also mean that the Sword Sect and Profound Sky Sect would fall apart, and the competition would get out of hand.
Thus, Mu Xuankong endured it for the bigger picture. Nineteen years ago, the Sword Sect lost their Golden Generation while Jian Jingtian was trapped in the Fleeting Cloud Sword Sect. As Mu Xuankong’s daughter, Mu Xueqin naturally knew what had happened quite well.
Back then, the Sword Sect lost their Golden Generation geniuses while Jian Jingtian slaughtered thousands from the Profound Sky Sect. The Sword Sect and Profound Sky Sect were already on the brink of waging war, but Mu Xuankong ultimately endured it.
In the end, the Radiant Sword Saint appeared to protect Jian Jingtian and expelled him. The Sword Sect had been enduring this for nearly twenty years, and now that the Ancient Barren Battlefield was going to open again, no one knew what awaited them.
Lin Yun’s face was dark when he heard Mu Xueqin’s story. The Ancient Barren Battlefield was more brutal than he had imagined. After a brief pondering, he asked, “Let’s go back to the topic. How strong is the Profound Sky Sect’s strongest genius?”
“It’s hard to gauge.” Mu Xueqin shook her head. “The Profound Sky Sect’s strongest Golden Generation geniuses aren’t in the sect. I can only say that the top three ranked in the sect were already at the fourth-pulse Dragon Pulse Realm a year ago. As for the remaining geniuses, they’re all at the third-pulse Dragon Pulse Realm.”
“That’s their strength one year ago?” Lin Yun exclaimed with his eyelids twitching because that was a little too strong, which meant that the Profound Sky Sect had ten Golden Generation geniuses.
“You should’ve expected it beforehand. Luo Yuan alone can already suppress me, and I’m ranked third on the Sword Sect’s Heaven Ranking. But he’s not even in the top ten in the Profound Sky Sect.” Mu Xueqin smiled.
That was a little too unbelievable. Lin Yun had disbelief on his face.
“Am I exaggerating? I’m not exaggerating at all. The Sword Sect lost our Golden Generation nineteen years ago. Thus, there’s a huge gap in our disciples, but the Profound Sky Sect became stronger after relying on the treasures they obtained in the Ancient Barren Battlefield.” Mu Xueqin replied. “As time passes, the gap will only become bigger.”
After all, the Profound Sky Sect became stronger when the Sword Sect became weaker. The only reason why the Sword Sect was able to hold on for so long was all thanks to their foundation. If it was another force in the Ancient Barren Battlefield, they would have suffered a significant impact from the losses and might even decline.
“The Profound Sky Sect’s strongest genius is Jiang Yu. This person is mysterious, and no one knows about his origin. We only know that he possesses a Dragon Clan’s bloodline, just like Tian Xuanzi, and he’s a lot stronger than the other top three.” Mu Xueqin continued. “Senior Brother Gu and Senior Brother Ye can fight the other two, but Senior Brother Gu only has 20% odds of winning against him.”
“I shouldn’t have asked that. The difference is too huge.” Lin Yun smiled, rubbing his chin.
“You don’t have to be so pessimistic. Let me tell you a secret.” Mu Xueqin smiled.
“Oh?” Lin Yun replied.
“Senior Brother Gu and Senior Brother Ye both made it through the tribulation in the God Burial Forest, and they’re both at the fourth-pulse Dragon Pulse Realm. Senior Brother Gu even had an encounter, and we’re all waiting to take revenge for what happened nineteen years ago!” Mu Xueqin replied.
“What kind of person is Senior Brother Gu?” Lin Yun asked with his eyes lighting up. He was also curious about Gu Ruochen, ranked first on the Heaven Ranking.
Mentioning Gu Ruochen, Mu Xueqin’s eyes shone brightly, “Senior Brother Gu is also a genius in the sword like you, but he’s not a man of many words. He already knows your existence, and it's his idea for me to lead the party. We believe your generation is crucial if the Sword Sect wants to rise again. Senior Brother Gu received some encounters, and he’s still not willing to leave the God Burial Forest. He’s planning to bear all the pressure during the Ancient Barren Battlefield so that you guys can have the time to grow.”
Lin Yun was filled with admiration for Gu Ruochen when he heard that. The Sword Sect was really different from the other sects he had been in. The unity between the disciples was something that he had never imagined.
“Senior Brother Gu is not a man of many words, but he’s interested in you. He’s especially curious as to why you’re called Flower Burial.” Mu Xueqin smiled.
Lin Yun scratched his head and explained that it was a little troublesome.
“Senior Brother Gu might not say much, but I can feel his sense of responsibility as first on the Heaven Ranking.” Mu Xueqin said honestly.
Her words made Lin Yun’s smile even denser. Could it be that there was a story between those two?
“The Sword Sect isn’t willing to wage war with the Profound Sky Sect, and they also didn’t dare to casually wage war. Just the six Saint Lords are enough to intimidate the Profound Sky Sect. If a war breaks out, the Profound Sky Sect will suffer an immense loss, even if the Radiant Sword Saint doesn’t make a move, and Tian Xuanzi can’t accept this price. This is why the Profound Sky Sect has been trying to weaken the Sword Sect for all these years. You don’t have to worry about anything else. You’re the future of the Sword Sect when you grow up!” Mu Xueqin continued.
Lin Yun’s brows loosened when he heard that because what she said was right. The Sword Sect might fear the Profound Sky Sect, but it was the same vice-versa. He might not be able to interfere in a battle between saints, but he could work hard on the Ancient Barren Battlefield. If he could deal a blow to the Profound Sky Sect on the Ancient Barren Battlefield, the Profound Sky Sect would be slowly weakened.
He could just do what the Profound Sky Sect has been doing to the Sword Sect in the past. The pressure that the Sword Sect was feeling right now wasn’t from the other saints because the Sword Sect had no lack of top-tiered fighting prowess, it was from the Ancient Barren Battlefield!
Thinking about it, Lin Yun’s eyes blazed with flames because the Sword Sect wasn’t the only one holding it back for the past nineteen years. Jian Jingtian was probably bearing it in as well. This time, Lin Yun wouldn’t let the Sword Sect repeat what happened nineteen years ago!