Chapter 1128: Return
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Throughout the past year, the Clarity Pool Sword Sect had been under constant siege by the Seven Star Dao Palace. However, the Clarity Pool Sword Sect had a massive array to defend itself, and two experts holding down the fort. As for the Seven Star Dao Palace, it did not attempt any large scale invasions.
Instead, they had increased their manpower. They also sent array experts to survey the Clarity Pool Sword Sect's mountain on a daily basis to search for a way to crack the array.
Under these circumstances, the Clarity Pool Sword Sect was very much in danger. Even drops of water eventually wear down a stone, so no matter how impervious the Clarity Pool Sword Sect's array defense was, it wouldn’t stop the spatial node from eventually being discovered by the Seven Star Dao Palace.
The sect had sealed the gates, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving. They began expending their stored resources.
It wasn't a long-term solution, and Yi Yun had left the Clarity Pool Sword Sect a year ago. He went off to the Sun Burial Sandsea, making the Clarity Pool Sword Sect's Sect Master, Jian Wufeng, and Grand Elder, Jian Buyi, extremely worried.
They had placed all their bets on Yi Yun. If anything untoward were to happen to him, they would lose terribly. When the Seven Star Dao Palace experts that had gone seeking treasures in the Sun Burial Sandsea eventually returned, their Clarity Pool Sword Sect would simply await annihilation.
In such a situation, no one in the Clarity Pool Sword Sect could relax.
Jian Xiaoshuang practiced arduously every day. She meditated, battled and cultivated the Clarity Pool Sword Sect heritage, as well as the cultivation techniques and Sword Dao that Yi Yun had left behind.
The things Yi Yun left behind had opened all sorts of doors for Jian Xiaoshuang. Now, she could see her martial path on a higher level.
However, Jian Xiaoshuang also felt immense stress.
Her sworn brother had been gone a year, with his fate uncertain. Over the past year, the Seven Star Dao Palace was a looming threat that placed the Clarity Pool Sword Sect in extreme danger.
Jian Xiaoshuang wanted to have the power to change things herself, no matter how tiny her impact was.
Everything required strength.
She had even made plans for the worst. If Yi Yun perished in the Sun Burial Sandsea and the Clarity Pool Sword Sect was eventually invaded by the Seven Star Dao Palace, then she would have to escape before the Clarity Pool Sword Sect was completely massacred. She would bear the burden of a blood vendetta. She would practice her sword techniques diligently, so that one day she could charge up to the Seven Star Dao Palace and settle the grudge.
The Seven Star Dao Palace was extremely powerful, so she might need a thousand years or even ten thousand years for it to even be possible. A more likely outcome would be her dying with her grudges. Every time she thought of that, Jian Xiaoshuang choked up.
"The Seven Star Dao Palace is trying to crack the array again."
As Jian Xiaoshuang was working hard at practicing her swordplay, her sparring partner, Jian Fenghong commented. Over the past year, this happened on a daily basis. They never knew if today would be the day the Seven Star Dao Palace succeeded.
"Ignore them. Again!"
Jian Xiaoshuang raised her sword and charged at Jian Fenghong. Jian Fenghong turned serious as he carefully faced her in battle.
He could sense the improvement in Jian Xiaoshuang's Sword Dao. It truly was a rapid improvement and, if it continued, his Sword Dao might not be sufficient to guide her in a year's time.
Their two swords clashed as Jian Fenghong produced his Hard-Soft Sword Intent. Suddenly, the space within the Clarity Pool Sword Sect vibrated violently as if something unexpected had happened.
"Oh? Has the Seven Star Dao Palace found a way to crack it?"
Jian Fenghong's expression changed. Ignoring his sparring with Jian Xiaoshuang, he ran to the entrance with a sword in hand. Jian Buyi and Jian Wufeng had also flown out of their palaces.
"The spatial node is vibrating. Someone is entering through the spatial node!"
Jian Wufeng furrowed his brows as he circulated all his energy. The aura that was coming in through the spatial node made him panic!
This person was extremely powerful.
"Could it be the Seven Star Dao Palace?" Jian Buyi questioned.
He obviously hoped that the person coming through the spatial node was Yi Yun. However, the person's immense aura only gave him ominous thoughts. If the Seven Star Dao Palace was coming, their Clarity Pool Sword Sect would be in for a slaughter. They might not even have the time to move the fire seed of their Clarity Pool Sword Sect.
"Ka-cha!"
Space trembled and, in an instant, a spatial rift appeared. A pair of hands stretched out, tearing apart the entire space.
Following that, a youth dressed in azure-clothes stepped out of the spatial rift. Despite the intense energy fluctuations, the youth had casually torn apart space as though he were pulling away curtains.
When they saw the youth's appearance, Jian Buyi and Jian Wufeng were stunned. They were prepared to attack, but the person that had passed through the spatial node was…Yi Yun!?
When did Yi Yun's aura become so powerful?
"Brother Yi!" Jian Xiaoshuang was stumped too. She was prepared to fight a bloody battle and tear out a path to escape. After only a year, how did Yi Yun's aura become so powerful?
"Senior Wufeng, Senior Buyi." Yi Yun bowed at the two and said with a smile, "Sorry for worrying the two of you. My expedition to the Sun Burial Sandsea has been quite fruitful, but my return was delayed."
"Yi Yun, you…" Jian Wufeng sized up Yi Yun. "You have broken through to the Dao Palace realm!?"
Before Yi Yun left, he was only at the mid-stages of the Dao Manifestation realm. Yet here he stood at the Dao Palace realm.
Was it possible to make such a huge leap in cultivation in a year's time?
Jian Wufeng had never heard of anyone cultivate at such a pace since time immemorial.
"There was a unique opportunity that had existed for hundreds of millions of years in the Sun Burial Sandsea. I used it to make a fortuitous breakthrough. However, it came at a great cost…"
When Yi Yun came to that, he felt a little melancholic. Ling Xie'er's soul was severely injured and she had lost all consciousness. He was unsure if he could successfully wake her up.
Upon hearing Yi Yun's words, Jian Buyi could not help but twitch the corner of his lips. What sort of opportunity was it? How was it so heaven-defying? He could not fathom it at all.
"To increase your cultivation level by so much in a year's time. How is your foundation? Is it stabilized?" Jian Wufeng was very worried. Many peerless geniuses would deliberately suppress their cultivation level to consolidate it properly, afraid that having too quick a breakthrough would result in an unstable foundation and cause a lack of nomological insight.
"There are some problems." Yi Yun nodded. "However, it was an extremely dangerous situation. I had no other choice but to make a hasty breakthrough. However…the few Dao fruits I had condensed when I manifested my Dao were nine-leafed. So nomological insight isn't a problem. As for my foundation, I will need quite a bit of time to consolidate it."
"What…did…you just say?"
When Jian Wufeng and Jian Buyi heard the first half of Yi Yun's statement, they felt somewhat sympathetic towards him. Yi Yun's breakthrough was too fast, resulting in an unstable foundation. However, when they heard the latter half they gaped, unable to close their mouths immediately.
When he manifested his Dao…the few Dao fruits he condensed…were nine-leafed?
Nine-leafed! And a few!?
Yi Yun had nonchalantly mentioned it. Not only Jian Wufeng and Jian Buyi were shocked. Even Jian Fenghong and Jian Xiaoshuang, who were beside, had the same reactions.
When warriors manifested their Dao, an eight-leaf Dao fruit meant an extraordinary genius. A nine-leaf Dao fruit was a legend. As for multiple nine-leaf Dao fruits, that was something they had never heard of before.
If it were any ordinary person who had said that, they would have thought the person to be crazy. However, when Yi Yun said it, they had no choice but to believe him. Only possessing multiple nine-leaf Dao fruits could explain why Yi Yun was so monstrous.
The difference between people was truly ridiculous…
Just as Jian Fenghong was sighing, Yi Yun saw Ji Shuiyan coming from the crowd that was arriving.
"Oh? Miss Shuiyan!"
Yi Yun was eternally grateful towards Ji Shuiyan. If not for her Heaven Secrets Compass, he might not have survived his trip to the Sun Burial Sandsea. Yi Yun was extremely relieved that not only had he been able to find the Heretical God Fire Seed, he was also able to save the Divine Secrets Trading Company and Ji Shuiyan's grandfather.
Finally, he could repay his gratitude toward the Ji family.
"Young Master Yi."
Ji Shuiyan gave a bashful smile. She had long caught sight of Yi Yun. However, due to her reserved nature, she felt that her status was too low relative to his. Hence, she did not come forward.
Yi Yun took a step forward and came in front of her. With a wave of his hand, a tiny pagoda flew out and spun in mid-air. It rapidly increased in size, and sent out a beam of light. An azure-robed elder and a bevy of girls emerged from the God Advent Tower…