Chapter 1408 - Ye Ziyun

After the vulture dove down, it spread its wings before colliding with the stage, causing a mighty gale to sweep out, making everyone close their eyes. The Ye Clan’s members simultaneously jumped off the vulture and headed to the location where the third stage was held.

The grey-clothed elder was the same person who held the second stage and was also responsible for the third stage. This also meant he probably had a high position in the Sword Sect.

The Ye Clan’s party consisted of ten-odd people with extraordinary auras. Anyone could tell they weren’t like those ordinary Saint Clans, their appearance caught everyone’s attention, but they weren’t arrogant.

But from the light that occasionally flashed through their pupils, anyone could tell that these geniuses of the Ancient Saint Clans were aloof. They could view the Sword Sect as equals, but it was a different case for the participants.

The group naturally caught everyone’s attention, especially the woman, who was walking with the Sword Sect’s disciple who led them here. She had exquisite features, and she also had a cold temperament.

“Disciple Chen Xing greets Elder Jue Chen.” The Sword Sect’s disciple greeted before introducing, “This is the seventh-in-line successor of the Eastern Desolation Ye Clan, Ye Ziyun. She’s here to participate in the test upon the sect’s invitation.”

“This junior has long heard of the Radiant Sword Saint’s name, and I’ve been looking forward to the Sword Sect. So it’s my honor to receive the sect’s invitation.” Ye Ziling was polite and well-mannered, despite her cold face.

She wasn’t being courteous either because the Radiant Sword Saint was one of the three Sword Saints in the Eastern Desolation, and the Radiant Sword Saint was a legendary figure. Furthermore, the Sword Sect was known as the strongest sect for swordsmen in the Ancient Barren Domain, and their foundation in the sword path naturally far exceeded her Ye Clan.

As a swordsman, it would be a massive opportunity for her if she could be taken in as a disciple by a Sword Sect’s saint and receive their guidance. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have come.

After a brief chat, the Ye Clan was led to their resting zone by Chen Xing, who brought them here. It was an open pavilion with a broad view.

“It’s actually Ye Ziyun! I heard she’s ranked in the seven thousandths on the Elysium Core Ranking.”

“Don’t forget about her age. I believe she’s only twenty-one this year.”

“What does being the seventh-in-line successor mean?”

“The competition in Ancient Saint Clans is intense, and the seventh-in-line successor means she is ranked seventh amongst her generation. Not to mention that they are much stronger than the Saint Clans’ princes.” Murmurs could be heard in the surroundings and were focused on Ye Ziyun.

But Ye Ziyun didn’t seem to be bothered because she was already used to it. A youth beside Ye Ziyun smiled. “Younger Sister Yun, you seem to have a high popularity here. Even the Ancient Barren Domain has heard of you.”

That youth was Ye Ziyun’s elder cousin, Ye Qing. He might be older, but his strength and talent weren’t comparable to Ye Ziyun. This was the reason why he was respectful to her. The Elysium Core Ranking envelops the entire Eastern Desolation, and the fact that she could reach the top seven thousandths was enough to prove her talent.

“Did you find out if there is anyone we must pay attention to besides the other Ancient Saint Clans?” Ye Ziyun went straight into the topic.

Ye Qing clearly came prepared as he said, “The Sword Sect made this event as big as possible. All the young swordsmen in the Ancient Barren Domain are practically here. There are many geniuses, but there are only two people you have to pay attention to.”

“Who are they?” Ye Ziyun asked.

“One of them is Xiahou Yan,” Ye Qing smiled. “I believe you’re not unfamiliar with that name.”

“That’s for sure,” replied Ye Ziyun. How could she not know someone who made it into the top three thousandths on the Elysium Core Ranking? Xiahou Yan had always been a leading figure amongst the younger generation in the Ancient Barren Domain. He also often walked out of the Ancient Barren Domain, so Xiahou Yan was famous amongst the younger generation of swordsmen.

“I’m not surprised that he’ll be here. Since he has the Innate Sword Physique and Innate Sword Heart, he wanted to become a disciple of the Radiant Sword Saint, only to be rejected. So he’ll naturally be here to prove himself.” Ye Ziyun continued. She wasn’t a stranger to Xiahou Yan’s accomplishments, but she was betting that Xiahou Yan would be disappointed. It had been a long time since the Radiant Sword Saint took in a disciple, and Ye Ziyun only hoped to be taken in by a saint.

“Who’s the other person?” Ye Ziyun asked.

“You definitely won’t be able to guess the other one. His name is Lin Yun from the Fleeting Cloud Sword Sect. I heard that he slaughtered his way out of the Heavenly Paths. He’s the champion of the Ninth Heavenly Path and also known as the strongest genius in the history of the Heavenly Paths. He can immediately join the Sword Sect and has a chance to be accepted as a disciple by the saints. But for some reason, he chose to take the test, instead.”

Ye Ziling’s eyes lit up when she heard that. Champions of the Heavenly Paths were practically dragons and phoenixes amongst men, and none of them was a pushover since they slaughtered their way to reach the Kunlun Realm. This was because geniuses who killed their way out of the Heavenly Paths all had the potential to become a saint as long as they didn’t die early.

“Even if he’s the champion of a Heavenly Path, he has only been in the Kunlun Realm for a year. Isn’t time a little too short for him? So why should we pay attention to him now?” Ye Ziyun wasn’t arrogant, just making an objective evaluation.

“He’s not the same. He suppressed the first ranker on the Empyrean Rankings, Qin Cang, on the Profound Wither Island not too long ago and dug out Qin Cang’s dragon bone. Furthermore, he also obtained the Great Saint Origin that was left behind by the Profound Wither Great Saint.” Ye Qing smiled.

“Something like that happened?” Ye Ziling was surprised by Ye Qing’s words. She naturally heard of Qin Cang before. This was a madman who dared to challenge geniuses on the Elysium Core Ranking, but Lin Yun crushed someone like him.

“It’s natural that you didn’t hear about him before, since you were in seclusion,” smiled Ye Qing.

“Where’s he? Point him out for me!” Ye Ziling said with interest rising in her pupils.

She soon found Lin Yun by following Ye Qing’s gaze. She could tell that Lin Yun was extraordinary. Although he was only at the Lesser Elysium Core Realm, the aura he emitted made her feel fearful. She muttered, “This is a little weird…”

“He already grasped the firmament sword intent,” Ye Qing explained.

“Then it’s no wonder why. It looks like we need to pay attention to him as well.” Ye Ziyun mumbled with her face changed. But she soon smiled, “If he’s willing to follow me, I might be able to rise in the successor ranking!”

All Ancient Saint Clans were giants with terrifying foundations that could even compare or surpass ordinary powerful sects. If she obtained the successor rights, she would possess unimaginable authority, and the resources she could mobilize would far exceed anyone’s imagination.

Although Ye Ziyun was a woman, that didn’t mean that she didn’t have any ambitions. Xiahou Yan was also someone she wanted to win over. But Xiahou Yan was the prince of a Saint Clan. So unless she could obtain the successor rights, Xiahou Yan wouldn’t be willing to follow her.

But Lin Yun was different because he had a lowly origin. So there were many ways she could try and win him over.

“I’m afraid it won’t be easy.” Ye Qing smiled.

“Men are cheaper than you think. No matter how prideful he is, it can’t change the fact that he’s a man.” Ye Ziyun smiled.

Ye Qing didn’t refute her words and only maintained silence. But then, Ye Ziyun’s face suddenly changed, and she exclaimed when she saw Ye Ziling, who stood beside Lin Yun, “Why is she here?!”

“Who?” Ye Qing asked.

As Ye Ziyun’s face sank, she replied, “Look closely at the woman standing beside Lin Yun. It has been fifteen years, and she has changed a lot.”

When Ye Qing briefly examined Ye Ziling, his face also changed, “It’s Cousin Ziling. Why is she here…?”

“It’s good that she’s here.” Ye Ziyun suddenly smiled. When she looked at Ye Ziling and Lin Yun, her eyes flashed with a playful smile.

Ye Ziling might only be her cousin, but she had received significant attention from the Ye Clan when she was born. It was so much so that the Ye Clan’s ancestor had treated her as the family's pearl. As long as she was in the Ye Clan, there wouldn’t be any show for the other younger generations.

This was because Ye Ziling had awakened the Radiant Snow Bloodline and Divine Dragon Sword Physique. This meant that she had a heaven-defying talent and it wasn’t something that anyone from the same generation could compare. But it was a pity that Ye Ziling chose to leave the Ye Clan when she was ten.

“Cousin Ziling seems to have just entered the Elysium Core Realm.” Ye Qing murmured with disbelief.

“She made her choice, so who can she blame? Even if she returns now, there’s no longer a position for her in the clan. Otherwise, she wouldn’t come to the Sword Sect. Did she think that she’d be taken in as a disciple by a saint? How naive.” Ye Ziyun snickered in disdain.

Ye Qing didn’t say a word. Fifteen years was too long, and not many people remember the Ye Clan’s princess.

When it was noon, the people of the three other Ancient Saint Clans also arrived. They were the Chen, Jiang, and Huang Clans. The various parties' leaders were all geniuses on the Elysium Core Ranking. The Huang Clan’s third-in-line successor had the highest ranking amongst them, being in the two thousandths.

When the geniuses of the four Ancient Saint Clans arrived, the third stage could begin, and the competition on this stage would also be the most intense. The four were determined to become disciples of a saint, meaning there were only two quotas left for others.

“Since everyone has arrived, let me announce the rules for the third stage.” Jue Chen, the grey-clothed elder, looked at everyone and continued, “The third stage will be divided into two rounds. You will all be sent to the Barren Sword Mound in the first round. This secret realm belongs to the Sword Sect, and it has been two centuries since it was last opened. The demonic beasts possess a Spiritual Sword Bead after being affected by the sword aura over the years, and those Spiritual Sword Beads can be retrieved after killing them. Obtain ten, and you can join the Sword Sect. If you obtain a hundred of them, you can participate in the second round, where saints will pick their disciples.”

Everyone became excited after hearing what Jue Chen said. The Spiritual Sword Beads could nourish a swordsman’s sword intent, which was definitely tempting to any swordsman. After all, the improvement of sword intent was the hardest for any swordsman, and any treasures that could accomplish that were incredibly expensive.

Jue Chen smiled when he saw everyone’s excitement, but he didn’t reveal that it wouldn’t be easy to obtain the Spiritual Sword Beads. The demonic beasts in the Barren Sword Mound were all overlord demonic beasts, and the weakest amongst them was at the Greater Elysium Core Realm. Not to mention that they were a lot more ferocious than other demonic beasts since they were basking in sword intent for years.

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