The Sovereign's Ascension

There were only forty days left to mark his first year in Kunlun Realm. This meant that he didn’t have much time left. There were only less than two months for him to practice the Dragon-Phoenix World Annihilating Sword Canon, solidify his foundation and the Heaven Sword Form. Since what Jian Jingtian said earlier had opened a whole new door for him, he knew that he couldn’t just practice his sword but also his calligraphy.

On a stone pavilion seated at the summit of a mountain surrounded by clouds, a piece of beautiful zither music resounded from the surroundings. The one who was playing the zither was naturally Su Ziyao. She was donned in white clothes and emitted the dignity of an emperor. But when she played the zither, she looked extremely gentle.

As she played her zither in the stone pavilion, Lin Yun practiced his calligraphy in front of her, with his mood in each of his strokes. Suddenly, the zither music stopped when Lin Yun had finished using the ink in his calligraphy. As she walked over to him, she would gently grind ink while she looked at Lin Yun practicing his calligraphy, not daring to disturb him.

The two had been this way for half a month. She had been staying beside Lin Yun while he practiced his calligraphy. Though she would occasionally talk to him, she played the zither most of the time.

Practicing his calligraphy for half a month, Lin Yun realized that the ‘heaven’ he wrote now was more ‘carefree’ than before. At the same time, every single stroke from Lin Yun looked like him swinging his sword, looking carefree.

“Ziyao, your music is a little chaotic today. Is there something bothering you?” Lin Yun placed the brush down and held onto Su Ziyao’s hands with a smile.

“Do you remember what I told you when you went back to look for Tang Jing?” Su Ziyao asked as she looked Lin Yun directly in the eyes.

“Of course I do.” Lin Yun inwardly sighed because she told him he had to make it back alive because she had something to tell him. But she hadn’t said anything till now. Although Lin Yun already guessed something, he wouldn’t ask. Instead, he would patiently wait for her to tell him.

“I…” Su Ziyao hesitated.

Lin Yun took her into his embrace with a smile. He knew she must be feeling terrible, so he spoke on her behalf, “I know that it must take you unimaginable courage to stay with me in the Fleeting Cloud Sword Sect for so long. You’re from the Profound Monarch Palace, and you can’t follow me to the Sword Sect. I’ve known it all along… so let me be the one to say it, instead.”

Su Ziyao turned back and looked at the ‘heaven’ he wrote on the paper. She asked, “You’ve spent half a month writing this word repeatedly, but you’re still unsatisfied with it. Can you tell me why? This word is already enough; each stroke is powerful with carefree intent.”

“I just feel like it looks too deliberate. It’s like swinging my sword in a cage. The more carefree it feels, the more laughable it is,” replied Lin Yun with a weak smile.

“I see…” Su Ziyao paused before she continued, “But did you think that many things in life are laughable, to begin with? All of us are birds in a cage. It’s just that the cage for some people is bigger than others and vice-versa.”

Lin Yun was stumped when he heard that because he didn’t think about it that way.

Su Ziyao continued, “But in reality, the cage doesn’t exist. It’s just that your heart is caged, like your Senior Brother, Jian Jingtian. Even if he leaves the Fleeting Cloud Sword Sect, can he break free from the cage he created in his heart? He hadn’t walked out of the cage, but he swung his sword in the end and injured Tian Xuanzi.”

Su Ziyao’s words gave Lin Yun a huge insight, and he suddenly received enlightenment. Why hadn’t he thought of that?

“Ziyao, you’re brilliant!” Lin Yun rejoiced and couldn’t help giving Su Ziyao a peck on her lips.

This caught Su Ziyao by surprise. She first glared at Lin Yun before she smiled, “You’re the smart one, always trying to take advantage of me. Since that’s the case, I won’t say anything in the future.”

“Hahaha!” Lin Yun laughed. “You discovered my intentions?”

“Why are you still laughing? You’re not allowed to laugh! You always look so smug when you laugh!” Su Ziyao hooted.

“How can I not be when I have obtained your heart?” Lin Yun caressed Su Ziyao’s face.

“Lin Yun, I have to leave tomorrow.” Su Ziyao said gently.

Her words stunned Lin Yun, before he asked, “So soon?”

“Time is really fast. A year has passed in the blink of an eye,” said Su Ziyao. Time passed quickly since she took on the persona of Luo Hua to interact with Lin Yun.

“Follow me!” Su Ziyao turned around and jumped into the sea of clouds.

When Lin Yun recovered from the shock, he quickly followed Su Ziyao. Just like that, the two shuttled through the sea of clouds before a pavilion slowly appeared before them. When Su Ziyao landed in the quiet courtyard, the sky had darkened.

Lin Yun raised his head to look at Su Ziyao’s residence, where she had been staying for the past year.

“Do you still remember that night before I left the Azure Sky Sect many years ago?” Su Ziyao asked.

“Of course I do.” Lin Yun nodded.

“I don’t believe that. Let me test you, then.” Su Ziyao’s face changed as a sword flew from her sleeve. When she held onto it, she started swinging her sword like the wind with sword rays shining like moonlight onto this courtyard.

When Lin Yun recovered, he quickly recognized that this was the Flowing Wind Sword, the first sword technique he mastered in the Azure Sky Sect. When past scenes appeared before him, Lin Yun drew the Flower Burial Sword and joined her.

When their swords clashed, moonlight had cast a thin veil onto the two of them, just like that night back in the Azure Sky Sect. Many years later, a similar scene replayed in this courtyard again as they clashed with the Flowing Wind Sword. In a split second, the two had already exchanged over ten-odd moves.

Convergent Stream, Flowing Wind!

When they executed the same move, a wild wind appeared as their swords began to violently rotate, stirring the moonlight that shone from above.

Reflective Shadow!

As they went deeper into the sword technique, the sword aura that had accumulated on them had reached a terrifying height with the sky filled with their afterimages with sparks flying whenever their swords clashed.

Traceless Wind!

When they both executed the final form of the Flowing Wind Sword, their swords clashed, and their sword rays were even brighter than the moonlight in the night.

“You remembered,” said Su Ziyao as she turned around.

“How can I forget?” Lin Yun replied. That was considered their ‘love token,’ so how could he possibly forget it? But after a brief pause, he said in a sorrowful voice, “But every single time I practiced this sword, I’ll remember the day we parted.”

“But we will ultimately meet again. You’ll come for me the next time, right?” Su Ziyao asked.

Lin Yun was briefly stunned because he knew that this was a promise. With a serious expression, Lin Yun replied, “I will.”

Lin Yun smiled and turned around, walking towards her courtyard. But just when she was about to enter, she stopped and looked at Lin Yun with a playful smile, “Looks like your smugness is on the surface and isn’t real. Do I really need to tell you to come in?”

Hearing what Su Ziyao said, Lin Yun could feel his heart beating violently. Suddenly, he disappeared before Su Ziyao, leaving her briefly stunned. But that only lasted for a short period before she couldn’t help smiling. When she turned around, she noticed Lin Yun was already in her courtyard.

As the two looked at each other, Lin Yun smiled, “Ziyao, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

This time, Su Ziyao really smiled. It seems like men were really terrifying when they became smug because Lin Yun’s speed was almost faster than when he was running away. She couldn’t help saying, “If you have this speed when fighting, no one in the world can survive under your sword.”

She then ignored him and walked into the courtyard. As for Lin Yun, he naturally followed behind her with smiles plastered on his face.

The night was long. When daybreak arrived, Lin Yun exhaustedly opened his eyes because last night was a tiring night. When he flipped around, he noticed that Su Ziyao had already woken up.

With an indolent expression, Su Ziyao said, “Go and put on your clothes.”

“No, you first. I promise I won’t look,” smiled Lin Yun.

“There’s someone in the courtyard. You sure you want me to get up first?” Su Ziyao smiled.

“Someone’s here?” Lin Yun was shocked before he nodded, “I’ll go, then.”

After a quick cleanup, Lin Yun put on his clothes and pushed the door open. When he raised his head, he saw a familiar baldie drinking in the courtyard. But for some reason, this person looked like he was enveloped in holy light, even when this monk was drinking alcohol.

“Drifting Goblet, it has been a long time,” smiled Lin Yun. Now that he thought about it again, it was close to three years since they last met, so Lin Yun was naturally happy to see him again.

“It has been a long time, Lin Yun,” smiled Drifting Goblet.

When Lin Yun sat down, he took a jar of Dragon Clan’s wine from his interspatial pouch. As a drunkard, Drifting Goblet immediately forgot all about his worries when he saw the jar of wine. After he gulped down a mouthful of wine, he smiled, “Good wine!”

“Where’s Ziyao?” Drifting Goblet asked.

“She’s changing,” replied Lin Yun casually.

Lin Yun’s words instantly made Drifting Goblet’s smile freeze on his face, and even the wine that should’ve tasted sweet suddenly tasted bitter. Simultaneously, he could also hear his heart shattering apart. Drifting Goblet wanted to cry when he thought about what happened in the Great Qin’s Imperial Palace.

But a short moment later, he genuinely cried out and spoke in a sobbing tone, “If I was not a monk, I swear that I’d cut you apart!”