Chapter 63: Past Events

The Grand Tournament of a Hundred Sects had finally concluded, and the momentous events at Purple Cloud Mountain would be passed down and sung of by the people for a long, long time to come.

A young man stepping out from an obscure background had completely upended the entire realm.

The weight and value of the discarded scion of a marquetry household continued to rise steadily.

The Ling clan had erected nine perilous barriers and laid out a mortal trap, decreeing that a great battle between brothers must be staged two months from now—a spectacle that had riveted the entire world.

Who truly was the peerless prodigy of the Great Xia dynasty remained a matter of fierce debate.

"Return to the sect."

Yi Tianya flicked his wide sleeve and stepped into the void, departing through the air.

Watching his receding back, the disciples of the Profound Sky Sect were filled with an excitement bordering on frenzy. This was their first time laying eyes on their legendary, mysterious sect master, and he had vastly exceeded their highest expectations.

Master Ximen, Ren Baichuan, along with Lin Yang and Lin Shuang who came running from afar, all gathered closely around Lin昊, looking at him with eyes burning with fervent warmth.

Lin昊 smiled!

At this very moment, his heart was no longer cold; a wave of warmth surged through it.

The dagger that his biological father had plunged into his heart suddenly didn't hurt quite as much anymore.

Who said he had no family?

He merely had no father!

Gazing at the people surrounding him, Lin昊 felt a cozy warmth bloom in his chest. In the moments of his greatest life-or-death peril, they had resolutely stood by his side and placed themselves before him as a shield.

They had not been cowed by the might of his enemies, nor had they entertained a single thought of compromise from beginning to end.

Though the road he had walked thus far was not long, having them by his side made it all worthwhile!

Thinking of the Grand Elder and the Second Elder casting all caution to the wind to gamble everything on him, Lin昊's smile deepened.

He knew that no matter where his path might lead him next, he was never walking alone.

He had family, and he had friends.

Yet, the Lin family had deceived him too bitterly; upon returning home this time, he was determined to demand a clear explanation.

"Speak, did the two of you also hide your true strength?"

Lin昊 turned to Lin Yang and Lin Shuang, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

"Brother Hao, how could we ever dare?"

Lin Shuang chuckled sheepishly.

Lin昊 did not dwell on it. The three brothers had grown up together since childhood, and he knew their characters all too well.

Besides, if these two fellows had indeed concealed their cultivation, even if he couldn't tell, how could a Heavenly Origin realm powerhouse like Master Ximen have missed it?

"Let's go, back to the Profound Sky Sect first."

Yi Fuyao said.

The group stepped onto the array diagram and vanished swiftly into the skies above Purple Cloud Mountain.

Upon returning to the Profound Sky Sect, Lin Yang and Lin Shuang quietly slipped away.

The entire process of the great battle at Purple Cloud Mountain quickly spread throughout the Profound Sky Sect. After all, with so many disciples having followed along, every single one of them was burning with excitement, and their very first task upon returning was to loudly proclaim the world-shaking exploits of their Holy Son.

"Ferocious! Our Holy Son is truly fiercely peerless, fighting eight opponents single-handedly and utterly dominating them! Now that we've taken first place in the Grand Tournament of a Hundred Sects, let's see who dares to look down on us in the future."

"Damn it, this is a truly glorious moment of sweet revenge! And our mysterious sect master turned out to be a powerhouse at the Divine Origin realm, and even has ties to the Vice Dean of the Great Xia Academy."

"A time of universal celebration! The Profound Sky Sect has wiped away its humiliation and made its name in a single battle."

"The Ling clan are truly utter scum, mobilizing their entire clan to kill our Holy Son. How utterly shameless."

"Even the most mysterious assassin organization in Great Xia made an appearance—the scene must have been intensely thrilling. I regret so much not following them there."
…………

The entire Profound Sky Sect was in a state of profound shock. The gloomy atmosphere left by the recent sect reforms was swept away completely. Everyone was inexplicably excited, sparking a veritable tidal wave of fervent cultivation.

They possessed a powerful sect master, and a Holy Son gifted with the talent of a ten-foot Dragon Gate. In the future, whenever they went outside and proclaimed themselves disciples of the Profound Sky Sect, they would do so with glowing pride and their spines held straight.

Huang Liang's status among the Profound Sky Sect disciples continued to rise. No matter what, up to this point, he was the only person who had a direct personal connection to the Holy Son.

As for Lin昊, his very first task upon returning to the Profound Sky Sect was to take a bath, change into a clean set of robes, and head straight to find Yi Tianya.

He harbored far too many lingering questions in his heart and desperately sought answers.

Back at Purple Cloud Mountain, Yi Tianya had called out directly across the air to Lin Zhendong, shouting, "Lin Zhendong, have you truly forgotten the old scores of yesteryear?" Those words remained fresh in Lin昊's memory.

When Lin昊 arrived at Yi Tianya's dwelling, however, he only found Yi Fuyao waiting there.

"There are some things my father does not wish to speak of, but you may ask me."

Yi Fuyao said.

"You should know what I want to ask."

Lin昊 stood side by side with Yi Fuyao.

"What I know is limited, but I can tell you everything I've got."

Yi Fuyao began: "Back in the day, before the Profound Sky Sect declined and while it was still at the height of its glory, my father and your... Marquis of Zhenguo, both walked out of the Profound Sky Sect. They shared a deep friendship and entered the genius camp of the Great Xia Academy together."

"The vast Cangyuan Realm consists of nine domains. Aside from the five prefectures where Great Xia resides, there are four other prefectures: the Demon domain of the demons, and the fiend domain of the fiends, each dominating their own territories. At that time, chaos erupted as demons and fiends ran amok, attempting to infringe upon Great Xia's borders. My father, the Marquis of Zhenguo, and several other disciples of the genius camp rushed to the frontline and established brilliant military merits together."

"Later on, a rift and unhappiness developed between my father and the Marquis of Zhenguo. The specific reasons are unknown to me, though I suspect it was related to the Ling clan. Afterwards, the Marquis of Zhenguo was enfeoffed with a different surname, and my father eventually became the Vice Dean of the Great Xia Academy."

"Eight years ago, as the Profound Sky Sect waned, my father grew utterly disgusted with the conduct of the upper echelons of the Great Xia Academy. He resolutely walked away and swore an oath to forge the glory of the Profound Sky Sect anew."
…………

Yi Fuyao spoke at length, recounting everything within her knowledge. As for why Yi Tianya and Lin Zhendong had fallen out, she did not elaborate clearly, perhaps because she herself was ignorant of the specific internal details.

"Then why has the sect master spent these past years in seclusion, acting as a hands-off boss?"

Lin昊 asked with curiosity.

"Because the decline of the Profound Sky Sect was so severe that my father saw no hope, so he simply washed his hands of it and ignored everything."

Yi Fuyao replied: "In my view, he was simply fragile-hearted. Having made grand boasts back then about revitalizing the Profound Sky Sect, only to discover later that there was no hope, he chose to hide away, refusing to show his face out of sheer embarrassment."

"Today, you seized first place in the Grand Tournament of a Hundred Sects, bringing him immense glory and saving his face, which is why he finally jumped back out."

Yi Fuyao said with a smile.

Lin昊 was rendered momentarily speechless. Why did this sect master sound somewhat unreliable?

Yet, Yi Tianya's staunch defense of him against the Ling clan at Purple Cloud Mountain today was genuine, and a deep sense of gratitude stirred within Lin昊's heart.

"I only know this much. If you wish to inquire further about the past affairs of the Marquis of Zhenguo, you will have to ask my father in person. But I suspect he may not necessarily be willing to speak of it—especially not to you."

Yi Fuyao added: "Because—"

"Because he fears the truth is too cruel and would hurt me."

Lin昊 let out a cold laugh. "So many years have passed; my heart is not that fragile. Moreover, regarding anything concerning Lin Zhendong—whether past or present—I have no desire to know, nor is there any need."

Yi Fuyao fell silent. As she looked at Lin昊's expression, her eyes were filled with profound sympathy.

Anyone who suffered through the kind of treatment Lin昊 had endured would surely find it difficult to bear.

"Right, the Dragon Gate battlefield opens in three days. You should properly rest and adjust your condition."

Yi Fuyao changed the subject, reminding him.

"The Dragon Gate battlefield? What kind of place is that?"

Lin昊 asked.

"It is an ancient battlefield, rumored to open only once every decade. I have never stepped inside myself."

Yi Fuyao explained: "The Dragon Gate of Great Xia is not merely used to test the talents of disciples; every single Dragon Gate serves as an entrance to the Dragon Gate battlefield. Legend has it that countless fortuitous encounters, remnants and orthodoxies left behind by ancient powerhouses, floating fragments of the Great Dao, and peerless divine materials for cultivation are all hidden within that ancient battlefield."

"I will figure out the specifics within the next two days and let you know. Since you are going to storm the imperial capital two months from now, the Dragon Gate battlefield will be the absolute best opportunity for you to elevate your strength."

"Good. The opening of the Dragon Gate battlefield comes at the most opportune time."

A brilliant light flashed in Lin昊's eyes. Just as Yi Fuyao had said, his time was severely limited and pressing in the extreme. With only two months remaining, he had to rapidly raise his cultivation level to even be qualified to march upon the imperial capital.

"However, before that, I need to make a trip home. I will return punctually in three days."

Lin昊 said.

There were some matters he had to go back and clear up.

"Do you need me to accompany you?"

Yi Fuyao asked.

"No need."

Lin昊 shook his head.

"Go then, and be careful on the road."

Yi Fuyao instructed: "Oh right, I also have a question I want to ask you."

"You're probably wondering about the First Grade Pavilion, aren't you?"

Lin昊 smiled. "Actually, I have no idea myself."

His trip home this time was precisely to uncover the truth behind that matter.

Lin昊 could not possibly reveal the connection between the First Grade Pavilion and the Lin family. That was the Lin family's deepest secret, as well as the most mysterious aspect of the First Grade Pavilion.

The rest of the world remained entirely ignorant of the true background of the First Grade Pavilion.

Without further delay, Lin昊 directly departed from the Profound Sky Sect and embarked on the road back home.

As night fell, Lin昊 appeared outside the main gates of the Lin family estate in Tianbao City, accompanied by a single mule.

He raised his head to look at the gates of the Lin family—the place where he had grown up, his home—and suddenly felt a profound sense of alienation.