Great Yan Dynasty, Great Yan Prefecture!
The Great Yan Prefecture, also known as the Imperial Prefecture, was the crown jewel of the Great Yan Dynasty, home to the Imperial City itself, standing proudly in the east.
But today, the liveliest place in the entire prefecture wasn't the Imperial City. Instead, it was Lin City, a great city facing the Imperial City from the west!
Lin City was where the Lin Clan resided. That Lin City could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Imperial City spoke volumes about the Lin Clan's status.
And today, the cause of the city's bustling energy was none other than the Lin Clan itself. It was the day of the clan gathering, an event that shook the four corners of the dynasty, as the Lin Clan was one of the Great Yan Dynasty's Four Major Clans!
As one of the four pillars, the Lin Clan's gathering naturally attracted countless sects and factions eager to attend. This year, the excitement was even greater than usual.
The reason? Lin Langtian.
The shining star of the Lin Clan, hailed by elders as a once-in-a-century genius, and even called the greatest prodigy the Lin Clan had ever seen!
Right now, in the colossal arena at the very heart of Lin City, the clan gathering was in full swing.
The arena itself was an impressive sight, built like a massive inverted funnel. The further you went from the center, the higher the spectator stands rose, like ripples in a pond.
At the center, the competition stages were layered like stacked plates, forming a wide base narrowing upward.
At the very top, one lone arena. That was where the final showdown would take place.The champion who stood there would have their name echo across the Great Yan Dynasty!
Figures danced across the arenas, clashing fiercely, their Core Power surging and crackling. Occasionally, strange fluctuations of mental energy rippled out, making the air itself hum.
Suddenly, the referee's loud voice rang out:
"Lin Clan, Lin Langtian!"
"Qingyang Town branch family, Lin Xiao!"
The moment the names were announced, a roar exploded from the stands.All eyes turned toward a figure in blue robes, seated proudly among the VIPs.
Lin Langtian, the center of it all.
At just twenty years old, he had already stepped into the Core Formation Realm, a realm that most would only dream of reaching before twenty-five.
In the eyes of the Lin Clan elders, Lin Langtian was the clan's future, a bright star destined to soar into the heavens!
To ensure Lin Langtian's glory shone even brighter, the clan had even adjusted the rules of this gathering, banning participants from the Shaping Realm and above.
After all, some of the previous generation's top talents had already reached the Shaping Realm or even the Qi Creation Realm.
It wouldn't have been fair for Langtian to face those monsters when he himself was still at the peak of the Core Formation Realm.
At that moment, Lin Mu, who was overseeing the gathering, turned his head and glanced at the young man standing quietly beside him.
Unlike the grandly dressed Lin Langtian, this young man wore only a plain cloth robe. His long hair was casually tied back.
In his hand, he loosely held a black, unsharpened longsword, tip-down.
Ordinary at a glance, but anyone with sharp eyes would know instantly, this young man was anything but ordinary.
Compared to Lin Langtian's radiance, this youth was like a sealed divine sword, its edge hidden, its sharpness restrained. But once drawn, it would surely dazzle the world.
Few within the Lin Clan had seen this young man's true strength.Lin Mu was one of the rare few.
Having once witnessed the youth draw his sword, Lin Mu could only describe it like this:
"That's a level I have no right to judge."
The youth's name was Lin Xuan.
He was only in his early twenties, yet his strength was astonishing.
Strictly speaking, Lin Xuan wasn't a Lin by blood. He had been picked up years ago by the Lin Clan Leader, Lin Fan.
Back then, after stepping into the Nirvana Realm, Lin Fan sensed the birth of a Spiritual Treasure deep in the wilderness and rushed to investigate, and found an unmovable black sword stuck in the earth and next to it, a wailing infant.
Even with his Nirvana Realm strength, Lin Fan couldn't budge the sword.But when he picked up the infant, the divine sword flew into his hands of its own accord.
Sensing that the child must be extraordinary, Lin Fan adopted him and brought him back to the clan.
And because of the black sword's mystery, he named the boy Lin Xuan.
Feeling Lin Mu's gaze, Lin Xuan turned his head and looked over.
Lin Mu smiled and asked,
"Lin Xuan, what do you think of Lin Langtian's strength?"
Lin Xuan didn't answer immediately. He calmly watched Lin Langtian descend gracefully into the arena.
Only after a moment did he reply, voice soft: "His talent is remarkable. His strength.... not beneath mine."
Lin Mu's face twitched.
He remembered sparring with Lin Xuan once, suppressing his cultivation to match Lin Xuan's level, only to be crushed from start to finish, unable to even unleash a single proper technique.
And back then, too, Lin Xuan had said the same thing:
"Your strength... not beneath mine."
Geniuses were supposed to be proud and arrogant looking down on others. Just like Lin Langtian, whose eyes are practically on top of his head.
But Lin Xuan? Calm, reserved, his confidence buried deep, like a mountain's roots.
After speaking, Lin Xuan paid Lin Mu no further mind, his gaze shifting toward another figure stepping into the arena.
A man in his thirties, eyes bright, spirit high, though his strength was only ordinary.
Lin Xiao.
Noticing Lin Xuan's interest, Lin Mu asked, curious,
"What, you think highly of that branch family junior?"
Lin Xuan shook his head slightly, a distant look flashing through his dark eyes.