Chapter 2222 - The Firmament
Factions, both new and old; ebons; and Yi Daiyan.... Tianming knew about all of it now. With Yin Chen around, nothing within the Lin Clan, large or small, would be able to escape his notice. Lin Xiao had also been accepted back into the fray with his old pals. Ku had managed to witness Lin Xiao's performance during the council succession override before he passed away, relieved, and Lin Xiao had pledged before him that he would stop the Lin Clan from becoming lackeys of the ebons even if it cost his life. The two men had developed a deep trust with one another throughout their long years, and Tianming had witnessed it with his own eyes.
While he wasn't able to help with the battles taking place in the council, he knew that if he performed well as a representative of the Lin Clan in the minor reges mundi ranking, and even curbed the influence of the ebons, it would definitely help out Lin Xiao and the traditionalists. Though, that was still a bit of a pipe dream for now. There were still more people in the clan that wanted to just fall into the ebons' embrace to escape their dire straits. Among the three hundred people, the seniors had warned seventy percent around two hundred and thirty of them to never antagonize the ebons!
In Ebonia, the Swordgod Lin Clan wasn't considered too powerful. Rumor had it that some ebon geniuses were the real people to be wary of, especially since they could perform better in the Oldgod Domain. This event would be a great opportunity to reintroduce Lin Mu's son to the world.
......
The ether-class divine astralship, the Firmament, finally arrived. It looked like a gigantic golden sword that hovered in the sky and was about the same size as the first divine astralship of the Lin Clan Tianming had seen passing through the cloud layer when he had first come to Ebonia. The Firmament wasn’t just big; it also boasted a top-class divine astralship formation of the clan.
Its owner was Lin Lingxiao of the Ninth Branch, who was in charge of leading the participants to the Oldgod Domain. He was a gold-haired, gold-eyed man who looked incredibly young. It was said that he was one of the middle-level generation, having only cultivated for about a thousand years to become a cosmic cartographer, a feat that many other disciples hoped to emulate. [1]
The main reason he had been selected to lead the group was that he was a core member of the clan and had a chance of becoming the leader of the Ninth Branch in the future, especially since he’d ranked fifth on the minor reges mundi ranking in the past. It was a result that the Swordgod Lin Clan hadn't managed to achieve for a long time, which had come as quite a shock to those living in the Infinitum Swordsea. Billions of people had been incredibly proud of him and awarded him with five hundred thousand merit points to aid in his further cultivation! That was an astronomical amount for disciples of around a hundred years of age.
Quite a few of the young disciples with him that day had practically worshiped him, yet he was a cold and strict person to everyone all the same. He turned toward the clan registry and said, "Disciples of the Lin Clan, put your hands to your swordheart and make the pledge!"
The three hundred or so disciples pressed their right hands against their chest where their swordhearts were located.
"Begin!" Lin Lingxiao ordered so loudly that Tianming's ears rang.
All the disciples passionately swore in unison, "We, the disciples of the Lin Clan, shall give our utmost effort in the competition of the minor reges mundi ranking and fight to the very end for the glory of our clan! We shall not flee in shame, and may the heavens, earth, and our ancestors be our witness!"
Their voices shook the entire Mount Grandsect.
"Very well." Lin Lingxiao turned back and scanned the crowd. "Your performances will be clearly seen by all billion or so members of our clan. The brave and the cowardly will be there for all to see! Nobody will be able to hide from our sight. Today, you’ll be leaving the Infinitum Swordsea to be the Swordgod Lin Clan's representatives. We’re a clan with an endlessly long history! Those that bring shame to us shall be branded sinners, while those that bring glory shall be made heroes!"
In other words, fighting outside the clan carried an entirely different meaning. The Swordgod Lin Clan had branded themselves as trustworthy and strong adherents of their principles, alongside the magnificent business achievements through their corporation. Thus, their disciples would definitely be scrutinized with those standards as the baseline. They were fighting for their clan, and their signature was the sword! Sword users were often associated with dashing, heroic people, and the Lin Clan that sought to embody these traits couldn’t afford to have anyone that didn't live up to those expectations.
"Hold your swords tight and straighten your spines! Let's go!" Lin Lingxiao stood straight with his hands behind his back in a dignified manner as he entered the gigantic golden sword known as the Firmament. The rest of the disciples followed him in, with Tianming tagging along near the rear.
In terms of level and ability, he wasn't too eye-catching. However, his status was a key point that drew far too much attention to him. When he’d first brought up that he wanted to take part in the battle, everyone in the clan had been shocked. The son of Lin Mu wasn't a pleasant identity to bear. Lin Mu had left a lasting scar on the clan, and if Tianming caused even more commotion, it would just be tearing the wound open to add salt to it.
That was something the clan wouldn't tolerate at any cost. As far as they were concerned, it didn't matter how much Tianming embarrassed himself within the clan, but it was different outside. Most people simply didn't understand where his courage stemmed from. The entire matter had even sparked a debate in the council back then, and Ku made the decision to give the green light right before his passing.
People didn't understand how he had come to that decision, and some thought him senile. Little did they know that Ku simply had faith in this young man. Thanks to that final decision, nobody was able to stop Tianming from heading to the Oldgod Domain, though that didn't stop them from insulting or gossiping about him.
Tianming understood why that was; Lin Mu's actions had caused the Lin Clan to be unable to stand tall with their heads raised. Thus, the slightest mistake his ‘son’ committed in the Oldgod Domain would be magnified many times by all the scrutiny he would get, drawing further humiliation to the clan. However, he had always been one to face his burdens head on, so he stepped toward the battlefield, ignoring all the gazes he received.
The entrance of the ship finally closed; there was no turning back. After that, the disciples were free to do as they wished. Soon, the people around Tianming spread out to mind their own business. Lin Xiuzhu from the second branch brought a few people with him to exchange pleasantries with those from other branches.
Tianming and Lin Jianxing spotted each other. The latter had been looking at him the entire time. "Even though disciplining one of our own in public outside doesn't reflect well on us, I believe I have a duty to keep you in check and prevent you from bringing more shame unto the clan," Lin Jianxing said.
"Wow, how ever so dutiful of you." Tianming rolled his eyes and walked away. He still had time and wanted to become even more powerful.
1. 凌霄号 (Língxiāohào) is the name of the ship, the Firmament. Its owner is also called 凌霄 (Língxiāo), but I believe it's useful to differentiate the person and the ship. ☜
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