Beastmaster of the Ages

“What’s the matter, Jianjia?” The youths from the Hall of Discipline crowded around her.

“I’m fine. It’s just a little tiring, I’ll rest a bit before continuing. If you all don’t have any hope, then just protect me,” she calmly said.

“No problem.”

“Jianjia, when the seniors from the Swordsoul Chamber see you, especially your father, they’ll be proud when they see your accomplishments now.”

“I bet there’s an uproar over there now. The Grandvoid Swordfiend’s legacy hasn’t appeared for a long time.” Lin Jianjia had a calm smile; this was her father’s turf. She could guess that those uncles and aunties were busy praising her and licking her father’s boots. And the more that happened, the more stable her position as heir would be. But while she was very pleased inside, she kept her face expressionless and humbly said, “This is just the start. It’ll get harder and harder, so I can’t be complacent. I’ll do my best.”

“Yes!”

It felt good to have so much attention.

She was just about to continue comprehending when she noticed two eyesores in a corner. “Lin Xiaogui… and Lin Feng? Why’re they together?” She couldn’t be any more familiar with those two. She had been involved in the scheme at the Grade-nine Department, after all. If Lin Jianchen hadn’t been greedy, Lin Feng would have already been removed.

“Jianjia, you noticed them?”

“They’re just two eyesores ruining the atmosphere on the stele. Should we swat them away like flies?”

“Look at that Lin Xiaogui. She’s still seriously trying to comprehend the sword art there. Remember a few years ago when Jianjia—”

“Silence.” Lin Jianjia hurriedly glared at the speaker.

The speaker looked at the Swordsoul Bracelet and shut his trap with a look of apology. The Swordsoul Purgatory wasn’t a place you could just say anything.

“Should we, Jianjia?”

Lin Jianjia shook her head. “No need. We should just let them see what true talent is. That’d be pretty good, too.” Her confidence was clearly transmitted through her tone.

……

As Lin Jianjia and the rest expected, there was an uproar within the Swordsoul Chamber when she had managed to break past a thousand swordbarriers within three days.

“Amazing!”

“She’s the light of the third branch.”

“As expected, an impressive father can only have impressive daughters.”

“You’ve taught her well, Chamber Lord.”

Many people in the Swordsoul Chamber put down what they were doing and watched together.

Lin Xiaoyun could only smile as he made some humble replies. The Swordgod Lin Clan was a family-based organization. That meant that what was important was face and legacies. If the children shone, it brought glory to their parents. Usually, the topics of conversation parents would have would be comparing their children. And Lin Jianjia’s performance had definitely brought pride to Lin Xiaoyun as her father.

“Congratulations, Brother Xiaoyun.” Everyone made way as the seventh branch mistress, Lin Wuyi, came over. Her daughter, Lin Manman, who had been beaten by Feiling in the daisy rankings, was next to her.

“Welcome, welcome, Sister Yi!” Lin Xiaoyun quickly invited her over.

“I heard Jianjia was about to obtain Ancestor Grandvoid Swordfiend’s legacy. Everyone’s rushing over now that the news has spread through the Infinitum Swordsea. I came over first to secure front-row seats,” Lin Wuyi laughed.

“You exaggerate! She’s still far from it. Taking three days to get past a thousand swordbarriers only means that there’s hope…. Is that really what’s spreading outside?” Lin Xiaoyun frowned.

“It’ll be fine. I also believe that child can do it,” Lin Wuyi said.

“I just worry the pressure will be too great for her.”

“You’re overthinking things, Brother Xiaoyun. It’s natural for parents to worry about their children. From my point of view, Jianjia won’t have any problems.”

As they chatted, Lin Manman pointed at the screen and said, “Isn’t that Lin Feng?”

“Yes, it is.” A flash of coldness flickered in Lin Wuyi’s eyes. She and Lin Xiaoyun exchanged a look. “That fly really does show up everywhere.”

“He’s actually lying down on the stele. Such flagrant disrespect.” Lin Xiaoyun had long noticed Tianming; he’d just been unbothered by him.

“Clowns only know how to make a fool of themselves,” Lin Wuyi said.

“You just reminded me. Back then, Lin Mu didn’t have swordbeasts and had a flawed sword heart. However, he had absolute talent in comprehending the sword dao and obtained quite a bit in the Swordsoul Purgatory.”

“Does this Lin Feng look like anyone of talent?” Lin Wuyi chuckled.

“He doesn’t,” Lin Xiaoyun said.

……

Tianming didn’t know how much discussion was going on about Lin Jianjia and him. He was only concerned with the Myriadfold Swordbarrier in front of him.

“How fierce.” There was an endless formation world inside the stele. Over ten thousand strands of sword ki worked together to form a lock. When his Plundering Arm barged in, they sensed its presence and immediately became more agitated, all of them pointing at the arm. Usually, disciples would comprehend the sword art in order to form a resonance with the black sword patterns, and in doing so, obtain the Myriadfold Swordbarrier’s acknowledgment.

Absolutely nobody would just stick their hand inside like Tianming.

“Okay, testing’s done. Time to begin!” Before the swordbarrier, his arm became massively huge and its hexagonal scales began glowing as he reached out his hand. The sharp, blood-colored fingernails on the hand were Tianming’s weapon while his Plundering Eye searched for the barrier’s weak points. “Found it. In goes the hand.…”

The massive hand looked as heavy as a mountain, but it was actually very precise. “My skill at lockpicking must be as good as when I’m undoing Ling’er’s waistband!”

The massive hand sank into the first layer of the barrier. His fingers buried themselves in different spots, and with a light tear from his fingernails, a flaw appeared in the first layer of the barrier. Tianming seized the chance and went in.

“The Temporal Sword Art is an art. Delayed Capture uses….” Black sword patterns were swimming quickly in front of Tianming’s Plundering Eye, and there was even audio. The barriers he was passing through were actually a guide to training the sword. Crossing each barrier would give access to a portion of the legacy, but hands-on practice would still be the best method of learning.

But none of that mattered to Tianming, who couldn’t be bothered listening or observing the movement of the swordbarriers as his arm crossed the entire first layer. “The second layer is different from the first. This Myriadfold Swordbarrier contains the ten thousand transformations within Delayed Capture. This Grandvoid Swordfiend was really quite meticulous.”