The World that Tao Rules, Volume 27, page 23
"What news?"
"Jiang Yun's news!"
Hearing the name Jiang Yun made a cold light flash in Wuxingzi's squinted eyes, but it quickly disappeared as he said, "What does Jiang Yun have to do with me?"
The old man laughed heartily and said, "Taoist Friend Wuxingzi, do you think you need to hide anything from my Hidden clan?"
The old man's words made Wuxingzi's face show a thoughtful expression.
Perhaps others did not know of the Hidden clan's existence, but he was well aware.
The Hidden clan is a group trained by the Taoist Lord, skilled in the art of spatial concealment, specifically tasked with assassination and surveillance for the Taoist Lord.
The reason why no one dares to speak freely about the Taoist Lord in this world is actually because of the Hidden clan's presence.
No matter where you hide, the Hidden clan can find you without you even noticing.
Therefore, any strong person who knows of the Hidden clan's existence does not have a good attitude toward them.
Even if it were not for the Hidden clan having the support of the Taoist Lord, they would have been wiped out countless times by now.
After a moment of silence, the cold light in Wuxingzi's eyes finally faded as he asked, "Could it be that your Hidden clan has a grudge against Jiang Yun?"
"That's right!" the elder nodded and said, "We were ordered by our master to follow Jiang Yun, but unfortunately, my clansmen were discovered and killed."
"As you know, our Hidden clan excels at assassination. If we cannot remain hidden, it becomes very hard to kill others. Jiang Yun's divine sense is extremely powerful; even when I personally followed him, he spotted me. Therefore, I would like to ask Taoist Friend Wuxingzi for assistance."
Wuxingzi calmly replied, "Though I have had some conflicts with him, whether or not to kill him does not really matter to me."
The elder laughed heartily and said, "Four elders from your esteemed Five Elements Sect have died by his hands. Although the Water Element Elder fortunately survived, he has lost his physical body and is now just a soul body. Is that what you mean by a few conflicts?"
Although the elder pointed out the grievances between himself and Jiang Yun, Wuxingzi remained unfazed and said, "That's just a matter of their lack of skill. Besides, this is an issue of my Five Elements Dao Sect and doesn't seem to concern you."
A hint of disappointment appeared on the elder's face as he shook his head and said, "No matter what you think, since I am here today, I must share the news about Jiang Yun with you."
"Jiang Yun is the sect master of a branch of the Seeking-Tao Sect, and he is currently heading to Seeking-Tao Heaven to participate in a grand competition. Farewell!"
Wuxingzi said lightly, "I won't see you off!"
The old man indeed turned and left, while Wuxingzi remained seated until a long time later, then coldly smiled and said, "Is there anyone the Hidden Clan cannot kill? That's truly a big joke. I think you are the one who dares not to kill that Jiang Yun!"
"The only reason someone could make the Hidden Clan afraid to kill is that the Taoist Lord does not allow them to do so."
"So, you came to find me, wanting to use my hand to kill Jiang Yun and take revenge for you. What a good plan!"
"However, your Hidden Clan always repays grudges and will never easily give up on the vengeance for your clan members. Since I don't agree, you will surely have to find someone else."
"Since Jiang Yun is going to the Seeking-Tao Sect to attend a great competition, I will also go there to see who your Hidden Clan can find to kill Jiang Yun!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wuxingzi stood up, waved his large sleeves, and walked out of the cave.
...
At this moment, Jiang Yun and Teng Lin looked at each other. Although neither had acted, the area within a hundred miles around them was empty of anyone.
After everyone learned about Teng Lin's identity, they quickly moved back more than a hundred miles away.
There was bound to be a fight between these two; they did not want to suffer a disaster like the cultivators in the previous teleportation array.
After a moment of standoff, Teng Lin said coldly, "Draw your sword!"
In fact, Jiang Yun had known for a long time that one day he would meet Teng Lin.
Moreover, since the other party was an elder of the Sword Sect and was also at the peak of the Daotai Realm, he did not hold back; the Hidden Tao Sword burst out from his body and he held it in his hand.
However, when Teng Lin saw the Hidden Tao Sword in Jiang Yun's hand, his usually calm expression suddenly changed!
Chapter 1457: Find a Sword
Teng Lin's change in expression and his intense gaze on the Hidden Tao Sword did not go unnoticed by Jiang Yun, stirring something within him.
"Could it be that Teng Lin recognized this Hidden Tao Sword and knows its origin?"
The Hidden Tao Sword is actually the sixth peak of the Mountain-Sea Seeking-Tao Sect, besides the five main peaks. It is also called the Hidden Peak, and it is where Gu Bulao and his four disciples live.
Although Jiang Yun has obtained the Hidden Tao Sword and knows that it was specially left by Huang Yuan, he knows nothing about the sword's true origin.
Logically, since the Hidden Tao Sword is a Dao Tool, it must have an extraordinary background.
However, over the years, among the strong opponents Jiang Yun has faced, no one has been able to recognize the origin of this sword.
Of course, Jiang Yun has never asked about it.
Now, seeing Teng Lin's surprised expression and knowing that he is a Sword Sect Elder, Jiang Yun thought that Teng Lin should be able to recognize the Hidden Tao Sword.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yun asked, "Elder Teng, do you know this sword?"
It would be great if Teng Lin could tell him the origin of the Hidden Tao Sword, but if he doesn't, Jiang Yun wouldn't mind at all.
Upon hearing Jiang Yun's words, Teng Lin slowly took his gaze away from the Hidden Tao Sword and looked back at Jiang Yun, asking in return, "Where did you get this sword?"
"This belongs to my sect!"
"Which sect are you from?"
"Mountain-Sea Branch of the Seeking-Tao Sect!"
Jiang Yun originally did not want to share his background, but he thought that now anyone could know where he was, so he no longer needed to hide his identity.
Moreover, since the sect's great competition was about to begin, he could also help the Mountain-Sea Branch Sect gain some fame.
Upon hearing Jiang Yun's background, Teng Lin couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly.
He naturally knew about the Seeking-Tao Sect, but he had never heard of the Mountain-Sea Branch Sect.
However, he also understood how the Seeking-Tao Sect expanded, with countless branches under the Main Sect, so he didn't think much of it, and asked, "How long have you had this sword?"
Jiang Yun furrowed his brow and said, "Are you here to take revenge for your son's disciple, or are you specifically here to ask me about this sword?"
Although Jiang Yun's words stirred a killing intent in Teng Lin's eyes once more, after a moment of silence, he coldly said, "You are lucky!"
As the words fell, Teng Lin suddenly soared into the sky and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from everyone's sight, leaving the Tao World behind, leaving Jiang Yun with a slightly astonished expression.
Jiang Yun could not understand why Teng Lin, who came with the intent to kill him, not only shattered the teleportation array with a single sword strike but also disregarded the lives of dozens of cultivators.
Yet now, after seeing the Hidden Tao Sword and asking himself a few questions about the sword, he inexplicably chose to leave.
He killed Teng Lin's son and crippled his disciple, yet Teng Lin easily gave up the chase against him!
"Could it be that the origin of this Hidden Tao Sword is too amazing, or perhaps the original owner was powerful enough that Teng Lin mistakenly believed I was on good terms with him, which made Teng Lin afraid to attack me?"
After pondering for a moment, Jiang Yun felt that only this possibility could explain Teng Lin's strange behavior.
"However, the one who is truly lucky is you! If I weren't in a hurry, I would definitely kill you!"
Don't underestimate Teng Lin's strength; however, Jiang Yun today is not without a Power of Battle.
After putting away the Hidden Tao Sword, Jiang Yun looked at the dozens of fallen cultivators around him and couldn't help but sigh.
Last time, when Song Yue chased him, it caused the death of the Wang family's gatekeeper, and now, with Teng Lin pursuing him, it has led to the deaths of many cultivators.
In the silence, Jiang Yun's divine sense suddenly spread out, and at the same time, he stepped forward and instantly appeared before a pale middle-aged man, saying, "If those who died have family members or companions, let them come to claim the bodies."
"This is my compensation for them. If there are none, please help to bury them."
"Also, please tell their families and companions that one day, I will definitely kill that Teng Lin!"
As he spoke, Jiang Yun dropped a storage ring filled with spirit stones and then turned to leave.
This middle-aged man was the Realm Lord of this world.
Even though he was the Realm Lord, he dared not show himself after Teng Lin appeared.
Especially seeing that Teng Lin was going to fight Jiang Yun in his own world made him feel anxious and fearful.
To his surprise, Teng Lin left without a fight, and suddenly, Jiang Yun appeared before him to explain what had happened.
The series of changes took him a while to regain his senses, and as he looked at the spirit stones filling the storage ring, the man couldn't help but gasp, "What a large amount! No wonder it's from the Nine Great Dao Sects; even a disciple of a branch sect has such wealth!"
Although he wanted to claim the spirit stones for himself, thinking about Teng Lin leaving without a fight and Jiang Yun being a disciple of the Seeking-Tao Sect made him dare not harbor greedy thoughts. He just sighed, shook his head, and accepted his misfortune as he began to handle the bodies of the fallen cultivators.
Moments later, Jiang Yun's figure appeared in the world crack.
There was no choice; Teng Lin had destroyed the teleportation array, forcing him to travel through the world crack for this part of the journey.
However, this meant he had to spend more time, making him hate Teng Lin even more!
...
At that moment, Teng Lin was also in the world crack, his face showing deep confusion as he said, "How could this happen? Could it be that Jiang Yun is the one the sect master has been looking for?"
"But this Jiang Yun, in terms of strength and status, really shouldn't be connected to the sect master."
"But I absolutely cannot be mistaken about that sword!"
A few years ago, something happened within the Sword Sect that outsiders and even the inner and outer disciples did not know about. All the elders were summoned by the sect master, and each one of them saw a sword.
A completely black sword!
The sect master also gave them a command: if they ever came across this sword and it had no owner, they must do whatever it takes to bring it back.
If the sword had an owner, no matter who that person was, they were not allowed to attack and must report the whereabouts of the person.
It is important to know that the Sword Sect Master almost never concerns himself with sect matters, as all his thoughts are completely focused on the way of the sword.
Therefore, now that the sect master had finally issued such a command, although the elders were confused, none dared to be careless, and each one firmly etched the details of that sword in their minds, striving to search for it.
However, over the years, no one has found it.
And this is normal, after all, the world is vast and there are countless sword cultivators, making it difficult to find a single person, let alone a sword.
Teng Lin did not expect that he would see an identical sword on the body of Jiang Yun, the enemy who had killed his son and injured his disciple.
Besides, others might not recognize this sword, but with his keen eyesight, he could tell at a glance that it was a Dao Tool, so he was certain it was the sword the sect master was looking for.
However, he could not understand why this sword belonged to Jiang Yun, which is why he asked a few questions.
Jiang Yun's answers did not help to clear his doubts at all.
Therefore, even though he wanted to kill Jiang Yun, he did not dare to disobey the sect master's orders.
Since the sect master instructed him not to act against the sword's owner, he could only choose to leave.
"I wonder if Sect Master Dao will really come to Seeking-Tao Heaven after learning about this!"
With this doubt in mind, Teng Lin returned to the Sword Sect!
Chapter 1458: Set in Stone
The Sword Sect, although divided into two parts, the Inner Sect and the Outer Sect, is regarded only as the Inner Sect by the sect master Jian Sheng, who does not acknowledge the Outer Sect. This has made the whole Sword Sect's home a towering mountain that rises straight into the sky, shaped like a sharp sword!
All the Inner Sect disciples and most of the elders live on this mountain.
At the top of this mountain, there is a middle-aged man with his eyes closed, who sits cross-legged there for many years.
This man has an ordinary appearance, and it seems that sitting here for such a long time has caused his body to sink slightly into the rock beneath him, as if he has merged with the mountain.
Moreover, there is not a trace of energy coming from him, making him look like an ordinary middle-aged man.
However, at this moment, the Outer Sect Elder Teng Lin stands respectfully in front of him, not daring to even take a breath.
Naturally, this middle-aged man is the Sword Sect Master—Jian Sheng!
Jian Sheng, true to his name, was born for the sword!
No one knows how high his skill in swordsmanship is, nor how strong he really is, because no one has ever been able to withstand a single strike from his sword!
Even the elders of the Sword Sect did not know how long their sect master had not fought or left the mountain peak.
After a long silence, Jian Sheng finally spoke slowly, his voice a little hoarse, "Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"
Although Jian Sheng's voice held no emotion, Teng Lin's heart trembled slightly, feeling a hint of pain, and quickly said, "I can guarantee with my life that I did not see wrong."
"The man named Jiang Yun is holding the black sword that the sect master showed us long ago!"
"Jiang Yun!"
Jian Sheng repeated the name, and on his calm face, the corners of his mouth slowly lifted, revealing a small smile, "Yes, that's the name!"
After saying this, under Teng Lin's stunned gaze and the watchful eyes of all the inner disciples and elders, Jian Sheng, who had been sitting quietly on the mountain peak for an unknown time, slowly stood up.
"Mountain-Sea Branch Seeking-Tao Sect!"
"In that case, I need to visit Seeking-Tao Heaven in person!"
Jian Sheng's whisper-like murmurs naturally echoed across the entire mountain peak, but his figure had already vanished without a trace.
Even Teng Lin, who was very close, did not sense any fluctuations in the air and did not see how his sect master departed.
Then, a loud shout suddenly rang out from the mountain, "What are you all standing there for? How can we let the sect master travel alone!"
"Three Taoist Children, three elders, and twelve Sword Servants, immediately follow the sect master to Seeking-Tao Heaven!"
With the sound of the shout, colorful sword lights shot up into the sky from the mountain.
Including Teng Lin, a total of eighteen sword cultivators hurried towards Seeking-Tao Heaven.
...
"Damn it!"
Outside the Five Elements Dao Sect, the leader of the Hidden Clan revealed himself, his face dark as he cursed, "Wuxingzi must have guessed I wanted to use him to kill Jiang Yun, so he refuses to act."
"All five Elders of our sect have either died or been injured at Jiang Yun's hands, and they still don't dare to take revenge. What a useless bunch!"
