Jiang Lin was momentarily dazed by these words.
He hadn't expected such a development.
He subconsciously glanced at the honorary dean standing beside him.
Could this be the 9th-rank powerhouse master the dean wanted to introduce to him?
But he didn't look like one...
He just looked like a rather ordinary little old man...
Seeing Jiang Lin looking at him, the man took the lead in shaking his head and said with a smile:
"Haha, I am not that 9th-rank powerhouse.
"After all, generally speaking, those 9th-rank powerhouses have no interest in specifically coming to take a 2nd-rank little fellow as a disciple.
"However, the reason your dean called me here to listen in is indeed because I can be of a little help in this matter."
The dean nodded:
"Indeed. Master Antonio has a very wide network of contacts and is an old friend of several 9th-rank powerhouses in our kingdom.
"Furthermore, he has traveled the world and is also well-acquainted with 9th-rank powerhouses from many other countries.
"So, the reason I called you over today is to see if you are interested in finding a suitable 9th-rank powerhouse among Master Antonio's old friends to be your master."
Hearing this, Jiang Lin finally understood the full context of the situation.
Thus, he replied:
"If I can take a 9th-rank powerhouse as my master, I am naturally willing.
"However, whether I can be accepted under the tutelage of a 9th-rank powerhouse still depends on luck."
9th-rank powerhouses were essentially standing at the peak of this world, and their numbers were incredibly few.
If he could latch onto the leg of such a powerhouse, it would naturally be for the best.
It could be said that if he became the disciple of a 9th-rank powerhouse, his future backing would be far tougher than those of children from any noble families.
Take Aria, for example; as the disciple of the 9th-rank powerhouse 'Star Track Witch,' her master could even find a way to cover for her and resurrect her even after she had played herself to death.
But it all depended on whether any 9th-rank powerhouse was willing to take him on...
Seeing that Jiang Lin was interested in taking a master, Antonio smiled and took out several letters.
He looked at the signatures on the covers of the letters and reminisced:
"Currently, there are only three 9th-rank powerhouses in the Saintas Kingdom who are still in contact with me.
"This one is the 'Flame Sovereign' Hephaestus, who lives year-round in Heart of Cinder City near the southern volcano range, specializing in fire laws and smithing.
"This one is the 'Starry Sky Observer' Lady Ysera; her Star-gazing Tower is located in the Mist Mountains west of the Royal Capital, and she is skilled in prophecy and space magic.
"This one is the 'Eternal Guardian' Alphonse, who guards the kingdom's northern border and specializes in defense and barrier construction..."
He pointed at the three letters, seemingly lost in memory:
"Many years ago, I worked with these three lords for a period of time. Unfortunately, as time passed, the gap in our talents became apparent. They eventually all became powerhouses famous across the land, while I gradually became a little old man just waiting to die..."
Jiang Lin replied:
"Master is being a bit too modest. I wonder if Master Antonio has any suggestions on which senior I should visit?"
Antonio contemplated for a moment before answering:
"Unfortunately, your class is a paladin, and among the 9th-rank powerhouses I know, there are no knight-type classes. So, finding a master with the same class might be somewhat difficult.
"There are plenty of 8th-rank powerhouses, but I suspect you might not be interested in them.
"These three are those who have still been in correspondence with me recently and are the three 9th-rank powerhouses I believe are most likely to take on a disciple.
"In your case, I would recommend Lady Ysera, the Starry Sky Observer, and Alphonse, the Eternal Guardian.
"I don't know if you have any affinity for the space attribute. If you do, it would naturally be best. I'm sure Lady Ysera would be able to help you research some space-type skills that a paladin could use.
"Space attribute skills can give you a massive advantage in battles against opponents of the same level; such an opportunity is hard to come by.
"If you don't have space attribute affinity, it's fine. Senior Alphonse's attainments in defense are also exceptionally high.
"As a paladin, you will certainly have things to learn from him.
"Under his training, as long as the rank difference isn't too great, your defensive capabilities will surely be at a crushing level where most people wouldn't be able to break your defense. Then, by utilizing your offensive methods, you could reach a state that could be called invincible..."
Hearing this, Jiang Lin fell into silence, thinking about which one he should choose to visit for tutelage.
After all, this was a major matter. If he truly succeeded in taking a master, he might be studying under them for many years to come.
While he pondered, he lowered his head and took a sip of the tea in his cup.
At that moment, his gaze caught sight of what seemed to be a somewhat old letter tucked among the three others.
Unlike the other letters, which were relatively new, this one looked to be at least several decades old.
Jiang Lin's gaze lingered on that aged envelope for a moment.
Antonio noticed his gaze and looked over. A complex expression appeared on his face, and then, as if remembering something, he reached out and pulled the letter out.
The edges of the parchment had already yellowed, and the pattern of the wax seal had blurred with time, but one could still discern it was a simple yet sharp sword-shaped crest.
"This one... is a letter from Lord Loren, the 'sword saint.'"
Antonio's voice unconsciously took on a few hints of respect and sentiment,
"He is a... well, an incredible senior I met during my early travels.
"However, he does not belong to the group of lords I mentioned earlier who have steady contact and might be willing to take disciples.
"I don't even know his current address or situation.
"I can only say we had an experience of traveling together once."
Jiang Lin's gaze was drawn to that sword-shaped crest, a light flashing in his golden pupils:
"A sword saint?"
Back in Boulder City, when Anya's father was making big promises to Jiang Lin, he had mentioned there might be a chance to introduce him to the sword saint of the Saintas Kingdom as a disciple.
But he didn't know if it would be this sword saint.
Looking at this letter, Antonio was quite emotional, as if he had recalled the times back then.
With an almost fanatical admiration in his eyes, he said:
"That's right. He can be considered the strongest sword saint I know. Personally, I don't think it would be an exaggeration to call him a 'sword god.' Based on his currently famous deeds, he can definitely be called a genius rarely seen in a thousand or even ten thousand years.
"You haven't reached the upper three ranks—7, 8, and 9—so you might not feel it, and you might not understand the weight of some of the things I say.
"After this ruthless man broke through to the 7th-rank through the god's assessment, he completely dispersed all the magic essence in his body to restart his cultivation.
"In the end, he started again from rank-0 and broke through to the 7th-rank on his own. Then, relying solely on his own strength, he broke through to the 9th-rank."
Seeing Jiang Lin's stunned expression, Antonio continued to explain:
"In other words, his subsequent breakthroughs in life level did not rely on any god, but purely on himself to break through the life shackles and reach the 9th-rank!!"
Hearing this, Jiang Lin finally said with emotion:
"I didn't expect you to know such a powerhouse, Lord Antonio."
Antonio shook his head with a bitter smile:
"I was just lucky. While traveling the world, I encountered him when he had dispersed his cultivation to restart it.
"I only learned of his true identity later when I heard others talking about him.
"However, he is not from our Saintas Kingdom, so I'm not sure where he is now.
"I only have an address he left behind forty-odd years ago, and I don't know if I could even find the person if I went there now."
Hearing this, Jiang Lin felt a bit of regret.
If that was the case, the possibility of him latching onto this big leg was very small.
Antonio then continued his jinxing praise:
"Precisely because he possesses the ability to directly ignore life shackles and forcefully break through, his combat strength is said to be quite formidable—even terrifyingly so.
"According to rumors, five 9th-rank demon powerhouses and four 9th-rank beastkin powerhouses once went to besiege him. In the end, he killed five of them single-handedly and withdrew unscathed.
"At the level of the 9th-rank, the gap between everyone is actually not particularly large. After all, they are all people who have nearly walked that path to its end; they are all equally gifted and equally heaven's favored children. Being crushed is a rare occurrence, and it's even difficult to kill a single person.
"Let alone facing nine alone and killing five..."
"Ultimately, it was this battle that made his name famous across the continent. In the entire circle of the upper three ranks, almost everyone has heard of his deeds unless they are old powerhouses who have been in slumber for years.
"And although I once had dealings with him, I felt embarrassed to disturb him after he became successful and famous. I wrote a few letters of concern and congratulations, and after finding that he didn't reply, I didn't disturb him further."
Jiang Lin was quite shocked by these deeds.
This was no longer something that could be described by mere powerful talent.
Could this guy be a cheat user like himself?
At this moment, Jiang Lin also noticed the key point:
"Speaking of which, if he was facing nine alone, why didn't anyone from the humans help him?"
Hearing Jiang Lin's question, Antonio replied with a bitter smile:
"Because their battlefield wasn't on the human side.
"Back then, for some reason, this sword saint lord went into demon territory all by himself, subsequently alarming the nearby demons and beastkin at the same time. This caused them to dispatch nine 9th-rank powerhouses.
"And he finally left only after finishing off five of them, and not a single person could keep him there.
"Because of this matter, a large-scale conflict almost broke out between the humans and the demons, but fortunately, it was finally calmed down."
Jiang Lin was extremely surprised, gaining a new understanding of this terrifyingly powerful sword saint.
After a moment of silence, he asked the doubt in his heart:
"Since he is so strong, why hasn't he led the humans to completely crush the demons and the beastkin?"
Hearing this, the dean helped resolve his doubt:
"He is indeed very strong, but he is still ultimately confined to the human scope.
"As for the demons, they have the demon god above them.
"While it's difficult for 9th-rank demon powerhouses to deal with him, if it came to a matter of the demons' survival, the demon god would personally intervene.
"At that time, his life would be in danger.
"Moreover, the higher the level you reach, the different your vision becomes.
"Once you reach that level as well, you'll understand what I mean by this."
Jiang Lin nodded thoughtfully.
He took another sip of the tea in his cup and noticed that, without realizing it, he had finished the tea the dean had poured.
At this time, the dean's teapot once again steadily floated in front of Jiang Lin, refilling his tea.
Jiang Lin noticed that Master Antonio seemed to have the intention of putting that old letter away.
So he asked:
"Then, I wonder if Master could provide an introduction to the sword saint lord for me?"
Antonio shook his head with a smile:
"Sigh, this letter was taken out by mistake.
"Because it is one of the few letters he wrote back to me, and the handwriting on the letter is quite magical, allowing even someone like me who doesn't practice swordsmanship to feel a vast sword intent coming at me.
"So I often take it out to repeatedly observe and appreciate it, keeping it in a relatively accessible position in my spatial ring.
"But I didn't expect it to get stacked together with these few letters I prepared to take out. It got stuck to them when I took the top three."
Hearing this, a trace of curiosity rose in Jiang Lin's heart again:
"Master, I wonder if I could borrow that letter for a look? I want to... see that senior's handwriting."
Master Antonio hesitated slightly and then revealed an understanding smile.
He carefully pushed the old letter in front of Jiang Lin and cautioned:
"Be careful. The paper is fragile, but the sword intent on it has not diminished its sharp edge even after decades."
Jiang Lin took the letter with both hands. The moment his fingertips touched the yellowed parchment, a faint stinging sensation came through, as if he were being lightly brushed by an invisible blade.
He looked at it intently. The simple sword-shaped crest on the envelope's surface seemed to come alive, flowing with a faint silver glow in the morning light.
He pulled out the letter and unfolded it.
The handwriting on the paper was sharp and expansive. Every stroke was like a sword edge cutting across, yet leaving a harmonious lingering charm at the end of each stroke.
Even though it was just static ink, Jiang Lin could still feel an onrushing sharp intent. This wasn't killing intent, but a pure, ultimate will of the 'sword,' as if the writer himself were an unsheathed sword.
The ink had long since dried into a dark brown, but when Jiang Lin's gaze fell on those words, an image vaguely emerged before his eyes:
A figure standing at the peak of a mountain, holding a longsword. Where the sword point was directed, the sea of clouds churned, and the stars shifted.
The content of the letter was very simple, with only a few short lines:
"Brother An,
"The exploration of the ruins is complete. The gains were plenty, but not what I sought.
"The way of the sword is vast, and the path ahead is still obscure.
"I will depart this place in three months. If you are inclined, you may come to the Northern Ice Field for a chat.
"— Loren"
The date signed was the 3rd day of the Frost Moon, forty-seven years ago.
Jiang Lin's gaze stayed on the eight words "The way of the sword is vast, and the path ahead is still obscure" for a long time.
Even that sword saint who could face nine alone and kill five 9th-rank powerhouses would feel the path ahead was obscure?
"This letter was written to me during those years after he dispersed his cultivation to restart it."
Antonio's voice pulled Jiang Lin back from his contemplation.
"At that time, I didn't know his true identity; I only took him for a gifted but somewhat eccentric swordsman.
"He invited me to the Northern Ice Field, but because I had other matters on hand at the time, I was unable to make the trip.
"Later, when I heard news of him again, it was already when the name 'Sword Saint Loren' resounded across the continent."
Dean Algernon sighed lightly:
"Matters of fate are hard to force. If Master Antonio had gone back then, perhaps today would be a different story altogether."
Rate on N.U.
