When Lin Jian embarked on his sea journey, he did so with a casual, try-and-see attitude, and thus left no explicit instructions for the younger generation of his clan.
However, so of the calligraphy he left behind possessed its own Spiritual Nature.
Usually unremarkable, they now shone with renewed brilliance when stimulated.
Lin Yuwei, Lin Jinsong, and the others followed the vague guidance of this calligraphy, winding their way to Lin Jian’s last known stop in the Mortal World.
"Fifth Brother..." Lin Jinsong stood by Lin Yuwei’s side.
Both hailing from the Nanzong Lin Clan’s collateral branches, they had supported each other for many years. They were truly branches of the sa tree, and Lin Jinsong was Lin Yuwei’s closest confidant and ally.
With the core bloodline of the Nanzong Lin Clan having suffered such great losses, the collateral branches had gained significant power. After enduring for so many years, they could finally hold their heads high.
Yet, the Nanzong Lin Clan’s current situation was dire, leaving Lin Yuwei and Lin Jinsong unable to relax.
The next step they took would be crucial.
"No matter what step we take next, our clan needs to grow stronger. If we can welco back Great-uncle, that would be a key move," Lin Yuwei knew what Lin Jinsong ant to ask.
After a brief silence, Lin Jinsong asked, "What if Great-uncle opposes our alliance with the Tang Imperial Court?"
Lin Yuwei replied, "Then it will depend on the Imperial Court’s plans at that ti."
Lin Jinsong nodded silently as the group set out, braving the winds and waves.
They proceeded cautiously, avoiding conflict with the Demon Race and contact with other humans.
After several days of searching, their direction gradually beca clear.
They finally arrived at Changjie Island in the East Sea.
At first glance, the island seed unremarkable, appearing to be rely deserted.
Lin Yuwei scanned his surroundings.
Among the group, not only was his Cultivation Strength higher, but as a cultivator of the Confucian Divine Archery Lineage, his insight was also extraordinarily acute.
In this regard, he even had an advantage over Lin Jian himself.
His sweeping gaze quickly fell upon sothing unusual.
He descended onto the island.
The dense forest rustled, though there was no wind, and parted to each side.
Lin Jinsong and the others quickly followed.
"A... Void Gateway!"
After a mont, Lin Yuwei exhaled slowly. "There’s actually a Void Gateway here. But who knows where it leads?"
The Lin Clan mbers around him exchanged glances.
They couldn’t help but think of the Northern Border Great Black Mountain.
If not for that incident, if not for the "Portal" at the Northern Border Great Black Mountain that led to those Foreign Lands, would the Jiangzhou Lin Clan be in this state?
Soone whispered, "In recent years, with the Surge of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Qi, many new secret realms and Cave Heavens may have ford. It’s also possible that Void Gateways to so older worlds have reopened..."
Lin Yuwei said, "Great-uncle left and hasn’t been heard from since; we cannot afford to be careless."
Everyone nodded in agreent.
Lin Yuwei also kept his distance, choosing instead to draw his Treasure Bow.
As he drew the bowstring, light automatically condensed, forming an arrow that pointed towards the island’s summit ahead.
Then Lin Yuwei loosed the shaft. An arrow ford from his condensed Vast Integrity and Wenhua Qi flew from the string, its trajectory nearly invisible.
When the arrow reappeared, it had stopped in mid-air.
The arrow hadn’t landed on the Changjie Island summit; instead, it hung suspended.
The air rippled like disturbed water, constantly shimring.
The arrow seed to be held in place by an invisible force.
Exercising caution, Lin Yuwei fired a volley of Chain Bead Arrows.
All the arrows hung suspended, as if nailed to an invisible, transparent ’board’.
Streams of light scattered.
An invisible Void Gateway finally began to reveal its true form.
Lin Yuwei took a deep breath. "I’ll investigate. The rest of you, stay back for now."
Lin Jinsong said, "Fifth Brother... let go instead!"
With Lin Jian and Lin Zhan both missing, and Lin Che and Lin Chou deceased, Lin Yuwei was now the Nanzong Lin Clan’s last remaining pillar at the Eighth Heavenly Layer.
Lin Yuwei hesitated for a mont before speaking. "...Be very careful. Don’t force anything. For now, just find out what’s on the other side of the ’door.’ Don’t rush to find Great-uncle, and don’t venture too deep."
Lin Jinsong replied, "I understand."
His longsword girded at his waist, he moved forward.
He drew his sword. Vast Integrity and Wenhua Qi surged around his body like the Grand River, stirring the air.
The Void Gateway twisted further, emitting a faint light.
Lin Jinsong, sword in hand, stepped into it.
Behind him, Lin Yuwei watched the Void Gateway anxiously.
Although all seed to be proceeding smoothly, he dared not let his guard down.
The other Lin Clan mbers either spread out to keep watch or stayed by Lin Yuwei’s side, all of them anxiously watching the invisible "Portal" in the air.
Ti trickled by without Lin Jinsong returning.
Just as Lin Yuwei’s brow furrowed, the Void Gateway before them suddenly rippled.
The next mont, a flash of light flew out from within it.
Lin Yuwei, already prepared, loosed an arrow that collided with the streak of light in mid-air.
Both fell to the ground, where the streak of light revealed its true form.
It was a longsword.
The Lin Clan mbers were all too familiar with this longsword—it was Lin Jinsong’s personal blade.
But the sword was now broken in two; only the front half of the blade remained.
Lin Yuwei’s expression changed. He quickly stooped to pick up the broken blade fragnt.
The Vast Integrity Qi lingering within it condensed into glowing characters in the air:
The character for ’Savage,’ and the character for ’Martial.’
Seeing these two characters, the expressions of Lin Yuwei and the other Lin Clan mbers present changed once more.
The ssage Lin Jinsong conveyed was clear: the world beyond this Void Gateway harbored the sa savage, overwhelming, and brutally tyrannical Martial Tao True aning as the Foreign Lands atop the Northern Border Great Black Mountain.
Lin Yuwei aid his arrow at the Void Gateway on the island.
But no other figure erged from within the "Portal".
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