Chapter 2701 - The Uncrowned King
In this battle, the victor would be determined solely by the degree of suppression, not to the death.
Thus, when the three Imperator’s Mural sword arts tore apart the Ninespin Skybreaker and shattered Lin Lingxiao's cosmic charts, the Lin Clan and the Sun’s citizens had already understood the outcome. Tianming and Lin Lingxiao also ceased their battle in a timely manner.
Sword ki raged, and yellow sand billowed. Amidst the swirling smoke and clouds, Tianming put away the Grand-Orient Sword and joined Lin Lingxiao. Lin Lingxiao's clothes were slightly disheveled, his body bore sword marks, and his light golden hair had lost some of its luster.
He stared at Tianming with incredulous eyes. "Thinking back to when you first appeared, you were only in the Stellaminor stage, and everyone called you trash. Then, in just twenty years, you're able to suppress me. That's over a dozen levels!" He couldn't help but acknowledge Tianming and looked at him with gradually changing eyes.
In Lin Lingxiao's heart, the battle had established Tianming as a god for the first time. Before that, Tianming's brightest moments in the astral war had been achieved through the Sun and the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb, rather than his individual combat strength.
Lin Lingxiao was stronger than Qi Xuan; third-level cosmic cartographers were indeed ferocious. The specter, Qi Xuan, was only at the first level.
Lin Lingxiao's gaze gradually changed from appreciation for his junior, to respect for a genius powerhouse, then, finally, belief in a miracle! Their battle had marked Tianming's transformation from a genus of the mundus to a mighty figure of the mundus. As long as he continued staying on the Sun, he would become increasingly powerful.
The Xenoabyss and order fragments are huge opportunities for me! What I lack most right now is personal combat strength. That place can resolve my urgent need.... As Tianming pondered, he was surprised to find that even Lin Lingxiao's Omnisentient Thread had become connected to him.
Although it was temporarily weaker and far less firm than the Sun’s citizens’, it still belonged to a third-level cosmic cartographer! Tianming was his junior!
It only further proved how groundbreaking his performance had been.
"Everyone, I wholeheartedly accept my defeat! A hundred-year genius defeating a third-level cosmic cartographer opponent has never happened in history! So, cheer for Lin Feng, for Li Tianming!" Lin Lingxiao loudly declared on behalf of the Lin Clan.
It wasn't until then that the shocked people finally admitted that Tianming had won, a fact that’d shaken them to their core.
Almost everyone in the Sky Palace erupted into cheers, chanting the two names of Tianming, regarding him as their own.
On the side of the Sun’s citizens, their faith only grew stronger, especially among the former residents of Violetglory and Primary.
As for the Swordgod Lin Clan and Grandnorth Dongshen Clan, that was even more remarkable. The younger generation—those under five hundred years old—could almost be described as 'completely conquered'. Tianming could also feel one Omnisentient Thread after another coming from top-tier powerhouses.
"Lin Feng, Emperor of the Sun!"
"The entire Infinitum Mundus is yours in the future!"
"Lin Feng! Lin Feng!"
The Lin Clan’s second branch master, swordgod disciple.... Those titles were now in the past. Although he hadn't officially declared the establishment of a new power, everyone understood that the Tianming Dynasty had already been born, and was just hidden.
And the core bond for the empire, the heart of everyone, was this extraordinary young man!
Wudi and Xiaodao, each representing different factions, were assisting Tianming. One was a foster father, the other a master. Their relationship couldn't be any more solid. Furthermore, there were figures like his grandparents!
The newly arrived Lin Clan members were still unfamiliar with the situation, and it was thanks to that that they were greatly shaken. Seeing was believing; he gave hope to everyone! Naturally, they would be fanatical about him, crowning him as the emperor!
"The Omnisentient Threads are so powerful!" Although the number had only increased by over three billion, of which only about five hundred million were from the Swordgod Lin Clan and Grandnorth Dongshen Clan, they were all at least gods!
The billion Gladeans had also provided another hundred million Omnisentient Threads. Their overall quality was second only to the people of the Infinitum Swordsea and amounted to over two hundred thousand astral gods.
The Sun was currently en route to Gladeus, where Tianming and the others planned to transfer even more people who were willing to move to the Sun. It was estimated that there might be over a trillion new inhabitants! Xiaodao had been handling that matter for quite some time; he was still the ruler of Gladeus, after all.
In addition to that, Lin Xiao, leading the council hall, was responsible for another matter, which was to reclaim the commercial branches of the Lin Clan throughout the mundus. He had decided to place people as the priority and bring them back for cultivation. In that way, the Sun might gain trillions more inhabitants!
"The Sun's Omnisentient Threads still have room to grow! The newcomers have a higher overall quality compared to the original citizens. Of course, the Sun's citizens will catch up sooner or later since they’re more effective in absorbing the Flameyellow Bloodsoul." The Sun was large enough. A helical-class world could accommodate trillions of creatures, let alone a Sun that had expanded a thousand times.
Tianming's goal was to increase the population to ten trillion, then conquer their hearts.
"Faith has transmissive properties. As long as they live with my subjects and are influenced by them, there’s no need for me to do too much. My Omnisentient Threads will continue to increase!"
In that way, even if Tianming's breakthrough in levels didn't meet his expectations, he would continue to grow stronger on the Sun. "When the time comes, let's see who dares to assassinate me!"
After defeating Lin Lingxiao, he felt that he had become stronger. Ying Huo and the others were ecstatic, shouting in delight. Their jubilation indicated that frequently performing duels on the Sun could be effective.
The new world was brimming with vitality, and Tianming was like an idol among the people.
“My family, let’s rise together!”
......
After a brief rest, he planned to continue his journey in the Xenoabyss.
For the matter of the rope, Feiling would suffice. There was no need for anyone too powerful, and Wudi and Xiaodao were both very busy.
Wudi was absorbing Flameyellow Bloodsoul and exploring the secret chambers in the Gladean Ruins. His personal strength growth was extremely important, as it related to the development of the Flameyellow Coffin and its use elsewhere. Thus, Tianming planned to allocate some order fragments to him as well.
A common order fragment would surely be of no use to Lin Xiaodao. If there was a good one, giving it to him for a breakthrough into the Foundation stage would be truly impressive.
At the same time, Wudi was also responsible for monitoring the progress of the citizens’ absorption of the bloodsoul, while Xiaodao was responsible for the safe transfer of the population of Gladeus.
Before entering the Sun’s core, Dongshen Yue, who was rarely free, spoke to him. "My dear grandchild, we've brought the ancestral guidance stele of the Grandvoid Swordfiend and the Unisword Goddess over from the Swordsoul Purgatory. If you're already proficient in the second move, you can try opening the third stage."
"Okay, Grandma!"