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**
Seeing that Yun Shan was willing to speak, Xiao Lin was naturally willing to listen.
It was only logical for Xiao Lin to be interested in the secrets of the Yun Lan Sect that were never mentioned in the original story.
After all, as the years had passed, Xiao Lin had long since abandoned the "filter" he had regarding the Yun Lan Sect from the original work. It could be said that the current Xiao Lin actually held quite a bit of goodwill toward the Yun Lan Sect.
Of course, this included Yun Shan as well.
Therefore, if possible, he naturally did not want the Yun Lan Sect and Yun Shan to follow that old path from the original story.
"Since our founding ancestor Yun Potian established the Yun Lan Sect, it has been over six hundred years. By my generation, I am already the eighth Sect Master! However, starting from over three hundred years ago, my Yun Lan Sect gradually began to decline."
Speaking to this point, a look of sorrow appeared on Yun Shan's face.
"Is it because of that man-made disaster you mentioned just now, Sect Master Yun Shan, that happened over three hundred years ago?"
Xiao Lin asked at the appropriate time.
"Yes."
Hearing Xiao Lin ask, Yun Shan nodded.
Then, he spoke once more.
"Over three hundred years ago, near the end of the reign of our third-generation Sect Master, the Yun Lan Sect had two very outstanding seniors. Both were qualified to inherit the position of the fourth-generation Sect Master, however..."
Creak
As he reached this point, Yun Shan paused again, and his fists couldn't help but clench tightly.
At the same time, Xiao Lin felt like he smelled the scent of a cliché drama!
Sure enough, Yun Shan's next words verified his guess once again.
"After the two outstanding seniors competed for the position of the fourth-generation Sect Master, one of them lost."
"But that senior who lost was not willing to accept it. No! He can no longer be called a senior of the Yun Lan Sect; he should be called a traitor, a sinner! It was precisely because of him that the Yun Lan Sect fell into decline!"
From Yun Shan's words, Xiao Lin could hear a deep sense of hatred!
Naturally, no one would have a good impression of a traitor.
Moreover, this was a traitor who had caused the decline of an entire sect. However, normally speaking, a single traitor who lost a power struggle would find it difficult to cause a peak Yun Lan Sect to decline; clearly, there was more to the story.
After all, those lost inheritances above the Earth Grade had ultimately ended up in the hands of the Sky Serpent Empire's Imperial Family!
Thus, Xiao Lin made a reasonable guess.
That traitor of the Yun Lan Sect must have eventually colluded with the Sky Serpent Empire's Imperial Family, leading to the sect's decline to its current state. At this moment, after speaking about the traitor, Yun Shan took quite a while to finally calm down again.
"As for what happened next, I imagine you have some guesses in your heart, Xiao Lin? That's right, the traitor who lost the competition for the fourth-generation Sect Master position eventually colluded with outsiders to launch a surprise attack on my Yun Lan Sect!"
"As for who those outsiders were, my Yun Lan Sect never knew for certain. But based on your description, Xiao Lin, those people are very likely the Sky Serpent Empire's Imperial Family. They truly deserve to die!"
"The outcome of that Yun Lan Sect rebellion was that most of our predecessors died in battle, including the third-generation Sect Master and the fourth-generation Sect Master who was about to succeed him."
"At the same time, because that traitor was present, all of our sect's Cultivation Techniques and Dou Techniques above the Earth Grade were lost! Although the Yun Lan Sect eventually repelled those people and killed the traitor."
"Our strength from that point on was less than one-tenth of what it once was. Even the newly appointed fourth-generation Sect Master was essentially 'the tallest of the dwarves' picked from a sect that needed to be rebuilt from the ruins."
After finishing the account of these secrets in one breath, Yun Shan began to sigh incessantly.
He carried the hope of reviving the Yun Lan Sect on his shoulders, so he naturally felt a deep-seated hatred for these events of the past. It was only now that Xiao Lin realized the Yun Lan Sect had actually experienced such a severe catastrophe!
To be able to continue existing until today after such a disaster...
From this, one could see that the Yun Lan Sect at its peak was definitely a titan-like existence in this part of the Northwestern Region.
No wonder the Sky Serpent Empire's Imperial Family, despite already possessing Earth Grade Cultivation Techniques and Dou Techniques, would still set their sights on the Yun Lan Sect's inheritance.
As for how that traitor of the Yun Lan Sect got hooked up with the Sky Serpent Empire's Imperial Family, no one knew anymore.
But that wasn't important.
The decline of the Yun Lan Sect was, in the end, caused by that traitor.
"So the Yun Lan Sect has gone through so much. Sect Master Yun Shan, it seems things haven't been easy for you either!"
At this moment, Xiao Lin suddenly realized that Yun Shan seemed to have taken on the template of Yue Buqun from The Smiling, Proud Wanderer!
The same decline due to internal strife, the same heavy responsibility of sect revival; a refined and cultured gentleman in the early stages, and then a total "blackening" in the later stages to become an enemy of the protagonist.
This vibe was just too spot on!
"Sigh, it's not a matter of whether it's hard or not; this is my responsibility as the Sect Master of the Yun Lan Sect!"
"If it weren't for the internal strife over three hundred years ago that left everything in ruins, how would the tiny Jia Ma Empire have dared to establish a country within the sphere of influence of my Yun Lan Sect!"
Just when Xiao Lin thought he understood most of it, Yun Shan dropped another bombshell.
Because the Xiao Clan was also within the borders of the Jia Ma Empire, he naturally knew that the Jia Ma Empire had been established for about three hundred years or so.
This timing did indeed coincide with the decline of the Yun Lan Sect.
He had wondered before: the Yun Lan Sect was once a giant, so where did the Jia Ma Empire get the nerve to include the entire Yun Lan Sect within its borders when the country was founded?
Now, everything was explained.
At the Yun Lan Sect's weakest moment, the Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Family established their country. At that time, the Yun Lan Sect was essentially too weak to stop the Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Family.
At the same time, there was another strong possibility: because the Yun Lan Sect was too weak, not only were they unable to stop the founding of the Jia Ma Empire, they might have even actively chosen to "group up" with the Jia Ma Empire!
In this way, it was mutually beneficial for both parties.
The Yun Lan Sect could use this to slowly survive their period of weakness and plan for a future revival. Meanwhile, the Jia Ma Empire could rely on the Yun Lan Sect's former prestige to intimidate others while facing challenges from various factions alongside the sect.
At this moment, the mist of history was slowly being peeled away before Xiao Lin's eyes.
"I didn't expect there to be such a layer of relationship between the Jia Ma Empire and the Yun Lan Sect!"
Xiao Lin nodded and spoke.
Clearly, Yun Shan also realized that Xiao Lin had guessed the relationship between the Yun Lan Sect and the Jia Ma Empire back then.
Although he was somewhat unhappy with the Jia Ma Empire, Yun Shan knew in his heart that for the Yun Lan Sect at that time, this was already the best choice.
Therefore, to this day, although there were occasional frictions between the Yun Lan Sect and the Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Family, both sides ultimately exercised restraint.
Because, in a way, they had gone through hardships together.
**
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