Yun Jin looked at Qin Ping with a trace of surprise in her eyes. She had considered the possibility that Qin Ping might join Wushuang Sect one day. But only after she opened the hidden realm and made it out alive.
Only then would she have some standing to invite him.
Yet now, before the hidden realm had even opened and Wushuang Sect had reappeared, Qin Ping had already brought it up.
"You're placing your bet this early? Aren't you afraid of losing too much?" Yun Jin asked with curiosity.
Qin Ping smiled slightly. "Adding icing to the cake is easy. Offering charcoal in the snow is what truly matters. If I don't contribute during the hardest, earliest stage of Wushuang Sect's rebirth, then once the sect is established, what credit could I claim? To receive, one must first give. Yun Sect Master, this much I understand."
He had directly changed how he addressed her.
His perceptiveness earned even Tian Po Sword's silent praise.
Yun Jin couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration.
Truly worthy of someone who had once navigated the treacherous waters of court politics a thousand years ago. Qin Ping's grasp of human nature was impeccable.
To Yun Jin, Qin Ping choosing to join now versus waiting until Wushuang Sect was on its feet were two entirely different things.
Clearly, choosing to step in now, when the sect had nothing, left a much deeper impression.
"Can Qin Ping speak on behalf of the other cultivators from the Canglan Kingdom?" Yun Jin asked.
Qin Ping nodded. "Most of them, yes. If Sect Master agrees, I'll head to the capital immediately to inform the others."
"That's fine," Yun Jin replied. "Let's discuss the details after we return from the secret realm."
Qin Ping's eyes lit up, and he quickly agreed.
From her words, it sounded like she had decided to accept them.
It made sense.
The Four Holy Lands refused to take them in because kingdom cultivators drew their Luck from their respective nations. Even if they joined the Holy Lands, they couldn't contribute any Luck.
But the cultivation methods of the Holy Lands all relied, to some extent, on Luck.
In fact, most sects in the world depended on Luck in some form.
Wushuang Sect was an exception.
Since its founding a thousand years ago, the sect had never demanded Luck. It focused solely on personal enlightenment.
So in that sense, Wushuang Sect and imperial cultivators were naturally compatible.
Qin Ping had thought through this before, but only now that Yun Jin had nodded did he feel truly at ease.
"In that case, this junior will take his leave," Yun Jin said.
Qin Ping quickly responded, "Sect Master, you flatter me."
The two exchanged polite words, each more courteous than the other. Tian Po Sword, finding it dull, yawned and returned to Yun Jin's sword imprint.
After bidding Qin Ping farewell, Yun Jin's mood was quite good. Since she had promised to rebuild Wushuang Sect, she was determined to give it her all. The addition of Qin Ping and the other kingdom cultivators would help her get through the most awkward early phase. Their support was significant.
Once she got the sect off the ground...
Yun Jin thought again of Tianxing Sect.
Her original plan had been to rise through Tianxing Sect and eventually turn it into the Fifth Holy Land.
But plans couldn't keep up with change.
Her mindset had shifted once more.
In this world, for a sect to rise, the first step was to be officially registered.
Once recognized, the sect's name would be entered in the Jade Register. Only then could it begin to share in Luck and progress gradually.
Previously, Yun Jin hadn't considered establishing her own sect. She had intended to spend great effort reforming Tianxing Sect and use its name to climb step by step.
That was because if she started her own sect, those above were unlikely to grant her official recognition easily.
But using Tianxing Sect's name made things simpler.
Now though—
She had promised Tian Po Sword to rebuild Wushuang Sect.
The original Wushuang Sect had rejected the pursuit of Luck, so it had never been officially registered.
But this time—
Yun Jin wanted that spot. If Wushuang Sect could be officially recognized, she would abandon any plans to return to Tianxing Sect. Anyone willing could follow her into Wushuang Sect instead.
"Tian Po Sword, Senior," Yun Jin suddenly asked in her mind, "A thousand years ago, Wushuang Sect kept a low profile and avoided the world. But what if I want to go high profile?"
Tian Po Sword paused. "What do you mean by high profile?"
Yun Jin raised her brows. "I want the whole world to know. I want everyone to recognize the contributions Wushuang Sect made for the common people. I want the world to know that Wushuang Sect is the number one sect."
Keeping quiet had never been Yun Jin's style.
Doing good in secret wasn't her way either.
If she did something meaningful, the world had to know about it.
Wushuang Sect had sacrificed itself to protect the people. How could such a feat be buried and forgotten?
She would make sure their legacy spread far and wide.
She would turn Wushuang Sect into a belief.
Tian Po Sword was briefly stunned.
He looked at Yun Jin and fell silent.
This Young Master... was completely different from his old master.
His master had focused only on cultivation, ignoring worldly affairs. The more inconspicuous, the better. Ideally, no one would disturb him while he cultivated alone.
But this Young Master...
Didn't seem like the type to spend her life in silent meditation.
Even if she rebuilt Wushuang Sect, it would definitely not be the same as the one from before.
Tian Po Sword stayed silent for a while, then suddenly laughed.
"You are the heir, the future sect master. These things are your decision."
A thousand years.
It had been a thousand years since Wushuang Sect's sacrifice, and not a single legend remained in the world.
To say Tian Po Sword was entirely at peace would be a lie. Now that the Young Master wanted to spread Wushuang Sect's name, then why not?
Honestly... it felt pretty satisfying.
Though, he still felt a little guilty.
"Master... you said you wanted to rebuild Wushuang Sect, but you never specified what kind of Wushuang Sect. So don't blame us for taking some liberties."
"If you agree, Senior, then I'll go all out," Yun Jin said. "To get famous, the fastest way is through the sect ranking trials. In three years, we'll aim for a top-tier sect ranking. Three years after that, we'll match the Holy Lands. And another three years after that, we'll crush them. How's that sound?"
She spoke with fire in her eyes.
If anyone else heard her, they'd probably laugh at her wild dreams. But Tian Po Sword just nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! That's the spirit! Our Wushuang Sect is the strongest!"
"When the hidden realm opens, think if we have any flashy techniques in the sect's vault. Pull them all out. We need strength, but we also need style when we make our debut..."
Yun Jin rambled on, and Tian Po Sword nodded along, occasionally chiming in with his own ideas.
Meanwhile, in another dimension—
A white-robed man, drenched in blood, suddenly coughed.
"Boss, what's wrong?" someone beside him asked quickly.
The man looked confused. "Not sure... I just had a strange feeling. Like something bad's about to happen..."
But the feeling didn't seem to be related to the war here.
How odd.
Come to think of it—
It must have been exactly a thousand years in the outside world.
Had Tian Po Sword found an heir yet?
His heir should be just like him: steady, indifferent to worldly matters, a heart untouched by desire, right?
Just imagining it made him feel... a little excited.
===
Former sect master, I think you will chough a blood if you truly meet with Yun Jin ヽ( ˋ(ｴ)´ )ﾉ