Upon entering the formation—
Gun Gun and Huan Huan sensed a strange pull and were summoned out from the Beastmaster space on their own.
"What is this..." Cheng Su's gaze fell on Huan Huan, her eyes narrowing with faint surprise.
An upper-grade Phantom Fox Cat?
Phantom Fox Cats weren't particularly rare within the Holy Land, but seeing an upper-grade spirit beast among disciples from outside the Holy Land was still unexpected. It seemed Yun Jin's Beastmaster abilities were better than she had anticipated.
Cheng Su glanced at Gun Gun and immediately recognized it.
A mid-grade Iron-Eating Beast.
One upper-grade, one mid-grade—regardless of quantity or class, she had the clear advantage.
Naturally, Cheng Su didn't think much of it.
This time—
Light circles appeared beneath both spirit beasts.
But ten seconds passed. Then twenty. The mechanical voice never came.
Yun Jin arched a brow.
What was going on?
Was it stuck?
The next moment, An Tong's shrill voice rang out in her mind.
"Ahhh, Young Master, what's with your two spirit beasts?! They're both upper-grade, sure, but how can their potential be unknown?"
Unknown potential?
Yun Jin remained perfectly calm.
Before she left the sect, she had already used a Bloodline Purification on Huan Huan. Though Huan Huan was still technically upper-grade, there were obvious differences from before.
As for Gun Gun, there was no need to mention it—it had directly ascended a whole grade level. Once their cultivation advanced, she could perform a second or even third Bloodline Purification.
Wouldn't their potential naturally be unknown?
An Tong was nearly driven mad.
This formation could only measure up to the "superior" class of potential.
If these two spirit beasts were coming up as "unknown," did that mean... they were on the level of divine beasts?
That couldn't be. Even that terrifying Spirit Beast King in the Spirit Beast Forest wasn't quite considered a divine beast. If the system displayed the truth outright, it wouldn't just be stealing the spotlight. It would be obliterating it.
An Tong gritted his teeth. "Since it's unknown, that means we get to decide how it displays. Mistress, shall we report them as high-mid level?"
"That's fine," Yun Jin said indifferently.
At last, the mechanical voice echoed out.
"Two contracted spirit beasts detected.
Both upper-grade.
Training technique: high-mid level.
Spirit beast potential: high-mid level."
This was already An Tong's most subdued setting.
But Cheng Su's expression still shifted slightly.
High-mid potential? Both of them?
And—
Wasn't that Iron-Eating Beast supposed to be mid-grade? How had it become upper-grade?
Cheng Su suddenly looked at the Iron-Eating Beast again. It... had evolved?
The conditions for evolution in spirit beasts were incredibly demanding. Even meeting the requirements didn't guarantee success—fate often played a greater role.
How had Yun Jin managed to evolve an Iron-Eating Beast?
Cheng Su's casual attitude vanished. Her eyes now held a trace of solemnity. To make a spirit beast surpass its natural class... even the Beastmaster Sect hadn't achieved such a thing.
How had Yun Jin pulled it off?
The second layer of the trial began.
This trial tested innate skills.
An Tong, once again, was left speechless.
Seriously now—
Their Wushuang Sect didn't even specialize in Beastmaster techniques. So why was Young Master's Beastmaster talent this overwhelmingly high?
The result was another [Unknown]!
Surpassing even the "superior" level of potential again?
"An Tong, what's going on this time?" Yun Jin had enough experience now. The delay in the system response prompted her to ask mentally.
An Tong sounded frustrated. "Still unknown."
Yun Jin replied with practiced ease, "Then just display it as upper-grade. Let's downplay it. No one can say we're bullying them."
An Tong agreed.
Once the result came out as upper-grade—
The entire stone hall erupted in disbelief. This was the first time the formation had registered an upper-grade result. And the person wasn't even a disciple from the Beastmaster Sect!
Even Senior Sister Cheng's innate skill had only been high-mid.
"This formation must be rigged," someone muttered, unable to hold back.
"Isn't this Yun Jin supposed to be Wushuang Sect's future sect master? Bet there's something fishy going on!"
"Yeah, if they don't want to offer the treasures, fine, but why resort to tricks like this?"
An Tong was furious hearing these murmurs.
Young Master had received two [Unknown] readings so far. That meant she had already exceeded the formation's limit.
Her innate talent was far beyond upper-grade.
Yet to stay low-profile, they displayed only upper-grade—and these people still wouldn't accept it?
"Watch your words," Cheng Su narrowed her eyes and scolded. "Wushuang Sect would never scheme over a few treasures. Keep watching."
Though the Beastmaster Sect disciples were still disgruntled, they fell silent again.
The final trial tested spiritual power.
Yun Jin revealed just a fraction of her strength and still earned an upper-grade result.
"Overall Assessment: Upper-Grade."
As Yun Jin stepped out from the formation, the stone hall fell into a heavy silence.
Cheng Su kept her composure, but the rest couldn't hide their anger as they stared at Yun Jin. They were disciples of the Beastmaster Sect. The treasures within this stone hall had long felt like theirs by right. Yet someone like Yun Jin—someone they hadn't even seen as a threat—had come out first.
How could they accept this?
If Yun Jin had displayed real ability, they might have let it go. But the delayed reactions from the formation earlier... the whole thing felt staged.
"Congratulations, Junior Sister Yun," Cheng Su said with a smile.
"I appreciate it," Yun Jin smiled back.
"Tch. You sure dared to accept that." Someone muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Yun Jin raised a brow and looked toward the speaker—it was the man who had been first to enter the formation.
She smiled. "Senior Brother, are you suggesting the formation was manipulated?"
"Chen!" Cheng Su gave him a sharp glance.
But the disciple named Chen refused to back down. "Our Beastmaster Sect specializes in spirit beast cultivation. Across the entire continent, no one surpasses us. Even Senior Sister Cheng, the top disciple of our younger generation, couldn't get an upper-grade rating. And you? Just because of your two beasts?"
To them, Yun Jin had never seemed like some exceptional genius. She felt more like a mascot that the Wushuang Sect had forcibly elevated.
Losing to her—unacceptable.
Yun Jin's smile brightened.
She had strutted around so confidently all this time that no one had dared question her. Now that she toned it down just a little, people were suddenly forgetting their place?
In that case—
It was time to show the so-called Holy Land disciples what a true prodigy looked like.
"Senior Brother Chen isn't convinced. And the rest of you?" Yun Jin looked around.
"Of course we're not!" the others spoke up, ignoring Cheng Su's attempts to hold them back.
"In that case, it's simple!" Yun Jin called out. "An Tong, come out."
An Tong materialized. "What does Young Master need?"
"The battle array. Can humans fight in it? What about spirit beasts?"
"Naturally," An Tong nodded. "Both can battle inside."
Yun Jin turned to the Beastmaster Sect disciples. "These two spirit beasts of mine are only at the Foundation Establishment stage. If you're not convinced, suppress your own spirit beasts to the Golden Core stage. As long as they're at Golden Core, either of my spirit beasts is ready to fight."
Yun Jin spoke calmly, but her words ignited instant fury among the Beastmaster Sect disciples.
What did she mean?
Her beasts were Foundation Establishment.
Theirs had to suppress themselves to Golden Core?
She was implying that her beasts could cross a major realm and still win?
That was pure insult!