The Tai'a Sword still dripped with blood. A chilling smile crept across Yun Jin's face as she raised the sword in front of her.
"Disciples of Qingxiao Pavilion? A bit too weak, don't you think? Senior Brother Duan, I must say, I'm a little disappointed."
Duan Yiwei's face turned an ugly shade of green.
He wanted to speak.
But Yun Jin's previous strike had shaken him to the core. His lips quivered, but no words came out. He no longer had the courage to speak.
"Anyone else?" Yun Jin swept her gaze over the others.
Duan Yiwei had just suffered a crushing defeat, and no one else dared to move. If they stepped forward now, their fate wouldn't be any better than his.
Only Jin Yu's eyes burned with fighting spirit as he stepped directly onto the platform.
"Junior Sister Yun, remember what I said? A fair battle," Jin Yu said solemnly.
Yun Jin's demeanor toward Jin Yu was noticeably better than it had been with Duan Yiwei.
She cupped her hands in return. "As it should be."
As soon as the words fell—
In a flash, the two clashed.
This was…
The ultimate showdown between sword cultivators.
Everyone watching held their breath, completely focused.
They might not have been able to follow those high-level battles earlier.
But this—this duel between two elite cultivators of the same rank—was something they could learn from. Something they could grasp.
Facing Jin Yu, Yun Jin didn't end it in a single move like she had with Duan Yiwei. They exchanged blows, back and forth, evenly matched, the duel unfolding with dazzling intensity.
Duan Yiwei's face turned even darker.
He might not be as strong as Jin Yu, sure—but the gap between them wasn't that vast.
Yun Jin had clearly held back!
She'd gone easy on Jin Yu, but when it came to him, she'd shown no mercy.
What was the meaning of that?
Didn't that just make Qingxiao Pavilion look like a joke?
After a few more exchanges, Yun Jin seemed satisfied. With a single decisive move, she knocked Jin Yu from the platform.
Jin Yu looked up at her, expression complicated.
Even Duan Yiwei could tell what had happened.
He was in the middle of it—of course he saw it more clearly.
Yun Jin had absolutely held back.
To her, whether it was him or Duan Yiwei, they were both opponents she could dispatch in a few strikes.
A bitter smile tugged at Jin Yu's lips.
He'd always believed himself the strongest of the younger generation. Among the seniors, only Senior Brother Cang Li was someone he aimed to surpass.
But now...
The swordsmanship he prided himself on looked like a child's game in front of Yun Jin. He had mastered a mid-tier sword intent and thought himself accomplished.
But Yun Jin?
She had just displayed several sword intents in rapid succession.
And who's to say she hadn't kept some hidden?
"Anyone else?" Yun Jin asked again.
The arena fell silent.
The platform before them might as well have turned into a monstrous beast. No one dared step forward.
Even Duan Yiwei and Jin Yu had lost so miserably. If they went up now, it would only be worse.
Inwardly, everyone cursed.
Where did this monster come from?
What kind of Luck does Wushuang Sect have?
To set a sword tomb in some remote corner of the Canglan Kingdom, and yet end up with a treasure like her delivered to their doorstep?
Then—
A mechanical voice suddenly echoed from the sky.
"Yue Zhao has conceded. Current First Place: Yun Jin."
All eyes turned toward Yue Zhao.
Yue Zhao looked innocent. "I mean, I wasn't gonna beat Junior Sister anyway. Better to admit defeat early. Oh, and by the way, I just discovered—you can concede just by thinking it in your mind."
One after another, Si Wanning and the others began to concede as well.
Concede…
The remaining disciples of the Four Holy Lands hesitated.
Would giving up now make them look weak?
But if they fought...
Looking at Yun Jin's half-smile, half-smirk, they immediately made up their minds.
"Final result: Yun Jin ranks First."
A familiar black box appeared at the center of the arena.
Everyone looked at it with undisguised envy.
They knew that the treasures inside the stone house were likely the finest and most precious of all.
Too bad…
It wasn't theirs.
Yun Jin stowed the prize but didn't step down right away. She smiled slightly. "Thank you all. Losing to me today isn't something to be ashamed of."
Oh?
She's even offering comfort?
Even Yue Zhao and the others looked at her in surprise.
But then—
They heard her finish the thought.
"Because from now on, you'll keep losing to me. You'll lose a second time, and a third, until eventually, you're used to it."
She paused.
["Emotional Value +500!"]
["Emotional Value +500!"]
The Emotional Value bar spiked wildly, with dozens of +500s. A few trickled in at +100 or +200.
Yun Jin glanced at them and knew instantly—those weaker ones came from Yue Zhao and the others.
They'd spent more time around her and built up resistance.
Disappointing.
Next time she harvested Emotional Value, she'd need to target outsiders. Senior brothers like them? Totally unreliable.
Yun Jin went on with her performance.
"What's more, there's always someone stronger out there. You know what's beyond you?"
She pointed to herself. "Me."
Duan Yiwei scowled. "Yun Jin! You've only beaten us today. One day, you'll lose too!"
Yun Jin scoffed. "Then let's talk when someone who can beat me is actually born. As for my Wushuang Sect—any disciple of ours is invincible at the same rank. You're welcome to challenge us anytime."
Yue Zhao and the others: "???"
Wait, wait. It was one thing for her to brag.
But now she was dragging them into it?
Yue Zhao and the others knew what she meant. In the future, they'd definitely be joining Wushuang Sect.
And while they had complete faith in Yun Jin, in themselves? Not so much.
Every Wushuang Sect disciple—
Invincible at the same rank?
That was arrogance on a whole other level.
The disciples of the Four Holy Lands began glancing at Yue Zhao's group.
They didn't look like anything special. Was joining Wushuang Sect really enough to make them unbeatable?
Yue Zhao and the others felt immense pressure.
But they straightened their backs, doing their best to look calm and composed. They couldn't embarrass Yun Jin.
Even Feng Linglong, still getting used to Yun Jin's style, tried her best to maintain a dignified expression.
Yes. Calm. Must remain calm. Wushuang Sect cannot lose face!
An Tong looked at the disciples of the Four Holy Lands, each one wearing a sour expression, and couldn't help but laugh.
Young Master really went above and beyond.
Even more than he'd expected.
"An Tong," Yun Jin suddenly called out.
"Here!" An Tong immediately scampered forward.
His bootlicking had improved dramatically since the beginning.
Yun Jin raised an eyebrow. "There's one last thing. Set up a platform for spirit beast battles. I have a score to settle with the Beastmaster Sect."
Cheng Su's expression shifted slightly.
After everything that just happened, she was starting to regret ever being First in the first place.
Losing wasn't the worst thing.
After all, they weren't the only ones who lost.
But now, another pet battle?
Was this—
Were they going to be humiliated in front of everyone again?
She didn't even know how strong Yun Jin's spirit beast was, but the thought alone filled her with dread.
The disciples of Beastmaster Sect exchanged glances, all visibly nervous at the mention of Yun Jin.
Cheng Su forced a smile. "Junior Sister Yun, we were just joking before. The stone house's evaluation is already as accurate as it gets. There's no way it made a mistake. No need for another match."
"Really? You're sure you don't want to bring it up again?" Yun Jin asked, looking surprised.
Cheng Su laughed. "Not at all, not at all."
Yun Jin nodded. "Good. We'll do as Senior Sister Cheng says. That'll save us all some time."
Cheng Su's smile twitched slightly, but she kept it on her face.
"So many treasures await. Once the secret realm closes, you're all free to explore them at your leisure. I assure you, Wushuang Sect's treasures will not disappoint," An Tong said with a beaming smile.
The disciples of the Four Holy Lands: "…"
What do you mean 'so many treasures'?
Huh?