Tian Po Sword never could have imagined this.
Even her own wool, Yun Jin was determined to shear without hesitation.
At this moment, he was still guiding Yun Jin with all his heart and soul.
"Start by revealing all the high-grade Concept you've grasped. Some fragments might not come right away, but there's no rush. The River of Enlightenment will remember the aura of your intent and continue to draw matching fragments over time. After you're done showing the high-grade ones, show your mid-grade Concept, then the low-grade ones too. Once the river has memorized them, you can withdraw your aura."
Yun Jin acknowledged with a quiet hum.
Then, like performing magic, she began revealing the many Dao Concept she had comprehended.
Tian Po Sword stared, utterly stunned.
The number of Concept the young master had mastered was simply staggering. Nearly ten mid-grade Concept, and a whole cluster of low-grade ones on top of that.
Even Tian Po Sword found himself drawing a sharp breath.
His master, the Wan Dao Saint, had once dominated an entire era by mastering countless Dao paths.
And now…
The young master had also grasped this many Concept. In the future, might she follow the same path toward enlightenment?
It wasn't impossible.
After all, just like his former master, the young master possessed five spiritual roots.
Five spiritual roots meant she carried all five elemental attributes, granting her the potential to comprehend the full spectrum of Concept.
The young master even seemed to have grasped wind and lightning attributes already.
Which meant that in theory, there was no path in the world she couldn't cultivate.
But...
Human effort had its limits.
Though cultivators enjoyed long lifespans, they still had an end.
If she tried to master every path, she might not reach true comprehension before her time ran out and she fell to the limits of mortality.
Without achieving immortality, true longevity remained out of reach.
Eventually, the young master would have to make a choice.
While Tian Po Sword was mulling over this, the River of Enlightenment had already memorized all of Yun Jin's Concept.
Now, it began radiating her aura steadily outward, drawing in more and more glowing orbs of light, all converging on her location.
But there was still no golden orb.
Yun Jin frowned.
Was she really not destined to obtain an ultra-grade fragment?
Tian Po Sword chuckled and finally began explaining. "Young Master. These alone aren't enough to attract supreme-grade fragments. If you want one, there's a different method."
"Oh?" Yun Jin's interest was piqued.
But instead of answering right away, Tian Po Sword smirked slyly. "Even the people from the Four Holy Lands can only get orange orbs at most. Those precious golden fragments? Without joining the Wushuang Sect, they're completely out of reach."
He didn't mind giving out other fragments to outsiders.
But supreme-grade fragments?
Even the wealthiest estate couldn't just hand those out like candy.
"So... have I officially joined the Wushuang Sect yet?" Yun Jin asked curiously.
Tian Po Sword's voice turned serious. "Not yet."
"Then... does that mean I can't get a golden fragment either?" Yun Jin blinked in disbelief.
She couldn't believe this trap was being sprung on her, and by her own people no less.
Tian Po Sword reappeared at Yun Jin's side, once again taking on his original mature and composed demeanor. In a solemn tone, he said, "So today, I shall accept a disciple on behalf of my master. Yun Jin, will you enter the tutelage of the Wan Dao Saint, and henceforth become a bearer of the Wushuang Sect's legacy, striving to restore its former glory?"
Yun Jin froze for a moment.
As Tian Po Sword spoke...
It was as though the River of Enlightenment resonated with his words.
The orbs of light that had been surrounding her subtly shifted aside, giving her space at the center.
Above the River of Enlightenment, a faint and illusory figure of Wan Dao Saint slowly appeared.
He stood high above, gazing down at Yun Jin with a warm smile.
In his eyes, brimming with wisdom, was a boundless sense of hope.
**
In an alternate dimension—
Wan Dao Saint was enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
In front of him sat a small bottle of wine.
Around it, a group of cultivators gathered, practically drooling. But not a single one reached out to take it.
"So many years have passed... and this is the last bottle of wine," one person lamented. "If I'd known, I would've packed my storage ring full of booze back then."
They had already been drinking sparingly over the years. But even the richest stores eventually ran dry after a thousand years.
This final bottle? Unless it was the very end, no one dared drink it.
They were content to just sit around, imagining how it might taste.
As they salivated over the bottle, Wan Dao Saint suddenly let out a long sigh.
His usually refined face lit up with rare delight.
"Boss? What's going on?" someone nearby asked with curiosity.
Wan Dao Saint replied quickly, "I mentioned before, didn't I? I had a feeling my successor might finally have appeared. But I wasn't certain... until now."
Oh?
Everyone's expressions shifted with anticipation.
Wan Dao Saint's voice grew softer. "You'll all be able to sense it soon."
The moment he finished speaking, their expressions slowly began to change.
They truly were sensing something...
"This is..." someone murmured.
"The River of Enlightenment," Wan Dao Saint said with quiet pride. "My successor has just formally joined the Wushuang Sect, right there at the River of Enlightenment."
He had used some clever tricks to completely sever this Wushuang Sect from the one in the outside world.
But even so—
Every one of them had left a piece of their Dao behind in the River of Enlightenment after achieving enlightenment.
Now, Yun Jin's initiation into the sect had rippled through the entire river. They could vaguely sense its stirrings.
Yet none of them dared deepen the connection. In the very next breath, they all cut off the resonance.
Despite all the Wan Dao Saint's precautions—severing fate, aura, and karma between the two sects—they were still being hunted by outer-realm demons.
Even a slight fluctuation could bring danger. Better to cut it off immediately.
At present—
This remnant of the Wushuang Sect had only a few survivors left, no more than a dozen.
Now, sitting together in silence, their expressions were complicated.
That person might be the boss's disciple...
But in truth—
All their legacies had been entrusted to the boss and brought into the outside world. When the Wushuang Sect rose again, perhaps their teachings would endure once more.
If that could happen—
Then at least some of their regrets would be eased.
"Stop looking so glum," a woman said with a light chuckle. Her voice was gentle. "The boss finally has a successor. The Wushuang Sect will be reborn. Isn't that worth celebrating? And we still have one last bottle of wine. Why not drink it all tonight?"
"Oh? You're always the one who scorns alcohol," someone teased.
The woman smiled. "Today is an exception."
Everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Wan Dao Saint uncorked the final bottle. With just the right amount, each of the dozen survivors received a full cup.
After this, not even a drop would remain.
They felt a twinge of heartache, but mostly, they felt joy.
"Come, let's drink to this moment," Wan Dao Saint said, raising his cup.
They all smiled and drained their cups in unison.
It had been so long since they'd felt this free.
Such a small amount of wine couldn't possibly get anyone drunk, but all of them were swaying, laughing like they were tipsy.
Then, Wan Dao Saint suddenly slammed his empty cup to the ground.
Smacking his lips, he said, "Something this good happened today—shouldn't we let those outer-realm demons celebrate with us? Let's go light some fireworks."
Everyone burst out laughing.
Together, they staggered into the sky—
Then, with no ceremony at all, they hurled every outer-realm demon they had captured into the air.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bodies of the outer-realm demons exploded in midair, blooming like fireworks.
One moment, the remnants of the Wushuang Sect were admiring the display. The next, Wan Dao Saint waved his hand.
"Time to go. We can't stay here."
Linking arms, the survivors drifted away like drunkards, yet moved with astonishing speed.
By the time the outer-realm demons emerged from the rift to investigate, the Wushuang Sect survivors were long gone.
One demon growled coldly.
These final members of the Wushuang Sect... were proving far too difficult to kill.
But it didn't matter.
No matter how strong they were, even they would suffer wounds.
After a thousand years, their injuries had only built up, with no time to properly recover. Within a century, they would be finished.
They could wait.