"Yun Jin is willing." On the River of Enlightenment, Yun Jin bowed solemnly to the projection of Wan Dao Saint.
In the next moment, a strange ripple spread through the air. Yun Jin felt something shift within her. It was as if this River of Enlightenment had grown more welcoming to her. Was this the difference between an outsider and someone who now belonged?
The Tian Po Sword relaxed its previously stern demeanor. A ring appeared before its blade, and it let out a mischievous chuckle. "Young Master, this is the sect master's ring of the Wushuang Sect. You can drip your blood onto it to claim ownership."
Curious, Yun Jin followed the instructions.
A drop of crimson blood quickly fused into the ring. A beam of light flashed, and a ring slowly materialized on the middle finger of Yun Jin's right hand.
With a thought, she made the ring disappear from her finger.
At the same time, she felt a strange new bond form between herself and the dimensional space that housed the Wushuang Sect.
Through the ring, she could now enter and exit this dimension at will.
She could expel intruders, or open a passage to allow others in.
She had become the true master of this place.
"Young Master, through this ring, you can also forge tokens unique to the Wushuang Sect to formally induct disciples. Those with the token can move freely in and out of the sect's domain. As for the other uses, you can explore them yourself," the Tian Po Sword said.
Yun Jin gave a small nod.
While they spoke, her status on the River of Enlightenment had quietly elevated once again.
Light orbs from every direction surged toward her, far faster than before.
Though for now, no golden light orbs had appeared.
Half the allotted time had already passed.
The Tian Po Sword explained, "Young Master, golden orbs are not drawn in by superficial qualities. What attracts them is something far more essential."
"Something essential?" Yun Jin was intrigued.
"Naturally, it's soul power. Cultivators may use the same techniques, even have similar temperaments, but no two souls are alike. The highest-grade orbs are only drawn to truly unique souls. Young Master, you should summon your Yuányīng and release your spiritual power to its fullest. With your talent, one or two golden orbs should come to you."
Yun Jin nodded.
Separating the Yuányīng from the body was dangerous, so the Tian Po Sword quickly formed a protective barrier around her.
She sat cross-legged, and before long, a miniature version of herself emerged in the air. This was her second time attempting to separate her Yuányīng, and the experience still felt novel.
She wiggled her fingers and toes, making her tiny Yuányīng perform a brief skit, like a child amusing herself. The Tian Po Sword could only watch, speechless.
Only then did she begin channeling her soul power outward.
A calm River of Enlightenment suddenly stirred.
The waters began to churn, waves rising violently. The Tian Po Sword immediately stabilized the little boat. If not, even Yun Jin's vessel might have capsized in that instant.
What was happening?
Was the River of Enlightenment... going berserk?
Even the Tian Po Sword was momentarily shaken.
There was a legend about this river.
The orbs of the Great Law within the River of Enlightenment usually lay in still silence.
Only when drawn by something extraordinary would they stir.
The stronger the allure, the more intense the reaction.
When its master first arrived here, there had been small ripples. A modest response.
But the current upheaval was unprecedented.
Yun Jin's Yuányīng still floated in midair, soul power continuing to surge outward.
The Tian Po Sword glanced toward the distance—and grew alarmed.
The Law orbs, as if seized by an irresistible force, were hurtling toward them like mad.
In their frenzy, even accidents were beginning to happen.
The Tian Po Sword watched as a green orb was caught between two white orbs, completely immobilized.
The white ones, though large, lacked the strength to hold position. Two orange orbs collided beside them, the resulting wave sending all three crashing into the depths of the river.
The Tian Po Sword stared, dumbfounded.
Then—
A golden light orb appeared in his vision!
It was the smallest of them all. From afar, it looked no more than a spark, yet it moved with the speed of a shooting star.
It streaked across the water, trailing waves behind it like a tidal wave crashing through the river.
Other orbs along its path were scattered, blasted apart by the force of its passage.
Just as it was about to reach Yun Jin—
Another golden orb shot out from the side.
The two golden orbs clearly intended to reach her first, but upon colliding mid-path, they broke into a fight instead.
In an instant, towering waves erupted. No other orbs could get close.
The Tian Po Sword was utterly stunned.
What in the world? Was Yun Jin's soul really that irresistible?
Two supreme-grade orbs were battling each other, on the River of Enlightenment, just to be the first to reach her?
That was absurd!
The Tian Po Sword tried to reassure itself.
Okay... maybe this was a little absurd.
But not a huge problem.
After all, this was only two golden orbs.
Its master had attracted three.
In terms of raw talent, surely the master was still superior.
Even though Yun Jin was impressive, the Tian Po Sword couldn't bring itself to believe anyone could outshine its master.
Wan Dao Saint was no ordinary cultivator.
Since stepping onto the path of cultivation, he had never once suffered defeat. In the world of cultivation, he stood at the absolute pinnacle, unmatched.
Even if he had stepped back from the public eye, his legacy wasn't something future generations could so easily surpass.
Not even Yun Jin...
Just as the Tian Po Sword was reassuring itself, a third golden orb appeared in his vision.
"...???"
The third orb joined the brawl, making the chaotic melee even more intense.
Inside the barrier, Yun Jin remained unaware of the chaos around her. She sat with eyes closed, still focused on releasing her soul power.
The Tian Po Sword exhaled deeply.
This might... be a bit of a problem.
But still.
Not a big problem.
After all, Yun Jin was the Young Master. Having talent equal to the master wasn't too strange.
What unsettled the Tian Po Sword now wasn't the competitiveness—it was how long these three golden orbs intended to keep fighting.
With the River of Enlightenment in such uproar, would this disrupt the selection for everyone else?
"An Tong!" the Tian Po Sword called out.
An Tong rubbed his eyes as he emerged from the red cord around Yun Jin's wrist. One look, and he too was stunned.
Someone help. The perfect orbs are fighting!
"An Tong! The River of Enlightenment is in chaos. It'll start affecting others. Try to shift the disturbance toward the Qingxiao Pavilion side. If those disciples get caught up in it, well, too bad for them," the Tian Po Sword said swiftly.
An Tong agreed without hesitation.
Wan Dao Saint had entrusted him with steward-like authority. Though he couldn't interfere in orb selection, he could manipulate the river's space, placing different people in different regions.
Within moments—
He moved the disciples from Qingxiao Pavilion closer to the area of disturbance.
The River of Enlightenment was a unique space. It could stretch infinitely or contract as needed.
Under An Tong's adjustments, Duan Yiwei and the others couldn't see what was happening on Yun Jin's side, but where they stood, the waves suddenly surged into a massive swell.