An Tong chuckled. "Only disciples of Wushuang Sect are allowed access to our armory. I hope everyone can understand."
The others didn't comment.
Duan Yiwei couldn't hold back anymore. "So, you brought us all the way here just to look at it?"
An Tong glanced at him. "What, does the Qingxiao Pavilion's armory allow just anyone to waltz in and out?"
Duan Yiwei's expression shifted slightly. He looked at the weapons that had been gathered here from across the land, a flicker of resentment sparking in his chest.
Back in that secret realm, he had undergone several trials and come away with tremendous gains.
On the surface, these weapons were broken. But their spirit essence had been carefully preserved. In fact, their current value might even surpass what they had as functioning weapons.
Some still retained the secret arts and techniques of their former masters, locked within. If Wushuang Sect disciples could freely enter and study this place, it would be as if… they had gained countless teachers overnight.
And with the support of the River of Enlightenment…
A knot of unease formed in Duan Yiwei's heart.
The rise of Wushuang Sect might come much faster than they had ever imagined.
He shot a glare at the other three representatives of the Holy Lands.
Short-sighted fools. They had actually allowed Yun Jin to live.
If not—
All of this, everything in Wushuang Sect, would have belonged to them.
Whatever.
Duan Yiwei took a deep breath and forced down the greed in his eyes.
Once they left this place, he would make sure to speak with his Sect Master in detail about what they'd seen here.
The River of Enlightenment the armory, the library—all of it should have been theirs.
Yun Jin?
What right did she have?
"The time is nearly here. Please, everyone, follow me to the Sect Master's Hall for the succession ceremony," An Tong announced.
Duan Yiwei glanced toward the mist-covered distance.
The fog was thick. Who knew how many more secrets Wushuang Sect was hiding?
But An Tong clearly had no intention of showing them anything further.
Duan Yiwei had no choice but to keep it all in mind. For now, he was alone and outnumbered. There was nothing he could do.
Once he got out, he would make sure everything he'd seen today was properly reported.
An Tong led the way, bringing everyone once again to the grand doors of the Sect Master's Hall.
This time, he didn't detour around it.
He hovered in the air, his usually youthful voice now tinged with gravity. He was about to speak when—
"Wait a moment," Yun Jin suddenly called out.
"Young Master?" An Tong blinked, clearly confused.
Yun Jin cleared her throat. "An Tong, for a succession ceremony as important as this, are we really only having a few people witness it? That doesn't seem appropriate at all."
She had already wrung nearly all the Emotional Value out of this small group. She needed a new flock of sheep to harvest.
"Quite right," Tian Po Sword chimed in, shaking excitedly. "Too small. Far too small. This isn't worthy of my Young Master's flair!"
There was a barely concealed thrill in its voice.
Back when it had followed Wan Dao Saint, Tian Po Sword had wielded unmatched power—yet had been forced to be a composed, restrained blade.
Now? Its Young Master was clearly cut from a very different cloth.
This… this was exhilarating!
Bold. Showy. Everything should be bold and showy!
To shine in front of others—that was the highest mystery of the cosmos!
An Tong looked even more lost. "So… how exactly do we go about being showy?"
Yun Jin cleared her throat again. "For starters, we should probably invite the Four Holy Lands, don't you think? I am the Sect Master now. Technically, my status should be equal to the leaders of the Four Holy Lands. Since I'm taking the position, shouldn't they at least show up to witness it?"
The crowd: "???"
Tian Po Sword nodded furiously. "Yes yes yes yes. Exactly that!"
Yun Jin turned to Jin Yu and the others, smiling sweetly. "Senior brothers, senior sisters, you all came here with communication treasures, right? You should be able to transmit images too."
Some still hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"It's true," Jin Yu agreed without missing a beat.
The others glanced at him in exasperation but eventually followed his lead and nodded.
Yun Jin smiled. "I mean no harm. Wushuang Sect's revival was only possible thanks to all your support. Now that I'm officially inheriting the position of Sect Master, it's only proper to invite the other sects to celebrate. During the ceremony, feel free to use your treasures to broadcast the entire event to your sects."
As she spoke, the others' expressions began to shift.
Did Yun Jin… mean to livestream the ceremony?
Actually, that might not be a bad idea.
Before they left, their sect masters had all told them to investigate Wushuang Sect thoroughly.
The Sect Master's Hall surely held many secrets. Broadcasting the footage back might reveal clues even they couldn't spot.
"Allow me to report to my Sect Master," Jin Yu said. "However, I must ask that you open the dimensional passage again."
He'd noticed it earlier.
While the spatial passage was closed, this pocket realm was completely sealed—no messages could enter or leave.
Only when the weapons had arrived and the passage briefly opened had communication resumed.
"Of course."
Yun Jin waved her hand, and a shimmering spatial gate bloomed open.
The Four Holy Lands' envoys immediately began contacting their sects.
Yun Jin turned back to An Tong. "Aside from the Four Holy Lands, the rest of the world should be allowed to witness this too. Do you have any ideas?"
An Tong thought for a moment, then nodded. "There is a way. A senior of our sect once loved experimenting with unusual talismans. She created a mother-child talisman set. The mother talisman records the image, while the child talismans can play it back wherever they're distributed. Though the child talismans are incredibly fast, there's limited time. At most, we could spread word throughout the Canglan Kingdom. Any farther would be impossible on such short notice."
Just Canglan Kingdom, huh?
Yun Jin nodded. That wasn't bad.
No one became famous overnight. Canglan Kingdom could be their first stronghold—then they could expand from there.
Still, she couldn't help but ask, "So, what was that senior's original goal in creating such talismans?"
Surely not the same as hers—for showmanship?
Tian Po Sword abruptly coughed.
Yun Jin gave it a suspicious glance.
Tian Po Sword looked around nervously before realizing: that person was no longer here.
A pang of grief passed through it, followed by a strange relief.
"That senior was a cultivation maniac," Tian Po Sword explained. "She despised lazy disciples. So she used the mother-child talismans to monitor the entire sect. With them, she could observe everything through the mother talisman."
Just thinking about that woman made the sword sigh.
She had always seemed gentle and soft-spoken, but even its own master had feared her a little.
In a pocket realm somewhere far away, Wan Dao Saint held a talisman in his hand, his expression unreadable.
"Boss," someone nearby said quietly. "Before she died, Second Sister dragged down more than a dozen outer-realm demons. She died smiling."
They had held this realm for countless years.
Once, there had been eight of them—sworn siblings.
Now, only five remained.
Three had already perished in brutal battles.
Second Sister had fallen in the last one, covering their retreat. This talisman was the only thing she had left behind.
Their grief was quiet—but so was their resolve.
It had been her today.
Tomorrow, it would be one of them.
As long as they could take down a few more demons before they fell, it would all be worth it.
"Back then, Second Sister enforced training throughout the sect. She was the most beloved elder," said Wan Dao Saint, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "Every time the sect held a favorite elder vote, she always ranked first."
A few dark lines appeared on the others' foreheads.
One couldn't help muttering, "Boss, with all due respect… wasn't that because the votes weren't anonymous?"
Who dared not to vote for that devil woman?
They all burst into laughter.
But as the memory faded, silence crept back in.
They might never see that ferocious yet cherished woman again.
"Let's go," Wan Dao Saint said as he tucked the talisman away, his voice steady. "Let's kill a few more outer-realm demons this time."
"Yes!"
"We must!"
Their voices rang out in unison.