One of the men cautiously asked, "It's just one thing... Destroying a mid-tier sect will cause a major stir. An incident this big, the Demon-Slaying Alliance will definitely step in."
Zhao Wuji let out a cold laugh. "So what if they do? Haven't they been trying to investigate our headquarters for years? And what's come of it? Nothing. Not even a trace. With the Lord's unmatched might, even if Ji Wusi showed up in person, what is there to fear? Besides, we've been lying low for centuries. How much longer are we supposed to wait? It's time for a major move."
Zhao Wuji was resolute.
He couldn't wait any longer.
Before Yun Jin returned, Lin Ya had to die.
Everyone who had betrayed him had to die.
If the Tianxing Sect wasn't Zhao Wuji's Tianxing Sect, then it had no reason to exist.
"As long as this goes as planned, the Lord will certainly reward us. When the blood energy floods our bodies and our cultivation rises again, what would be difficult then? If we wait to fully decipher the blood energy technique, who knows how long that would take? I could wait, but what about you? Do you even have the lifespan left to keep waiting?" Zhao Wuji coaxed.
The men in black exchanged glances. No longer hesitating, their expressions turned solemn. "We await your command."
Zhao Wuji nodded in satisfaction. "These test subjects serve no purpose anymore. We can't take them all the way back to headquarters. Kill them."
Inside the cave, the imprisoned cultivators' faces turned pale with horror.
Wails and curses erupted, rising and falling like crashing waves.
But it was all meaningless.
The black-robed figures moved through the cave, methodically shattering each cultivator's skull. None survived.
Zhao Wuji set the cave ablaze, destroying all traces of evidence.
Then—
He looked at the men in black. "Split up. Consolidate all of our forces in the region. I'll secretly disable the Tianxing Sect's protective formation from within. Once that's done, I'll use the poison bestowed upon me by the Lord to render every cultivator above the Unity stage temporarily unable to use their spiritual power. Once you get my signal, storm the mountain. Kill who needs killing. Capture who needs capturing. Don't let a single one go. Take everything from places like the Scripture Pavilion and Treasure Vault. Don't leave a single item behind."
"Yes." The men in black responded in unison.
As followers of the demonic path, their cultivation had advanced far faster than normal cultivators. All of them were already at the Unity stage.
Because Zhao Wuji had risen as a major force here, more of their allies were active in this region than anywhere else. Once they consolidated their power, they'd have at least ten Unity-stage cultivators under their command.
And with the rest of their forces combined, if Zhao Wuji could truly neutralize the Tianxing Sect's peak combat power, the slaughter of the remaining sect members would be effortless.
The black-robed figures dispersed to carry out their orders.
In Zhao Wuji's hand appeared a small transparent porcelain bottle. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
The Lord had gifted him a rare spiritual medicine. Once refined, it transformed into this clear liquid. Its medicinal properties were vicious. Even a cultivator at the Tribulation stage would lose their combat ability after consuming it—if only briefly.
But that short window was all he needed.
These past days, if he hadn't been busy refining this liquid, he would've acted long ago.
Now?
Everything was ready.
He no longer cared about being sect master of the Tianxing Sect.
So what if he had turned to the demonic path?
What mattered was being the one who laughed last.
Zhao Wuji quietly returned to the Tianxing Sect. Looking up, he saw that the illusion projection was still playing overhead.
He simply sneered.
In three days at most, all his people would be in place.
By the time Yun Jin returned...
The Tianxing Sect would already be a dead land.
It was just—
A pity, really.
Once everything was done, he would have to leave this region quickly. He wouldn't get to see Yun Jin break down in anguish with his own eyes.
Wushuang Sect.
Duan Yiwei and a few others were forced to kneel, faces full of resentment, cursing bitterly under their breath.
The next moment—
An Tong waved his hand, and their voices vanished. Not even a whisper could be heard.
An Tong said coldly, "You feel wronged? You think this is unfair? Fine. I'll let you speak. But hear this first—those two stone lions at the gate possess the power to see through the heart. If you harbor evil intent, they will strike. Trust me, none of you could survive a single blow. So—anyone still feeling unjustly treated, still unwilling to accept this—go ahead. You may speak now."
He lifted the pressure.
Silence fell.
Duan Yiwei gritted his teeth and forced himself to say, "What if you're using those lions as an excuse to kill us?"
An Tong's expression didn't change. "Those two stone lions have stood guard over Wushuang Sect's main hall for many years. Many here know exactly what they're capable of. You're free to keep making excuses. Those with clarity will see the truth."
Yun Jin raised an eyebrow. "Anyone want to prove themselves?"
"Yun Jin, who are you to—what right do you have to demand this from us—" Duan Yiwei started again.
Yun Jin, clearly annoyed, silenced him with a flick of her fingers.
An Tong turned to the others. "Step inside to observe the ceremony."
The rest looked at one another, hesitant, but began walking up the steps with cautious steps.
The doors to the great hall slowly opened.
Yun Jin was the first to enter.
The two stone lions knelt reverently on either side.
But as soon as Yun Jin passed through—
The lions rose to their feet.
Their eyes gleamed with a deep blue light, scanning the remaining group, as if piercing into the depths of their souls.
Jin Yu frowned slightly and strode forward.
He had nothing to hide and feared no shadow.
The blue light swept across him. Nothing happened. He passed through without issue.
The others looked increasingly uneasy. No one moved for a moment.
"I'll go." Yue Zhao smiled and stepped forward.
The blue light swept over him, calm and quiet. He entered without a hitch.
Next were Si Wanning and Yu Songnian, both entering safely.
Ye Liuqin appeared slightly more tense, but stepped forward as well.
This time—
Among the Xuandan Gate disciples, two had already collapsed on the steps.
She couldn't quite tell what this all meant.
Ye Liuqin had no ill will toward Yun Jin. But the accuracy of the stone lions' judgment left her wary.
She stepped forward.
The blue light gathered over her.
In that instant—
Ye Liuqin felt as if everything inside her had been laid bare.
The next second, nothing happened. She walked into the hall unharmed.
The rest breathed easier.
These individuals had already passed one screening. After this second test, all who remained safely entered the hall.
At the far end of Wushuang Sect's grand hall stood a resplendent throne—the sect master's seat.
Yun Jin walked slowly forward and sat upon it.
Wushuang Sect's new sect master: Yun Jin.
An Tong's expression was complicated, as was the look in Tian Po Jian's eyes.
Outside, lining both sides of the steps—
Countless weapons let out a resonant hum once more.
After all these years—
Finally, a glimmer of hope.
No one could say where the future would lead.
But at the very least—
This was a beginning.