The aura emanating from the Tai'a Sword had already risen to high Heaven rank. If it were to be upgraded once more, it would surely approach the level of a Saint rank treasure! Such refinement skill could only be called peerless within this small world. But where did Yun Jin find so much time to devote to refining?
"Could it be that Sect Master's life-bound weapon has advanced in grade again?" a new disciple asked, his voice trembling.
"It should be so," an older disciple replied, his tone utterly calm.
The new disciple shook slightly. "This aura… at the very least, it is Heaven rank. Has Sect Master's artifact-forging truly reached such heights? Are none of you surprised?"
The older disciple sighed. "These youngsters nowadays truly lacked composure."
With an air of aged seniority, he said, "Even if Sect Master were to ascend to the God Realm right here and now, none of us would be shocked in the slightest. Sect Master is the very definition of omnipotent. In time, once you've seen enough, you too will grow accustomed to it."
The new disciples: "???"
Could it be that all disciples of Wushuang Sect worshipped Yun Jin this blindly?
"You will come to understand," the older disciple said, his expression laced with sympathy.
They themselves had passed through all the stages, from being stunned, to astonished, to finally facing Sect Master's miracles with utter serenity. These new disciples still had a long road ahead before they could reach that state.
Apart from the Trial Tower, the Celestial Divine Palace had now become the most beloved place for the disciples of Wushuang Sect.
Especially after Yuan Yuan had carelessly let slip a secret: Yun Jin would personally select one disciple, chosen from those who performed best within the games, to become her fourth true disciple!
The moment this news spread, it was not the excitable newcomers who lost their minds, but the normally composed veteran disciples.
The new disciples soon realized that their Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters had all been deliberately concealing their strength. With this new revelation, the ranking board inside the game refreshed at every instant, as disciples fought with all their might for the one true disciple position.
Another month passed.
The disciples were in the midst of debating new strategies for the challenges when suddenly, all of them stopped as one. Their gazes rose instinctively to the skies.
Another terrifying aura had burst forth. But this time, it was even more overwhelming than before. As the aura surged into the heavens, the entire Celestial Divine Palace began to tremble violently. Though the palace itself was a divine artifact, in its sealed state it was only comparable to the pinnacle of the mortal world.
Yet now, this single aura shook it to its core. This could only mean one thing. The newly forged treasure had touched the very limit of what the mortal world could contain. It was the utmost peak of weapon-forging possible in this realm!
"Sect Master's life-bound sword… just how powerful has it become?" one disciple whispered, his voice quivering.
"Even Sect Master Ji's Wuxin Sword may not emanate such dreadful might," another muttered.
"The Wuxin Sword was forged by a grandmaster of the craft, whereas Sect Master forged this sword herself. The bond of mind and will between wielder and weapon cannot even be compared."
"If there were a Weapon Ranking, the Tai'a Sword would surely stand at its very peak!"
"As expected of Sect Master!"
The palace quaked unceasingly.
Within a sealed chamber, Di Xiao slowly opened his eyes.
"Brother, you've awakened?" Di Ying exclaimed in delight.
Thanks to his solid foundation, Di Xiao's recovery had been swift. His soul realm had long been intact, and with the aid of abundant spirit pills, his cultivation had surged back to Divine Transformation within just three months.
And yet…
He found himself stuck at that stage. It was not an issue of soul realm, nor of resources. The problem lay in the secret manual Yun Jin had given him. He had yet to comprehend the next layer. Thus, his first seclusion had to end prematurely.
Though his strength had fallen from before, his face carried a faint excitement. Only now did he truly understand what it meant to wield strength that belonged solely to oneself. Before, everything he had was drawn through those two stones. Now, the power he cultivated was wholly his own.
Weaker for the moment, yes.
But his future brimmed with infinite possibilities.
"Brother, doesn't this feeling of controlling your own strength make you happy?" Di Ying grinned. She deliberately released a trace of her own aura, showing off that she had already advanced to Unity.
She too had restarted cultivation under their Master's guidance, and her progress was even faster than Di Xiao's.
"Your technique…" Di Xiao was slightly surprised.
Her method gave him the sense of perfect complementarity with his own.
"Master told me before going into seclusion that our two arts are actually one set. Once you reach Unity as well, we will be able to unleash a joint strike technique. Crossing realms to slay enemies will be nothing difficult."
Di Xiao silently nodded.
Yun Jin's planning was truly meticulous.
But the more careful she was for their sake, the more complicated his emotions grew. Originally, he had wanted to repay Yun Jin's favor with the Tian Zhao Stone and the Xuan Yin Crystal. Yet now, he could only feel that instead of repaying, his debt had only deepened further.
"The Celestial Divine Palace is trembling. Come, let us see what is happening," Di Xiao said, masking his current weakened cultivation with his formidable soul power.
Outside the palace, a brilliant golden light shot skyward, condensing into a pillar that refused to disperse. Then, circling the light pillar, two fishes appeared—one black, one white.
"An extraordinary treasure has been born, and with it comes a heavenly phenomenon," Qin Ping murmured as he arrived, his gaze fixed upon the sky, golden brilliance reflected in his eyes.
"Sect Master's Tai'a Sword had not advanced for a long while. I had thought the forging was too difficult and Sect Master would abandon her life-bound weapon. I never imagined… in just three months, the Tai'a Sword would be forged to the pinnacle of this world," Hong Ye sighed.
The Tai'a Sword was peculiar.
No other hand could touch it—only Yun Jin herself could forge and temper it. That was its unique requirement. Had it been any other life-bound weapon, it could have been entrusted to a master refiner.
Since the sword's level had not been high before, Hong Ye had assumed Yun Jin's choice not to refine it further meant she intended to discard it.
Who could have foreseen this outcome?
The Tai'a Sword.
Three months to the supreme peak!
Before the eyes of all, the black and white fishes swam up the golden pillar, slowly intertwining. At the edge of the heavens, they merged into one, forming a single Yin-Yang Fish. It revolved endlessly, radiating boundless mystery.
"This is… Sect Master's Primordial Force," one disciple whispered in awe.
As he gazed, he felt himself on the verge of immersion. Compared to Sect Master's Law, his own path suddenly felt insignificant. And yet, in his heart, a seed was planted. A seed named Yin and Yang.
No one knew how much time passed.
The golden pillar faded, and the Yin-Yang Fish descended into the Celestial Divine Palace.
All eyes turned to the palace gates.
Sect Master… was about to emerge.