The moment Yun Jin's blade turned, Ruan Jun's expression darkened.
"You really think you can defeat me?" he growled. "Let me show you why crossing realms in battle is nearly impossible!"
But Yun Jin didn't answer. She advanced, sword in hand, merging two layers of sword intent. The Tai'a Sword twisted through the air at a strange angle, heading straight for him.
Ruan Jun's pupils contracted. In the same instant, he launched his strongest mental attack.
This was the weak point he had been waiting for.
He was already at peak Nascent Soul. His soul strength matched his cultivation, firmly at the pinnacle.
Yun Jin? No matter how mysterious or gifted she was, she was still only in the Golden Core stage.
Even if her sword techniques were clever, even if her cultivation method was rare, what could she do when it came to soul power? What could she possibly resist with?
He didn't need to match her in swordplay or brute force. A direct assault on her spirit would be enough.
In the stands, Zhao Wuji smiled.
Good. As expected from his top disciple. Ruan Jun had pinpointed Yun Jin's true weakness.
Cultivating spiritual strength was far harder than cultivating spiritual power. For her to reach Golden Core in just three months was already a miracle—likely due to the residual effects of some rare heavenly treasure.
But no matter how precious the treasure, that was probably the limit. Her soul power? At best, it matched her realm. And Ruan Jun's soul power had already reached the peak of Nascent Soul. That was an entire major realm above her.
In a direct clash of souls, what could she do?
In the sky above, Shen Yanye chuckled softly.
Others might not know, but he did.
To become a Beastmaster, soul potential was paramount. And Yun Jin's soul strength? He had seen it first-hand.
When the awakening ceremony ended, he had clearly sensed it—Yun Jin's soul had already broken into the Divine Transformation stage. She was not just above Ruan Jun, she had crossed a full major realm beyond him.
Trying to suppress her in a soul battle?
Heh. Ruan Jun had just signed his own death warrant.
On the arena floor, as the crowd watched with a mix of nerves and schadenfreude, Ruan Jun launched his mental attack.
Yun Jin noticed immediately. She could tell exactly what he intended. But she didn't dodge. She didn't shield her mind. She just advanced with her sword.
Ruan Jun's eyes lit up.
No resistance?
Perfect.
His spirit would crash through hers and shatter her mind. What good would a fancy sword technique do then? She wouldn't even be able to stand.
With anticipation, he pushed his spirit into her sea of consciousness.
There. Good.
Now he just needed to focus and destroy it.
His spiritual force condensed into a blade, aimed directly at the core of her consciousness.
But strangely, he encountered no resistance.
Where was her mental power?
No pushback, no defense at all?
That should have made things easier, right?
Smirking, Ruan Jun sent his force deeper—only to see a single, spinning golden core floating in the heart of her sea of consciousness.
He blinked.
A Golden Core? Inside her sea of consciousness?
Before he could react, it began to spin faster.
Suddenly, his spiritual power was dragged into a whirlpool, pulled irresistibly toward that spinning core and swallowed whole.
What… what was this?
Ruan Jun's mind filled with horror.
The battle in the spiritual realm was invisible to the crowd. Zhao Wuji, oblivious, was still waiting expectantly for Yun Jin to collapse.
That sword-bearing girl, seemingly composed, should fall at any moment.
But instead—
Ruan Jun staggered, clutching his head, and screamed.
And Yun Jin's sword reached his side with no resistance.
She smiled faintly, adjusting her aim at the last second. Rather than a fatal blow, her blade cut into his arm.
Wasn't it fun, to toy with your opponent like a cat with a mouse?
Now it was his turn.
Ruan Jun retreated in a panic, what little spirit he had left barely holding together.
He looked at Yun Jin with real fear in his eyes now.
What kind of monster was this girl?
Her soul strength was a complete enigma. Not only could he not crush her, he couldn't even resist the pull of that strange Golden Core.
He had no choice but to retreat wildly, dodging as best he could.
But the scene looked all too familiar.
Just like in the match against Yu Songnian, Yun Jin showed no mercy. Her expression was cold, her movements swift. She didn't let up, pressing forward with strike after strike. Each blow landed, each one cutting into Ruan Jun's flesh.
He had become the new Yu Songnian.
The crowd stared, stunned.
Before the match, who could have imagined this?
Not Ruan Jun overwhelming Yun Jin. Not a close, hard-fought duel. And certainly not a dramatic comeback.
Yun Jin had dominated from the very beginning. It wasn't even close.
A Golden Core stage cultivator, beating a peak Nascent Soul as easily as a parent disciplining a child.
And that peak Nascent Soul was Ruan Jun!
"Little junior sister, you're incredible!" Si Wanning suddenly shouted.
Zhao Wuji's gaze turned sharp, cutting toward her like a blade.
She ignored him and shouted again.
Yu Songnian said nothing, but his eyes softened slightly.
Little junior sister… was avenging him.
The others began whispering, unsettled.
"Yun Jin never forgets a grudge…"
"No kidding. It's not just her you have to avoid offending—steer clear of anyone from Tianjian Peak too!"
Getting on the bad side of her sect mates might be even more dangerous than provoking Yun Jin herself.
She used to be blunt and straightforward with revenge.
But this time? All because Ruan Jun had bullied Yu Songnian, Yun Jin had paid him back, stroke for stroke.
And knowing her, she could have ended this already. She could have struck him down in a flash.
Instead, she had chosen to make him suffer.
Wounds continued to spread across Ruan Jun's body. Blood soaked through his robes. He was a mess of cuts and bruises.
Yet in the midst of that panic, a flicker of clarity returned to his eyes.
Just like Yu Songnian before, he had one last move left.
Back then, Yu Songnian had used his hidden sword to strike at the last second.
Now, Ruan Jun could do the same.
He just needed one moment, one window of overconfidence, to activate the needle-shaped artifact bestowed by his master.
If he could land that one hit, he could turn the tables.
He forced himself to calm down, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
Zhao Wuji saw the shift in Ruan Jun's eyes and immediately understood what he planned.
His own heart clenched.
That artifact was deadly sharp and expertly concealed. If it landed, there was still a chance to flip this fight on its head.