Tianjian Peak.
Ji Wusi, Qing Yun, and Liu Li sat in a row. Behind each of them stood Cang Li, Shen Yanye, and Qi Yu respectively.
Across from them, Yun Jin sat looking visibly conflicted.
"Xiao Jin, have you made up your mind?" Lin Ya asked cautiously.
He silently prayed in his heart.
Please, little ancestor, don't say something like, "I don't want to leave because of you."
Yun Jin let out a soft sigh. "Three seniors, each of you is outstanding in your field, and I hold great respect for all of you. But I do have one concern."
"Speak," Ji Wusi said without hesitation.
Yun Jin rested her chin in her hand. "Kunlun Sword Sect, Xuandan Gate, and the Beastmaster Sect. No matter which sect I join, I'll be expected to focus on only one path, right?"
At that, Ji Wusi, Qing Yun, and Liu Li surprisingly nodded in unison.
Liu Li spoke first. "Girl, I understand your immense talent. But before one ascends to immortality, lifespan is still finite. There was once a prodigy who had talent across several paths. He was arrogant, believing he was smarter than everyone else, so he pursued all of them at once. But the deeper one goes, the harder each path becomes. With his focus scattered, how could he climb to the top in any of them? Later, when he realized his mistake and tried to focus on one, it was too late. His lifespan had run out. He fell during the Tribulation stage, never even reaching Mahayana. Had he devoted himself to one path, he might have reached Mahayana, even ascended."
"Well said," Qing Yun nodded. "All things in this world follow the Dao. Any path can lead to the Great Dao. But the reason we only have four Holy Lands is that, in this small world of ours, only four paths—sword, pill, beastmastery, and divine arts—have mature, complete cultivation systems. Generations of accumulated wisdom ensure you can cultivate these paths all the way to the Immortal Realm. The others are fragmented. They're fine for supplementary study, but you must never treat them as your main focus. Even as a supplement, you cannot afford to waste too much time."
"If you're curious about the others, wait until you reach the Immortal Realm," Ji Wusi added. "In the mortal realm, time is limited."
For the first time, the three of them agreed on something.
Yun Jin blinked and raised her brows. "Divine arts?"
Ji Wusi scoffed. "That path is the most boring. No need to bother with it."
Qing Yun glanced at him and smiled. "That's the Qingxiao Pavilion's path. Their disciples cultivate divine abilities using secret methods. You've already cultivated Lightning Within Water, haven't you? But you can't strengthen it further. If you had access to Qingxiao Pavilion's techniques, its power could easily multiply tenfold. Their library is vast, filled with countless divine abilities. If you're interested, you could learn a dozen or even dozens. With proper combinations, they can amplify each other. Very profound stuff."
Divine arts, huh…
Yun Jin narrowed her eyes slightly.
Of the four Holy Lands, the only one she disliked was Qingxiao Pavilion.
Not just because of Zhao Wuji.
But because in the story she remembered, the other three Holy Lands were eventually destroyed by the Demon Sovereign.
Only Qingxiao Pavilion thrived alongside the Demon Sovereign. From one of four equals, it rose to dominate the world by the end of the tale.
And Lin Xiao, the Pavilion Master of Qingxiao.
He first took in the genius disciple Ye Danxia, then, after the Demon Sovereign took human form, accepted the Demon Sovereign as his own disciple.
Ye Danxia and the Demon Sovereign both survived their early struggles thanks to Lin Xiao's protection.
"Forget that nonsense about divine arts. Xiao Jin, we've explained everything. You should understand by now—fish and bear's paw cannot both be had," Ji Wusi said. "Go ahead and tell the other two to give up."
Naturally, Qing Yun and Liu Li didn't take that well.
Liu Li huffed. "Xiao Jin, are you just too shy to refuse the others? It's alright, say what you really mean."
Qing Yun glared at them. "You two, stop with your nonsense. Yun Jin refined a Tier Seven Bu Tian Pill at the Foundation Establishment stage. That's an absurd level of alchemy talent. If she trains under me, reaching Mahayana is a given. Ascension is well within reach. Don't let your selfishness ruin a once-in-a-lifetime pill genius."
Ji Wusi frowned. "Are you saying the sword path is inferior to the pill path? With her sword talent, she could become Mahayana as well!"
"I'll tell you both something," Liu Li cut in coldly. "When Yun Jin awakened her beastmaster talent, countless divine beast phantoms appeared behind her. She might be the one destined to awaken the ancient beasts. Don't even think about stealing her from the Beastmaster Sect!"
Their gazes darkened. The atmosphere turned tense again.
Seeing the moment, Cang Li quietly spoke. "Xiao Jin, you and I share a karmic bond, do you remember?"
Yun Jin quickly nodded. "Senior Cang, thank you for the ring you gave me."
Cang Li was not good at smiling, but he made the effort now. "You forged the Tai'a Sword well. I assume you still plan to keep enhancing it?"
Yun Jin nodded again.
Cang Li's smile widened. "Then you should know that the best weapon forgers are in Kunlun Sword Sect. Whether it's sword cultivation or improving Tai'a Sword, that's your best choice. More importantly, long ago, your ancestors saved my life. I swore to look after their descendants. That karma now falls to you. If you join Kunlun Sword Sect, you'll be cultivating the Dao while fulfilling destiny. Xiao Jin, this is fate."
Even this stiff-faced man was pulling the emotional card.
Ji Wusi was delighted. He kept nodding. "Right, right. It's fate."
The others looked annoyed.
"Cang Li, you sly bastard. Resorting to emotional appeals?"
"That little karmic favor? I've carried greater debts than that!"
Cang Li suddenly became the target of the group.
Ji Wusi slapped the table. "You people, resorting to personal attacks just because you're losing."
"Losing? Yun Jin hasn't even made her choice!"
"Exactly. Let her speak for herself."
All eyes turned toward Yun Jin again.
She cleared her throat, blinking a few times, then said, "Here's what I think. You're all worried that I won't have enough energy to pursue everything, right? But I believe I'm fairly talented. So how about this—each of you gives me one manual. If I can master all three within the time limit, wouldn't that prove I can handle it?"
The three of them blinked, caught off guard.
Yun Jin added, "Besides, through the process, you'll also be able to see which field I have the most talent for, isn't that right?"
Their eyes changed subtly.
They understood.
This wasn't just about testing Yun Jin's learning ability. It was also a test of their teaching ability.
Since Yun Jin hadn't officially joined any Holy Land yet, they couldn't give her core techniques. But the personal techniques they had created or collected over the years were more than enough. Picking one to hand over to Yun Jin would be easy.
They exchanged glances and, in that moment, a silent battle ignited between them.
The same thought crossed all their minds.
This is the perfect opportunity to outshine the other two, once and for all.