The Sword Trial Assembly was fast approaching, and the journey alone would still take a considerable amount of time.
The day after receiving their next task, Yun Jin and Yu Songnian descended the mountain at dawn, just as the sky began to lighten.
"Master, Little Sister and Junior Brother have left the mountain," Yue Zhao reported softly.
At the summit of Tianjian Peak, Lin Ya sipped his wine contentedly, then chuckled. "Tianxing Sect has already been more or less wrecked by her. It's about time to let your Little Sister out into the wider world so she can stir up some new chaos."
This little disciple of his, everything about her was excellent—except for the fact that she always made people feel on edge, as if the next moment she might do something utterly earthshaking.
But now, that pressure would be someone else's problem.
It was the Yu family's turn to worry.
Just thinking about their past behavior made Lin Ya want to laugh.
In any case, he didn't think Yun Jin would suffer any injustice at the Yu residence. If she didn't end up turning the entire Yu family upside down, that would already be merciful. If even those few from the Yu clan could manage to suppress Xiao Jin, wouldn't Zhao Wuji end up crying his eyes out in the latrine?
Beside him, Yue Zhao and Si Wanning both nodded in agreement.
The world was vast.
Tianxing Sect alone could no longer contain their Little Sister's chaos. But surely, the rest of the world could handle her… right?
In another room.
Zhao Wuji sat beside Han Xiaoyu with a heart full of pain. "Xiaoyu, that Yun Jin has always been unorthodox. This time you lost, so be it. Next time, we'll take back the win." His tone was gentle and persuasive.
Han Xiaoyu simply sat there, expression blank and lifeless.
His Dao heart had shattered.
His conviction had collapsed.
Although the injuries he suffered on his body had mostly been healed by Zhao Wuji upon returning, the damage to his spirit remained. He looked like a living corpse, silent and unmoving.
Physically frail since childhood, he had always been pampered and loved beyond measure by Zhao Wuji. He had never tasted hardship. And now, before a crowd of spectators, he had been utterly humiliated and defeated by the very beast he once discarded.
He couldn't bear the blow.
He was on the verge of becoming a cripple.
Zhao Wuji had tried speaking with him for quite a while, but Han Xiaoyu showed no reaction.
Grinding his teeth, Zhao Wuji lowered his voice. "Xiaoyu, don't you like Danxia? I can make that happen. She's a Heavenly Spiritual Root—if you dual cultivate with her, she can help restore your potential. Rebuilding your Dao heart is only the beginning. Your cultivation will skyrocket. I'll find you powerful beasts. One day, Yun Jin and that Iron-Eating Beast will pay."
Danxia?
This time, Han Xiaoyu reacted.
He slowly raised his eyes to look at Zhao Wuji. His voice was hoarse. "Master… I'm already a cripple. Will Danxia still want to be with me?"
He finally spoke.
Zhao Wuji was ecstatic. He immediately said, "Why wouldn't she? She's just a laborer now. Trust me, as long as you pull yourself together, I will make this happen."
Previously, Zhao Wuji had hesitated over whether to pair Han Xiaoyu with Ye Danxia. After all, Ye Danxia was always stirring up trouble, hardly what one would call a good match. But now that Han Xiaoyu had become useless, Ye Danxia suddenly seemed like the perfect fit.
Yes, she caused problems—but her talent was real. Let her Heavenly Spiritual Root restore Han Xiaoyu's strength first. Once his power returned, if a better match came along, they could simply cast Ye Danxia aside.
In the past, Zhao Wuji had always forgiven her no matter what she did. But now, when he thought of Ye Danxia, he felt nothing but cold calculation.
The reason was simple.
Ye Danxia had used Han Xiaoyu.
His precious illegitimate son had been manipulated by that girl. She stole the sect master's token through him and committed a grave crime. She wasn't even afraid it might implicate Xiaoyu.
If Zhao Wuji hadn't known Han Xiaoyu's character so well, he might have believed the two had conspired together.
This time, Ye Danxia had touched Zhao Wuji's bottom line. He no longer felt any affection for her—only a desire to squeeze out every ounce of her value.
She was a Heavenly Spiritual Root cultivator. It would be a waste to discard her so easily. Better to use her to restore Xiaoyu's strength. At least that way, the waste would serve some purpose.
Seeing Zhao Wuji speak with such conviction, a flicker of hope lit up in Han Xiaoyu's eyes.
"And Yun Jin," Zhao Wuji continued in a low voice, "I will never let her go unpunished. A single moment of triumph means nothing. Only those who laugh last are the true winners. Don't be fooled by how high Tianjian Peak is riding right now. I've already laid a trap. Soon enough, their glory will crumble."
Clearly, Zhao Wuji had other schemes in motion.
Thinking of his master's deep and unfathomable mind, Han Xiaoyu's face finally regained some color. He said quietly, "These past few days, I've made Master worry."
Zhao Wuji was filled with relief. "It's good that you're recovering. You're the only disciple I can entrust my legacy to."
Han Xiaoyu's first thought was—weren't there still Zhou Li and Zhou Dai?
But those two had never been favored by Zhao Wuji. So he simply smiled and said, "I'll do my best. I won't let Master down."
"As long as you're well, that's enough for me." Zhao Wuji smiled kindly.
For the moment, the atmosphere between master and disciple was peaceful and warm. Once he was sure Han Xiaoyu had recovered somewhat, Zhao Wuji finally got up to leave.
As soon as he stepped out the door, someone approached him with a report.
"Sect Master. Yun Jin accepted a mission yesterday, and you instructed me to keep watching. Today, I received word. She and Yu Songnian from Tianjian Peak have already left the mountain."
Yun Jin and Yu Songnian… had gone down the mountain?
Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes, a cold smile forming at his lips.
Perfect.
That Yun Jin was always unnervingly strange. As long as she stayed within the sect, he couldn't make a move.
But now that she had left…
That was the best news he could ask for.
Everything she'd done before—he would make her pay, all at once.
"I understand," Zhao Wuji replied mildly.
This time, he would plan carefully and strike with certainty. There would be no more mistakes.
Before their departure, the wealthy and generous Yue Zhao stuffed the two with many spirit stones and even found them a flying boat artifact. With this, their travel time to Lin City would be significantly shortened.
At this moment, Yun Jin and Yu Songnian were comfortably seated within the flying boat, enjoying a cup of tea together.
With little else to do, Yu Songnian began casually explaining the Sword Trial Assembly.
"This Sword Trial Assembly is an old tradition in the Yu family. Legend says that a thousand years ago, a great master was once indebted to the Yu clan's ancestor. He left behind a sword domain within their estate. Before leaving, he said he had placed something in the very heart of the domain. Anyone who could pass its trials and reach the core would earn that gift. Then he vanished, just like that.
The Yu clan has been trying to claim that treasure ever since. But after countless attempts over many years, they've never managed to reach the heart of the sword domain. It wasn't until the past hundred years that they started opening it to outsiders every decade. Any sword cultivator who wants to try may come and take the test.
Even so… a whole century has passed, and still no one has reached the domain's center. No one has ever seen the legendary treasure left behind."