Kong Huai's body was still trembling.
But in his hands, a golden iron chain appeared instantly. Without hesitation, he launched his attack.
The two Unity-stage cultivators sneered. One easily caught his iron chain, while the other brought a palm crashing down toward his forehead.
Yun Jin's expression shifted slightly. Silently, something appeared in her hand. Just as she was about to act, she froze.
Because Kong Huai had not been harmed. The moment the two Unity-stage cultivators struck, another sect disciple stepped forward. It was a woman with a cold expression.
Yun Jin did not know her well. During previous missions, she had never been in her team.
She seemed unusually silent in daily life. Even someone with an eidetic memory like Yun Jin had to search through her recollections to remember this person.
"Senior Sister Jiang," Kong Huai said, dazed, looking at the woman. Her name was Jiang Siwei. Known to everyone, she was a cultivation fanatic. While others trained diligently, they still had moments of laziness. Jiang Siwei, however, was always in seclusion, only appearing at critical moments.
Through this grueling dedication…
Jiang Siwei's cultivation had quietly reached the Tribulation stage.
Ignoring Kong Huai's shock, Jiang Siwei produced a long whip in her hand. The whip lashed like a living serpent, sweeping across the two Unity-stage cultivators. In the next instant, the two Evil Dao were utterly obliterated.
Everyone was stunned.
It was the first time they had seen Jiang Siwei fight so decisively.
She looked up at Yun Jin and spoke in a calm voice: "I have never known my parents nor suffered from Evil Dao oppression. I cultivate to become immortal. Yet, as Hall Master said, I have received resources I did not deserve.
I wish to continue selfishly, but I realize I cannot achieve a complete Dao heart this way. Since I owe a debt, I will repay it today. If I survive, my Dao heart remains whole. If I die, it will be in pursuit of the Dao." Jiang Siwei spoke with calm resolve.
She did not fight for the sake of exterminating demons, nor had she been swayed. She simply felt that the things Yun Jin had spoken before prevented her Dao heart from being whole. Then she would use her life to pursue that wholeness. She remained the cultivator wholly devoted to the Dao.
Yun Jin looked at her cold expression and smiled: "Good. I hope your Dao heart reaches completion."
Jiang Siwei nodded silently.
She swung her whip, attacking the Evil Dao formation.
Kong Huai hurried to follow her.
The Tribulation-stage Evil Dao's expression darkened. He coldly said, "Stop harassing Yun Jin. Kill these two first."
Their attacks shifted, now targeting Jiang Siwei and Kong Huai.
"Senior Sister Jiang and Senior Brother Kong… if it's just them two, they will die."
Suddenly, someone shouted and drew their weapon, charging forward.
"Fools. If it's only you three, won't you die?"
He too surged ahead.
"If we do not fight now, inner demons will arise. I will join in."
"If I do not fight, my deceased parents will never forgive me."
"You all go… then I will go too."
Soon, more than half of the sect disciples had joined the battle.
Perhaps selfish.
Perhaps cowardly.
Perhaps flawed in many ways.
Yet in this moment, they chose to fight.
Yun Jin looked at them, slightly surprised. More disciples stood forward than she had expected. She let out a soft laugh. All her painstaking efforts were not in vain.
Indeed, even among sect disciples, some still retained the innocent, human heart they were born with.
"Shall we… not go?" some remaining disciples asked hesitantly.
"To do what? Die!"
"What Dao heart, what demon-slaying! Is anything more important than life?"
"Just wait. Those charging forward will likely not survive."
"A bunch of fools," came the mocking voices.
They believed: Those who know the times are the wise. They thought they had made the correct choice.
With Jiang Siwei and Kong Huai holding the line, the Evil Dao below were temporarily restrained. However, their role was only to create a distraction.
The true threat still loomed above.
Zhai Ge's expression was cold. "Yun Jin, I did not expect your ability to sway hearts is so strong. Do not worry. Since these people have betrayed me, I will send them to join you shortly. That way, your journey to the underworld will not be so lonely."
"Then I thank you in advance?" Yun Jin replied, laughing weakly.
Her injuries were worsening; she was barely holding on.
Zhai Ge's expression shifted, and he raised his massive palm, ready to deliver a fatal strike.
At Yun Jin's current state, there was no way to dodge.
Not even in a state of supreme insight.
She knew this herself.
In that moment, she did not hesitate. She immediately took the ninth-grade pill given by Master Qing Yun.
Master Qing Yun had said that as long as one breath remained, the pill could restore a person to their peak state.
The moment the pill entered her mouth, it transformed into the purest spiritual energy. The next moment, all of Yun Jin's wounds vanished. She instantly returned to her peak state. She leapt out of the range of the giant palm.
Zhai Ge's expression darkened as he watched Yun Jin spring back to life.
A ninth-grade pill!
He immediately understood its origin. But he truly could not comprehend it. Qing Yun had been so generous!
A ninth-grade pill required an enormous amount of time and rare herbs to refine. He did not even have one. And yet Yun Jin, at Unity stage, casually produced it!
"Keep going! Why does everyone look so weak?" Yun Jin boasted, fully restored.
She had survived another round.
Originally, she wanted to push her limits, perhaps breakthrough the Primordial Wood in this extreme moment.
But Zhai Ge's forces were lacking, and she could not take the final step.
Then she would try again.
Yun Jin sprang around energetically, and Zhai Ge's expression darkened.
This woman… she would not stop.
They had been hoping for a swift conclusion.
But Yun Jin… was far too energetic!
Not even a grasshopper could jump as much as her!