The newcomers were the disciples who had faced life-and-death danger during previous missions and had been transported to Wushuang Sect. Once inside Wushuang Sect's secret realm, An Tong administered entrance tests to all disciples interested in joining the sect.
The results were quite impressive.
Especially among the loose cultivators, who had faced ups and downs in life, their hearts were generally stronger than those of ordinary sect disciples. Their worldly experience gave them deeper insight.
Of fifty loose cultivators, thirty passed the test. That was a remarkable ratio.
Before last night, only eight disciples from Yun Jin's original team had been sent over. Of those eight, only three were willing to take the test. In the end, only one passed. The others were clearly still hesitant.
But Yun Jin did not force them. Wushuang Sect needed people, but it would not push them beyond their limits. The disciples who passed were allowed to stay in Wushuang Sect. They were awed by the disciples' sacrifices and the Trial Tower, and had already begun their intensive cultivation.
Those who did not join returned to Mingxin Hall. This time, the team leader was none other than Yue Zhao. This was at Yun Jin's specific request. For filming a movie, she trusted no one else—it had to be the senior brother.
From now on, Yue Zhao would be the chief director of The Yun Jin Saga.
The first The Yun Jin Saga had been somewhat rudimentary.
The second installment had to show grandeur!
Through the communication talisman, Yue Zhao understood why Yun Jin had sent for him. Filming a movie in the cultivation world was unusual. But Yue Zhao's sharp commercial instincts told him this was a completely untapped market. If it succeeded, his vision of a commercial empire would come one step closer!
As soon as Yue Zhao and the disciples arrived, Yun Jin assigned tasks. "Senior Brother, you are the chief director. You oversee the overall shooting.
You have a fire-element spiritual root, so you will handle lighting. Look at the script—any part marked in red is where your light is needed.
This scene calls for rain to reflect the heroine's desolate heart. You have a water-element root, so that's yours.
This section involves an earthquake. Earth-element roots, be prepared.
Also, these props need to be prepared. Just make them look ready; we can add special effects later.
Quick, everyone, review the script. Let's act fast. Today, we finish the three seniors' scenes. Within three days, complete everything."
Yun Jin arranged it all at lightning speed.
Everyone was slightly bewildered.
Fortunately, Yue Zhao was there. He fully understood Yun Jin's intentions. His grasp of filmmaking was even deeper than hers. Holding the script, he redistributed tasks. Though the group was still a bit lost, at least they knew what to do and when.
"All right, let's begin shooting!
For the first scene, we need a cave in a plain to film the demons plotting their schemes. We need a few volunteers to play the demons."
"No volunteers? Comrades, we must have a spirit of self-sacrifice! A little damage to your image for the sake of a good movie is nothing. Don't worry, once the movie releases, I'll clear your names."
"Still no volunteers? Each villain role earns ten high-grade spirit stones."
"Wait, wait, that's enough. We have enough people!"
Yun Jin watched the bustling scene, satisfied.
Senior Brother, as expected, did not disappoint.
Yue Zhao arranged each scene, and the group immediately headed to film on location.
The first scene's plot was roughly as follows:
A group of demons lurked nearby, intending to practice forbidden arts.
Following the events of the first installment, Yun Jin, as the new Mingxin Hall leader, had purged demons, squeezing their survival space. They hated Yun Jin deeply. So they conspired to eliminate her.
They promised various benefits and secretly colluded with Zhai Ge to launch a surprise attack on Mingxin Hall.
Since Zhai Ge and Shi Li were already dead, disciples were recruited to play their parts.
They chose disciples with similar build and facial features and used magical makeup to make it convincing.
A hidden subplot was added.
The three Mahayana cultivators, under Ji Wusi's orders, had been secretly tracking the demons.
Several times they nearly discovered the demons' location, but were repeatedly misled by Zhai Ge and his cohorts.
By the time they arrived on site, Yun Jin had already finished the battle alone.
This part did not require additional filming.
Yun Jin had used the Recording Stone during the battle, so there was ready footage to edit.
After a full day, the Mahayana cultivators were dizzy from Yue Zhao's coordination but had completed the tasks. They breathed a sigh of relief and were about to leave when suddenly,
Petals fell from the sky.
Beautiful music began to play.
While they were still stunned, Yun Jin clapped and said, "Everyone, join me in wishing the seniors a smooth wrap for shooting."
"Smooth wrap!" Yue Zhao clapped along.
"Smooth wrap!" everyone echoed.
The three Mahayana cultivators were dumbfounded and barely managed a "thank you."
They only wanted to escape, but Yun Jin insisted on giving them wrap gifts before letting them go. Sweat streamed down their foreheads as they left.
"Next time, if there's another Yun Jin-related task, let someone else handle it," one muttered.
Another nodded frantically.
It wasn't that they disliked Yun Jin; filming was just too embarrassing.
"If there's a next time… I want to come again…" suddenly, the third said, dazed.
The others looked at him.
Had he lost his mind?
He held a tea leaf and said, "The wrap gift from Yun Jin is Enlightenment Tea… at least a thousand years old."
Enlightenment Tea?
At the Mahayana stage, awakening to the Law was paramount. Such an item, aiding Law comprehension, was a dream for every Mahayana cultivator. The other two were equally astonished.
"Filming a movie is so fun. I'll come again next time!" the first said earnestly. "If you two resist, I can even use illusion techniques to play three roles myself!"
"Get lost! When did I resist? I just had too little screen time. Next time, I want a hundred days of shooting."
"My performance wasn't great this time. I'll work on it next time."
"Good thing I exchanged communication talismans with Yun Jin. I'll volunteer myself. When The Yun Jin Saga: Part III shoots, I want a cameo!"
Yun Jin immediately received their volunteers and felt very gratified. She had effectively trained her first group of specially invited actors. In the future, when the market expanded, she would establish a special effects team composed solely of Mahayana cultivators.
Mahayana-level effects would be realistic and exceptional.