The arena had fallen into a heavy silence. No matter how much they wracked their brains, no one could understand it. It had only been two months. How could those who were once mocked as trash suddenly undergo a complete transformation, strong enough to crush elite disciples from the super sects in a single move?
The contrast was simply too great.
Even disciples of the Holy Lands would not necessarily achieve such feats.
Yes, Wushuang Sect had abundant resources. Yes, perhaps they could use pills to forcibly push their disciples' cultivation higher.
But this was not just about realm.
Those three clearly each wielded secret techniques of formidable power. Even if the sect offered them freely, one still had to comprehend them. What was this? Yun Jin went out and picked up a handful of so-called discarded scraps, and every one of them turned out to be hidden peerless geniuses?
That was not scientific. Absolutely not scientific. Before, it had only been Yun Jin herself who was beyond reason. Now it felt like the entire sect defied common sense.
"Sect Master Feng, rest assured. Next time, the battles won't end so quickly," Yun Jin said with a smile, as though trying to comfort Feng Yuan whose face had gone dark.
Feng Yuan almost tasted blood in his mouth again. This Yun Jin was born to restrain him.
-
That evening, the sect masters gathered once more in private. They argued and analyzed, but still could not figure out why Wushuang Sect's disciples had become this strong.
At last, Lin Xiao spoke coldly.
"My guess is Yun Jin poured everything into training Foundation Establishment disciples. Only at this lower level of combat do they stand a chance at good results. The higher the realm, the harder it is to advance. The so-called 'invincible among peers' of Wushuang Sect probably ends once Foundation Establishment is behind them."
He swept his gaze across the room.
"There is no need to overthink it. So they won in the Foundation Establishment round, what of it? The Grand Sect Ranking Conclave still has many stages ahead. Sooner or later, we will take the field back."
His words made sense, and the others nodded in agreement.
Which also meant that, in their hearts, they had already conceded. Against Wushuang Sect's disciples at Foundation Establishment, their own sects likely had no chance.
The next series of matches carried no suspense.
Gao Jingxuan and the other two advanced like an unstoppable tide.
The only drawn-out battle came during the top ten matches, when Du Bing had to face Gao Jingxuan in an internal Wushuang Sect duel.
In the end, it was Gao Jingxuan, though the weaker in cultivation, who claimed victory.
The final round saw Gao Jingxuan pitted against Lin Cheng.
Once more, Gao Jingxuan triumphed, seizing the championship for Foundation Establishment.
Thus, in the Foundation Establishment stage of the conclave, Wushuang Sect claimed two first-place titles, earning massive points and shooting to the number one position overall.
Veteran super sects like Xinghe Sect and Jingshi Sect could only remain obediently beneath them.
When the results spread, Sky City was shaken to its core.
When the news reached the wider cultivation world, it was nothing short of an earthquake.
A sect founded only two months ago had already suppressed super sects in the Grand Sect Ranking Conclave, seizing two consecutive first places.
How was this even possible?
Many had not been present in Sky City to witness the battles. But that hardly mattered, for Yun Jin had prepared ahead of time. She had the fights recorded on Memory Stones.
Yue Zhao even disguised his appearance and sold the recordings himself, making a tidy profit in the process.
The Golden Core stage matches would begin in seven days.
During those seven days, the uproar of Wushuang Sect winning two first places spread like wildfire. Countless cultivators replayed the battle footage, trying to uncover the secret behind their strength.
What kind of sect could turn ordinary disciples into such top-tier elites in such a short time?
Was it truly the case that only disciples of Wushuang Sect could defeat disciples of Wushuang Sect?
Had their strength really reached such a level?
If a sect this new already displayed such momentum, what must the ancient Wushuang Sect have been like a thousand years ago, when rumors claimed they suppressed the Four Great Holy Lands themselves?
Those legends had always been dismissed by most. Even Wushuang Sect's rumored role in saving the world had been quietly suppressed by Qingxiao Pavilion, forbidding disciples from spreading the tale.
But now, with this new Wushuang Sect rising so rapidly, the discussions could no longer be silenced. Especially among disciples of lower and mid-tier sects, whose thoughts began to stir restlessly.
Du Bing, Lin Cheng, Gao Jingxuan—before entering Wushuang Sect, they had been nobodies. Any sect disciple could have looked down on them with ease.
And now?
Two months after joining Wushuang Sect, their strength had undergone earth-shaking transformation. Facing disciples from super sects, they achieved instant victories.
All of this came from Wushuang Sect. All of it came from that legendary Sect Master.
If even disciples with such mediocre talent could rise to become experts among their peers…
What about them?
If they could enter Wushuang Sect, might they not gain the same opportunity?
Their restlessness only grew when news spread that in the mid-tier sect competitions, Tianxing Sect had also taken first place.
Tianxing Sect—a wholly unremarkable mid-tier sect—had achieved such results merely from scraps of resources leaking from Wushuang Sect's grasp. That alone had propelled them to the top of their tier.
When Tianxing Sect first declared themselves a vassal to Wushuang Sect, many had laughed behind their backs. Who didn't know? To become Wushuang Sect's subordinate was to take sides openly, and against the Holy Lands no less.
But now?
Those who mocked them found it harder to laugh.
They had aligned with Qingxiao Pavilion, but most of the benefits and resources were hoarded by the higher sects. For lower and mid-tier sects like theirs, little had changed.
Tianxing Sect, meanwhile, was thriving. They were supposed to share Wushuang Sect's doom when the reckoning came. Yet the opposite had happened. Tianxing Sect grew stronger, while the rest could only sink further into mediocrity.
Over these past days, disciples from many lesser sects had begun secretly asking how to join Wushuang Sect.
Yun Jin herself remained silent, but Tianxing Sect's sect master Lin Ya traveled personally to Sky City, announcing that Wushuang Sect was still accepting vassals. Any sect that pledged allegiance would see their disciples prioritized for entry into Wushuang Sect, along with many other benefits.
So far, no second sect had dared step forward openly.
But the restlessness in people's hearts was undeniable.
Once again, Lin Xiao gathered with his closest allies to discuss Wushuang Sect.
"Pavilion Master Lin," Liu Hua said anxiously, "Wushuang Sect only won one round, yet so many hearts are already wavering. If this continues, I fear it will turn dangerous."
Lin Xiao, however, remained calm, his expression cold.
"Have you heard the saying? The higher you climb, the harder you fall."
The others nodded thoughtfully.
Lin Xiao's voice lowered.
"Yes, many are tempted. But no one will stake everything on Wushuang Sect so easily. They are waiting. The question is—does Wushuang Sect even have more to show?"
His eyes gleamed.
"This victory at Foundation Establishment is already their final blaze of glory. They burned their entire treasury just to raise a few disciples this far in two months.
But what of the Golden Core stage? The Nascent Soul? Divine Transformation? Higher realms still?
Can they repeat this trick?"
His tone hardened.
"They might wish to. But tell me, which high-level cultivator did not gain their strength from years of painstaking accumulation?
No matter what methods Wushuang Sect has, their road ends here."