Si Wan'ning asked the question bluntly.
The elven girl froze for a moment, her expression tightening with anxiety. "The Blood Sacrifice Method?"
Even they hadn't known about this!
Her reaction made Yue Zhao and the others pause for a moment.
Si Wan'ning couldn't help but explain, "We sneaked into the prison holding the rare species and learned this from them. They themselves pieced it together from the fragments of conversations among the guards.
It seems someone among the Shi Tribe is practicing an evil technique that fuses bloodlines. The more bloodlines fused, the greater the power. This person hunts rare species just to merge more bloodlines."
The faces of the rare species in the hall changed instantly.
If that were true…
Then their clansmen from before…
Wouldn't they already be nothing but bones?
They'd mentally prepared for this possibility, but a sliver of hope had lingered in their hearts. Maybe their clansmen were just imprisoned, or perhaps injured. As long as they were alive, there was still a chance.
But now…
Si Wan'ning's words shattered that hope.
Absorbing bloodlines.
For them, their bloodline was the foundation of their survival. Lose it, and there was no chance to live.
The atmosphere in the hall sank into despair. A wave of melancholy swept over everyone.
Yue Zhao exchanged glances with the others, surprised. He even felt his head starting to throb again.
Mr. Mirror had abandoned them here, likely assuming these alien races were part of the trap. Maybe they were already controlled. Maybe they were impersonating other Shi Tribe members. Or perhaps they'd been turned into accomplices…
He had considered countless possibilities. But after Second Junior Sister spoke, the grief in their eyes looked genuine. All his guesses suddenly seemed baseless.
"Now that you know the truth, what's your plan?" Si Wan'ning asked, curiosity shining through.
The rare species were still sorrowful. The elven girl wiped her tears and said, "We'll just perform as required."
Si Wan'ning frowned. "You'll still perform? Once it's over, you'll face the same fate. Maybe you could boldly reveal the truth during the festival. It'd be a one-in-a-thousand chance to survive, but at least a little hope would exist."
"No need," the elven girl shook her head. "We only need to follow the arrangements."
"Follow the arrangements? What arrangements?" Si Wan'ning's voice rose with frustration. "You've got no fighting spirit left? And Mr. Mirror said he'd take us to his master, right? Is that person here? You obey so willingly because of them?"
Si Wan'ning's voice grew louder. "Bring them out! I want to see what kind of person is so cruel, orchestrating one tragedy after another in secret. If I meet them, I will—"
Yue Zhao's eyes shifted slightly.
Si Wan'ning had exploded, and he didn't stop her.
He understood her aim perfectly.
She wanted to draw out the mastermind.
Before their mission failed and they were teleported back, at least they'd see the final boss! Before she could finish speaking…
Suddenly, a terrifying pressure descended from above, freezing the air in the hall.
A voice, ethereal and chilling, echoed.
"What… do you intend to do?"
Si Wan'ning's face changed. She'd really provoked the big boss!
Gritting her teeth against the pressure, she said, "Stop hiding! Once you appear, you'll see exactly what I intend to do."
"Is that so? I doubt you can withstand it!"
The voice grew even more sinister.
Then, under Yue Zhao and the others' tense gazes, a black shadow slowly appeared.
They hadn't seen its true form yet. Alarm bells rang simultaneously in their minds. A powerful danger was here.
This was…
The aura of death!
Staying a moment longer meant certain death.
"Teleport!" Yue Zhao shouted.
Si Wan'ning and Yu Songnian didn't hesitate, activating their teleportation.
But then…
Something terrifying happened. The teleportation function in the Mission Hall failed. Even after activating it, they remained in place. All three fell into despair.
The Shi Tribe had a cultivator of this level? Were they really going to die here?
"What will you do with us now?" The voice hissed again.
"Prepare for a life-or-death fight," Yue Zhao gritted his teeth.
Though the power gap was enormous, they would leave at least a scratch on this person, even if it meant death.
Si Wan'ning and Yu Songnian clenched their teeth, ready to fight to the last.
Just as they were about to strike…
The black shadow gradually took shape.
They saw a figure they knew all too well.
The three froze.
Yue Zhao Emotional Value: 25,000
Si Wan'ning Emotional Value: 20,000
Yu Songnian Emotional Value: 20,000
"Speak! Why are you all silent?" Yun Jin grinned mischievously.
She hadn't received such a large influx of Emotional Value from her senior brothers and sisters in a long time. Now, she was having a major harvest.
No sooner had she spoken than a flurry of attacks rained down on her.
Yun Jin exclaimed, "??? You're hitting me even after recognizing me?"
Yue Zhao and the others ignored her, exhausting their spiritual power until they finally stopped.
Yun Jin shook her head, helpless. "What are you even doing? You're only tiring yourselves out."
The three stayed silent.
After taking a moment to calm their emotions, they relaxed.
"Little Sister! Scaring people should be enough to scare them, not kill them!" Si Wan'ning tugged on Yun Jin's hair.
"I almost used forbidden techniques!" Yue Zhao growled.
Yu Songnian nodded repeatedly.
Yun Jin, surrounded by them, had learned her lesson. She could only play dumb, chuckling quietly.
As her cultivation advanced, her senior brothers and sisters had begun addressing her as Sect Master. Respect had grown, but closeness had lessened.
Today, she let herself be playful, and it felt like returning to old times.
"Xiao Jin, have you got those outside people under control?" Si Wan'ning asked.
Yue Zhao realized it too.
There was no scheme.
Mr. Mirror was likely already Xiao Jin's puppet. This had been Xiao Jin's playful game all along. They had overanalyzed everything!
Xiao Jin nodded. "They're all under my control."
"And the rare species?" Si Wan'ning asked.
"We've all been saved by Senior," they said, smiling.
Yue Zhao and the others instantly relaxed.
This mission had been grueling, but with Yun Jin here, it would be straightforward.
"The Wushuang Sect disciples remaining here? Fifteen in total. Do you want to see them?" Yue Zhao asked.
"Sure." Yun Jin nodded. "There's a plan coming up, and I'll need your cooperation."
All three nodded.
Yun Jin glanced at everyone. "Train here in peace. I'll be back shortly."
With the entire Liuyue Palace under her control, any disturbance would be immediately noticed. The rare species nodded in agreement.
Entering the Imperial City had made Yue Zhao and the others nervous, afraid of running into the wrong people. Leaving, they felt completely at ease.
With Yun Jin here, they had total assurance.
In a hidden room of Stone City, the remaining Wushuang Sect disciples waited anxiously.
Tonight, Yue Zhao and the others had gone to the Imperial City to contact the rare species performing at the festival. It was a tough mission, uncertain if they could succeed. Senior Yue had said if they didn't return before dawn, they'd be teleported back to Wushuang Sect, marking the mission a failure. If that happened, staying longer would be pointless—they might as well return.
Everyone quietly watched the sky.
Two hours remained before dawn.
Yue Zhao and the others had been gone a long time, and danger surely awaited them.
Just as they were thinking this…
The door opened.
Yue Zhao and the others had returned safely.
The people's faces lit with relief—until they noticed Yun Jin behind them.
Everyone's pupils shrank.
Sect Master!
The Sect Master had come in person?
This couldn't be real.
Yun Jin looked around, smiling. "It's been a while. I've gained control of a new path. How about you? How's your progress?"
Everyone fell silent.
Yes.
Confirmed.
This was the Sect Master herself, no dream here.
Though they'd have to contribute some Emotional Value to her, their hearts relaxed immediately, just like Yue Zhao and the others.
"Sect Master! You've finally come! The waters in Stone City are treacherous. We've been forced to abandon comrades every day."
"Wahhh! Sect Master, these days have been unbearable! You must speak for us!"
A flurry of chatter followed.
Yun Jin pressed a hand lightly, and silence fell.
Raising an eyebrow, she said, "No problem. I'll personally investigate how deep the Shi Tribe's waters run."
Everyone felt energized.
Previously, they'd been cautious.
Now, they'd act in full force.
"You don't need to do anything for the next few days. In ten days, at the festival, we'll act together." Yun Jin handed out some talismans. "These: one for stealth, one for attack. On the day, release the rare species from their cages and lead them to the festival site. Then just teleport out."
Everyone accepted the talismans, nodding.
She looked at Yue Zhao, Si Wan'ning, and Yu Songnian, giving each a talisman. "These three are Transformation Talismans. You can disguise as anyone you've seen, simulating even their aura almost perfectly. Use them to sneak into the festival."
All three nodded.
"If anything happens, contact me via the communicator." Yun Jin instructed.
After a brief explanation, she left swiftly.
Before dawn, she scouted the Imperial City. With most areas under her spiritual perception, she could see everything clearly. Only a few spots were shrouded in mist, likely hiding secrets.
Yun Jin chose the deepest area and moved stealthily.
At the heart of the Imperial City lay a huge bamboo forest.
It was set as a deadly formation. Those below Mahayana level would die or be seriously injured. Even those above Mahayana unfamiliar with formations could be trapped indefinitely.
Yun Jin didn't want to alert anyone by breaking it and let the system analyze a safe path. Following the system's guidance, she passed through the bamboo forest safely.
Ahead, she saw a small bamboo hut.
Simple in structure, almost too plain. But inside and out, it was layered with magical barriers. She counted fifteen in total. Was some rare demon trapped inside?
The precautions were extreme.
She could break the barriers, but that would alert the mastermind.
Instead, she left a hidden spiritual mark and departed. From now on, anyone coming here would trigger the mark, letting her see the scene.
By then, dawn had fully broken. She returned silently to Liuyue Palace. Not long after, people came to check on the dance training.
With Yun Jin controlling everything, she easily handled it. After they left, her eyes flickered. In just a short time, the spiritual mark had reacted.
She meditated, resonating with it, and the bamboo hut appeared in her mind. Through the mark, she saw a guard approach the hut. He carried a food box, his expression terrified, as if it were a deathly task.
Taking several deep breaths, he produced a token and chanted an incantation. All the barriers disappeared briefly, and he rushed inside.
Yun Jin waited patiently. Half an hour later, the guard reactivated the barriers and left, still shaken.
No one came afterward.
Yun Jin withdrew her focus, curiosity growing stronger.