Yun Jin sat with her eyes closed.
She was on the verge of enlightenment, that faint, elusive thread of understanding right before a breakthrough. Yet no matter how she pushed, the final piece of the puzzle refused to fall into place.
She sighed inwardly. This last trace of True Meaning couldn't be forced by mere contemplation. If she wanted to break through, she needed a catalyst.
And somehow, Yun Jin just knew that catalyst was still somewhere on the Nanlan Continent. The problem was, she'd already traveled through all ten major tribes of Nanlan. Still, her fated opportunity hadn't appeared.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Forget it.
Some things couldn't be rushed.
She might as well check on how the branch sect here was doing.
Within the Wushuang Mountain Range, Yun Jin appeared out of nowhere in the main hall. The disciples bustling around froze for a moment, then their faces lit up with surprise and excitement. "Sect Master!"
Seeing the lively, well-organized scene, Yun Jin couldn't help but smile. "Looks like you're all running things nicely."
A disciple grinned. "Senior Brother Yu's still out recruiting new disciples. Since Sect Master's been winning nonstop, everyone's eager to join us! We've even had to raise the entry standards."
Naturally. Joining the sect meant being under its banner, and even though this was just a branch, no disciple could be allowed to tarnish the reputation of the Wushuang Sect. Still, resources were limited, so they had to choose carefully.
Yun Jin nodded. "You've done well. Keep it up."
She strolled out of the hall as the disciples respectfully watched her leave before returning to their work. At the moment, most of the new recruits were still on their way to headquarters, so the branch didn't have many members yet.
Yun Jin wandered around the grounds until she spotted a few familiar faces—the first group of rare races she'd met back then. Among them was the elf girl, who'd apparently passed the tests and joined the branch.
When the elf girl saw Yun Jin, her eyes lit up. "Sect Master!"
She called out softly, but didn't dare come closer without permission.
Yun Jin couldn't help but chuckle. She gave a small wave, and the elf girl immediately brightened, hurrying to her side.
"How many of your group passed the test?" Yun Jin asked casually.
The elf girl sighed. "There were over twenty of us. Besides me, only one more made it."
Two out of twenty wasn't bad at all—probably even after the requirements had been loosened.
"Everyone has their own fate," Yun Jin said gently.
She'd long since learned that lesson. After traveling through so many minor worlds, she'd met countless people. Some had even shared life-and-death battles with her, forging deep bonds.
But in the end, they'd all drifted apart.
Cultivation was always a solitary path. Companions might appear along the way, but no one could walk beside you forever.
Ultimately, she'd have to climb to that supreme height alone.
The elf girl nodded firmly, then smiled up at her. "Sect Master, will you be staying here for a while this time?"
"I'm not sure," Yun Jin admitted. "I've already challenged all ten tribes of Nanlan, but I still haven't managed to break through. I'm waiting for the opportunity that'll truly push me past this bottleneck."
"I've heard all about it! Sect Master defeated every single one of them!" The elf girl's eyes sparkled. "You really are the strongest!"
Yun Jin laughed. "It was nothing. Keep it low-key."
She'd become a lot calmer lately. In the past, she definitely would've shown off a little at that kind of praise.
Just as she was thinking that, the elf girl suddenly said, "If all ten tribes' strongest have already fallen before Sect Master, then the only one left worth challenging is Su Yuan Zhēnzūn."
Yun Jin blinked. "Su Yuan Zhēnzūn?"
She immediately recalled what the elf girl had mentioned before—this was the peerless expert who'd single-handedly ended the tribal wars.
That person's cultivation had to be unimaginable.
"But hasn't Su Yuan Zhēnzūn been missing for a thousand years?" Yun Jin asked.
The elf girl nodded. "That's what the legends say. Apparently, she hit a bottleneck and went into seclusion to seek a breakthrough. No one knows if she's still on the Nanlan Continent."
At that, Yun Jin immediately gave an order to her system. "System, locate the strongest cultivator on the Nanlan Continent."
The scan alone cost her ten million Emotional Value.
Still, she had plenty to spare. When the results appeared, Yun Jin's eyes brightened.
The strongest cultivator wasn't located in any of the ten tribes' territories.
It had to be Su Yuan Zhēnzūn. So, she was still on Nanlan Continent.
But if the woman was in seclusion, Yun Jin couldn't just barge in and demand a duel. She'd have to wait until Su Yuan Zhēnzūn emerged from closed cultivation, then issue a proper challenge.
For that, Yun Jin would need to make her own strength well-known first. Otherwise, why would such a legendary figure accept a fight from an unknown challenger?
She immediately summoned her disciples. "Call in everyone from the publicity division! Spread the news far and wide that I've crushed the strongest fighters of all ten tribes! Make it big, make it loud—grab everyone's attention! I want headlines that'll make people itchin' to come beat me up!"
The elf girl was speechless. "???"
Five minutes ago, Sect Master had said it was just a small matter and told her to keep things low-key.
Now? The tone had completely flipped.
Yun Jin caught her stunned expression and felt a little awkward.
What could she say?
She just wasn't cut out for being humble.
It wasn't her fault—it was fate's!
The disciples of the Wushuang Sect were already used to it. They answered right away and began carrying out her "publicity campaign" with practiced efficiency.
The elf girl was left gaping. Was she seriously the only one surprised by this?
Yun Jin cleared her throat, trying to think of something to salvage her image, but before she could, her expression suddenly changed.
A voice echoed in her sea of consciousness—Zhu Zhu and Yuan Yuan were calling for her.
Before she could even respond, Yuan Yuan sent over a spatial vortex.
Something must've happened at the main headquarters!
Yun Jin glanced at the elf girl. "I've got something urgent to handle. We'll talk next time."
Then she stepped straight into the vortex.
In an instant, she was back inside the Celestial Divine Palace.
Zhu Zhu and Yuan Yuan were already waiting for her.
"What's going on?" Yun Jin asked, her expression serious.
Yuan Yuan quickly spoke up. "Master, you told me to keep an eye on the Demon Realm's movements. There's been a major change! The Demon Sovereign you asked me to track, he's secretly heading toward the human territories!"
He turned on the screen.
Sure enough, it showed Yang Yun's face—covered in demonic patterns, cold and cruel.
Judging by the location, he was already close to the human domain.