Si Wanning looked at Yue Zhao's infuriating expression, her lips twitching. She unsheathed her sword with a loud shout, "You scoundrel, take this!"
Yue Zhao: "???"
"What's this? Love turned to hatred now?"
Despite his mocking words, his dodging speed was impressively quick.
Yu Songnian had long since stepped off to the side, slipping into a corner like it was second nature to make room for the chaos.
Yun Jin watched the chaotic scene with amusement and sighed. "Everyone's so full of energy."
Si Wanning's sword suddenly froze mid-air. Turning around, she said awkwardly, "Junior Sister... I actually don't feel energetic at all. Ugh, I'm suddenly so tired. My arm, it's like it can't even hold my sword anymore."
Her hand dangled in the air, as if the sword weighed a thousand jin.
Yue Zhao gave her a suspicious look. "You, a female warlord, suddenly pretending to be delicate now?"
Si Wanning's fists itched with the urge to punch him.
"Why did this guy have to open his mouth?"
Yun Jin blinked innocently and said softly, "Senior Sister practiced sword forms for me this morning, so she must be tired now. It's my fault. Senior Sister, you should rest."
Si Wanning was nearly moved to tears.
"Heavens above! How did that old geezer Lin Ya ever manage to recruit such a sweet, considerate, and adorable little junior sister like this?"
Overcome with emotion, she immediately declared, "Little Junior Sister, I'll demonstrate more for you later. If you enjoy watching swordplay, you can ask Eldest Senior Brother to show you his Void-Piercing Sword Art. It's not as good as my Lotus Bloom Sword Art, but it's passable."
Yue Zhao flared up in anger. "What do you mean 'not as good'? What do you mean 'passable'? Second Junior Sister, I won't tolerate such slander!"
Yun Jin quickly intervened. "Different sword arts have their own strengths. Eldest Senior Brother, I'd love to see yours."
Seeing Yun Jin's eager expression, Yue Zhao thumped his chest proudly. "Don't worry, Little Junior Sister. Unlike your delicate senior sister, I won't collapse after a little exertion. As long as you want to watch, I'll keep demonstrating!"
Yun Jin's eyes sparkled. "Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Yue Zhao, clearly pleased with himself, shot a smug glance at Si Wanning.
But instead of anger, he saw… pity on her face?
Huh?
Pity?
Yue Zhao suddenly felt something was off.
Meanwhile, Yun Jin had already set everything up. She poured tea for Si Wanning and Yu Songnian, placed a generous pile of sunflower seeds in the middle, and then turned to Yue Zhao with a look of encouragement.
Yue Zhao: "…"
"I suddenly regret this!"
But it was too late to back out now.
With no other choice, Yue Zhao steeled himself and began his demonstration.
[Beginning Analysis...]
Once Yue Zhao finished his first round of sword forms, the system completed its analysis.
[Analysis complete. Earth-grade High: Void-Piercing Sword Art. This sword art requires profound sword comprehension as its foundation. At its peak, a single strike can shatter all techniques.]
Yun Jin checked her remaining simplification chances. She had used two during the entrance test and three to simplify the Earth-grade Mid Lotus Bloom Sword Art, leaving her with five.
This time, she exhausted all five before obtaining the same condition as before—watching ten demonstrations to master the basics, with further viewings increasing proficiency (though not beyond the original user's level).
"Little Junior Sister, how was it?" Yue Zhao asked, still full of energy after his first demonstration.
"Amazing!" Yun Jin's eyes shone like stars. "Eldest Senior Brother, you're already so dashing, but with the sword in motion, your grace is unparalleled! Truly—"
A flood of compliments later, Yue Zhao happily launched into his second demonstration.
Then came the third.
And the fourth.
By the time Yun Jin completed her mastery task…
Yue Zhao was questioning his life choices.
"Why did I agree to this again? Am I insane?"
[Void-Piercing Sword Art (Beginner: 1%)]
Yun Jin's smile was radiant.
"Two sword arts mastered!"
Now, she just needed to raise their proficiency.
But she had noticed something concerning—
The disciples of Tianjian Peak were far too lazy!
As sword cultivators, shouldn't they practice at least seven or eight hours a day?
Yet after barely an hour, they were already acting exhausted!
"Unacceptable. They all needed to work harder!"
With a sweet smile, Yun Jin said, "Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother."
Then she turned to Yu Songnian. "Third Senior Brother, you—"
Yu Songnian's face paled in horror.
In a flash, he vanished without a trace.
Yun Jin: "???"
"Did he just… flee at lightning speed?"
Si Wanning chuckled. "Junior Sister, your third senior brother is always like that—here one moment, gone the next. He's not avoiding you specifically, he avoids everyone."
Yun Jin nodded. She was about to say something more when—
Yue Zhao interrupted hurriedly, "Junior Sister, you just joined the Tianxing Sect, right? You probably haven't seen the place yet. How about we show you around?"
"Anything to avoid more sword practice!"
Si Wanning chimed in with enthusiasm, "Where would you like to go, Junior Sister? I'll guide you personally."
In her previous life, Yun Jin had been a lowly maidservant. Most of her time was spent on the mountain where Ye Danxia resided. She rarely left its confines.
So now, she was actually curious.
After thinking for a moment, she looked up seriously. "Senior Brother, Senior Sister—I want to go to the dining hall. I'm hungry."
Yue Zhao blinked. "Didn't all disciples who passed the first test receive a Bigu Dan? It keeps you full for half a month. You didn't get one?"
"I did," Yun Jin rubbed her belly, "but I'm still hungry."
While the Tianxing Sect was a lofty immortal sect, cultivators below the Golden Core stage still needed to eat. Some who found it troublesome would use Bigu Dan, which dulled hunger but didn't nourish the body. On the other hand, food from the sect's dining hall was not only delicious, it often contained spiritual ingredients that nurtured meridians and aided cultivation. That made it quite popular among the disciples.
Yun Jin wasn't just after good food—eating boosted her cultivation. Right now, Ye Danxia and the others were still undergoing their entrance tests. With her Heavenly Spiritual Root, Ye Danxia would likely finish soon. Yun Jin wanted to cultivate as much as she could before Ye Danxia came looking for her.
"Then let's go to the dining hall!" Si Wanning agreed readily. "Didn't I promise to give you a piece of fierce beast meat? Perfect timing. I'll ask the kitchen to cook it into a jerky or meat floss—easy to carry, good for snacking."
"Thank you, Senior Sister," Yun Jin said sweetly.
Since she couldn't yet fly by sword, she hopped onto Si Wanning's flying sword for a ride.
Si Wanning laughed, "Junior Sister, once you reach the Foundation Establishment stage, you'll be able to fly on your own sword. But right now, you're only at Qi Refining level three. It'll probably be a year or two before you reach Foundation Establishment. At that time—"
As she spoke, she casually checked Yun Jin's spiritual energy.
Several question marks floated across Si Wanning's forehead.
What's going on ???
"Reaching Qi Refining Level 3 in a day was already absurd. But now… she's almost at Level 5?!"
Each Qi Refining level required exponentially more energy than the last.
If Yun Jin had reached Level 3 in a day, Si Wanning could barely accept it.
But Level 5 in just one night?
"Even a legendary Heavenly Spiritual Root shouldn't progress this fast!"
Her mind reeled so violently that she nearly fell off her sword.