Two days later, Shan Dian hovered above the sea closest to the Capital of the Kingdom.
Yun Jin emerged from the secret realm alone.
Shan Dian clearly looked uneasy. "Young Master, I could go with you. I may be weaker on land, but I can still fight at the level of an ordinary Mahayana cultivator. I…"
"Shan Dian," Yun Jin rose slightly on her toes and patted his head, "don't worry, I'll be fine. You must guard the entrance to the Wushuang Sect. Only if you're here, when I rescue Qin Ping and the others, will we have a way out."
Shan Dian was the last line of defense for the Wushuang Sect.
Even if something happened to her, as long as Shan Dian survived, the Wushuang Sect would still have a chance to rebuild.
If not...
Then everything would truly be lost.
Yun Jin would of course do her best to protect herself.
But still, if anything went wrong, she wanted to make sure it ended with her. She didn't want to drag others down with her.
Shan Dian didn't quite understand everything, but seeing Yun Jin's firm expression, he could only respond in his deep, muffled voice, "Young Master, if you run into an enemy you can't defeat, lure them to this sea. Here, I can summon the power of the ocean. Even ten Mahayana cultivators may not be a match for me."
"Alright. I understand," Yun Jin nodded.
Only then did Shan Dian feel a bit more at ease.
Yun Jin turned to An Tong, who looked equally worried. "An Tong, guard the Wushuang Sect. Also, adjust the trial space. Make sure my master and Senior Brothers don't complete their trial while I'm gone."
Yun Jin didn't want Lin Ya and the others to worry. The best way to keep them calm was to leave them in the trial space, unaware of the outside world.
An Tong agreed immediately.
"One more thing—Gun Gun, Huan Huan, and Dan Dan. I'm leaving them with you as well," Yun Jin said. "They're not strong enough yet to come with me to the Capital. Until I return, take care of them."
An Tong gave another nod.
Gun Gun and the others seemed a little reluctant, but they understood.
Right now, their cultivation levels were worlds apart from Yun Jin's. If they followed her, they'd only slow her down. It would be better to stay behind in the Wushuang Sect's secret realm, focus on cultivating, and increase their strength.
Only then, someday, could they fight alongside her.
With that thought, Gun Gun and Huan Huan both looked a little sorrowful.
In truth...
Their cultivation progress had already been rapid. Spirit beasts lived long lives, which usually came at the cost of slower cultivation. But their current speed of improvement was already comparable to the most gifted human cultivators.
They weren't slacking.
It was just that Yun Jin was too monstrous.
They could only double their efforts, not to catch up, but at least to narrow the gap a little.
After leaving a few more instructions, Yun Jin used a disguise technique to alter her appearance, making herself look plain and ordinary. Combined with the coarse linen robes she now wore, she looked just like any commoner.
She turned and walked toward the distant city. The others watched silently. Only when Yun Jin's figure had disappeared completely did Shan Dian sink into the ocean depths.
He would wait here.
A peerless genius like the Young Master was destined to dominate an era. How could she possibly fall to the tricks of these small-minded schemers?
The Young Master would be back soon.
He believed it with all his heart.
Yun Jin didn't head to the Capital right away. Instead, she went to a nearby city.
"Tian Po Sword Senior, truthfully, you shouldn't have come with me," Yun Jin said softly. "You could be of more use staying at the Wushuang Sect."
The Tian Po Sword only smiled. "You are my Young Master. Wherever you go, I follow."
Even knowing that what awaited them could be a fierce battle, or many, he was a sword. He only knew how to charge forward, not how to retreat.
Yun Jin sighed and said no more.
This time, she was fairly confident she could get out safely. If things went sideways, she would remove the sword imprint from herself. Then, even if he had to slumber again for years, the Tian Po Sword would eventually reawaken.
The city Yun Jin entered was once a small town.
But now, it was bustling. Besides the original townspeople, many commoners from all corners of the Canglan Kingdom had gathered here. They had originally intended to travel to the Capital and plead for Qin Ping.
But in recent days, Feng Linglong had appeared, using her identity as Qin Ping's disciple to persuade the people not to proceed further. Some didn't believe her and had already entered the Capital. The rest, filled with hesitation, lingered nearby, trying to gather more information.
Yun Jin found a quiet tavern and sat down.
Inside, ten out of ten people were talking about Qin Ping.
"The National Preceptor's been arrested. How can we just sit by and do nothing? The Canglan Kingdom has only existed for a thousand years, and he's protected it all that time. If he dies, our foundation crumbles."
"The king must be blind. We have to go and stop this."
"I'd already made it to the Capital, but the Preceptor's disciple, that genius swordswoman, sent word for the people to hold back. That's the only reason I turned back."
"Fairy Feng must be worried about our safety. But if it means saving the Preceptor, I don't care about my own life. I'd trade it in a heartbeat."
"Problem is, even if we die trying, we might still not save him."
"So what? We just do nothing?"
"Not necessarily. Did you hear the rumor? The Preceptor had already decided to join the Wushuang Sect. His disciple, Feng Linglong, joined the sect long ago. She survived only because she was inside the Wushuang Sect's secret realm. Now that she's shown herself, maybe that sect master of Wushuang Sect will take action."
"I've heard the sect master's cultivation isn't very strong, but Wushuang Sect has deep foundations. If she's willing, she might just be able to save him."
"That would be great news."
As they chatted, more and more hope appeared on their faces.
Yun Jin listened quietly and sipped her tea.
The Tian Po Sword's voice echoed in her mind.
"Young Master, I fear this rumor was deliberately spread by the ones behind the scenes. They're trying to put you on the spot. They've set up an inescapable trap, then fanned the flames of public opinion. They want to force you into acting."
The Tian Po Sword sounded deeply agitated. Though Yun Jin had already resolved to save Qin Ping, being shoved onto the stage like this still left a bitter taste.
But Yun Jin remained calm and continued to listen.
"We can't put all our hopes on the sect master of Wushuang Sect," someone finally said. "The National Preceptor's cultivation reached the heavens, and he was still captured. Whoever took him must be Mahayana at the very least. No matter how deep Wushuang Sect's roots go, they probably don't have Mahayana-level power right now. But we are different. We may be ordinary people, but could the king really slaughter us all? If there's bloodshed, the Demon-Slaying Alliance will have to step in. I'm not afraid to die. If raising a ruckus can save the National Preceptor, it's worth it."
"That's what I think too."
"The National Preceptor guarded the Canglan Kingdom for a thousand years. Now it's our turn to guard him. Let's go. Head to the Capital."
"Even if we die, there'll be no regrets."
"No regrets!"
With that, the group stood and walked out the door.
After they left, many others in the tavern silently followed behind.
Yun Jin was slightly surprised.
The people of Canglan Kingdom... had exceeded her expectations.
She thought for a moment, then stood and followed after them.