Yun Jin reacted almost instantly, surging forward to shield most of the crowd.
Even so, the dozens of people closest to the blast were instantly reduced to nothing—no bones, no bodies left behind.
Yun Jin's eyes turned blood-red in a flash.
"Damn it. That Xue Daoren deserved to die."
She snapped her head up, only to see that Xue Daoren had already taken advantage of the chaos to flee.
Yun Jin's voice turned cold as she gave the order. "Mark him."
The system replied, [That requires—]
"Mark him! I don't care how much Emotional Value it costs. Deduct it all!"
The system, sensing Yun Jin's seething fury, fell silent and immediately locked on to Xue Daoren's position.
A map appeared in Yun Jin's mind.
Her pupils burned with a bloody light.
No matter where he fled—heaven or earth— she would kill him with her own hands.
Without hesitation, Yun Jin shot into the sky and returned to the side of the lava dragon.
This time, her attacks came faster, sharper—more savage than before.
She wasn't holding back. She was truly trying to kill.
Mu Lan paled, fear creeping into his voice.
"Sect Master Yun, calm down! We're not your enemies!"
"Sect Master Yun! We surrender, we surrender!"
Mu Lan cursed silently. He finally realized just how outmatched they were. Against Yun Jin and the lava dragon working in tandem, they stood no chance. If this continued, it wouldn't just be injuries—they'd lose lives.
But Yun Jin didn't seem to hear them. Tai'a crashed down with explosive force, over and over.
Mu Lan couldn't take it any longer. He retreated, shouting quickly, "She's clearly got a grudge against us! Retreat!"
The disciples of the Yuehua Sect actually turned and fled on the spot.
"Cowards! Running off just like that? If you've got the guts, don't run! Your Grandpa Lava Dragon hasn't even had his fun yet!"
The lava dragon roared in anger, ready to give chase.
"Let them go," Yun Jin said coolly.
The dragon froze mid-air.
Expressionless, Yun Jin added, "Even if we catch up now, it'll be hard to kill them. Give me a little more time. I'll erase the Yuehua Sect from this world."
Her voice was icy, filled with killing intent.
The lava dragon shivered involuntarily. His eyes now held a trace of awe as he looked at Yun Jin.
Just a few days ago, his Young Master's cultivation was far behind his.
Now, she was only a small step behind.
If someone else claimed they could destroy a powerful sect, the lava dragon would scoff.
But if Yun Jin said it?
He believed her.
He even silently mourned for the Yuehua Sect.
At the rate his Young Master was growing, it wouldn't be long before that sect vanished from the world.
Yun Jin landed slowly, her face grim.
All things considered, casualties had been light.
But people still died in the chaos.
During the earthquake that shook the capital, some had perished in the trampling and disorder.
Some of the elderly and infirm had died when caught in the Blood Net.
And now, again, over a dozen people had been obliterated before her eyes.
Now that the dust had settled…
The sound of muffled weeping still lingered in the air.
Yun Jin stood motionless, her expression like deep water, thoughts unknown.
Qin Ping, supported by Feng Linglong, struggled forward with visible difficulty.
"Sect Master… I failed," Qin Ping said, guilt flickering in his eyes. "When we were hiding in the cellar, we made a last-ditch plan to fight to the death. But the moment Xue Daoren appeared, he saw right through it. He even said outright that we had a traitor among us. I thought he was just trying to sow discord. He tortured everyone equally, nearly killing us all. I thought he was just bluffing… but I was wrong. We really did have an insider. Likely a deathsworn. Someone who never intended to leave alive. That's the only way they could've set off that explosion and helped Xue Daoren escape."
Qin Ping explained the entire situation in detail.
Yun Jin listened quietly, without interrupting.
When he finished, her voice was flat. "Xue Daoren… won't escape."
This night's blood debt must be paid in kind.
The blood spilled earlier was not enough.
Not even close.
Xue Daoren still lived.
The Blood Dao Sect had not yet been erased.
The Yuehua Sect still kept up appearances.
All of them had a hand in this massacre.
And they would all pay.
Yun Jin lifted her gaze, slowly scanning the crowd in front of her.
After everything that had just happened…
More than half the buildings in the capital had collapsed. Deep cracks split the streets.
The full toll of the dead and injured had yet to be counted.
But with a population in the tens of millions…
The number of dead was likely in the tens of thousands.
Flames flickered in Yun Jin's eyes, growing ever fiercer.
Qin Ping spoke softly beside her. "Sect Master, this… is already the best outcome we could hope for."
There was worry hidden in his voice.
He was beginning to realize—
Yun Jin seemed to chase perfection by instinct.
But the truth was…
In chaos like this, to save as many as they had was already a huge victory.
Tonight could even be called a triumph.
Yet Yun Jin's expression clearly showed that she wasn't satisfied.
Qin Ping couldn't help but feel that she was being too hard on herself.
"I know," Yun Jin replied, her voice eerily calm.
Too hard on herself? Maybe not.
But this overwhelming blood debt… someone had to pay.
She couldn't bring the dead back to life.
So all she could do was…
Send every last one of the perpetrators to join them.
Yun Jin took out a few pills and handed them to Feng Linglong. "Many are wounded. Tend to them."
Feng Linglong accepted them, face tense with concern. "Sect Master… you…"
"I'm fine," Yun Jin said, shaking her head.
She knew exactly what she had to do.
The carnage before her wouldn't become her inner demon.
It would only make one thing clearer.
She was still not strong enough.
Qin Ping said it was wrong to chase perfection.
But if her master, Ji Wusi, had been here?
Would the casualties have been this high?
Of course, even Ji Wusi had limits.
But what if she became someone even stronger than Ji Wusi?
In this world, the answer to most problems boiled down to strength.
With enough strength, perfection could be reality.
"Senior Lao Huo," Yun Jin turned to the lava dragon, "Stay here and protect the people."
The dragon nodded without hesitation.
Yun Jin looked to Gao Jingxuan next.
He and the others had been fed basic healing pills by Feng Linglong. Though weak, their lives were no longer in danger.
"Gao Jingxuan," Yun Jin called out.
"Yes!" Though he still wobbled slightly, Gao Jingxuan straightened his spine on reflex.
Yun Jin smiled faintly. "Focus on recovering. When I return, I'll need your help."
"Yes!" Gao Jingxuan answered again, his voice full of strength.
Yun Jin was actually younger than him.
But when she stood there, she commanded a presence no one could ignore.
Gao Jingxuan now fully submitted to her authority.
"Sect Master, you're going to…" The lava dragon couldn't help but ask.
Yun Jin's gaze turned cold. She answered without hesitation, "Of course. I'm going to hunt down Xue Daoren… and annihilate the Blood Dao Sect."
"Sect Master, I'll go with you," the lava dragon said immediately.
Yun Jin shook her head. "I said, stay here and protect the people. With you here, and Qin Ping and the others soon recovering, this place will hold. As for Xue Daoren's head—I'll take it myself."
She was only in the Unity stage, and she said she'd go hunt down someone in the Mahayana stage.
And yet, as she spoke, no one thought it was strange.
The lava dragon looked at Yun Jin's unwavering expression.
In the end, he didn't try to stop her.
Yun Jin rose into the sky, her voice echoing behind her.
"I will return… with Xue Daoren's head. It will be the offering to the dead."
The next instant, she vanished into the flames.