Ji Wusi smiled faintly and said, "Everyone might not know this, but the first time I laid eyes on Yun Jin, I knew her talent was extraordinary. She was meant to be my disciple. I gave her some guidance—oh, just a bit of small instruction, really—but the fact that it led to such remarkable progress in her cultivation surprised even me. Truly, this is what they mean by a great teacher producing a brilliant student. A teacher and a student elevate each other after all."
Ji Wusi was clearly pleased with himself.
Lin Xiao's expression darkened as he turned to look at him.
He had long suspected something wasn't right between Ji Wusi and Yun Jin.
However...
Yun Jin had already sworn an oath under the Heavenly Dao, declaring she would never join any of the Four Holy Lands.
Because of that oath, Lin Xiao believed Ji Wusi would never take the risk of doing something so thankless and unprofitable.
But now it turned out Ji Wusi had still taken Yun Jin as his disciple!
And yet...
Yun Jin's current monstrous level of talent couldn't possibly be explained by just being Ji Wusi's student!
"A brilliant student from a great teacher? Pfft. Don't flatter yourself so shamelessly," Qing Yun couldn't hold back. "All you did was teach Xiao Jin a few sword techniques. If anything, the Thousand Veil Perception Technique I taught her was far more useful. In battle, she's able to anticipate her opponent's moves ahead of time—that's the technique at work. Clearly, she's been focusing on mastering the sense technique I passed down to her."
The Thousand Veil Perception Technique!
Everyone blinked in disbelief again.
This was Qing Yun's unique secret art. They had all heard of it and knew how powerful it was.
But for so many years...
Qing Yun had guarded that technique like a precious treasure. No one besides himself had ever truly understood its inner mysteries.
Many even speculated that Qing Yun had no intention of passing it on.
And yet...
At some unknown point, he had passed the technique to Yun Jin!
So not only Ji Wusi, but Qing Yun too had taken Yun Jin as a disciple.
Lin Xiao's face turned even darker.
Qing Yun had also taken Yun Jin under his wing.
Had they all gone mad?
Yun Jin was barred from joining the Four Holy Lands, and now she was the Sect Master of Wushuang Sect. If she were allowed to grow stronger, it wouldn't be long before history repeated itself—when Wushuang Sect had once suppressed the Four Holy Lands!
Were Ji Wusi and Qing Yun deliberately making an enemy of themselves?
"Heh. You're no better than that self-important Ji Wusi," Liu Li chimed in, unable to resist. "The Soul Control Art I passed to Xiao Jin not only allows her to dominate those with weaker cultivation, but also subtly accelerates her soul realm advancement. Her rapid progress is deeply connected to that. If we're talking about what truly helped her, it's clearly my Soul Control Art."
Ji Wusi let out a cold snort. "Both of you are talking nonsense. Xiao Jin's swordsmanship is so exquisite—she's an innate born sword cultivator! Your little techniques are barely relevant."
"Rubbish! My Thousand Veil Perception Technique is one of a kind!"
"My Soul Control Art is the real treasure here."
The three of them started bickering in front of the crowd.
Lin Xiao's face was now completely black with fury.
These people were insane.
How could such lunatics even exist in this world?
The three of them held such high positions and could choose from countless potential disciples—yet they had all chosen Yun Jin!
Even members of the other three Holy Lands exchanged confused glances. Each of them had previously been subtly told—separately—that Yun Jin was the disciple of Ji Wusi, Qing Yun, or Liu Li.
But now...
All three had taken Yun Jin as their disciple?
Remembering how they'd each been misled by their respective superiors, members of the three Holy Lands wore expressions of complicated amusement.
And faintly...
They even felt a bit proud.
A sixteen-year-old who had already mastered the Law of Fire an unprecedented cultivation genius—now they knew her rise was backed by the efforts of their own senior leaders. Didn't that make them feel honored by association?
Before today...
If it had been revealed that Yun Jin was the disciple of all three great figures, everyone would've assumed she got absurdly lucky or had pulled some trick to make Ji Wusi and the others accept her.
But after today...
Everyone would simply think—how lucky those three were to have taken such a peerless prodigy as their disciple.
Ji Wusi, Qing Yun, and Liu Li were still arguing.
Lin Xiao could no longer stay silent. Gritting his teeth, he said coldly, "Yun Jin is the Sect Master of Wushuang Sect. And now the three of you have joined hands to train her. If she ever grows strong enough to overshadow the Holy Lands, it'll be because of you. You'll be the sinners of the Holy Lands."
Only then did the three cease their bickering.
Ji Wusi's lips curled into a subtle smile.
The act he had rehearsed with Qing Yun and Liu Li was working perfectly.
Lin Xiao had begun to believe that Yun Jin's unbelievable performance today was the result of their combined efforts in raising her.
But only the three of them knew the truth.
Yun Jin had only studied a tiny portion of the techniques they had shared—barely scratched the surface, really. She hadn't even touched the more profound aspects.
Her terrifying performance today came purely from her own talent.
However...
When faced with such a gift that defied all understanding, awe could quickly turn to fear.
So Ji Wusi had swiftly decided to claim partial credit for her miracle. Whether Qing Yun and Liu Li caught on to his intent or not, they had also cooperated smoothly, each claiming a share of the glory.
They weren't just trying to give Yun Jin's terrifying talent a more palatable explanation.
They were sending a message to the Four Holy Lands.
Yun Jin wasn't standing alone.
She had powerful supporters. Her backers were them.
In the past, Ji Wusi hadn't dared acknowledge her as his disciple for fear of attracting the attention of the demon race—or other jealous forces.
But now...
Yun Jin's battle had been broadcast all across the realm.
The demon race's pursuit, and the malice of others, were now unavoidable.
Rather than hide, they might as well step forward boldly and protect her in the open.
"A sinner of the Holy Land?" Ji Wusi raised an eyebrow, glancing at Lin Xiao, then sweeping his gaze over the rest. "Yun Jin's talent is terrifying. If she's allowed to reach her potential, she could become another Wan Dao Saint—or perhaps someone even more fearsome. Some of you might fear that, but I only feel relief. You think the demon race is truly powerless now? You think those outer-realm demons will never find their way back here? Has everything that's happened recently not woken you up?
The demon race may appear suppressed by the human race, but in truth? They've long since learned how to hide their presence. Canglan Kingdom—a mere mid-tier nation—was already infiltrated by demons, with a terrifying grand formation laid in secret. Now, Xue Daoren is dead. But what of the rest? What of the other demonic cultivators? We don't even know how deeply they've infiltrated us—or how much they've already prepared.
Clearly, the demon race saw Yun Jin's potential. That's why they set such a deadly trap. They knew—if Yun Jin falls, it's a massive gain for them. And yet you would harbor suspicion and fear toward her? Try to suppress her? If so, then none of you deserve to call yourselves human. Forget being sinners of the Holy Land. You'll be sinners of the human race."
Ji Wusi's voice grew quiet, but each word rang with clarity.
Everyone fell silent.