Once Yun Jin gave her word, Gao Jingxuan finally stood up with a satisfied grin.
But as soon as he did, he looked at Yun Jin with concern. "Master... does this really count? When will I receive an official title? Shouldn't there at least be a proper ceremony for a Wushuang Sect disciple?"
He hadn't even formally joined the sect yet. Without that, he really didn't feel secure at all. His eyes held a faint trace of grievance.
Yun Jin fell silent.
What was with this obsession over titles?
Hadn't Gao Jingxuan seemed like a fairly dependable person before?
Now he was acting like this?
She was starting to regret it a little.
Gao Jingxuan seemed to pick up on her change of mood and quickly said, "Master, it's too late to regret anything now."
Yun Jin's expression darkened. "I know. Once I've dealt with things here, I'll take care of your official title."
Gao Jingxuan let out a small breath of relief, but he stayed rooted by Yun Jin's side without moving.
Yun Jin glanced at him. "Alright. It's over for now. Go entertain yourself."
Her tone sounded exactly like someone coaxing a child.
But...
Gao Jingxuan wasn't a child anymore.
So he responded with complete seriousness. "No. There is something."
Yun Jin frowned. "What is it now?"
Gao Jingxuan straightened his posture. "Master, you don't even have a disciple to attend to your daily needs. That doesn't suit your status at all. Since I'm now your second disciple, it's only right that I follow you and serve you properly."
Yun Jin stared at him, deadpan. "I'm sixteen."
Was there anyone in the world who called sixteen-year-olds 'elders'?
Even Gao Jingxuan himself was several years older than her.
But Gao Jingxuan didn't think there was anything strange about this. He replied with perfect logic, "In the cultivation world, ability comes first. With your strength, Master, the title is more than fitting."
Yun Jin ground her teeth.
This wasn't a matter of whether she deserved it or not.
She was a proper young girl. How could she be happy being called that?
She glared at him. "Don't let me hear you say 'elder' again."
What kind of girl would like being called that?
Gao Jingxuan shrank back slightly under her glare. He didn't think the title was wrong, but still nodded obediently. He didn't dare risk angering her. Until she officially gave him a title, Yun Jin could still take her words back at any time.
"Master Yun."
Just as Gao Jingxuan had resolved to stick to Yun Jin like glue, Qin Ping walked over.
He didn't say a word. He simply walked up to her and gave a deep, respectful bow.
Yun Jin was slightly startled. "Senior Qin, there's no need for that."
She made a slight gesture with her hand, and a wave of spiritual power lifted Qin Ping upright.
Qin Ping spoke softly, "This time, the lives of everyone in the city were saved by you, Master Yun. I thank you on behalf of them all."
Yun Jin raised her brow. "That's not necessary. Their plan from the start was to force me out. I would have had to face them regardless."
Qin Ping shook his head. "The entrance to the Wushuang Sect lies hidden in the void. You could have remained in seclusion for a thousand years. When you emerged, you would be unbeatable. At that point, nothing could threaten you. Yet you still came here. That alone proves your heart is with the people. Such righteousness commands my respect."
Qin Ping's words were courteous.
Yun Jin intended to respond in kind.
But just then, from behind her, Gao Jingxuan suddenly said, "Since that's the case, and in gratitude for saving so many lives, shouldn't the Imperial Advisor fulfill his earlier promise and officially join the Wushuang Sect?"
Qin Ping paused and looked at Yun Jin, who looked slightly embarrassed. He asked, "Master? Master Yun, this is...?"
Yun Jin clenched her teeth. "I just gave him a verbal promise. Said I'd take him as my second disciple."
She emphasized the word verbal as if to say she was already having second thoughts.
But Gao Jingxuan misunderstood her entirely. He assumed Yun Jin was hinting that he should do even more to prove his worth.
So he spoke up again, full of righteous energy. "Our Sect Master risked everything to save the people. She asks for no gratitude. But the matter we discussed before... Imperial Advisor Qin should at least honor that agreement."
Qin Ping looked at his once-prized student and couldn't help but chuckle.
He reached out and flicked Gao Jingxuan's forehead lightly. "When I appointed you top of the Imperial Examination back then, you didn't speak to me like this."
Gao Jingxuan responded with a completely serious expression. "My identity has changed. Now I'm a disciple of the Wushuang Sect, the second disciple of the Sect Master. Naturally, I must prioritize the interests of the sect."
Qin Ping chuckled even more, but a faint trace of pride showed in his eyes.
Gao Jingxuan had five-element roots. Despite being outstanding in many ways, his cultivation had always lagged behind due to his spiritual roots. That had long been a deep regret for Qin Ping.
All these years...
The only cultivator with five-element roots to truly rise to prominence was Yun Jin, the current Master of the Wushuang Sect.
Now that Gao Jingxuan had become her disciple, his future would be limitless.
"Senior Qin, don't take his words to heart." Yun Jin clenched her teeth again. "He didn't speak like this before."
Qin Ping let out a light laugh. "Does this mean you don't want to accept me anymore? While you were away, I prepared a list. All the cultivators listed are at least in the Unity stage. They're all willing to join the Wushuang Sect. Master Yun, see if any of them meet your needs."
He handed her a jade slip.
When he did, he bowed slightly, showing her due respect.
Yun Jin looked at him with some surprise.
She had never been one for formalities. This wasn't necessary in her eyes.
She was just about to say something when the voice of the Tian Po Sword rang out in her mind.
"Young Master, this Qin Ping has good sense. Once he joins the Wushuang Sect, he becomes a disciple like any other. It's only right that he treats the Sect Master with respect. The sect is still in its early stages, with many rules left undefined. But now that it's starting to take shape, establishing clear rules is the right thing to do."
Yun Jin thought it over and didn't dwell on it further. She accepted the jade slip.
Because the list only included cultivators at the Unity stage or above, the number wasn't large.
There were three at the Mahayana stage, including Qin Ping himself.
Qin Ping had even included their cultivation levels.
Among them, Qin Ping had the highest, already at the mid-Mahayana stage.
The other two were both at early Mahayana.
Yun Jin looked over the details, then asked with a curious tone, "Senior Qin, when I was pursuing Xue Daoren, I found that his strength was only early Mahayana. Why did you lose to him at the time?"
Qin Ping gave a bitter smile. "The palace had already been layered with his formations. Our cultivation was being suppressed. On top of that, it was a sudden ambush. I let my guard down... and things went the way they did."
He clearly still felt some shame over it.
He had indeed been far too careless.
"The demon clans are cunning," Yun Jin offered, giving him some comfort. Qin Ping's explanation also confirmed a theory of hers.
Qin Ping's cultivation wasn't weak. If not for Xue Daoren's prearranged tricks, he never would have lost.
Below the Mahayana stage was the Tribulation stage.
There were twelve cultivators in that category.
And beneath them, fifty-five Unity stage cultivators.
All the high-end cultivators of the Canglan Kingdom who hadn't died in the disaster were gathered here.
Yun Jin's eyes narrowed slightly.
This meant...
In a sense, the Canglan Kingdom now belonged to the Wushuang Sect.
If she willed it, she could already control everything in this land.