Di Xiao fixed his gaze on Yun Jin. "Though I have not fully mastered the divine palace, I am still the one who understands it best in this world. Are you certain you can compete with me?"
Yun Jin's smile was faint. "This time, I am not confident at all. But why not try? As long as Senior agrees to fair competition between us, I will tell you where the Palace Pearl lies. Through Sky City, we can swiftly reach its location."
Di Xiao sneered coldly. "Since you are seeking humiliation yourself, I will not decline. This matter, I accept!"
"Straightforward." Yun Jin's eyes curved with amusement.
She did not demand he swear an oath to Heaven. At their level, even violating such an oath was not without ways to escape punishment.
Di Xiao was proud by nature. Since he had agreed, he would not go back on his word. Yun Jin was sure of that much.
"Now you can tell me where the Palace Pearl is?" Di Xiao looked at her, a trace of expectation in his eyes.
Yun Jin chuckled. "Not so fast."
Di Xiao's brows darkened. "Are you toying with me?"
Yun Jin raised her brow slightly. "If I told you a place right now, could you even find it? You've been trapped inside the divine palace for thousands of years. How much do you know of the outside world? If I told you a name, then what? Would you find it so easily?"
Di Xiao's expression grew stormy. "What are you trying to say?"
"I lingered some time in the Spirit Beast Forest," Yun Jin said evenly, "but soon, Sky City will open its main city and commence the Unity stage points battle. As Sect Master of the Wushuang Sect, it is only proper that I attend. Once the main city opens and the battle proceeds smoothly, I will take you to the Palace Pearl."
Di Xiao's expression wavered. "For something so trivial, why waste time? In my opinion, we should head directly to the Palace Pearl."
Yun Jin did not even raise her eyes. "Then you can go find it yourself."
Her words struck him dumb, leaving him sullen. If he could find it himself, would he still be standing here wasting words with Yun Jin?
"Senior Di," Yun Jin snorted coldly, "you must understand. I had no obligation to share the Pearl's location with you at all. If I chose to wait decades, centuries even, and retrieved it myself, would that not be better? By then, I would be unrivaled beneath Heaven. If I forcefully bonded with the divine palace, what could you do to me? I offer you fair competition not as a gift from you to me, but as a kindness of mine giving you a chance. Do you understand?"
Di Xiao's temper was indeed foul.
But Yun Jin had no intention of indulging him.
Her words were blunt and merciless, leaving Di Xiao stifled.
He, the exalted king of spirit beasts, had not heard such words in countless years. Yet everything Yun Jin said left him without a single rebuttal.
"Then when the points battle begins, we depart," Di Xiao forced himself to endure.
"That depends on whether I have other arrangements at that time. If you can wait, then wait. If not, that is your choice." Yun Jin's voice was light.
Di Xiao's little finger twitched furiously.
After a long while, he muttered with resentment, "Fine. As you say. I will make my preparations. Then we leave at once."
"Good." Yun Jin nodded.
Di Xiao vanished instantly.
For him to leave the divine palace after being trapped there thousands of years required a price.
Yet compared to the location of the Palace Pearl, that price was nothing.
After giving orders and tidying a few matters, Di Xiao departed the palace, seeking Yun Jin's aura.
Before long, the two reached the edge of the Spirit Beast Forest.
Di Xiao cast one last look back at the forest, faintly moved.
For thousands of years, this was the first time he had left. The feeling was strangely refreshing.
"Sky City has teleportation arrays to every corner. With it, travel is far easier. Even if we were not watching the points battle, we would still have to pass through Sky City," Yun Jin explained.
Di Xiao gave only a cool nod.
Yun Jin took out a whistle, summoning Shan Dian, the giant turtle that lurked beneath the waters. With her Sect Master's token, she issued orders.
Soon, Qin Ping arrived leading the hundred Unity stage disciples chosen to compete.
They all bowed with respect. "Sect Master."
Yun Jin lifted her hand lightly, voice calm. "How go preparations for this points battle?"
When Sky City first opened, Wushuang Sect had exactly one hundred Unity stage disciples. All were to participate.
In the meantime, a few Divine Transformation disciples had broken through to Unity, but as their names were not on the original list, they could not join this battle.
Thus, the combatants remained the original hundred.
Yun Jin's eyes swept across them.
She recognized many familiar faces.
The Tianxing Sect's former peak lords, nearly all Unity stage, stood among them.
Fang Mingyue, Yang Lie, and others she had encountered were all here.
Even those like Kong Huai, whom she had once noted, were present.
"Sect Master," Qin Ping said with a smile, "the disciples will be randomly scattered at first. Yet our sect members will share a resonance and quickly find one another. Once we gather ten, victory will be within our grasp."
He paused, then added with certainty. "Wushuang Sect disciples, ten together, none can stand against."
As long as ten disciples united, the points battle would be without suspense.
Yun Jin nodded, just as she was about to speak.
At her side, Di Xiao gave a mocking snort. "Ten together, none can stand against? And if the enemy fields a hundred, while you only ten? Still undefeatable?"
Qin Ping glanced at Di Xiao. Though he could not discern his cultivation, he knew he was no ordinary figure. Yet his tone remained steady. "Still undefeatable."
Ten against a hundred?
Di Xiao nearly laughed.
But Yun Jin's cool gaze cut across to him. "Senior Di."
Though she called him Senior, Di Xiao heard a subtle menace in her tone. Frustrated, he closed his mouth.
Fine. He would see for himself whether this Wushuang Sect could truly claim such might.
"Since that is so," Yun Jin said, "be cautious not to be surrounded while scattered. First priority is to regroup."
She waved her hand. "All of you, follow me to Sky City."
The disciples roared in unison, their voices thunderous.
Di Xiao rubbed his ears. "Wan Dao, Wan Dao… this Wushuang Sect was far more arrogant now than in your time."
Whether they had the strength to match, he would soon see.
Yun Jin rose into the sky, the disciples following close behind.
Di Xiao looked up and, unhurried, joined the flight.
"Master, Master, is it Sky City? I want to come out and play!" came Di Ying's eager voice in Yun Jin's mind.
With a flick of her hand, Yun Jin summoned her.
Di Ying looked left and right, her eyes shining with excitement at the bustling sights.
"It is Wushuang Sect!"
"Yun Jin has come again. Sky City will be restless once more."
"The points battle is about to begin. Of course they would arrive."
Onlookers made way instinctively, leaving a wide path.
Not because they feared Wushuang Sect.
Well, perhaps a little.
But more because they preferred not to draw attention. Once caught by those Wushuang Sect disciples' eyes, one felt like a fat sheep ready for slaughter. It was not pleasant.
"Master, our Wushuang Sect's status is so high!" Di Ying said proudly. "Look, they are all moving aside for us."