After leaving the dining hall, Si Wanning didn't linger outside for long. Soon, she and Yun Jin returned to Tianjian Peak. Si Wanning helped Yun Jin pick out a residence and arranged the essentials, making sure she had a proper home on the peak.
But as she looked at Yun Jin, Si Wanning hesitated, her expression troubled. After a moment, she asked softly, "Junior Sister, have you... broken through to the seventh layer already?"
The further one progressed, the harder cultivation became.
Back at the feast, Yun Jin had surged to the sixth layer just by eating a few dozen plates of meat. But even after consuming far more since then, she had only just reached the seventh layer.
Yun Jin nodded. "Seems like it."
Si Wanning's brow furrowed. "Your cultivation... Why is it increasing so quickly? Are you sure this won't cause any problems?"
Yun Jin blinked innocently. "I'm not sure. But it feels like every time I eat, my cultivation rises."
Eat and grow stronger?
Si Wanning's jaw dropped.
"Was this even scientifically possible?!"
"But with such rapid growth, can you even control all that spiritual energy? What if it goes berserk?"
Yun Jin casually summoned a swirl of spiritual energy, shaping it effortlessly in front of Si Wanning. "Berserk?"
Si Wanning: "…Never mind. Keep eating."
Tears of despair streamed down her face.
If only Lin Ya weren't off gods-know-where, she'd grab him by the collar and shake him.
Did he recruit a junior sister or a humanoid black hole?!
With Yun Jin's monstrous talent, she could've thrived anywhere—why did she have to land in their poverty-stricken Tianjian Peak?! They were practically holding her back!
"By the way, Senior Sister," Yun Jin said suddenly, "next time there's a big flashy event, take me along again."
Si Wanning blinked, momentarily confused.
Yun Jin grinned. "I love showing off in public. The more attention, the happier I am."
In short, she lived to show off.
But Yun Jin didn't have much choice. Only when she performed dazzling feats in front of others could she harvest emotional value, exchange for simplification chances, and accelerate her progress.
To grow rapidly, she absolutely could not keep a low profile.
Her goal was clear: reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Once she achieved that, her top priority would be helping Lin Ya recover his strength.
The threat looming over Tianjian Peak could only be resolved if Lin Ya returned to his peak state. Only then could he shield them once more. As for how to heal him, Yun Jin had already formulated a plan.
In her previous life, she'd heard that the only cure for Lin Ya's injuries was a legendary pill: the Heaven-Mending Pill. And the recipe for that pill could be found within the Tianxing Sect.
The problem lay in the ingredients. Some of the herbs required were already extinct, making the recipe nearly impossible to complete. Moreover, crafting the Heaven-Mending Pill demanded an alchemist of the highest caliber. Even the Peak Lord of Shen Dan Peak, Huo Lie, had abysmal success rates.
Rare herbs, elusive talent.
That was why Lin Ya's wounds had lingered for so long.
But now, Yun Jin had the Super Simplification System on her side. She had confidence she could succeed. To reach her goal within three months, she needed to accumulate more emotional value.
Which meant—
She had to be high-profile.
The flashier, the better.
"Junior Sister," Si Wanning said cautiously, "you might not know this, but Tianjian Peak is actually quite weak. If you act too flashy, you'll make enemies."
Yun Jin only smiled. "And if we stay low-key, do you think they'll spare us?"
Si Wanning fell silent.
The current Sect Master of Tianxing Sect, Zhao Wujie, had long held a grudge against their master. After their master suffered grave injuries, most of the sect merely watched coldly. But Zhao Wujie took every chance to make life difficult for them, both openly and in secret.
For example, disciples in Tianxing Sect were entitled to monthly resources based on their cultivation level. Yet the resources given to Tianjian Peak were often completely unusable. If not for Senior Brother Yuezhao working deals across the sect, they would have had an even harder time surviving.
Zhao Wujie was petty enough that no amount of humility would change his mind. Whether they were loud or quiet, he would never truly let them off. Seeing Si Wanning remain silent, Yun Jin chuckled. "So if being low-profile makes no difference, why should we hold ourselves back?"
Either way, she was going to shine.
Si Wanning stared at Yun Jin for a moment before smiling. "Alright. Then we'll do things your way."
Over the next few days, Yun Jin stopped wandering. She stayed on Tianjian Peak, focused entirely on one thing: reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
She did only two things each day:
First, eat meat.
Second, supervise Yuezhao and Si Wanning's sword practice!
She'd wanted to include Third Senior Brother Yu Songnian in the training as well, but his sword skills remained a mystery. His talent for escaping, however, was extraordinary. Every time she tried to speak with him, he'd vanish on the spot.
To this day, Yun Jin had not even glimpsed his swordsmanship.
After three days—
Yuezhao and Si Wanning would tremble at the mere sight of Yun Jin in the distance.
In that time, Yun Jin finished the meat floss Si Wanning had given her, and Yuezhao followed up with an enormous sack of more. He'd continue bringing her more whenever he could.
Though he didn't seem reliable on the surface, Senior Brother Yuezhao was actually quite dependable. Yun Jin remembered this kindness well. She was determined to repay him someday.
After three days, her cultivation broke through again, reaching the eighth layer of Qi Refining. Both her sword arts, the Void-Piercing Sword Art and the Lotus Bloom Sword Art, were on the verge of reaching the Proficient level.
Their technique levels had reached Stage Two.
The speed of her progress was nothing short of monstrous.
On this day—
As usual, Yun Jin had grabbed Yuezhao and Si Wanning for training. But Yuezhao was slippery. He'd vanished early in the morning. So Yun Jin turned her attention to her pitiful Second Senior Sister instead. Si Wanning practiced with a bitter expression, but she found a sliver of joy in the hardship. These past few days of intense sword practice had indeed helped her improve.
So... a blessing in disguise?
"Second Senior Sister, you're amazing!" Yun Jin beamed. "Can I watch you do it again?"
Si Wanning's mouth twitched. Just then, she spotted someone approaching Tianjian Peak and her eyes lit up. "Junior Sister, we have visitors!"
Yun Jin turned to look.
Sure enough, several people were approaching from the foot of the mountain. As they got closer, Yun Jin caught sight of their faces and raised an eyebrow.
Ye Danxia.
At last. After three days of waiting, the heroine had finally arrived.
A fresh source of emotional value had come knocking.
"Xiao Jin, I finally found you!" Ye Danxia greeted her joyfully. "I heard you'd come to Tianjian Peak. I asked around for days and begged my senior brothers before they finally agreed to bring me here. You must have suffered so much here!"
As she spoke, her gaze swept to Si Wanning. "You're the second disciple of Tianjian Peak, Si Wanning, right? I heard you have quite a temper. That kind of attitude won't win any affection, you know. Especially not for a girl."
Si Wanning: "???"
"Who the hell is this bitch?!"
"Was something wrong with her brain?"