"Watch it three times."
"What? Master a Yellow-grade sword art after just three viewings?"
The disciple nearly laughed from sheer disbelief. He himself had started learning this same sword technique during the Foundation Establishment stage. It had taken him three years to barely grasp the basics. Even so, among Foundation Establishment disciples, that was considered impressive. But now, a newly-inducted junior claimed she could learn it after watching it three times?
If she really pulled it off, then what did that say about his own three years of painstaking cultivation? He couldn't help but sneer, "Anyone can talk big. If you actually manage to learn it, I'll give you my head!"
"???" Yun Jin blinked in confusion.
She quietly glanced at Ruan Jun, a little concerned. Another one offering their head. If she kept collecting heads at this rate, where was she supposed to store them all?
Yun Jin sighed. "Originally, for a basic sword art like yours, I only needed to see it once. But your technique is too rough. There are five layers to this sword art, and you're stuck at the first, right? Senior Brother, you're really weak."
If someone at the third layer or above had demonstrated it, she truly could have learned it in one go. But now? She had to waste her time watching it three full times.
"An utter waste."
The disciple flushed with anger at her contemptuous gaze. He opened his mouth to retort—
"Get on with it," Yun Jin interrupted, voice flat. "My time is far more valuable than yours."
Grinding his teeth, the disciple resentfully demonstrated the technique two more times. Then he gave her a mocking look. "Well? Did you learn it?"
Yun Jin didn't answer. Instead, she raised her hand and adopted the sword stance with clean, precise motion. Her form was remarkably well-executed.
The disciple's expression shifted slightly. Could she really have learned it in three tries?
No. Impossible.
At most, she copied the form. There was no way she had grasped the essence of the technique.
But as Yun Jin casually moved through the sword art, his gaze turned sharper, scrutinizing every motion.
And yet—
He found no errors. Not a single flaw.
Not just the sword forms. Even the flow of spiritual power was correct, down to the rhythm and pauses.
As she concluded the technique, Yun Jin lightly flicked her sword. A gleaming arc of sword qi shot out and swept across a tree in the distance. Leaves rustled, falling in a flurry.
When the dust settled, everyone stared.
The scattered leaves had landed in a very specific formation—
Three stark characters on the ground:
"头拿来."
Bring. Me. Your. Head.
All eyes turned toward the disciple who had made the vow. His face turned deathly pale, one hand clutching his chest. Staring at those three words, he trembled violently.
Spurt!
A mouthful of blood erupted as he collapsed, unconscious from sheer fury.
Someone rushed to check his pulse, finding his meridians in chaos, and hastily carried him off for treatment.
Yun Jin turned calmly to the remaining four disciples. "You four, come at me together. With techniques this simple, I can learn them all at once."
The four exchanged uneasy looks.
They had just witnessed what had happened. Yun Jin wasn't boasting.
She really had learned a high-level Yellow-grade sword art by watching it three times.
Such terrifying talent…
One phrase echoed in their minds:
Innate Sword Body.
Only those born with a legendary Sword Constitution could perform such feats. Could this Yun Jin truly possess that kind of monstrous gift?
A legendary constitution capable of such feats. Could Yun Jin truly possess it?
A wave of dread swept through the crowd.
Ruan Jun's expression darkened.
The more talent Yun Jin displayed, the more she had to die.
"Elder Brother…" Ye Danxia tugged his sleeve, her voice trembling. "Xiao Jin is so incredible. I could never compare."
She, too, sensed Yun Jin's monstrous potential.
What if Ruan Jun abandoned her?
His heart ached at her fragility. "She's just cheating! Don't worry."
But inwardly, his killing intent solidified.
"This woman must never overshadow Danxia. Expel her first, then hunt her down in secret. No loose ends."
He sent a covert message to the four:
"Agree! But deliberately make mistakes during the demonstration. Let's see her 'learn' errors!"
Right! They could mess up on purpose. Not too obviously. Just small details here and there. If Yun Jin learned from flawed demonstrations, how could she possibly replicate the real thing? There was no way she could succeed this time.
Confident now, one of the four stepped forward. "Since you insisted, don't blame us for 'bullying' you."
Yun Jin raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Then if I succeed again, will I get all four of your heads?"
"..." They were silent.
One snapped, "Enough nonsense! Watch carefully! We're only showing it three times!"
Not wanting to give her time to speak more nonsense, they launched into their sword arts immediately.
Four different sword techniques.
Four overlapping trails of sword light filled the air.
Yun Jin didn't flinch.
She casually sat down cross-legged, retrieved a small pouch, and began eating melon seeds. It was worth noting—these were spiritual seeds, a gift from her senior brother. Far tastier than mortal snacks, and infused with a trace of spiritual energy.
Yun Jin was particularly fond of them. After a moment, she placed a teapot beside her and poured herself tea. The seeds were too dry without something to wash them down.
Perfectly reasonable, of course.
On one side, dazzling sword light danced in the air.
On the other, the peaceful crackle of seeds being munched.
At first, the crowd watched the sword demonstrations. But gradually, all eyes drifted toward Yun Jin.
They'd heard she'd eaten melon seeds during her entry exam.
Was she really doing it again?
Were the seeds that good?!
Yue Zhao and Si Wanning quietly lowered their heads. They had both been humiliated by Yun Jin before. One would think they'd be used to it by now. Yet in this moment, both fervently wished they could pretend not to know her.
The disciples completed the first round of sword demonstrations, panting heavily.
Yun Jin, meanwhile, had eaten a small mountain of seeds.
Their expressions turned increasingly sour.
Yun Jin raised a brow as the system's voice rang in her mind:
[Detected four Yellow-grade advanced sword techniques. Nine intentional flaws located. Would you like to correct them?]
Nine flaws?
Yun Jin calmly set down her snack, her gaze turning playful.
"Correct them," she said silently.
[Expended three Simplification Credits. All flaws corrected.]
A detailed list of all nine flaws appeared instantly.
Yun Jin looked up at the four and spoke evenly. "Senior brothers, are you sure you've truly mastered these techniques? Four of you together, and you still managed to introduce nine errors? If it were me, I'd give up swordsmanship out of sheer embarrassment."
Disdain laced her tone.
Their faces twisted.
They had taken great care to hide the flaws. And yet Yun Jin had exposed them instantly—She even stated the exact number?
Whether she'd guessed the number or not, her confidence was unnerving.
What kind of monster is she?!
One disciple blustered, "Lies! Our forms were flawless! You're just making excuses for failure!"
Yun Jin chuckled. "Then you're simply incompetent."
She pointed at the leftmost disciple. "You. At the tenth breath, why did your spiritual energy stagnate? At the fiftieth, was that sword trajectory correct?"
The disciple froze.
Those were the only two minor alterations he had made.
How had she noticed them? On her first viewing?
And now, in front of everyone, she called them out directly.
His eyes instinctively darted to Ruan Jun.