Ruan Jun's expression turned grim. He remained silent, his face cold and impassive.
Idiots.
What was the point of looking at him now?
Were they trying to imply he was behind this?
Seeing Ruan Jun give no response, the disciple finally realized what was happening. His face turned ashen, but he forced himself to hold firm. "You speak nonsense," he said stiffly.
Yun Jin, however, didn't even spare him another glance. She calmly pointed to the second disciple.
"And you. You're the dumbest of all. You managed to make three mistakes on your own. Tell me, starting from the tenth breath, what exactly were you trying to do with those two consecutive moves? And at the fiftieth breath…"
She listed the mistakes with clarity and precision. One by one, Yun Jin pointed them out. All nine errors in the sword forms were laid bare under her sharp gaze. The faces of the four disciples turned increasingly pale, but none dared to admit fault. Still, their expressions spoke volumes, and the surrounding disciples began whispering among themselves.
Had they really cheated?
And Yun Jin's explanations were too detailed to be lies.
Ruan Jun's voice dropped, heavy with suppressed anger. "Yun Jin, can you or can you not learn the sword forms? Are you trying to make excuses? Just because you say they made mistakes, that makes it true?"
His words gave the four others courage, and they quickly added their own denials, refusing to admit anything. Yun Jin raised her eyebrows, about to respond, when Yue Zhao let out a quiet chuckle. He stepped forward and produced a memory stone.
"Ruan Jun," he said, voice cool, "did you really think I would come unprepared when dealing with someone as low as you? I recorded the entire demonstration. If they disagree, we'll present this to the elders of the Tianxing Sect. Let them decide whether my little junior sister is making things up."
Yun Jin blinked, then broke into a delighted smile.
She could have handled this matter herself, of course.
But having such a dependable senior brother beside her... was truly a wonderful feeling. Ruan Jun's face darkened further at the sight of the memory stone. Cold sweat beaded on the foreheads of the four culprits.
Yue Zhao casually placed the memory stone on the platform. "There are still two demonstrations left. Go ahead, continue."
The small stone now hung above the four like a sword suspended by a thread, ready to fall at any moment. They dared not pull any more tricks, forced to properly demonstrate the techniques two more times. Meanwhile, Yun Jin leisurely finished off a small packet of sunflower seeds.
"Your turn," Ruan Jun said, eyes fixed on her, voice filled with scorn.
So what if she hadn't made mistakes like the others? She had only seen the four sword forms demonstrated three times. How could she possibly memorize them all?
Ruan Jun simply didn't believe it.
Yun Jin brushed off her hands and stood up slowly.
"Gale Sword Art," she said lightly. The wind stirred, and her sword came to life.
"Thunderclap Sword Art."
Her movements shifted—swift, fierce, as if thunder itself had descended.
"Phantom Trace Sword Art."
Her strikes turned strange and unpredictable, emerging from angles no one anticipated.
Three sword arts, executed one after another.
A thin sheen of sweat glistened on Yun Jin's brow.
She turned to the last demonstrator. "Now for the Falling Star Sword Art."
Sword light scattered like a rain of stars across the heavens.
Four sword arts.
Four distinct paths.
Four unique styles.
And Yun Jin, impossibly, performed them all with seamless grace.
As the final arc of light faded, the tip of Yun Jin's sword pointed directly at Ruan Jun.
"Now," she asked calmly, "where is your head?"
The training grounds fell silent.
Ruan Jun's face was an unsightly shade of red.
Yue Zhao watched his little junior sister with awe and amusement. Could she truly possess a innate sword body? But most sword physiques came with exceptional spiritual roots. Yun Jin had only five-element spiritual roots, utterly average…
There had to be more to this.
A shadow of worry passed through Yue Zhao's eyes, but it quickly gave way to determination. Their master, Lin Ya, had once competed with Zhao Wuji for the position of Sect Master. But for reasons unknown, Lin Ya had withdrawn, allowing Zhao Wuji to ascend.
Since then, Zhao Wuji had treated Lin Ya like a thorn in his side. Though Lin Ya's cultivation was faintly superior, Zhao Wuji could never find a way to remove him.
Until that day—when Lin Ya, grievously wounded during a mission for the sect, began to decline. Year after year, his strength waned. And Zhao Wuji seized the chance to suppress him.
If it weren't for the fact that Lin Ya's injury was sustained while protecting the sect, Zhao Wuji might have already killed him, reputation be damned.
Over the years, Zhao Wuji's faction targeted Tianjian Peak time and again. One after another, disciples left, unwilling to stay on a fading peak.
Only the three core disciples remained loyal.
And now, they had a new junior sister.
To Yue Zhao, that was enough.
Just because she had chosen to stay with them, he would protect her with all his strength.
This was his responsibility as senior brother.
And with her incredible talent, her natural sword body, and a bit of help, Tianjian Peak might yet rise again. He would earn more money, and if Yun Jin's cultivation progressed too slowly on her own, he would buy the best pills and forge her path with spirit medicines.
While Yue Zhao was still lost in thought, Ruan Jun narrowed his eyes and let out a cold laugh. A sudden burst of spiritual energy shot from his fingertip toward Yun Jin. It was a vicious move, honed and lethal. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, his power far exceeded Yun Jin's mere Qi Refining stage. If it struck her, she would die on the spot!
Ruan Jun's thoughts were clear:
Even if punished, Yun Jin must die.
His master would shield him.
Nearby, Ye Danxia's eyes lit up.
If Yun Jin died…
That ring would be hers!
But the attack never landed.
Yue Zhao stepped forward, sword in hand, face expressionless, and blocked the strike.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Immediately after, Si Wanning and Yu Songnian flew in from either side, standing before Yun Jin like a wall of steel. All three core disciples of Tianjian Peak had stepped forward.
Yun Jin looked at their backs and pressed her lips together. She could have gone elsewhere in this new life, left the female lead behind and cultivated in another sect.
But she had chosen to stay.
At first, it was simply a matter of pride—she had fallen here, so she would rise here. And she wanted to repay Lin Ya for the kindness he had shown her in her past life. Maybe, just maybe, she could change Tianjian Peak's fate.
The presence of the female lead and her partner also made it convenient to harvest Emotional Value.
But now…
Watching her senior brothers and sister shield her with their lives, she finally felt it.
Belonging.
Not just obligation or revenge.
She simply…
Loved this place.
"Ruan Jun!" Yue Zhao's voice was icy. "You dared attack a core disciple of the sect. Do you know what crime that is?"
"According to sect rules," said Si Wanning, "those who kill their peers are sentenced to death."
"Deserving of death," Yu Songnian said, voice curt.
"Hall Master Yue!" Yue Zhao turned to Elder Yue Lin. "You witnessed the whole thing. What say you?"
They had endured enough.
But if they had to swallow this too, then Tianjian Peak would truly never lift its head again.
Yue Lin's expression twisted.
He was part of the Sect Master's inner circle. Ruan Jun was Zhao Wuji's chosen successor.
Punishing him would be… risky.
But Ruan Jun had attacked Yun Jin in front of so many witnesses.
If he did nothing, what authority would the sect's rules have left?
Even Zhao Wuji couldn't ignore the pressure of the Grand Elders, should this scandal erupt into something greater.
"Yun Jin was disrespectful toward me," Ruan Jun said darkly. "I only meant to give her a light lesson, not take her life. Yue Zhao, don't exaggerate."