Yun Jin asked the system to check Di Xiao's location, and to her surprise, he wasn't in the Spirit Beast Forest at all. Right now, he was inside the Celestial Divine Palace.
That made things much simpler.
Yun Jin went straight to the Celestial Divine Palace.
Di Xiao was still in seclusion. She sent a communication talisman inside, then waited quietly. Before long, the door to the chamber opened, and Di Xiao stepped out.
Yun Jin swept her divine sense over him, her expression shifting slightly. His cultivation had advanced even faster than she'd expected. In just a year, Di Xiao had already recovered to the Unity stage. Compared to his peak, it was still lacking, but for someone rebuilding his foundation, that speed was downright terrifying.
"At this rate, you won't even need a hundred years. In ten, you'll be back at your peak," Yun Jin said with a smile.
Di Xiao's expression grew complicated. He'd always been someone who repaid every kindness. He'd thought the Xuan Yin Crystal and the Tian Zhao Stone were enough to settle his debt to Yun Jin.
But then she'd given him a cultivation method—one that felt tailor-made for him. Once he started training with it, his progress had skyrocketed, countless times faster than before.
Now, it felt like he owed her even more. He honestly didn't know how he could ever repay such a debt.
"The technique you gave me is... excellent," Di Xiao said, his tone heavy.
Yun Jin didn't care much. "It's nothing."
He pressed his lips together. What was "nothing" to her was a heaven-sent gift to him. If he ever got the chance, he'd definitely repay this favor.
"Senior Di," Yun Jin said directly, "I'm planning to declare war on the Demon Clan."
Di Xiao's eyes flickered. He immediately understood. "I'll return to the Spirit Beast Forest and rally the spirit beasts right away!"
Yun Jin nodded. "Make it voluntary. But you can pass the word—anyone who slays demons will earn military merits, and those merits can be exchanged with me for treasures. I'll release a full list of rewards soon."
Di Xiao frowned. "I already promised to fight by your side. How could I let you offer rewards on top of that?"
Yun Jin smiled. "Don't overthink it, Senior. It's not special treatment for the spirit beasts. Every being who takes part in this demon war will get the same offer."
Everyone?
That stunned him.
Where did Yun Jin even get so many treasures for others to trade?
Then it hit him.
The Celestial Divine Palace!
That palace had traveled through countless minor worlds, gathering a staggering amount of treasures. It was enough to fund this entire exchange system. Even so, Yun Jin was being incredibly generous.
Di Xiao frowned again, wanting to say more, but she beat him to it.
"Don't mistake me for some saint, Senior Di," Yun Jin said lightly. "Gun Gun and the others collect items in every small world they visit. I'll keep the real treasures for myself or my disciples. But the more common ones? Even the Wushuang Sect disciples wouldn't care for them. So why not spread them around? It'll draw more people into the war, and..."
She paused, her tone calm but firm. "It'll win hearts."
She could already feel it—her Luck was growing stronger, and so was Wushuang Sect's. Once the Demon Clan was destroyed, her prestige would reach its peak. With her current influence and the loyalty she'd gathered, her Luck would soar even higher.
She still didn't fully understand what Luck was for, but she had a feeling. The sealed Immortal Path of this world had to be tied to it. To reopen that path, she needed to gather the faith of all living beings. That faith would transform into Luck, empowering her even further. And that power... could change everything.
She'd never doubted her instincts.
They were, most likely, the will of the Heavenly Dao guiding her.
So she'd seize every chance to gain faith—not just from humans, but also from the sea beasts of the Boundless Sea and the other races on the Nanlan Continent. She needed the faith of all living things.
Seeing Yun Jin's resolve, Di Xiao could only nod. "Since you've already decided, I won't say more. Time's short, so I'll return to the Spirit Beast Forest immediately."
"Thank you, Senior."
Di Xiao turned and left.
With the Boundless Sea and Spirit Beast Forest settled, Yun Jin used the teleportation array to head for the Wushuang Sect branch on the Nanlan Continent.
When she'd last left, the branch barely had a handful of disciples. Now, only a month later, the Wushuang Mountains were teeming with life. Recruitment had clearly gone well.
Yue Zhao, Si Wanning, and Yu Songnian were all there.
Yue Zhao was skilled at promotion, so it wasn't hard to guess who'd driven this surge in numbers.
Without alerting the others, Yun Jin summoned the three of them privately.
"Senior Brother, the human race is about to go to all-out war with the Demon Clan," she said. "I need the Nanlan Continent's other races to join us. Spread the word."
She quickly explained the military merit exchange system.
Yue Zhao's expression turned serious, and he nodded firmly.
"Sect Master," Si Wanning suddenly spoke up. "If we're going to publicize this, there's actually an even better way."
Both Yue Zhao and Yu Songnian nodded in agreement.
Yun Jin blinked. "Oh? What way?"
"We just received news," Yu Songnian said gravely. "Fairy Su Yuan has appeared."
Fairy Su Yuan?
Yun Jin's eyes lit up.
Her Primordial Earth lacked just one final insight, and it might very well come from Su Yuan Zhēnzūn.
"How'd you find out?" Yun Jin asked.
Yu Songnian replied, "She came to us. She appeared at the Wushuang Sect's recruitment site, gave her name, and said she wishes to challenge you."
"I was about to send you the message, but it seems you arrived just in time," Yue Zhao added. "Fairy Su Yuan heard that the top experts of the ten great races were all defeated by you. Seems her battle spirit was stirred."
Si Wanning nodded. "She's been in seclusion for a thousand years, probably seeking a breakthrough. But her cultivation's already at its peak. To advance further, she'll have to transcend through her Primordial Force. Sect Master, it looks like the two of you are aiming for the same thing."
Both Yun Jin and Su Yuan Zhēnzūn wanted to use a battle between equals to trigger their final breakthroughs. Whether they'd succeed or not would depend entirely on their own strength.
"That's perfect!" Yun Jin rose to her feet. "Tell her I accept the challenge! But the battle must happen soon. We can't delay the demon campaign."
"Fairy Su Yuan is already waiting at the foot of Wushuang Mountain," Yu Songnian said. "The fight can begin whenever you're ready."
"Good!" Yun Jin's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Then make the arrangements immediately."