Yun Jin still hadn't grasped the True Meaning of Earth. She'd originally planned to wait until the Demon Realm issue was settled before going into seclusion again.
But unexpectedly, Fairy Su Yuan Zhēnzūn, who'd been missing for a thousand years, had reappeared.
Battle was often the best way to comprehend the Dao, especially when facing an equal. Sometimes, a single spark in combat could ignite a flash of enlightenment.
If she was quick enough, she might even manage to grasp the Earth Dao before the war against the Demon Clan began.
"All right, I'll make the arrangements," Yu Songnian said immediately.
Yun Jin shook her head. "Forget it. No need for all that trouble. I'll just go to her myself."
Her figure vanished from the Wushuang Mountains in an instant.
Yue Zhao and the other two exchanged surprised glances.
"Does the Sect Master even know where she is?" Si Wanning asked blankly.
Yue Zhao smiled faintly. "With the Sect Master's abilities, anything she wants to know, she'll know. We probably won't make it in time to witness that fight, so let's handle what Xiao Jin left for us first."
Both Si Wanning and Yu Songnian nodded.
Yu Songnian's eyes, however, gleamed with a sharp light.
The Human Race and Demon Clan were finally going to war. He hadn't forgotten how his father died—slain by the hands of those evil cultivators. And all evil paths ultimately traced back to a single source: the Demon Clan.
Only by eradicating them could tragedies like his father's never happen again.
After a brief discussion, the three split up to handle their tasks.
At the foot of the Wushuang Mountains, inside a simple bamboo hut, a woman dressed in plain robes sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, resting her spirit. A thousand years ago, Su Yuan had already reached the threshold of comprehending the Primordial Force's True Meaning.
But that single step had trapped her for an entire millennium.
Now that she'd emerged from seclusion, her original plan had been to search the Human Realm for new opportunities. However, she'd barely stepped out when she heard the news—Yun Jin had defeated the top experts of all ten great races.
That changed everything.
This human named Yun Jin possessed terrifying comprehension. Rumor had it that before those challenges, she'd only mastered a single supreme Law. But after defeating all her opponents, she was now just one step away from attaining the Dao itself.
And that one step, for countless cultivators, was an insurmountable chasm even after ten thousand years.
Su Yuan realized that simply meditating in seclusion would never let her break through. So she decided to see for herself—would clashing with another powerhouse be the key to her final enlightenment?
Suddenly, Su Yuan opened her eyes.
Before her stood a figure that had appeared out of thin air.
Her pupils contracted as she said softly, "Sect Master Yun?"
Yun Jin smiled. "Fairy Su Yuan Zhēnzūn."
Su Yuan rose to her feet, her tone straightforward and sharp. "You've reached the final step of comprehending the True Meaning, haven't you?"
Yun Jin nodded. "I have. You must be the same."
Su Yuan inclined her head slightly, the corner of her lips curving upward. "Then, shall we fight?"
"Of course," Yun Jin answered in a deep voice.
"This place is too small, though. We won't be able to unleash our full strength," Su Yuan said, taking out a scroll. "This is my treasure, the Landscape Scroll. It contains vast inner space, enough for us to battle freely. It's a Saint rank artifact, capable of enduring our full power."
Yun Jin nodded. "That's quite the treasure."
Su Yuan gave a faint smile. "Still, it's my treasure. If you're worried I might've tampered with it, we can—"
Yun Jin interrupted, "Someone who once stopped an all-out war between races single-handedly doesn't strike me as the scheming type. I've no reason to doubt you, Fairy Su Yuan."
Su Yuan froze, then looked a bit embarrassed. "Back then, I didn't think much about it. I just didn't want to see more bloodshed. I'm no saint, but I've never stooped to petty tricks. If you trust me, let's enter the scroll together."
She waved her hand, and the scroll unfurled midair, revealing flowing rivers and towering mountains within, so lifelike it was hard to tell illusion from reality.
What an intriguing artifact.
Yun Jin smiled, then stepped straight into the Landscape Scroll.
Seeing her decisiveness, Su Yuan felt a flicker of admiration and followed her in.
Inside the scroll, mountains, rivers, plains, and deserts stretched endlessly in all directions.
They didn't bother choosing a specific battlefield. Both descended upon a mountain range, each taking a peak.
Then, the battle began.
Both wielded the Law of Earth, and in an instant, the world turned upside down. Mountains cracked apart, rivers reversed course, and the land itself trembled under their might.
Inside the Landscape Scroll, there was no need to hold back. No innocents would be harmed, and both could unleash their full power without restraint.
Their mastery over the Earth Law was evenly matched. It was a true clash of equals, each one a perfect counter to the other.
Under their fierce exchange, the mountains beneath their feet couldn't withstand the strain and soon crumbled into ruins.
Neither cared. Even as boulders rained down, they continued to fight amidst the chaos.
Back outside the Wushuang Mountains, Yue Zhao and the others had been busy all day before gathering again, waiting anxiously for news. If Yun Jin had really engaged Fairy Su Yuan, the aftermath would be earth-shaking.
Yet an entire day and night passed, and not a single disturbance was felt.
Puzzled, they went to Su Yuan's dwelling to check.
Inside, the bamboo hut was empty, save for a scroll suspended in the air.
Peering closely, they could faintly see two figures clashing fiercely within it.
"It's the Sect Master," Si Wanning said excitedly. "And Fairy Su Yuan Zhēnzūn!"
"They're fighting inside the scroll?"
Yue Zhao exhaled softly. "What a remarkable treasure. Looks like the Sect Master can finally fight without any restraints this time."
The three stood silently outside, watching the distant scene within the scroll.
The image wasn't clear, just flashes of chaos—collapsing mountains, flying stones, and roaring earth.
As the battle reached its peak, the scroll itself began trembling, almost unable to contain the sheer power of their clash.
Then suddenly, everything went still.
The shaking stopped. The mountains fell silent, and the dust settled.
The three of them stared at the scroll in tense anticipation.
Had it been decided?
Inside, Yun Jin and Su Yuan stood amid the ruins, facing each other from afar. Both closed their eyes at the same time, as if lost in profound realization.
Countless flashes of insight surged through Su Yuan's mind.
The Earth—steady, enduring, nurturing all things.
But what was her True Meaning?
She suddenly remembered that day, long ago. She'd stood in the heart of a battlefield and single-handedly stopped a war. She'd raised towering stone walls that split armies apart and, through overwhelming might, forced them to sign a peace accord.
The memory flashed vividly before her eyes.
Then she opened them wide, a brilliant light igniting within.
Earth nourishes all things, yet the same ground can also imprison them. Heaven and earth endure eternally, their stability not kindness but law. Those who abide by those laws thrive. Those who defy them are cast aside. Just like the peace treaty she'd enforced—it was all about creating rules.
A thousand years of seclusion, all for that single spark of insight. And now, through this fierce, exhilarating battle, she'd finally grasped it. Her Primordial Earth's True Meaning was Order.
A faint smile touched her lips as countless earth elements surged toward her, resonating in harmony.
She'd done it.
She'd finally mastered the Primordial Earth.
But just as Su Yuan was reveling in her triumph, the soil element she'd drawn toward herself suddenly froze, then turned sharply, rushing straight toward Yun Jin instead.