"Do you think she will use the talisman?" the Automaton asked Yun Jin with some curiosity.
Yun Jin stretched, completely unbothered, and said, "It does not matter whether she uses it or not."
That talisman led directly to Wushuang Sect.
At present, Wushuang Sect lacked a true top-tier cultivator capable of handling matters independently, besides herself. So, having a backup was sensible.
Bai Yiran was Yun Jin's choice. But frankly speaking, it did not have to be Bai Yiran. With the Trial Tower in existence, in another few decades, people like Qin Ping and Hong Ye also had the potential to become top-tier cultivators.
Yun Jin was not particularly concerned whether Bai Yiran went or not. She was just handling it casually.
The Automaton grew even more puzzled. Yun Jin had gambled her Yin-Yang Codex to save Bai Yiran, yet after saving her, she acted as if repayment was irrelevant.
The Automaton paused, his eyes flickering with scrambled code. He quickly stopped thinking and patted his head firmly. His Master had said: if you cannot understand something, do not force it.
His Master had also said: if he could become a Universe-level Automaton, perhaps he could understand the things that once eluded him.
The Automaton looked forward to that eagerly.
"Come on, come on, do not just stand there. Sit next to me," Yun Jin said, taking a sofa from her storage ring and motioning him to sit.
She then brought out a pile of snacks and sunflower seeds, shoving some into the Automaton's hands.
The Automaton hesitated. "I do not need food."
"How can you watch TV without snacks?" Yun Jin frowned in disapproval. "Trust me, just eat the seeds."
Yun Jin's enthusiasm was overwhelming.
The Automaton hesitated, then imitated her and started cracking seeds. He activated his program to analyze the flavors. Technically, they were not unpleasant. But… for him, no flavor carried real meaning.
Yet Yun Jin, cracking seeds and watching TV, enjoyed it immensely.
The Automaton slowly began following her lead.
"The sea beasts in the Boundless Sea are frighteningly numerous. Already, in such a short time, many have appeared," Yun Jin cleared her throat and began narrating in the style of a wildlife documentary. "On the screen now is a juvenile round-cornered shark. It lies silently beneath the surface, seemingly waiting for something!"
"Look!" Yun Jin's voice suddenly rose.
The Automaton flinched, instinctively sitting upright.
"The prey has appeared!" Yun Jin's voice deepened. "It is a small red fish, unaware that a terrifying predator already observes it from the shadows."
Yun Jin entertained herself, turning a dull scene into a vivid narrative.
The Automaton jumped at her occasional exclamations. He tilted his head, watching Yun Jin's lively commentary, feeling a strange emotion he could not define.
He ran a quick analysis.
[Code fluctuation is intense, similar to a human releasing dopamine. The core entity is likely in a state of excitement and joy.]
Excitement? Joy?
The Automaton looked at Yun Jin again, picked up seeds, and silently began cracking them.
Path Two.
Eighty-five full days.
Di Xiao's nerves were perpetually tense. His spiritual power was chaotic, his body covered in wounds. He looked utterly disheveled, far from the high-and-mighty image of a King of Spirit Beasts. But there was good news!
He had passed the third stage!
Moreover, he was the second to complete it!
Di Xiao's face showed a proud expression.
Although he finished slightly after Yun Jin, it was only temporary.
Given time…
He muttered fierce words in his heart.
Suddenly, he was transported out.
"Look, the blue-side contestant swings a massive fist. This punch will surely shake heaven and earth, rivers and seas reversed! How will our red-side contestant respond? He…"
Yun Jin gestured wildly, spouting nonsense commentary beside him. Next to her, the Automaton listened, cracked seeds, and even clapped rhythmically.
Di Xiao's expression darkened.
Inside, he had endured extreme trials, barely surviving each challenge, only to finally succeed.
And Yun Jin? What was she doing?
His inner voice shouted in frustration.
Such carefree antics—was this too infuriating?
The Automaton suddenly looked at Di Xiao. He realized something and abruptly stood, hurriedly putting away the TV. His expression turned serious.
"Congratulations, you have cleared Path Two," he said.
Di Xiao blinked.
"Do not pretend to be serious. I saw you clapping while eating seeds!"
"Senior Di, you finally emerged," Yun Jin said warmly, as if greeting family. "I had nothing to do, so I could only cultivate. Barely, I reached the late Tribulation stage. You all never appeared, so I amused myself! Thankfully, you finally came out."
Di Xiao remained silent.
Nothing to do but cultivate? Barely reaching late Tribulation stage?
He remembered when he first met Yun Jin, she had only just entered mid-Tribulation.
What a bizarrely fast cultivation.
He refused to speak.
He sat down to recover.
"No need to trouble yourself," the Automaton quickly handed him a bottle of green liquid. "Drink this, and you will restore to full strength."
Di Xiao hesitated, then accepted it.
Yun Jin asked, "Why didn't you give me this when I came out?"
The Automaton asked, "Were you injured?"
Yun Jin nodded. "I think I came out completely unscathed."
Di Xiao: "…"
Impossible to endure this.
"But I was not injured because I am too strong. That is no reason to withhold it," Yun Jin nagged at the Automaton.
At first, the Automaton resisted. After Yun Jin persisted, he finally handed over the green liquid.
"I'll keep this for later," Yun Jin said sincerely to Di Xiao. "In case you get injured again, I can give it to you. Senior Di, am I not the best to you in the world?"
Di Xiao remained silent, then shut down his senses. Better not to listen.
While Di Xiao recovered his spiritual power, Man Sen and Yu Shi Yi completed Paths Eight and Nine, also battered.
The Automaton provided them the green liquid as well.
By the last day, Na Jia and Cang Li completed their trials just in time.
Stage One.
In the end, six people successfully cleared the trials.
Once everyone restored to peak condition, the Automaton slowly spoke.