"Seventeen."
"Eighteen."
Yun Jin braced herself, enduring the blows while trying to avoid the vital strikes. One misstep, and even if she didn't die, the trial would instantly end.
That could not happen. It would ruin the perfection of her performance.
After a grueling round of punishment, Yun Jin's wounds multiplied. One blow had grazed her chest during a failed dodge, leaving a bloodied hole that still oozed relentlessly.
The sight was utterly brutal.
Di Xiao's lips trembled slightly. Did this woman really have to be this insane?
The round, red-eyed robot blinked, light flashing in its eyes as it struggled again.
Yun Jin had started to go berserk. Should he intervene?
In theory, the trial posed no real danger. But that was on the condition she did not act this recklessly. She had already been injured so severely, yet she kept returning to the arena. She was practically courting death.
The previous nine robots could be accounted for; they followed their programming strictly and would not inflict fatal harm on the trial participant.
But the Number One Robot was the only exception. It had been implanted with a Saint-rank cultivation method. To carry such a technique, its configurations were extraordinarily high. It even seemed to possess a faint spark of sentience.
In short.
The Number One Robot was the only one of the ten that could not be fully controlled. Even with rules in place, its energy was immense. If it lost control…
The round robot's agitation grew. Why did it always end up in this dilemma whenever Yun Jin appeared? It was just an innocent robot!
"Nineteen."
Yun Jin silently counted.
This strike broke one of her hands.
"Twenty."
Another strike.
A long scratch appeared across her face. Her wounds reopened, and blood dripped down in rivulets.
She looked entirely ungraceful.
Yet the corners of Yun Jin's lips split into a dazzling smile.
Twenty strikes!
The count was complete.
The Yin-Yang Escape Art was now initiated!
Her aura shifted dramatically.
The next instant.
Another attack struck.
Yun Jin stood perfectly still, blood streaming, yet a strange, eerie smile curved her lips.
Then, under the shocked gaze of all present.
Yun Jin's body slowly vanished from the arena!
?????
Na Jia leapt to her feet.
Yun Jin?
Where was the human?
She had vanished completely!
They could only catch glimpses of clashing lights. The outcome of the fight was entirely obscured.
What was happening?
Na Jia's lips trembled. A terrifying thought struck her. Could Yun Jin have… actually mastered this Saint-rank cultivation method?
Impossible!
This was a Saint-rank technique!
One that transcended the limits of ordinary cultivation!
Anyone attempting a Saint-rank method usually had to endure years of life-and-death trials to even begin.
Yun Jin?
She had simply… mastered it on the spot?
No, no.
Perhaps there was another explanation.
Na Jia stared at the arena without blinking, unwilling to look away even though she saw nothing.
The round robot remained silent for a moment, then mechanically, but unusually, said, "She has initiated the Saint-rank cultivation method."
Once the robot spoke, it was settled.
Na Jia's lips trembled. She had once thought it laughable that a single Yun Jin could surpass Ji Wusi and top the Demon Clan's wanted list.
Now.
She realized.
The threat Yun Jin posed could be far greater than Ji Wusi!
Ji Wusi had nearly reached the peak of his cultivation. Breaking through again would be extremely difficult.
Yun Jin?
She was still so young, and her potential was terrifyingly immense!
A Saint-rank cultivation method!
Ji Wusi also practiced a Saint-rank method, but he spent a thousand years in arduous cultivation and suffered personal tragedies before breaking through.
Yun Jin?
She simply mastered it mid-battle!
Such potential was staggering.
If she continued to grow…
Na Jia's eyes widened, her body trembling slightly. One Ji Wusi had already kept the Demon Clan wary for decades. Now, the Spirit Beast Forest was drawn into the conflict, and Di Xiao had declared participation. In a few years…
If Yun Jin maintained her current pace, she could easily surpass Ji Wu Si or even Di Xiao in threat level. How would the Demon Clan compete?
Wait passively until Yun Jin's lifespan ended?
And she was only sixteen!
How long would they be forced to wait?
Na Jia gritted her teeth. After returning to the Demon Realm, she would immediately report Yun Jin's progress to the Demon Sovereign and propose.
Start the war as soon as possible!
Yun Jin had not yet reached her peak. There might still be a chance to eliminate her. If decades or centuries passed, Yun Jin might become impossible to confront.
"Hehe, that was fun enough."
From the empty arena, Yun Jin's voice suddenly rang out.
She struck quickly.
The Number One Robot had a single, vulnerable point.
The next moment.
The arena was filled with successive images of Yun Jin and the robot.
Yun Jin still bore grievous wounds, but her spirit remained vibrant.
The Number One Robot stood there, its usually cold face betraying a flicker of confusion. This human… she had won?
"Trial participant Yun Jin has cleared the Number One Robot. Awarded fifty trial points. Total trial points: sixty!"
Yun Jin's name immediately returned to the top of the leaderboard. Her trial points still held absolute dominance, and her advantage continued to expand.
"Oh yeah. Perfect completion."
Yun Jin chuckled as she reappeared outside the arena.
"Truly insane." Di Xiao muttered, tossing a porcelain vial casually.
"Senior Di Xiao?" Yun Jin curiously opened it, finding a ninth-grade pill for healing.
"Your wounds are caused by rule-based damage. Without timely treatment, the consequences could be severe. This Daoist pill is suitable," Di Xiao said coldly. "If you go wrong, Di Ying will also be at risk."
Yun Jin smiled. "Thanks. But this pill is precious. Using it here is wasteful."
She tossed the vial back and began meditating.
Di Xiao frowned.
Yun Jin did not seem the type to be obstinate. Rule-based injuries could only be treated with pills or countered with higher-level applications of the same rules.
Was her Yin-Yang Law higher than the Number One Robot?
Just as he thought this, Yun Jin's wounds visibly began to heal at a remarkable speed.
Di Xiao's gaze moved slightly.
A Saint-rank cultivation method must contain profound rules. That Yun Jin could resolve them so easily could only mean one thing. Her cultivation method was even stronger than Saint-rank!
Di Xiao glanced at Na Jia.
Such secrecy, yet the Demon Clan now witnessed it.
Na Jia shivered when Di Xiao looked her way. If not for the trial space preventing action, she suspected Di Xiao would not hesitate to kill her.
After a while of meditation, Yun Jin returned to her lively, energetic self. Her aura swept over, cleaning her magical robe as if the previous battle had never occurred.
The robot regarded her with complex emotions.
"Congratulations to the three participants for securing the final trial spots. Please follow me next."