Isshin stayed with the group.
They didn't trust him completely. Their eyes kept drifting toward him, watching every move. Even though his story held up, they weren't careless.
Isshin didn't mind.
He walked with them, scanning the surroundings while thinking ahead. Fighting them directly wasn't an option. The elder alone was enough to shut that down. Someone at the True Soul Realm was far beyond him right now.
Raijin suggested using beasts to create chaos.
Lure something strong enough to split them apart.
But Isshin stopped himself.
There was a better way.
The group hadn't found any Wudang cultivators yet.
Because there weren't any left.
He had already dealt with them.
That gave him an idea.
If he showed them the bodies, it would strengthen his story. Remove most of the doubt.
Two choices.
Pretend he didn't know who killed them, or take credit.
The first one was risky.
The second one gave him control.
He chose the second.
He led them back to the ruins.
The bodies were still there.
The elder stepped forward and examined them closely. His expression shifted slightly as he studied the wounds. Clean cuts. No hesitation.
"Did you do this?" the elder asked.
Isshin nodded.
The elder stood up slowly. "Well done."
But he wasn't fully convinced yet.
"If you're this capable," he continued, "why were you running?"
Isshin didn't hesitate.
"There was an elder," he said quietly. "I barely got away."
That was enough.
The group reacted immediately.
Tension.
Anger.
The story fit too well.
"And you said they killed one of ours," the elder added.
Isshin nodded again.
That sealed it.
Their suspicion faded.
"If that's true," the elder said, "you handled this better than most."
There was a short pause.
"You should consider joining the Divine Sword Sect."
Isshin kept his expression steady.
"I'll think about it."
They accepted that.
For now, it was enough.
They continued deeper into the forest.
The air felt heavier the further they went.
Then—
A shadow passed overhead.
A wyvern.
The elder reacted instantly. "Hide."
Everyone moved.
Isshin didn't.
He recognized it.
The same wyvern.
From above, it saw him too.
It also saw something else.
The hidden body near its nest.
It understood what Isshin had done.
But it didn't react.
It simply flew past.
No roar.
No attack.
Nothing.
Time was running out.
Only a few days remained before the Thousand Strike Thunder.
The ruins looked empty to most.
Just broken structures.
Nothing special.
But that wasn't the truth.
Raijin had already explained it.
The real reward wasn't visible.
It was hidden beneath.
Only those who survived the thunder would gain access.
The lightning itself wasn't just a test.
It could strengthen the body.
Enhance thunder affinity.
Sometimes even create a thunder spirit.
That was what people really wanted.
The breakthrough was just part of it.
Other sects were already nearby.
Hidden.
Waiting.
This wasn't a small event.
Just not big enough for sect leaders to show up personally.
But strong enough to attract elders and top disciples.
Isshin understood the situation.
He wasn't strong enough to compete alone.
But he didn't need to be.
If he used the Divine Sword Sect properly, they could shield him during the tribulation.
That was his path.
But for it to work, he needed their trust.
And he didn't have much time.
Three or four days.
That was all.