The Sect with Only One Member Left

Wuji Village wasn't far from here, and it was easy to find.

Even in autumn, vast stretches of green still covered Ionia's mountain ranges.

Visible from a distance, the bare mountain, its earth-colored surface exposed, was where Wuji Village stood.

Its distinctive appearance meant Jia Ruo didn't even need to ask anyone for directions. He and Neeko reached the foot of the mountain before sunset.

I wonder if we'll find him—the Wuji Sword Saint who stood alone against an entire Noxian infantry regiment. Jia Ruo thought it over. No matter what, I have to become his disciple.

If I can master the Wuji Sword Style...

Jia Ruo couldn't help indulging in a wonderful daydream. He stood on the battlefield, facing a dense army of enemies. With a surge of sword energy, he carved a long line into the ground, then told them, "Cross this line and die."

The enemy soldiers would surely charge at him all at once. Then he would dance through their ranks with his sword, cutting his way in and out seven times. At last, as the enemy fled, abandoning their helmets and armor, he would stand in spotless white, not a drop of blood on him, and recite a line of poetry, something like, "A lone rider breaks through the siege; his fearless spirit chills the foe."

How dashing would that be?

The roaring bonfire crackled, bringing Jia Ruo back to reality.

"What are you thinking about, Jia Ruo? You're practically drooling."

"Nothing. We'll head up the mountain first thing tomorrow. Let's get some sleep."

Neeko didn't know which island in Ionia her home had been on. Jia Ruo suggested she ask the Wuji Sword Saint when they met. As a renowned local hero of Ionia, he might know something, which would be better than her searching aimlessly.

"Neeko will be sure to ask the Sword Saint! He's so strong, he'll definitely know!"

"Neeko, if we meet the Wuji Sword Saint, don't try to peer into his soul. I can tell when you do it now, so a master like him certainly will too. We don't want to offend him," Jia Ruo cautioned.

And so, filled with bright hopes for the future, the two curled up together in a little shelter made from plants they had coaxed into shape and fell asleep.

At dawn, pale mist curled around the mountainside. The Sword Saint woke from meditation and slowly descended to the ground. He sensed two people approaching.

Before long, he saw a young man and a Vastaya climbing the mountain path.

There were many Vastaya in Ionia, and they got along well with humans, so Neeko didn't disguise herself by shapeshifting into someone else.

When the two drew near, Yi smiled and nodded to them, like an ordinary passerby.

He had always been easygoing, and even the nearby villagers didn't recognize him as the renowned Wuji Sword Saint.

But the young man looked extremely excited.

"Master Yi!"

When Jia Ruo saw the middle-aged man with a lean face, a goatee, a tall, slender build, and silver-white armor trimmed in green, he was certain this had to be the Wuji Sword Saint.

Jia Ruo had countless things he wanted to say, but didn't know where to begin.

"I—I want to become your disciple. There's so much I want to tell you. I crossed mountains and rivers to find you. I don't even know how far I've traveled..."

"Take your time. There's no rush."

Yi gazed calmly at the young man. Perhaps he had seen him during the battles against Noxus, though Yi had rarely removed his helmet back then.

After gathering his thoughts, Jia Ruo began. "Actually, I'm from another world."

Then Jia Ruo recounted his experiences in full. To prove he wasn't some madman babbling nonsense, he added, "I know everything about you. You're from Wuji Village on this mountain, and you joined the Wuji Sect. You fought against Noxus, and in revenge, Noxus destroyed your homeland. You're the only one left..."

Jia Ruo's voice trailed off. He realized how rude he'd been.

Yi's expression remained as calm as ever. Even though Jia Ruo had told an utterly unbelievable story and revealed Yi's true past, the Wuji Dao he had practiced for years had strengthened his heart enough to keep him unruffled under any circumstances.

"You can stay by my side for now. I need to learn more about you." Whether Jia Ruo really had come from another world or had learned Yi's history and come to study under him out of admiration, Yi didn't mind giving him a chance.

After the Wuji Sect was destroyed, Yi, the last disciple of the Wuji Dao, devoted himself to preserving the sect's teachings. He used the Sevenfold Insight Goggles to seek out worthy candidates and search for potential disciples.

"Thank you, Master!" Overjoyed, Jia Ruo seized the opportunity and shamelessly started calling him Master.

"I wonder if Master has taken Wukong in yet. If not, then I'm still his senior brother." Jia Ruo said it casually.

He even knew about Wukong, the Symi Ape Yi had taken as his disciple.

Perhaps he really did come from another world. Yi stroked his goatee thoughtfully.

"Wait a moment," Yi said, then vanished in a streak of light.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Yi reappeared before Jia Ruo, holding a dull, lusterless sword.

"Do you recognize it?" Master Yi said, offering him the sword.

Jia Ruo took it. The blade resembled a Tang-style long sword and was about three feet long, but it looked drab and gray, without a metal sheen or any hint of sharpness.

But as soon as Jia Ruo gripped the hilt, he felt a powerful force within the blade rapidly awakening. The gray quickly faded, and Purple Radiance welled up.

Jia Ruo gave it a casual swing. Ting! The blade rang softly. The Purple Radiance swelled to its limit, and cherry blossoms formed in the air along its path before gradually fading away.

"You Meng!" Jia Ruo exclaimed.

He even knows about this. Yi gazed at the sword scattering blossoms from Jia Ruo's hand and sank into memory.

Back then, he had inherited this broken sword, called You Meng, from his master. He had never understood what value the broken sword had, but on his deathbed, his master had told him to keep it safe and declared that it was worth a fortune.

Years later, during one of his meditations, Yi faintly sensed a power trying to break free from the sword, but he could never sense exactly how to control it.

Then Wukong came along. Their time together as master and disciple suddenly gave Yi an insight, and in an instant, a dazzling radiance burst from the broken sword.

Yi had believed that only Wukong could wield the sword, so he had tried to give it to him. But Wukong had refused. He preferred the enchanted staff called Doran.

Perhaps everything this young man says is true. Yi thought. Jia Ruo clearly had the talent to study the Wuji Dao. Once Yi had assessed his character, the Wuji Sect might have another inheritor.

"You can keep it for now," Yi said. "It looks pretty nice, too."