Jian Dan stepped past the barrier and was greeted by Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ, who had been waiting outside. He seemed to sense something unusual had happened inside the forbidden grounds, but he didn't ask.
"This isn't a good place to talk. Come with me to the Enforcement Peak," he said.
"Alright."
Jian Dan felt light, as if a burden had been lifted. She knew the karmic bond between her and Mo Mei had now been completely severed. From now on, the Mó Yuè Zhǎn was hers alone. It no longer carried the remnants of Mo Mei.
Once they were seated inside the main hall, Jian Li finally asked,
"You came back so suddenly. Did something happen?"
Jian Dan rubbed her forehead, her voice lacking energy.
"Zhūnzhǔ, you're perceptive. Yes, something important came up."
"So it's true? You're now the Peak Lord of the Heavenly Demon Palace? A Zhūnzhǔ in your own right?"
Jian Wu, seated nearby, still sounded uncertain. After all, he had been the one who personally handed over her identity jade slip all those years ago.
"Of course. You think my cultivation came easily? I fought nonstop for twenty straight years."
All three in the hall fell silent. That kind of intensity meant she had been fighting for her life at every moment.
Jian Li furrowed his brow slightly and said,
"You carry far too much killing intent. It will affect your Dao heart. You'd better stabilize it soon."
"I know. I want to, but everything seems to be happening at once. I used this mission as an excuse to return, not just for business, but to settle my own temper. Lately, I've felt too on edge."
"Shan—"
Jian Ning had only just begun to speak when she realized it was no longer appropriate and fell quiet.
"Just call me Mo Yue," Jian Dan replied.
She took out a jade slip and a high-grade storage pouch from her spatial ring.
"The war in the Ming Valley is currently at a deadlock. The exotic insect race really is using that place as a breach point into the Lingyun Continent."
Everyone in the hall was visibly shocked. This was no trivial matter.
"Do you need reinforcements?"
"This war can only be fought by the demon path. The Ming Valley is drenched in demonic energy. Dao cultivators who enter will suffer reversed meridians and won't even be able to fight."
"Then how are you able to?"
It was Jian Sheng who, as usual, calmly asked the critical question.
Jian Dan smiled but didn't answer. Instead, she continued.
"I only returned with the team because our guard rotation at the Heavenly Demon Palace ended. I won't be staying long. I'll be going back soon."
"These are the carapaces and components of the black-armored insects, along with some corpses of Ming Beasts?"
Jian Wu had already inspected the contents of the storage pouch and asked her for confirmation.
"Yes. I've tested them. The insect shells are very strong and can be used to refine weapons, enhancing both their strength and defense. You can experiment with them. As for the beast corpses, those are unique to the Ming Valley. Their blood, bones, and hides are worth studying."
"Understood. Thank you."
"What about Tian Yun Zhēnzūn?"
Jian Li finally asked the question they all had been avoiding.
"He won't be ascending anytime soon. What I said back in the forbidden grounds sounded harsh, but it was the truth. As long as the full war with the exotic insects hasn't broken out, he can't ascend."
As Jian Dan spoke, she raised a finger toward the sky. A streak of purple lightning flashed above.
She immediately fell silent. The others were all sharp enough to understand what it meant.
Jian Sheng widened his eyes as he clutched the information jade slip in his hand, then looked at Jian Dan and cautiously asked,
"You really cut down half of the Zhēnzūn's cave?"
Cough, cough, cough!
Jian Wu choked on his own saliva. Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ raised an eyebrow. He had sensed a ripple of demonic energy beyond the barrier but hadn't expected her to actually follow through.
"Haha… pardon me. You could say I was just completing the performance. I risked my life to act it out, after all."
"Everyone in the Heavenly Demon Palace knows Mo Yue is brazen, but more importantly, I have the strength to back it up. What could they do? The moment I said I was going to the Heavenly Sword Sect, they immediately assigned me a Divine Soul team. Do you really think they were there to support me?"
She shook her head.
"They were there to keep watch and stop me if I tried to attack someone."
Jian Wu frowned so deeply his brows nearly knotted, unsure whether to believe her or not. Only Jian Ning hid a small smile.
"So cutting down his cave was your excuse to stop him from ascending?"
"More or less. But he truly did have history with Mo Mei. Her fall wasn't by his hand, but he was the catalyst."
"I'd heard that Tian Yun Zhēnzūn once suffered severe injuries. His life-bound sword was nearly destroyed. He was only saved by an elder from his sect," Jian Sheng offered.
"He spent a full century recovering before he could wield a sword again. From then on, he never returned to the Feng clan. Even when the family fell, he didn't lift a hand to help."
"That injury must've been caused by Mo Yan Zhenzūn. He spared him because Mo Mei had feelings for him. As for why he never returned to his clan, it's because her death was orchestrated by both his family and his master. He was caught in the middle, with nowhere to stand."
"I see…"
"This world is nothing more than love, hate, passion, and vengeance. Those two were fated to meet, but not meant to be. In the end, they missed each other."
Jian Dan looked at them and added quietly,
"I saw Tian Yun Zhēnzūn today. Do you really think he wants to ascend?"
"Mo Yue!"
"No need to worry, Zhūnzhǔ. I'm sure I've already shaken his resolve. Someone of his level, standing at the peak of the Lingyun Continent, must know that he can't ascend. He just didn't want to wait any longer without hope."
She flipped her hand, revealing a scroll made of sheepskin and handed it to Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ.
"This is the final dose. A letter written by Mo Mei herself before she fell, addressed to him."
Jian Li accepted it solemnly without opening it. He looked at the others.
"I'll be right back."
He disappeared from the hall.
Jian Dan took out three storage rings and tossed one to each of the remaining three. Then she unfolded her round fan, elegantly fanning herself as she said,
"These are gifts I prepared. Back when I was in the Heavenly Sword Sect, you three looked after me. I wouldn't be here without that. I hope you don't mind."
Jian Wu tossed his ring in his hand and swept it with divine sense. Everything inside was tailored to his cultivation and compatible with his techniques. It was clear she had put in thought. He accepted it with satisfaction.
Jian Ning held her ring and sighed inwardly. She had been the one to introduce Jian Dan to the sect, and now, within just a few decades, Jian Dan had already surpassed her.
Jian Sheng, meanwhile, was intrigued by a token from the Hua family. He took out the twin-lotus wood plaque.
"This is the Hua family's token?"
"Yes. We've built a good relationship with them. If there's any information you need that's difficult to obtain, you can use their network."
"Then I won't be polite."
Jian Dan stood and clasped her hands to the three of them, her voice steady.
"The great war is coming. I hope you all increase your strength. When I return to the Heavenly Sword Sect, I look forward to standing with you in battle."
"Alright!" the three replied in unison.