"Send a transmission talisman to Shan Yunzu. Tell her to come to the council hall immediately. There's something I need to verify."
"Yes, Zūnzhǔ."
Jian Ning responded at once. With a flick of his fingers, a transmission talisman flew toward the rear courtyard. Moments later, Jian Dan returned to stand once more in the center of the hall. She bowed toward the two Zūnzhǔ seated above.
"Shan Yunzu greets the two Zūnzhǔ. May I ask what orders you have for me?"
"This is Jian Li Zūnzhǔ from our Heavenly Sword Sect's Enforcement Hall."
"Thank you, Zūnzhǔ, for stepping in outside the City Lord's estate. Without your aid, we would not have entered so smoothly, and the mission could have been delayed."
"Oh?"
"Zūnzhǔ's cultivation is profound, and the killing intent around you was razor-sharp. I am particularly sensitive to fluctuations in spiritual energy, so I could tell."
Jian Li gave a small nod and did not pursue further. Instead, he turned to Jian Jun Zūnzhǔ, who picked up the thread of conversation.
"You insisted on bringing that insect back alive. Was it because of the black creature that broke through from the Chilang secret realm?"
"Yes. I believe the two are definitely connected."
Jian Dan spoke with solemnity. She had suspected this for some time, but with other sect cultivators present at the time, she had not been able to say much.
"You left out some details earlier. Now speak clearly and thoroughly."
"Yes, Zūnzhǔ."
Jian Dan had already prepared her explanation. She knew the one sitting above her could not be misled, so she calmly began recounting her findings and speculations.
"When Xu Meixia returned alive from the Purple-tier secret realm, I already had suspicions. Given the situation back then, she should have died without a doubt. I suspect she was being controlled by an insect."
"At the time, I was only a minor loose cultivator. When questioned, I shared this theory with Elder Yin, but it didn't seem to gain much attention. Only the Heavenly Sword Sect took me seriously."
She glanced briefly toward Jian Wu Zhēnjūn, who was still studying the corpse of the black-armored insect beast, but quickly looked away.
Jian Li arched a brow toward Jian Jun. Jian Jun sent him a sound transmission.
"She didn't enter the sect through the normal process. And surviving the Purple-tier secret realm caught our attention. Once she joined, the Enforcement Hall monitored her as per protocol, but she discovered the watchers due to her extraordinary sensitivity to spiritual energy."
He subtly gestured toward Jian Wu with his chin. Jian Li did not press the matter further, and Jian Dan resumed speaking.
"I encountered Xu Meixia again in Yunling City, just before heading to the Chilang secret realm. Her cultivation had advanced rapidly. When she left the secret realm, she was only at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment. But now, just over three years later, she has already reached the Golden Core stage."
Jian Wu Zhēnjūn, who had been examining the beast's corpse, threw a quick glance at Jian Dan. "As if she wasn't also advancing at a suspicious pace! Saying someone else's cultivation rose too fast—she wasn't exactly slow herself."
Jian Dan pretended not to see his expression. She cleared her throat and continued calmly.
"My own breakthrough to Golden Core happened during a sect mission. I was forced to break through under pressure, then later joined hands with Master Liao Kong of the Buddhist Sect to release trapped souls. I gained some fortune there that accelerated my cultivation."
"As for Han Pengfei, a disciple of Cloud Sea Sect's Yun Yun Zhēnzūn, he only just reached peak Foundation Establishment. He also seems to be wary of Xu Meixia, which made me pay closer attention."
"Taking advantage of a conflict between her and another sect disciple, I checked her storage ring. Her resources rivaled—or even exceeded—that of a Yuányīng Zhēnjūn."
"I became certain she was problematic when she hesitated during the fight with the black-armored insect beast. She seemed unwilling to engage, so I had Yue Liang send her straight to the creature's mouth."
"The injured insect beast did not devour her. That confirmed my suspicions, though I lacked solid proof."
"So you used her obsession with Han Pengfei to set a trap, forcing her to reveal herself."
"Yes."
"Any further speculation?"
"I believe these insects are entering Lingyun Continent through every available spatial connection."
Jian Jun Zūnzhǔ paused in his fanning motion, then gestured for her to continue.
"I've provisionally named the parasite that controls cultivators the black-armored insect larva. I believe it serves as an information gatherer. It controls the host but doesn't completely erase their consciousness. That way, it can extract information from all sides. Once the time is right, it may incite the host to kill others, creating chaos for invasion."
"The one that tore through the secret realm's spatial barrier is likely more advanced, possibly a vanguard. These are scouts, paving the way. They gain strength and regenerate by consuming the flesh of cultivators. That one was alone. What if there were many?"
Jian Dan exhaled softly. At last, she had conveyed the vital information.
In her past life, Lingyun Continent had fallen into terrible disorder. Major sects and noble families turned against each other for no clear reason. It wasn't until Mahayana Zhēnzūn from each sect took action that things stabilized. Then, the stronger cultivators among sects and loose factions began vanishing from the cultivation world.
No one knew where they went.
The Heavenly Sword Sect's Jian Li Zūnzhǔ, known for his peerless combat strength, had disappeared. So did Mo Qian Zhūnshàng of the Heavenly Demon Palace, the Mad Sovereign of Life and Death Pavilion , the Nine-Tailed Clan Lord of the beastkin clans—nearly all of the previous generation's famed cultivators vanished without a trace.
Jian Dan now suspected they had been sent to stop these intruders.
"So, what should be done now?" Jian Li asked her directly.
"Prepare for war."