The fiery sea of Manjushahua in Jian Dan's palm expanded outward, engulfing all the cages in the cave. Flames roared and licked upward, setting everything ablaze.
Thin screeches echoed around the chamber. Black-armored insect larvae began wriggling free from their hosts. Clearly, these were recent parasites that had not yet fully fused with their bodies, unable to resist or control their hosts.
Jian Dan didn't even need to command her Mó Yuè Zhǎn. The demonic weapon moved on its own, spinning through the fire and shredding the larvae into bits. The flame devoured them until nothing remained.
"There was no need for such cruelty, Daoyou. Some of them might have been saved."
Jian Dan smiled, lips curled with sultry charm. Her eyes sparkled like flowing water as she looked at the beast cultivator who had spoken.
"Oh? I didn't know beastkin had such compassion for human cultivators. So why didn't you stop me before I made my move? You waited until I'd cleared the parasites, then stepped forward to scold me, hoping to show off your virtue? Save it. Every cultivator here has blood on their hands."
The beast cultivator's expression shifted slightly, but he said no more.
Just then, one of Mo Su Zhēnjūn's subordinates returned from inspecting the cave.
"Zhēnjūn, we discovered a hidden layer beneath this cave, tucked into a diagonal recess. There's something inside, but we can't break through the barrier. Please, have a look."
Mo Su Zhēnjūn nodded and led his men deeper. Jian Dan followed behind another team, weaving left and right through a sloped tunnel that descended beneath the cave.
They reached a circular chamber. At its mouth shimmered a glowing barrier membrane. The Golden Core cultivators had already tried attacking it but failed to break the defense.
Mo Su Zhēnjūn raised his hand and slashed three times. Waves of blade energy wrapped in demonic qi struck the membrane. It rippled twice like a bubble, then popped and vanished. The leading Golden Core demon cultivator stepped through first.
Inside, the cave was shaped like a vertical cylinder, with a spring pool at its center. Around the space stood nine stone pillars. Bound to eight of them were cultivators—all Nascent Soul level. The crowd froze in shock.
With a deafening crash, another massive boulder fell, blocking the tunnel entrance. Those who looked back caught a glimpse of the beast cultivator and a Golden Core demoness who had not followed them inside.
The beast cultivator pressed down on a mechanism and leapt into the air, transforming into his true form—a massive, reddish-brown monkey more than thirty meters tall. His long tail lashed toward Jian Dan.
"Oh? So you're done pretending?"
Jian Dan had already leapt lightly into the air, easily evading the blow. She tapped off the stone wall and vaulted directly onto the giant monkey's head. With no one else around, she no longer held back. Her Obsidian Bracelet flared to life, this time channeling demonic qi.
Her entire fist was cloaked in black demonic aura. This time, she didn't restrain herself. She struck downward with full force. A miserable screech tore from the monkey's mouth. His head reeled from the impact. His tail whipped upward in retaliation, but Jian Dan danced nimbly aside, her body fluid and quick.
She struck again, pounding the same spot with brutal precision. Her blackened fists rained down like hammers, each punch infused with boiling demonic energy.
Meanwhile, the Mó Yuè Zhǎn spun like a blade of death, shifting position with eerie speed as it tore into the beast's limbs and tail. In moments, the monkey's body was soaked in blood. The wounds refused to close, corrupted by the lingering demonic qi of Jian Dan's weapon.
Under the combined assault of fists and blade, the beast cultivator's true form began to shrink.
Jian Dan grabbed a handful of thick monkey fur and continued to pummel the same spot, expression cold and unreadable. Blow after blow fell without pause.
Finally, the massive creature crashed to the ground. At that exact moment, Jian Dan leapt off and landed beside the corpse.
The monkey's body began to dissolve from the tail upward, crumbling into ash. From the shattered skull emerged a thumb-sized insect, its shell streaked black and red. It vibrated its translucent wings and darted toward Jian Dan's forehead.
But it was too slow.
Jian Dan's Divine Transformation stage spiritual sense constructed a shield, blocking the insect's charge. She formed a Manjushahua blossom from her flames and trapped the insect within it, locking it in place.
From the sealed entrance came pounding blows. Jian Dan knew it had to be Mo Su Zhēnjūn trying to break through the boulder from inside. She recalled the Mó Yuè Zhǎn with a flick of her fingers. The weapon expanded to a half-meter crescent blade and circled around her once, charged with potent demonic qi.
"Well then. Time for you to show off a little. Slash!"
With a graceful sweep of her hand, Jian Dan sent the spinning blade straight into the stone blockade. Two thunderous booms shook the cavern, sending dust and debris flying. Jian Dan lifted her hand to her forehead.
"Oops. That might have been a bit much."
She recalled the Mó Yuè Zhǎn quickly. As the dust cleared, those inside and outside the sealed chamber could finally see each other.
Mo Su Zhēnjūn stood in the chaos, his blade aura coiling around him like a storm. Two-thirds of his men had already fallen, and the survivors were still locked in battle with swarms of black-armored insects.
Jian Dan stood with one hand raised, holding the flame-formed flower where the trapped insect writhed. The Mó Yuè Zhǎn floated lazily around her like a sentient guardian.
So this was the nest.
Her brow lifted, eyes gleaming with thought. In a flash, half the insects in the chamber suddenly turned and surged toward her.
"Crescent Dance!"
Jian Dan's lips parted with a whisper. The Mó Yuè Zhǎn shrank to the length of a finger, then split into two, then three. Fueled by her demonic qi, more and more miniature copies of the blade formed and spun into existence.
With a sweeping motion of her hand, the storm of crescent blades whirled forward, slicing into the charging swarm.
===
Manjushahua and Mó Yuè Zhǎn will etch themselves as the symbols of her demonic might—wild, untamed, and breathtaking. Meanwhile, White Magnolia and Mò Xī will bloom as the emblems of her human grace, delicate yet unyielding in the Dao.
And here's a secret between us: One reason this novel carved itself so deeply into my heart? Manjushahua and White Magnolia—my own beloved flowers. Seriously—they're even my laptop wallpapers!
How could I ever forget a heroine who carries the same blossoms as my soul? (˘⌣˘)♡
(…Maybe our FL and I share the same soul-deep love for petals that whisper stories.)