Mó Sù reached into his ring and retrieved a black stone mountain, tossing it into the air. In a blink, the stone transformed into a mobile mountain peak. Jian Dan was then invited into the cave residence at its summit.
Ma Rong quickly gestured to the distance, summoning the black-robed squad to take up positions around the mountain's midsection and base. Then, moving with practiced efficiency, he entered the control room and guided the moving peak toward Huanle City.
Cultivators from surrounding sects immediately took notice. Both newly ascended Divine Transformation cultivators were from the Heavenly Demon Palace. The news was swiftly reported back to their respective sects and families.
What stirred even more curiosity was that the two of them had survived the Demon Abyss. Once they left, many other cultivators—driven by curiosity—began entering the abyss in teams or alone to explore it.
But the Demon Abyss was no longer the feared place it once was. The mystery had faded.
To put it simply, it was just a bottomless chasm. But now, even the bottom could be seen. The thick black mist that had once caused cultivators to lose their way had vanished. The spatial barriers were gone too.
Jian Dan was rather impressed by Mó Sù's extravagant wealth. She believed she would one day achieve such grandeur herself. With that comforting thought, she returned to the cave dwelling allocated to her. She had no intention of cultivating for now. Instead, she rested, calmed her spirit, and soothed Cotton Candy back into the spatial artifact.
At dawn the next day, Jian Dan left her cave and met Mó Sù atop the mountain.
There stood an evergreen pine, ancient and undying. Beneath it, a spirit jade table and two meditation cushions had been prepared. Without hesitation, Jian Dan brushed one of the cushions aside and, with a sweep of her sleeve, replaced it with her own spirit-gathering cushion. Mó Sù made no objection. After all, they were on her territory, and many cultivators were naturally cautious.
"Fellow Daoist Jian," Mó Sù began, "it seems the trial space we experienced had an accelerated time flow, or perhaps it was an independent dimension. We spent two hundred years in there, yet only twenty years have passed since we first entered the Demon Abyss."
Jian Dan nodded, confirming his theory. She had only realized the time discrepancy when reconnecting with her magnolia realm. Her bone age had increased by nearly two centuries.
The discovery gave her quite a scare. She immediately consumed two Yan Fruits to calm herself. She had not felt like she had cultivated for that long, so she suspected the issue lay with that strange space.
"Your speculation is very likely correct," she said. "I suspect the Demon Abyss may be a trial space from the Upper Realm, one situated here in our Ling Yun Continent and specifically attuned for demon cultivators. By chance, we managed to force our way through its gate. After being infused with pure demonic energy, our cultivation advanced, allowing us to pass the first trial."
"After that, we were drawn into the circular platform," Mó Sù continued. "Each stage introduced new enemies. I believe a powerful cultivator threw us into increasingly difficult battle scenarios."
"I have a slightly different view," Jian Dan said calmly. "If the goal was to test us against enemies, it would have been simpler to place us in a controlled environment and send the enemies in afterward. But if you noticed, our opponents were always those black-armored bugs from other realms, and later, a completely new insect beast."
Mó Sù was quick to grasp her implication.
"Then I suppose the Demon Abyss is no longer the same place it once was."
He opened his mouth to say more, but before he could, Ma Rong arrived at the summit.
"Greetings, my Lords," he said, bowing deeply, his gaze respectfully shifting to Mó Sù. He wasn't sure why he had been summoned.
"We both underwent Divine Transformation in the Demon Abyss," Mó Sù said. "After our departure, did anything change there?"
Without delay, Ma Rong retrieved a jade slip from his sleeve pouch and handed it over.
"When you led us out, I left our earliest stationed disciples behind. According to their reports, the abyss has changed drastically. The black mist that used to blanket it year-round is now completely gone."
"Oh?" Jian Dan arched a brow and glanced at Ma Rong. Her tone was casual as she asked, "I remember there were seven others who entered the Demon Abyss with us. Any news of them?"
Ma Rong bowed more deeply. "Several were found at the bottom. Four perished. Three others were extremely weak but were rescued. Two of them are from our Heavenly Demon Palace and are on their way here."
"It must be quite lively in the Demon Abyss now," Mó Sù said, scanning the jade slip before lazily returning to his usual relaxed demeanor. He handed the slip to Jian Dan.
"How so?" she asked, sipping her spirit tea while taking the jade slip and scanning it.
"Well," Mó Sù chuckled, "word has spread throughout the demonic world that there's a chance to achieve Divine Transformation there. Now everyone below that stage is rushing in to join the fun."
"Some excitement is worth joining," Jian Dan said coolly, handing the jade slip back to Ma Rong, "but some isn't. The bones at the bottom of the abyss say more than words ever could."
Ma Rong dared not question either of them. He nodded and was just about to take his leave when a transmission talisman flew toward him. After reading it, he hesitated, unsure how to report it. Before he could decide, a young woman in red had already begun ascending the mountain, clearly headed straight for Mó Sù.
Jian Dan had sensed the presence of a flying vessel pursuing their mountain from behind. She had chosen to ignore it, but she hadn't expected the person aboard to abandon the vessel and chase them alone.
With a knowing glance, she looked toward Mó Sù, whose brows had drawn together ever so slightly. She said nothing, simply waited.
The tension in the air thickened. Ma Rong silently wondered how to excuse himself from this mounting awkwardness.
"Senior Brother Mó Sù! Why didn't you come greet me? I had to chase you all the way here!"
The voice arrived before the person did—sweet and sharp enough to make Jian Dan shiver. Mó Sù's expression, always fair and calm, took on a strange complexity.
In the next moment, Miao Yunrong arrived, standing on a top-tier flight artifact. She put it away and rushed forward, reaching to take Mó Sù's arm.
But with a simple gesture, he drew a line at his feet. She was instantly blocked, unable to get any closer no matter how she tried.
Jian Dan watched the drama unfold with no sense of guilt. She calmly drank her tea and enjoyed the show, until the fire was suddenly turned on her.
"Senior Brother Yán Sù! Is it because of this witch that you've stayed away for so many years? Am I not good enough? Is that why you've been avoiding me? And now you dare bring her back to the Heavenly Demon Palace? The Palace Master will never approve!"
Her voice, once soft and sweet, was now shrill and full of accusations. She turned her fury on Jian Dan without hesitation.
"Silence."
Mó Sù tried to stop her, but she continued to rant, undeterred.
Jian Dan had had enough. With a flick of her hand, she cast a silencing spell. The girl's voice disappeared mid-sentence. Only then did Jian Dan casually rub her ear and murmur,
"Annoying."
The woman stomped her foot in frustration, pointing at Jian Dan, ready to lodge another complaint.
But Mó Sù's expression darkened. Ma Rong took several steps back, real sweat beading on his forehead.
===
It seems Heavenly Demon Palace has it own 'naming term' or maybe in demon cultivation in general? I'm not sure. Because Ma Rong call them with (君上, Jūn Shàng). Or maybe because they are royalty in demon cultivation? I mean only "True Demon" that can use surename "魔", and True Demon is akin to Royal Blood in the demon cultivation.
Also it certainly different with "True Sage" (真圣, Zhēnshèng) as the formal title for Divine Transformation cultivator