With everything on her plate finally dealt with, Jian Dan felt no rush to return to Yunyin Peak. She strolled leisurely along the edge of the sect grounds, taking in the seaside scenery with Wu Siyuan walking a few paces behind her, and Yue Liang nestled in her arms.
Resting against Jian Dan's chest once again, Yue Liang spoke through their sound transmission:
"Zhūnzhǔ, while I was watching the recording from the memory jade earlier, someone else appeared in Xiao Yong Zhūnzhǔ's cave residence. It was a female cultivator. Her cultivation level seemed on par with yours."
Jian Dan gently smoothed Yue Liang's fur and asked through a voice transmission:
"How did you know it was a female cultivator?"
"I caught a whiff of Zitan flower scent. It was fleeting, just for a moment, but unmistakable."
"Hmm. Yes, a hidden cultivator did appear right after we finished discussing Xiao Luzi. Sharp senses, Yue Liang."
"It was pure chance. I once visited the back mountain of Purple Sky Sect when the Zitan flowers were in bloom. I still remember that fragrance. At the time, I even thought about transplanting a few to your cave residence, so it would always smell nice for you. But then you taught me that strong scents make you easier to track and recognize. That's why I never took them out of the storage ring."
"Hehe. Clever Yue Liang."
Behind them, Wu Siyuan kept his distance, not too far nor too close. Internally, he was preoccupied with his own thoughts. He'd wanted to see the recording in the memory jade as well, but Yue Liang had already returned it, which left him trying to figure out how to bribe her into sharing the copy he suspected she secretly made.
Jian Lu Zhūnzhǔ had quietly left Cloud Sea Sect and gone off to fight a Unity stage cultivator. That kind of battle was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. If only he'd been able to witness it. Watching such a duel would undoubtedly deepen his understanding of sword techniques.
Jian Dan and Yue Liang walked side by side along the cloud-water stairway that connected the floating peaks. From the opposite direction, five cultivators approached: three men and two women, their cultivation ranging from Nascent Soul to Divine Soul. The tallest man at the front had already reached early Void Refinement stage, clearly the leader of the group.
Trailing respectfully behind him were the other four, all wearing navy-blue patterned robes of the Yin-Yang Gate. Seeing them, Jian Dan shifted slightly to the side, guiding her stairway to the right to avoid crossing paths.
Long Yu Zhūnzhǔ from the Yin-Yang Gate caught a glimpse of the woman approaching from the opposite direction. Her cultivation matched his own, her features were strikingly refined, and she was followed by just one Divine Soul stage cultivator. He couldn't tell which sect she belonged to.
Today, Jian Dan wasn't wearing her formal Heavenly Sword Sect robe. It had been torn in the previous battle and tossed into her storage bangle, still awaiting repair.
Long Yu tapped lightly with his foot, adjusting his cloud stairway to intercept hers, blocking her path.
Wu Siyuan frowned as the male cultivator stopped three steps ahead of them. His cultivation was higher than Wu Siyuan's.
Long Yu Zhūnzhǔ stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting.
"I am Long Yu of the Yin-Yang Gate. May I ask this Daoyou's name?"
"Greetings, Long Yu Daoyou. I am Jian Lu of the Heavenly Sword Sect. May I ask why you've stopped me?"
Hearing her name, Long Yu felt it sounded familiar, though he was sure this was their first meeting.
"Ah, I've heard much about you. So you're from the Heavenly Sword Sect. My apologies for the abrupt stop. I meant no offense. I simply wished to make your acquaintance."
"Well, now we've met. If there's nothing else, could you kindly allow me to pass? I have matters to attend to."
Jian Dan's tone remained polite, her smile calm, but her meaning was unmistakable.
Realizing this, Long Yu lightly stepped aside to clear the way.
Jian Dan nodded in thanks and continued on her way with Wu Siyuan.
Behind Long Yu, one of the Divine Soul stage male cultivators finally stepped forward and whispered:
"Zhūnzhǔ, that woman is the newly ascended Void Refinement Zhūnzhǔ from the Heavenly Sword Sect."
Long Yu kept walking but replied,
"She just introduced herself. Do you have anything to add that I don't already know?"
Sensing Long Yu's irritation, the subordinate quickly continued,
"She's the one who joined forces with Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ in Yunling City to kill a Unity stage cultivator."
Only then did Long Yu realize why her name sounded familiar. He had even instructed his men to send her a formal invitation once.
Thankfully, he'd been polite earlier. Recalling the brief exchange, he was relieved that he hadn't said anything inappropriate and picked up his pace toward his own floating peak.
A little while later, Wu Siyuan, still following behind, leaned closer and said in a low voice,
"That Long Yu Zhūnzhǔ is leading the Yin-Yang Gate delegation. He's mid-stage Void Refinement. He's known for obsessively seeking a Dao partner but hasn't found one yet."
Jian Dan's eyes narrowed slightly in distaste. If he had a proper Dao partner, she might have let it slide. After all, the Yin-Yang Gate was a legitimate dual cultivation sect. But for someone at the Void Refinement stage to still be without a partner, it was obvious who he usually practiced with. The answer was self-evident.
"I'm in a good mood today, so I won't bother with him. But if he dares to set his sights on me, I'll make sure he never finds a Dao partner for the rest of his life."
She said it casually and returned to admiring the clouds and sea. As Jian Dan stepped off the cloud-water stairway onto Yunyin Peak, she noticed a familiar figure waiting at the foot of the mountain.
Han Pengfei had come looking for her earlier, but she had already left with Lu Xuanyuan. He'd just missed her. Now that he knew she had come out of seclusion, he decided to wait, hoping to speak with her.
"Greetings, Jian Lu Zhūnzhǔ."
"Wushuang, you're here. Do you need something?"
"Yes, just a small matter. I hope it won't take much of your time."
Seeing Han Pengfei reminded Jian Dan of the final moments of the battle. She had a question for him as well, so she invited him into her temporary cave residence on Yunyin Peak.
As always, Han Pengfei looked neat and proper, dressed in the sect's robe. The only new detail was the white jade crown binding his hair—it now held a Wind-Fixing Pearl embedded at its center, the very one Jian Dan had given him.
"Congratulations, Jian Lu Zhūnzhǔ. Your cultivation has advanced again. The Great Dao lies ahead."
"You're too kind. Please, sit."
Han Pengfei nodded and took the seat opposite her, then added,
"You clashed with a Unity stage cultivator. Were you injured? I brought some high-grade healing pills, just in case."
He placed two pill bottles on the jade table. Clearly, he was here bearing gifts.
"Thank you, but it's nothing serious. My spiritual energy was depleted, but I've already fully recovered."
Han Pengfei knew that as the team leader, Jian Lu Zhūnzhǔ would be extremely cautious. Even if she had been hurt, she wouldn't reveal it. So he didn't press further.
Jian Dan twisted the new white jade ring on her finger and smiled at Han Pengfei.
"Wushuang, I have a question for you."
"Please, ask away, Zhūnzhǔ."
"Do you have your life-bound sword with you?"
Han Pengfei hesitated briefly, then reached out. In a flash, his life-bound sword appeared in his hand, which he then offered to her.
Jian Dan raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You're not afraid I'll destroy it?"
Han Pengfei replied without hesitation,
"You wouldn't do that, Zhūnzhǔ."
His voice held quiet certainty.
Sweeping her spiritual sense over it, Jian Dan confirmed that it was indeed the sword he forged in the Purple-Grade Secret Realm. Its material matched that of her own Obsidian Bracelet. Near the hilt, the word "Wushuang" was engraved on the blade.
She ran her fingers gently along the sword and noticed it still contained some impurities. It wasn't as pure as her bracelet. She returned it to him.
Han Pengfei flipped his hand, and the sword vanished back into his dantian.
He knew Jian Lu Zhūnzhǔ wouldn't examine his life-bound sword for no reason, so he asked,
"Zhūnzhǔ, is there something wrong with the sword?"
===
无双 (Wúshuāng) Peerless. And yes, 'Peerless Young Master' in Jian Dan teasing also can be written as Young Master Wushuang. If you forgot, she give him that nickname because of his 'unmatched charm'. Maybe I will write it as 'Young Master Wushuang' not 'Peerless Young Master', well...