After sorting through the matter in his mind, Jian Dan let out a silent sigh. It seemed that once Senior Brother Jian Li emerged from seclusion, he would still need to report this incident.
Before sunset, the Heavenly Sword Squad's captain came to see Jian Dan."Zūnshàng, the matches have concluded. As per your instructions, the remaining three ended in draws."
Jian Dan nodded in satisfaction, smiling faintly. "Good. Matters here are settled. Prepare yourselves—we set out tomorrow for the beast clan's territory."
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
The next morning, Jian Dan and his party, accompanied by Mo Su, departed from the Heavenly Demon Palace's gates aboard a dragonbone flying vessel bound for the beast clan lands.
Watching the vessel disappear into the distance, Mo Su could not help but sigh inwardly. The Heavenly Sword Sect's strength was no less than the Heavenly Demon Palace's.
He had originally thought that Jian Lu Zūnshàng would order his subordinates to defeat him, and had even prepared to be injured. Yet the man had instead turned the remaining bouts into draws.
Outwardly, five matches had been fought: one victory and four draws for Mo Su—a win on paper. But every high-level cultivator in attendance knew the truth: he had lost.
In the last three matches, the Heavenly Sword Sect's fighters had clearly been capable of winning, yet had forced a draw, and done so so naturally that low-level cultivators noticed nothing. Mo Su, who had faced them directly, knew better than anyone.
Three days of duels had stabilized his cultivation. Now he planned to inform his master that he would travel to Flame Mountain to collect a strand of exotic flame, fulfilling a prior promise, before representing the Heavenly Demon Palace at the Heavenly Sword Sect's succession ceremony a month later.
On the dragonbone flying vessel, Jian Dan called Wei Zhengrong over.
"Zheng Rong, we'll stop in Huanle City along the way. Switch the dragonbone vessel for an ordinary one."
"Is there something wrong with this vessel?" Wei Zhengrong asked, puzzled.
Jin Liuli, standing to the side, could only give him a look. Seeing Zūnshàng's half-smiling expression, she stepped in to explain. "We're heading into beast clan territory. If you arrive riding a vessel forged from ninth-tier dragon bone, are you trying to befriend them—or provoke them?"
Only then did Wei Zhengrong realize the issue, nodding quickly in understanding.
"Zheng Rong seems sharp enough, but he's still lacking in certain details," Jian Dan remarked to Jin Liuli. "Remind him more often."
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
The journey went smoothly, and they reached Huanle City in just five days.
This time, Wei Zhengrong landed the dragonbone vessel a hundred li outside the city, stored it away, and produced another flying vessel—this one entirely black, a more luxurious custom model than the one Jian Dan had once borrowed from the Administration Hall for his trip to the Buddhist Sect.
Jian Dan only glanced at it before Wei Zhengrong explained, smiling, "This is our latest vessel, crafted from the shell of a black-armored insect. Its defenses are strong without sacrificing speed, so I had one custom-made at the Administration Hall."
"Tsk tsk… The Wei family truly isn't short on spirit stones. This shell—you must have made it from the largest black-armored insect I slew at Heifeng Ravine, didn't you?"
"Zūnshàng's eyes are sharp. Yes. My family's Ancestor said that if we were going to commission one, we should have the best."
Jian Dan waved him on, and the party boarded the vessel. Wei Zhengrong set their course toward the beast clan lands.
Members of the Heavenly Sword Squad wandered the deck, examining the craft with interest.
Jian Dan turned to the squad captain. "Does the War Hall not have vessels like this?"
"No. If we need one, we borrow from the Tracking Hall."
"Is it convenient?"
"It is, though Hall Master Meng is a bit… tight-fisted."
Jian Dan smiled faintly. "The sect is vast, and his position isn't easy. After this temporary mission, all nine Battle Hall squads will return to the sect. I'll be overseeing security for the succession ceremony, and I've already issued a long-term patrol mission. Hall Master Meng has been complaining to me about the rewards budget."
The squad captain nodded in understanding and was about to ask if his own team could take on the same squad leader assessment he had gone through himself, when Wei Zhengrong entered with news.
"Zūnshàng, there's a vessel rapidly approaching from behind. I'm not sure if they're coming for us."
Jian Dan extended his spiritual sense and found it was a Heavenly Demon Palace vessel, pursued by six others of varying sizes.
The corner of his mouth curved upward. A familiar face.
Mo Yi was on the lead vessel, protecting a female cultivator while trying to shake off their pursuers. He must have sensed Jian Dan's spiritual sweep, for he turned sharply, standing at the prow and looking toward Jian Dan's position.
Seeing the vessel ahead, Mo Yi thought it a blockade and readied his massive axe—only to realize it was a Heavenly Sword Sect ship. He immediately called out, "Heavenly Sword Sect Daoyou, lend a hand! Those pursuing us are insect clan puppet cultivators. I am Mo Yi of the Heavenly Demon Palace!"
He then revealed the palace's emblem.
Jian Dan told the Heavenly Sword Squad captain, "Go assist. End it quickly, and don't give them the chance to self-destruct. The Heavenly Demon Palace likely avoided a direct fight because of the female cultivator aboard."
"Yes, Hall Master."
The captain motioned to six members, and they vanished from the vessel in a flash. In the next instant, one Heavenly Sword Sect cultivator appeared before each pursuing ship.
The moment they revealed themselves, silent sword light split the air, piercing each vessel's defenses in a single strike. A storm of sword light then engulfed all six ships.
A quarter hour later, the squad returned.
Mo Yi looked surprised. His squad leader, Gong Yi, stepped forward to report. "Mo Yi Zūnzhǔ , all pursuers have been eliminated."
Seeing his leader's expression, Gong Yi added, "Zūnzhǔ, they were an enforcement squad from the Heavenly Sword Sect."
Mo Yi's usual careless demeanor vanished, replaced with a serious look. "I can tell. If those pursuers hadn't all been at the early Void Refinement stage, I wouldn't have had to focus on fleeing. I wonder where the insect clan found so many Void Refinement cultivators."
Inside the Heavenly Sword Sect vessel, the squad captain was reporting as well. "Hall Master, each of the six pursuing ships had a Void Refinement cultivator, but when we attacked, none could withstand even a single strike."
"You're saying they were only pretending to be Void Refinement?" Jian Dan asked evenly.
"Yes."
"Understood."
Just then, Jin Liuli entered. "Zūnshàng, the Heavenly Demon Palace's guards are here to offer thanks."
Jian Dan could already see Gong Yi standing before their vessel with another man, waiting for a reply.
Taking the name card Jin Liuli handed over, he saw Mo Yi's obsidian plaque, marked with a carving of a great axe.
"Fate brings people together. I'll accept the name card, but there's no need for formal thanks. Tell them we are in a hurry and will meet again if the chance comes."
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
Gong Yi watched the Heavenly Sword Sect vessel depart, a flicker of admiration in his eyes, before turning back to his own ship.