Heavenly Sword Sect, Law Enforcement Hall
Jian Dan scanned the message Wei Zhengrong had just delivered, a dark chill coiling in her chest. That Hai Yan truly had no sense of his own death. Not only had he dared to commit such vile acts within the Heavenly Sword Sect's territory, but he had even used the emperor's dragon qi in the imperial palace to shield himself. Despicable.
"Zheng Rong, send word to the Intelligence Hall. Pull back all investigators who have entered other sects. Work with the Tracking Hall to drag out every evil cultivator hiding in the shadows. Leave none alive—kill them all."
Wei Zhengrong, Qi Hua, and Jin Liuli heard the calm, even tone of their Zūnshàng's command, but they knew it masked a killing edge. These evil cultivators had touched her bottom line—using mortal blood and flesh to cultivate. Such people would not even be spared by the will of Heaven.
"Yes, I will send the order at once."
"When Meng Zhonglun returns, have him come see me. Make sure he hasn't let these evil cultivators taint his cultivation foundation."
"Yes. I thank Zūnshàng on Zhong Lun's behalf for your concern."
As Wei Zhengrong hurried away, Jian Dan turned to Qi Hua.
"Find out where Jian Feng and Yue Liang are now."
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
Qi Hua left the hall. Jian Dan then addressed Liu Li.
"Have Hall Master Meng come see me."
"Yes."
When they were gone, Jian Dan slammed the message jade slip onto the desk. Her temper had been running short lately. First the evil cultivators, then the insect race—it was enough to make anyone's blood run hot. She closed her eyes, silently reciting the Tranquil Heart Scripture, smoothing the fire in her heart.
Meanwhile, the very Jian Feng and Yue Liang she had in mind had already joined with the Heavenly Guard squad from the War Hall. They had completed their investigation of Tianji and Tianquan Cities and were now heading for Tianxuan City.
"Yue Liang, should we rest for the night before continuing?" Jian Feng asked from the prow of the flying boat, which was cutting through the clouds at full speed.
"I'm fine. I'm not tired. You've been the one steering all this way. Shouldn't you take a day to rest?"
Jian Feng shook his head. "No need. This is the last city. Once we finish the joint inspection with the Tianzhen Squad, we can head back to the sect."
He knew Yue Liang was anxious to return to Zūnshàng's side, but he pretended not to notice, simply matching her pace so they could finish quickly and report back.
Just then, the ink jade pendant at Jian Feng's waist vibrated. A message flashed through his mind. He allowed himself a small smile before his expression grew serious again. Turning to Yue Liang, who was curled up on a cushion, he said:
"The Law Enforcement Hall just sent word, asking about our progress. Zūnshàng wants us to return to the sect as soon as we finish."
Yue Liang perked up instantly, tail swishing. Her voice grew noticeably lighter. "Good. Tell them we only have one city left to inspect and will be back quickly."
Jian Feng nodded and sent the reply without delay. Then he added, "I also received their latest update. Evil cultivators have been spotted in the mortal realm. The sect has already sent people to deal with them."
Yue Liang's fluffy face grew solemn. "This is likely connected to the recent purges in the cultivation world. With every sect hunting them so relentlessly, they're bound to hide in the mortal realm."
"Exactly. We have to wipe them out completely if we want to sleep easy."
"Mm. Zūnshàng has been planning for that all along. Hopefully this crisis can be resolved soon."
The pair spoke of evil cultivators as the flying boat drew ever closer to Tianxuan City.
Elsewhere, Hai Yan felt another of the brown-red veins beneath him snap. His face twisted in anger. He had already hidden the blood sacs in the mortal realm, letting them feed on mortals to prolong his life. Yet they were still being destroyed. Now only three of the thick, vein-like tubes remained. A savage gleam flashed in his eyes.
Suddenly, his expression shifted. Someone had opened the gate to the cave where he hid. A squad of cultivators crept in, their steps cautious.
"Heh… walked right into my jaws."
His smile was all fangs. The blood-red pupils fixed on the intruders. Soon, their flesh and essence would be his nourishment.
At the same time, outside the Cloud Sea Sect's territory, Intelligence Hall cultivators lay hidden, watching the ruins. They were waiting for those who entered to come out. Cloud Sea Sect itself had stationed people nearby, and other cultivators lingered in the distance, undecided whether to get involved.
Three days later, the first squad finally pushed through the deep-sea currents to the cave. Following the map's instructions, they opened the gate. A wave of cold yin energy spilled out.
The dark entrance loomed like a beast's gaping maw, waiting for prey. The ten cultivators hesitated only a moment before stepping inside.
Ten days passed. No word came from the first team. Watching cultivators outside grew restless. They feared someone else might claim the prize. After a brief discussion, they too plunged into the undersea currents.
So it went for nearly a month. Teams totaling nearly a hundred cultivators entered the so-called "great cultivator's ruins," including one squad from the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Heavenly Sword Sect, Law Enforcement Hall
Jian Dan sifted through all the reports from recent days—updates on the ruins, progress in purging evil cultivators from the mortal realm, and inspection results from the seven cities under the sect's rule. She kept each category separate and had Wei Zhengrong report them to her as soon as they came in.
On the second day after Wu Siyuan's departure, Wei Zhengrong presented a jade slip. "Zūnshàng, this is the unverified information you requested about the Cloud Sea Sect. I expanded the search scope. This covers the past thousand years. Please have a look."
Jian Dan accepted it with a nod. The volume was considerable, so she treated it like idle gossip, skimming in her spare moments while carefully sorting truth from rumor.
One piece caught her attention—it concerned Yun Yun Zhēnzūn. Rumor had it she had once admired the Heavenly Sword Sect's Tian Yun Zhēnzūn, Feng Yunyi. When Mo Mei of the Heavenly Demon Palace appeared, Feng Yunyi had been moved by her. Though neither had confessed, it was said they had feelings for each other.
Heartbroken, Yun Yun returned to her sect and secluded herself. Later, Mo Mei vanished without a trace, and Feng Yunyi was rescued by his master from the hands of Heavenly Demon Palace's Mo Yan Zhēnzūn. He then spent a century recovering.
From her own insider knowledge, Jian Dan judged the rumor ninety percent accurate. The only uncertain part was whether Yun Yun truly had feelings for Feng Yunyi. Her fingers tapped the desk as she thought. Yun Yun now oversaw the Cloud Sea Sect and favored a younger clansman, Han Pengfei, who was in the late Divine Transformation stage. His Dao title was Hai Yi.
A sudden spark lit her eyes. Dao title Hai Yi… if he advanced to the Mahayana stage, it would become Yun Yi—Feng Yunyi! So it was true. Yun Yun did have feelings for Tian Yun Zhēnzūn.
Perhaps this was something she could use to coax information from the Cloud Sea Sect. Sifting through news like this was the slowest, most cumbersome method, and time was the one thing they didn't have.
She brushed a hand over her storage bracelet, taking out the name tablet of Tian Yun Zhēnzūn. He had given it to her back when she visited the beast clans, so she could summon the Nine-Tailed Beast King if needed. She had never used it, relying instead on Bai Jue's introductions to meet the Nine-Tail. Perhaps now was the time.
While she pondered, Wei Zhengrong entered the hall, presenting another jade slip. "The Yin-Yang Gate's territory just reported the discovery of a blood sac. It has already been destroyed."