Qian Wanguan wore a golden Daoist robe, a jade token of the Loose Cultivator Alliance hanging at his waist. With a folding fan swaying lightly in his hand, he approached Jian Dan with a smiling face and bowed.
"Greetings, Jian Lu Zūnshàng!"
Behind Qian Wanguan stood the "Kuang Dao," Dao Ren, who also bowed respectfully. This Jian Lu Zūnshàng was a female sword cultivator he admired deeply.
That day at Cloud Sea Sect, when Jian Lu struck with a single sword and halted the closure of the sect-protecting grand formation, she saved countless cultivators from falling into the "Azure Dragon Scarlet Blood Formation." That sword had stunned him, its power unmatched.
Thus, when he came today to pay respects, Dao Ren dressed with great care. He wore a black robe with faint dark patterns, a Loose Cultivator Alliance token at his waist, a black jade coronet on his head, and a simple storage ring on his finger. It was a neat and proper appearance for a Loose Cultivator.
Jian Dan had long expected Qian Wanguan to come to see her alone. She was not surprised, and said with a smile,
"Elder Qian, why didn't you go join the liveliness on the side peaks?"
Qian Wanguan, ever sociable, did not wait for Yun Shu to offer him a seat. After saluting, he sat himself down opposite Jian Dan, shaking his fan for appearance's sake as he replied,
"Since I came to Your Zūnshàng's peak, naturally the first thing I must do is pay my respects. This time I brought Dao Ren with me. He has long planned to test himself on the dueling stage, to challenge the sword cultivators of your sect!"
Jian Dan showed no surprise at his words. She had a favorable impression of this "Kuang Dao." In her past life, this man had carved out a place for himself within the Loose Cultivator Alliance.
Unfortunately, Dao Ren's cultivation had suffered setbacks. Without the support of a guiding master, and with his tendency to fight recklessly, he had accumulated injuries that left hidden dangers within his body. Those flaws hindered his breakthroughs. Even so, among Divine Transformation cultivators, he was still a formidable figure.
At the last inter-sect competition, Jian Dan had praised him in front of Qian Wanguan. She had not expected Qian Wanguan to accept him directly as his personal disciple. Now seeing him again, Dao Ren's aura had become steadier, showing how much importance Qian Wanguan placed on him.
Jian Dan brushed her bracelet with her palm and drew out a white jade bottle filled with spirit spring water from her inner space. She tossed it to Dao Ren and spoke:
"Elder Qian rarely brings disciples to meet me. This will be your meeting gift. It will heal the hidden wounds in your body."
Dao Ren's stern face lit up with joy. He received the jade bottle with both hands, then glanced at his master. Qian Wanguan nodded and said,
"Dao, hurry and thank Zūnshàng."
"Disciple Dao Ren thanks Zūnshàng for the gift!"
Jian Dan lifted her round fan slightly and smiled.
"No need for excessive courtesy. There are few blade cultivators in the cultivation world. I hope you can walk your own path."
"Haha, I gladly accept Zūnshàng's blessing!"
Qian Wanguan's eyes narrowed with mirth. He then turned to Dao Ren and said,
"I'll remain here to converse with Zūnshàng. Go visit the side peak, no need to stand here like a wooden post."
"Yes."
Dao Ren bowed deeply to the two and withdrew.
Once Yun Juan and Yun Shu had set out tea and refreshments, they too tactfully retreated.
"Elder Qian, you must have come with some matter to discuss."
"Haha, Zūnshàng is as straightforward as ever. Indeed, I came with something to verify with you."
Closing his fan, Qian Wanguan rose slightly and cupped his hands respectfully.
"Speak."
Seeing Jian Dan's calm demeanor, Qian Wanguan felt more certain of his own thoughts. He considered for a moment, then began:
"Zūnshàng, according to intelligence gathered by my Loose Cultivator Alliance, the insect race that broke through to Lingyun Continent a century ago via the Purple-tier Secret Realm… Though they were discovered and hunted down, some still managed to remain hidden. Their recent collusion with evil cultivators is the clearest evidence."
Jian Dan nodded, signaling him to continue.
"Forty years ago, during the Demon Gate's 'Ming Valley War,' the insect race attacked the spatial node guarded by the Demon Gate, seeking to enter Lingyun Continent. Though they were blocked outside, it does not mean they have given up. Now they are targeting the node guarded by Dao Sect."
Jian Dan fanned herself lightly and nodded. Qian Wanguan drew a deep breath and continued,
"When the spatial node is breached, the great war will erupt. This battle cannot be avoided, can it?"
"This battle is unavoidable. More than that, we must win. Defeat is not an option."
"By Zūnshàng's words, the Heavenly Sword Sect will commit its full strength when the time comes."
Qian Wanguan's smile faded. His face grew solemn as he asked.
Jian Dan glanced at him and said faintly,
"The node we guard is the weakest among them. When war begins, my sect will naturally fight with full strength."
Qian Wanguan thought carefully, then asked,
"The node watched over by the Loose Cultivator Alliance is the smallest. It should be easier for us to handle. If we still have strength to spare, then…"
Jian Dan understood the words he left unsaid. She looked at him and replied evenly,
"Elder Qian, you are a wise man. You know better than I that if the lips perish, the teeth grow cold. The Loose Cultivator Alliance, as a united force, can mobilize manpower and resources not inferior to a major sect. How you choose to act then, we will see."
She paused briefly, then added,
"Allow me to remind you: the eleven known spatial nodes each have a sect on guard. But once several nodes fall in succession, who can say whether new openings will appear, giving the foreign insect race more entry points into Lingyun Continent?"
Her words struck Qian Wanguan like cold water. Only now did he realize what he had overlooked.
Lingyun Continent was like a pouch. Once a hole is torn, the strain spreads, and the fabric at other spots becomes fragile. If attacked then, the chance of rupture would rise sharply.
This was why Jian Lu Zūnshàng, in yesterday's council, had only requested Loose Cultivator assistance against evil cultivators, while saying nothing about the defense of spatial nodes.
"Zūnshàng's words, I understand. When I return, I will report truthfully to Zhēnzūn."
Jian Dan's smile deepened with satisfaction. She knew Qian Wanguan to be a quick-witted man, unbound by conventions. Even as a Dao cultivator, he had taken a blade cultivator as his disciple. That alone revealed his unorthodox but pragmatic style.
"Elder Qian, fate has let us cross paths. Allow me to give you one more reminder. Two hundred years of preparation remain. Your Loose Cultivator Alliance must also cultivate a batch of capable fighters, otherwise you will not withstand the battles to come."
"I understand Zūnshàng's meaning. When it comes to disciple cultivation, my Alliance indeed falls short of your sect. Our disciples are more scattered and less cohesive. Still…"
Jian Dan did not deny it. After all, the Alliance existed only to safeguard the interests of Loose Cultivators. Their disciples came and went as they pleased, unlike the tightly bound Heavenly Sword Sect.
"Still, when survival itself is at stake, all else can be ignored."
"Zūnshàng is absolutely right. Aside from ascension, no one can avoid this war. Therefore, we will prepare in advance. If the Heavenly Sword Sect has need, my Alliance will never shirk."
Within a short time, Qian Wanguan had already weighed all angles. He immediately declared the Alliance's stance.
It was better to form an alliance with the Heavenly Sword Sect than risk being used as cannon fodder by unreliable sects. As the head of the Daoist factions, the Heavenly Sword Sect's strength and credibility were beyond doubt.
"Elder Qian, always so decisive. In that case, I accept the goodwill of the Loose Cultivator Alliance. When the war comes, we advance and retreat together."
Jian Dan smiled as she said this, then her tone hardened slightly.
"Elder Qian, let me be blunt. At that time, the Loose Cultivator Alliance must not hide behind us, contributing people but not effort, treating my Heavenly Sword Sect as a shield."
"How could we dare! If we did, how could our Alliance still find footing in Lingyun Continent?"
Qian Wanguan answered at once, looking as if ready to swear an oath.
"Good. Then I must trouble Elder Qian to speak well for us in your Alliance."