Jian Dan returned to her cave dwelling ahead of the others. She first checked on Xue Ru's cultivation, giving a few more pointers before slightly adjusting the recipe of her body tempering decoction. She added a herb called "Qingke Vine Leaf" to thoroughly cleanse the lingering effects of "Gu Ling San" from Xueru's body.
Afterward, Jian Dan instructed Lü Se to prepare the spirit plants needed for the updated formula and deliver them to Yun Shu, so they could begin using the new body tempering decoction starting the next day.
Once everything was arranged, Jian Dan turned back into her cave dwelling, lowered the protective barrier, and resumed refining her demonic artifact.
Since she had already completed the central core of the artifact previously, her current task was to refine twenty individual cubes, each one inscribed with trial dreamscapes for cultivators progressing to Mahayana. The final step would be assembly.
With her previous success as a foundation, refining these cubes felt far smoother.
She melted down the primary materials in sequence, purified the impurities, and followed the established ratio to fuse together black beetle carapaces, black sandstone, spatial stone, and elemental crystals of the five elements.
Finally, she shaped the cube with her divine sense, engraved formations to store the dreamscapes, and integrated them into the cube's six faces. A single independent cube was thus completed.
The cube, shrunk down, was no bigger than a fist. Jian Dan held it in her hand, inspected it carefully, and, finding no mistakes, began working on the next one.
The engravings for the cultivation trial dreamscapes were simple, so her refining speed was high. In a single night, she completed three cubes.
Jian Dan rubbed her temples, dispelled the barrier around her dwelling, and decided to rest for a while.
It was the time when the moon had set and the sun was rising. Jian Dan let Cotton Candy carry her, drifting above Tianyue Peak to admire the sunrise.
The sun slowly rose from the horizon, bathing the land in golden light. The entire mountain glistened as it awakened, birds and beasts stirring, fish darting in streams, and cultivators rousing from meditation. Another day had begun.
Cultivators bustled across the mountain, some rushing to accept new missions, some delivering talismans and formation disks, and others stepping out of their caves after a night of cultivation, refreshed and alert. The scene brimmed with vitality.
Jian Dan extended her divine sense like an invisible hand, brushing over leaves, petals, springs, and cliffs, feeling the energy of morning life. She drew in the purple energy of the rising sun, circulated it through her body, and guided it into her dantian.
The Mò Xī Jiàn greedily absorbed part of it, while another portion merged into her Yin-Yang Taiji Disk.
"Cotton Candy, let's head back."
"Yes, Master."
Cotton Candy's soft, childlike voice rang out. The little cloud spirit carried her back to the cave entrance, then returned to its miniature cloud form, resting in Jian Dan's hair bun.
Lü Se had already been waiting for some time. Seeing his Zūnshàng descend from the clouds, he stepped forward and reported, "Zūnshàng, Jian Feng Zūnzhě and Jin Liuli seek an audience."
"So early?"
Jian Dan strolled into her cave dwelling, asking as she walked.
"They came yesterday, but your protective barrier was closed. They said they would return today, so I didn't trigger the barrier to alert you."
"Alright, let them in."
As Lü Se went to invite them, Jian Dan entered the cultivation chamber to check on Yue Liang's advancement. Yue Liang was still in deep sleep, resting peacefully at Jian Dan's side.
Satisfied, Jian Dan set up a Spirit Gathering Disk with top-grade spirit stones, activated a defensive formation, and returned to the reception hall.
Jian Feng entered first, followed by Jin Liuli. Both bowed before explaining the purpose of their visit.
Jin Liuli was the first to speak. "Zūnshàng, I reported to Hall Master Jian Li about your instructions. We met with Jian Feng Zūnzhě to try and establish contact with the Heavenly Demon Palace. We were hoping to obtain some eggs of the new breed of 'blood insects' for my aunt's research."
She stepped back, waiting for Jian Feng's input.
Jian Feng, as refined and handsome as ever, kept his words brief. Stepping forward, he clasped his hands and said, "Zūnshàng, I reached out to Mo Su. He said all eggs of that new blood insect breed have been destroyed."
"He acted quickly," Jian Dan remarked, nodding. The Heavenly Demon Palace often eliminated potential threats at the source—a decisive move, indeed.
"Additionally, Mo Su sent a message through a jade transmission slip."
"Speak."
"Due to the blood insects' appearance, they dispatched a female cultivator named Bi Shu to patrol the Heavenly Demon Palace's territory, but she hasn't made any discoveries. Now that you've captured one, he wishes to bring Bi Shu to the Heavenly Sword Sect to see if she can communicate with this new insect species."
Jian Dan's sharp gaze flickered with understanding. She smiled slightly. "Mo Su himself is coming?"
Jian Feng looked up at her and simply nodded.
A faint curve formed on Jian Dan's lips as she studied the tall and elegant Jian Feng. "Seems Jian Feng's charm hasn't waned. Mo Su hasn't been gone from the Heavenly Sword Sect for long, and already he's found an excuse to return."
Yet her divine sense noted that Jian Feng's aura was unstable. It didn't feel like a breakthrough was coming, so likely his Pure Yang Body was causing trouble again.
"When will they arrive?" she asked directly.
"They're already en route. They should reach the sect in five days."
Jian Dan thought for a moment, then smiled. "Very well, let's wait for him."
She turned to Jin Liuli. "Inform Hall Master Jian Li. Have him make preparations early."
"Yes, Zūnshàng." Jin Liuli nodded with a smile, then added with a bow, "Thanks to your favor, my aunt now serves in the Operations Hall and rarely returns to Tianyue Peak. She asked me to apologize on her behalf. Once she achieves some results, she will come to personally thank you."
"Very well, I'll accept her thanks in advance. Tell her to focus on her work."
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
The two then left Jian Dan's cave dwelling to carry out their respective tasks.
Back at Tianming Peak, Jian Feng sent word through his jade slip as instructed. Mo Su received it with good humor, carefully reading before storing the slip away.
Nearby, Mo Yi and Mo Qi smiled knowingly at their junior brother's dazed expression.
"Did Jian Feng reply? What did he say?" Mo Qi teased.
"He said they're waiting for us." Mo Su's pale face softened with a rare lively expression.
The three, along with Bi Shu and a squad of black-robed guards, traveled toward the Heavenly Sword Sect on Mo Su's mobile mountain.
Bi Shu had been silent as a shadow ever since boarding the mountain, never daring to approach the three person. Their presence alone made her uneasy.
Unbeknownst to her, it was because they had slaughtered countless insects in the Battle of the Ming Valley. As a half-human, half-insect cultivator, Bi Shu instinctively shrank under their oppressive aura.
Suddenly, three loud booms echoed as attacks struck the mountain's defensive barrier in quick succession.
"Hmph. They've been tailing us for a while and finally made their move," Mo Yi said, standing and cracking his knuckles.
"Mo Yi, I've raised the defenses to full power. Let them attack first—we need to know their purpose," Mo Su said, raising a hand to stop him. He drew a water mirror in the air, peering at their attackers.
Meanwhile, the elite Demon Squad stood ready for battle.
Three flying boats appeared, closing in from three directions to surround the mobile mountain.