"What reason? Don't you all already know? Otherwise, why would you rush over here? Afraid I'll dismantle the Black Robe Guards or the Heavenly Demon Palace?"
Jian Dan teased with a bright smile. Nobody would've guessed she'd just thrown a fit not long ago.
"Senior Sister's broad-minded. If you got angry, it must've been because someone else did something wrong."
Mo Yi immediately jumped in, giving the three of them an excuse and flattering her at the same time.
"Cut the nonsense. You know exactly why I'm angry. With the three of you around, how could it have come to this?"
She simply laid it out for them.
"Senior Sister, you're wronging us a bit here."
Mo Qi straightened her expression and explained, "After I advanced to Void Refinement, I handed over the position of peak master of Mo Qi Peak. Most of my focus has been on cultivation. Add to that the Fei family behind me, and the sect doesn't want us monopolizing power. With me here, the family won't push another person into position anytime soon."
"I'm in charge of the Intelligence Division. We mainly collect information. It's not right for me to extend my hand into the Spirit Division." Mo Yi spread his hands.
Mo Su stayed quiet. Jian Dan knew why. His master, Mo Lie, would never want his disciple to disobey him.
"Figures. So you all had your reasons, which means you were just waiting for me to come back, huh?"
"Hehe, you're our backbone. You've been gone from the sect for fifty years. We've been worried sick."
Mo Su spoke in a low, steady tone.
Mo Qi and Mo Yi both nodded in agreement.
"Forget it. It's nothing that can't be fixed. I'll just put more effort into it."
She waved her hand to end the subject. Talking about it more would only piss her off.
The three of them were smart enough not to bring it up again. Mo Su brought out some sect affairs he wasn't entirely confident about and asked her for guidance.
She didn't hold back, pointing out a few key issues. Mo Su felt like a fog had lifted.
Mo Yi was more direct, giving her a breakdown of the latest intel, especially regarding the Tang family's movements.
"Ever since they came back from the Heavenly Demon Palace, the Tang family's been reinforcing defenses. Outwardly loose but inwardly tight, though no one knows who they're guarding against. Tang Chang and Tang Shouye both went into seclusion, saying they're trying to break into Mahayana to give the family security."
"Hah, they dared shout at me to hand back the 'Desert Yellow Sand Map' and return their Tang Yi."
"Bold of them, daring to demand people from you."
"If it hadn't been Mo Su's succession ceremony that day, when bloodshed wasn't appropriate, I would've used them to open the blade of Mó Yuè Zhǎn."
She waved her fan lazily. That matter was already noted in her little notebook.
"Do you want me to—"
Mo Yi made a throat-cutting gesture.
"No need. Their family's luck's about to run dry. Mo Su, how much of their influence in the sect have you cleared out?"
This time she directed the question at him.
Mo Su took a sip of Hundred Fruit Wine, held the cup, and after a moment said, "I used the chaos in their clan to replace Tang family people in key positions. The rest are mostly stuck on the outer peaks, behaving themselves for now."
"Good. How's the combat strength of each peak right now?"
"Mo Ying Peak still has the foundation you left, so it's decent. Mo Qi Peak is also stable. Mo Yan Peak's the strongest among them now. After the succession ceremony, I've already put the other peaks on my schedule."
He didn't hold anything back. This was about the whole sect, so he wanted her opinion.
"I see. I'll observe the other two squads in the Spirit Division first, then make adjustments step by step. With you helping me with the Black Robe Guards, progress should be faster."
"I've already moved Senior Sister Mo Qi into the Heavenly Demon Palace's main hall to help with peak affairs. We'll gradually speed things up."
With the "Four Demon Slayers" reunited, they set the tone for the next two hundred years of the Heavenly Demon Palace. The sect's overall strength instantly climbed another level.
The next morning, the three squads of the Mo Squad were already waiting. This time Jian Dan brought no attendants and appeared directly at the peak.
Mo Yi, who had once fought in the Ming Valley War with the Four Demon Slayers and knew her temper best, led the others to bow. "Greetings, Mo Yue Zūnshàng!"
Her gaze swept over them with some satisfaction. The Mo Squad had battle experience, and their cultivation was generally at Void Refinement, a tier above the Gong Squad.
"Not bad. You haven't let your cultivation slide."
She nodded, then waved her hand. All three squads stepped onto the arena.
"You'll fight each other. In the end, only one squad stays standing. Begin."
As she spoke, she activated the protective barrier.
With the Gong Squad's failure fresh in their minds, the Mo Squad immediately formed up in units. They combined single combat with battle formations, fighting hard and evenly matched. Jian Dan finally looked a little pleased.
The squad that had once followed her personally showed stronger battle instincts and sharper adaptability. Though everyone ended up injured, they were the ones who remained in the end.
"Good. You haven't lost your edge."
She was satisfied, and the Mo Squad collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
On the third day, the Tian Squad arrived. Their cultivation was mostly at Unity, the weakest at late Void Refinement. The twenty-one people bowed respectfully, then went straight onto the arena.
Before they could even set their formation, Jian Dan flashed and appeared in the center.
"I've watched for two days. Today, I'll stretch my own muscles."
Her smile was alluring. In the next instant, the Obsidian Bracelet activated. Black demonic qi wrapped around her delicate fist, and she slammed it into the Tian Yi captain, sending him flying into his own squad.
The Tian Squad stirred but quickly launched a counterattack. They weren't the type to just take a beating. Even against Mo Yue Zūnshàng, their pride wouldn't let them stand idle.
Seeing that, Jian Dan arched her brow in approval. With Shadow-Stepping Footwork, she launched relentless attacks across the arena, scattering their formation. For the moment, they couldn't land a single effective strike.
Tian Yi clenched his teeth. Watching their attacks fail to even brush her robes, he quickly sent a voice transmission to the other two captains.
"Alone, none of us can touch her. If we join forces and form a battle array, we'll at least stand a chance!"
"Fine, I'm in. What formation?"
The other two didn't hesitate. This was a rare chance to spar with Mo Yue Zūnshàng. If they just kept taking hits, what kind of lesson was that?
"The Heaven's Astral Star-Moon Formation!"
"Good!"
The squads split duties. One squad stalled Jian Dan, while the other two set up. Soon they attacked from left and right. The last squad quickly completed their formation too.
In moments, the small Astral Star-Moon Formation locked into place, pressing her from three sides.
"Hmm, now this looks more like it."
The formation drew on the power of moon and stars, multiplying its destructive force. At the front, the three captains channeled stellar power into a devastating strike. White waves of energy sealed Jian Dan from all directions.
No matter how she dodged, the attacks tracked her. The three sub-formations kept her pinned, making escape impossible.
Finally, the three attacks drowned her completely. The squads, drained from unleashing the strike, quickly pulled back from the blast zone. Even they were afraid of her counterattack.
Unfortunately for them, in the very next instant, all their attacks shattered under the arc of Mó Yuè Zhǎn. Jian Dan stood there unharmed, not a single hair out of place.