Wei Zhengrong looked at his sister's cultivation, already at the peak of early Foundation Establishment, and secretly nodded. Jian Lu Zūnshàng really had a method. Xueru had burst forth like a hidden spring, not only breaking through but rising at a shocking pace.
"Congratulations, Junior Sister, you've built your foundation and stepped onto the true path of cultivation."
"Congrats, Junior Sister. The two of us had better work harder, or who knows when you'll leave us in the dust."
Mao Dou and Zong Fan walked up to congratulate her. At nine years old, Xueru's face had already lost most of its baby fat, her features were opening up beautifully. She stood a meter and twenty tall, still dressed in bright pink robes, and bowed with the air of a little adult toward her two Senior Brothers.
"Thank you both for guarding me."
The two waved their hands quickly. "It was Senior Brother Wei who protected you. We just went to send word."
"That still means you kept an eye on me and knew I was making a breakthrough. If you hadn't, how could you have notified Senior Brother in time?"
She tilted her head with a smile as she spoke.
East Peak brimmed with warmth. After confirming Xueru was fine, Wei Zhengrong gave her some advice.
"Xueru, your cultivation's already fast enough. You need to slow down now. Don't rush to break into mid Foundation Establishment. First stabilize your realm."
"Don't worry, Brother. Master's already arranged it. I just need to meditate two hours a day. The rest of the time I'll practice swordplay, draw talismans, and learn to carve formation plates, slowly accumulating spiritual power."
"Good. Then do as Master says. I'll share your good news with our parents."
He ruffled her little bun-shaped hair with a smile.
"Mm! Brother, tell them not to worry about me. They should just focus on their own cultivation."
She missed her parents too, but she didn't say it. She knew how much her family had sacrificed to let her enter Jian Lu Zūnshàng's tutelage and escape the clan's stifling environment. She wouldn't let them down.
"Good girl. When the chance comes, I'll bring them to Heavenly Sword Sect so you can see each other again."
Her eyes lit up, and she nodded furiously. With that, her resolve in cultivation grew even firmer.
Now that their Junior Sister had entered Foundation Establishment, Mao Dou and Zong Fan couldn't slack off anymore. Being surpassed by a nine-year-old was too shameful. They'd lose face if word spread. Both threw themselves into practice even harder.
Bai Bai, watching her master train so diligently, dug into her private stash and brought out two thumb-sized scarlet fruits. These crimson spirit fruits could raise both cultivation and divine sense. Rare and precious, the older they were, the better the effect.
The ones Bai Bai offered were only a hundred years old, but they were still invaluable. After the two ate them, their realms leapt from mid Foundation straight to the peak of late Foundation.
In truth, they'd already been stuck at the bottleneck for some time. Between body tempering, sword practice, sect missions, and even using mission points to train in the Dreamlike Illusory Rubik's Cube Realm, they were only a step away. With the spirit fruits, they broke through cleanly.
As for Core Formation, neither was in a hurry. They remembered their Master's words clearly. They planned to hone themselves further, and at the very least, perfect their sword qi before advancing. That was the difference of having a true Master guiding them.
Purple Sky Sect
The very next day, Jian Dan received word that her little disciple Xueru had succeeded in Foundation Establishment. Overjoyed, she went to Purple Sky Sect's back mountain to drink and admire the blossoms.
The sea of purple lotus blooms was one of Purple Sky Sect's most famous sights. When Yue Liang had returned from there once, she'd told her all about it and even asked Xiao Yong Zūnzhǔ for some seeds to plant in the spiritual field beside her cave on Tianyue Peak.
Since Jian Dan disliked carrying any scent on her, she only appreciated the flowers at midnight and never expanded the planting.
Now she sat under a tall green willow, sipping wine leisurely, waiting for the sea of blossoms to burst into bloom.
A few cultivators from Purple Sky Sect had also arrived, but when they noticed the figure beneath the willow, they didn't dare disturb him. From a distance they bowed respectfully before heading to another side of the sea of flowers.
Among them, Jian Dan spotted someone she hadn't seen in a long time, Lu Xuanyuan. The man had two attendants at his side, one of them a female cultivator in violet robes, both already at late Nascent Soul.
It seemed Lu Xuanyuan had worked hard since their parting at Cloud Sea Sect. Now he strode forward in long, quick steps, face tight with impatience. The woman beside him didn't notice and kept chattering away.
Jian Dan's gaze skipped right past Lu Xuanyuan, landing instead on the violet-robed woman.
She was about a meter seventy tall, making her seem petite next to him. Her features leaned toward sultry beauty, but the corners of her eyes slanted downward and her lips were thin. Without a smile, her expression looked sharp and unkind.
Maybe knowing this, she kept her mouth curved up, always smiling, trying to look approachable.
Lu Xuanyuan also spotted Jian Dan beneath the willow and looked surprised, glancing twice at the tree before hurrying forward to greet him.
"Greetings, Senior. I didn't know you were here. Forgive us for disturbing you."
By then Jian Dan had already put away her wine cup. In her hand appeared a red lotus fire fan, the one Qi Hong had gifted her.
"You're a junior of Sect Master Xiaozhi's line." Her words weren't a question.
"Yes. This junior, Lu Xuanyuan. Sect Master Xiaozhi is my great-grandfather."
"No wonder. You do resemble him somewhat."
The violet-robed woman's eyes flickered when she saw Jian Dan, but she quickly bowed too.
"Greetings, Senior. I'm Wang Ping of the Wang Clan, Xuanyuan's cultivation partner."
As she spoke, she cast Lu Xuanyuan a shy glance, then lowered her head, showing off the curve of her neck.
"Wang Ping, don't talk nonsense. When did I ever agree to partner with you?"
Lu Xuanyuan hadn't expected her to say that and immediately snapped back. Jian Dan only narrowed her eyes, lightly waving her fan, eager to watch the drama unfold.
This Wang Ping must be part of the newly rising Wang Clan in Purple Sky Sect. To strengthen themselves, they'd spread rumors of a union with the Sect Master's line. Mo Yi had once mentioned it in Heavenly Demon Palace.
"Junior Brother, how can you say that? Both families have already begun discussing it. You can't—"
"Discussing isn't the same as settling it. Why are you running your mouth everywhere, making everyone misunderstand?" Lu Xuanyuan didn't hold back at all.
"Junior Brother, is it that you dislike my age, or is there someone else in your heart? If you say so clearly, I won't cling to you anymore." Wang Ping looked like she was about to cry, pitiful and fragile. Their words weren't covered by a sound barrier, and curious onlookers were already glancing their way.
"Hmph! My heart's set only on the Dao. I don't waste time with romance." His words sounded noble, but his eyes betrayed him. In truth, he was disgusted by this thousand-year-old hag pretending to be delicate and immortal every day. It made him sick.
"You—" Wang Ping trembled with rage. Lu Xuanyuan's expression had stripped her bare, leaving her no face. She suddenly whipped out a black whip and lashed it toward him.
"Ha! Not playing the fairy anymore, huh?"
Lu Xuanyuan flickered away in a flash, exposing Jian Dan behind him. The whip didn't slow, snapping straight toward the willow.
Tainted with a streak of black qi, it suddenly extended and lashed at Jian Dan beneath the tree.