When properly mastered, the Heavenly Eye would integrate seamlessly into Yang Jian's forehead, leaving no visible trace of its presence. Unfortunately, his current control over this newfound power remained woefully inadequate, resulting in a faint golden mark that flickered across his brow like a barely contained flame.
The brilliant pillar of light that had announced his awakening had consumed nearly all of his magical reserves—and that was with the lotus seed's supporting energy. Without Lingbao Tianzun's precious gift, Yang Jian might have achieved the dubious honor of becoming the first cultivator in history to die from magical exhaustion immediately after awakening an innate ability.
Surveying the damage to Yunxiao's retreat chamber—specifically the gaping hole his uncontrolled power had blown through the ceiling—Yang Jian decided his first priority should be restoring his depleted energy reserves before facing his gracious host.
He settled back onto the meditation cushion and began drawing in spiritual energy from the surrounding environment. To his amazement, what normally would have required several days of careful cultivation was accomplished in mere moments. The ambient qi flowed into his meridians like a rushing river, filling his dantian to capacity with remarkable efficiency.
The lotus seed's benefits hadn't ended with the awakening itself. As Yang Jian examined his internal condition, he discovered that his cultivation base had advanced from True Immortal to Earth Immortal—a breakthrough that should have taken decades of diligent practice. Lingbao Tianzun's generosity had exceeded all expectations.
With his magical power fully restored, Yang Jian could no longer justify occupying Yunxiao's damaged retreat space. He rose from the cushion and made his way outside, steeling himself for an awkward conversation.
"Brother Qingyuan!" Yunxiao greeted him with genuine warmth as he emerged from the cave. "Congratulations on successfully awakening your innate magical power. The display was truly magnificent."
"Junior Sister Yunxiao, I must first apologize," Yang Jian said, bowing deeply. "Your kindness in providing protection during my cultivation is beyond repayment, yet I've repaid it by destroying your retreat chamber. Please allow me to make proper compensation for the damage."
"Think nothing of it," Yunxiao replied with an elegant wave of her hand. "It's merely a cave dwelling, easily repaired. I'm not so petty as to begrudge a fellow cultivator the space needed for such an important breakthrough."
Her gracious response only deepened Yang Jian's sense of obligation. Beyond simple courtesy, he recognized the political wisdom in her words—his awakened ability had demonstrated power that could be valuable to cultivate as an ally rather than alienate over property damage.
"Your generosity shames me, Junior Sister. Once I succeed in rescuing my mother, I will find a way to properly repay this debt."
"Brother Qingyuan, you speak too formally," Yunxiao protested gently. "We serve the same greater cause under the Three Pure Ones' guidance. There's no need for talk of debts between fellow practitioners."
She paused, her curiosity clearly warring with proper etiquette before finally giving way. "However, I confess myself intensely curious about the nature of your awakened ability. The power it displayed was unlike anything I've witnessed. Would you be willing to share some details?"
Yang Jian recognized the breach of protocol in her question—inquiring about another's secret techniques was considered quite rude—but her genuine interest and previous kindness earned her an honest response.
"It's no secret that requires guarding," he replied. "Thanks to Uncle Master's precious gift, I've awakened the Heavenly Eye. This particular version possesses not only tremendous destructive potential but also the ability to see through all illusions and perceive the true nature of things."
As he spoke, Yang Jian decided a demonstration would be more convincing than words alone. He focused his will on the third eye, feeling it slowly open as golden light began to emanate from his forehead.
The moment his enhanced vision activated, Yang Jian's gaze automatically swept across his surroundings—and immediately encountered something that made his face burn with mortification. The Heavenly Eye's power to "see through illusions" apparently included seeing through clothing, and Yunxiao's elegant robes suddenly became as transparent as morning mist.
"Ah!" Yang Jian slammed his normal eyes shut and forcibly closed the Heavenly Eye, his face turning several shades redder than a summer sunset.
"Brother Qingyuan, are you alright?" Yunxiao stepped forward with immediate concern, interpreting his distress as a sign of magical backlash. "Is opening the Heavenly Eye particularly draining? You look quite flustered."
"It's—it's fine!" Yang Jian stammered, his voice pitched higher than usual. "This is merely my first time using the ability properly. I'm still... adjusting to its effects."
His obvious discomfort only increased Yunxiao's worry. "I shouldn't have asked for a demonstration so carelessly. Please, sit and recover properly."
Faced with her continued kindness while his mind remained full of decidedly inappropriate images, Yang Jian quickly dropped into a cross-legged position and began frantically reciting the Heart Cleansing Mantra. Despite his elevated status within the sect hierarchy—where even senior outer disciples addressed him as "Senior Brother"—Yang Jian remained a young man not yet twenty years old, still subject to all the biological responses and emotional turbulence that accompanied youth.
Several repetitions of the purifying chant were required before he could trust himself to speak coherently again.
"Forgive me, Junior Sister," he said upon opening his eyes, his complexion finally returning to normal. "I lost my composure for a moment there."
"Please don't apologize, Brother Qingyuan. I was the one being presumptuous with my request," Yunxiao replied, still looking apologetic.
"Not at all," Yang Jian said quickly, desperate to change the subject before his embarrassment became obvious. "Actually, while using the divine eye just now, I happened to perceive something quite auspicious. Junior Sister, you're approaching a significant breakthrough—your cultivation is about to advance to the next realm."
"Truly?" Yunxiao's eyes widened with surprise and hope. She had been trapped at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level for countless epochs, unable to find the key to achieving Daluo status. The prospect of finally breaking through that barrier was almost too wonderful to believe.
The Daluo realm represented a fundamental transformation in a cultivator's existence. Those who achieved it transcended the normal limitations of time and space, with their true spirits becoming anchored to the cosmic order itself. Even if their physical forms were destroyed in battle, they retained the possibility of resurrection through their imperishable essence—much like the Eastern Prince, who had survived his ancient defeat by the Heavenly Emperor and remained active to this day.
"Your accumulated wisdom and experience have reached the necessary threshold," Yang Jian confirmed, grateful to be discussing something other than his mortifying accident. "Once the proper opportunity presents itself, your advancement to Daluo will be inevitable."
Through the brief glimpse his Heavenly Eye had provided—before becoming distracted by other revelations—Yang Jian had indeed sensed the approaching convergence of factors that would trigger Yunxiao's breakthrough. The divine sight didn't lie about such matters.
"Thank you for this wonderful news, Senior Brother!" Yunxiao's joy was radiant and infectious.
"Big Sister! Big Sister!"
The moment of celebration was interrupted as Bixiao and Qiongxiao came rushing toward them, their faces filled with concern.
"What was that incredible golden light we saw?" Bixiao demanded breathlessly. "It seemed to be coming from your cave—we thought something terrible might have happened!"
Yunxiao quickly explained the true cause of the phenomenon, describing Yang Jian's successful awakening of his innate ability. When she shared the additional news about her impending breakthrough to Daluo status, both sisters erupted in excitement.
"Elder Sister achieving Daluo!" Qiongxiao clasped her hands together with delight. "This is momentous news indeed!"
Their enthusiasm was more than mere family affection—it carried significant political implications for their entire sect. Currently, only five members of Jiejiao had successfully reached the Daluo realm: the four direct disciples and outer sect senior Zhao Gongming.
The comparative standings among the Three Pure Ones' followers made this achievement even more meaningful. From Renjiao, Master Xuandu had long since transcended to Daluo and beyond—his current power level remained mysterious, but according to Lingbao Tianzun's assessment, he stood as the strongest among all second-generation disciples across the three sects, truly deserving his title as senior brother of their generation.
The Explanation sect could boast only the Antarctic Immortal among their Daluo-level practitioners. Despite the Twelve Golden Immortals having entered Taiyi status around the same time as Jiejiao's four direct disciples, none had managed to find the key to further advancement.
If Yunxiao successfully broke through, she would become the sixth Daluo practitioner in Jiejiao and the eighth among all three sects combined—a development that would significantly enhance their sect's reputation and influence.
For Yuanshi Tianzun, who emphasized strict hierarchical order and selective teaching methods, having only one of his chosen disciples achieve Daluo represented a disappointing return on his careful cultivation approach. Meanwhile, Lingbao Tianzun's more inclusive philosophy—accepting disciples based on potential rather than pedigree and providing personal instruction to all—had already produced two outer disciples at the Daluo level, with a third soon to follow.
When word of this achievement spread through the cultivation world, the implicit comparison would strongly favor Lingbao Tianzun's methods over his brother's more elitist approach. The underlying tensions that had contributed to the Three Pure Ones' separation would only be exacerbated by such obvious disparities in results.
"This calls for celebration," Bixiao declared with characteristic enthusiasm, temporarily forgetting her confinement sentence in the joy of the moment. "Elder Sister's breakthrough will show those stuffy Explanation sect disciples that our methods produce superior results!"