Two days had passed since Tao Chengfeng and Jian Dan led two hundred disciples from Tianjian Sect on their journey. In another three days, they would arrive at the central region of the continent. The Chilang Secret Realm was set to open within a range of mountains located there. As a low-grade secret realm, it only activated once every five hundred years.
In theory, a low-grade secret realm should not pose much danger. Yet from the moment Jian Dan took this assignment, she had felt an uneasy premonition. After her audience with Jian Jun Zhūnzhǔ, she made a detour to the administrative hall of Tianjian Peak. This time, the steward was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator she didn't recognize.
"Greetings, Zhēnjūn. I am Shan Yunzu, this expedition's leader. I've come to collect the items needed for our mission."
She handed over her task token, which the Zhēnjūn verified without issue. He then passed her a mid-grade storage pouch.
"Inside are the supplies assigned for your mission."
Jian Dan swept her divine sense across the contents. There was a brown, standard-issue flying vessel, a box of spirit stones, a basic defense array disk, and a basic offense array disk.
She accepted the pouch but did not leave right away, pondering how to raise her next request.
The Zhēnjūn, already aware of her hesitation, glanced up from his jade slips and asked calmly, "Is there something else?"
"Are the ship and formation disks provided all standard models for this mission tier? Is it possible to request a replacement?"
The Zhēnjūn looked at her directly for the first time. The female cultivator before him had bright, intelligent eyes and wore simple white robes that highlighted her graceful form. A magnolia-shaped jade token hung at her waist, and her demeanor was calm yet confident.
"This mission is classified as a red-tier Class C task. All supplied items are matched to that classification. What replacement do you seek?"
"Could the transport vessel be replaced with one that has stronger defenses or combat functionality?"
The Zhēnjūn frowned. He felt she was making a fuss over nothing and denied her request without hesitation. "That is not permitted."
Jian Dan sighed, a little disheartened, but her cultivator's instinct urged her to try again. She patted her storage pouch and retrieved the sword-shaped obsidian token issued by the Enforcement Hall.
"If I use this, would the request be granted?"
This time, the Zhēnjūn did not dismiss her. He took the token, instructed her to wait, and stepped into the back hall.
Jian Dan cuddled Yue Liang in her arms and gently stroked the spirit beast's increasingly lustrous fur, communicating silently through their bond.
"I have a bad feeling about this mission. You mustn't slack off these next few days. I'll exchange some contribution points for Beast Spirit Pills to help your recovery. Don't be stingy, eat them all."
"Yue Liang understands."
"Spirit beast pouches are not worthy of our elegant Yue Liang. Just stay by my side."
"Thank you, Zhēnrén," Yue Liang replied sweetly, eyes crinkling as her furry tail affectionately swept across Jian Dan's wrist.
In a private room behind the hall, the steward was contacting Jian Wu Zhēnjūn via water mirror.
"Reporting to Jian Wu Zhēnjūn, Shan Zhēnrén requests changes to the supplied equipment. May we proceed?"
Jian Wu Zhēnjūn seemed to say something to someone nearby, then replied shortly after, "Approve her request."
The mirror dissolved.
Returning to the front hall, the steward asked, "What modifications do you need?"
Jian Dan's eyes lit up. Approval was granted.
"Do you have any warships?"
The Zhēnjūn was surprised by her boldness.
"With your current rank and cultivation, you are only permitted the most basic combat vessel."
"Then I'll take the basic model."
She immediately returned the standard flying vessel and waited. The Zhēnjūn disappeared again, then soon reappeared carrying a miniaturized silver-gray ship. He helped her imprint a temporary spiritual mark onto it for control.
Jian Dan held the toy-sized warship, then altered its outward form and color to match a regular flying vessel. She would study it more closely later.
As she left, the Zhēnjūn's brows furrowed. In his time as administrator, this was the first time a warship had been requisitioned. Was it a sign of something larger? He dared not speculate. The last time the Hua and Kong clans stirred trouble, Tianjian Sect had responded with brutal force, even sacrificing a direct disciple without causing much public uproar.
Understanding the weight of his position, he wasted no time. The obsidian token belonged to the Enforcement Hall, which made this matter more serious. He immediately sent a flying sword message to his clan, urging them to open up resources, raise the strength of their younger cultivators, and increase defenses.
Far to the south, the Yu Clan's Void Refinement stage patriarch received that message and convened a family council. Though the message was vague, it clearly implied that a major shift was coming. They responded swiftly, allocating resources to rapidly strengthen the clan's talented disciples.
After the incident with the Hua and Kong families, all the sect-affiliated clans had maintained a façade of peace. But everyone knew the still waters ran deep. The Yu Clan's sudden mobilization did not escape the notice of nearby noble clans and small sects. News began to spread, subtle yet steady.
Jian Dan, unaware of what her small request had triggered, never imagined that her choice to swap a ship would ripple outward and stir the foundations of the cultivation world. It was a butterfly effect, unintentional but immensely significant, laying the groundwork for a future united front against looming threats.