Peng Wang left the council hall with a heavy heart. Beside him, Peng Xilai also sensed the weight of the matter and was quietly considering how to respond. Ahead of them, Peng Wang spoke up.
"Xilai, while I remain in seclusion these next few days, arrange meetings with the leaders of the four great families of Yunling City, the Loose Cultivator Alliance, and the heads of the major merchant guilds. Just say I've acquired a new jar of spirit wine and would like to share a tasting with everyone."
"Yes, Grandfather. I'll handle it right away."
In the council hall, Jian Jun Zhūnzhǔ turned to Jian Wu Zhēnjūn and said,
"Go and welcome Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ."
Jian Wu Zhēnjūn's expression tightened slightly as he heard this. He turned and hurried out of the hall.
Jian Jun Zhūnzhǔ let out a rare chuckle and said to Jian Ning Zhēnjūn,
"Even after all these years, Jian Wu still gets nervous when meeting his master."
Jian Ning Zhēnjūn smiled softly. "Now that Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ has broken through to the Void Refinement stage, his presence is even more intimidating."
At that moment, a tall figure stepped through the main doors. The man was nearly two meters tall, his build broad and commanding. His face was rugged, with sharply defined features, giving off a powerful impression. Unlike the usual white robes of the Heavenly Sword Sect, he wore a narrow-sleeved dark blue robe. His hair was tied back into a loose half-bun with a black ribbon, and he wore no crown.
A murderous aura lingered around him as he spoke in a low voice to Jian Wu, who followed beside him.
"Your spiritual qi feels more condensed than before. You're close to a breakthrough."
"Master, I recently fought a Nascent Soul demon cultivator and gained some insights."
"Did you capture the demon?"
"He self-destructed. Left no useful clues behind."
"Were you injured?"
"Just superficial wounds."
As the two conversed, they entered the council hall.
"Greetings, Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ," Jian Ning Zhēnjūn said, bowing deeply.
"No need for formalities," Jian Li nodded, then turned toward the seat of honor where Jian Jun Zhūnzhǔ was seated.
"Jian Li, I apologize for summoning you so soon after your breakthrough. I should have allowed you time to stabilize your cultivation."
"Zhūnzhǔ, is there an urgent matter?"
Jian Jun nodded and gave a subtle signal. Jian Wu and Jian Ning each stepped to opposite sides of the hall and threw out formation plates. In an instant, the entire council hall was enveloped in a defensive array.
Jian Ning approached the two Zhūnzhǔ and presented a storage pouch, taken back from Jian Dan.
Jian Jun received it with a gesture. With a tap of his fingers, a silver-gray substance flowed off the surface of the pouch like liquid and streamed toward the hall's entrance.
The single pouch in Jian Jun's hand split into two.
"Heh. Quite cautious," he said, then added, "Jian Wu, let her little trick go."
"Yes."
The hall's formation opened just a crack, and the silver-gray liquid slipped through the gap, clinging to the ground as it moved toward the courtyard.
In the rear courtyard, Jian Dan was channeling spiritual qi into Cotton Candy. The moment Jian Jun Zhūnzhǔ removed the silver beetle from the two pouches, Jian Dan opened her eyes. Moments later, the beetle returned, carrying back some interesting information.
She rewarded her insect with flesh from the black-armored beast and sent it into the jade pendant on her chest to evolve. She was eager to see what changes the beetle would undergo.
Back in the council hall, Jian Jun Zhūnzhǔ first took out the beginner-class warship that Jian Dan had borrowed. With a flick of his fingers, he removed the control orb from the main console and infused it with spiritual power to examine the recorded footage. He watched everything the warship had captured before and after its deployment. Only the final few seconds of the battle were obscured, replaced with a blinding white flash.
At that time, Jian Dan had no idea her spatial secret had nearly been exposed. If not for the innate concealment functions of her space, her identity might have been compromised.
Jian Jun passed the orb to Jian Li and picked up the second storage pouch.
"So it was that little one. She does have some backbone. Did Zhūnzhǔ bring her into the Enforcement Hall?"
"Yes. It was meant to be a simple trial mission, but we gained more than expected. She showed promise. I'm planning to bring her into the Shadow Division."
"Zhūnzhǔ's judgment is always exceptional. Your choices never disappoint."
"You're still too lazy to think for yourself. I want to observe her a bit longer."
"You still need to test her? Didn't you already give her the Obsidian Sword Pendant? I wouldn't have stepped in otherwise."
"You..." Jian Jun shook his head with a helpless smile, then turned back to Jian Li.
"Well then, let's see whether her gift is worthy of that pendant."
With a wave of his hand, the remains of the black-armored insect beast appeared in the hall, filling nearly the entire space. Though it had been blown apart by its final self-detonation, its head and upper torso remained intact. Only a third of the membrane wings on its back survived.
The two Zhūnzhǔ swept their divine senses over the corpse, examining every detail. Jian Wu was more direct—he poked, tapped, and prodded with his hands. Jian Ning, sword in hand, tested the body with gentle strikes.
Jian Jun then brought out a tiny black beetle, no larger than a fingernail, which he had captured using a spatial prison. The insect, sensing the presence of its kin, began flapping its membrane wings and furiously attacked the spatial cage.
Jian Li's gaze sharpened. It was obvious to anyone with eyes—these two insects were the same species, differing only in size.