Ming Di Zhēnzūn lowered his gaze, recalling the events of their meeting just now after hearing his elder brother's words.
"Since Jian Lu dared to step into our gates, she must have been confident of leaving unscathed. When I left the clan grounds to probe the density of spiritual energy, I discovered that forty li away, a Mahayana cultivator was trapped."
Ming Di Zhēnzūn lifted his head, asking: "Brother, do you mean that was the doing of Jian Lu and her group?"
"Yes."
"Brother, is this jade slip containing the cultivation method truly genuine?"
Ming Yong Zhēnzūn chuckled. "Whether it is genuine or not, we will only know once we break the seal."
"Neither of us possess the Chaos Spiritual Root. Later, we will have Shang Xi and the others try it."
Ming Yong Zhēnzūn nodded slightly, still studying the seal etched upon the jade slip with great care.
Meanwhile, Qing Rui Zhēnzūn had already broken free of the trapping formation. Just earlier, he had faintly sensed a divine sense stronger than his own sweep past for but an instant. Thus, upon breaking the array, he immediately tore open space and departed from above the sea where the clash had taken place.
Jian Shangxi's heart stirred with excitement. He had not expected that Jian Lu Zhūnshàng would gift them a cultivation method outright. His lips curved into a faint smile.
"Zhūnshàng, this way please!"
Jian Shangxi led them in a wide arc, bypassing half of the clan grounds before arriving at the Transmission Hall under the watchful eyes of many Jian clansmen.
The guards stationed there hurried forward to pay respects.
"Greetings, honored seniors. Greetings, Young Clan Master!"
"Uncle Jian, these seniors must return to the Heavenly Sword Sect. Might we borrow the clan's array to send them near one of the nearby cities?"
The man addressed as Uncle Jian caught sight of their robes, immediately recognizing them as the rumored visitors from the Heavenly Sword Sect. He quickly replied: "Honored seniors, our array can only transport at random to the mountain ranges near the Heavenly Sword Sect. It cannot directly send you into the cities."
Jian Dan only smiled. "That is of no concern."
Inwardly, she sneered. If the Jian clan's array could directly connect into Heavenly Sword Sect territory, then the Law Enforcement Hall would have to clean house all over again.
When the ten of them had stepped onto the array platform, Jian Dan casually waved her hand, filling the grooves set for spirit stones with top-grade ones.
As the stones sank into place, the array roared to life. Radiance burst from beneath their feet, a glowing barrier rising around them.
Jian Dan gazed at Jian Shangxi and spoke slowly: "As payment for borrowing this array, I'll leave the Jian clan a gift. You had best catch it."
Just as the light fully engulfed them, Jian Dan flicked her fingers. A strand of chaotic spiritual power shot forth like a blade, piercing through the light and striking directly at Uncle Jian's dantian.
The attack came so suddenly that no one had expected it. Jian Shangxi was startled, then angered. Forgetting the departing guests, he spun toward Uncle Jian.
But in the very next instant, Uncle Jian's body dissolved into ash. From the remains of his skull burst forth a black carapaced insect the size of an egg, its translucent wings buzzing as it darted toward Jian Shangxi's brow.
By instinct, Jian Shangxi slashed his sword, shearing away half the insect's wings and knocking it off course. The creature tumbled through the air. The sword light, uncontrolled, split one of the hall's pillars and brought the great doors crashing down.
Ignoring the wreckage, Jian Shangxi swiftly cast a restraining formation of spiritual power, trapping the crippled insect before it could lunge again.
When he turned back, Jian Dan and her companions had already vanished with the light of the transmission array.
With a sweep of his sleeve, Jian Shangxi secured the struggling black beetle within his robes, then dropped the protective barrier around the Transmission Hall and rushed back toward the main hall to report.
There, Ming Di Zhēnzūn and Ming Yong Zhēnzūn were still waiting. Seeing their young clansman enter with a dark expression, both narrowed their eyes, suspecting Jian Dan's group had stirred further trouble.
"Two Zhēnzūn, look. This is what flew out from Uncle Jian."
With a wave of his robe, Jian Shangxi released the bound insect before them.
Ming Di Zhēnzūn's face darkened. For such a creature to lurk in the clan while under his protection was a grave failure. If one was found, how many more might lie hidden?
"Brother, allow me to conduct a thorough sweep."
Ming Yong Zhēnzūn gestured for him to go. "Be meticulous."
Ming Di Zhēnzūn nodded sharply and vanished.
Only then did Ming Yong Zhēnzūn bid Jian Shangxi to recount the entire sequence.
The young man dared not conceal anything and explained everything clearly.
Ming Yong Zhēnzūn lowered his gaze in thought. When Jian Lu first entered the clan grounds, her divine sense had swept across everything, alarming him. She must have discovered the problem then. That was why she insisted on using the Transmission Array to depart, striking down the infiltrator in passing. Her gift was twofold: gratitude, and a warning that the Jian clan had already been compromised.
"Ancestor, did she choose the array precisely because she discovered Uncle Jian's issue? But they never once met him face to face. How could she have known?"
Jian Shangxi was baffled, so he asked directly.
"From the moment she set foot in our grounds, she swept the entire area with divine sense. Her perception is no weaker than mine, which is why I noticed her in the first place."
"I see!"
Suddenly all seemed to make sense. One could only say that imagination was a dangerous thing. Ming Yong Zhēnzūn had neatly rationalized all of Jian Dan's actions.
In truth, it had been nothing but coincidence. When Jian Dan arrived at the Transmission Hall, Liu Chuan had sent her a discreet sound transmission: that the late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator guarding the hall was suspicious.
"What is the problem?"
"There is a black carapaced insect inside his body."
Jian Dan could only click her tongue. The Jian clan had grown complacent indeed, allowing such a threat to infiltrate unchecked. It was a sign of how isolation had dulled their vigilance.
The cultivation world had long since devised methods against these insects. The Artifact Sect had crafted a spiritual tool known as the Golden Buzzing Sphere, which was used during the purge of Huanle City in the lawless zones.
When a cultivator possessed by such an insect passed by, the quail egg sized orb would hum sharply in warning. If the insect left its host, the orb would automatically draw it inside, preventing reattachment.
When Jian Dan and her companions reappeared, they stood upon a mountain range. In the next instant, the array beneath their feet activated again, splitting the ten of them apart.
Clearly, someone had tampered with the teleportation coordinates, sending them directly into a prepared trap.
Cold light flashed in Jian Dan's eyes. The second Mò Xī Jiàn appeared in her hand. With a single smooth stroke, she severed the array. At the same moment, every member of the "Heaven's Punishment" squad unleashed their blades. Ten dazzling sword lights interwove, annihilating the formation in an instant.
The next moment, they stood in the open sky above the mountains. Confirming that none were harmed, Jian Dan sent a voice transmission to Liu Chuan:
"Chuan, scour this mountain range. Since they lured us here, there must be more insects hidden. Did they think cowering here would save them?"
"Fine. I'll give you some face this time."
Jian Dan flicked a willow leaf into the ground where the array had stood.
A tremor shook the earth. Willow branches burst forth across the mountain, coiling around its length. From time to time, beasts were dragged screaming from underground. Finally, three massive black insects were hurled into the sky.
"Senior brothers, don't act. Let me test these things!"
From beside Jian Dan came the eager cry of Senior Sister Jian Jing, already surging forward with her sword raised high toward the giant insects.