"Junior Brother, what is the situation?"
Ming Yong Zhēnzūn asked directly.
"Jian Weida was slain by Jian Lu. That may have alerted the Black Armored Insects hiding in our clan. I rooted out a hundred infected members and exterminated them all."
Hearing this, Jian Shangxi's face turned pale. If not for Jian Lu's prior reminder, he dared not imagine what those parasitized clansmen would have done.
"Not good! Ancestor! Jian Lu's group has already been teleported away."
This sudden outburst from Jian Shangxi immediately reminded Ming Yong Zhēnzūn. Jian Weida, who guarded the teleportation hall, would certainly have tampered with the transfer array.
"Send a flying sword message to Jian Lu at once. We will not take the blame for this!"
"Yes, Ancestor!"
Jian Shangxi immediately dispatched a flying sword message toward the Heavenly Sword Sect, then waited anxiously.
Heavenly Sword Sect, Tianyue Peak
Jian Dan returned to her cave dwelling. This time, Lü Se took the lead. The four attendants followed behind the chief steward to welcome her back.
"Zūnshàng, with this venture beyond the sect, you have once again achieved something grand. The sect's prestige soars, and your name now echoes across the continent."
Lü Se was the first to speak, his words chosen to please. The four attendants behind him, though silent, all carried the same proud expression.
"I've only just returned, and you already know the news? That spread quickly enough."
Seated casually, Jian Dan asked.
"Yes. But this time it wasn't our Heavenly Sword Sect spreading it. Other cultivators took it upon themselves. They say you forced the evil cultivator's weapon to seal itself. We were thrilled to hear it."
"Hmm. And I suppose they are also saying I possess two ancient weapons?"
Jian Dan raised a brow.
"That is mere envy!" Lü Se answered quickly.
"Zūnshàng, these past few days many low-level cultivators have been wandering around Tianyue Peak."
Yun Shu stepped forward to remind.
"Is there some issue?"
Jian Dan popped a red fruit into her mouth and asked Lü Se.
"Zūnshàng may not know, but they are gambling for fate. If one of them were fortunate enough to be accepted under your guidance, would they ever fear failing to ascend?"
Jian Dan almost choked on the fruit.
"I thought sword cultivators didn't play such games."
"That is precisely because you are a sword cultivator, Zūnshàng. They scramble for the chance to learn from you. Which sword cultivator would not yearn for it? You fought a Mahayana evil cultivator while only in Unity stage—how could they not dream of reaching the same heights?"
So this was the real reason.
Jian Dan shook her head helplessly and said, "The rumors are somewhat exaggerated. At that time, I borrowed the force of several Zhēnzūn. Alone, I could not have done it. Lü Se, as chief steward, you must measure yourself carefully. Keep a low profile and do not grow arrogant."
She turned her gaze on Yun Juan, Yun Shu, Ting Feng, and Wang Yu as well. "The same goes for you four. The most important task now is to improve your cultivation. Ting Feng has already reached mid Nascent Soul. The rest of you must push harder."
"Yes, Zūnshàng, we shall remember your teachings."
Once the four departed, Lü Se returned, holding a flying sword message in his hands. "Zūnshàng, this just arrived."
Jian Dan flicked her fingers, and the message flew into her palm. She opened it to find that it was an inquiry from the Jian clan, asking whether she had safely returned, mentioning that trouble had arisen within the clan.
Jian Dan copied a recording stone, sealed it, and casually formed a hand seal to reply. The message flew from the cave, vanishing into the horizon.
Jian Clan Territory
At last, the Jian clan received Jian Dan's flying sword message. But inside, there was not a single word—only a sealed jade slip. Ming Yong Zhēnzūn unsealed it, revealing a recording jade. With one sweep of divine sense, his complexion turned ashen.
The jade passed through the hands of the three present, and each face grew grim. Truly, terrifying upon careful thought.
If it had been Jian clansmen teleported there—without near Mahayana cultivation, and without any defenses—what awaited them?
The truth was, in the previous life, the Jian clan had indeed vanished silently from the cultivation world. Their territory Jian hidden clan became a hidden stronghold for insects, assisting newborn Black Armored Insects to parasitize hosts.
The clan's Mahayana Zhēnzūn were reduced to nothing more than fodder for high-level insects. That war nearly annihilated the Jian clan's land. Yet, because the territory was sealed before the slaughter, no word leaked to the outside world.
"No matter her reasons for intervening, this debt we owe Jian Lu. If she ever makes a request, we must do all within our power to fulfill it."
Ming Yong Zhēnzūn's voice carried the weight of final judgment. From then on, the Jian clan treated Jian Lu—a descendant of Jian bloodline yet not of the clan itself—with utmost respect and courtesy.
Fangcun Mountain
Lao Yin gazed at the sky. A star that had dimmed now shone bright once more. Stroking his beard, he narrowed his eyes with a smile.
Back in her cave, after sending the sword message, Jian Dan finally had time to speak with Xiao Yin. She stroked the pendant on her chest. The silver-armored mother insect crawled out, no larger than a fingernail, with an even tinier Xiao Yin clinging to its back.
Jian Dan poked at the little one with a smile. "So bold, sneaking into the Jian clan's territory on your own. Now you remember where home is?"
Understanding her meaning, Xiao Yin looked a bit embarrassed. He slid down from the mother's back, touched his feelers together, then began reporting all he had seen and heard.
Xiao Yin had followed the Desert Yellow Sands Map into the Jian clan's treasure vault. He stayed there for years before sneaking out again. Hearing them discussing his mistress, he clung to a cultivator's boot and slipped into another cave dwelling.
Like this, Xiao Yin hopped from one place to another until he finally reached Jian Shangxi and learned something crucial.
The truth: today's Jian clan in the cultivation world and the Jian family of the lower realm shared the same origin. The lower realm clan had indeed been the true main branch. But during the migration, they were placed last in line. A jealous ancestor of a branch sabotaged the teleportation array.
The array collapsed, and the main branch was left behind in the lower realm.
The branches took control, yet they lacked important resources and ancient techniques. Though they rid themselves of the main bloodline, their inheritance was fractured. Even with the abundant spiritual qi of the cultivation world, their growth declined.
Because of the special nature of the Chaos Spirit Root, when the Jian clan was still at its peak, they announced a seclusion to the world. Outwardly it was to protect the clan, but in truth it was to cover up their decline.
Gradually, the clan's Mahayana Zhēnzūn were replaced by cultivators without Chaos Spirit Roots. Ming Yong, Ming Di, and Ming Rui were all examples.
Yet, it was not that non-Chaos-root cultivators could not ascend. With diligence, they could. But the clan's Wheel of Fate crest seemed to hold another deeper meaning. This was why they were so desperate to reclaim the lost art.
They sought Jian Dan even when she was in the Heavenly Demon Palace. Later, when she returned to the Heavenly Sword Sect, the chaotic sword shadow she summoned at her Unity breakthrough once again drew them in.
As for the true reason, Xiao Yin had not uncovered it—he dared not approach the caves of Mahayana Zhēnzūn.
"Good thing you were clever enough not to throw your life away."
Jian Dan teased, rewarding Xiao Yin with a cup of high-grade spiritual spring water. The little one happily absorbed it, then climbed back onto the mother insect's back and was carried away.
Jian Dan closed her eyes and carefully retraced every matter tied to the Jian clan. In doing so, she uncovered some startling hints.