The activated central shaft floated in the space, giving off a soft smoky gray glow. Array lines shone on all six faces, proof that nothing had gone wrong in its refinement.
Only then did Jian Dan let out a long breath. The most critical piece was sound. The rest should go smoothly.
She sat cross-legged and began restoring her spiritual power.
When Jian Dan set the Primordial Chaos Art in motion, the abundant energy of the pocket space spiraled into her body. Empty meridians filled to the brim. The yin yang Taiji plate within spun at high speed, converting the flood of energy into purer Primordial Chaos qi and sinking it into her dantian.
With a soft pop, Jian Dan broke past early Unity peak and stepped into mid Unity. The five elements qi of the space surged again, wrapping her in layers until the turbulence settled and her realm stabilized.
Next came step two. She would inlay the refined cubes into the central shaft, then link and awaken the whole construct.
Gazing at the floating shaft, Jian Dan felt it in her bones. Once assembled, the artifact would draw down tribulation. Her own peak would not do.
She slipped out of the space, opened the restriction on her cave, and headed straight for the Law Enforcement Hall to find Jian Li.
Law Enforcement Hall
"Senior Brother, are you busy?"
Jian Dan entered the main hall and saw Jian Li studying a jade slip. She spoke up without ceremony.
"Junior Sister, what brings you here today. Is something the matter?"
"Yes. I would not disturb you otherwise," Jian Dan said with a smile.
"Sit."
He gestured to the seat, gave her a once-over, then smiled. "Congratulations, Junior Sister. Mid Unity already."
"I owe it to artifact work. I had been at the early peak for a while. The push came naturally this time," Jian Dan said lightly.
"At your pace the rest of us can only eat dust," Jian Li chuckled. "I keep saying we should spar on the ring and have not found the time. Why not take this chance. I can help you firm your realm."
Jian Dan's lips twitched. First time she had heard Jian Li say so much for the sake of picking a fight.
"The ring is fine any time. I actually came to ask for the Law Enforcement Hall's tribulation ground."
"Mmm?"
He looked her over again, thinking she meant her own tribulation.
"Not me. I am not ready to crash into Mahayana," Jian Dan laughed. "It is the trial artifact you asked me to forge. The final stage will certainly draw tribulation." She lifted her hands in a small shrug.
"You are that certain?" Jian Li asked.
In the cultivation world, some successful artifacts triggered an Artifact Tribulation. Those were treasure-grade and above, the higher tier. Others never drew tribulation at all, ordinary tool-grade pieces.
Which was why he asked. Jian Dan was no master refiner by trade. To be blunt, he subconsciously assumed a trial artifact would not be too high-level.
"Senior Brother looks down on me," Jian Dan said, eyes mock-aggrieved.
"Ahem. Only asking," Jian Li coughed to cover his embarrassment.
"I will stop teasing. I used materials not found on Lingyun Continent. The odds of thunder tribulation are high," Jian Dan said, pointing a finger upward to hint at their source.
Jian Li understood and grew serious at once. "I will have Meng Congjian reserve a tribulation site just for you, with stronger defenses. Once you finish the final step, head straight there. How does that sound?"
"Many thanks, Senior Brother."
He sent a message through his ink pendant, summoning Meng Congjian to the hall.
With business handled, Jian Dan had a moment for small talk. "What are you busy with lately?"
"The Huang Jue Secret Realm opened early. The sect sent five hundred Nascent Soul cultivators inside," Jian Li said, tossing her a jade slip.
"That is a heavy outlay. Why so many?"
"Anyone not in seclusion or out tempering went," he said, then added, "As for why, the sharp-eyed put the pieces together when you personally screened the new recruits from the mortal world. After that, news of an imminent war with the insect clan spread through the sect."
Jian Dan skimmed the jade slip. Many familiar names flashed past. Meng Zhonglun, Zhang Xuefeng, Bian Qikang, Bu Ji. Those who had followed her on missions and were Nascent Soul had all entered.
"Senior Brother, the high ranks in the sect and some families with their own sources have likely put two and two together. The low ranks have a right to know as well."
"I know. You did not err. It would come out sooner or later. Most people in the sect now know the final prep window. Hence the furious push to improve realms."
"That is a good thing."
"It is. For now, everything follows our projections."
"The Huang Jue Secret Realm has not closed?"
"No. Three months remain."
Jian Dan nodded, then asked what she cared about most. "How many blood insects were found on Heavenly Demon Palace lands?"
"Three."
"More than our side by one."
She breathed out, then asked, "Who were their hosts?"
"We do not have confirmed names yet," Jian Li said. "But Jian Feng's first-hand word from Mo Su is that one host was the young master of the largest trading firm in the demonic path, one was a small leader in 'Tianya Haijiao', and the last was a female cultivator on a pleasure dual-cultivation path."
A chill flashed through Jian Dan's eyes. "Carefully picked. The largest firm will become a logistics hub when war breaks. 'Tianya Haijiao' are assassins and have the widest information net. As for a seductive woman, she draws men close and makes choosing hosts easy."
"Sharp as ever. You hit them all," Jian Li said. "Mo Yan Zhēnzūn took action personally and erased them. He also notified every demonic sect. If you find one, kill one. No mercy."
"That is the demonic path's way. Cut the danger at the sprout," Jian Dan said simply.
"Which makes Bi Shu rather popular," she added with a smile.
"You could say that. Any requests not backed by a Mahayana Zhēnzūn have been refused across the board."
"That is the right call. Otherwise they will find a blood insect and fail to kill it, then bring disaster on themselves."
"At first they did not understand. Mo Su released a memory jade of their extermination. The waves finally calmed."
"After the Kong affair, did we trace the source?" Jian Dan sipped spirit tea and continued.
"Kong clan and the Law Enforcement Hall are investigating. We hope to learn who sent the thing into Heavenly Sword Sect territory. But Yang Naiwen is dead, and the Nascent Soul woman was bought from 'Shuiyun Tower' by Hua Lingshi.
'Shuiyun Tower' claims the woman entered of her own will, for cultivation resources. Only a Loose Cultivator identity, which checks out. Beyond that, nothing. We turned over both 'Shuiyun Tower' and the Yang clan and found nothing useful. For now, the trail is cold."
"The other daoist sects?"
"Queuing up to invite Bi Shu to sweep their territories."
Their talk had barely paused when Meng Congjian stepped into the Law Enforcement Hall's main chamber.