Jian Dan only withdrew her gaze after watching Qi Hong Daoyou leave. That guy wasn't shy at all, even snatched two jars of her peach blossom tea before walking off. Those blossoms came from a peach tree in her space that had already lived for over ten thousand years. They were treasures you couldn't just replace.
"Zūnshàng, just now the guards from the sect's main hall came with a message from Sect Master Jian Chong. Zhēnzūn didn't give his approval."
Lü Se, who'd been waiting respectfully at the side, finally stepped forward to report after Qi Hong disappeared from sight.
"I know. Go call Yun Juan, Yun Shu, Ting Feng, and Wang Yu here. I have things to arrange."
"Yes."
A short while later, all four arrived together with Lü Se, standing respectfully in front of her.
Jian Dan sat in the main seat, sweeping her gaze over them. Yun Juan, Yun Shu, and Wang Yu were all at early Nascent Soul stage, while Ting Feng had reached mid Nascent Soul. Lü Se was at early Divine Transformation.
Their strength was enough to stand on their own in a family clan or small sect, even take in disciples. But in the Heavenly Sword Sect, they were just stepping onto the path of defying the heavens.
"In a few days, I'll be leaving the sect to take care of some business. While I'm gone, the four of you—Yun Juan, Yun Shu, Ting Feng, Wang Yu—will enter the Dreamlike Illusory Rubik's Cube Realm for a trial tomorrow."
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
They answered in unison, not asking questions.
"Lü Se, you'll hold on for a few more days. Once they come out, you'll go into the Dreamlike Illusory Rubik's Cube Realm yourself."
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
"All five of you have been by my side long enough. You should already know the truth. Two hundred years from now, a great war will erupt. I want you all alive by then. From this moment on, you'll have to put in a hundred times the effort, raise your cultivation, and sharpen your strength."
"Yes, thank you for the reminder, Zūnshàng. We'll definitely double our efforts."
The five of them saluted together.
They'd already suspected as much. Rumors in the sect weren't rare, and Ting Feng, who was always hanging around the arena, had heard whispers long ago. He'd shared them with the others, but since Jian Lu Zūnshàng had only urged them to train harder and fight more, never confirming anything, they'd simply focused on cultivation and battles.
Now that their Zūnshàng said it outright, none of them were surprised. They accepted it calmly. After all, they had her fighting for resources on their behalf. Not everyone was this fortunate.
"As long as you understand. Go on now."
After dismissing the five, Jian Dan thought of her three disciples. She wasn't too worried about them. Mao Dou and Zong Fan had already formed their Foundation, now it was just a matter of building up spiritual power. That depended on their own effort.
Xue Ru, on the other hand, had obtained the Windcloud Art and had the blessing of the Wind Spirit. She was close to Foundation Establishment too. Jian Dan would need to guide her soon.
Just as she was thinking, she sensed dark clouds gathering. Thunder rolled across the sky. Someone was undergoing a tribulation on Tribulation Peak.
"Hm?"
A familiar aura stirred her. Jian Dan instantly left her cave and appeared above the peak.
On the tallest black mountain, a white crane spread its wings, gathering power to face the heavenly lightning.
It was Bai Jue.
She didn't dare get too close. If the tribulation mistakenly included her, things would go very badly.
Still, Bai Jue looked calm. He even preened his feathers before lifting his head, waiting for the first bolt to strike.
"Looks like he's fine."
As soon as she muttered that, the first bolt—thick as an arm—crashed down on his head.
The brutal thunder knocked his head sideways, blackening his feathers, but he didn't flinch. Shaking himself, he spread his wings, bracing for the next strike. Seven bolts came down one after another, each hitting dead center. By the end, he was lying charred in a crater, looking like a roasted chicken.
Jian Dan couldn't help the twitch at her lips. She wondered what Yingge would think if he saw this. But the last bolt still hadn't fallen. The clouds roiled, thunder building up. Jian Dan stared at the scorched Bai Jue and shouted,
"Bai Jue, just one more! Hold on! Yingge's waiting for you to come back!"
Maybe it was her words, maybe not, but the charred lump twitched. He shook off the ash and slowly stood, trembling. Before he could steady himself, the final bolt—thick as a bucket—smashed into him, throwing him back down and drowning him in blinding lightning.
Once the last strike fell, the tribulation was complete. The clouds cleared, the thunder faded, and the sky returned to blue. No spirit rain followed.
Jian Dan frowned. Did he succeed or fail?
—
Beast Clan Territory
In the Wan Yao Hall, Yingge opened his tiny black eyes from meditation. His sixth tail feather had fully grown, and the seventh had begun to take shape.
But for two days now, he'd been restless, unable to settle into cultivation. Forced out of meditation, he paced back and forth in his sealed chamber, heart pounding with unease. His brother must be in trouble. The bloodline resonance made him feel it deep in his bones. He couldn't leave yet. Only when the seventh feather fully grew could he exit this stone chamber.
Inside was sealed Phoenix Fire. Back then, Yingge had followed instinct straight into this place. The Phoenix Fire had sensed the phoenix blood in him and released itself, burning him alive. He'd screamed in agony. But Yingge knew it was priceless. He'd calmed himself, roused his bloodline, and endured the flames, slowly refining them.
Over time, he'd merged the Phoenix Fire into himself, growing his sixth tail feather. Once he refined the Phoenix Flame, the seventh would grow.
From under his wing, he took out a white feather. His big brother had given it to him for protection, and he'd carried it close ever since. It carried his brother's aura, steadying him, reminding him that his loving brother was always with him.
Clutching the feather to his chest, Yingge whispered,
"Please protect big brother, let everything go smoothly."
—
Heavenly Sword Sect
Perhaps moved by his prayer, Bai Jue stirred. His claws twitched, his head lifted, and he let out a low cry that pierced the heavens.
Hearing it, Jian Dan finally relaxed. He'd made it.
And sure enough, spirit rain poured down, rainbow light filled the sky, and above them, a massive phantom white crane slowly took shape.
Bai Jue welcomed the heavenly blessing. He shed his charred feathers, swallowing the spirit rain in great gulps as his wounds healed in plain sight, leaving only faint pink scars. New white feathers sprouted, harder than before, glowing faintly with holy light.
With the spirit rain strengthening him, Bai Jue fully recovered. He cried out and soared into the sky, merging with the phantom crane. His aura of an eighth-rank beast exploded outward.
The vision lasted ten breaths before fading.
When he descended again, he'd taken human form—dressed in white robes, sharp features more striking than ever, his presence lofty and ethereal.
"Congratulations, Bai Jue Daoyou, on stepping into the eighth rank."