In the next instant, that sword light was yanked back, and several muffled groans rang out. Tan Songyu barely managed to steady himself, forcing the rebounding sword light aside as he staggered a step back.
Tan Songjia didn't fare so well. Their six-man squad, along with the earlier vanguard, had vanished into the ground. By the time she rushed over, there was only a gaping hole left. Not a single shadow remained.
The siblings immediately pressed back to back, eyes locking on Jian Dan, who stood there without moving an inch. A cold murderous intent flashed in their eyes.
Jian Dan was still smiling, but her smile never reached her eyes. These people thought she was just some lower-realm cultivator with no power to resist. That was why they'd come at her with brute intimidation the very moment they arrived.
"Where'd you send our people? You dare make enemies of the Tan Song Family? You're courting death!" Tan Songyu growled through gritted teeth.
"Killed them," Jian Dan replied flatly, flicking her fan between her fingers.
"You dare?!"
"What's there not to dare? Weren't you two here to kill us anyway? Why shouldn't I strike back?"
"What do you want?" Tan Songjia demanded.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Jian Dan's voice dripped with mockery.
Before she finished, Tan Songjia flung out a golden bell, trying to trap her.
At the crucial moment, Liu Chuan surged up from beneath Jian Dan's feet, lifting her into the air. A streak of green light whipped past, smacking the bell aside with ease.
Then the willow branches lashed forward without mercy, snapping at the siblings one strike after another. Each hit landed harder than the last, leaving them no chance to counter. Worse still, the branches weren't fueled by ordinary spiritual energy, but by Xianyuan energy. Every clash against their swords rang sharp and fierce.
What started as a single branch turned into over twenty, raining down from head to toe. The siblings were beaten so badly they almost questioned the meaning of life.
"Enough, leave them breathing," Jian Dan finally said lightly.
In an instant, the branches pulled back, but they still hovered protectively around her.
The siblings struggled to their feet, leaning on each other for support. Their hair was in disarray, robes torn, armor shredded with holes. Crimson welts slashed across their exposed skin, leaving them utterly humiliated.
Only then did Jian Dan feel a little of her anger vented. She perched on one of the willow branches, fanning herself with a carefree smile. "Now, do you still want me to be your furnace?"
Tan Songyu wisely shook his head, forcing out hoarse words, "That was… a misunderstanding."
He didn't even get to finish before Jian Dan cut him off.
"Put away that teleportation talisman, or I'll send you both to the ghost path right now."
Tan Songjia froze, instantly stuffing the talisman back.
The two had already shared a glance. Tan Songyu was supposed to distract her while Tan Songjia prepared to slip away. But they'd been exposed before they could even make a move. Never in their lives had their faces been slapped so hard.
"We were blind and offended you, Senior. Please, spare us," Tan Songyu said, throwing his pride aside. He knew his life was in her hands. Tan Songjia looked reluctant, but she still bowed with clenched teeth, knowing the situation left them no choice.
Jian Dan looked at them, tempted to kill them both right there. But if she did, more Immortals would surely come hunting. They might just be Dixian, but they weren't opponents she could easily wipe out if the numbers piled up. She had Liu Chuan on her side, but not everyone else did. If things escalated to a death feud, her people would be the ones to suffer.
Besides, Xiao Yue still hadn't shown them the path back. Who knew how long they'd be stuck here? She really couldn't afford to take that gamble.
Still, she was furious. These people had used cultivators from the Lingyun Continent as disposable pawns, keeping Jian Jun trapped and refusing to let her heal. If she hadn't arrived, Jian Jun might have barely dragged her life back to Lingyun Continent at best. In her last life, she never even returned to Heavenly Sword Sect.
The siblings felt the killing intent thick in the air, but neither dared to move. They were betting on one thing: if this lower-realm cultivator really wanted to annihilate the Tan Song Family, she wouldn't have bothered luring away the Blackwhip Thunder Eel. And she had fellow sectmates to think about.
"Liu Chuan, thanks for wiping out all the men they brought with them," Jian Dan ordered.
"Got it," Liu Chuan replied without his usual sarcasm. He knew this woman always protected her own and never forgave an insult. Once he learned the Tan Song Family had trapped Jian Jun and even wanted to keep Jian Dan and Jian Jing as spare furnaces, he'd already lit a candle for their souls.
"You two are lucky. There's something you need to take back."
Jian Dan waved her hand, and a sealed jade slip flew out. Tan Songyu barely managed to catch it.
When their divine sense brushed it, both their pupils shrank. It was an Immortal Realm command slip, the kind only used for official decrees. Before they could react, Jian Dan's cold voice followed.
"That's an order slip from Eastern Immortal King. Hand it over to whoever in your family can actually make decisions. Hopefully, it's not too late."
Her meaningful expression left the siblings even more uncertain about who she really was.
Jian Dan waved her fan dismissively. "Now leave."
"Yes!"
They tucked away the jade slip and slowly backed off, terrified she'd change her mind.
"Don't follow me again. There's only one jade slip, and I don't need a delivery service twice," Jian Dan said lazily, fanning herself. The willow branches gently lowered her back to the ground, then vanished.
A long, echoing wolf howl suddenly split the air.
Xiao Yue had finally absorbed the last trace of moonlight essence. His fur had turned pure silver, his eyes now a deep ocean blue, the crescent moon on his forehead shining brighter than ever. His frame stretched taller and leaner, radiating strength.
With a light leap, Xiao Yue landed beside Jian Dan. His blue eyes swept over the Tan Song siblings, a flash of killing intent sparking within them.
Don't think that just because he'd been performing his ancestral awakening he didn't know what was happening. He knew damn well these two had planned to strike while he was vulnerable. Luckily, the people they'd sent never even got close before his Zūnshàng dealt with them.