Tian Yun wasn't surprised when he received Yun Yun's flying sword message. He already knew from Jian Jun why no one from Cloud Sea Sect made it back alive, and he also wanted to repay the favor Yun Yun had shown when she escorted their sect's cultivators home last time.
So he took all the jade slips Jian Jun had organized, copied every single one, then gathered several pieces of armor, thunder burst talismans, formation plates, and other resources that didn't exist in their realm. He sent them all over together. He refused to send too much, because every item had been bought with Jian Jun and the others' lives.
When Yun Yun received the items, she and Yun Tao studied the jade slips carefully. They matched the intelligence they'd gathered almost perfectly, and were even more complete.
"Junior Sister, consider this Tian Yun of Heavenly Sword Sect returning that favor."
Yun Yun let out a long sigh and nodded. Tian Yun was already being generous.
"I just don't understand how our Cloud Sea Sect disciples were so disappointing. Not a single one returned. What kind of accident could wipe out everyone?"
"Luck plays a cruel part. Because of Hai Yan's incident, the sect's reputation took a hit, and it's taken a hundred years just to steady again. We can't afford another upheaval. Put all our energy into preparing for the coming war, and focus on training the younger generation."
"I understand."
"How's Pengfei? How's his training going?"
"Pengfei just returned to the sect. He's already gone into seclusion to break through to Void Refinement."
When she mentioned her most promising junior, a rare smile softened Yun Yun's expression. She'd always believed in Han Pengfei, and now he was preparing to enter Void Refinement.
"Good. Pengfei's determined and devoted to the path, and he's willing to go out and temper himself. Don't shield him too tightly."
"Senior Brother, don't worry. Pengfei has a strong mind. It was his own decision to go train. If he wants to improve, how could I stop him as his grandaunt?"
Yun Tao silently rolled his eyes. Back then, who was it who clung to Han Pengfei like a hen protecting a chick, refusing to let him out? If not for his own stubborn determination to stand on his own feet, he'd never have become who he was today.
"It's good that you understand. The higher his cultivation, the better his chance of surviving. You can't protect him forever."
Even now Yun Tao wasn't reassured. He reminded her once more.
This time, Yun Yun nodded seriously. Then the two began discussing the next arrangements and deployments for Cloud Sea Sect.
Since the Alchemy Sect, Formation Sect, and Talisman Sect lacked battle strength, they hadn't sent people to Purple Sky Sect's exploration. However, as the best logistical support sects, they never lacked information. Not long after Jian Dan and her group returned, those three sects also received the news.
Of course, aside from the insect race intelligence, what they truly cared about were the items brought back from the Immortal Realm, like immortal pills, immortal talismans, and immortal formations. So they sent cultivators to Heavenly Sword Sect, Purple Sky Sect, Yin Yang Gate, and other major sects, hoping to trade for a few samples and study them.
After all, cultivators from those three sects focused purely on technique. Pursuing the pinnacle of their craft was the ultimate goal of their cultivation. Learning the techniques of the Immortal Realm might allow them to innovate something entirely new, and that temptation was enormous.
None of this was Jian Dan's concern for now. After declaring seclusion, she first settled Yingge in a side chamber to cultivate and arranged a spirit gathering formation for him. Then she enjoyed a long, comfortable sleep. When she woke, she immediately kicked Jian Wan off her own peak and sent her back to Heavenly Solitude Peak.
Jian Dan touched the willow leaf mark on her wrist and drawled lazily, "Liu Chuan, come out. We need to talk."
Liu Chuan really wanted to pretend he didn't hear, but acting cowardly now would only expose him, so he responded in the same lazy tone as always.
"What?"
"Tell me about that thunder tribulation."
Jian Dan wasn't playing along. She jumped straight to the point.
"Didn't I tell you already? Because you had accumulated Xianyuan energy in your meridians, the Heavenly Dao misunderstood."
"Don't play dumb. Xianyuan energy and spiritual energy aren't the same thing. And when I came back, the Xianyuan energy had already disappeared from my body. I broke through normally by absorbing spiritual energy."
She laid out her doubts calmly. Being struck by thunder until she questioned life had left her too stunned to think clearly back then, but once she reflected, she found too many inconsistencies.
"Tsk, tsk. Think about it. You jumped straight to late Mahayana in one go. You're a Chaos spiritual root cultivator. Do you know how much spiritual energy you need to advance? Why do high level cultivators struggle with breakthroughs? Besides comprehension and opportunity, spiritual energy accumulation is the key. You don't lack either of those. The only issue was accumulation. To reach late Mahayana, you would've drained at least half the spiritual veins beneath Heavenly Sword Sect, plus spiritual rain, just to barely stabilize.
But look at you now. Your realm's solid, and the Heavenly Dao even granted blessings that benefited the entire sect. And Heavenly Sword Sect's spiritual veins weren't drained. Why do you think you advanced so smoothly?"
Liu Chuan spoke righteously without a hint of shame.
"So what you're saying is that because I had a foundation from Xianyuan energy, my breakthrough went smoothly, but that also made the thunder tribulation heavier?"
"Of course. Since when is deceiving the Heavenly Dao cheap? You gained advantages, so you pay the price."
"But you said back in that fragment of the Immortal Realm that to recover, you absorbed most of the Xianyuan energy. I only had remnants in my meridians. Normally it should've been a standard ninety-nine thunder tribulation. So why was there that final separate strike?"
Jian Dan asked quietly, her voice carrying a chill.