"This..."
Liu Chuan froze for a moment, completely speechless. That woman was still as sharp as a blade, spotting the flaw in an instant.
"Think it through before you talk. Don't even try to lie to me. You know I can't tolerate sand in my eyes, break it clean if we must. I'm just wondering if you've got the ability to find another cultivator like me, someone who can take you back to the Immortal Realm."
Jian Dan's voice carried a slow, meaningful weight that made Liu Chuan jump like he'd been burned.
"How's that the same? We made an agreement back then, and you swore an oath."
"Tsk, that was then, this is now. I agreed under the condition my life wouldn't be put at risk. If I died, how was I supposed to take you to the Immortal Realm? Want my wandering soul to drag you there?"
Jian Dan curved her lips in a mocking smile. She'd clearly been too polite with him before.
Liu Chuan immediately realized she was serious, and frustration simmered in his chest. It wasn't that she needed him now, it was that he wanted to ride her fate straight to the Immortal Realm. After following Jian Dan for so long, he'd already sensed some clues, so he absolutely wouldn't let go of the best opportunity he'd ever had.
"Fine, fine, I admit it. That last thunder strike was aimed at me, because I've basically recovered already. I've officially stepped into the ranks of immortal plants, so Heaven sent the tribulation."
Liu Chuan trembled his leaves weakly, admitting defeat.
"Even if you're an immortal plant, you wouldn't face only one strike of thunder."
Jian Dan still looked confused.
"Well, when you were crossing the Mahayana thunder tribulation, I released a bit of aura and crossed it together with you."
Liu Chuan's voice grew smaller and smaller until it faded completely.
If he'd been standing in front of Jian Dan right now, her gaze would've skewered him alive.
"No wonder the thunder tribulation was so brutal. I was basically shielding you from it. I wondered why you were so eager to bring out that precious Vernalwood you guard with your life."
"Hey now, part of it was my fault, sure, but you also played a role in it. You can't blame it all on me. And that Vernalwood was from my personal stash, yours wasn't touched."
"At least you know when to back down. Couldn't you have warned me beforehand? I could've set up a formation plate, anything, but instead I had to take it head-on with my body. Tell me, does your conscience not ache?"
"You always train your body using thunder tribulations. I assumed it'd be the same this time, so I didn't say anything."
Liu Chuan sounded extremely guilty.
"Hmph. I'm writing this down in my little notebook. If this happens again, we're done, for real."
Better to lay out the ugly words early, otherwise this guy would dare calculate against her again. This time, she spared him because he was useful and never sloppy with work.
"I swear, it'll never happen again."
Liu Chuan immediately promised.
"I'll trust you this time. Since you've fully recovered, fighting the insect race won't be a problem, right?"
"No problem!"
Even if there was a problem, he had to say there wasn't.
"Good. You'll handle guarding Tianyue Peak. I need time to fully master my late Mahayana strength and refine some things I brought back from the Immortal Realm."
"Alright!"
Liu Chuan replied crisply. Then he fluttered down from Jian Dan's wrist. With a sweep of leafy branches, a small pile of crystal-clear, palm-sized shimmering crystals appeared on the ground, ten pieces in total.
"This is the Vernalwood I'm leaving you. Put it away. It's an incredibly rare heavenly material, even in the Immortal Realm. Don't let anyone else see it."
"Got it, you're thoughtful. I've seen enough murder-for-treasure stories."
Jian Dan nodded and swept her sleeve, collecting the Vernalwood directly into her Purple Palace.
The next moment, Liu Chuan rooted himself underground, guarding her and monitoring all of Tianyue Peak.
Jian Dan nodded with satisfaction. Looked like she needed to knock him around once in a while. After placing a restrictive barrier on herself, she turned and stepped into her internal space.
She hadn't entered the space in a long time. When she accessed the fragment of the Immortal Realm, the Purple Palace expanded, and the space manifested in her sea of consciousness. But with her fellow disciples nearby, she couldn't inspect it. Later, there was never a chance, only a brief sweep with divine sense.
Now that she'd entered properly, she could feel how much more complete the space had become. She even sensed a trace of Xianyuan energy. It looked like the expansion of the Purple Palace owed a great deal to Xianyuan energy.
Jian Dan spread her divine sense, and the entire space unfolded before her. The nine-story bamboo building in the center, the spirit fields that had expanded again and again, every spirit plant thriving with vibrant light, ranging from first grade to ninth. If a pill cultivator from Pill Sect saw this, they'd start robbing on the spot.
The spring water running through the fields had upgraded into supreme spirit spring water, flowing and winding through the land before gathering into a small spirit lake.
The mountains, forests, lakes, desert, and snow peaks all circulated naturally according to the five elements, flourishing with vitality.
After withdrawing her divine sense, Jian Dan tapped the Cotton Candy resting on her hairpin and smiled.
"Cotton Candy, let me see what new tricks you've got."
The cloud floated off her hair and transformed into a mass of mist, slowly reshaping into a humanoid cloud in front of her. Then, the cloud form slowly solidified into a miniature version of Jian Dan.
It only reached her waist, but the elegant features, sky blue robes, hairpin, storage bracelet, and Obsidian Bracelet were all identical.
"Master, do I look like you?"
Even the voice perfectly mimicked hers.
"Mhm, you do, just a little short."
Jian Dan laughed, raising a hand to pat the tiny version of herself on the head.
"Hehe, becoming a full-sized copy takes a ton of energy, so I shrank myself for demonstration."
The mini Jian Dan proudly lifted her tiny chin.