Her heart ached unbearably, but if she couldn't change the past, she would accept it, let go, and move forward—living freely and joyfully as her mother had wished, climbing to the pinnacle through her own efforts.
The resentment she had carried for two lifetimes over her mother's departure finally dissolved. Her mental state broke through to a new clarity, her spiritual sense expanding further. Her cultivation, too, teetered on the edge of another breakthrough.
Jian Dan suppressed the swirling spiritual energy within her and turned away from the plaza.
As she walked, her phone rang.
"Jian Dan, it's Sun Kailin. Zhao Mufeng has approached us about selling his shares. As you requested, I'll give him my answer by noon."
"Understood. Thank you."
"No need for thanks—this benefits us both. Oh, and that test report? It has a surprise. Bye!"
After hanging up, Jian Dan dismissed the Zhao family's driver and returned to her rented apartment. Her priority now was cultivation. With her emotional block resolved, she sensed she was ready to advance.
Without delay, she locked herself inside and entered her spatial artifact, settling onto a meditation cushion in the bamboo house. Exhaling a turbid breath, she began circulating her Qi Refining technique.
Over and over, she compressed the five-colored spiritual energy within her, completing nine full cycles until her dantian brimmed with luminous energy. Next came body tempering—channeling excess energy into her meridians and skin, refining herself relentlessly.
The tempering exercises resembled advanced yoga poses, each movement pushing her muscles and bones to their limits. Her joints cracked, her body stretched, and sweat poured down her face, drenching her robes within minutes.
After completing the primary tempering sequence, she immersed herself in a medicinal bath, breaking through to the first layer of the Ice Jade Demon Body Art—Skin Refinement.
She cycled the technique repeatedly, absorbing every drop of the bath's potency until her breakthrough was complete.
Simultaneously, the barrier to the twelfth level of Qi Refining shattered. Her dantian expanded, her meridians widened, and spiritual energy flowed smoother than ever. The energy circulated automatically, filling her dantian before spilling into her meridians and skin for further refinement.
After nine more cycles, the energy in her dantian was compressed to its absolute limit—filling four-fifths of its capacity. One final push, and she could attempt Foundation Establishment.
But Jian Dan held back.
She knew better than to rush. Though she faced no bottlenecks, a solid foundation was paramount. Withdrawing her energy, she left the apartment and returned to the Zhao villa.
Before she could even step out of the car, Steward Zhao rushed to open her door.
"The master is waiting in his study. He's been in a foul mood since noon. You should—"
"I understand. I'll handle it myself. Attend to your duties."
She strode inside, ascending to the second floor and knocking lightly on Zhao Mufeng's study door—then entered without waiting for a reply.
The room was dim, illuminated only by a single desk lamp. Zhao Mufeng sat behind his mahogany desk, his expression dark and unreadable as he watched her approach.
"Father, I'm back. I was delayed, but I bring good news."
"Oh? What news?" His voice was flat.
Unfazed, Jian Dan handed him the folder she had carried since leaving the car and took a seat.
"I traded my 10% shares to Sun Qingguo in exchange for a highly compatible kidney match for Zihan. But the report is... interesting. I'm not sure if you lied to me—or if someone lied to you."
Zhao Mufeng stiffened, snatching the folder and flipping through its contents. Jian Dan idly examined her jade-like fingers, her tone casual.
"I thought selling your shares might weaken your board position, so I used mine to secure Zihan's donor. Once I transfer my remaining 10% to you, you'll still hold the majority stake. But it seems... my sacrifice was wasted."
As Zhao Mufeng read, his face darkened to thunderous fury. The veins in his hands bulged as he gripped the papers.
The report revealed two truths:
—Zhao Zihan's match was Zhao Ziyu.
—Ziyu was not his biological daughter—but a close blood relative.
His "dutiful wife" had played him for a fool.
He looked up at Jian Dan, his voice icy.
"How long have you known?"
"Since signing the transfer. As for the report's accuracy, you're free to verify it yourself. Sun Qingguo claims it's unaltered—a simple paternity test will confirm everything."
She rose gracefully.
"I'll leave this matter to you, Father. It's not my place to interfere further—Auntie Qian might blame me. I'll be traveling soon."
Without waiting for a response, she left, closing the door softly behind her.
She had barely reached her room when the study erupted into the sound of shattering objects.