"You can wear this scale on your body. We Swiftbeasts will recognize you as kin and assist you in battle."
"Alright. I'll take it."
Jian Dan searched her storage ring with a sweep of her spiritual sense and quickly found a strand of spider silk. With a flick of her finger, she punched a small hole through the scale, threaded the silk through, and tied it around her wrist.
Then she raised her next question.
"May I ask, what is the current situation in the Ming Valley? Why haven't you sent a message to the cultivation world?"
"Foreign invaders breached our lands. We're stuck in passive defense. If you want to know more, you'll have to ask our Ming Ancestor."
Jian Dan noticed the leader's voice was low and raspy. She sensed this Swiftbeast was quite old, so she followed up.
"Where can I find your Ming Ancestor?"
"At the deepest part of the valley you call the Ming Valley. He is waiting for your arrival."
With that, the beast turned gracefully and swiftly led its young away from the battlefield.
"Should we follow them?" asked Mó Yuè Zhǎn.
"No rush. Let's linger around this area for a few days. I think my cultivation will rise again."
"Didn't you notice? The deeper we go, the denser and more aggressive the demonic qi becomes. Even if you're not actively cultivating, it forces its way into your body.
Hehe, Master, you're making a fuss over nothing. Back in the ancient days, the demonic qi in the Demon Race's domain was far denser than this."
Jian Dan raised a brow and sent a voice transmission.
"So you're saying this used to be part of the Demon Race's territory?"
"Not exactly. It's more like a fragment of a separated, self-contained space. In the ancient era, all demon cultivators were born as natural members of the Demon Race. Now, you're merely referred to as 'demon cultivators.' That's the difference."
"You sure know a lot. Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
"We hadn't run into anything like this yet. Would it have helped if I said something? You're just lucky. Only the demonic qi here can support your practice of the Heavenly Demon Art."
By now, Jian Dan had landed and, as usual, set up a defensive formation before entering it and sitting cross-legged. She summoned Mó Yuè Zhǎn.
"Alright, Mó Yuè, explain everything to me in detail."
She rested her head on one hand, clearly ready for a long chat.
The weapon spirit of Mó Yuè Zhǎn materialized more solidly than before. It slowly took form and sat on the blade itself, swinging its short legs while it began explaining.
"Your cultivation as a demon cultivator mostly comes from the last remaining power of the Mo Mei Zhūnzhǔ. The little bit of cultivation she had left allowed you to form a pseudo-demonic core."
"Right. Back when I was in the Heavenly Sword Sect, I mainly relied on the Primordial Chaos Art."
"Then your Daoist cultivation progressed to the Nascent Soul stage. You probably realized that balancing both your Dao and demonic cultivation was best, which is why you accepted that sect mission—to find an opportunity."
"Exactly. You're spot on."
"That's why I say you're lucky. You were thrown directly into the trial space of the Devil's Abyss. What was meant to be misfortune ended up becoming your breakthrough to the Divine Transformation stage."
"Still, I risked my life for those chances. Each stage and realm in that trial was extremely dangerous."
"I know. But didn't you notice? The demonic qi in that trial space is exactly the same as it is here."
"I realized that the moment I absorbed the first wisp of qi. That's also why I didn't stop you from greedily draining the entire formation of its demonic energy."
"Not bad. Seems like we're becoming more and more in sync."
The spirit's face, which resembled Mo Mei Zhūnzhǔ, bloomed with a charming smile.
"So you're saying these two spaces are the same?"
The weapon spirit didn't answer. Instead, it simply pointed upward.
"A contingency. But the insect race exploited it. For you, though, it's an opportunity."
"I see. We'll keep pushing forward and fighting. Sooner or later, I'll meet this Ming Ancestor."
"Then should we wait for Mo Qi and the others?"
"Of course. Even the best fighter can be overwhelmed. For now, stay on guard. I'll circulate a few more rounds. You and Mò Xī are bottomless pits."
This time, Mó Yuè Zhǎn didn't argue and obediently entered guardian mode.
Jian Dan began circulating her cultivation method, running small and large cycles. She clearly felt her energy flowing smoothly, her power becoming more refined, and the rate of demonic qi conversion increasing.
It was a good sign. She calmed her mind completely and focused on absorbing and refining the qi.
—
Mo Qi's squad finally reached the first battleground where Jian Dan had fought.
Though the remains on the ground hadn't been disturbed, all traces of the battle's presence had vanished.
"Mó Yuè must have encountered Ming Beasts," Mo Qi said with certainty.
"Not just that. I think Mó Yuè's guess was right. Take a close look at the corpses on the ground," Mo Su reminded everyone.
They spread out and walked around the area. Their expressions grew heavy.
"There are remains of massive black-armored beetles."
Everyone turned to Mo Su. He had witnessed the first appearance of those beetles in the cultivation world.
"Yes. And more than one. We need to move faster. I fear Mó Yuè may be in trouble."
"Then stop wasting time. Let's go. Her spiritual mark is still active, which means she can still handle it. But we have to reach her before that changes."
Mo Yi wrapped it up concisely. No one objected. They quickened their pace.
—
Yunling City
Du Yanran hadn't felt this smooth in ages. Whatever she wanted, she got.
With Elder Fan Jian's protection, she finally took the Lingrong Pill and smoothed out the chaotic spiritual power inside her body. Now, she was in the middle of forming her Nascent Soul.
Inside Fan Jian's residence, she even convinced him to activate the clan's tribulation defense formation for her.
Sheltered within it, Du Yanran was confident. This time, she was going to succeed.
The thirty-ninth lightning strike fell. With the formation's help, she endured it safely. The final bolt, however, was clearly a Heart Demon strike. It struck straight down into her sea of consciousness.
Du Yanran's vision swam. When she opened her eyes again, she was already standing in the Ascension Pool, transforming her spiritual power into immortal essence.
She was still celebrating her success when a figure appeared before her.
Her eyes lit up. The man wore pale moon-white robes, and there was a golden gear embroidered on the inside of his sleeve.
He was incredibly handsome, his smile gentle. But when he met her gaze, his expression turned cold as ice.
"A parasite like you dares to touch something that belongs to the Jian family?"
With a flick of his sleeve, Du Yanran was forced to relive the same annihilation she had suffered in her previous life.
"No!"
She opened her eyes again. Everything was back to normal. She was still in the middle of her Nascent Soul tribulation.
But her pale face betrayed the lingering terror in her heart.
The gaze of that immortal from the upper realm—looking at her like she was an insect—left her trembling with rage and unwillingness. This life, she would ascend no matter what.
Jian Dan. She would make sure to eliminate her, no matter the cost.
Calming herself again, Du Yanran began stabilizing her Nascent Soul cultivation.
—
Jian Family, Bamboo Stream Ravine
That day, Jian Shangxi finally received word that the clan's ancestor had emerged from seclusion.
"Shangxi, is something the matter?"
Jian Chenzi, the clan's ancestor, asked with a warm smile.
Though only at the early Mahayana stage, Jian Chenzi was currently the least advanced Mahayana cultivator in the clan. That was why he had been tasked with overseeing the family for a hundred years before being allowed into the secret grounds for cultivation.
Though he was the guardian, he did not remain present every day. He came out every few years for inspections. If urgent matters arose, he could be summoned, and he never entered death seclusion.
Jian Shangxi climbed the mountain immediately and presented a box with both hands.
"Ancestor, please take a look at this."