Strike while the enemy is weak. The Hua Clan's early-stage Golden Core cultivators showed no hesitation, nor did they spare a single thought about ganging up on one man. Once they trapped him, they launched a barrage of brutal attacks, every spell aimed at Kong Zhēnrén's vital points.
Kong Qiankun had assassinated several of their Golden Core cultivators and more than a dozen Foundation Establishment juniors. If the Hua Clan's elder had not had the foresight to evacuate the clan's promising disciples ahead of time, the losses would have been catastrophic.
With the clan grounds now lost, and all pretenses between the Hua Clan and Tianjian Sect torn apart, their elder's descendants slain, everything traced back to Kong Qiankun. And now, that same man had the gall to ambush Hua Clan cultivators again? How could they possibly let him live?
Since there was no longer room for negotiation, killing this core disciple of Tianjian Sect would at least bring them some satisfaction. They had laid in ambush to assassinate him once before, but he escaped. This time, it seemed he had waited too long for reinforcements that never came, and now he had been abandoned. Their luck had turned.
Kong Qiankun knew that survival was unlikely. Still, he couldn't accept it. If Feng Nianyue had stayed, keeping him alive would have been simple. Had she already forgotten the affection they once shared?
Drawing his flying sword, he ruthlessly drained his dantian's spiritual energy, channeling it into the blade before launching a desperate flurry of attacks. He weaved and slashed, trying to break through the encirclement.
But the Verdant Flame hidden in his robes had finally taken root, slipping into his body and latching onto his Golden Core. A dull ache rose from his core, spreading through him.
Two Hua Clan cultivators blocked his path while another struck from behind, landing blow after blow. Spells lashed across his body, leaving wounds everywhere. Exhausted and cornered, Kong Qiankun's eyes turned red with hatred. With a final roar, he discarded his sword and charged into the enemy ranks, detonating his Golden Core in a desperate self-sacrifice.
Jian Dan's Heaven-Earth Barrier Formation Disk appeared in her hand again. With a flick, she activated it and inserted a mid-grade spirit stone. The shockwave from the explosion rushed toward Xiangyun Town in an instant. The entire formation shuddered, and the spirit stone's light began to fade.
The town residents felt the earth shake beneath them. They rushed into the streets in confusion, animals panicking and chaos erupting everywhere.
Once the shockwave faded and the tremors ceased, Jian Dan turned to He Jintang, Kong Yu, and Cao Chenfeng. "Clean it up. Restore everything that was damaged."
"Yes!" The three responded at once, flying off on their swords toward the site of the explosion.
Feng Nianyue stood frozen, staring into the distance. Jian Dan decided to say one last thing.
"He knew the enemy was pursuing him, yet he still lured you to Broken Wall Cliff. He knew you were only at peak Foundation Establishment. How could you survive a Golden Core self-detonation? He knew this was the mortal realm, yet still chose to self-destruct when the battle turned against him, willing to drag everyone down with him. What if I hadn't broken through to mid-stage Golden Core in time? Think about it. That's all I'll say."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked back into the town. The formation disk was burning through spirit stones, and she wasn't about to waste another one.
"Cotton Candy?"
"I'm here!" The sweet, childish voice lifted her mood a little.
"Shift your clouds. Cover the entire town. Don't let anyone notice the disturbance outside. This place is called Xiangyun Town, right? Then let it truly live up to its name."
"Okay! Cotton Candy knows what to do!" As the words fell, a tuft of cloud floated down from Jian Dan's hair bun, rose into the air, and gradually expanded until it enveloped the entire town in soft mist.
Fifteen days later, Jian Dan stood before the familiar gates of Tianjian Sect, her heart stirring with emotion. After verifying their identity tokens, the group passed through without hindrance and arrived at Jian Yue Peak.
"Thank you all for taking care of me," Feng Nianyue said, bowing respectfully. "I didn't contribute much on this mission, so I won't accept a share of the points. If fate allows, let's journey together again in the future."
Thanks to the return trip, her spirits had gradually lifted. Though still a little downcast at times, she no longer drifted in a daze. Along the way, she trained diligently, asked Jian Dan for advice about worldly matters, listened to strange tales and gossip, and even followed Jian Dan while cloaked in invisibility to witness the drama unfold in the inner courts of a noble household. The experience had been invaluable. Bit by bit, her smile returned.
Jian Dan gave a casual wave in farewell, then turned to He Jintang.
"He Shīzhì, go to the Steward Hall and report the mission. Make sure to include everything about our encounter with the demon cultivator. I'll head to the Affairs Hall to update my identity information."
They split up at the base of Jian Yue Peak. Jian Dan walked alone to the Outer Sect Affairs Hall. It was her second time here—the first being when she officially registered as an outer sect disciple.
In the rear hall of the Affairs Hall, Lu Zhēnrén was scolding his clan nephew Lu Se.
"I assigned you to the Steward Hall so you could make connections and build your network. What did you do instead? You gave away a sect robe and even leaked the transaction record! What am I supposed to say to you?"
Lu Se hung his head so low it nearly touched the floor. He muttered softly, "Shīshū Feng revealed her identity. She's a personal disciple. I didn't dare offend her. And that other one who got the robe was just a new outer disciple. No background, no influence. I made sure of that—"
"Silence! This is the cultivation world. What makes you so sure that outer disciple won't join the inner sect? Or become an elite? Or even a personal disciple?"
Just then, Jian Dan's voice echoed from the main hall. "Excuse me, is the steward available?"
Lu Zhēnrén stepped out from the rear, followed by Lu Se.
"Lu Assistant Steward, I see you've been transferred to the Affairs Hall?"
Lu Se stared at Jian Dan in a daze, too stunned to reply.
===
Jian Dan had eliminated yet another hidden threat. Kong Qiankun was selfish to the core and not worth Feng Nianyue's devotion. Now, he had received what he deserved.