The head of the office, Lu Mingyi, smiled and escorted Jian Dan out of the office hall, followed by the embarrassed Lu Se.
"Did you see that? In just a short time, Daoist Shan has already reached mid-stage Golden Core. She's now on par with me. Do you still think what you did was right?"
"I was wrong."
"Go receive your punishment."
"Yes."
Jian Dan admired her newly issued jade sword-shaped token, marking her as a Golden Core cultivator. Her mood was bright. The token now accurately reflected her updated cultivation—mid-stage Golden Core. While updating her identity records, Jian Dan had also made an unexpected discovery.
The official who processed her documents had been the very same cultivator who once monitored her. She still recognized the subtle fluctuations of his spiritual energy.
However, her cultivation was now equal to his. Before Jian Wu Zhēnjūn returned, there might still be other assigned watchers. It was best to remain cautious.
Back at her cave dwelling, she hadn't even had a chance to rest before He Jintang knocked on her door. "What is it?"
"Shan Zhēnrén, I've already submitted our mission report. The points have been transferred to your identity token. Also, I just returned from the Steward Hall and received a new announcement. I thought you would want to hear it."
"Speak."
"The Disciplinary Hall will be recruiting new disciples one year from now."
"Oh? Are there any restrictions? How will they conduct the recruitment?"
"Anyone below Nascent Soul can apply. As long as you're willing to enter the selection, you may register. The specific process hasn't been made public. The steward only said participants should prepare thoroughly. The rules will be announced on the day of the selection."
"Has this happened before?"
"Yes. From what I've heard, the last recruitment by the Disciplinary Hall was several hundred years ago."
"Understood. Thank you for the update. Your spiritual energy seems full. You look close to a breakthrough."
"Thanks to your guidance, Zhēnrén. After two consecutive battles, the bottleneck at late-stage Foundation Establishment has loosened. I plan to enter secluded cultivation after this."
"Good. I wish you a smooth advancement. Consider this a gift for your breakthrough." Jian Dan handed him a bottle of Vital Qi Pills.
"Many thanks, Zhēnrén."
After He Jintang left, Jian Dan digested the news. She saw this as a rare opportunity.
Leaving aside mortal realm matters, the heavy losses from the Purple-Rank Secret Realm had already put cultivators everywhere on edge. With rogue cultivation clans sensing weakness, chaos had begun to stir. The Hua and Kong families were just two examples.
The leadership of Tianjian Sect clearly understood the situation. They had acted swiftly, cutting off the offending hands with decisive force. But ambition was never lacking in the cultivation world. The best long-term solution was to stabilize internally and strengthen the sect's fighting power.
A sect's strength rested not only on high-level cultivators but also on its middle-tier powerhouses. Tianjian Sect had begun selecting promising disciples to train and uplift. Jian Dan was determined to take part in the Disciplinary Hall's upcoming recruitment.
Over the next year, she became nearly invisible. She cultivated quietly, visited the archive pavilion, took on a few light missions to earn points, and occasionally received visits from Feng Nianyue.
After reaching mid-stage Golden Core, her Ice-Skin Jade-Bone Demon Body Art advanced from the Meridian Tempering Stage to the Vein Refinement Stage. Tempering the meridians would be a long process, one that required spiritual beast blood as well. For now, she had only taken the first step.
As for the matter of choosing her sword from the Sword Tomb, Jian Dan decided to delay it until after the recruitment.
Fifteen days after her return to Jian Yue Peak, she sensed that the one monitoring her had been replaced again by Jian Wu Zhēnjūn. Since the Zhēnjūn had returned safely, it likely meant the rogue evil cultivator running wild in the mortal realm had been dealt with.
Jian Dan's routine resumed as normal. She activated her defensive formation while cultivating, and though she avoided physically entering her personal space, she managed its daily operations using her spiritual sense.
With her breakthrough, the entire Magnolia space had upgraded along with her. The original three-story bamboo residence gained a fourth floor, which now housed a talisman-making chamber and a music room. The music room contained various instruments—zithers, flutes, lutes, drums—all arranged neatly.
The restrictions on Golden Core-level pills, talismans, and artifacts inside the bamboo building had been lifted. The small spiritual stream had also been upgraded, now flowing with mid-grade spirit water. The heavenly herbs and spirit treasures she had transplanted flourished under its nourishment. Her Purpleheart Fruits had even begun to ripen.
Beyond the spiritual fields, a newly formed spirit orchard had appeared. The various fruit trees were carefully organized by type. Among them were her favorites, such as the Crystal Fruit, and the Red Jade Fruit, which was potent enough to match a Vital Qi Pill in energy. The surplus fruits she brewed into spirit wine using the spring water, which replenished energy faster than pills and without any residual toxicity.
Beside the orchard stretched a chain of misty mountains. Jian Dan's spiritual sense swept through them and discovered the entire range was composed of various spiritual ores. Most likely, her ancestor had moved all the necessary smithing materials into the space while crafting the Magnolia treasure. A lucky bonus for her.
Jian Dan spent her days cultivating in the spiritual spring while studying her ancestor's Artifact Refining manual. Talisman-making came naturally. In her past life as a rogue cultivator, she had relied on selling talismans to support her cultivation. Now, with proper materials and jade slips offering detailed guidance, she absorbed knowledge like a sponge, systematically mastering multiple branches of cultivation.
One day, as usual, Jian Dan was practicing her Primordial Chaos Art, consolidating her peak mid-stage Golden Core cultivation. She was only one final push away from late-stage advancement.
Suddenly, a melodious female voice echoed from the sky:
"The Disciplinary Hall recruitment begins now. All disciples wishing to participate in the selection must gather at the sect's main square within fifteen minutes. Late arrivals will not be accepted."