The Heavenly Sword Sect had three sword cultivators advance to the Unity Realm at the same time, a feat that left other sects envious for quite a while.
Jian Li, Jian Xu, and Jian Lu had now become the sect's core pillars—second only to the Mahayana Zhēnzūn—recognized not just for their cultivation, but also for their formidable combat strength.
Jian Li's breakthrough was entirely thanks to the good fortune brought by Jian Xu and Jian Lu. Originally, from his insights gained battling a Unity Realm opponent, he could have advanced to late Void Refinement. But because of his duties in the Law Enforcement Hall, he had deliberately suppressed his cultivation. This time, aided by the glow of karmic merit, he skipped the final bottleneck entirely and stepped straight into the Unity Realm.
Jian Xu's breakthrough was more natural. He had already lingered at the peak of Void Refinement for a long time, tempering himself until the moment came. This time, it was simply the water reaching the channel—flowing through effortlessly.
As for Jian Dan, she had only recently advanced to her current level, but her role in helping the Zhēnzūn destroy the evil artifact "Ten Thousand Souls Banner" earned her a flood of karmic merit that pushed her directly into the Unity Realm, whether she was ready or not.
When the three weathered their tribulations, the spiritual rain that followed blessed the entire Heavenly Sword Sect. Three colossal sword shadows soared into the sky, visible from every corner of the Lingyun Continent.
In the sky after the lightning faded, three ethereal swords shimmered into view—one silver, one violet, one grey—marking the three as true sword cultivators.
Jian Dan's new realm was already stable. She didn't even need to consolidate her cultivation.
Stepping out of her cave residence, she was greeted by four smiling faces.
"Congratulations, Zūnshàng, on advancing to the Unity Realm."
"Mm. Luck played its part this time. I see your cultivations have grown as well. Why haven't I seen Lü Se?"
Jian Dan sank lazily into her own rocking chair, glancing at Ting Feng beside her. Normally, Lü Se would be the first to offer congratulations in such a situation.
"Steward Lü benefited from the spiritual rain of the three Zūnshàng, reaching the brink of Divine Transformation. He's gone into seclusion and asked me to congratulate you on his behalf before shutting himself away."
"I see."
"Zūnshàng, you've come out!"
A crisp, lively voice rang out, and Yue Liang darted forward in a flash, landing on Jian Dan's lap. Her fluffy tail swayed as she beamed up, offering congratulations.
"Zūnshàng's cultivation has risen again. Truly something to celebrate!"
"Mm. Why didn't you stay longer with your clan?" Jian Dan asked softly, stroking the little racoon's head.
"Zūnzhǔ, when the 'Ten Thousand Souls Banner' was destroyed, I felt it. Besides, with Zūnshàng advancing, I couldn't rest easy. I had to come back."
"The banner is gone, but there's still an evil soul sealed in a 'Sealed Demon Bottle.' I'll probably have to pay the Buddhist Sect a visit."
"Zūnshàng, you're always busy. Watching you makes me tired."
"Heh. Isn't that the truth? But it's nice to know someone worries for me. Maybe with this breakthrough, we can finally take a few days to rest."
Their conversation turned to light chatter, planning what to do next—until a voice transmission reached Jian Dan's ear.
"Jian Lu, come to the Law Enforcement Hall's main hall." It was Tian Yun Zhēnzūn.
Jian Dan's face fell. Another task already? She sighed helplessly and brought Yue Liang with her to Law Enforcement Peak.
Disciples along the way bowed deeply at her passing. She walked unimpeded to the main hall.
"Greetings to Tian Yun Zhēnzūn."
"No need for formality. Your aid in destroying the 'Ten Thousand Souls Banner' was a great service. I've instructed the Affairs Hall to grant you contribution points. You may also select one treasure from the Treasure Pavilion."
"My thanks for the reward, Zhēnzūn."
Yue Liang's tail wagged happily at the mention of treasures, and she bowed to offer her thanks as well.
"This time, Jian Li advanced to the Unity Realm thanks to you and Jian Xu. He's currently consolidating his realm and won't be able to oversee the Law Enforcement Hall for a while."
Hearing this preamble, Jian Dan's instincts told her exactly where this was going—and she didn't like it.
"You're familiar with the Hall's current affairs. For now, you'll act as its head until Jian Li emerges. When he returns, he'll resume control."
Tian Yun Zhēnzūn's smooth, warm voice was perfectly clear, and Jian Dan understood every word—yet put together, they were something she very much wished she hadn't heard.
"Zhēnzūn…"
Before she could protest, Tian Yun Zhēnzūn tossed her the black hall master's command token.
"I know you dislike trouble and prefer peace, but fate seldom bends to our wishes. The gifts of Heaven are never without a price."
That sentence crushed all her resistance. With no choice, she took the token. When she looked up again, the Zhēnzūn was already gone.
"Congratulations on advancing to the Unity Realm, Zūnshàng. May the Great Dao be within reach," Jian Wu, Jian Sheng, and Jian Ning said with smiles.
"No need for courtesy. Give me a moment to breathe. I'm not ready to shoulder such a big responsibility."
She waved them off weakly, slumping into the chair beside the main seat and rubbing her temples. So many loose threads… where to even begin?
The three exchanged a glance. Jian Lu Zūnshàng had always been this way—not power-hungry, but never shirking duty.
With a sigh, Jian Dan began. "Jian Wu, have you found any leads on the Fu clan's remnants?"
"Because you struck without warning, most of their core members were captured. Only a few who were away on missions escaped. I've already sent disciples to track them."
"How many slipped through? And what level are they?"
"We've searched all Fu clan properties under Heavenly Sword Sect control. Fourteen people escaped, all between Nascent Soul and early Void Refinement."
Jian Dan nodded. For such a sudden operation, some getting away was inevitable.
"Jian Ning, did the Punishment Hall get any more information?"
"They revealed a few locations where resources are hidden, but regarding the evil cultivators, their knowledge is limited. Only one main branch knows the details."
"If they can't tell us more, stop wasting effort. Tell Jian Po: abolish the spiritual roots of both the core and branch Fu clan members, erase their cultivation memories, and throw them back into the mortal world."
"This…"
"You think I'm being too harsh?"
"No."
"Then do it. As for those who depended on the Fu clan, investigate thoroughly. If they've neither aided evil nor practiced forbidden arts, let them swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao and release them. The rest are to be dealt with like the core family."
"Yes, understood."
"Jian Wu, take a team from the War Hall to every location they disclosed. If the resources belong to our Heavenly Sword Sect, bring them all back. Also, watch if the fugitives return for them. The initial pursuit was fierce, but if the sect makes no more moves, they'll act within days."
"Yes. I'll see to it immediately."
"And be careful. This could be a trap meant to drag someone down with them."
Jian Wu understood at once, nodded, and left.
"Jian Sheng, I told you before about that evil cultivator's features. Did you find him in Cloud Sea Sect's historical records?"
Jian Sheng pulled a rolled beast hide from his storage ring, handed it to Jian Dan, and replied, "Please take a look, Zūnshàng. Based on Jian Li Zūnshàng's description, I found a match in the archives. He was a genius from the same era as Tian Yun Zhēnzūn—Hai Yan of the Cloud Sea Sect."