Jade chattered nonstop, recounting her entire year of cultivation experiences to Jian Dan in vivid detail.
Jian Dan listened patiently, not once showing irritation. Only after Jade finished did she gently ask,"Do you regret revealing your true form when you killed that human-faced spider, only to be captured by that master who mistook you for a beast?"
"Not at all! My ability to cultivate comes from you, Master. You taught me to find my own path. Even if I'm a beast cultivator, I can still carry out justice on behalf of the heavens. That spider was evil and needed to die."
As she spoke, she raised her fists in righteous pride.
Jian Dan smiled. Jade's pure-hearted nature was a good thing, but it was clear she still lacked tempering. Once they returned to the Eastern Continent, it would be best to have her spend some time cultivating at their beast clan's ancestral grounds.
"I failed the mission you gave me though," Jade said, lowering her head. "I still haven't found the hideout of the beasts or demons. Instead, I ended up needing you to come save me."
Jian Dan simply smiled. She had never truly expected Jade to complete the task. What mattered more was giving her a clear goal during her training.
"No harm done. Plans rarely keep up with change. The intel you brought back is more valuable than completing the mission itself."
Jade brightened immediately at those words.
The next day, Jian Dan waited at the foot of the mountain for the monks from Yunzhong Temple who would accompany her on the investigation.
This time, she wore a simple robe of pale blue, ready to depart.
"Amitabha. Thank you for waiting, Shan Daoyou. Let us depart."
"Very well."
Just as the monks prepared to activate their Buddhist artifacts, Jian Dan held up a hand to stop them.
"Do any of you have a flying vessel?"
"Amitabha. We each have our own Buddhist flight instruments."
Jian Dan pinched her brow. Their speed was too slow. Even at full speed, it would take three days to reach Fengyun Ridge. She had no intention of tearing through space to bring them along.
"Esteemed masters, it would be better for you to ride my flight artifact. It's large enough for all of us."
With that, Jian Dan summoned her mobile mountain from her storage bracelet and tossed it into the sky.
The mountain expanded to an appropriate size and hovered midair. Jade was the first to leap aboard. She waved to the monks below.
"Esteemed masters, the peak's main cave is reserved for my Master. Please feel free to choose from the remaining residences."
"Please, everyone."
Jian Dan had already stepped onto the peak. Yun Yin nodded to Ji Shi and Hui Ming before choosing one of the lower caves. The others followed in turn.
"Jade, activate the concealment function. Set our course. Let's move quickly."
"Yes, Master!"
Thanks to the mountain's superior speed, they arrived at Fengyun Ridge in a single day.
Jian Dan put the mountain away and spread her spiritual sense, enveloping the entire region.
"Hm?"
"Jade, someone tampered with the formation plate. Is there anyone else in the mountain?"
"Master, this place is rugged and remote. I was the only one here…"
Jade's words trailed off. She suddenly remembered the five people she'd encountered before leaving, all with strong bloodthirsty auras.
She quickly explained the situation. The monks also swept the area with their senses, but found nothing unusual.
"Please follow me," Jade said.
She led the way at high speed, careful not to disturb any of the local creatures.
When they reached the Cold Pool, Jade didn't rush in. Instead, she inspected the perimeter before reporting back.
"Master, someone triggered the formation. Someone's already inside."
"I know."
Jian Dan turned to Yun Yin.
"Esteemed masters, please follow me carefully through the formation. Step incorrectly, and the killing array will activate."
"Amitabha. Lead the way."
Jade entered first. Jian Dan followed at a slower pace, making sure the others kept up.
Twisting and turning through the array, they soon reached the Cold Pool.
"Ah, Master—"
Jade gasped softly, then quickly covered her mouth.
Everyone saw the scene clearly.
By the edge of the Cold Pool lay the ashen remains of four corpses. In the center of the swirling waters stood a man in black, dragging a fleshy insect from the vortex.
Jian Dan's brow lifted. A parasitic black-armored insect had made it through, and now they were trying to bring the mother insect in.
"Master, the vortex seems to be permanently active now. It used to open only once every thirty days."
The man in black noticed the group, especially the woman at the front. Her aura made his skin crawl.
But with most of the mother insect already halfway through, he couldn't afford to abandon the task.
"Jade, take care of the parasite."
"Understood!"
With sword in hand, Jade charged forward. The man split his focus, pulling the mother insect with one hand while fending off Jade with the other.
"Hmph! Think I'm someone you can ignore?"
Jade showed no mercy. She thrust her sword straight at the man's vital points.
He was, after all, just a mortal body. He had no strength to resist. Her sword pierced his chest, ending his life instantly.
Just then, a black-armored insect larva, no larger than a thumb, burst from his forehead.
The larva vibrated its wings madly and flew straight for Jade's forehead, but when it reached three inches away, it could go no further.
Jian Dan reached out, pulled it into her palm, and trapped it within a blaze of heavenly fire.
The larva struggled, trying to break free, but each attempt only brought more searing pain.
Meanwhile, the mother insect in the vortex thrashed, trying to free itself from the current and enter this world.
Jian Dan responded by flicking a quail egg-sized fireball at its head. The flame pierced through, and in an instant, reduced the creature to ash.
"Chuan, check if any humans have already been parasitized and escaped."
She waited for a long moment. No reply.
"Liu Chuan?"
"Don't bother. We should head to Fengyun Town."
Now Jian Dan's brows truly furrowed. Jade seemed to sense the shift as well.
"Master, I'll expand the search radius."
Jian Dan closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
"It's already too late."
"Master..."
The monks could see the change in both master and beast. Something had clearly gone wrong.
Ji Shi grew especially tense, unconsciously tightening his grip on his prayer beads.
Jian Dan had initially hoped to observe the situation through the vortex above the Cold Pool. But now, it was clear this was a small passageway discovered by the insect tribe, and they were already transporting more of their kind through it.
In that case, this gateway could not be left intact. If they managed to widen the breach, a new catastrophe would unfold.
"Esteemed monks, can you seal this place completely?"
"Amitabha. Let me try."
Yun Yin stepped forward, retrieved a Buddhist bead from his sleeve, and flicked it into the vortex. As he recited a sutra, the bead grew larger while the vortex shrank.
The expanding bead bore intricate Buddhist script, each character containing sealing power. Slowly, the bead merged with the surrounding space, then vanished entirely.
Far away at the edge of the Ling Yun Continent, mother insects clustered around the vortex. A beam of Buddhist light struck them, scorching their flesh and forcing them to flee with shrieks. The vortex vanished soon after.
"You all witnessed one of the foreign insect tribe's species. They primarily survive by parasitism. Once their host dies, they immediately flee and seek a new one."
"Amitabha. Why not force the insect out first? The human might still be saved."
Jian Dan turned to Ji Shi, a flicker of pity in her gaze.
"The moment the parasite exits, it drains all the host's essence to strengthen itself. These mortals have no chance of surviving. If it were a cultivator, they might endure at the cost of severe soul damage. But a damaged divine soul means ruin. What cultivator would choose to live like that?"
"Amitabha..."
Yun Yin, Ji Shi, and Hui Ming all chanted softly.
Jian Dan said nothing more. She turned and led the three monks out of the array, heading directly for Fengyun Town.
Once there, her first act was to spread a barrier, sealing off the entire area.