As the Clan Chief Xing Xing cried out in alarm, Jian Dan also noticed the dramatic surge of power in Yue Liang. Her entire body was steadily growing in size.
"Yue Liang is about to break through. Everyone, leave this place."
The ancestor of the raccoon beasts appeared beside Xing Xing and spoke directly to Jian Dan.
Jian Dan nodded and immediately withdrew from the bamboo hut's perimeter.
The raccoon ancestor waved a paw, collecting the bamboo hut in a flash. Then both paws slapped the ground, activating a series of glowing lines that extended directly beneath Yue Liang.
Jian Dan focused. It was a formation. It had been drawn with raccoon beast blood, likely over a long period. The aura it gave off felt ancient and mysterious.
Still, Jian Dan's brow creased sharply.
"This formation is designed to enhance the lightning tribulation."
"Wise eyes, Zūnzhǔ," the raccoon ancestor replied with a hint of reverence. "It has been passed down through our bloodline. Because Yue Liang carries the ancestral blood and awakened an inherited divine ability, her tribulation is far more intense."
"You're deliberately intensifying the lightning. Won't that harm her?"
"Do not worry, Zūnzhǔ. Yue Liang will be fine."
As they spoke, Yue Liang had already grown into a towering raccoon beast, nearly twice the height of an adult human.
Thunderclouds churned above. A nearly white bolt of lightning struck the slumbering Yue Liang without warning.
She trembled slightly. Every strand of her fur stood on end, arcs of lightning flickering from tip to root.
The second bolt came down thicker than the first.
Jian Dan's heart tightened as she stared at Yue Liang. Her eyes began to move under their lids, as though she were waking up.
When the third bolt—thick as a grown man's waist—crashed down, Yue Liang's eyes flew open.
They darkened from light brown to deep brown, and then turned pitch black. A streak of violet lightning flashed through them, as though her very gaze had undergone its own tribulation.
Still unmoving from her spot, Yue Liang slowly rose to her feet. Her forelimbs stretched forward as she flexed her body. Her bones creaked audibly as she shifted.
The fourth strike came. Yue Liang raised her fluffy tail to intercept it. The lightning blast left her tail nearly bald.
Jian Dan winced. Her heart ached, but she didn't dare interfere. Any disruption might ruin Yue Liang's tribulation.
Yue Liang gave two high-pitched cries of pain and cradled her singed tail. Some of the charred fur disintegrated into ash in her arms.
Furious, Yue Liang raised her head and let out a sharp cry toward the heavens. Soundwaves rippled upward, clashing with the fifth bolt of lightning in midair. The sound resisted for a few moments but was ultimately shattered. The lightning struck her head-on.
Jian Dan's heart shot into her throat. Going through a tribulation herself had been one thing. Watching someone else go through it was a different kind of torment.
This fifth strike completely engulfed Yue Liang. The light was blinding, and the lightning-wreathed sphere pulsed with crackling energy. From within, Yue Liang's pained whimpers leaked out.
Then came the sixth and final bolt, the strongest of all—thick as a barrel.
"Ancestor, will Yue Liang survive this?"
Xing Xing was nearly jumping in place with worry.
Even the raccoon ancestor's gaze turned solemn. Yue Liang was the only beast of their kind to carry ancestral blood. There were no precedents to follow.
Jian Dan lowered her eyes, reaching through the soul-bond to sense Yue Liang's state.
"Yue Liang, are you alright?"
"Zhēnjūn, it hurts... it really hurts!"
"Hang in there, Yue Liang! And it's Zūnzhǔ now. I'm watching you transform from right here."
"Wow! Zūnzhǔ is amazing. I'll do my best too!"
"Our Yue Liang can do this."
After that, the soul-bond went quiet.
The lightning storm surrounding Yue Liang began to shrink. Her body shrank along with it. When the last of the tribulation lightning faded, what remained on the ground was a small yellow figure.
The tiny form stirred.
In an instant, the clouds scattered, and spiritual rain fell from the sky. All across the raccoon clan's land, cheers erupted in every direction.
"What are you all cheering for? Start absorbing the spiritual rain! This is Heaven's reward. Yue Liang is now at the sixth tier!"
The raccoon ancestor's voice rang out excitedly, though he still scolded the clan with habit.
Jian Dan's focus was solely on Yue Liang. When the little creature finally pushed herself up, she turned and gave Jian Dan a radiant smile, then launched herself into her arms.
Jian Dan quickly caught her under the arms. In her hands now was a chubby-faced child, no older than five or six.
"Yue Liang looks just as adorable in human form!"
Yue Liang bashfully touched her face, then flickered in a flash of light, reappearing on Jian Dan's shoulder in her beast form. Her tail had become smoother and more beautiful, and it curled around Jian Dan's neck like a scarf.
"Zūnzhǔ, I still feel more comfortable like this. After transforming, I'm just a kid. That's no good."
Jian Dan smiled with her lips pressed together. So she thought being small made her less impressive, and chose to remain in her beast form.
She didn't say anything, just tapped Yue Liang on the forehead, then turned to the raccoon ancestor.
"Let Yue Liang stay in your territory for a few more days. I won't be leaving the sect anytime soon. She can find me whenever she likes."
"Thank you, Jian Lu Zūnzhǔ, for your care. I'll speak with her briefly and send her your way afterward."
"Good. My current residence is atop Tianyue Peak. Yue Liang will find it easily."
As they spoke, Jian Dan casually combed Yue Liang's fur. The little raccoon was so comfortable she didn't speak, only wrapped her tail around Jian Dan's wrist in silent contentment.
After seeing Jian Dan off, Yue Liang returned for the ancestor's instructions.
Jian Dan's mood was bright. Yue Liang had reached the sixth tier. When she got back, she would need to have a talk with Jade.
Jade had been wandering the mountains too much lately. It was time she spent more effort on cultivation.
During their ten years in the Dilin Empire, Jian Dan hadn't pushed her much. Spiritual energy had been thin there, not ideal for cultivation, so she'd let Jade focus on worldly training instead.
On the way back to Tianyue Peak, Jian Dan overheard many cultivators discussing the recent lightning tribulation. Since it had occurred over the Medicine Peak, most assumed it belonged to a spirit beast.
When Jian Dan arrived at Tianyue Peak, Lu Se was already waiting.
"Have things been handled?"
"Yes, Zūnzhǔ. I followed your instructions. All the invitations were responded to, including the one for the Buddhist Sect. Both Liao Kong and Liao Chen are there, but they're in seclusion."
"How convenient."
"Both masters acquired some fortune during their time in the mundane realm and have advanced to Divine Transformation. They've returned to stabilize their cultivation, so there's no telling when they'll emerge."
"You're well-informed, Xiao Lu."
"I wouldn't dare let your matters fall behind, Zūnzhǔ. I left the invitation and a message. They'll contact Heavenly Sword Sect once they emerge."
"Good. That's enough."
Lu Se paused, then added, "Zūnzhǔ, you're heading to the Tongzi Hall to teach. I inquired discreetly. The class isn't large, but each student has significant background."
He didn't spell it out, but Jian Dan understood. They were probably second- or third-generation cultivators. Ordinary children wouldn't warrant a Zūnzhǔ teaching them unless they had exceptional talent.
Jian Li Zūnzhǔ really had a knack for throwing people into trouble.
"I understand. Thank you, Little Lu. Has your clan given you any more trouble?"
"Thanks to your words, they wouldn't dare."
"Good. My side is mostly settled. Take some time and enter seclusion. Strength is what truly matters."
"Yes, I understand."
After handling a mess of affairs, Jian Dan took a few days to rest. On the third day, Yue Liang returned.
After a long chittering exchange with Jade, the latter seemed thoroughly discouraged and announced that she was going into seclusion.
After seeing Jade off, Jian Dan took Yue Liang with her to the Tongzi Hall at Heavenly Sword Peak, ready to officially begin her new role.