After settling the Tian Squad and Bi Shu, Jian Dan sent word to both the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Heavenly Demon Palace. She gave them a detailed account of everything that had happened in Purple Sky Sect.
As for Purple Sky Sect's internal cleanup, she didn't bother to concern herself with it.
Mo Zhang, the Chief of the Heavenly Demon Palace, was more than satisfied with how Mo Yue had handled things. Their sect's prestige had been upheld, Bi Shu had been hidden away to reduce risks, and such critical intelligence had been brought back. The timing couldn't have been better.
Still, Jian Dan was certain that someone out there now bore a grudge against her, especially the master of that substitute puppet she'd crushed in the end.
Their goal had been clear from the start, Bi Shu. They'd prepared two paths in advance: if they could take her alive, great, but if not, they'd kill her outright. Just the fact that they'd used a Mahayana-stage attack talisman showed how determined they were.
After failing over and over to capture Bi Shu, it was obvious they'd grown desperate. No one knew how many blood insects had already infiltrated the cultivation world, but killing even one meant one less, so the other side was frantic to get Bi Shu back. And if they couldn't, they'd rather kill her than leave her free. This time, their plan had failed mostly because of her sudden intervention, which forced them to send Wang Ping to tie her down.
As for Wang Ping, with a substitute puppet at hand, she'd been fearless. All she needed to do was stall, and the operation on Guest Peak would eventually bear results.
Unfortunately for them, while they'd been busy scheming, Purple Sky Sect had been making plans of its own. Jian Dan had simply gone along with the flow, giving them a nudge without harming the Heavenly Demon Palace's interests. In the end, the results weren't bad at all.
Three days later, Purple Sky Sect's purge wrapped up. The newly rising Wang family was expelled from the sect. Their patriarch kept shouting that they'd been framed, but no one had patience for it.
Why frame the Wang family of all people? Why not someone else? And worse, they didn't even have Wang Ping's soul lamp anymore. With no way to prove whether she was alive or dead, how could the sect trust his words?
Once the Wang family was expelled, Purple Sky Sect shut its gates and focused on its own affairs, publicly showing no further interest in them.
But the moment the family left the nearest city, they fell under Zi Huan Zhēnzūn's gaze. He wasn't nearly as refined and gentle as he looked. Once he confirmed they hadn't made contact with anyone, he swept his sleeve and secretly took them all away for interrogation.
A soul search revealed plenty of problems. The Wang family wasn't as innocent as they'd claimed.
The younger generation might've been clueless, but the senior cultivators had definitely received secret support. That was how their cultivation had soared so quickly, letting them rise within Purple Sky Sect and feed information back to those in the shadows.
This time, the reason the Heavenly Demon Palace's group had been ambushed was because they'd leaked news of Zi Qing Zhēnzūn's temporary invitation.
Zi Huan Zhēnzūn's face was dark enough to drip ink. After calling Sect Master Xiao Zi over, he slammed the jade slip into his face.
"Take a good look. This is the Purple Sky Sect under your watch. You let a treacherous family grow strong right under your nose, and you still want to suppress Zixing Pavilion? Zixing Pavilion already had to cut back their duties because of you, and now you're pushing even further!
If you'd managed the sect properly and avoided mistakes, I'd admire your ability and let you keep Zixing Pavilion under pressure. But instead, you've dragged the sect into a dangerous position. Just because Senior Sister Zi Qing hasn't interfered with your management doesn't mean we won't hold you accountable for negligence."
The Sect Master's face went pale. He didn't dare argue, only bowed his head and listened.
"Considering that during your tenure you've at least worked hard, if not achieved much, I'll let you clean up this mess. But if there's a next time, your reign as sect master is over."
"Yes, Zhēnzūn."
Clutching the jade slip, the Sect Master hurried away from Zixiao Peak to handle the aftermath.
Only then did Zi Qing Zhēnzūn appear. Her face was full of guilt as she sighed and said softly,
"Junior Brother, we can't put all the blame on him. I've been careless too."
"Senior Sister, you don't need to defend him. I went to Zixing Pavilion myself. I saw the intelligence they'd gathered and reviewed the sect's records."
Zi Huan Zhēnzūn's tone remained cultured, but Zi Qing could hear the anger under his words. She knew better than to plead further.
"Ever since the spatial rift appeared, black insects have been slipping into the sect. When we borrowed Jian Lu's spirit beast from the Heavenly Sword Sect, it was ambushed midway. How did they not suspect something
Later, when Wang Ping tried to kill that same spirit beast, they still weren't alarmed. Even after blood insects infiltrated the peaks themselves, they remained oblivious. And now, they've gone so far as to slaughter Heavenly Demon Palace cultivators inside Purple Sky Sect. That's nothing less than an attempt to sow discord between our sects!
Look at the Heavenly Sword Sect, Cloud Sea Sect, even the Loose Cultivator Alliance. They've all handled things better than us. We've lost even the most basic vigilance. That Sect Master's term is finished. Let him patch things up for now, but once the rift fully closes, he's stepping down."
"Very well, Junior Brother. I'll leave it to you."
Zi Qing had called her Junior Brother out because she knew she lacked decisiveness. Hearing his analysis now, she realized the problem really was serious, so she decided not to interfere anymore.
"Then you'll oversee the sect. I'll take Bi Shu and tour our territories under the Heavenly Demon Palace's protection."
"Thank you for your hard work, Senior Sister."
The next day, Zi Qing Zhēnzūn set off with Bi Shu and her group to patrol the lands.
Jian Dan didn't join them. She claimed she was injured and needed a few days of recovery, choosing to stay behind in Purple Sky Sect.
When Zi Huan Zhēnzūn later received word from Zixing Pavilion's cultivators, he only said he knew, asking nothing more. He was well aware of how shrewd Mo Yue was. She wouldn't dare touch Purple Sky Sect's taboos, and he was willing to give her that much face.
Meanwhile, Jian Dan really didn't do a thing. She simply set up restrictions, played with Xiao Yue, and left intelligence-gathering entirely to Liu Chuan.
"The spatial rift's on the mountain beside Purple Sky Sect's forbidden ground. The fluctuations are getting more frequent. It looks like it'll close soon," Liu Chuan reported after three days of observation.
"As for the exact time, I couldn't get close. The area's rigged with spatial traps."
"That's fine. It gives me enough to work with."
Jian Dan passed the news along to Jian Li, urging him to send the chosen people to Purple Sky Sect quickly, or they'd miss the chance. Seeing her so insistent, Jian Li understood the urgency. He ordered that the list of volunteers be submitted immediately.
Five names stood out: Jian Jing, Jian Xu, Jian Mao, Wu Siyuan, and Jian Chun.
"Hall Master, because of cultivation limits, only five have signed up so far," Wei Zhengrong reported respectfully.
"So Jian Chun made it back in time."
"He heard about the mission while in contact with Jian Chong, so he rushed back to the sect."
Wei Zhengrong then added, "Hall Master, should we dispatch a squad from the Battle Hall to accompany them?"
"No need. If I wanted them mobilized, Jian Lu would've told me. She left them in place to guard the sect."
"Yes, understood."
"Then have those five prepare to depart. Since they're all familiar with Jian Lu, their teamwork will be smoother."
"Yes."
The five quietly accepted the sect's provisions and set out for Purple Sky Sect.
At the same time, Qian Wanguan of the Loose Cultivator Alliance also led a group toward Purple Sky Sect.