"Since it belonged to your friend, I'll just hand it over."
Ming Yuan let out a quiet breath of relief, he hadn't expected the purple band to have an owner.
"Alright, I'll accept it, but I shouldn't let you suffer a loss." Jian Dan slipped the purple band into her storage bracelet, then pulled out a pair of wings as thin as cicada wings and tossed them to him.
Ming Yuan could only accept them, cupping his fists to thank her.
"Hou San, let's go."
Hou San took the order, checked their direction once more, then dashed off. A few swift bounds later, they disappeared from Ming Yuan's sight.
Only then did the hidden team step out one after another and stand behind Ming Yuan. A female cultivator spoke softly, "Brother Ming, are you alright?"
Ming Yuan had already stowed the wings. He looked back and replied, "I'm fine. They were only asking about my wristband."
"But that wristband was found by you a month ago—"
"Shut up!"
Someone cut the woman off. Ming Yuan frowned and warned her, "If you don't know, don't blurt things out. Do you want our whole squad to end up in a bad spot? That other team outnumbers and outmatches us. You remember the one who led them, Hou San? He used to be the second-in-command of the Azure-Faced Squad, and now he's their guide. The people behind him are the largest team under Mao Wu's command here. Still want to keep talking?"
Ming Yuan was almost furious at the woman's cluelessness. If it weren't for the fact that her brother once saved his life, he would've already thrown her out. She was more trouble than help.
"I only stretched the time because I didn't want them to go looking and come back empty-handed," Ming Yuan added.
Everyone understood. If he'd said it was found just a month ago, that woman would've insisted on going to investigate, and they might be forced to lead the search. If there were no clues, the other team might take it out on them. Better to say the trace was older, so others would think it's fruitless and leave them be. Only Li Chun still didn't get it.
A man who looked about forty percent like the woman walked up, grabbed her arm, then smiled and cupped his fists to Ming Yuan. "Boss Ming, my sister's slow-witted, don't be mad. I'll teach her a lesson later. For now, let's move out of here."
"Mm, let's go."
The ten of them kept walking toward the Bone Burying Ground. Jian Dan only retracted her divine sense after a while, then sighed softly and said to Hou San, "Rest for two breaths."
"Yes, Fairy Lu."
Jian Mao and the others didn't object. They knew Jian Lu had found something, so when they paused they instinctively gathered, found a clean spot, and sat down.
Hou San and Yu Linhai stayed close. Lady Di took the initiative to spread people out for watch. Unexpectedly, this time both she and Bei Ze were called over.
"The place we're heading to has an immortal formation, it won't be simple. Have you ever explored places like that?" Jian Dan asked straight away.
Lady Di thought for a moment, then said, "Our squad's been surviving because we found the remains of an immortal. When he fell, he left a defensive barrier. We just happened to find him after the barrier's energy ran out, and we didn't put up much of a fight, we took his armor and magic tools intact. Those two items bought us a lot of resources."
"You're lucky."
"That's exactly why Mao Wu targeted us." Lady Di ground her teeth, then added, "I've also heard other squads that went after fallen immortals' lairs were badly hurt trying to break defenses. Whether they got the items in the end, I can't say."
"I think it's very likely the other side actually fell here," Bei Ze added.
Everyone fell silent for a moment. That's normal. On the cultivation path, you're either advancing or falling behind, danger and opportunity come together.
"Have any of you felt changes in yourselves since you came here?" Jian Dan's question broke the quiet.
Lady Di and Bei Ze exchanged a look. Bei Ze answered, "Some changes. Our bodies are stronger, you could call us half-body-cultivators now."
"And you, Lady Di?"
"I? I'm okay, I guess."
Lady Di didn't notice much, since she's already a body cultivator.
"Junior Sister, have you changed?" Jian Mao asked, his heart skipping, he looked straight at Jian Dan.
"I think my temper's worse. Those people hid things from me just now, I wanted to kill every one of them."
A gasp ran through the group. Lady Di and Bei Ze were shocked by how openly murderous she sounded. Only the Heavenly Sword Sect members understood Jian Dan's meaning.
"Has something here affected your disposition?" Jian Jing asked, sharper than the others. She remembered Jian Dan saying her big opportunity had been earned through fighting.
Jian Mao seemed to recall as well, and said, "Because of your past opportunity, your temperament is the most easily influenced."
"Yes."
Jian Dan didn't deny it. She replied quietly, "This place is a fallen minor realm. Who knows how many immortals, cultivators, and insects crashed here. Though their souls are gone, their lingering attachments might remain. Over time, those attachments affect anyone who comes in."
"Brothers, remember when we first came here and saw those huge humanoid bones? The pressure was heavy, we couldn't get close."
Their faces darkened. Lady Di went pale. She looked at Bei Ze, and his eyes were somber, he nodded at her as if confirming her thoughts.
"Hou San's team ambushed us probably because they wanted Xiao Yue. When we first entered here, we were ruthless and killed. As for the squad that came back with Lady Di, I personally slaughtered them."
"Your action was right, Junior Sister. Now that you've found the cause, we should be more vigilant so this atmosphere doesn't warp our hearts."
As leader, Jian Mao spoke up, praising Jian Dan and sounding the alarm for everyone.
"Thanks for the reminder, Fairy Lu. We're heading back to gather people and explain clearly, we'll follow orders from now on, and we trust Boss Mao."
Bei Ze cupped his fists, then took Lady Di and left the Heavenly Sword Sect circle to hold a small meeting.
Out of earshot, everyone spoke quietly. They reviewed what they'd encountered since arriving, and how they'd responded, and they realized there were issues. Jian Dan's questions made them take it more seriously.
"Keep this in mind. From now on, be extra cautious. Consider this our heart-tempering path."
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
They all agreed, the matter was closed for now, but each person held calculations in their heart, laying groundwork for later teamwork.
Lady Di's mood was worse. She asked Bei Ze bitterly, "Bei Ze, in the last two operations, was I too hasty? If I'd held back, would we have lost fewer people? I always blamed Mao Wu, but maybe I share some responsibility."