For cultivators, all their belongings fit neatly into a single storage ring; it's that simple. There's no need for trunks or carriages when a simple piece of jewelry can hold an entire lifetime of resources. They are all in the same sect anyway, so if something comes up, it's easy to go over and visit. It doesn't affect their daily routines or family bonds in any significant way.
Jian Feng rode his escape light, and the group of four returned to the eastern side peak of Tianyue Peak. The air grew cooler as they ascended, the familiar scent of mountain pines filling the air.
"Yushu, this was where I used to cultivate when I was younger. I built this stone house myself using local materials, and Master helped embed a spirit vein beneath the foundation. It's suitable for you to rebuild your cultivation at this stage, and it will support your spiritual energy needs just fine without any strain."
After giving the youth a rough tour of the surroundings and the small garden nearby, the senior disciple handed over the jade tokens needed to enter and leave the protective formations.
The boy didn't stand on ceremony and accepted them with both hands. Now, he addressed Jian Feng and the other two as Senior Brother and Senior Sister, his voice reflecting his newfound respect.
"Yushu, we will be your Senior Brothers and Senior Sister for now, so you have got to work hard to catch up," Jian Miao said with a beaming smile, her eyes sparkling with encouragement.
"Yes. Thank you, Senior Brother and Senior Sister, for looking after me. I will work hard and not let you down," he replied earnestly.
With everything settled at the stone house, the three took him to see their Master. He also needed to formally thank Master Tian Lu for her protection during his transition.
At this moment, Shou Chan was still wracking her brain over where to place her next white piece on the blood-jade board. Jian Dan had already lifted her head, her sharp senses noting her three direct disciples and her one registered disciple arriving together.
"Greetings, Master."
The four stood in a neat line and bowed respectfully to the woman in the rocking chair.
"Mhm. Yushu has been brought over; is everything arranged properly for his stay?" Jian Dan asked with a calm smile.
"Thank you for your concern, Master. The three Senior Brothers and Senior Sister already took me to the eastern side peak, and everything has been arranged comfortably. I came specifically to pay my respects," the youth answered respectfully.
"That's good then. Jian Chong, take him back to the eastern side peak," she said, then turned to the boy and continued. "I won't be going into seclusion again for a short while, so you can focus on cultivating and make up for your lost realm. The cultivation art I gave you comes with matching techniques and sword arts, so practice all of them together. They connect with each other, so they shouldn't give you too much trouble in the long run."
"Yes, Master. Yushu has remembered your instructions," he replied.
With everything clearly arranged, Jian Chong took him back toward the eastern side peak to begin his training.
Meanwhile, Shou Chan had already cornered herself on the board and could only concede defeat. Her fingers hovered over the jade pieces for a moment before she sighed.
Jian Dan glanced at the chessboard and smiled. Whether it was intentional or Shou Chan's chess skills were truly lacking, the result was the same; she had lost terribly to the sword cultivator.
"Enough. I know you're eager to return to your own sect, so I won't stop you any longer. Still, chess can temper one's temperament; it's a valid method of self-cultivation. You can spend more time pondering it when you're free. You beast tamers place high demands on divine sense, so don't let spirit beasts affect your state of mind too much."
As she spoke, she picked up each chess piece from the board one by one, the clicking of the jade sounding sharp in the quiet afternoon.
Shou Chan patiently waited until the woman finished putting away the pieces. Only then did she stand again and respectfully bid farewell to the host.
"Zhēnzūn, I have troubled you greatly. I have been out training for a long time, so it's time for me to return to my sect and report in."
"Alright. I will have Jian Miao see you off," the woman said.
This time, she didn't block her guest at all and only had the girl escort her to the mountain gate.
Shou Chan, who had prepared a whole set of arguments to justify her departure, felt choked up for a moment by the sudden permission. After three breaths of silence, she finally realized she really could leave Heavenly Sword Sect without further delay.
She said nothing more, bowed, and left Tianyue Peak together with Xueru.
"Shou Chan Daoyou, my Master always acts with the bigger picture in mind. Since she won't let you bring that calamity back to your sect, then you definitely won't be able to take it back. If Master Yu Yan asks about it, just push the blame onto my Master," Xueru said calmly as they walked.
Shou Chan blinked in surprise. "There's actually a disciple who sells out her own Master like this so easily?"
"You're saying this; aren't you afraid your Master will blame you later?"
"Relax. I'm just telling the truth. Master won't punish me for being honest."
The two soon reached the sect's massive mountain gate, where the carved swords loomed overhead.
"I will send you off here. Be careful on your way, and contact me anytime if something comes up," Xueru said.
"Farewell."
Shou Chan didn't want to linger for even a moment. After clasping her hands, she flew straight into the air and left, her escape light streaking across the sky.
Watching how hurried Shou Chan looked, Xueru was sure Master had given her an invitation card to pass on to her own Master.
When the three disciples returned to their teacher, they were immediately pulled into a realistic illusion and began another round of being miserably abused in training; it's just how their days went on the peak.
After leaving Heavenly Sword Sect, Shou Chan traveled day and night, flying over mountains and rivers back to Beast Taming Sect.
Once she entered the familiar sect grounds, she went straight to the hall to see her own Master.
"Master, Shou Chan is back, but I didn't complete the task you gave me," she said, lowering her head as her voice became heavy.
Yu Yan Zhēnzūn, dressed in a magnificent golden Daoist robe, knew the task had failed the moment he saw his disciple's dejected face.
"Stand up and speak," he said, raising his hand and motioning for her to sit on a nearby cushion.
After checking her Master's expression and seeing nothing unusual or angry, she recounted everything she had experienced at Heavenly Sword Sect over the past few days.
In the end, she still presented the name card that Jian Dan had given her.
This was a card used by a Zhēnzūn of Heavenly Sword Sect. The entire card was purple, made of jade material yet thin as paper. On the front was a blooming magnolia, and on the back was the mountain gate of Heavenly Sword Sect.
The signature bore the two characters Tian Lu. Just the sharp sword intent lingering on the jade made the man, who was also at late Mahayana, frown slightly; it didn't feel comfortable at all to hold.
"How did you respond to Tian Lu?" he asked.
"Master, I said you were in seclusion, preparing to break through to the peak of late Mahayana. I told her I would present the card after you came out," she replied.
"Heh. You're quite clever to say that," he said with a small laugh.
"But why would Tian Lu Zhēnzūn do this? I wanted to exchange something as well, but I didn't have anything suitable on hand. I also didn't want White Cicada's help to go unpaid, but…" she hesitated.
"Enough. We don't have that kind of fortune. She is very cautious in how she does things. She is afraid that thing is not good, and she is afraid it would be researched by us and then enter the Cultivation Realm through some mistake," he said calmly.
"But Master, we would only research it; we wouldn't let it spread into the Cultivation Realm," she protested.
"Shou Chan, you're still too young. You overestimate yourself and underestimate the darkness in cultivators' hearts," he said, raising a hand to stop her from arguing further.
He continued, "I had already had my suspicions before. Why was that blood insect destroyed so coincidentally, right when your Martial Uncles were making progress in their research, and destroyed twice over with no chance of recovery?"
"Master, are you saying she made preparations in advance?" she asked, startled.
"She didn't tamper with the blood insect," he said softly, his gaze deep as he looked into the distance. "She tampered with people."