The instant Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ's steady voice rang out, Jian Dan raised her hand, expanding her spatial domain. A transparent magnolia flower bloomed from her palm. From a tightly closed bud to a fully blossomed bloom, it spread in the blink of an eye, enveloping the entire Jia residence and its surroundings—Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ included.
In the sky, the two clashing attacks finally broke the stalemate. The wind blade, stretching over ten feet long, sliced through Jian Li's violet sword shadow and surged directly toward Jian Li Zhūnzhǔ.
Jian Dan stepped forward, arriving at Jian Li's side in an instant. The Mò Xī Jiàn was already in her grip. Without hesitation, she swept it forward, unleashing the Nine Forms of the Heavenly Sword, which shattered the residual force of the wind blade. With her left hand, she caught Jian Li from behind as he was sent flying, steadying his form midair.
Once both of them regained their footing in the sky, the attacker revealed himself.
"So it's the Heavenly Sword Sect. No wonder Peng Wang had the guts to act. Turns out he found a couple of sacrificial pawns."
Jian Dan arched a brow, eyeing the arrogant cultivator opposite them. He wore a silver-gray robe, his head adorned with a silver jade crown. His features were refined, more reminiscent of a scholarly gentleman than a cultivator. A silver mace rested in his hand, and his expression remained indifferent as he looked at them.
From the moment she moved, Jian Dan had already confirmed the man's cultivation was in the Unity stage. Jian Li had also realized that the strike was aimed at the city's protective barrier. In haste, he had countered with a sword to block it. Thankfully, his timing had been just enough to prevent the attack from succeeding.
Jian Dan's domain was now fully deployed. If the intruder wanted to leave, there were only two ways: break the domain by force, or kill Jian Dan.
The man clearly didn't take two Void Refinement cultivators seriously. He raised the silver mace and struck directly at Jian Dan's domain.
A shadow of cold light flickered in Jian Dan's eyes. If the domain shattered, she'd suffer serious backlash. This attacker wasn't pulling his punches. He was choosing the most direct and effective path—either escape or cripple his enemies.
"Senior Brother Jian Li, are you alright?" she asked through a soundless transmission.
"I'm fine," Jian Li quickly replied. "His target wasn't me. He aimed to break the city's barrier."
"Senior Brother, this one's a big fish. We're in for a tough fight."
Jian Li's expression didn't change. He had already drawn his life-bound sword, Leiting. The sword vibrated gently, emitting a faint purple glow, as though resonating with his rising battle intent.
"His main focus will be you," Jian Li said. "I'll lead the attack. You focus on dodging and provide support. Wait for the right moment to strike."
A loud bang echoed as the man's attack slammed into Jian Dan's domain. Ripples of five-colored light shimmered, eventually fading into a translucent gray. But the domain held firm.
"Huh?" The man raised an eyebrow. That a Void Refinement cultivator could withstand his strike—something was off. His gaze turned toward Jian Dan, a smirk finally lifting the corner of his mouth.
"A Chaos Spirit Root. I wasn't even looking for one, and here you are, delivered to my doorstep."
Jian Dan stared at him like she was looking at a dead man. His words had revealed everything about his intentions.
Jia Yu no longer seemed in a rush to leave. Female cultivators with a Chaos Spirit Root were rare in Lingyun Continent. The only known clan with that bloodline, the Jian family, had secluded themselves from the world, protected by a Mahayana-stage Ancestor, which made them untouchable.
But now, here was a Chaos-rooted female sword cultivator, one step away from Unity. If he used her as a furnace, he might very well break into the Mahayana stage himself.
"Put away that nauseating expression," Jian Dan said coldly. "No wonder the Jia family turned out like this. With a rotten upper beam, the house was bound to tilt."
"Hmph! Sharp-tongued little thing. Let's see how long you can talk once you're crawling beneath my feet."
Jian Li's face finally darkened. This Unity cultivator from the Jia family would not be allowed to leave alive. He struck first, launching Thunderfall, a sweeping sword strike that unleashed countless violet sword shadows from every direction, closing in on Jia Yu.
As a Thunder Spirit Root cultivator, Jian Li's attacks carried streaks of lightning energy, greatly enhancing their destructive power. Jia Yu had no choice but to swing his silver mace in defense.
Inside Jian Dan's dantian, the Yin-Yang Taiji disk spun rapidly. Both spiritual and demonic energy surged, Yin laced within Yang, Yang wrapped in Yin, transforming into Chaos Spirit energy. That power surged through her meridians and into the Mò Xī Jiàn.
The Mò Xī sword spirit didn't hesitate. Dense chaos energy shimmered along the blade. Meanwhile, Cotton Candy had already filled the domain with a thick white mist, slowing Jia Yu's movements. Its true body wrapped protectively around Jian Dan.
Though she had never fought alongside Jian Li before, their coordination came naturally. The moment he moved, Cotton Candy whisked Jian Dan out of harm's way. She reappeared from another angle, her sword slicing through the mist. Her attack looked less intense than Jian Li's, veiled by the fog.
But every strike from her Mò Xī Jiàn was aimed at a vital spot. The blade perfectly channeled the full force of her chaos energy, each slash sharp, precise, and deadly.
Jia Yu's silver mace shattered Jian Li's violet sword light. He also managed to intercept Jian Dan's attack, but when his mace clashed with the Mò Xī Jiàn, he felt a lingering force from her blade gnawing at the silver surface.
A glint of excitement flashed in Jia Yu's eyes. He licked his lips, then swung his mace again. Countless images of the mace split into silver light, storming toward both of them.
The first round of attacks from Jian Li and Jian Dan had only been a probe. Through their exchanges, they calibrated their rhythm and synchronized their movements. Once aligned, they launched their second assault.
At this moment, neither of them cared whether Jia Yu was a Unity cultivator. They attacked without pause, aiming only to take him down, embodying the ruthless efficiency of Heavenly Sword Sect sword cultivators.
Their relentless assault finally forced a change in Jia Yu's expression. Only now did he realize how ferocious and difficult sword cultivators could be.
Outside the domain, Peng Wang's eyes darkened. No wonder the Jia family had dared to scheme so deeply. They had hidden a Unity-stage cultivator inside Yunling City. He hadn't even sensed him. If Jian Li hadn't come in person, the entire city might have been doomed.
If they survived this crisis, Peng Wang would go to Heavenly Sword Sect himself to offer thanks, especially to Jian Lu, who had promptly deployed the spatial domain. Without it, the battle between these high-level cultivators would have reduced the city to rubble.
"Yunling City City Guard, hear my command. All Jia family cultivators—kill on sight."
Peng Wang's voice echoed in every city guard's ears, and slaughter erupted across the city.
He was out for blood. He refused to believe there weren't Jia family cultivators that the man cared about.
The life-saving talismans of high-level cultivators only activated when their lives were truly threatened. So the answer was simple—eliminate them all. Eventually, one or two of them would trigger it.
Peng Xilai and Peng Min were both startled by their grandfather's order. Once the chaos settled slightly, they approached Peng Wang.
"Grandfather!"
"Grandfather!"
Peng Wang didn't turn around. He simply said,
"Watch closely. This is how sword cultivators from the Heavenly Sword Sect kill across realms."
The two immediately turned to watch the three figures in the sky, now little more than blurs of light and motion.
Jia Yu scowled and began concentrating his attacks on Jian Dan. But with Cotton Candy's support, her speed and evasion matched that of a Unity cultivator. After several missed strikes, Jia Yu's eyes flickered, and he redirected his next wave of attacks toward Jian Li.
"Hmph." Jian Li's face was as calm as ever. He had never feared anyone. Today, he would give Leiting a proper workout.
As he poured lightning spiritual energy into the sword, its body turned entirely violet. Electricity danced across the blade as Jian Li merged sword and man into one. A new wave of attacks began.
Admiration gleamed in Jian Dan's eyes. As expected of the strongest sword cultivator in Heavenly Sword Sect, Jian Li truly lived up to his name.
"Mò Xī, Cotton Candy," she said softly, "let's not hold back Senior Brother Jian Li."
With that, she swung her sword. Chaos Heaven and Earth slashed forward, following Jian Li's assault, cutting straight for Jia Yu.