Tian Yun nodded in satisfaction at her response. At that moment, within the swirling clouds high above Heavenly Sword Peak, several Zhēnzūn—Tian Hong, Tian Zhen, and Tian Shou—revealed themselves one after another. Their figures shimmered with an ethereal light as they congratulated her in clear, ringing voices that echoed across the mountain.
"Congratulations, Junior Sister Tian Lu, on advancing to the Mahayana realm!"
Jian Dan cupped her hands in return to each of them. Her manner was just as respectful as it's always been, and she accepted their heartfelt congratulations with a composed smile.
After that, Tian Yun and the other three Zhēnzūn withdrew their figures one by one, fading back into the mists as they left Heavenly Sword Peak. Their formal task for the day was done.
"Thank you, fellow disciples, for coming to attend my advancement ceremony. This's just a small token of my appreciation for your presence. I hope it helps improve your cultivation so you're better prepared for the coming war against the insect race."
She said it with a warm smile that reached her eyes.
With a light flick of her wide sleeve, countless points of shimmering light flew from her side like a swarm of fireflies. They streaked through the air toward the thousands of disciples below who'd come to attend the ceremony. Every person present got a share of the bounty.
A spiritual fruit, vibrating with a faint purple glow and a sweet aroma, stopped directly in front of a Foundation Establishment disciple. He grabbed it out of the air, then realized it was a Purple Heart Fruit that couldn't help him advance his realm without any negative side effects. He was instantly overjoyed, quickly stuffed it into his storage pouch, and cupped his hands toward the woman in the sky.
"Thank you for the reward, Tian Lu Zhēnzūn!"
In front of a Jīndān Zhēnrén, a small jade pill bottle hovered. After taking it, he discovered it contained a third-grade high-tier healing pill specifically designed to treat stubborn hidden injuries. It was exactly what he needed for his current bottleneck. He put it away at once and called out loudly while cupping his hands in respect.
"Thank you for the reward, Tian Lu Zhēnzūn!"
Some people received golden talismans that couldn't teleport them a hundred miles in an instant to save their lives in a crisis. Some got high-tier magic artifacts that hummed with power. Others received defensive formation discs etched with protective runes. Most cultivators got items that suited them perfectly, meeting their current needs. In the end, all the thousands of voices merged into a single thunderous cry that shook the trees.
"Thank you for the reward, Tian Lu Zhēnzūn!"
Amid the waves of gratitude, the Mahayana ceremony officially came to an end. It couldn't be called the simplest ceremony in the history of the sect. There were no guests from other sects at all to witness it. Still, the ones who truly benefited were the sect's own disciples, and that alone was enough to keep the people talking for a long time.
Because of this single act of generosity, the fates of another group of disciples were fundamentally changed. Even Lao Yin, who was observing the stars at Fangcun Mountain, noticed those faint little points of light beginning to glow with their own internal radiance, striving to illuminate the surrounding darkness. He couldn't help curling his lips into a rare smile.
Once the serious matters of the ceremony were finished, Jian Dan headed straight to the mountain behind the main hall of Heavenly Sword Peak, where the Dreamlike Illusory Rubik's Cube Realm was kept. Jade had turned into a small green snake and coiled comfortably around her wrist, while Yue Liang had transformed into a small raccoon beast and still stood watch on her shoulder.
She walked slowly through the air to the space above the rotating cube realm and spoke calmly into the void.
"Xiao Meng."
After a short while, the artifact spirit Xiao Meng appeared in front of her. He had already shed his youthful appearance and now looked like a handsome young man in his prime. He was still dressed in flowing black robes, with a shrunken Rubik's Cube crown resting on his head.
"Greetings, Tian Lu Zhēnzūn!"
He didn't dare hesitate and bowed respectfully before her.
"Mhm. It looks like you have grown well over the past hundred years. I came today just to ask you something. Do you still need me to nurture the cube realm with chaos spiritual power to help you reach another level of power?
"I have already advanced to the Mahayana realm. After today's ceremony, I will be entering seclusion in the forbidden area behind the mountain to cultivate. I won't be leaving lightly anymore."
Her tone was gentle as she made the offer. Hearing this, Xiao Meng secretly let out a breath of relief. He had thought she was here to demand an immediate answer to older questions. The truth was, he had his own little calculations running in his mind.
He didn't want to fight in the coming war, and he didn't want to stay in the lower realm for thousands of years either. If Lingyun Continent won this battle, a group of powerful people would definitely ascend directly to the heavens. He wanted to form a temporary contract with someone like that and go straight to the Immortal Realm.
However, the person he would contract with definitely wouldn't be Tian Lu Zhēnzūn. He also didn't want to be ordered around by anyone, so he planned to form the contract after the war concluded. If he said any of this now, she wouldn't agree to help him.
So he decided to stall for time. Right now, even if he did nothing, the sect's spiritual veins were still nourishing him. It didn't affect his growth at all, so why not drag things out as long as possible. After hearing her words, he replied politely.
"That's would consume far too much of Zhēnzūn's spiritual power."
The unspoken meaning was that he was indeed willing to accept her nurturing. That response immediately earned him another label of greedy in her mind.
"Fine then. There's no need to pick another day for this. Let's do it today."
The next moment, her magnolia domain expanded outward, the petals swirling to envelop Xiao Meng.
"Zhēnzūn!"
He realized something was wrong and instantly tried to flash back into the safety of the cube realm. He was blocked by a domain barrier as thin as cicada wings and bounced back into the open air instead. Only then did he look at her in genuine shock.
In the next instant, the artifact spirits of Mó Yuè Zhǎn and the Mò Xī Jiàn appeared at her side. The Mò Xī Jiàn spirit wore pristine white robes. Even though he was a small nine-head body, his presence didn't lose out to Xiao Meng at all. The Mó Yuè Zhǎn spirit, Mo Yue, was dressed in red Manjushahua robes today that flowed like blood. She smiled with seductive charm and eyed Xiao Meng with clear hostility in her gaze.
Only then did fear finally show on his handsome face.
"You can't treat me like this!"
"How should I treat you then? Worship you? Let an artifact spirit sit above me, the one who refined you, or even above the entire sect?"
Her calm, mocking voice rang out in the quiet space.
"I have survived thunder tribulation and been acknowledged by the Dao of Heaven."
He argued anxiously, all while secretly trying to contact his main body within the cube.
"Hmph. Master, why waste words on him? He really thinks he is something special. Which refining material in his body wasn't gathered by Master and the sect? So what if he went through thunder tribulation? Which one of us hasn't? Does that make him especially precious?"
Mo Yue snapped back rapidly, her charming eyes wide with a flash of anger.
"He won't listen to you now anyway. He was assigned a task by the Dao of Heaven, but it's not like he has done it well. Instead, he has used that excuse to accumulate power and try to break free from the sect. He really thinks he can have it that easy."
The Mò Xī Jiàn spirit held a sword as thin as a toothpick, picked at his little white teeth with it for a moment, then lunged straight at Xiao Meng.
"Hey, you didn't even say a word first. Wait for me!"
Seeing that he had already charged in, Mo Yue refused to fall behind and rushed forward into the fray as well.
White, black, and red lights instantly tangled together in a frantic blur. Jian Dan remained calm as she observed the battle within her domain, while also keeping a close eye on the Dreamlike Illusory Rubik's Cube Realm below.
Because of her Mahayana ceremony, the number of people entering the cube realm for trials had dropped sharply today. After all, no one couldn't guarantee they would get out before the ceremony started if they went in. The longer they endured inside the trials, the richer the rewards they received. Those trial opportunities were exchanged with hard-earned points, and no Heavenly Sword Sect cultivator wanted to waste them.
So most people had postponed their trials for a day. As for those already inside, they're basically kicked out by the system before the ceremony began. After coming out and hearing the news of the gifts, any regret over not lasting longer in the trials vanished immediately. Attending a Mahayana Zhēnzūn's ceremony mattered far more, especially with Tian Lu Zhēnzūn's generous gifts to the crowd. That just made them feel getting kicked out early was pure luck.
At present, there're fewer than fifteen cultivators still inside the cube realm. After receiving word from Hall Chief Meng that the area was clear, Jian Dan acted so quickly. The excuse was ready-made, leaving Xiao Meng with little guard up. In one move, she trapped him inside her domain and cut him off from his main body.