As far as the eye could see, rolling hills stretched into the distance. The slopes were lush with greenery, and the forest was alive with the occasional rustle of birds and beasts—a vibrant scene brimming with life.
Jian Dan took a deep breath, sensing faint specks of spiritual energy in the air. Without hesitation, she extended her divine sense and detected a barrier on the other side of the mountain forest—a boundary separating the mortal world from the cultivation realm. It seemed this isolating barrier remained unchanged from her past life.
Using a basic lightness technique, Jian Dan leaped down from the cave entrance like a martial arts master. With each step, she propelled herself forward, using rocks, branches, and even leaves as footholds as she dashed toward the border.
Upon reaching the boundary between the two realms, she channeled her spiritual energy, cloaking her body in a thin layer of qi before stepping through the invisible barrier. She passed through effortlessly, and as soon as she did, the barrier sealed itself behind her, once again shrouded in mist.
The moment Jian Dan officially stepped into the cultivation world, far away in the lower realm, Du Yanran felt a faint disturbance, her spiritual energy fluctuating slightly.
After a year of recuperation, she had only just recovered from the injuries inflicted by that mysterious cultivator. The hatred she harbored for that person burned fiercely, and she swore vengeance. However, with her current strength insufficient, she had no choice but to endure. Unbeknownst to her, a shadow of resentment briefly darkened her forehead before vanishing.
Once past the barrier, Jian Dan was bathed in dense spiritual energy. Every pore in her body seemed to open, greedily absorbing the qi.
In truth, this was merely a natural reaction to suddenly transitioning from a qi-deprived area to one rich in spiritual energy. This location was merely the border between the cultivation and mortal realms—its spiritual energy paled in comparison to the central regions, let alone the blessed cultivation grounds of the major sects.
Boom!
A fireball landed where Jian Dan had just been standing. Alert, she had already leaped three zhang away.
"Oh ho, this little girl's reflexes aren't bad!"
"Enough talk! You've taken a liking to her tender skin? Drop the act and finish her off before she ruins our plans!"
A man and a woman stood side by side, shamelessly discussing her murder right in front of her.
The man wore a dark blue robe with wide sleeves, giving off an air of elegance—if not for the lecherous glint in his eyes.
The woman was broad-shouldered and stout, clad in a bright red short robe, her entire demeanor brutish. In her hand, she held the lifeless body of a petite figure—likely another female cultivator.
Jian Dan suddenly understood—she had stumbled upon a robbery and murder in progress. The killers had just finished their deed when she appeared, making her the next target for silencing.
The two assessed her, noting her strange attire and low cultivation—only at the peak of Qi Refining. Since they were both Foundation Establishment cultivators, dealing with a mere Qi Refining ant should have been effortless. Hence, they had indulged in a few taunts.
Jian Dan currently lacked a suitable weapon. The treasures inside magnolia were too high-level for her current stage and not something she could reveal openly. With no weapon at hand, she could only rely on her fists.
She activated the Verdant Flame, and the Taiji Yin-Yang diagram in her dantian automatically shifted. To outsiders, her cultivation level instantly surged to the peak of Foundation Establishment—half a step into fake Golden Core. Before the two could react, she charged at them with her fists.
The male cultivator barely had time to blink before her punch connected with his face, sending him flying. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he rolled his eyes and passed out.
The woman shrieked and charged at Jian Dan with a pair of hammers, aiming for her head, throat, and dantian—all vital points.
But Jian Dan was unfazed by what she perceived as slow-motion attacks. Though infused with spiritual energy, her Ice Bone Demon Body Art had already reached the vein-refining stage. She met the woman head-on with her fists.
A series of "bang bang bang" impacts later, the fight ended with Jian Dan's fist piercing straight through the woman's dantian.
Even in death, the woman wore an expression of shock—unable to comprehend how a mere Qi Refining cultivator had killed her.
After dealing with the woman, Jian Dan formed a hand seal and launched a Golden Arrow Technique at the man, who had just mounted his flying sword to escape. The arrow struck his back, and demonic energy seeped into his meridians through the wound. The agony sent him tumbling from his sword.
"You… are… a… demon cultivator…"
The man barely managed four words before the conflicting energies inside him clashed, shattering his meridians. A final strike from Jian Dan ended his life.
She rolled her eyes inelegantly. "Didn't they know that villains die from talking too much?"
Had the two attacked her with full force from the start, she might have actually been injured. But they had underestimated her due to her outwardly displayed Qi Refining cultivation.
After collecting their storage pouches, she incinerated the murdered young cultivator's body with a fireball before setting off deeper into the cultivation realm.
Just before leaving the forest, she turned toward a cliffside, carved out a small cave with a newly acquired low-grade spirit sword, set up a defensive formation, and concealed herself once more.