True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress

The moment he was expelled from the barrier, Jia She immediately activated the flying vessel and fled at top speed. With the clan's Divine Transformation stage cultivator holding off the enemy, this was the best chance to escape. Had it not been for the high-quality cauldrons aboard—painstakingly gathered from Huancheng—he would have abandoned the vessel long ago.

If even the cultivators at the Xun Pavilion couldn't survive, then neither would the ones aboard this ship. And if he failed to protect the cargo, he'd be punished without question. Jia She had no desire to taste the pain of the Soul Whip.

But reality proved harsher than expectations. Even though Jian Dan's spiritual consciousness had been damaged in the earlier blast, dealing with these minor pawns was hardly difficult. As her Divine Transformation aura surged outward, the cultivators aboard the flying vessel found themselves immobilized in an instant. Chains of spirit-locking metal materialized and bound their wrists with precision.

The remaining eight cultivators in Jia She's team lost all access to spiritual energy. Their qi was sealed in their dantian, leaving them no different from mortals. A few tried to undo the shackles using familiar techniques—after all, these were the same chains used to bind cauldrons—but no matter how hard they tried, the chains refused to yield. Eventually, they gave up and allowed themselves to be dragged back aboard under the supervision of Nascent Soul cultivators.

With the situation firmly under control, Jian Dan returned to the carriage in a flash and rubbed her temples. Despite her defenses, the explosion within the barrier had still damaged her spiritual consciousness. The magnolia blooming at the center of her spiritual sea began to spin faster, scattering a soft silver radiance to calm the turbulent waves and nourish her mind.

Miao Yunrong and her retinue soon reentered the carriage. Seeing Jian Dan sitting in silence, she steadied her breathing and asked respectfully, "Jian-Jūnshàng, all the remaining enemies have been subdued. Shall we return to reunite with Senior Brother Mo Su?"

Jian Dan glanced at Miao Yunrong, who was now behaving like the perfect obedient subordinate, and nodded. The flying steed that had been hovering in midair immediately turned around and began its journey back toward Huancheng.

After the earlier chaos, no further obstacles appeared. In less than half an hour, the group returned to the Xianlai Inn. Jian Dan had deliberately slowed the steed's flight to give herself time to recover.

The Xun Pavilion, once the scene of fierce combat, had vanished entirely. The street destroyed by Mo Su's blade had also been repaired. Huancheng had regained its usual lively, bustling rhythm.

Their return caused no major stir on the surface, but beneath the calm, countless transmission talismans and communication tools were already circulating the news throughout the cultivation world.

"Senior Brother, you really came to pick me up!" Miao Yunrong dismounted from the carriage and immediately spotted Mo Su standing at the inn's entrance. Her face lit up, and she skipped to him with a delighted grin, even using spiritual energy to speed her steps.

Mo Su scanned the group with a lazy gaze. They had clearly been through battle, but their conditions were stable and uninjured.

Unlike their young mistress, Miao Shu and the other attendants remained behind and stood respectfully beside the carriage, awaiting Jian Dan's disembarkation.

Thanks to the magnolia's healing glow and her own adjustments along the way, Jian Dan had recovered considerably. Although her spiritual consciousness had not fully healed, she could still function normally—as long as she did not overuse her divine sense. Further strain could cause permanent damage or regression.

Fortunately, spiritual damage wasn't externally visible. It would only become apparent during battle. With nothing to worry about for now, Jian Dan stepped down from the carriage gracefully and said to Mo Su, "Mo Su Daoyou, you need not worry. Didn't I promise to bring the young palace mistress back safe and sound? You even waited here—what, do you not trust me, or do you doubt your own judgment?"

Mo Su maintained his usual languid posture, arms crossed, and replied, "Jian Dan Daoyou jests. Of course I trusted you. But since you brought back the male cultivator you selected, and you seemed interested in him, I thought I might as well help you seal the deal."

Jian Dan's expression twitched slightly. So, there was an agenda after all. She didn't dwell on it and simply replied with a smirk, "Mo Su Daoyou truly knows me well."

The group entered the inn in grand procession, keeping prying eyes at bay. Once inside the largest conference room, the gathered parties took their seats and Mo Su opened the discussion.

"The Xun Pavilion has been thoroughly investigated. No trace of the black beetles was found. However, we did discover many captured male cultivators, most of them Loose Cultivators. The strongest was a late-stage Nascent Soul. There were Dao cultivators, demon cultivators, but no beastskin."

He gestured toward a man standing nearby.

"This is Cao Chenfeng of the Heavenly Sword Sect. He has something to say."

Cao Chenfeng stepped forward and bowed to Jian Dan. "I am Cao Chenfeng of the Heavenly Sword Sect. I thank Jūnshàng for your assistance."

"Oh, Heavenly Sword Sect?" Jian Dan raised an eyebrow. "No wonder your sword aura is so sharp. Are you sure you don't want to come work for me?"

Her words started serious but quickly turned teasing. Miao Yunrong, who stood behind Mo Su, pouted slightly but dared not interrupt.

Cao Chenfeng's face turned dark with embarrassment. This moment would haunt him for life. Still, facing a Divine Transformation cultivator, he kept his composure. "Jūnshàng overestimates me. I am unworthy of your favor and would only tarnish your name."

The meaning was simple: I can't handle you, please spare me.

Jian Dan feigned regret. "What a shame. But I won't force you."

With that aside, the group returned to serious matters. Jian Dan spoke first. "The woman who fought me at the Xun Pavilion—she looked like a Divine Soul cultivator, but her strength was only at the Divine Transformation stage. I believe the black beetle enhanced her, making her a false Divine Soul."

"This beetle is the largest I've seen. What do you think, Mo Su Daoyou?"

Mo Su nodded. "In recent years, we in the Demon Palace have been purging these foreign black beetles. Most cultivators are now wary of them. Even so, many beetles have gone underground. The one I captured—Yuan Jinsheng from the Gate of Life and Death—was recently parasitized. His Nascent Soul hadn't yet been assimilated and dissolved on its own."

"What about the other cultivators found at the Pavilion? Any signs of infestation?"

"None so far. What about your side?"

"The one I fought claimed to be from the Jia family of Yunling City. Her body was destroyed by her own thunderburst orb. No beetle emerged, but her Yuányīng escaped. The others were captured. We also recovered a whole ship of cauldron candidates."

"The one who fought Jian-Jūnshàng looked exactly like the woman we encountered at the Pavilion," Miao Yunrong added.

Mo Su turned to Jian Dan, who nodded in confirmation. The room fell silent for a moment.

"We need to spread this information as quickly as possible," Mo Su said.

"Any theories, Mo Su Daoyou?" Jian Dan asked.

Mo Su rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, then replied, "These creatures are invasive. Now that their weakness has been discovered by cultivators of Lingyun Continent, they've gone into hiding. The mature beetles are likely the same ones we encountered in the Chilang Secret Realm—powerful and aggressive. The larvae are fast and nearly impossible to guard against. Once they reach the spiritual sea, they can take control within five breaths."

"The longer the infestation lasts, the stronger the control. Possessed cultivators are their best shields—able to fight or retreat at will. And unless we can extract the beetle, the only solution is to eliminate the host."

"Selling or gifting cauldrons only makes parasitism easier," Jian Dan said bluntly. "During dual cultivation, a cultivator's defenses are weakest."