True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress

"We meet again, young friend of the Heavenly Sword Sect."

Jian Dan's voice rang out, startling both parties caught within the formation. On one side stood Qi Hua of the Heavenly Sword Sect's Tian Du Peak. On the other was a team of six figures, cloaked head to toe in black robes.

Qi Hua looked exhausted. Her spiritual energy was nearly depleted, and there were faint signs of poisoning on her body. Surrounded by her enemies, she had been forced into this small courtyard and trapped within a binding array.

Fortunately, she had managed to send a distress signal to the sect just before being fully encircled, hoping reinforcements would arrive in time.

Jian Dan, holding her crimson Shadow Umbrella, stepped calmly into the formation.

Both sides grew tense, especially the six assassins. The female cultivator who had just entered clearly knew their target.

"Who are you? This matter concerns Tianya Haijiao. We ask that you stay out of it."

The leader of the group, hidden in the back, spoke up. His tone was stern, trying to invoke the name of their organization to intimidate her.

Jian Dan kept walking at a leisurely pace. Tianya Haijiao was a well-known assassination syndicate, infamous across the Dao, Demon, and Beast races. In her previous life, one of its leaders had even served beneath Du Yanran. She knew exactly what kind of people they were.

Qi Hua seized the moment of hesitation. While Jian Dan held the enemy's attention, she quickly swallowed a detoxification pill and a recovery pill, restoring a bit of spiritual energy.

Jian Dan stopped at the center of the array and lifted her Shadow Umbrella. The six assassins caught a faint glimpse of her face, but due to their lower cultivation, the image remained indistinct.

Qi Hua, however, recognized her immediately. She bowed respectfully and said, "Qi Hua greets Senior."

This was the same demon cultivator she had met in Huanle City, the one whose presence had made her heart race. She considered this a stroke of great fortune.

"Why are they chasing you?"

Qi Hua, still gripping her Ruyi Staff tightly, answered after bowing again.

"I was sent by the sect to investigate the Jia family of Huanle City, the same one that abducted Senior Brother Cao. Just as I uncovered something useful, these assassins began pursuing me. I fled into the territory of the Demon Sect."

Jian Dan didn't fully believe her, but she didn't press. All she needed was a reason to act on behalf of Cao Chenfeng.

The six assassins exchanged subtle signals, each palming a black pellet and preparing to attack.

Jian Dan had already assessed their strength. One Nascent Soul cultivator, the rest late-stage Golden Core. If Qi Hua hadn't carried several useful pills, she wouldn't have lasted this long.

The killing intent rolling off them left Jian Dan with no doubt. These people didn't need to be questioned.

She closed her Shadow Umbrella. In the same breath, the Mó Yuè Zhǎn flashed across the air.

Six corpses fell without a sound. Their Yuányīng didn't even have time to escape its body.

Jian Dan summoned her Verdant Flame. In moments, the bodies turned to ash. With a wave of her hand, she collected their storage rings and identity tokens.

Qi Hua stood silently to the side, barely daring to breathe. She bowed her head, hiding the tension in her eyes. With no strength to resist, her fate lay entirely in this woman's hands.

"No need to be afraid, little friend. I was simply passing by. Since I saw you, I thought I'd ask how our mutual friend Cao has been."

At the mention of Cao Chenfeng, Qi Hua exhaled in relief.

"Junior Brother Cao has successfully forged his life-bound spirit sword. He should be in seclusion at the sect, consolidating his cultivation."

"Golden Core Perfection Stage?"

"Yes."

Jian Dan nodded in understanding. If he hadn't yet formed a Yuányīng, then he was likely preparing to enter the Chengli Secret Realm.

She had originally planned to wrap things up here in the Demon Sect, switch identities, then roam freely before returning to the Heavenly Sword Sect to hand over the secret realm map and point out the location of the True Dragon's Blood.

But now, with her heading to the Ming Valley and no return to the sect in sight, it made sense to finish everything here.

She drew a blank jade slip from her black-gold ring and recorded the secret realm information inside, including a rough map of where the True Dragon's Blood was likely to be found.

She also encoded the current situation of the Demon Sect using the Enforcement Hall's cipher, making it clear she would be out of contact for a while.

After sealing the jade slip with a special restriction, she tossed it to Qi Hua.

"Give this to Cao. He'll know what it is. No peeking."

Qi Hua caught it carefully. Gazing at the beautiful and seductive figure before her, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Cao Chenfeng's romantic fortune was enviable. Who would have thought she'd also benefit from it today?

She smiled and tucked the jade slip into her storage bracelet.

"Rest assured, I'll deliver it safely. Does Senior have any other message for him?"

Jian Dan tapped her chin, then smiled.

"Tell him, 'Only because you glanced at me once, I think of you morning and night.'"

Qi Hua shivered slightly, then composed herself and said seriously, "I'll make sure your words reach him."

"Good. Do you want me to see you off?"

Qi Hua felt something was off about that offer and quickly declined.

"Your help was already more than enough. I'll leave Tian Mo City right away. Thank you for your kindness."

With a deep bow, she turned and left the formation, vanishing into the bustling city streets.

Jian Dan waited until Qi Hua disappeared from her divine sense, then suddenly turned. A magic arrow shot into the corner of a shadowed alley.

A Dao cultivator in grey robes emerged from the shattered concealment spell.

"You're bold. Forcing me to reveal myself like this. If you had any sense, you'd have left instead of exposing my position."

"You're too kind, Elder. This is Tian Mo City, after all. A place for demon cultivators. What is a Dao cultivator doing hiding here?"

As she spoke to the Divine Soul realm cultivator, the Mó Yuè Zhǎn emerged from her dantian, circling her body in a swirl of thick demonic energy.

Hua Chunshan's eyes darkened. He hadn't seen this woman before, but he had heard of her. Rumor said she'd openly confessed to a sword cultivator from the Heavenly Sword Sect in Huanle City.

"You intend to fight me here, little friend?"

His tone was lofty, almost amused. With their vast gap in cultivation, he hadn't taken her seriously at all.

Jian Dan, however, was weighing her chances. Could she kill him here?

She had already recognized him. This was the patriarch of the Hua family. His descendant, the Hua Zhēnrén who had been crippled by her and later killed by Jian Jun, shared his same mean-spirited face. There was no mistake.