The Heaven Sword Sect's representative for this journey was none other than Jian Ning Zhēnjūn. Obsessed with swordsmanship, Jian Ning was known for her aloof nature and preferred letting her sword speak in place of words. Despite her cold demeanor, she bore the elegant face of a noble lady—serene and alluring.
She had stepped into the mortal world for training when she was only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core Realm. At that time, she had been harassed by a Nascent Soul cultivator from another sect—only to end the encounter with a single stroke of her sword. The man's Yuanying didn't even have the chance to escape. That battle earned Jian Ning her widespread fame.
This was her first sect elder mission since advancing to the Nascent Soul stage.
Jian Ning stretched out her hand and took the jade box, storing it in her spatial ring. Her voice, though soft and gentle, carried an undeniable authority.
"Since you're willing to cultivate under the Heaven Sword Sect, I'll accept you on behalf of the sect. However, cultivation depends on your own efforts. After you join, you'll begin as an outer disciple. Any objections?"
"Thank you, Zhēnjūn. I am willing."
Jian Dan responded promptly.
"Good. You may withdraw for now. Later, you will depart with the remaining disciples of our sect."
"Understood."
Jian Dan left the main chamber and took a deep breath outside. "At last, I have a place to settle. The rest depends on me."
"Shan Daoyou!"
Jian Dan turned and was surprised to find a familiar face—Han Pengfei of the Cloud Sea Sect.
Now dressed in fresh blue robes, Han Pengfei looked even more handsome after his recent breakthrough.
"Han Daoyou!"
"Thank you again, Shan Daoyou, for giving me your purple-grade token at such a critical moment. I truly don't know what I would've done without it."
"Mhm. Your debt is already recorded in a jade slip. I'll find you when the time comes."
Jian Dan smiled lightly.
Han Pengfei's lips twitched. "Normally, people would at least feign modesty. Why is Shan Daoyou so blunt?"
"Senior Brother Han! So it was for this female cultivator that you attacked me?"
A pink figure rushed toward Jian Dan and Han Pengfei.
Instinctively, Jian Dan retreated a zhang away, while Han Pengfei also distanced himself by five steps.
"Senior Brother Han?"
The female cultivator was none other than Xu Meixia, displeased by their reactions. She immediately pouted at Han Pengfei.
Jian Dan felt no need for courtesy. In her eyes, someone who had tried to kill her was already a dead person. Escaping once didn't guarantee a second chance.
"Oh? You're still alive."
"Hmph! Did you wish for my death so you could monopolize Senior Brother Han? Lucky for me, I had a Purple Token to teleport out at the last moment."
"Is that so? Then why didn't you think to bring your 'Senior Brother Han' along when you activated it?" Jian Dan cut straight to the point.
"Senior Brother Han, I really wanted to take you with me! But you attacked me for this woman! I fell from my sword and had no choice but to use the token to survive. You can't blame me!"
She cast a pitiful, resentful gaze at Han Pengfei.
Seizing the moment while the two were "locked in affection," Jian Dan swiftly extended her divine sense, sweeping over Xu Meixia's body—but found nothing unusual.
Jian Dan sent a voice transmission: "Be careful. Don't let a dream become reality."
Han Pengfei paused briefly upon receiving the message, then stepped into his room and activated the isolation formation.
Xu Meixia stomped her foot outside the door, glared at Jian Dan, and then entered the adjacent room.
"Disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect, heed my command—we return to the sect at once!"
Jian Ning Zhēnjūn's voice echoed above the flying vessel. At once, Heaven Sword Sect disciples emerged from their quarters and assembled neatly on the deck.
With a wave of her hand, Jian Ning summoned a flying sword that hovered in mid-air. It expanded swiftly until it was several zhang wide, and all disciples below the Nascent Soul stage leapt onto it.
"Daoyou, I take my leave for now. May we meet again in the future."
With that, the sword shot into the clouds, carrying the disciples away. The remaining cultivators also left with their respective elders, returning to their sects.
"Feeling more at ease now?"
In the void, Bai Jue spoke to the parrot nestled in his arms.
"Mmm. Xiao Zhuzi gained some opportunities, but she gave most of the spiritual treasures to me. I was afraid she'd suffer a loss."
The parrot fiddled with the storage pouch on its chest—a gift from Jian Dan.
"She is human and walks her own path of cultivation. You are different. Now that you have the qualifications to cultivate, I will train you rigorously to advance your realm swiftly."
"I know! Before leaving, Xiao Zhuzi secretly told me that peace in the Lingyuan Continent won't last much longer. She urged me to cultivate diligently."
"Quite perceptive. The incident at the Purple Rank Secret Realm is only the beginning. All we can do is strengthen ourselves to face the coming calamity with the power to fight back."
"Mhm! I'll work hard. Let's go!"
"Very well."
Elder Yin stood at the bow of the ship, glancing at the space where Bai Jue had vanished. Closing his eyes, he performed a quick divination with his right hand. When he reopened them, he murmured toward the direction of Bai Jue's departure:
"So the variable lies with the beastkin… The divination has changed again."
Meanwhile, Jian Dan sat cross-legged atop the massive flying sword, not cultivating but simply watching the scenery rush past. It had been a long time since she traveled at the speed of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Three days later, the group arrived at the gates of the Heaven Sword Sect.
At its entrance stood two colossal swords crossed in the air, piercing the clouds. Carved into their blades were two majestic characters:
"Heavenly Sword."
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From this chapter we can see that Zhēnjūn is title for the Nascent Soul stage. I want to talk about the naming term in this novel. In previous chapter I was talk about the 'Taoist Name' that represent themselves, right?
It seems they began take that name when they at Nascent Soul, because in the future chapter I also found another Zhēnjūn that have this naming set [Jian X Formal Title], and it seems that naming set used until Unity stage (?) and then it changed into [Tian X Formal Title] for Mahayana stage. Oh, and this kind set of naming is unique in the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Of course the naming set [X Formal Title] is universal and applies from cultivator reaches Nascent Soul onwards. While [Jian] and [Tian] is unique for Heavenly Sword Sect, maybe the other sect also have their unique identification.