Before Jian Dan stretched an endless expanse of stone hills, some tall and jagged, others low and clustered together like waves frozen in time. Even with her current spiritual sense, she couldn't scan the full extent of the terrain.
Behind her, the four remaining cultivators finally caught up. Qin Haotian stepped forward, spirit sword in hand, and shouted accusingly:
"You demon cultivator! What did you do to us? Why has our spiritual power vanished?"
Jian Dan couldn't be bothered to entertain such idiocy. "Are these so-called elite disciples?"
In truth, her earlier guess had been correct—these cultivators weren't elites at all. They were merely ordinary outer sect disciples, coincidentally training nearby by hunting sea beasts.
Han Pengfei, unwilling to watch Qin Haotian make a bigger fool of himself, stepped forward and cupped his fists toward Jian Dan.
"Fellow Daoist, we were unaware of Zhu Yongnian's ambush and couldn't intervene in time. Our apologies for startling you."
"No matter. He's ash now. I hold no grudges."
Cough!
Han Pengfei nearly choked on his embarrassment. Dealing with unpredictable female cultivators was always troublesome—one wrong word could cost you your life.
"You still dare act arrogant?" Qin Haotian didn't try for a sneak attack this time. With a roar, he charged straight at Jian Dan, sword swinging down.
Jian Dan met his strike head-on, her Twin Moon Flood Dragon Sword humming with momentum. Neither of them could use spiritual energy in this place—so why back down?
They exchanged blow after blow, blade against blade, relying solely on physical strength. To any observer, it looked more like a fierce duel between martial artists than cultivators—no flashy spells, just precise strikes and parries. But Jian Dan's refined physique granted her twice the strength of an average cultivator. A sideways slash sent Qin Haotian flying into a stone pillar. He spat blood, unconscious.
The remaining three froze. Under Han Pengfei's lead, they stood meekly, wisely keeping silent.
"Hmph!" Jian Dan gave a proud snort and turned away, striding toward the deeper part of the rocky hills without sparing them another glance.
"Senior Brother Han, what now?"
"Follow her."
During the fight, Han Pengfei had realized their energy loss wasn't Jian Dan's doing. If she'd wanted them dead, a single sword stroke would've sufficed. No, she knew something—and had prepared accordingly.
Therefore, he chose to trail her.
Brother Parrot finally poked his little head out from Jian Dan's robes, glancing around at the vast wilderness of stone with wide eyes.
"So this is the Spiritless Land! First time seeing it! So many stones... my forest home is much nicer."
"How do you know it's called that?"
"Uh... I don't know—I just know!"
Giving up on deciphering his circular logic, Jian Dan asked, "Which way now?"
"East."
Without further delay, Jian Dan quickened her pace eastward. The group behind her trailed at a safe distance, not daring to get too close.
They continued like this for seven full days and nights, following the direction Brother Parrot gave. By the fifth day, the cultivators behind her had already vanished from the range of her divine sense.
Brother Parrot had long grown tired of the unchanging scenery and had taken to lounging in her robes, occasionally chatting to pass the time.
"Xiao Zhuzi, why'd they stop following? We even slowed down for them."
"They ran out of stamina."
"Eh?"
"This is the Spiritless Land. Without spiritual energy, even Foundation Establishment cultivators need to eat."
"Wait, then why aren't you hungry? Brother Parrot feels fine too!" He patted his belly with a wing.
"That 'candy' I fed you at the exit was a top-grade bigu dan—one keeps you nourished for a month."
"Oooh! No wonder it was tasty."
"And you weren't afraid it was poison?"
"Brother Parrot—uhh—didn't think about that!"
Seeing his nervous fluster, Jian Dan laughed softly and rubbed his fluffy head.
"In the future, be more careful in the cultivation world."
"Okay!"
After circling around another towering stone hill, Jian Dan finally spotted a clearing up ahead. A cluster of thatched huts had been built across the open space, with piles of broken rocks heaped nearby—clearly mined from the surrounding hills.
"Another newcomer."
"Let's see how long this one lasts..."
"Better focus on ourselves first."
Following the voices, Jian Dan noticed that near the edge of the clearing, someone had constructed a larger shed against the base of a hill. It could hold thirty to forty people, and there were already over a dozen cultivators resting inside.
Just as Jian Dan was about to head toward the huts, an aged voice called out behind her.
"Girl. Over here."
An elderly woman stood in the clearing, her gray robes stark against the barren land. Waist-length white hair framed a face etched with wrinkles, yet her eyes gleamed with youthful sharpness. A blackwood cane supported her left hand.
Jian Dan did not dare be rude. She quickly approached and stopped three steps away, bowing respectfully. "This lowly cultivator is Shan Yunzhu, a rogue practitioner who stumbled into your domain by accident. Forgive my intrusion."
"I'm Brother Parrot! Came with Xiao Zhuzi!" The little parrot flapped his wings in greeting, trying to look dignified.
"Mm. Polite enough."
With a wave, the old woman summoned a stone archery frame into the clearing.