"Right, in my past life, it was after I was abandoned and left the capital's troubles behind, bedridden for a long time, consumed by depression and resentment, that I spat out blood and acknowledged my master!"
As for spitting blood, that wasn't something she could replicate now—after all, in this life, she hadn't been weighed down by bitterness, so naturally, she wouldn't cough up blood.
However, Jian Dan pondered for a moment and decided to try using tongue blood instead. It also came from the mouth, so rounding it up, it could count as heart's blood.
Without hesitation, Jian Dan bit her tongue. Blood instantly filled her mouth, and that familiar sensation returned. She swiftly smeared her tongue blood onto the four pieces of jade jewelry.
The four magnolia ornaments gradually absorbed the blood and began emitting a soft, gentle white glow. They floated up, spinning faster and faster until—with a flash of bright light—they transformed.
Jian Dan instinctively shut her eyes, then opened them again.
Before her hovered a single magnolia flower. Upon closer inspection, it was carved from white jade—its petals crystalline, its stamens red, and its core yellow—so lifelike it seemed real. Then, in a flash, it turned into a beam of light and shot straight between her brows.
By the time she regained full awareness, the sun was nearly setting. Gazing at the sunset outside her window, her eyes flickered with a mix of complexity and relief.
Her mother had once divining her fate, knowing she would suffer because of so-called family ties. That was why she had made so many preparations for her.
Yet, back then, she had been too trusting—especially of the father who had been absent throughout her childhood and the best friend, Du Yanran, whom she had treated with utter devotion. In the end, they had led her to ruin. Fortunately, her family's ancestral treasure had saved her from complete annihilation.
Upon reflection, the Jian family was a lineage of profound heritage—otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to arrange a marriage alliance with the Zhao family of the capital. Generations ago, there had been rumors that the Jian family had once produced an immortal. In modern society, such claims would only be met with scoffing, but in truth, the Jian family was a cultivation clan.
Long before the current age of Dharma Ending Era, the Jian family had birthed a grandmaster artifact smith. In an era rich with cultivation resources, crafting an immortal artifact as a family heirloom wasn't an impossible feat. Thus, this Jian ancestor spent all his wealth and a century forging a growth-type immortal artifact.
On the day of its completion, the artifact endured a heavenly tribulation—coinciding with the ancestor's own ascension trial. The two tribulations merged.
The Jian ancestor nearly turned to ash under the thunder's wrath, but at the last moment, the newly forged artifact intercepted the final bolt. Though its grade dropped by one level, the tempering of the heavenly lightning elevated it into a true growth-type immortal treasure.
Before ascending, the ancestor bestowed the artifact upon his most beloved youngest daughter, Jian Xi. To prevent greed from others—even his own descendants—he disassembled the artifact into a set of magnolia-shaped jewelry.
Outwardly, it appeared to be nothing more than a low-grade heavenly defensive treasure, more sentimental than practical. Since he had openly gifted it in front of everyone before ascending, none could openly contest it.
Some of his scheming children tried to seize it, but Jian Xi was no pushover. Declaring it a memento from her father, she refused to let anyone else touch it—then brought out her Dao companion, Wu Dao, who staunchly supported her.
After returning to the Wu family, their patriarch requested to examine the treasure. Jian Xi couldn't refuse her Dao companion's ancestor, so she generously allowed it—though she knew exactly what they were after.
Under the guise of studying its craftsmanship, the Wu elders scrutinized the magnolia set. Yet no matter how hard they looked, it remained just a defensive treasure. Their attention soon turned back to Jian Xi.
But Jian Xi acted as if the matter no longer concerned her. She focused solely on cultivation—dual cultivating with Wu Dao, refining artifacts, crafting talismans, and embarking on expeditions. She even bore two children during her Nascent Soul stage: a son, Wu Fan, and a daughter, Jian Ya.
After guiding them into the path of cultivation, Jian Xi entered seclusion to recover the cultivation she had lost during childbirth. Fifty years later, she not only regained her former strength but also broke through to the Divine Transformation stage, solidifying her position as a core pillar of the Wu family.
Even then, she didn't immediately emerge. Instead, she met briefly with Wu Dao and their children before entering another, shorter retreat—this time for thirty years. Only then did she fully absorb the inheritance memories—sealed in her consciousness by the Jian ancestor, no larger than a sesame seed—unlocking the truth of her lineage.