Jian Dan's interest was piqued after hearing Wei Zhengrong's words. A person with a spiritual root who could not cultivate? How could that be?
"Zheng Rong, tell me in detail. What exactly is going on?"
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
"My younger sister, Wei Xueru, has been frail since birth. Our parents were always cautious, nourishing her with gentle low-grade spirit plants. When she turned five, we tested her spiritual root and discovered she had a top-grade single-element wind root. The entire clan was overjoyed.
But when she began cultivation, we found that her meridians were stone meridians. Spiritual energy could not enter her body, much less be stored in her dantian. Yet she could sense spiritual energy easily. No matter what she tried, she could not draw it into her body.
Later, the clan's Ancestor personally examined her and attempted to clear her meridians with his own spiritual energy. But whenever spiritual power entered her body, her meridians would rupture instantly. She simply could not endure it.
Our Wei family even sought out cultivators with the same wind root to help, but the results were identical. In the end, we could only give up on Xue Ru."
At this point, Wei Zhengrong's face showed a flicker of sorrow. Then he continued,
"As her only elder brother, I am unwilling to give up. As long as there's even the slightest chance, I am willing to try."
"So this time, you secretly brought out your clan's treasured heirloom just so I could examine Xue Ru's condition?"
Jian Dan asked with a smile.
Wei Zhengrong's head shot up. He glanced at her, then bowed deeply.
"Yes. I will be punished when I return, but I still beg Zūnshàng to help my younger sister."
"You're so certain I can help her?"
Jian Dan countered without answering directly.
"I don't know, but I'm willing to take the chance."
"Very well. I understand. In two days, once I've settled my affairs, bring Xue Ru to my cave on Tianyue Peak."
Wei Zhengrong's face lit with joy. He immediately bowed again.
"Thank you, Zūnshàng."
Just as they finalized the matter of Wei Xueru, Jin Liuli entered the side hall, smiling brightly as she walked toward Jian Dan.
"Zūnshàng, I went to the Main Peak's Affairs Hall to check. There was no Wood Spirit Pearl, but I found two pieces of Wood Spirit Crystal and some Wood Spirit Liquid. I thought your plant beast could use them, so I exchanged for them all. Please have a look."
She presented a storage ring. Jian Dan swept her divine sense over it. One of the Wood Spirit Crystals was palm-sized, the other only the size of an egg, both a rich emerald green. The white jade vial of Wood Spirit Liquid barely covered the bottom, the thick green fluid speckled with tiny silver motes.
"Liu Chuan, can you use these?"
Jian Dan sent a mental message to Liu Chuan. Sensing the items in the ring, Liu Chuan replied,
"These are about as good as a Wood Spirit Pearl. Unfortunately, once used, they're gone. Still, with them I can restore seventy percent of my strength."
"Better than nothing. As for the Wood Spirit Pearl, I'll keep an eye out for you."
After their brief exchange, Jian Dan took the storage ring and told Jin Liuli,
"Well done. These will be useful."
"Zūnshàng, this is your identity sword token."
Liu Li carefully handed over Jian Dan's purple jade sword token. Jian Dan caught a faint oddness in her expression. When she took the token, she noticed her unused contribution points—untouched for over a century—had suddenly dropped by four digits.
"Liu Li, why are you looking so guilty? Points are meant to be spent. I didn't say anything."
"Hehe, Zūnshàng, I only chose the highest-point items from the Affairs Hall. They befit your status."
"Was it satisfying to burn through my points?"
"Of course. Lang Yu from the Main Peak Affairs Hall looked at me differently afterward. Satisfying is putting it lightly."
Jin Liuli's frankness made Jian Dan laugh aloud.
"Don't worry. One day, you'll be the one throwing around wealth like this. I have high hopes for you."
Jian Dan teased, and Jin Liuli could only scratch her head and grin.
The next morning, Jian Dan returned to Tianyue Peak under the rising sun. Lü Se was already waiting, knowing she never delayed on instructions and had already spoken to Bai Jue.
"Zūnshàng, Bai Jue Zūnzhǔ is ready and waiting for you."
"Good. Have him come to the peak."
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
While waiting, Jian Dan opened her cave's barrier, took out a tall-necked jade vase, and placed the Wood Spirit Crystals inside. She poured in the scant Wood Spirit Liquid, then brushed her wrist. Liu Chuan slid out from her wrist, transforming into a forty-centimeter willow branch. Jian Dan inserted him into the vase and stored it away in her bamboo house's cultivation room.
"Liu Chuan, recover quickly. A month from now, during the Sect Master succession ceremony, I'll need you to monitor Tianyue Peak for me."
"I knew you wouldn't be gathering treasures for me without expecting something in return."
"There's no need for us to be so formal. I'd help you regardless. Now focus on your recovery."
Liu Chuan rustled his leaves, knowing she always kept her word. He began absorbing the pure wood spiritual energy to repair himself.
When Jian Dan emerged, Bai Jue was already waiting beneath the parasol tree.
"Thank you for your trouble, Zūnshàng."
"No need for courtesy. Visiting the Nine-Tailed Beast King in the beast clan also meant troubling you with hospitality."
Jian Dan smiled, taking flight toward the mountain where the Advancement Hall was located.
This time, she didn't need to exchange for an Advancement Hall token. She brought Bai Jue directly to the base of the mountain.
Waiting for her there was an old acquaintance—the same Divine Soul stage gatekeeper who had once charged her five extra top-grade spirit stones when she was late for her Nascent Soul advancement.
On seeing her, the man bowed and handed over a token for a cultivation cave suitable for a Void Refinement cultivator.
"Much obliged."
Jian Dan passed the token to Bai Jue and briefly explained how to use it before watching him enter the cave. Then she turned to the gatekeeper with a playful smile.
"If Bai Jue overstays his time, bill me for the extra spirit stones."
The gatekeeper knew Jian Lu Zūnshàng was teasing but still replied readily,
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
Jian Dan nodded and flew straight toward the Tianjian Peak's Tongzi Hall.
When her light descended, the little ones had not yet all arrived. The three earlycomers spotted her and hurried over to greet her.
"Greetings, Jian Lu Zūnshàng."
"Mm. Why are you so early today?"
Jian Dan sat casually behind the desk, addressing Yu Jiajia, Jia Yushu, and Zhao Yunhai.
"We're the team leaders, so we come early to organize everyone's training."
Yu Jiajia answered seriously, but Zhao Yunhai quickly exposed her.
"Zūnshàng, Jia Jia came early because she had something to ask you. She dragged me and Yu Shu along."
"Zhao Yunhai!"
Yu Jiajia jumped up in embarrassment, chasing him with her little wooden sword.
Jia Yushu quietly stood at the desk and began asking his questions one by one from a small notebook.
Only after finishing with Jia Yushu did Yu Jiajia return, putting away her sword and joining them at the desk. Though she wasn't first in line, she waited patiently while Jian Dan explained.
When the questions were done, Jian Dan looked at her with amusement.
"So, Jia Jia, what did you want to ask?"
Yu Jiajia scratched her head shyly before speaking.
"Zūnshàng… at the Buddhist Sect's purification ceremony, was it you playing the zither?"