"Everything?"
Meng Congjian was surprised and pressed again.
"Everything."
Everyone in the hall turned their eyes to Jian Dan, thinking the same thing. Jian Lu Zūnshàng is truly generous.
"Hehe. Before I advance, I plan to run a special training for the nine squads of the War Hall. Those spirit stones are for you, Hall Master Meng, to reserve the largest arena."
Jian Li understood what Jian Dan meant. A hint of a smile appeared on his usually stern face."You intend to take the field yourself?"
"Mm. If Senior Brother Jian Li is interested, we can spar as well. You have not drawn your sword since your breakthrough, have you?"
Jian Dan began coaxing Jian Li. Truth be told, her hands were itching too.
Of course Jian Li understood Jian Dan's little scheme, and he was indeed tempted. "Very well. I will invite Senior Brother Jian Xu to come along."
"Good. I was waiting for you to say that." Hearing Jian Li's answer, Jian Dan beamed. This meant she could finally fight to her heart's content.
Several in the hall, including Jian Wu, were already plotting. When Jian Lu Zūnshàng trained the War Hall, they absolutely had to go join the fun.
When Meng Congjian heard that Jian Lu Zūnshàng would personally make a move, and that Jian Li and Jian Xu, two Unity-stage Zūnshàngs, might fight as well, the delight on his face tightened at once.
Sparring at their level meant the arena's defensive array would need to be raised to the highest setting. That was spirit stones burning away. He was not even sure that a million top-grade spirit stones would cover it.
Jian Dan caught the flicker on Hall Master Meng's face and knew what this thrifty man was thinking. She smiled. "Rest easy, Hall Master Meng. It will be ordinary sparring, not a life-or-death battle. Deduct the arena fees from the fund."
Hearing this, Meng Congjian finally relaxed a little. He accepted the order cheerfully and went to prepare. One never knew when the Zūnshàngs would want the arena, and the spirit stones had to be earned back.
After Hall Master Meng left, Wei Zhengrong stepped forward and spoke to Jian Li. "Reporting to Hall Master. Per your instructions, I investigated the rumors about Jian Lu Zūnshàng. The Kong Clan disciples spreading them have been recalled by their clan one after another."
"Likely because I went to demand an explanation," Jian Dan said evenly.
"Those being recalled are mostly of Kong Qiankun's branch. I suspect they are brooding over what happened back then and tried to smear Jian Lu Zūnshàng."
Wei Zhengrong mentioned this briefly. He had only discovered it today and had been about to report to Jian Li when Jian Lu Zūnshàng arrived.
"Hmph. Then they should not have come for me. They should trouble the Hua Clan instead."
"The Hua Clan has already disappeared from the cultivation world. They do not dare blame Tian Yun Zhēnzūn, so they vented their anger on you."
"Just because I was there?"
"Yes. Because you were present and did not intervene."
A glint of mockery flashed through Jian Dan's eyes. "At that time I had just advanced to Golden Core. Kong Qiankun was also at Golden Core. Five Hua Clan cultivators at Golden Core were chasing him, and I had Feng Nianyue with me. How was I supposed to make a move? With what? They simply wanted a soft target to squeeze."
"We understand that, and so do they. But they needed a place to vent their private resentment. You need not mind them," Wei Zhengrong said.
"I do not. I just find that branch of the Kong Clan pitiable. Their clan abandoned Kong Qiankun. They have grievances with nowhere to cry and hatred they cannot avenge. They cannot seek out Tian Yun Zhēnzūn, since the Kong Clan Ancestor would never allow it. They cannot go after the Hua Clan, which is gone. As for me, Jian Lu, they cannot kill me, so they spread rumors to smear me."
Jian Dan laid it all out, clear and cold.
"Junior Sister," Jian Li interjected, wanting to soothe her.
"No need to worry, Senior Brother. I am not someone to be kneaded at will. I did not let them off easy this time either."
Now that sounded like Jian Lu. Jian Li asked at once, "What did you do?"
"Ahem, nothing much. I just made it so their high-level cultivators will experience stagnation for a hundred years."
A sharp hiss ran through the room. Jian Wu, Wei Zhengrong, and Qi Hua were all shocked. They could not help but admire Jian Lu Zūnshàng. At such a time, a hundred years without progress in cultivation was a torment almost too much to imagine.
"Ahem. Junior Sister, since the Kong Clan has already compensated you and you have vented your anger, do not go too far."
"Rest assured, Senior Brother, I know my limits. It is only a poison. As long as they cultivate diligently, the blockage will unravel faster."
She was not merely brushing it off. Jin Ai's cultivation was only at peak Divine Transformation, so the efficacy of her poisons on high-level cultivators was limited. If this were Unity-stage and she released the toxin from E Yin Grass, the Kong Clan cultivators might never see ascension in this lifetime.
"Senior Brother, any other instructions?"
"Nothing else, except I want to ask about your trial illusion array. Any progress? Your dreamscape test for the incoming disciples was very successful. Jian Wu reported to me as soon as he returned."
At this, Jian Wu grinned.
"This was thanks to Senior Sister Jian Jing's reminder. The trial dreamscape uses my Dream Beast's Eye. If I tried to engrave the full illusion into an array disk, it would be far too complex, and the disk could not bear it.
"So she suggested I refine it directly into a magic tool. I already have a preliminary design. The next steps are securing the refining materials and solving the problem of imprinting the illusion.
"In short, it will take time. Please give me a few days, Senior Brother."
Jian Dan cupped her hands.
"Very well. It seems I am the impatient one. Proceed as you see fit. If you lack suitable materials, go find Meng Congjian at the Operations Hall. The Enforcement Hall has some stores as well."
"In that case, thank you, Senior Brother."
Taking her leave of Jian Li, Jian Dan turned into a stream of light and returned to her cave residence on Tianyue Peak.
She had barely left when Sect Master Jian Chong arrived at the Law Enforcement Hall.
"Greetings, Hall Master Jian Li."
"Jian Chong, do you need something? Are the entrance trials for the recruits from the mortal world not underway today?" Jian Li set down the jade slip in his hand and asked.
"Yes. I presided over the first round just now. All disciples passed the Heart-Capturing Gate test."
"It seems this intake has no issues with temperament," Jian Li said, gratified.
Before Jian Dan came, Jian Wu had already reported to his master that he had recruited ten disciples from the mortal world specifically for the Enforcement Hall, to be trained under its banner, and that Acting Hall Master Jian Lu had permitted it at the time.
Jian Li was not a rigid man. With a little thought, he understood the intention behind Jian Dan and Jian Wu's arrangements.
When war comes, nine out of ten Enforcement Hall disciples must fight. The hall needs reserves. This also serves as a generational handover.
"Zūnshàng, the new disciples are fine, but there is a problem with the Heart-Capturing Gate."
Jian Chong lowered his voice. This was his first time presiding over the sect's testing treasure, and he had not expected a problem.
"What problem?"