From outside the formation, Jian Dan saw everything clearly and could only rub her brow at Xue Ru's boldness.
Letting things take their course did not mean letting the spirit into her dantian before a contract was formed. Thankfully the outcome was good. The wind spirit had already bonded, or she would not have leapt three levels in one go.
Having risen three small realms, Xue Ru felt her body grow light. When she looked inward, her meridians had widened a touch, not much to see, but now able to hold more spiritual power. In her dantian, spiritual power already filled two thirds of the space. Once full, she could assault Foundation Establishment.
Looking to her spiritual root, she saw faint black impurities being drawn out. The wind spirit swam up and down along her root, and wherever it passed, more specks of impurity seeped free. The discovery startled her, but she kept steady. When the wind spirit stopped and coiled deeper into the root, she withdrew her inner sight.
She used a Dust-Cleansing Technique to tidy herself, then rose from the cushion and walked out of the formation.
Jian Dan flicked her hand to open the array. Xue Ru stepped forward with a bright smile and bowed. "Thank you for guarding me, Master. I have contracted the wind spirit, and my cultivation rose three levels. I am now at eighth level of Qi Refining."
"Good. Anything else out of the ordinary?" Jian Dan had noticed the brief furrow between Xue Ru's brows during her inner viewing, so she asked directly.
"Yes, Master. When I examined myself, I found an anomaly where the wind spirit was coiled around my spiritual root." Knowing she could not explain it on her own, Xue Ru told Jian Dan everything she had seen.
"Very well. Let me examine your root." Jian Dan condensed a hair-fine thread of spiritual power and guided it into Xue Ru's meridians. In a blink she reached the spiritual root.
Sensing her, the wind spirit stirred and began to swim, and this time no more impurities leaked out.
Jian Dan swept all the expelled grit from Xue Ru's root and drew it away. Xue Ru felt lighter at once and soothed the spirit with a gentle touch of her Primordial Soul.
Jian Dan rubbed a bit of the residue between her fingers and took a sniff. Solidifying Powder. So there had even been traces clinging to the root.
Xue Ru waited for her Master's explanation. Jian Dan smiled. "Fortune favored you. Contracting the wind spirit, and having it make its home in your root, let it scour away the dregs. Now your spiritual root is truly a supreme wind root."
Xue Ru's eyes shone. She bowed again. "Many thanks for explaining, Master. So Xiao Sa is that amazing?"
Jian Dan's brows lifted. So that was the name Xue Ru had given the wind spirit.
"Master, that is the name I chose for the wind spirit," Xue Ru said, grinning a little sheepishly.
"Mm. If it pleases you both. Since you jumped three levels, do not rush further cultivation for now. Focus on body tempering and sword practice, and get your talisman craft to a proper start."
"Yes, Master."
Jian Dan lifted her hand and adjusted the weighted bracelets, then waved Xue Ru off.
In fine spirits, Xue Ru skipped back to her cave abode, eager to commune with her new partner.
The next day, Jian Dan was in her cave refining a cubic spatial module when Lü Se had no choice but to tap the restriction at the entrance.
"What is it?" Jian Dan stepped out to ask.
"Zūnshàng, apologies for disturbing your cultivation. Hall Master Jian Li requests your presence at the Law Enforcement Hall." It was Wei Zhengrong who had come to fetch Jian Dan this time.
Everyone in the Law Enforcement Hall knew that Wei Xueru cultivated under the Zūnshàng. No one fought Wei Zhengrong for errands to Tianyue Peak. The more trips he made, the more often he could see his little sister. That put him at ease.
At this moment, Xue Ru had just finished soaking in a body-tempering decoction and was working through her fist forms. Even seeing her elder brother, she did not lose focus, punching steadily while letting her art cycle through her meridians.
One glance told Wei Zhengrong that his little sister had already reached eighth level of Qi Refining. So fast?
Pride warmed him, mixed with awe. This speed was the mark of a top-grade genius. Zūnshàng truly had a way with disciples.
In his quiet delight, he forgot that he had found the wind spirit for her.
That thought came and went in a heartbeat. Jian Dan knew he had come partly to check on Xue Ru, and she did not call it out. She nodded. "I will go with you to see Senior Brother."
Law Enforcement Hall
"Senior Brother, what is it this time?" Jian Dan moved through the hall with practiced ease, saluted, sat as a matter of course, and smiled across at Jian Li.
"There is something to discuss." Jian Li rubbed his brow, set the jade slip down, and took a sip of the spirit tea Qi Hua had brought before speaking. "Bi Shu is a hot potato in our care. She may not be leaving the Heavenly Sword Sect anytime soon. Do you have a plan?"
Jian Dan's lips curved. "Senior Brother, you are not even asking the Heavenly Demon Palace first, and you already set your sights on Bi Xiaoyou. What if they object?"
"To what? If not for you, their trip would have been one way."
Direct and to the point.
"All right. I understand."
Jian Dan drank a mouthful of tea, then shared what she had worked out last night.
"Since Bi Shu is a living probe for the insects, and she is here, we start by sweeping our own domain clean. Pair her with high-stage escorts and scour our jurisdiction. If we can force out a second blood insect, that proves her value. Then the sect can send high-stage cultivators to escort them home, repaying the Heavenly Demon Palace for lending Bi Shu."
"Of course, if the Heavenly Demon Palace can invite one of their own Zhēnzūn to fetch her, they could depart straight from here. But as you said, we pulled them out of the fire. It is only right that we clean our lands before they go."
"How do we allocate the high-stage escorts?"
"By our usual Law Enforcement Hall rule. One in the light, one in the dark. Publicly, a Unity-stage sword cultivator. In the shadows, a Mahayana Zhēnzūn."
"Our thoughts match. As for who…"
Jian Li glanced at her. Jian Dan understood at once. "Don't look at me, Senior Brother. I already fought them. They know my strength. Besides, I need to refine trial artifacts in the coming days."
"Do you have suitable candidates in mind?"
"Jian Xu, Jian Mao, and Jian Jing can all handle it. As for the Zhēnzūn, only you can go ask. Whichever Zhēnzūn has time can stretch his legs outside the sect."
Jian Li nodded. Those three were strong sword cultivators, good picks. As for the Zhēnzūn, he would have to report the matter in person.
"Very well. We will follow your plan. And regarding the Heavenly Demon Palace…"
"I will speak with Mo Su."
It was best to accept one concrete task, or she would never get to leave the hall.
"Then I will trouble you, Junior Sister."
"I live to ease my Senior Brother's burdens."
With that polite flourish, Jian Dan left Law Enforcement Peak.
Jian Li recorded the matter and their deductions into a jade slip, then headed straight for the back mountain.
Forbidden Back Mountain
This time, four Zhēnzūn were present: Tian Yun, Tian Hong, Tian Zhen, and Tian Shou, practicing joint assault techniques together.