The Law Enforcement Hall's main hall fell into a sudden silence. Wei Zhengrong stopped his detailed report and looked up at Jian Li Zūnshàng, waiting for a reaction. Jian Li's expression didn't change at all as he processed the message. After putting away the glowing transmission talisman, he turned to Wei Zhengrong and said, "You also have matters to report to Tian Lu Zhēnzūn. Come with me."
"Yes, Zūnshàng," he replied.
The two of them walked out of the hall one after the other, their footsteps echoing on the stone floor, and ran into Hall Master Meng Congjian. When he learned they were heading to see Tian Lu Zhēnzūn, he very naturally joined their pace, and the three of them went together toward the heights of Tianyue Peak.
After sending the transmission talisman, Jian Dan wasn't in a hurry anymore. She had Ting Feng bring up a steaming pot of spiritual tea and began sipping it leisurely while waiting for Jian Li to arrive. The fragrance of the tea filled the air as she watched the clouds drift past the pavilion.
The jade slip in Jian Chong's hand was awkward and heavy. He couldn't offer it again after her initial rejection, but he couldn't simply put it away while the matter was still pending, so he could only tuck it back into his storage ring with a slight frown.
In less than a quarter of an hour, Jian Li and the other two arrived at the pavilion on Tianyue Peak. After offering their formal greetings to Jian Dan, the three were seated around the table. Jian Li was the first to speak, his eyes meeting hers.
"Please trouble Senior Sister to set up a sound barrier," he requested quietly.
Jian Dan raised a brow at the request. With a light flick of her round fan, a shimmering curtain of light fell, enclosing the five of them and muffling any sound from the outside. Only then did she smile and say, "Tell me what is going on. I didn't even know I was supposed to hold a Mahayana ceremony."
"Senior Sister, please don't blame me. This was something you agreed to," Jian Li replied. A small smile flickered at the corner of his eyes as he watched her reaction.
"Oh? Why don't I remember that?" She leaned back slightly, fanning herself with a slow, rhythmic motion.
"You said we had to find a way to clear all the cultivators out of the Rubik's Cube Realm trial area, and do it without alerting the artifact spirit Xiao Meng," he reminded her.
"That did happen," she admitted. After hearing the explanation, Jian Dan nodded slowly. With a bit more thought, she immediately understood the intention behind his words.
"You want to use my advancement to Mahayana and the ceremony as an excuse to gather the sect's cultivators in one place. They will naturally avoid the ceremony time, then enter the Rubik's Cube Realm afterward. The people currently inside will also have enough time to leave their trials, and the artifact spirit won't be alerted by any sudden mass exodus."
"Yes, Senior Sister is completely right," he confirmed with a nod.
"This was Jian Jun's idea, wasn't it?" Jian Dan shot Jian Li a sharp sideways glare. She knew it. They were using her as bait to lure the disciples back.
"Senior Sister guessed right again. Junior Sister Jian Jun said that recently, only your ceremony would draw enough attention from everyone, and it wouldn't make the artifact spirit suspicious just because fewer cultivators were entering for a short time."
"They all went into seclusion, and they still had to find trouble for me," she muttered. Jian Dan rolled her eyes without any grace at all, then said, "Fine, fine. Since I agreed to it, we will do it this way for now. How have you planned the ceremony?"
"Knowing that Senior Sister hates unnecessary trouble, we're only holding it within the sect this time. We didn't invite other sects to attend the festivities. On the day of the ceremony, we will send out Purple Radiance Sword Invitations to inform them of your advancement to Mahayana so they can offer their congratulations from afar."
After hearing that the event would be private, Jian Dan finally felt more satisfied. Having to deal with fewer people was something she very much welcomed.
"That's more like it. In that case, we will follow your plan for the gathering," she said.
As soon as Jian Dan relented, Jian Chong immediately presented the jade slip again, his movements quick and eager.
She swept the contents with her divine sense. The process laid out was fairly simple and didn't require much of her time. She nodded, signaling her agreement to the schedule.
Then, at Jian Li's subtle gesture, Meng Congjian stepped forward from his seat. He bowed deeply, his round face full of practiced smiles. "Greetings, Tian Lu Zhēnzūn!"
"Hall Master Meng, why did you come today as well? Do you have business with me?" she asked, setting her tea cup down on the table.
"Zhēnzūn advanced in her cultivation, so Congjian naturally came to offer his sincere congratulations," he replied.
"I know you too well. You don't come to the Three Treasures Hall without a specific reason. Speak, what is it?" Jian Dan glanced at the man. This miser would want to split a single spirit stone into two just to save costs. If he came to see her, it was definitely not just to offer pleasantries.
"Zhēnzūn has keen eyes. There are indeed some matters that require your attention," he said.
Meng Congjian rubbed his hands together with a wide grin before continuing his explanation. "The Rubik's Cube Realm has suffered too much wear and tear from the recent influx of disciples. If this keeps up, even pouring all of the sect's current resources into its maintenance won't be enough. At that point, the Rubik's Cube Realm might have to be shut down entirely."
"You don't need to worry about that. Whatever resources Xiao Meng swallowed, I will make her spit them all back out eventually," she countered.
"Zhēnzūn is mighty!" he exclaimed.
The man immediately offered a string of flowery praise, then continued, "Also, some of the resources everyone brought back from the spatial rifts have already been opened for exchange to the sect's disciples. Now some categories are running short of stock. Can we increase the exchange quotas to satisfy the demand?"
"Which types are being exchanged the most by the disciples?"
"Armor and weapons, especially the immortal swords. Even though the disciples can't unleash their full power yet, they're still significantly stronger than ordinary spirit swords," he answered.
When it came to serious matters of the sect, Meng Congjian's expression grew more solemn and focused. These things directly affected the combat strength of the sect's cultivators in the field.
Jian Dan twirled the round fan in her hand and thought for a moment before asking, "Can your Operations Hall refine armor and spirit swords of the same grade as those items?"
"For armor, we can refine the lowest grade black armor and brown armor for general use. Spirit swords won't work in the same way. The current materials limit us, so we can't reach that level of quality for mass production," he admitted.
"Then continue refining the armor. Any black armor and brown armor that meet the minimum standard can be exchanged by all sect cultivators, especially the low level cultivators. It would be best if everyone could have a set for protection. Mid level cultivators can exchange for silver armor, and high level cultivators can exchange for gold armor," she instructed.
"As for the spirit swords previously exchanged to mid level cultivators, those refined by the sect itself, you can allocate a batch of lower grade spirit swords for exchange to low level cultivators. They can't handle swords that are too high grade anyway. The immortal swords we brought back from the Immortal Realm can be exchanged exclusively by mid and high level cultivators," she added.
After hearing Jian Dan's detailed arrangements, Meng Congjian's eyes lit up with excitement. This would raise the overall equipment level of the sect's disciples and ease the mounting exchange pressure. The Law Enforcement Hall would also be able to keep some good items in reserve for emergencies.
At this point, everyone's purpose for coming to the peak had been achieved, except for Wei Zhengrong. He had been standing silently behind the others, his posture straight. When they all rose to take their leave from the pavilion, he stayed behind in his spot.
Jian Li didn't stop him or question his presence. He knew Wei Zhengrong needed to report to Senior Sister on the progress of the matters she had arranged before they left.
Watching Jian Li and the other two depart down the mountain path, Wei Zhengrong finally bowed and began speaking about Du Yanran's recent situation.