The young clerk led the manager to the counter and pointed toward Jian Dan and Qi Hua. Just as he was about to explain the situation, the manager's eyes caught sight of Master Jue Song chatting with the two female cultivators. The manager waved the clerk off and immediately went out to greet him.
"Greetings, Master Jue Song!"
The manager respectfully bowed.
Seeing the manager, Jue Song handed over a storage pouch and said to him,
"These are the new Buddhist artifacts. Exchange the materials you collected last time for these and deliver them to me."
Jian Dan, overhearing the conversation, understood that this "Buddhist Artifacts Hall" was clearly a business under the Buddhist Sect.
Qi Hua quickly caught on and winked at Jian Dan. Since the main figure was here, there was no need to buy from the shop. It would probably be cheaper to deal directly with this master, and obviously, he seemed eager to meet their respected guest.
"Master Jue Song, greetings. I happen to want to select some small Buddhist artifacts to give to my disciples. May I order directly from you?"
Jian Dan cupped her hands politely and asked.
Master Jue Song's eyes glanced at the string of Star and Moon Bodhi beads on Jian Dan's wrist. He chanted a Buddhist greeting,
"Amitabha! The artifact on your wrist alone is worth more than all the artifacts in this shop."
Jian Dan smiled slightly. That artifact was a rare Buddhist treasure stored in her Magnolia Space. Except for the time she lent it to Yue Liang to cleanse evil energy after a serious injury, she always wore it with her.
"Master, you have keen insight."
Master Jue Song gestured to invite Jian Dan and Qi Hua into the inner hall.
Once seated, Jue Song asked directly,
"May I know how to address you, Daoyou?"
"I am Jian Lu of Heavenly Sword Sect."
Jue Song's eyes brightened, and he chanted,
"Amitabha! So you are Jian Lu Daoyou, it is an honor!"
Jian Dan smiled and cupped her hands but quickly steered the conversation back,
"Master Jue Song, I have some Bodhi seeds here. I would like to trouble you to craft protective Buddhist artifacts from them. Would that be possible?"
Without hesitation, Jue Song smiled,
"Jian Lu Daoyou, you are impatient as always. May I see these Bodhi seeds?"
Jian Dan smiled, took out a rosewood box carved with a lotus flower from her storage bracelet, and opened it to reveal thirty evenly sized Vajra Bodhi seeds inside.
The moment the rosewood box opened, a flash of Buddhist light illuminated the inner hall.
Jue Song was delighted. It had been a long time since he had seen such high-quality Buddhist artifact materials. He took one seed from the box, held it in his hand to sense it, then said,
"Jian Lu Daoyou, these Bodhi seeds have already undergone initial refining. They are rare Buddhist materials. After my second processing, they will become top-grade Buddhist artifacts."
"Then I leave it to you, Master Jue Song. As for payment, I will personally offer it to the Buddhist Sect."
"No rush on that. Jian Lu Daoyou, if you have time, you are welcome to stay a few days in our Buddhist Sect."
Jue Song had recently returned from an outside expedition. Because of the golden light of merit around Jian Dan, he was eager to make her acquaintance. Learning she was a Daoyou from Heavenly Sword Sect, he decided to entertain the idea of inviting her to stay.
"Thank you for your invitation, Master Jue Song. I have already asked Master Liao Kong to deliver the invitation to your Sect. I am awaiting a response."
Jue Song tucked the rosewood box into his sleeve and said,
"Amitabha! So Jian Lu Daoyou is acquainted with Liao Kong. May I ask if your visit to the Buddhist Sect is due to urgent matters?"
"Yes, I need the assistance of the Buddhist Sect's powerful figures."
Before Jue Song could ask further, Jian Wu appeared in the inner hall, led by the clerk.
"Zūnshàng, just received news from Yu Yuanhai. A small team led by Zong Fan found an underground cave near the outskirts of Putuo Mountain. It's suspected to be—"
Jian Wu stopped mid-sentence due to Jue Song's presence, only giving a brief hint. Jian Lu Zūnzhàng would surely understand.
Jian Dan raised an eyebrow and stood up, cupping her hands toward Jue Song.
"Master Jue Song, excuse me. The sect juniors training in the mountains seem to have encountered some trouble. I will go check on them. I will visit you later in the Buddhist Sect."
"Since it is within the Buddhist Sect's territory, I shall accompany you. Let's go together."
Jue Song stood as well, indicating he would join.
Jian Dan did not refuse. The four of them left Baima City, heading toward the outskirts of Putuo Mountain.
Outskirts of Putuo Mountain
The Heavenly Sword Sect disciples of the Tongzi Hall split into two teams, each entering different directions around the outskirts of Putuo Mountain.
Zong Fan was older and among the stronger cultivators, so naturally, he led his group.
It was their first time in the forest, and they knew they were young and inexperienced. So they focused on following the main roads to gain experience rather than hunting large spiritual beasts.
"Senior Brother Yu, before entering the mountain I researched. Putuo Mountain has many golden pheasants. They are first-grade spiritual beasts with delicious meat and weak attack power. They are perfect for us to practice on. How about hunting them this time?"
Yu Jiajia followed behind Zong Fan, carefully observing and suggesting.
"Senior Sister Yu's idea is good. I've hunted first-grade spiritual beasts in the sect's back mountain before and am confident. If there are no objections, let's decide on that."
"Following senior brother's lead."
Because of their age, few had gone on missions outside the sect. With leadership, everyone agreed.
The guards trailing them exchanged looks but did not interfere, letting the teams move through the forest to find golden pheasants.
Before departing, Jian Lu Zūnzhàng had gathered the guards and reminded them,
"You all know it is not easy for these juniors to leave the sect. Because of their youth and lack of experience, I brought them out mainly to relax. Do not expect them to catch any prey. As long as they are safe, just observe."
The group agreed and silently followed the two teams into Putuo Mountain.
Since entering the outskirts, the teams encountered some first-grade spiritual beasts and ordinary wild animals. Sometimes they would attack together, other times they used talismans and symbols. When facing weaker opponents, the juniors would occasionally spar with their small swords. The journey was lively.
There were no high-grade spiritual beasts in the outskirts, and with hidden protection, the juniors moved smoothly.
After deciding their task, Zong Fan's team started hunting for golden pheasants. However, every time they prepared to strike, the target would flee.
Zong Fan sighed and told the juniors,
"There are too many of us. We easily scare off the golden pheasants. It's better to set a trap and let them come to us."
"Senior Brother Yu's idea is good. How do we set the trap?"
"I will handle that. Everyone find a place where golden pheasants often appear."
"Okay."
Finally, the juniors chose a spot beside a small stream. There were clear golden pheasant claw marks, and since it was a water source, the spiritual beasts would come to drink.
Zong Fan led everyone to dig a pit where the claw marks were dense, covered it with a layer of Ice Silkworm Silk cloth, sprinkled dirt on top, then cast a formation to restore the surface. After that, everyone hid in the half-human-high grass to wait quietly.
Two flocks of golden pheasants arrived one after another, but none stepped into the trap.
"Senior Brother, why aren't they taking the bait?" Yu Jiajia asked puzzled.
Zong Fan touched his chin and thought it through carefully before suddenly understanding.