Taking advantage of the moment Master Jue Song was examining the jade slip, Jian Dan waved her hand and released the flying ship.
"Yu Zhangshi, take them back to Baima City immediately. Rooms have already been reserved at the Xianlai Inn. Rest there for now. Once I finish here, I will join you."
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
Yu Yuanhai obeyed and led the children onto the ship.
Yu Jiajia's bodyguard was a late Divine Soul cultivator, representing the guards as he saluted Jian Dan and asked,
"Zūnshàng, do you need us to send some men to assist you here?"
Jian Dan waved her hand toward the guards.
"No need. Master Jue Song is here. Just protect the children well."
"Yes, Zūnshàng."
Jian Dan watched the ship head toward Baima City, then turned to Master Jue Song.
"Master Jue Song, how should we handle this matter properly?"
After all, this was the Buddhist Sect's territory. Although the suspicious place was found by Heavenly Sword Sect, it was more appropriate for the Buddhist Sect to take charge. Jian Dan just gave a friendly reminder.
"Master Jue Song, it would be best to act quickly. I'm not sure if the disciples disturbed the enemy earlier, but the blood pool cave found in the Ziyu Mountain Range is movable."
"Amitabha! Thanks for the reminder, Jian Lu Zūnzhàng. I will notify the sect immediately."
Master Jue Song spun his chan staff and formed a hand seal. The staff sent out a spectral image into the sky, hovering for a full fifteen minutes.
Buddhist Sect
Liao Kong had just notified Liao Chen and Fa Hua to prepare to descend and meet Jian Lu Zūnzhàng's group. They were then drawn to the floating staff image over Putuo Mountain. Both inside and outside the sect saw it.
Master Jue Zhan hovered in the sky. Seeing the signal sent by his junior brother, he immediately dispatched the "Liao" generation monks to assist.
Master Jue Song signaled Jian Dan.
"Amitabha! We are not far from the sect. Reinforcements will arrive soon. I will have them inform the Putuo Mountain disciples to evacuate. We can conduct an initial investigation."
As soon as Jue Song finished, Jian Dan looked toward a clearing. A golden Dharma wheel appeared on the ground, and soon Buddhist cultivators arrived, led by Liao Kong and Liao Chen.
Seeing their Ancestor and Jian Lu Zūnzhàng together, Liao Kong and Liao Chen immediately bowed.
"Amitabha! Liao Kong (Chen) greets the Ancestor and Jian Lu Zūnzhàng!"
"You came quickly."
Jian Dan nodded and looked to Master Jue Song, clearly signaling that they would follow his command.
Master Jue Song accepted and ordered the two monks:
"Liao Kong, take a team to warn the disciples training within Putuo Mountain and other sect cultivators to leave immediately."
"Yes, Ancestor."
Jian Dan handed a spirit recording stone marking the suspicious area to Liao Kong, instructing him to avoid it.
Liao Kong took the stone and led a team into Putuo Mountain from another side.
"Liao Chen, lead your group into the cave, investigate thoroughly, and destroy it once confirmed. I will support you from outside."
"Yes, Ancestor."
Liao Chen led another group to the rocky area where Yu Jiajia's team had found the problem.
They cautiously entered the glowing entrance but quickly retreated.
Liao Chen hurried to Master Jue Song and said,
"Amitabha! Ancestor, I led a team inside. We found a nest of blood-sucking bats but no cultivator corpses or blood pools."
Master Jue Song glanced at Jian Dan and frowned.
"Did you check carefully?"
"Yes, Ancestor."
Jian Dan narrowed her eyes and told Master Jue Song,
"Master, we might have disturbed them. The cave has already moved from its original location."
Master Jue Song recited a Buddhist chant and asked Jian Dan,
"Jian Lu Daoyou, do you have any method to locate the cave?"
Since Heavenly Sword Sect discovered and warned other sects first, they should have some way to track the enemy.
Jian Dan smiled brightly,
"I do have a way, but it's rather conspicuous. Still, I trust Buddhist disciples can comb through Putuo Mountain and find some clues."
Jian Wu wanted to advise Jian Lu Zūnzhàng to be cautious, but as a subordinate, he only glanced at Master Jue Song.
Master Jue Song, clever as ever, immediately understood the meaning behind Jian Lu's conspicuous method.
Just as he was about to speak, Jian Dan suddenly flashed up into the air and shouted below,
"Hmph! Show yourself!"
Putuo Mountain trembled slightly, and the ground cracked open. A blood-red spherical object about fifty meters in radius was pushed out of the earth. Its brownish-red veins were clear, and blood seemed to flow on its surface, as if it were alive. It spun and then tried to burrow back underground.
Master Jue Song stood alongside Jian Dan in the air and threw down his chan staff, driving it forcefully into the spinning sphere.
The golden glow of the staff pierced through the sphere. A foul stench spread throughout the forest as black and red blood seeped out.
Where the blood touched, plants and soil were immediately corrupted. The greenery turned black and a black evil energy spread across Putuo Mountain.
"Form the formation! Purify the evil energy!"
Master Jue Song remained calm, took off his Buddhist prayer beads, and scattered 108 beads filled with Buddha light around the sphere, trapping it.
Liao Chen held a purification bottle, collecting the filthy blood while chanting continuously. The other Buddhist cultivators formed seals, purifying the spreading evil energy.
The blood-red sphere spun rapidly, attempting to break free from the bead barrier. Each collision caused sparks and black smoke.
Master Jue Song gestured to retract his chan staff and began shrinking the bead formation. At the moment the blood sphere was pulled out, Liu Chuan returned to Jian Dan's wrist and sent a voice transmission.
"Woman, this thing is alive. You must burn it until not even ashes remain."
"Have you seen this before?"
"It's no good thing. Evil cultivators use these blood sacs to nourish themselves."
Jian Dan's expression darkened.
"Blood sac? Judging by what you say, there must be more of these."
"Yes. Once a blood sac absorbs enough blood, it splits in two, finds a new place, creates illusions, and lures cultivators or spiritual beasts inside to become its food."
"The blood pool cave Heavenly Sword Sect found in Ziyu Mountain Range is the same as this?"
"Yes. But that blood sac hadn't finished splitting and was placed there artificially."
"I understand. They were trying to trap Heavenly Sword Sect cultivators."
Jian Dan replied grimly to Liu Chuan.
"I have arranged for a thorough investigation of Heavenly Sword Sect. Once news spreads of today's events at Putuo Mountain, it will attract more attention. These blood sacs must be completely eradicated."