Yu Zongfan spent ten days advancing his cultivation to the ninth level of Qi Refinement. Now his level matched Mao Dou's, so he specifically went to see his Master to report.
"Good. There is no need to choose a day, since your cultivation levels are now equal, I will open your meridians today," Jian Dan said, waving her hand and directing her words toward Yu Zongfan.
"Bring Mao Dou along as well."
"Yes, Zūnshàng!"
Yu Zongfan bowed and quickly used Lightness Technique to rush toward the eastern peak.
Jian Dan waved her hand and set up two ordinary defensive formation plates. In each plate, she placed a white jade tub, then performed hand seals to draw in some ordinary spring water. She poured one-fifth of high-grade spirit spring water into each tub.
After completing this, Yu Zongfan and Mao Dou arrived at the peak using Lightness Technique.
"Paying respects to Zūnshàng!"
Jian Dan sat at her usual spot by the jade table under the banyan tree. Observing the two, she noted their good condition and instructed:
"Today I have time, so I will lay the foundation for you. Yu Zongfan, enter the left formation plate and focus on expanding your meridians. Mao Dou, enter the right formation plate and perform Essence Washing and Marrow Purification."
"Disciple understands!"
Both replied in unison.
Satisfied with their state, Jian Dan floated a cup of prepared spirit spring water toward Mao Dou:
"Mao Dou, drink this spirit spring water and enter the formation. Begin circulating your Qi Refinement cultivation methods."
Mao Dou tilted his head and drank the water, then entered the formation. He sat cross-legged in the jade tub and, following his Master's instructions, began circulating his cultivation methods.
The spirit spring water immediately began to take effect. Flowing through his internal organs into the meridians, it started cleansing impurities within them.
At first, it was gentle. Once the impurities were washed away, it began expanding his meridians.
Mao Dou felt as though a steel comb was brushing through his meridians, methodically expanding them. Gradually, the spirit spring water seeped into his body, filling the newly expanded meridians.
Gray impurities appeared on Mao Dou's skin, enveloping him within moments.
Jian Dan's Divine Sense swept over him, confirming steady progress, and she allowed Yu Zongfan to enter the other formation.
Having experienced Essence Washing and Marrow Purification once, Yu Zongfan fully understood the Master's intention. He entered the tub and sat, circulating his cultivation methods.
Jian Dan added second-level spirit beast blood to Yu Zongfan's tub, suitable for his cultivation. Diluted by the spirit spring water, the beast blood was gentle. Once absorbed, it gradually expanded his meridians.
Seeing that both were progressing smoothly, Jian Dan withdrew her Divine Sense and began researching the task given by Senior Brother Jian Lu: combining illusions and formations to create a new trial formation.
Ordinary illusion formations range from first to ninth level, but they follow fixed patterns: attack formations or mind-confusing illusions. The highest-level formations can even trigger a person's inner demons, causing them to become lost and eventually die from Primordial Soul depletion.
Jian Dan's illusion formation aimed to directly imprint a battle scenario she had experienced onto the formation plate. This was difficult because it required a specific illusion, demanding high levels of both the caster's Divine Sense and the plate's capacity.
She had tried before, but the formation plate collapsed before the illusion could be imprinted.
Would she need to craft a new plate capable of handling it? The thought troubled her.
Since learning her Master's position as the Battle Hall Chief, Lü Se had become energetic, standing tall and ignoring idle chatter. When Zūnshàng had downtime away from the Enforcement Hall, he rarely interfered in trivial matters.
Today, however, Lü Se unusually led a female cultivator to see Zūnshàng, showing great respect.
"Junior Sister, why the worried look while working?"
A cheerful female voice broke Jian Dan's focus from the formation plate. She looked up, immediately setting the plate aside and smiling:
"Senior Sister Jian Jing, what brings you here today?"
"Nothing important, just came to chat."
"Please, Senior Sister," Jian Dan said, gesturing to Lü Se:
"Lü Se, have Yun Juan Yun Shu prepare some tea and snacks."
Lü Se bowed and went to arrange it.
After sitting under the banyan tree, Jian Jing looked around at the distant scenery and the two formation plates. She then spoke:
"There are rumors in the sect that you withdrew from the Acting Chief position and entered seclusion, seemingly deeply affected."
"Senior Sister worries too much. Do I look affected?"
"Seeing you now, it does not appear so. Just now, I saw you frowning over the formation. A difficult task?"
"Yes. It was Senior Brother Jian Li, asking me to imprint the trial illusion onto the formation. I am struggling with it."
"Your illusion formation is different from ordinary formation plates?"
Jian Jing asked casually.
"Yes. My illusion relies on my illusion beast eyes and the battles I experienced in an independent space. Imprinting it onto a formation plate is difficult; the plate cannot support it."
Jian Jing laughed:
"Junior Sister, you have been misled by Jian Li. Why insist on imprinting it? Why not directly craft a spiritual artifact? That solves your problem!"
Jian Dan slapped her forehead:
"I see, I was misled by Senior Brother and went in circles. Thanks for your guidance, Senior Sister."
"You are too polite," Jian Jing replied generously.
As they were about to discuss what kind of spiritual artifact to craft, a faint fluctuation of spiritual power appeared. Both paused.
"Seems a Junior Sister's disciple has broken through!"
Being powerful cultivators, they sensed it without using Divine Sense.
"Yes. I had free time, so I helped them lay a foundation to ease future cultivation."
Sensing the fluctuation, Jian Jing knew that the Junior Sister used only the best materials. Spiritual energy spiraled into the disciple's bodies.
Mao Dou broke through first. With impurities cleared, his affinity with spiritual energy increased. Golden, green, and red energy points surged into him, circulating smoothly to his Dantian.
He endured the pain of Essence Washing and Marrow Purification. First, the gentle energy from the tub warmed his meridians, then the floating energy filled them completely.
Through compression of the cultivation method, Mao Dou's level reached the eleventh level of Qi Refinement, and his body slowed its absorption of spiritual energy.
Yu Zongfan followed, the brown energy points flowing into his body, and he also reached the eleventh level of Qi Refinement.
After their breakthroughs, they did not leave the formation immediately. Instead, they continued absorbing all spiritual energy in the tub, then performed the Cleansing Dust Art to remove impurities, calmly stepping out afterward.