Jian Dan smiled at the question. It was a practical one. Even a sect with deep foundations could not afford endless consumption.
"I can't say for sure. This time the Rubik's Cube Realm had never been nourished before use, so when Tian Hong Zhēnzūn entered, there wasn't enough spiritual power to sustain the Mahayana trial. Next time, prepare a supreme-grade spirit vein in advance, and we'll decide based on the situation."
There was no other way to put it. If the realm lacked energy, she would have to fill the gap herself, and if it turned into a repeat of today, even she wouldn't be able to bear it.
"Don't worry about it, Jian Li," Tian Yun Zhēnzūn said in a low voice. "Have them bring their own spirit veins when they go in."
The other three Zhēnzūn had no objections. As the apex figures of this world, each had stockpiles on hand.
Tian Hong Zhēnzūn was even more direct. He brushed the inside of his Violet Jade storage ring, drew out a sealed jade box, and tossed it to his disciple Jian Li.
"This covers what I spent today. Deliver it to Jian Chong."
"Yes, Master."
Jian Dan shot Jian Li a look. He caught on immediately and cupped his hands to the elders. "Honored Zhēnzūn, if there are no further instructions, my Junior Sister and I will take our leave."
"Go on."
They rose, saluted, and departed from the forbidden back mountain one after the other.
"Senior Brother," Jian Dan asked as they walked, "why didn't the Zhēnzūn establish ownership of the Rubik's Cube Realm?"
"Junior Sister, for once you're being adorably muddled," Jian Li said with a faint smile.
She arched a brow at him, wordlessly asking for an explanation.
"From the day it was refined, the realm was meant for the sect's disciples to train. No matter which Zhēnzūn made a blood pact, they'll ascend sooner or later. Breaking the contract then would be a headache. Better to keep it as it is."
Jian Dan knocked her own forehead lightly. "Right. How did I miss that layer?"
"You didn't miss it," Jian Li said mildly. "You just haven't had time to think."
He added, "At first, the elders considered letting you, the refiner, become its master. Then they watched how fast you were advancing and gave up on that idea."
She pressed her lips together in a small smile. It was true. She was only a breath away from Mahayana. If her accumulation kept pace, the breakthrough would come naturally. At that point she wouldn't be a suitable 'owner' for the realm either.
"Senior Brother, I'll focus on nourishing the Rubik's Cube Realm and waking its artifact spirit. Once it awakens, we'll talk with it properly. Until it finds a master that satisfies it, it must remain with the Heavenly Sword Sect. We are its creators."
"What if your realm is used on the battlefield?" Jian Li asked abruptly.
"Then it would be a slaughtering blade," Jian Dan answered frankly. "But it would demand a tremendous amount of spiritual power."
After the Heavenly Dao's interference, even she found it taxing to control. This time the realm had lacked energy for the Mahayana trial and so had accepted her supply readily.
Jian Li understood and didn't stand on ceremony. "When the artifact spirit awakens, you'll be the first to know. You should be the one to speak with it."
"Senior Brother is turning into a hands-off overseer."
"The capable take on more," he replied without shame.
Talking like that, they left the back mountain and returned to the Law Enforcement Hall.
Jian Li knew Jian Dan, though no longer stationed there, was busy even on ordinary days. He didn't keep her. He needed to reorganize deployments based on his Master's new information.
When Jian Dan reached Tianyue Peak, Wei Xueru met her at the door.
"Master, are you alright?" Xue Ru's bright black eyes swept her up and down in one quick check.
"I'm fine," Jian Dan said with an easy smile. The realm's upheaval had clearly worried her disciple.
After they sat, Xue Ru needed no prompting. She recounted in detail how she had obtained her cultivation method.
"Master, I know why no one ever found this technique."
"Why?" Jian Dan asked.
"It's because of the wind spirit. This technique was born when Lingyun's spiritual energy was richest. Back then, finding a wind spirit was easy. Now it's not. Without a wind spirit, cultivators who searched for Wind and Cloud Art could never coax it to appear."
Jian Dan was genuinely surprised. She hadn't expected a lucky mistake to let Xue Ru bond with a wind spirit and thus find the technique.
"My guess is that Wind and Cloud Art requires purer wind spiritual power," Jian Dan said, sipping the tea her disciple had poured. "The wind spirit provides exactly that. After so long without passing on, it was probably getting anxious."
"You're exactly right, Master," Xue Ru said. "Because of Xiao Sa, Wind and Cloud Art chose me. But it only unsealed the Foundation Establishment stage. The higher stages will unlock as I advance."
"That's a safeguard against soul-searching," Jian Dan nodded. "It prevents anyone from stealing the complete method."
"So that's it. I understand."
Jian Dan took out a Violet Jade talisman she had refined after her breakthrough and flicked it straight into Xue Ru's dantian.
"This is a life-preserving talisman I reforged after advancing. It resides in your dantian. It can defend passively or attack actively. Use it with care."
"Yes. Thank you, Master."
She flicked a second orb of light into Xue Ru's sea of consciousness. Xue Ru closed her eyes to receive it and opened them again a quarter of an hour later.
"This is a movement art I'm rather proud of, Shadow-Follows-Form. You can start training it now. It's excellent for pursuit and escape."
Jian Dan winked as she said it. Xue Ru's eyes crinkled with a smile. She knew her Master was encouraging her to knuckle down and study. She planned to research it tonight and begin training tomorrow. Anything Master passed down would never be simple.
"Disciple thanks Master for bestowing the techniques."
"One more thing. About Wind and Cloud Art, only tell your elder brother. No one else needs to know."
As Xue Ru prepared to return to the East Peak, Jian Dan added the reminder.
"Yes. I'll remember."
The next day, Mao Dou and Yu Zongfan arrived together. Clearly, they had stabilized their Foundation Establishment.
"Greetings, Master."
Jian Dan swept them with her spiritual sense, noted how straight-backed the two youths stood, and nodded, satisfied.
"You both built your foundations smoothly. From today, you truly set foot on the path of cultivation."
"Yes, Master," they answered in unison.
"As for your techniques, I have one suited to each of your spiritual roots."
She looked at Zongfan and asked with a smile, "Zongfan, before Foundation Establishment, I asked if you wanted to change techniques. Have you decided?"
"Thank you, Master. I've decided not to change. My current method was specially found by my clan."
"In that case, I'll grant you a movement art."
She sent a globe of light into his sea of consciousness.
While he digested it, she turned to Mao Dou with the same question.
"Master, Mao Dou has three spiritual roots. I never found an especially suitable method and havez been practicing the sect's Qi Refinement technique."
Steady as ever, Mao Dou spoke without fuss.
This time Jian Dan sent two globes of light into his sea of consciousness.