"Master Qing Yong, did you understand my story?"
"I did. Our cultivation is still lacking, our thoughts not nearly as far-reaching as yours, Senior. We've disturbed you."
With that, Qing Yong led the monks in a respectful bow to Jian Dan, then turned and left the Lotus Lake with his companions.
Jian Dan didn't stop them. When they reached the lakeside, she had Cotton Candy deliver a brocade box to Qing Yong.
Cotton Candy, accepting the task, transformed into a puff of snowy white cloud and teleported in front of Qing Yong. In its sweet, childlike voice, it said,
"Master Qing Yong, this is a gift from my master. It might be of use to you. I wish you an early enlightenment and success in your cultivation."
Qing Yong took the brocade box from the cloud, just as Cotton Candy flickered and vanished without a trace.
"Martial Uncle, that cloud just now, was it a beast or a demon?"
One of the younger monks asked hesitantly. Qing Yong glanced back at the slowly fading mountain peak and the lotus blossoms, his eyes filled with complexity.
"Neither beast nor demon."
The monks exchanged glances and intoned a chant together.
"Amitabha. We will leave the decision to the Patriarch."
Beads in hand, Qing Yong turned and led the group away, leaving one final instruction.
"On the way back to Yunzhong Temple, all of you must undertake worldly cultivation."
Within Jian Dan's divine sense, she sensed their departure. Cotton Candy flew straight back in and tucked itself into the crook of her neck.
"Master, they wanted to subdue me as a beast or a demon! Good thing I ran fast!"
Jian Dan chuckled, pried Cotton Candy off, and gave it a good-natured rub before saying boldly,
"You have me, your master. What are you afraid of? I'd like to see who dares to lay a finger on our adorable Cotton Candy."
"Heehee, Cotton Candy knew Master would always protect me!"
"You little rascal. Go play on your own, but keep an eye on the surroundings."
"Yes! Cotton Candy understands!"
It turned into a green puff of cloud and nestled among the lotus leaves, playing with dragonflies.
Jian Dan squinted at that leafy green hue, speechless. She made a mental note to teach Cotton Candy the importance of color aesthetics someday.
"You treat that spirit better than you treat people. Absolutely spoiling it," Liu Chuan remarked.
For once, Jian Dan sighed softly.
"Cotton Candy's origin is extraordinary. Which means his fate will be heavier than most. Let him enjoy these peaceful days by my side while he can."
Liu Chuan didn't argue for once. After a pause, he said,
"Cotton Candy is remarkable. For it to acknowledge you as its master, doesn't that mean you're even more remarkable? You're just using a roundabout way to praise yourself, aren't you?"
"Do you not know how to 'see through but not speak aloud'?"
"I get it. I just didn't expect you to be capable enough to fool a group of Buddhist cultivators."
"Fooling them? That was sophistry."
"Oh? Do tell."
"The first time, Qing Yong chose to give the bowl of water to the homeowner. That was based on the precepts of a Buddhist disciple. I, on the other hand, used the principle of saving lives. After all, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda.
When they shifted to viewing the problem based on who needed the water to survive, I then reframed it as choosing whether to save one person or two. I shifted the metric to the number of lives.
And the last time, I judged based on the end result—whether the water would actually get them to the finish line."
"So?"
"So everyone stands at a different point, sees the problem differently, and comes to different conclusions. Each uses their own values to judge. They believe no beast or demon deserves to cultivate or exist in this world. I, however, believe that just as there are good and bad people, the same applies to beasts and demons. One must not generalize."
"I guess that makes sense. You're starting to show the aura of a real expert now."
Jian Dan smiled faintly. Liu Chuan was rarely this flattering.
Back in the wider world, the beasts and demons who escaped had already scattered. Thanks to Jian Dan's warning, they didn't dare stir up trouble in crowded areas and instead fled deep into the mountains, oceans, or more remote lands.
The clever ones realized they had only escaped due to the mercy of that senior expert. They kept their heads down, avoided humans, and began cultivating quietly in seclusion.
Of course, not all were wise. Some, thinking they could live as they pleased in a new place, began disturbing the peace of the Diling Kingdom again.
Monks from various temples had begun descending into the mortal world for worldly cultivation. The beasts released this time were not ordinary opponents. Among them, Yaqi Orochi had the heaviest resentment after being sealed for so long, making it the most destructive. Jian Dan had personally intervened to stop it.
The others were not so easily subdued. They caused more than a few problems even for the high-level monks now wandering the world.
To the south of Diling Kingdom stood Fengyun Ridge, a place of swirling winds and clouds. Because of its ever-changing weather, the locals called it the Immortal Ridge. Jade had chosen to cultivate and hunt in this region.
During her time outside, Jade had come to understand how difficult cultivation could truly be.
Compared to the mundane world, Fengyun Ridge was already a decent place to cultivate. Though the spiritual energy was thin, it was still richer than many other places.
But for Jade, this meager spiritual energy was nothing like the abundance she had known within the spatial realm.
She realized then how fortunate she had been. Her master had provided her with rich spiritual energy, high-grade spirit plants, and advanced spiritual fruits that enhanced her cultivation. She grew even more grateful.
Jade had never walked among mortals before, but she wasn't foolish. She knew that, in the eyes of the world, she was an anomaly. Especially to the monks, who would immediately label her as a beast or demon. So she had become much more cautious since venturing out alone.
She settled down at Fengyun Ridge. The place was sparsely populated, making it safer. Beyond the ridge was a town called Fengyun Town. Though small, it was lively enough to observe human society and gain experience.
The most crucial reason she chose this place, though, was due to the local rumors. People said that beasts and demons had once cultivated in the ridge, though they were later captured by powerful Buddhist cultivators. Some brave hunters and herbalists still ventured near the ridge's edges for a living.
Jade once transformed into a servant girl of a wealthy household and wandered through the town. She learned of the collapse of the Locking Beast Tower and the escape of sealed beasts. She figured some of the original residents might return and hoped to connect with them to complete the task her master gave her.
So Jade calmed her heart, quietly cultivating while observing mortal life. She absorbed what little spiritual energy she could and explored the ridge during her free time. That was when she discovered something intriguing.
Near the center of Fengyun Ridge, there was a cold pond spanning roughly a hundred square meters. In the center of the pond stood a protruding stone shaped like a triangular pyramid. Every three months, a vortex would form at its tip, inverted and spinning like a tornado. Strange items would emerge from it—miscellaneous and varied.
After discovering this, Jade made it her temporary base. She set up a defensive formation disk that Jian Dan had prepared for her, then waited for the vortex to deliver more items.
Sometimes it spat out jade stones or metal ores. Sometimes broken robes or damaged formation plates. There was no telling what might come next. Jade patiently collected and sorted everything. Useful items were kept, useless ones were taken to town and sold for silver.
Jian Dan had given her spirit stones, talismans, and formations, but no mundane currency. It was part of her test.
Jade used the odd bits she sold to buy supplies for herself, and even bought gifts for her master.
However, the vortex had recently changed. From once every three months, it became every two. Then, just two days ago, it formed again—only thirty days since the last. What frightened Jade was how unstable the vortex had become, and the things now falling out of it were enough to shock her.