"Is there really something good inside?"
Jian Mao asked. Since this Junior Sister went out of her way to bring it up, it had to be special.
"These storage items, I suspect they all belonged to fallen cultivators. I don't know if they were like us, dragged into this place, or if they were immortals who lived here. I can only see the ones without Primordial Soul imprints. As for the ones with imprints still intact, I can't see through them."
Jian Mao thought for a moment, then asked, "Can Junior Sister erase those imprints?"
"It's possible, but I'd have to grind them down with my Primordial Soul little by little. It takes time." bJian Dan didn't hide anything and gave a straightforward answer.
"My suggestion is that you take on the trouble and slowly erase them all. Otherwise, I'm worried that when we return to Lingyun Continent, we might never open these storage rings again."
That sharp perception was exactly what made sword cultivators terrifying. Jian Dan had thought about it too. Right now, they were in a corner of the Immortal Realm, where her Primordial Soul was no longer suppressed by the Heavenly Dao, nearly reaching the level of a Dixian. Once they went back, her Primordial Soul would definitely be suppressed again.
"Alright, I'll listen to Senior Brother."
Letting treasures sit in front of her and not fighting for them wasn't her style anyway.
"Good. We four will pick first, then swap out for Jian Xu and Wu Siyuan. As for Kuang Dao…" Jian Mao's gaze shifted to Jian Dan, since she was the one who brought him in.
"I'll put away the immortal stones and storage gear first, then let him come in to pick. Kuang Dao has a steady temperament, and his master Qian Wanguan's a reasonable man. I'd like to leave some goodwill with the Loose Cultivator Alliance. They're a powerful group after all."
"In that case, you should put those two things away first."
"Got it!"
This time Jian Dan didn't refuse. She raised her hand and stored the immortal stones into her bracelet, then sent the box filled with storage gear straight into her spatial storage.
After that, the four split up to pick their treasures.
Jian Dan went straight for the armor, hoping she could assemble a full set.
"This is immortal armor. Even the lowest-grade black armor is stronger than what you're wearing. See if you can piece together a golden set," Liu Chuan reminded her.
"Got it. Thanks for the tip."
Jian Dan really felt like she'd struck it rich. Her grin stretched ear to ear as she rummaged through the pile, and sure enough, she managed to put together a full set of golden armor. It was worn, even stained with blood, but she didn't mind at all.
"Senior Brother, Senior Sister, come pick out a set. These are way better than what we've got. Black and brown are the lowest, gold's the best, and silver's second. I already tempered them with my strange flame."
She didn't keep the knowledge to herself and passed on what Liu Chuan told her, just phrased differently for her fellow disciples from the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Jian Mao, Jian Chun, and Jian Jing came over to rummage. Jian Jing found a silver set, while Jian Mao and Jian Chun put together mixed sets, keeping gold for the vital parts, and silver for armguards and greaves.
That longsword Jian Jing had tested earlier ended up in Jian Mao's hand with a grin. She could only settle for a short sword. Jian Chun picked some talismans and a paired sword set.
Jian Dan chose a black-glimmering dagger inlaid with a white crystal on the hilt. She swung it twice, liked the feel, and stored it away.
"Junior Sister, you two stay here and change into your armor. Jian Chun and I will swap in the others."
The two leapt out of the cave entrance without delay.
Jian Jing and Jian Dan quickly changed into their new armor, covered it with their robes, then Jian Xu, Wu Siyuan, and Kuang Dao came in.
"Pick whatever you can use right now. I'll put the rest away and distribute it after we're out of here," Jian Jing told them.
The three nodded and went off to search.
Kuang Dao's eyes lit up when he spotted some treasures, but he still glanced at Jian Dan, waiting for her word.
"My Senior Brother should've already told you."
"Yes."
"Then don't waste time. We still need to exchange information with Lady Di's people."
"Many thanks, Zūnshàng!" Kuang Dao cupped his hands gratefully and finally went to pick.
The two of them leapt out to wait for the rest.
"This Kuang Dao's pretty sharp. Not greedy either. Worth investing in," Jian Jing said with a smile.
"Yeah, he's steady. That's why I brought him along."
Not long later, Jian Xu, Wu Siyuan, and Kuang Dao leapt back up, clearly satisfied. Jian Xu and Wu Siyuan were smiling, and Kuang Dao was already clad in black immortal armor, perfectly matching his dark robes.
Then Wu Siyuan and Kuang Dao headed to the entrance to swap out the last two.
When Jian Dan went back down, she waved her hand and swept up the leftovers, placing them in a storage jade ring before sending it into her space.
The group restored the cave to its original state, even putting the white bone chair back.
"I'll keep watch outside. As for talking with Lady Di, I'll leave that to you two," Jian Jing said casually before leaving.
Right outside, she bumped into Jian Mao.
"You came out too?"
"Interrogating isn't my thing. I'll keep watch with you."
Jian Mao's square face showed helplessness. One after another, everyone wanted to stand guard instead.
"Fine. Jian Chun's out too. You two work together."
"Got it. Don't worry, Senior Brother," Jian Jing said as she waved him off.
Inside, only Jian Dan, Jian Mao, and Jian Xu remained.
At that moment, Hou San came to report.
"Lady Di and her deputy ask for an audience."
"Let them in. You stand guard outside."
Jian Mao sat in the bone chair, looking a little uncomfortable.
"Yes."
Moments later, sturdy Lady Di walked in with a handsome male cultivator by her side.
Jian Xu and Jian Dan sat to Jian Mao's left. They nodded politely as the newcomers entered.
"This is my Senior Brother Mao, our leader," Jian Dan introduced warmly.
"Greetings, Boss Mao!"
The two gave proper bows. After sitting down, Jian Mao asked, "My Junior Sister said your squad's willing to join us?"
"Yes."
"As long as you don't betray us, we'll accept you. Any future finds will be divided based on effort. The more you contribute, the more you'll get."
"Of course. As long as you don't treat us like cannon fodder, we've got no problem," Lady Di said. Relief flickered in her heart, though she still repeated their bottom line. She couldn't afford to lose more people.
"Since my Junior Sister agreed, I won't go back on it," Jian Mao reassured. As leader, his word was the guarantee they needed.
Lady Di glanced at her deputy. Both silently acknowledged they'd follow his lead from now on.
Jian Mao asked again, "Where are you from, and how did you get here?"
"Our squad came from Mufeng Continent. We were exploring a secret realm when a spatial rift swallowed us all."