"Oh? Why is that?" Shen Luo asked, his expression unchanged.
The purpose of their journey was to find the Ginkgo Divine Tree, so naturally, they had to venture deep into Cloud Dream Marsh.
"The outskirts of Cloud Dream Marsh have practically been trampled flat by cultivators looking for opportunities and hunting monsters. There isn't much danger left there... But once you pass the Pink Reed Marsh, dangers lurk everywhere. Getting in is easy; getting out is hard. Around the edges, you can still use a Wayfinding Lantern to get your bearings. Once you're inside, whether the thing works comes down to luck," the shop assistant explained.
"Thank you for the warning. We'll keep that in mind." Shen Luo nodded in thanks.
Before long, the assistant brought them a Wayfinding Lantern.
Shen Luo found that it resembled a sky lantern, except that a long spool of red thread hung beneath it.
After teaching them how to use the Wayfinding Lantern, the assistant took a palm-sized ebony token from a locked box behind the counter.
He carried the ebony token over to the potted Greeting-Guests Pine and tapped it against the rim of the pot. One end of the slender chain binding the Leaf Spirit Sprite pulled itself free of the soil.
The assistant took the ring at the end of the chain and slipped it onto Wuman'er's index finger, warning her:
"These sprites may look tiny and unremarkable, but they're actually quite strong. They can fly extremely fast, too, and sometimes turn invisible. So please don't let go of that ring, miss, or she could fly out of sight in the blink of an eye. If you lose her after leaving the shop, we won't be held responsible."
"I understand." Wuman'er seemed in low spirits and gave only a flat reply.