Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Chapter 75: Chapter 73: Return to the Sect

Inside the grotto mansion, Ji An finished his cultivation, took out the storage bag he had seized, and poured out all the miscellaneous items. It was time to open the loot box.

After obtaining the spoils of war, he roughly checked the contents.

First, he pulled out the spirit stones, a total of nine pieces.

With two jade slips, Ji An eagerly placed them on his forehead and then, disappointed, set them aside.

The jade slips recorded several magic techniques and insights, which were duplicates of those he already possessed.

There were three jade bottles containing unknown demon beast essence blood of uncertain value but at most could be sold for one spirit stone.

A mediocre quality lower-grade magic sword, primarily made of profound iron, with two types of Dharma prohibitions: sharpness and acceleration.

Even Ji An, an amateur in artifact refining, could see the rough craftsmanship, but it was well-maintained and could likely sell for over a dozen spirit stones.

He decided to keep it temporarily for personal use, to compensate for the Geng Metal Technique’s insufficient attack range.

He could deal with the magic sword at a later time when he acquired stronger magical artifacts or cultivation techniques that could replace it.

Three fist-sized black ores felt quite heavy in hand and even emanated a warm sensation.

The ore’s surface was mottled with red-brown, resembling rust, as if blood had dried on it.

“Hmm, artifact refining materials, unknown, value uncertain.”

Ji An muttered, continuing his inventory.

He picked up a spirit plant as thick as a pinky finger, held it close for a better look, finding only a solitary leaf on its stem.

“It’s actually Profound Leaf Ginseng! A pity, though, it’s only twenty years old, worth at most over a dozen spirit stones.”

Profound Leaf Ginseng is a main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill, gaining an additional leaf with every twenty years of age. It matures once it grows nine leaves, at which point the spirit medicine reaches the size of a carrot.

Transplanting it rarely succeeds, rendering it quite useless now.

He discarded bits and pieces like clothing.

“Tsk tsk, isn’t someone risking their life to rob? This cultivator was indeed poor, yet even sold off everything, it could yield sixty to seventy spirit stones.”

Ji An shook his head, reminiscing how he had taken only a few breaths to acquire such gains, indeed stirring a thrill, comparing it to the limited profits from half a year’s hard work growing five acres of jade corn.

However, those who kill for wealth are destined to be killed, and relying on robbery to make a fortune is bound to misfire eventually. He won’t kill without significant reason.

No matter the world, only ensuring order brings greater potential, hence all factions utterly despise tribulation cultivators, hunting and wanted swiftly once discovered.

Ji An stored the items back into the storage bag, smiling with satisfaction.

Now, he could be considered a “two-bag disciple.”

…

Venturing out for demon hunting and returning to the marketplace for cultivation, life was tense and thrilling.

In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.

The team had gone out three more times, but recent yields weren’t as abundant, averaging only over thirty spirit stones per person each time.

Compared to others, Ji An’s harvest was more substantial.

In the Ten Thousand Mountains, among the many old trees, he condensed over a hundred Wood Element Beads, filling the three sealed jade bottles he had prepared.

Mindful of the sect’s spirit field, Ji An bid farewell to his fellows and headed to the Law Enforcement Hall.

After receiving the sect’s reward of 100 contribution points, he boarded the flying ship and set off.

Aboard the flying ship, he touched the storage bag containing 525 spirit stones, feeling a sense of peace and fulfillment.

…

At Jade Water Lake, the lively scene was as vibrant as ever.

Watching the sect’s peaceful tableau, Ji An’s long-taut nerves finally relaxed.

Upon returning to the spirit field, he found Huang Feihu tending the spirit field with the Small Spirit Rain Skill.

As the talisman bird landed stably, Ji An observed the spirit grain’s waves and the slowly yellowing talisman grass, smiling in satisfaction:

“Junior Brother, you’ve worked hard; tomorrow, we’ll go to the Hundred Flavors Pavilion for a drink.”

It was evident that the other party was diligent.

“Senior Brother, you finally returned; the jade corn is about to tassel in a few days. If you didn’t return, I couldn’t handle it anymore.”

Huang Feihu responded, the jade corn’s tasseling significantly increased its need for Spirit Rain, requiring magic techniques to enrich the soil and increase wood element spiritual energy with Wood Element Beads; otherwise, yields would inevitably decrease.

Ji An sensed the increasingly harmonious qi mechanism of his counterpart and nodded:

“It seems Junior Brother is close to breaking through.”

Huang Feihu rubbed the back of his head with a simple smile:

“I’ve already felt the bottleneck loosening; breakthrough is just around the corner.”

“In that case, once you break through, let’s go to the Hundred Flavors Pavilion, and I’ll host a drink to celebrate for Junior Brother.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” Huang Feihu cupped his hands in gratitude, noticing a distinct shift in his senior brother’s demeanor.

Previously, the other was gentle and mild, with clear eyes. Now, he seemed to have developed more angular features, with a sharp gaze.

Returning the jade token controlling the Dharma prohibition, he bid farewell hurriedly.

Once Ji An could no longer see him, he extracted the wood element spiritual energy from the Wood Element Bead, as thousands of green spirit smoke, like youthful swallows returning to the forest, infused the jade corn plants.

The spirit grain softly spread its leaves, the breeze rustling through it.

He sequentially used the Thick Earth Technique and Small Spirit Rain Skill, with earth-toned spirit light illuminating, a faint mist spread out.

Returning to the bamboo house, the two spirit fruit trees had grown another half-foot, though they no longer looked as strong as when he had left. The garden full of Fire Cloud Ginseng was the same.

Fire-attribute spirit plants, without prolonged nourishment of fire element spiritual energy, would indeed end up like this.

Changing hand seals, Ji An cast the Flame Fire Spell, the crimson spirit light spreading across the courtyard, casting a fiery glow on the window blinds, causing the leaves of the Fire Cloud Ginseng to redden visibly brighter.

…

Three days later, at the Jade Water Marketplace.

In the Celestial Character No. 1 Room of the Hundred Flavors Pavilion, Wei Songnian raised his cup with a smile:

“First, congratulations to Junior Brother Huang for breaking through to late-stage Qi Refining.”

Old Huang would surely weep with joy upon learning of his grandson’s breakthrough.

His lifelong wish was to witness his grandson achieving Foundation Establishment during his lifetime, to spread branches and establish a family.

Now, it seemed that everything was possible.

In less than three years, to reach the Seventh-Layer Qi Refining, Flying Tiger’s aptitude, although middle-grade, was probably close to top-grade.

“Thank you, Senior Brothers; I need to learn more from you all in the future.”

“Hahaha, let us work together and strive forward.”

Ji An and Liang Hill also drank, the four finished in unison, refilling their cups.

Wei Songnian raised his cup again:

“Congratulations to Junior Brother Ji for returning safely.”

They drank together again.

Ji An glanced at everyone, thinking to himself that, unknowingly, all his friends involved were at late-stage Qi Refining.

They chatted for a while, exchanging insights on cultivation.

With no mentor advising them, discussing doubts with peers was the most effective way.

Everyone viewed things from different perspectives, and from the collision of thoughts, new solutions always emerged.

Huang Feihu found it particularly beneficial; his cultivation being the lowest, most of the questions he encountered had already been faced by his senior brothers, making answers readily available.

At this moment, he felt even more grateful to his grandfather. Without his grandfather’s help and legacy, how could he have the right to sit here today?!