Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Chapter 111: Chapter 108: Demon Cultivator

Purple Tears Bamboo is a Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Wood, and Purple Bamboo Mountain got its name from the large amount of Purple Jade Bamboo planted here.

It’s said that in the core area of this Spirit Vein, there are a few Spirit Bamboos at the Tier One Top Grade level with deep roots.

If the sect’s Spirit Vein successfully advances, perhaps the mother bamboo could become a Tier Two Spirit Bamboo.

As soon as Ji An entered the coverage of the magic array at Purple Bamboo Mountain, he felt the Wood Element Spiritual Qi here was purer than in other regions, and it seemed that the magical power within him became more active.

He knew this was because the Evergreen Wood Skill he cultivated was more attuned to such nature’s spiritual energy, and he couldn’t help but wonder if his decision to reside at Red Flame Peak was hasty, as he hadn’t made a concrete comparison.

The Communication Talisman Sword was sent flying toward the mountaintop, where Li Lingyu’s grotto mansion was located. She also practiced the Evergreen Wood Skill, which is why she chose a grotto mansion on Purple Bamboo Mountain.

A moment later, the clear cry of a crane rang out, and Ji An saw Li Lingyu in a light green silk skirt swiftly flying over.

The gray-feathered sand goose craned its neck and sang out without yielding. Ji An patted the head of the beast he tamed, wondering why it was acting so crazy.

Li Lingyu controlled her tamed beast to land, and the Qingyu Crane elegantly spiraled downward.

Her beautiful eyes blinked, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and her snow-like cheeks revealed shallow dimples:

“A few days ago, I calculated the time and felt Junior Brother should be able to establish a foundation. Seeing you today, indeed you’ve succeeded in reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Congratulations, congratulations! It seems the congratulatory gifts I received those years ago need to be returned now.”

“Senior Sister doesn’t seem surprised,” Ji An felt he didn’t get the satisfaction of showing off. Shouldn’t you ask how I managed to establish my foundation?

Li Lingyu covered her mouth and laughed softly, saying:

“Junior Brother knows Master has a medicinal garden that grows several main ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill, and a few matured a couple of years ago.

Master opened the furnace to refine Foundation Establishment Pills and granted me one, so I could establish my foundation ahead of time.

Otherwise, I would have to wait for the Foundation Establishment Pill exchanged from the sect, which would be available this year.

Master was able to bestow a pill on me, so isn’t it natural he left one for Junior Brother as well?”

“We are both quite fortunate,” Ji An laughed twice.

“The other senior brothers and sisters have already arrived, let’s not keep them waiting, please follow me.”

Li Lingyu urged her tamed beast to soar, her garments flowing like a celestial fairy descending to the mortal world.

…

A cluster of thumb-thick fresh green bamboo half-concealed the door of the grotto mansion, with its bamboo skin covered in tear-shaped purple spots, resembling human tears.

Inside the grotto mansion, Du Huaiyuan rolled up his sleeves and patted open the sealing mud of a wine jar, immediately filling the room with the fragrance of wine.

“Come, come, taste the Spirit Wine I’ve brewed. This Spirit Wine can enhance the cultivation of early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Although it is only effective the first few times, it is still something precious.”

He didn’t use wine cups but instead found several large porcelain bowls, filling five of them to the brim.

The emerald green wine liquid rippled slightly, like the shimmering waves of a hidden pool in the mountains.

Liu Yu chuckled and said, “Using bowls to hold Spirit Wine is bold indeed, but it seems to lack a bit of that immortal aura.”

“Indeed, it lacks the immortal aura,” Li Lingyu and Mu Qingwan both nodded in agreement.

“What is ’immortal’? I think drinking and singing under the moonlight is truly immortal.”

Du Huaiyuan laughed heartily, for him, enduring ten or fifteen days without Alchemy was bearable, but going three or five days without a little sip of Spirit Wine made him feel unwell all over.

“I often ponder, what is our purpose in cultivation? Is it for longevity?

But what comes after longevity? I can’t figure out why the longevity gained from daily hard cultivation feels meaningful.

In my view, unearthing a fine brew buried underground many years later and drinking it heartily is more satisfying than improving one’s cultivation.”

Ji An inhaled the room full of wine aroma, laughing:

“Enhancing cultivation allows you to live longer. I’ve heard some fine brews need to ferment slowly for hundreds of years to reach their best taste and effect.

If Senior Brother wants to indulge in the self-brewed Spirit Wine at its most fragrant, he’ll have to push hard to enhance his cultivation.”

He didn’t know the meaning of longevity, but he knew that even if it didn’t have meaning, one could find some meaning for amusement.

In the previous world, human life lasts a hundred years before disappearing like smoke, everything turning into emptiness.

Here, the Foundation Establishment Stage grants a lifespan of two hundred years, the Chao Origin Stage five hundred years, and the Golden Core Stage a thousand years.

If one advances to the Golden Core, it’s equivalent to witnessing the rise and fall of several dynasties in the past life.

Ji An thought, the principle of longevity is the same as always having Jade Cloud Wave on hand, it’s okay to have a lot without needing it, but you shouldn’t be without it when you do need it.

“Haha, that’s exactly right. Junior Brother Ji, congratulations on your successful foundation establishment, let’s toast! Everyone drink together!”

Du Huaiyuan, with a smile in his eyes, held up a bowl, tilted his head back, and downed a large bowl of Spirit Wine in a few gulps.

Ji An first took a small sip, feeling the clear wine with a hint of spirit fruit aroma diffuse in his throat, then swallowed.

A surge of warmth rose from his lower abdomen, the spiritual power contained within the wine naturally circulating through the Immortal Veins.

He carefully felt it and discovered that his magical power had indeed increased slightly.

“Good wine.”

“Of course, it’s good wine.”

The wine was quite strong, and after drinking half a bowl, Ji An felt a faint hint of intoxication.

He began circulating his cultivation technique to accelerate the refining of the Spirit Wine, dispelling the haze from his eyes and restoring clarity.

The conversation started, and they talked about each other’s cultivation, discussing the cultivation techniques they practiced.

Li Lingyu, Mu Qingwan, and Du Huaiyuan were all alchemists, discussing their experiences with fire method alchemy and water technique alchemy.

Ji An glanced around and said with a smile:

“Senior Brother Liu, I always wondered what cultivation techniques you’ve practiced. Can you share it with me?”

Liu Yu shook his head lightly, his gaze as distant as the mountains beyond:

“I haven’t practiced any cultivation techniques. I am now part of the Law Enforcement Hall, going on missions to hunt demon beasts and hone my magical combat experience.

When I was young, I once saw a sword cultivator sweep across the sky with one slash, forcing several powerful demon beasts to flee in panic, striking them down effortlessly — it was something I admired greatly.

I practiced swordsmanship for several years but never grasped the essence of sword qi, so I had to give up for the time being.”

Ji An bared his teeth; becoming a sword cultivator requires grasping sword qi, which is foundational. It’s said that those with high aptitude can grasp sword qi in as fast as a few months or as slow as a year.

Du Huaiyuan overheard their conversation and said:

“The strongest in magical combat are the cultivators who practice gold element and fire element techniques. Which technique do you practice, Senior Brother?”

“The Fiery Sun Melting Furnace Scroll.”

Ji An was surprised that the gentle-natured Senior Brother Liu chose such an explosive fire element technique, feeling a strong sense of contrast.

The sect has two fire element techniques that lead straight to the Chao Origin Stage: the Crimson Fire and Red Cloud Skill and the Fiery Sun Melting Furnace Scroll. The Crimson Fire and Red Cloud Skill is more moderate, and it’s what Mu Qingwan practices, reportedly beneficial for alchemy.

The Fiery Sun Melting Furnace Scroll, however, is dazzlingly domineering, focusing on instantaneous brilliance and bursting power.

Liu Yu paused and softly said:

“There’s no such thing as the strongest magical combat technique; only when techniques are combined with suitable magic techniques do they truly become powerful.

Water element magic is often soft and flowing, but there are also those like surging rivers of turbulent water techniques.

If one can practice these techniques to a level resembling cascading waves of heavenly waterfalls, a cultivator practicing water element techniques can completely overcome one practicing fire element techniques.

Overall, cultivators practicing fire and gold element techniques tend to have greater destructive power.”

“Is Senior Brother comforting me? You don’t have to; I’m well aware of my own limitations.”

Du Huaiyuan laughed heartily as he himself practiced the water element cultivation method.

Liu Yu smiled and continued:

“I joined the Law Enforcement Hall to hone my combat abilities in preparation for the Three Sects’ Tournament.

I haven’t practiced any cultivation techniques and barely maintain my cultivation through demon hunting and carrying out tasks.

If I can secure a few victories for the sect in the tournament, the sect will reward me with a large number of contribution points, pills, spiritual artifacts, and other good things, which will allow for more stable cultivation.”

The three major sects of the Western Continent established the Cyan Cloud Immortal City, but there’s contention over profit distribution.

To minimize conflict, the sect ancestors agreed to hold a tournament every sixty years to allocate the contentious portions of the benefits.

Ji An slightly raised an eyebrow and asked:

“How many years until the Three Sects’ Tournament?”

The tournament is something only those above the Foundation Establishment Stage can participate in, and he had only heard of it a few days ago from Ye Changqing, though the latter wasn’t sure about the exact timing.

He hadn’t heard of such an important matter from his master, possibly because the latter felt that as a spirit farmer, he wasn’t worthy of knowing.

It was said that when they first set the tournament rules, the ancestors of each sect were still at the Chao Origin Stage.

Maybe for fear that going all out might result in irreconcilable conflicts or losing might be disgraceful, the ancestors unanimously decided that Foundation Establishment disciples would participate, divided into early, middle, and late stages, with restrictions on the use of talismans.

“The Three Sects’ Tournament will be in eighteen years, and the sect will hold selections in fifteen years. The chosen cultivators will be trained by Chao Origin Stage martial uncles from the sect.

In fifteen years, I should be able to progress to the third layer of Foundation Establishment, and obtaining a spot in the early-stage group shouldn’t be difficult.”

Liu Yu maintained a calm and confident demeanor, his smile unwavering.

“No disciple of our master has ever been known for their strong combat abilities. If you, Senior Brother, can participate, it’ll bring honor to our master’s reputation.”

Mu Qingwan said with a bright smile, her eyes gleaming softly.

Liu Yu smiled and shook his head:

“Participating in the tournament doesn’t bring glory; achieving victory does.

If I got beaten up in the tournament, our master might scold me upon returning to the sect, bringing shame outside.”

Everyone laughed, and Mu Qingwan covered her mouth with a graceful laugh.

Ji An felt that he should qualify to participate when the time comes. With the Stone Turtle absorbing the spiritual mechanism for over ten years and his own diligent practice, there is a strong chance he can bring his magical combat techniques to great perfection.

As their laughter subsided, Liu Yu spoke again:

“Fellow junior brothers and sisters, while pursuing cultivation, don’t neglect your combat abilities.

Recently, a senior brother on a mission at an outpost reported back that he captured a demon cultivator, which drew significant attention from the Law Enforcement Hall.

We’re preparing for the impending demon calamity, as those great demons are infiltrating and undermining the forces of the Human Race.”

Some cultivators, in pursuit of greater strength, refine powerful demon beast essence blood into their bodies as blood marrow, undergoing daily refinement and cultivation, replacing human blood with beast blood, causing internal organs and bones to mutate.

Once merit reaches perfection, they can possess the strong physique of demon beasts and even transform into demon bodies.

These cultivators gradually lose their humanity, their actions and thoughts aligning with demon beasts’, with very few retaining a clear spirit soul.

Demon cultivators once wreaked significant havoc on the cultivation realm; eventually, forces of the Human Race united to exterminate them, while the powerful among demon cultivators fled to demon beast territories, collaborating with great demons.

Now, demon cultivators have become synonymous with traitors to the Human Race.