Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Chapter 254: Chapter 238: The Future of Ningcui Cliff

“These consumable talismans are my gift to Senior Brother, how can they be considered a loan.

When Senior Brother gifted me the tree seed, I accepted it with ease.”

Ji An shook his head. As long as he could obtain spiritual seeds equivalent in value to the Ghost Moon Cyan Jade Tree, it would be worth it.

This is a risk investment; it’s best to have a return, but it’s acceptable even if it’s not. There is no such thing as a guaranteed profit.

Liu Yu was silent for a moment before breaking into laughter and said:

“Junior Brother, by doing this you are ’forcing’ me to work hard.

If I don’t earnestly find the related spiritual seeds or plants, I will feel uneasy.”

When you’re on the receiving end of favors, it’s hard to refuse; when you owe someone something, you lose leverage.

“Haha, Senior Brother, don’t have such thoughts.”

Ji An waved his hand. The talisman soldier he gifted was a Tier One Top-Grade Talisman Soldier. After years of nurturing, it had already improved to the level of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Body Cultivator.

Although it could only last for two double hours, at a critical moment, it could surely have a decisive effect.

He did not mention the power of the talisman soldier to avoid burdening his Senior Brother’s mind. It was better not to mention it, and it wouldn’t be too late to inform him when he headed to the Canglan Secret Realm.

He paused for a moment and continued:

“Searching for the Celestial Essence Ginseng is the most important task, finding spiritual seeds is secondary.”

The secret realm opens once every sixty years and is a crucial source of Celestial Essence Ginseng for the sect.

Each time the secret realm opens, the sects will start refining the Nourishing Yuan Pill.

As his status increased, Ji An learned that with the combined planting efforts of the sect’s medicinal gardens, the sect could refine at least two furnaces of Nourishing Yuan Pills every sixty years, with two to three pills formed in each furnace.

Stable supply of Realm-Breaking Pills ensures the steady increase in the number of Chao Origin Stage cultivators in the sect.

Liu Yu put away the talismans and spiritual artifacts and solemnly said:

“Junior Brother, wait for my good news. If I can teleport to the same location as Senior Sister Ge when entering the secret realm, our gains will surely not be small.”

He was confident that his magical combat skills were no less than those of ordinary Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivators, and with the cooperation of an Eighth-Layer Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator, they would not feel pressured even against several Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment enemies.

…

The table in the living room was filled with various spiritual foods.

The honey-roasted fish was made using Red Grouper, raised to the Foundation Establishment Stage, paired with Tier Two White Jade Honey, with an alluring aroma.

The roasted meat with pine honey was purchased from Luoyan Mountain’s Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Wild Beef, and the pine honey was specially refined from Tier Two Red Cloud Pine Honey by Fire Crystal Ants.

There were bamboo segments placed next to Liu Yu and Ge Luoying, filled with Pine Nut Wine.

Ge Ying and others cultivated the Evergreen Wood Skill, and the bamboo segments beside them contained Mulberry Wine.

Two maidservants helped pour the spirit wine into cups, with the mulberry wine gleaming with a green light and the pine nut wine bright as fire.

Ji An raised his cup, smiling and said:

“Master, senior sisters, senior brothers, please taste the specialty spirit wine.”

This bamboo segment wine was only given to his master before, the others had never tasted it.

Everyone raised their cups in a toast and drank together.

Zhong Yuefei pressed her lips tightly, savoring the mellow and long-lasting flavor of the wine, then laughed and said:

“Junior Brother’s way of living here is truly enjoyable. If the alchemy tasks become urgent, I have to swallow Fasting Pills to intensify my refining.”

She had improved various flavors, but still disliked taking Fasting Pills.

Ge Ying put down her wine cup, smiling:

“Having high-tier spiritual food daily, if there’s a steady supply of pills, Ji An’s cultivation can still increase rapidly.”

Zhong Yuefei slightly shook her head:

“Only in recent years can I ensure a sufficient supply of Mystic Wood Gathering Spirit Pill. Depending on the sect’s exchange shares is not enough to ensure a sufficient supply.”

Late-stage Foundation Establishment pills often require two to three hundred years of medicinal age, and the output from the sect’s medicinal garden cannot ensure a sufficient supply for so many cultivators.

The higher the grade of the pill, the more so.

Liu Yu had a wry smile on his face, saying:

“In the sect, the cultivators practicing the Fire Element Technique are the most, and the competition for related pills is the fiercest.

Junior Martial Uncle Jia Yu at the Treasure Pavilion said, we disciples even struggle to exchange enough pills, I’m looking for other channels to purchase pills.”

The sect’s Artifact Refiners and Beast Tamers are the most numerous, and all Artifact Refiners cultivate the Fire Element Technique. More than half of the Law Enforcement Hall’s cultivators practice the Fire Element Technique, along with some participating Alchemists, leaving scant allocations for him.

This year was his first year breaking into the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, and he was assigned enough pills. Starting next year, it won’t be certain.

If he were not an A-Class Disciple, he would probably only ensure a basic supply of twelve pills.

Ge Ying pondered, saying:

“Across the entire Cultivation Realm, the number of cultivators practicing the Fire Element Technique is the highest.

Now that the sect’s main spiritual vein has been upgraded to Tier Three Lower Grade, with more high-tier spirit fields, in several decades, this situation might improve.”

Zhong Yuefei responded:

“The number of high-tier spirit farmers in the sect is still too few. If there were a batch like Junior Brother Ji who could master three planting techniques to perfection, it could greatly alleviate this issue.

If Junior Brother Ji could manage a few Tier Two Medicinal Gardens, I think it would be easy to shorten the maturity time of spiritual medicine by ten to twenty years.”

Thick Earth Returning Origin Spell, Jade Wood Transformation Skill, and Spring Breeze and Rain Skill, each has the effect of accelerating medicinal age accumulation.

Ge Ying nodded slightly:

“Ji An is destined to oversee a medicinal garden on a spiritual vein, and in the future, the management of Ningcui Cliff should be entrusted to him.”

Her life was gradually nearing its end, and the sect originally planned for Lin Mao to take over. Now that her disciple had broken through to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, Ningcui Cliff was still prioritized by their branch.

Ji An bared his teeth, with a worried expression on his face:

“Master, will it really be like this?”

Based on the medicinal garden planting experience in the grotto mansion, high-tier spiritual medicine absorbed spiritual qi very quickly. To accumulate medicinal age rapidly, one must persist in casting spells daily.

But he couldn’t give up the Stone Turtle absorbing the Spiritual Mechanism at the Red Flame Peak, as traveling to Ningcui Cliff by Flying Shuttle every day would take over three double hours, including time spent casting Planting Techniques on the Medicinal Garden.

Too much time wasted on futile efforts would inevitably delay his cultivation.

Ge Ying nodded, saying solemnly:

“I don’t want anyone else controlling Ningcui Cliff; giving it to you is the best choice.

The Sect will not reclaim Red Flame Peak, it still remains your Dao Field.”

A few years ago, the Diligence Hall had discussed the ownership of Ningcui Cliff. If she hadn’t had a Late-stage Foundation Establishment high-tier Spirit Farmer disciple before her Ascension, Ningcui Cliff would be handed over to others to manage.

“Running back and forth wastes too much time.”

“If the Sect decides for you to take charge of Ningcui Cliff, practical adjustments will be made accordingly.”

Ge Ying shook her head and smiled wryly; if disciples sacrifice in vain, the Sect would lack cohesion.

She turned and asked:

“Liu Yu, are you going back to Mingfeng Mountain this time you return to the Sect?”

Liu Yu immediately put down his wine cup:

“In half a month, I’ll leave with the Sect’s Spirit Ship, returning a month before the Secret Realm opens.”

“Luo Ying is similarly arranged; you two can find time to hunt demons together and figure out how to cooperate.”

Ge Luoying smiled, saying:

“Grand Martial Aunt, there’s no need to worry about combat matters.”

Liu Yu also smiled, “Master, we’ve been hunting demons together for years, a few practices will synchronize us seamlessly.”

…

Two days later.

Ji An bid farewell to everyone, while the maidservant presented each with gifts.

“These White Jade Jars contain Tier Two Honey, the bamboo segments have Spirit Wine, the small porcelain jars hold Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea, and the Storage Bag has roasted Pine Nuts.

In the redwood gift box are Spiritual Peaches and Spiritual Apricots. Now that the Tier Two Heavenly Essence Pear Tree is bearing fruit, I will send a few pieces to your Aobes when the fruits are ripe for a taste.”

The gifts he gave were all Tier Two Spiritual Objects, with Liu Yu receiving the largest share of Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea, while Ge Luoying received two more pounds of Sword Bamboo Golden Leaf than others.

Zhong Yuefei took out a light azure Jade Bottle, saying with a smile:

“It’s my first visit to the Red Flame Peak and receiving so many gifts makes me feel quite embarrassed.

Here are a few Mystic Wood Gathering Spirit Pills for Junior Brother to accept.”

The gifts were precious and could be exchanged as resources, so she was generous with her five Pills in the Jade Bottle.

Ji An readily accepted the pills:

“Senior Sister, please accept these, just a small gesture from me.

As for the pills, I gratefully accept them.”

The primary goal of exchanges is to explore cultivation, followed by mutual benefit and exchanges of what each needs.

He then transmitted, “In the future, when the Dragon Blood Fruit reaches 400 years, I hope to exchange with Senior Sister for some Purple Ganoderma Yuan Pills.”

Zhong Yuefei slightly nodded with an even brighter smile in her eyes.

The main ingredient in high-tier pill formulas is rare, and more refining chances could improve her success rate with Fire Dragon Heart Refining Pills.

Ge Luoying’s cheeks turned a bit red; aside from the materials for refining the Flying Sword, she had no suitable return gifts to offer.

Though slightly awkward, she accepted the gifts, secretly deciding to seek more high-tier Spirit Plant seeds.

…

Ji An used the Object Control Technique to pouch the freshly crafted Yellow Bud Pills into the Jade Bottle.

All 100 portions of ingredients had been refined, achieving nearly an 80% success rate, with each batch yielding six Genuine Grade Pills on average.

If he were to go back and refine Fasting Pills now, both the success rate and pill formation rate would improve.

He left the grotto mansion and flew to the Cold Pool, asking:

“How are the sales of Fasting Pills now? What price are you selling them for?”

He hadn’t inquired for a month since handing over the pills to the disciples.

Now with new pills, he wanted to understand the market.

Huang Xuan appeared awkward, scratching his head:

“Uncle Master, five Fasting Pills sell for one Spirit Stone; high-quality Fasting Pills are four for one Spirit Stone.

We have trouble dealing with these pills within our connections, so we still have over a hundred remaining.

I contacted a traveling merchant disciple who will come by shortly and take all remaining pills, offering a purchase price of six for one Spirit Stone.

Once all pills are sold, I will hand the Spirit Stones over to Uncle Master.”

Demon hunting disciples stock Fasting Pills, while Spirit Farmers near Red Flame Peak have little demand.

Ji An slightly frowned; other Alchemists aim to profit from specific pills.

For a student like him, primarily seeking to enhance alchemy skills, profiting from refining pills alone is challenging.

Once a pill can stabilize profit, he wouldn’t continue refining it.

He took out a Storage Bag, saying:

“Here are 420 Yellow Bud Pills; see how best to sell them.”

“If retailing wastes time, give them all to the traveling merchant.”

Huang Xuan accepted the Storage Bag, smiling:

“Pills that boost cultivation are popular; no need to give them to a merchant.”

Ji An took out a pill formula, “This is the Ginseng Essence Pill formula. Tomorrow gather ingredients for one hundred portions.”