Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Daoist Master Zhengyang shook his head, chuckled softly, and said:

”This is just being lent to you. Remember to return it to me later.”

The Mother-Child Unity Jade was brought back by him from the Central Continent, as the Western Continent simply did not have cultivators capable of refining such magical artifacts.

The merchant flying ships of the Central Continent Business Alliance never sold such magical artifacts to Western Continent cultivators.

He took out a blank jade slip, organized the information obtained from the Sea of Consciousness of the demon cultivator, and made two copies, saying:

”Jiuxiao, have your men deliver the other two jade slips to the other two sects.

Moreover, there’s a demon cultivator’s base near Divine Eagle Cliff. Send someone to use beast taming to monitor it and see if we can catch any big fish.”

Demon cultivators are the common enemy of several sects, and such information should indeed be shared.

”Disciple will take care of it immediately! Do you have any other instructions, Ancestor?”

”Go ahead.”

”Understood,” Lin Jiuxiao agreed, took the jade slip, and quickly left.

Daoist Master Zhengyang pointed at the giant bear and said:

”I’ve already destroyed the Sea of Consciousness of this demon cultivator, leaving only the most basic animal instincts. Once you take it away, just kill it directly.”

”Understood, Master.”

Ji An paused for a moment and then said:

”Ancestor, I have a question. In what state are demon cultivators, are they humans or demon beasts?”

You could say demon cultivators are human, but they can transform into demon beasts. Yet if you say they are demon beasts, they do not have obvious characteristics like a demon core.

”When demon cultivators are still weak, they are more human-like.

As their cultivation increases, their bodily organs become completely demon-beast-like, yet they can still transform into human form.”

Daoist Master Zhengyang pointed at the giant bear on the ground and continued:

”Even if a demon cultivator is killed in human form, they will revert to demon-beast form upon death.

I believe that demon cultivators should fundamentally be considered demon beasts, just a more special kind of demon beast.”

”Yes, I also think they should be considered demon beasts.”

Ji An nodded slightly, feeling relieved if they are considered demon beasts, as that would relieve his psychological burden.

Killing two Chao Origin Stage demon beasts and using their meat to feed beast tamers can greatly speed up the condensation of demonic power in the beasts.

He currently has a shortcoming, not really a shortcoming, due to his rapid advancement, which causes the beast tamers he raises to merely accompany him without contributing much.

Although he feeds the beast tamers more high-tier spirit fruits whenever he can, it will be a long road before these beast tamers can be effectively utilized.

Meanwhile, consuming high-tier demon beast meat is also an avenue to accelerate the growth of beast tamers, and demon cultivator meat may have special effects!

”Ancestor, I want to learn Soul Searching Technique. Is that possible?”

Daoist Master Zhengyang pondered and said:

”Wait until you leave the sect for travel, then I’ll give you the spell.

But remember this: soul searching in secret is ordinary, but never do it in front of sect cultivators from other sects.

Some sects in the Central Continent always claim to be righteous and orthodox. If they find a cultivator using Soul Searching Technique, it will result in an intense battle.”

”I understand, Master.”

...

Ji An rested for a night in the sect and set out again for Divine Eagle Cliff the next day.

He performed Earth Eating Qi, absorbing the Qi of Wu and Ji Earth, and was busy beyond measure.

With the Mother-Child Unity Jade on him, his safety was more assured.

In half a month, Ji An made a round around the sect’s perimeter and returned to Red Flame Peak once more.

With experience now, he avoided many regions devoid of Earth Element Qi, saving a lot of time.

This time out, he only obtained half a tael of spirit silk.

Landing by the Cold Pool, he released several of his beast tamers, each fed a palm-sized piece of demon cultivator meat.

Black Eagle meat was given to the Golden Feathered Eagle, while bear meat was given to Golden Fur and Dahuang.

The beast tamers quickly swallowed the meat, as recently, they could eat meat rich in demonic power every few days.

Wei Songtao approached holding a Communication Golden Sword and offered it with both hands:

”Master Ancestor, there’s a message for you.”

Ji An accepted the golden sword and extended his divine sense to read the message.

The message was from Lin Jiuxiao, related to the demon cultivator base.

The demon cultivators at the base attempted to escape and were captured by the Law Enforcement Hall, and after soul search, it was found that two demon cultivators had seen him at Divine Eagle Cliff.

These two demon cultivators reported the incident, which led to two Chao Origin Stage demon cultivators lying in wait.

However, the highest cultivation among the demon cultivators at the base was only Late-stage Foundation Establishment level, and the soul search yielded little useful information.

Ji An stroked his chin; the entire matter was coming to light.

He faintly remembered those two Foundation Establishment cultivators encountered at Divine Eagle Cliff, realizing this was where it all started.

...

Time flowed relentlessly, and in the blink of an eye, five years went by.

Ji An ceased operating the Dharma Gate to open the Pulmonary Golden Mansion and exhaled deeply.

The speed of opening the Golden Mansion was much faster than anticipated; not only were seventy-two outer layer outer vein patterns fully revealed, but also twelve inner vein patterns were opened.

Over the years, he ventured out every two months for half a month, gaining three pounds and one tael of spirit silk, just five taels shy of merit perfection.

During his excursions, he encountered no significant danger, and any cultivators spotted from afar tended to avoid him.

He had enhanced the Geng Metal Spirit-Slaying Sword to Great Perfection, further raising the power of his magical force.

Not only did his attack power rise, but the speed of the flying sword, condensing gold element spiritual power, was also increased by thirty percent.

If he were to fight the Black Eagle again, the opponent would definitely be killed in one strike, leaving no room for struggle.

Ji An immersed his mind into the Dantian, benefiting from the Stone Turtle exhaling a breath of clear spirit qi each year, causing the Primordial Life Fire to grow even stronger than a few years past.

The wood element blaze was a glimmering emerald, the fire element blaze was fiery red, forming an Earth-Departing Flame Banner one-third the size of a fingernail, bobbing up and down amidst the red flame.

His spiritual strength has improved by twenty percent compared to five years ago, and this is an impressive progress without breaking through the realm.

He linked to the Upper Stone Turtle, and lines of words appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.

[Master: Ji An]

[Dao Rhyme: Gold 2.2, Water 0, Wood 0, Fire 0.6, Earth 3.1]

[Spiritual Mechanism: Kan Spirit 2661.6, Gen Spirit 934.8, Zhen Spirit 1155.6, Xun Spirit 3542.3, Kun Spirit 2906.7, Qian Spirit 1352.8, Dui Spirit 1346.4, Li Spirit 1463.9]

[Spirit Sealing Technique (Great Success 23%)

Earth-to-Steel Technique (Perfection 33%)

Earth Escape Technique (Perfection 32%)

Mixed Gold Profound Armor Spell (Perfection 79%)

Fire Dragon Heaven-Burning Technique (Perfection 32%)

Profound Nether Daoist Qi (Great Success 92%)

Wood Escape Technique (Perfection 3%)...]

[Dao Seed: Unrestrained Sharpness (Middle Grade), hidden in Taiyuan Acupoint, comprehends Path of Gold magic techniques ’Unbreakable, Extinction’ true intent, enhances comprehension of Path of Gold magic techniques.]

Ji An once conducted an experiment, using the Geng Metal Spirit-Slaying Sword to pierce an ultimate-grade piece of spirit wood.

At the time, the magic technique passed through the trunk and left a hole the width of a pinky finger, with the area around it turning as if it were decaying wood exposed to years of sun and rain.

In other words, as long as his magic technique strikes the body of a cultivator or demon beast, the enemy will surely die, at least at the Chao Origin Stage level it will be so.

”Refining Spiritual Mechanism, enhancing Mixed Gold Profound Armor Spell.”

As the command was issued, Ji An’s divine sense entered the Profound Mysterious Space within the Stone Turtle, stepping upon the Dui Position.

The Spiritual Mechanism continuously multiplied, and insights into the magic techniques continuously deepened.

[Mixed Gold Profound Armor Spell (Perfection 79%→83%)]

”Refining Spiritual Mechanism, enhancing Fire Dragon Heaven-Burning Technique.”

His divine sense moved to the Li Position, immersed in a sea of fire.

[Fire Dragon Heaven-Burning Technique (Perfection 32%→36%)]

”Not bad!”

Ji An nodded with satisfaction. Overall, except for his relatively slow cultivation advancement, he was quite pleased with the progression over the past few years.

He walked out of the grotto mansion. At this time, the bright moon was shining silently, its cold and serene light draping the earth with a layer of white gauze.

In the distant mountains, there was an exceptionally bright area where the Ghost Moon Cyan Jade Tree was absorbing the moonlight.

Ji An continuously unleashed the Earth Escape Technique and entered the underground cavern.

The Soul Nourishing Wood was bathed in moonlight, its leaves dark and deep. It was now bowl-thick, with more than twenty wrist-thick branches, lush with leaves.

”Squeak squeak!”

The Golden Fur stood upright, chirping as if presenting a treasure. At its feet were several rows of Earth Spirit Fruits, gleaming like yellow jade.

The Spirit Fruits were fist-sized, emitting a jade-like spirit light over two inches long, warm and restrained.

Ji An noticed that all the fruits from the two top-grade Earth Spirit Fruit Trees had fallen, nodding slightly.

Beside them was another top-grade Spirit Tree, though it had just begun to bear fruit.

He collected the fruits and tossed a Tier Two Lower Grade Earth Spirit Fruit to Golden Fur.

Golden Fur now had a four-foot-long body, extremely robust.

Several years ago, after eating the meat of a Chao Origin Stage demon cultivator, the Rock Armor Bear and Spirit-Seeking Rat both upgraded to the Sixth-Layer Foundation Establishment.

The Golden Feathered Eagle then successively leveled up two tiers, breaking through to the Fourth-Layer Foundation Establishment, becoming a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Beast, with its flying speed improved again.

Such a massive improvement made Ji An happy for quite a while; indeed, a horse won’t fatten if it doesn’t eat wild grass.

He anticipated encountering Chao Origin Stage demon beasts or cultivators again, but unfortunately, he wasn’t that lucky.

Golden Fur leapt lightly, grabbed the Earth Spirit Fruit, and devoured it in a few bites, even chewing and swallowing the pit.

Since the appearance of Tier Two Upper Grade Earth Spirit Fruit Trees, Ji An no longer needed lower-grade pits.

He patted Golden Fur’s head, then used the Earth Escape Technique to leave.

...

The next day, Ji An teleported to Ningcui Cliff to pay his respects to his master.

Ge Ying’s hair had completely turned white by then, wrinkles adorned his face like an old mortal close to the end of his days.

After chatting for a while, Ji An took his leave.

He could feel the other’s Fire of Life becoming increasingly dim, with an evident decay of death, creating a sense of sour desolation in his heart.

Ji An rode the clouds away, not heading to the Agricultural Hall but flying towards Sunrise Peak.

Half an hour later, he descended at the mountainside Treasure Pavilion and stepped into the grand hall.

Jia Yu joked:

”Hey, what a rare guest.”

Ji An took out a jar the size of a clay pot. ”Top-grade Spirit Wine, a gift for Senior Brother.”

Although it looked like a jar, it actually only contained one jin of Spirit Wine.

Tier Two Upper Grade Spirit Wine was considered a luxury item throughout the Western Continent.

It wasn’t that the various sects lacked Tier Two Upper Grade Spiritual Objects, but rather they were reluctant to use them for wine brewing.

Jia Yu received the wine jar with a big laugh:

”Junior Brother is still the best to me. I’ll always remember this favor.”

”By the way, Junior Brother, what brings you here today?”

He knew very well that Ji An wouldn’t have come solely to deliver a jar of wine.

Ji An cupped his hands and smiled:

”I have come to trouble Senior Brother to inform Rock Ancestor; I have brought top-grade Earth Spirit Fruits.”

”Junior Brother has gathered fifty Spirit Fruits?!”