Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Ji An cast the Earth Escape Technique and arrived at the underground cavern.

Golden Fur wasn’t around, probably slipped out to find something to eat.

Moonlight shone through the passage, bathing the Soul Nourishing Wood in its bright glow, with its leaves shimmering with a deep radiance.

The Tier Two Upper Grade Earth Spirit Fruit Tree emitted a jade-like glow that complemented the moonlight, serene and elegant.

The Soul Nourishing Wood is now Tier One Top Grade; he collects some leaves annually to produce Soul Incense.

Most of the Soul Incense is handed over to the sect, with a small portion traded to Little Bamboo Mountain, fulfilling his past promise.

Soul Nourishing Wood is only useful to him when it reaches Tier Two Lower Grade. Ji An now worries that by the time the spirit plant reaches Tier Two, he might not need it anymore!

If that happens, it would be quite amusing.

He used a special method to cast the Azure Dragon Shocking Skill and then released the Yellow Dragon Essence Enhancement Skill.

The leaves of the Soul Nourishing Wood flashed with purple light, while the Earth Spirit Fruit Tree reflected multicolored brilliance, as dazzling as neon lights.

Ji An repeatedly cast the Earth Escape Technique to arrive at the grotto mansion’s entrance. He used magical power to nurture the Red Cloud Pine and then opened the Dharma Prohibition to enter the medicinal garden.

In the garden, two lonely fruits hung on the Blood Luo Tree, fiery red like flames.

The other fruits had ripened and were already harvested.

Seeing the state of the fruits, Ji An reached out, plucked the spirit fruit and placed it into a jade box, then affixed a Sealing Spirit Talisman.

He uprooted the Blood Luo Tree, and a foot-long flame sprouted from his fingertip, burning the spirit plant to ashes, which fell like snow into the Spirit Field.

Now only the Celestial Essence Ginseng remained, and the color of the spirit medicine’s leaves was trending towards dark green.

Once it turns fully dark green and bears red seeds, it signifies that its age has reached five hundred years.

Ji An pinched a spell, unleashing skills like the Azure Dragon Shocking Skill, causing brilliance to flash across the rock wall.

He walked out of the medicinal garden, hands behind his back, and left the grotto mansion, flying on an auspicious cloud back to the Cold Pool’s living room, just in time for Zhang Cuihua to serve the spiritual food on the table.

The enticing aroma wafted, stimulating the appetite, and Ji An chuckled, saying:

”Not bad, your cooking skills have improved once again.”

”Thank you for the compliment, Ancestor, but it seems of little use since you seldom eat meals anymore.”

”Haha, when entertaining guests, you are indispensable.”

Ji An reassured, understanding her concern about ’unemployment’!

”In the future, unless you voluntarily leave, you’ll always have a place at Red Flame Peak.”

He made a promise, as he was quite satisfied with her culinary skills, which frequently resulted in uniquely flavored spiritual food.

”Thank you for your appreciation, Ancestor!”

Zhang Cuihua bowed gracefully, feeling completely at ease from her previous unease.

Ji An nodded slightly and continued:

”In future, you might want to invest more time in researching spirit fish farming. With the enhancement of the spiritual vein here, continuing to breed the previous kinds of spirit fish might waste the top-grade spiritual spring at the bottom of the pool.”

”I understand, disciple.”

”In a few days, I’ll invite Liangqiu Daoist over to draft a new fish farming plan, and you can consult him extensively.”

Zhang Cuihua, perceiving the implication, said:

”I’ll visit the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall tomorrow to find some knowledge related to fish farming.”

”Very good. As long as you’re willing to invest time, you can always make some progress.

Go find Songtao now and withdraw thirty spirit stones. Learning doesn’t cost you anything.

If there are spirit stones left over, consider them as a reward for you.”

As long as the disciple is willing to work hard, Ji An is willing to give opportunities.

”Thank you, Ancestor!” Zhang Cuihua delightedly turned and left.

Ji An recalled matters related to Little Bamboo Mountain; Wei Bailin should have successfully opened his meridians by now.

By right, he should have joined the sect last year, but there was no word from Wei Songnian, likely due to poor aptitude.

The two children of his late friend both did not achieve top-grade talent, and if they don’t have more children, they’ll have to rely on the grandson’s generation in the future.

Nevertheless, his promise is always valid, and he’s willing to accept a disciple with top-grade talent from their family.

...

The next day at 7:00 AM, Ji An teleported to Ningcui Cliff, glanced around the grotto mansion, and asked,

”Master hasn’t returned yet?”

The maidservant who was polishing the furniture responded,

”No, if Ancestor has urgent matters, you can only contact Elder Ge with a Communication Golden Sword.”

The maid felt a sense of dislocation, calling Ge Ying ’Elder’, yet having to address the Elder’s disciple as ’Ancestor’.

Ji An nodded slightly, ”Alright, carry on with your work.”

He turned and exited the grotto mansion, taking out four Communication Golden Swords.

He sent the first three to the two ancestors and his master, informing them about the cultivation of Tier Two Top-Grade Spirit Fruit.

The last one was sent to Lingxiao Mountain to inform Senior Brother Zhang Zizhao about the enhancement of Red Flame Peak’s spiritual vein.

Watching the golden streams of light scatter in the sky, Ji An flew on an auspicious cloud to the Agricultural Hall, sitting cross-legged within to practice the Dharma Gate, establishing the Water Element Divine Mansion.

...

Jade Dragon Peak.

Zhong Yuefei pointed at the spirit tea brought by the maid and smiled gently,

”Master, this is the middle-grade Jade Dew Golden Bud cultivated by Junior Brother Ji, it’s very beneficial for nourishing the spirit soul.”

She could receive half a tael of Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea and one tael of top-grade Cloud Peak Silver Needle each year, cherishing them daily.

Master often suffered from insomnia, and drinking spirit tea that nourished the spirit soul could effectively improve sleep.

Ge Ying shook her head slightly, her cloudy eyes showing a kind glow, and she spoke earnestly:

”Ah, these spirit teas are best for you to drink yourself.

Now that you are a cultivator at the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment, you need to enhance your spiritual strength to reach the Chao Origin Stage.”

She took out a porcelain jar and continued,

”I, on the brink of the grave, don’t need to drink such spirit tea; it’s a waste. Drinking some Cloud Peak Silver Needle every now and then is quite fine.

”These Jade Dew Golden Bud teas are what I’ve been saving up daily. Take them, as you need them the most right now.”

The breakthrough to the Chao Origin Stage also demands spiritual strength; the stronger the spirit, the easier the process.

Previously, most of the Spirit Tea she acquired was given to her grandniece. Now that Ge Luoying has broken through to the Chao Origin Stage, her need for the Spirit Tea has declined.

Zhong Yuefei hurriedly waved her hand and said:

”Master, this cannot be. This was given to you by Junior Brother as a token of respect. How can I use it?

Moreover, I’m still far from breaking through to the Chao Origin Stage, so there’s no rush to nourish my spirit.”

The pattern on the porcelain jar was of a mountain shrouded in a golden-red mist, clearly Red Flame Peak.

”Take it,” Ge Ying’s tone turned severe, ”There’s not much I can help you with in the future. If you encounter difficulties, seek help from two of your junior brothers, and don’t feel ashamed.”

She stood up, forcibly handing the porcelain jar to her disciple.

Zhong Yuefei could not refuse and reluctantly accepted it.

Ge Ying, satisfied, turned around and walked towards the chair.

As Zhong Yuefei watched her elderly master walk with a shaky gait, she recalled the master’s glorious days when she first apprenticed, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Due to her high alchemical talent, she had been favored by her master, sparking envy among the other siblings in the past.

She quickly lowered her head and swiftly wiped away the tears.

Just as Ge Ying sat down and was about to speak, a streak of golden light flew into the grotto mansion from outside.

Surprised, she looked at the Communication Golden Sword vibrating by her side and reached out to catch it.

Upon sensing Ji An’s Magical Mark, a thought crossed her mind, wondering what urgent matter concerned her disciple.

She probed with her Divine Sense to read the message and suddenly stood up, moving too quickly and straining her back.

Zhong Yuefei hurriedly stepped forward to support her, asking:

”Master, what happened?”

Her master’s reaction was too intense, giving her a sense of foreboding.

”Take me back to Ningcui Cliff. Your junior brother has cultivated a Top-grade Spiritual Peach Tree!”

”What?!”

...

At Sunrise Peak, Wuji Hall.

Daoist Master Zhengyang raised his hand slightly to catch the Communication Golden Sword, calmly probed it with his Divine Sense, then revealed a look of ecstasy and abruptly stood up.

He strode across the hall and immediately saw Master Yuxiao arriving on an auspicious cloud.

”Junior Brother, is there something urgent?”

With a face full of joy, Master Yuxiao asked eagerly:

”Senior Brother, did Ji An inform you about the Top-grade Spiritual Peach?”

”Haha, I just received the news and was about to head to Ningcui Cliff to take a look.”

Daoist Master Zhengyang said, mentioning that the sect’s Main Spiritual Vein had been upgraded to Tier Three Lower Grade, meaning more Top-grade Spirit Wood would appear in the future.

Yet the birth of the first Top-grade Spirit Wood after the spiritual vein upgrade held great symbolic significance.

”Let’s go together!”

...

The distance from Jade Dragon Peak to Ningcui Cliff is slightly more than half the distance from Sunrise Peak.

When Zhong Yuefei arrived at the top of Ningcui Cliff riding on a Pill Furnace Spiritual Artifact, she saw two auspicious clouds, one red and one yellow, flying in at an astonishing speed.

Initially, she thought they were Chao Origin Stage junior martial uncles in a hurry. Once she recognized the approaching faces, she swiftly descended to await them.

”Greetings to the Patriarch,” both master and disciple bent and clasped hands, bowing solemnly.

Daoist Master Zhengyang made a gesture to lift them up and said:

”Rise. Where is Ji An?”

”Patriarch, we just returned to Ningcui Cliff and are unaware of his whereabouts.”

At this point, a maid walked out of the grotto mansion, greeted the elders present, and said:

”When Elder Ji left, I saw him heading towards the Agricultural Hall.”

Zhong Yuefei chimed in:

”Patriarchs, Master, please go to the grotto mansion to rest. I’ll make a trip to the Agricultural Hall.”

Master Yuxiao gently shook his head and said:

”There’s no need for such hassle; send a Communication Golden Sword to summon him back.”

The sect’s large Medicinal Gardens all have Dharma Prohibitions and require corresponding talismans to open.

If the garden keeper is absent, one must go to the Diligence Hall for a backup talisman to open the Dharma Prohibition.

”I was careless,” Zhong Yuefei said, taking out a Communication Golden Sword, recording the message, ’The Patriarch has arrived at the top of Ningcui Cliff, return immediately!’ and activated it.

...

Master Yuxiao withdrew his hand from the tree trunk, his hearty voice echoing across the platform:

”Wonderful, I can enjoy a Top-grade Spiritual Peach again.”

He felt as if he were dreaming; it was hard to believe that a Top-grade Spirit Wood could be cultivated so easily! How many years have passed since the last Top-grade Spiritual Peach tree withered?

Daoist Master Zhengyang smiled and shook his head: ”You no longer need to compete with those Chao Origin Stage disciples!”

He turned to his disciple with an increasingly amiable gaze:

”Ji An, cultivating a Top-grade Spiritual Peach is a great merit. What kind of reward would you like?”

At this moment, his understanding shifted once more; he had never imagined that a Chao Origin Stage Spirit Farmer could be this powerful.

Ji An scratched his head in surprise and asked:

”Is the sect’s reward not fixed, can it be requested freely?”

”According to the rules, cultivating a Tier Two Top-grade Spirit Wood earns five thousand Great Merit points, and I grant you one additional request.”

After pondering for a moment, without any pressing needs, Ji An said:

”I hope the sect can issue a task to search for more rare Spirit Seeds or Spirit Plant seedlings and present them to me.”