Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Ji An rode the clouds to the mid-mountain grotto mansion, where two Spirit Pines, glowing with a misty light like clouds, gently swayed as if sensing his aura.

He smiled and placed his hand on the pine tree, nourishing the Spirit Wood with magical power. The pine needles’ spirit light surged, resembling flickering red flames.

”Haha, old buddies, you’re still not upgraded to Tier Two Upper Grade, huh? You need to put in more effort.”

Ji An performed a spell to open the Dharma Prohibition of the grotto mansion, where a faint dusty scent lingered.

After being away for over a decade, this was quite normal.

He considered breeding some Spirit Lizards, these practical Low-Tier Demon Beasts, similar to geckos, which could at most reach Mid-stage Qi Refining. They consumed dust and captured flying insects, keeping the grotto mansion clean.

Ji An held his breath and released the Small Cloud Rain Skill to clean the grotto mansion. That decaying dusty scent quickly vanished without a trace.

In the Medicinal Garden, he saw the growth of several Spirit Medicines like Celestial Essence Ginseng and shook his head helplessly.

If he had stayed in the Sect these years, these Spirit Medicines could have accumulated a hundred years of medicinal age. Now, they appeared to have only forty or fifty years at best.

Merely relying on the Spirit Field’s tier couldn’t compare to the high efficiency when he frequently cast spells.

He performed a series of spells: Yellow Dragon Essence Enhancement Skill, Azure Dragon Shocking Skill, and Cloud Dragon Rain Technique. Various colors of light shadows interwove on the rock wall.

Nourishing, growth, and moisturizing magic intent filled the area, allowing the Spirit Medicines to fully stretch their branches and leaves in the rain.

He walked away from the Medicinal Garden with his hands behind his back, entered the Quiet Chamber, and took out the Earth-Departing Flame Banner, using Fire Element Essence to nurture the Spiritual Artifact.

Red light threads fused into the surface of the banner like a cat stealing a bite, continuously devouring the essence.

Within the Void Realm Space, over ten thousand threads of the Fire Phoenix Soul-Burning Fiend were preserved, but he didn’t plan to use them now.

He intended to use these high-tier items when the Spiritual Artifact reached a critical node, hoping to nurture an Artifact Spirit.

After the Earth-Departing Flame Banner consumed over 2700 threads of essence, it returned to his Dantian. Ji An summoned the Wuji Xinghuang Banner.

This was destined to be his future Lifebound Magical Treasure and central hub for the Five Elements Banner.

He had to devise a feasible plan to enable these Spiritual Artifacts to cooperate in battle.

After feeding the Wuji Xinghuang Banner, he sat cross-legged on the pudun and connected with the Upper Stone Turtle in his Dantian.

[Earth-to-Steel Technique (Perfection 51%)

Earth Escape Technique (Perfection 96%)

Fire Dragon Heaven-Burning Technique (Perfection 92%)

Profound Nether Daoist Qi (Perfection 42%)

Spirit Roar (Minor Achievement 8%)

Silk Thread Spell (Great Success 36%)...

These years of traveling left him without enough Spirit Tea to replenish the Divine Sense consumed through Qi Eating. Ji An didn’t dare practice spells for extended periods.

Now back in the Sect, he could prioritize practicing the Earth Escape Technique and Fire Dragon Heaven-Burning Technique to the Great Perfection Realm.

On Red Flame Peak, all eight Spiritual Mechanisms were present, and the Stone Turtle could be used to nurture the Gourd Space.

When the Spirit Vein Node here nurtured to Tier Two Top Grade, it would yield a wave of Dao Rhyme that could entirely stabilize the Little World.

As long as it birthed even a Tier One Lower Grade Spirit Vein, it indicated the space was stabilized and ready for planting!

At that point, this Little World could truly play its part.

Ji An’s Divine Sense returned to his body, feeling quite satisfied.

Then he began to Calm the Spirit and Quiet the Mind, activating the Metal Element Chapter of the Five Elements Reincarnation Scripture. The Spiritual Qi in the grotto mansion quickly gathered in the Quiet Chamber, soon forming a thin mist.

...

Sunlight slanted on the mountainside; above the hall, the plaque shone resplendently, the words ’Treasure Pavilion’ gleaming in golden light.

Ji An landed, stowed away the cloud energy, and strided into the hall, saying with a smile:

”Senior brother, senior sister, you arrived quite early.”

Han Yan, Liu Yu were already there, checking supplies with Senior Brother Jia Yu.

”Junior brother’s Dao Field is quite far from Sunrise Peak, arriving late is normal.”

Liu Yu smiled, still holding materials from Late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts, which needed processing. Exchanging them for Small Merit at the Treasure Pavilion was the best choice.

The Sect offered fair prices and wouldn’t deceive disciples, eliminating the need to run around selling items, perfectly suiting his preferences.

Jia Yu set down the Beast Hide in his hand, smiling:

”It’s great that all three of you returned safely. A few days ago, I met with the ancestor, and he mentioned you all.

Ji An, you know the situation at Red Flame Peak over the past few years, right?”

”I know; the yield of various Spiritual Objects has sharply decreased. After paying rent to the Sect, our harvest has significantly diminished.”

”Yes, then I won’t say more. Later, I’ll exchange the accumulated Small Merit for you, which I recall amounts to over three hundred thousand.”

Han Yan held her head, showing her teeth:

”Diminished yield, yet you still have such a large harvest! The realm of a great landlord is truly different!”

This junior brother achieved what she dreamed of, being able to do nothing yet continuously receive resources.

”It turns out the best skills aren’t Alchemy, Artifact Refining, or Arrays, but being a Spirit Farmer! I wonder if it’s too late to switch to being a Spirit Farmer now.”

Even staying in the Sect, under normal circumstances, she could earn fifty thousand Small Merit over seventeen years, provided there were plenty of Alchemy tasks.

With an exaggerated tone, Ji An earnestly nodded:

”It’s never too late. As long as senior sister is willing to invest time, it will never be too late.”

Jia Yu couldn’t bear to listen any more and said:

”Don’t listen to Junior Sister Han’s poverty claims. Over these years, thanks to the Red Pine Pill’s benefits, she also has five or six thousand Small Merit.”

The value of the Pill Formula will reveal itself even more in another decade or so.

Liu Yu showed a bitter smile, ”Turns out, I’m the one in the worst condition.”

He lacked skills, so if he didn’t carry out tasks or hunt Demon Beasts, he’d be out of sustenance!

At this moment, he felt a slight hesitation in his heart, pondering whether to take up a craft.

But he quickly shook his head, reminding himself to stay focused and only consider it after breaking through to the Golden Core Stage.

The group started talking about the changes in the sect over the years, and Jia Yu remarked:

”The changes in the Artifact Refining Hall, Dan Ding Institute, Puppet Hall, and Agricultural Hall have been tremendous these past few years. The sect doesn’t need as many disciples to keep running.

Five years ago, the ancestor ordered the reduction of disciple recruitment. The number of sect members will gradually decrease, and the average resources obtained will continually increase.

The method suggested by Junior Brother Ji earned unanimous praise from the ancestors, and you will receive a significant reward in the future.”

He then regretfully patted the desk and continued:

”Unfortunately, Junior Brother’s method has already been learned by other forces. We should have kept it secret back then.”

No one anticipated such significant changes would happen in the sect, and secrecy measures weren’t employed.

Ji An gently shook his head and said:

”Unless we never allow disciples to go outside, the leakage of this method is only a matter of time.”

If we keep disciples confined, the sect would indeed become a sweatshop!

Disciples join the sect to cultivate, not to become cogs in a machine.

After chatting for a while, Ji An and the others learned about some of their peers in the Chao Origin Stage.

Thanks to the sect’s resource allocation, Lin Jiuxiao and Lin Qiubai both reached the Fifth-Layer of the Chao Origin Perfection a few years ago and have ventured out together.

If they return, they might have already reached the Five Qi Chaoyuan, ready to strive for the Golden Core Stage.

Li Haoran also achieved the Fourth Transformation of the Chao Origin Stage a few years ago and is currently establishing his Fire Element Divine Mansion.

Han Yan’s eyes sparkled, and she exclaimed:

”The sect is flourishing, and in a few years, we could become the number one force in the Western Continent!”

Like a Spirit Tree that has finally blossomed after years of accumulation, several geniuses have emerged among the sect’s disciples in the Chao Origin Stage. It remains to be seen how many will break through to the Golden Core Stage before the ancestor’s life ends.

She was invigorated, sharing in the glory.

”Haha, indeed.”

Jia Yu was equally invigorated and added:

”The beast hides and other materials you submitted can be exchanged for a total of 130,000 Small Merits.”

Liu Yu took out his Identity Jade Token and said:

”Exchange them all, and also some Earth Soul Soothing Pills.”

”You’ve been absent from the sect for almost eighteen years, allowing the exchange of twelve pills and other corresponding resources. How many more pills do you plan to exchange?”

Jia Yu asked as the sect’s secret vault has gradually replenished over the years.

Ji An thought to himself that the sect’s treatment was excellent; despite not doing any contributions over the years, the benefits remained.

After calculating in his mind, Liu Yu said:

”Exchange for eight first.”

After completing the transaction with Jia Yu, Han Yan collected her resources from these years and exchanged for eight pills as well.

Ji An collected eighteen Top-grade Spirit Stones, twelve White Tiger Mysterious Golden Pills, three Soul Nourishing Pendants, sixty Soul Incenses, and 360,000 Small Merits.

The Beast Taming Hall owed him over 200,000 Small Merits, meaning his once-empty Jade Token now held about 600,000 Small Merits.

Han Yan rose and cupped her hands in salute, ”Senior Brother Jia, we are going to pay respects to the ancestor at Wuji Hall. We’ll chat later, farewell!”

”Farewell. By the way, Ji An, have you returned to the Agricultural Hall?”

”Not yet, I plan to go after paying respects to the ancestor.”

”The sect has found some excellent Spirit Seeds and sent them to the Agricultural Hall. You should exchange for a few.”

Ji An laughed, ”That’s good news.”

...

Wuji Hall.

Daoist Master Zhengyang nodded in satisfaction and smiled:

”You three returned to the sect together. Did you meet in the Southern Continent or just bump into each other on your way back?”

”Two years ago, I was bullied by several cultivators from the Earth Evil Sect, and killed a few of them. Then I was chased down and fortunately met Senior Sister Han and Junior Brother Ji; otherwise, I would have been in grave danger back then.”

”Earth Evil Sect has become increasingly unruly over the years. Were any of you injured?”

”No injuries.”

Han Yan subconsciously lowered her voice and said:

”Ancestor, we were even chased by a Golden Core Cultivator and had to use the Bing Fire Divine Thunder Talisman you gave us to escape.”

Daoist Master Zhengyang raised an eyebrow and sighed:

”As long as you’re safe, that’s what the talisman was for, to protect you.”

He felt a twinge of pain, but exchanging two middle-grade Tier Three Talismans for disciples’ lives was worth it.

Han Yan giggled and said:

”But it wasn’t a loss. We managed to kill that Golden Core Cultivator.”

”Ah?!”

Daoist Master Zhengyang was speechless, wondering which Golden Core Daoist Master was so inferior to be killed by a few disciples in the Chao Origin Stage. What a disgrace!

Ji An cleared his throat and took out the Corpse Nourishing Bag:

”We didn’t dare open this item and found a Grotto Void Stone. Ancestor, do you have any spiritual objects that can corrode space?”

Daoist Master Zhengyang’s eyes were astonished, ”You actually killed a cultivator from the Earth Evil Sect?!”