Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Li Wanqing got up and hurriedly left, returning shortly.

In his hands, he held a three-legged pill furnace the size of a sand pot, its body forged from blood-red copper, with dark golden patterns resembling scales densely covering its base, as if lava flowed within.

The belly of the furnace featured reliefs of three flaming cranes with golden patterns, their beaks clutching fire essences, every feather vividly detailed.

”Please take a look, fellow Daoist. This furnace is primarily made of Tier Two middle-grade spiritual materials: Red Flame Profound Crystal and Blood Red Copper, smelted together with the millennia-old Earth Vein Fire Crystal.

In sunlight, it seems like translucent agate; in the dark, it appears as a burning charcoal core, with golden threads sketching the flaming cranes as if they’ve come to life, vividly lifelike.”

He handed the pill furnace over and added:

”Fellow Daoist can appreciate it closely; there’s an ingenious design inside the furnace.”

Ji An received the pill furnace, noticing the dragon coiled atop the lid, its mouth wide open, leading directly to the furnace’s inner chamber.

He opened the lid to find countless small characters etched densely on the inner wall, upon careful inspection, discovering they formed a Li Fire Prayer.

”What is the mystery of the symbols within, fellow Daoist?”

Li Wanqing smiled faintly, ”Why not activate it with pill fire and see for yourself, fellow Daoist.”

Ji An pinched a spell, causing the pill furnace to spin in the void, growing larger and larger until it reached the size of a Cyan Lotus Fire Cloud Furnace, then stopping.

He activated the Three Yang Pill Fire Technique, and cyan pill fire baked the pill furnace.

As the furnace’s temperature rose, the flaming cranes’ wings began to glow sequentially, as if ready to take flight.

Ji An smiled slightly, finding it interesting.

At this point, the symbols inside the furnace emerged like living snakes slithering, with the coiled dragon atop the lid shooting out crimson beams from its eyes, spewing fire from its mouth.

”Your fire control technique is exquisite, and I am impressed, fellow Daoist,” Li Wanqing praised. Fire Control Technique is a fundamental skill for both alchemists and artifact refiners, but it is also a rigorous test for cultivators.

The opponent’s furnace-warming technique was simple and brisk, not wasting even a trace of firepower, demonstrating superb control over fire.

”Once the hidden inscriptions inside the pill furnace are triggered, they will absorb the free Heaven and Earth Fire Spirit Qi, feeding it back to the furnace fire, enabling it to maintain a higher internal temperature.

And when the pill is formed and the furnace is opened, there will be a strange sound.”

Ji An nodded slightly, retracting the pill fire; after a few breaths, the furnace’s temperature quickly cooled down.

”The pill furnace is quite good! May I inquire about the price?”

This pill furnace is far more refined than the one his master used previously, sufficient for his use for many years.

”Hehe, as long as you like it, fellow Daoist. This pill furnace went through two prior owners, both high-tier alchemists capable of refining Chao Origin Stage pills.

If you wish to buy it, you need only offer fifteen top-grade spirit stones.”

This pill furnace is quite famous in Silver Moon City. Although it was made only 120 years ago, it has had two owners.

Both were intercepted and killed while out, and the pill furnace appeared on the black market.

The older alchemists in the area know about this, believing the furnace was either tampered with for tracking or inherently cursed.

Li Wanqing’s employer bought it cheaply, and it got stuck in the inventory.

He brought out the furnace seeing that Ji An was an outsider, otherwise, it would remain in the storeroom.

”Though the furnace is expensive, it is, after all, only a Tier Two middle-grade spiritual artifact; your price is too high. I am only willing to offer ten top-grade spirit stones.”

Ji An began haggling; the furnace lacked a clear market value, leading to price confusion.

”Fellow Daoist, though I am the shopkeeper, I can’t make all the decisions; there’s an owner behind me. Let’s each take a step back, how about thirteen top-grade spirit stones?”

”Twelve stones, that’s fair,” Ji An said decisively; twelve stones were his mental limit, but if push came to shove, he’d still buy it.

After pondering for a moment, Li Wanqing solemnly said,

”In light of how you’ve patronized our business over the years, fellow Daoist, it’s a deal!”

He was elated, having had this pill furnace in stock for many years; now getting rid of it, the owner would surely reward him well.

Ji An took out several jade bottles and said,

”Inside are Fire Dragon Heart Refining Pills, a total of twenty, all to be sold to you.”

Fire Dragon Heart Refining Pill is a late-stage Foundation Establishment pill, completely useless for him to keep.

Li Wanqing immediately counted the pills, smiling,

”There are five high-quality pills inside, each valued at five hundred spirit stones.

Fifteen ordinary quality pills, each valued at four hundred spirit stones.

Altogether, I owe you eighty-five middle-grade spirit stones, plus the Vermilion Bird Flame Grass Pills just now, which totals one hundred sixty-five spirit stones.

Would you like to exchange them for top-grade spirit stones, fellow Daoist?”

Exchanging always allowed for earning a few more spirit stones.

Ji An handed out eleven top-grade spirit stones, saying,

”The Fire Crane Dan Yang Furnace is mine!”

Li Wanqing took the top-grade spirit stones, then handed over thirty-five middle-grade spirit stones, asking,

”Fellow Daoist, how many batches of Fire Dragon Heart Refining Pill materials do you need?”

In business inquiries, rather than asking if someone wants something, ask how much they want; it makes transactions more likely.

Ji An stored the pill furnace in the Grotto Void Stone, waving his hand lightly,

”I’m planning to rest for a while; alchemy is too exhausting for the divine sense.”

He planned to rest for a few days to adjust his state, then set out for the Lava Cave.

At the time, he would compare it to the purchased map, as his future cultivation and life safety must not be taken lightly.

”Alchemy indeed greatly burdens the divine sense, haven’t you considered buying some soul-calming pills? I can offer you a discount.”

Ji An chuckled, shaking his head; the fellow didn’t miss a single transaction opportunity!

He already had spirit tea, soul incense, and a soul nourishing pendant, not needing such pills.

...

Three days later, Ji An left Silver Moon City, flying toward the Lava Cave.

The north wind cut like a knife, snow fell like silver, the earth a single tone, occasionally with a splash of green, a gift from heaven.

The red auspicious clouds as brilliant as the evening glow added color to the bleak snow.

After roughly a double hour, the Lava Cave was in sight.

A black canyon where, due to geothermal heat, snowflakes melted into water upon contact, steam shrouding everything.

Had his eyes not penetrated the mist, Ji An couldn’t see the hidden scene.

On the way, he occasionally saw cultivators in groups of three or five returning, and seeing him riding clouds, they kept their distance.

The Lava Cave is an important resource point around Silver Moon City, supplying many fire-elemental spiritual objects.

In this icy world, fire-elemental spiritual objects are far pricier than other types.

Cultivators entering the Lava Cave, collecting resources, need at least late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation to stay for long periods.

However, once a cultivator opens a Fire Element Divine Mansion, the fire fiend and fire poison inside the cave have significantly reduced effects.

For someone like Ji An, staying inside for days poses no issues, except during the periodic eruptions of Fire Element Spiritual Mechanism, which might affect deeper explorations into the cave.