Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Ji An smiled and nodded, ”I’m heading up.”

When he arrived at the private room, Wey Chengqian smiled and said:

”Please, Fellow Daoist, have a seat.”

”Am I late?”

”Of course not, the two of us had matters to discuss, so we came early.”

Wey Chengqian turned his head and instructed the maid, ”Notify the kitchen to serve the dishes.”

The maid bowed in response, ”Yes,” and quickly left with small, quick steps.

Ji An sat down and asked with a smile:

”What is this secret you’re discussing? Can I listen in?”

They were all quite familiar with each other, so they spoke more casually. If it were an ordinary friend, he certainly wouldn’t have asked further.

Gu Mingyuan’s expression was somewhat grave, saying:

”It’s not a secret. I’ve heard that some cultivators who rented grotto mansions went out and never returned. They were all cultivators renting Tier Two Grotto Mansions.

This kind of phenomenon is actually quite normal, as some cultivators engage in demon hunting, which is quite dangerous. Encountering powerful demon beasts often turns them into prey instead.

However, in the past two or three years, too many cultivators have gone missing, which is very unusual since the Immortal City Law Enforcement Team hasn’t received any reports of high-level demon beasts appearing anywhere.”

Previously, in the Immortal City, the annual casualty rate of High-Tier Cultivators was less than ten percent because the demon-hunting cultivators who weren’t capable either changed professions early or died early. The remaining ones were all very skillful.

But in recent years, this ratio has soared to almost thirty percent, which is very inappropriate.

Ji An rested both his elbows on the table, crossing his hands to support his chin, ”If it’s not demon beasts causing trouble, then it might be man-made. Could it be that some tribulation cultivators from other regions have come over?”

The death of cultivators who go out is nothing more than due to a few reasons: demon beasts, robbery and killing, or being trapped in dangerous places.

”Perhaps. This matter has already caught the attention of the Law Enforcement Team. They are preparing to intervene and investigate to ensure the security around the Immortal City.

Fellow Daoist Ji, when you go out, make sure not to venture into those sparsely populated areas.”

Gu Mingyuan reminded, for if the Law Enforcement Team cannot guarantee the security around the Immortal City, it will certainly affect the city’s prosperity.

”Thank you for the reminder. I never put myself in dangerous situations.”

Ji An laughed, because given the choice, there was no need to trade life for opportunity, allowing him to remain composed.

The maids entered in sequence, placing the delicious, beautifully presented spiritual food on the table, and the three raised their glasses and drank together.

After a few glasses of wine, Wey Chengqian spoke:

”Fellow Daoist, have you encountered any difficulties in your comprehension of the Path of Gold over the past few years?”

As someone who has been through it, he deeply understood the pressure faced in areas where the spiritual mechanism of the gold element rages within the mine tunnels.

While enduring the stern and killing aura of the gold element, one must also comprehend the changes in the spiritual mechanism, which is a dual challenge to a cultivator’s perseverance and comprehension.

Ji An gently shook his head, ”No, maybe my adaptability is relatively strong.”

For other cultivators, comprehending Gold Generating Water is a significant challenge, but for him, it’s not.

He turned his head to Gu Mingyuan and said:

”Brother Gu, I have a request. In the future, please arrange for places with fierce gold element spirit tides. The current location doesn’t help much anymore.”

The duration of the Minor Spirit Tide is short, and its intensity is insufficient, unable to meet his requirements anymore.

Taking advantage of today’s gathering, he expressed his request. Otherwise, he would have to wait until the next time he went to the Black Tortoise Snow Mountain to mention it.

Gu Mingyuan paused for a moment and replied:

”No problem. Comprehending large spirit tides often requires over a hundred middle-grade spirit stones. While helping a fellow daoist, my family can also earn more, so I have no reason to refuse.”

He gave a gentle reminder because the other party hasn’t had many experiences of comprehending the spirit mechanism of the gold element. If placed in a large-scale spirit tide, all his energy would likely be spent resisting the attack of the spirit tide, and feeling the changes in the spirit mechanism would become a luxury instead.

However, he understood well that people learn from experience rather than advice; a single event teaches deeply.

Ji An cupped his hands, ”Thank you very much.”

Wey Chengqian slightly furrowed his brows. He felt the other party was too eager, as three years of tempering was too short because spirit tide eruptions don’t happen every day, and large spirit tides are completely different from small spirit tides.

Soon his expression relaxed as he recalled he was like that back in the day; one changes after bumping into the wall a few times.

He raised his glass and laughed:

”In a few days, I’ll be leaving Red Rock Immortal City. After today’s gathering, I don’t know when we’ll meet again, so let’s drink up, both of you!”

Ji An finished his glass, ”Fellow Daoist, are you going out to travel?”

The other party’s words ’don’t know when we’ll meet again’ meant the return date after going out was uncertain, and the time to be spent outside would be long.

In his view, the other party must be attempting to comprehend the Five Elements Mutual Generation.

”Yes, for the same reason Fellow Daoist Ji is here.”

”I wish you an early return home, Fellow Daoist.”

”Haha, thanks for your kind words. Should I visit the Western Continent one day, I’ll definitely call upon the Golden Spirit Sect.”

”Prepared to welcome you.”

Gu Mingyuan sighed lightly, saying:

”I really envy you guys. My cultivation hasn’t reached the point of comprehending the Five Elements Mutual Generation. In the future, please don’t forget this old friend of yours.”

...

As the music ended and the gathering dispersed, Ji An returned to his grotto mansion feeling a bit tipsy and light-headed.

”Fellow Daoist Yuan, why are you here? Is there something you need from me?”

Yuan Hong nodded, ”I’ve brought some spiritual fiends collected a few days ago, delivering them immediately to you, Fellow Daoist!

Additionally, I’d like to buy some talismans from you.”

On the surface, he maintained a smile, while inwardly thinking:

’This kid’s life seems rather comfortable!’

Ji An opened the Dharma Prohibition of the grotto mansion, ”Please come in quickly.”

In recent years, the number of demon beasts the other party hunted had significantly decreased, resulting in a noticeable decline in their transaction volume.

However, this was within his expectations. After all, the other party ’has a mine,’ and there’s no need to work as hard as before, hunting demon beasts to make a living.

Both entered the grotto mansion and sat down, taking guest and host positions. Yuan Hong placed two jade bottles on the table.

One large and one small, these jade bottles were in red and white, covered densely with talismanic characters, their interiors radiant with light.

”As usual, they respectively store Red Dragon Abyssal Fiend and White Tiger Wind Shriek Fiend, with fifty thousand threads of Red Dragon Fiend and ten thousand threads of White Tiger Fiend.”

The jade bottles were specially crafted storage magical artifacts. The red one was large, storing fifty thousand threads of spiritual fiend, whereas the small white bottle could only store ten thousand threads.

Ji An carefully examined the spiritual fiends and nodded with satisfaction.

”Not bad, excellent quality.”

He stored the spiritual fiends into the Grotto Void Stone, ”Fellow Daoist, what exactly is Earth Element Spiritual Fiend? I haven’t seen it for sale.”

What he desired most was the Earth Element Spiritual Fiend because he intended to use the Wuji Xinghuang Banner as his lifebound magical treasure.

Yuan Hong kept the spirit stones and gently shook his head:

”There’s a fellow daoist with a substantial need for Earth Element Spiritual Fiend, having ordered a hundred thousand threads, but the production of spiritual fiends is limited. It might take a few years before I can sell them to you.”

The Earth Element Spiritual Fiends within the ruins were contaminated. What used to be yellow spiritual fiends are now like black mud, even emitting a strong bloody scent; how dare we bring them out for sale!

Ji An exhaled a breath, ”If you start selling Earth Element Spiritual Fiends, make sure to notify me immediately.”

”That’s no problem at all; you’re our largest client after all.”

Yuan Hong shifted the topic, saying again:

”This time, I need to purchase fifty top-grade Fire Dragon Talismans and fifty Profound Armor Talismans.”

”Fellow Daoist, did you discover a big job then?”

Yuan Hong smiled without saying a word, clearly acknowledging.

Ji An selected two spots for the top-grade talismans, ”Fire Dragon Talismans are three hundred and twenty spirit stones each, Profound Armor Talismans three hundred and eighty each, totaling three hundred and fifty middle-grade spirit stones. If exchanged into three top-grade spirit stones, I need to give you three hundred spirit stones in addition.

The spiritual fiends are worth eighteen top-grade spirit stones, so I need to give you fifteen. Did I do the math right?”

In shops, top-grade Fire Dragon Talismans sell for three hundred and fifty spirit stones, whereas top-grade Profound Armor Talismans are sold at four hundred spirit stones each.

Yuan Hong waved his hand generously, ”That’s right, you don’t need to give the three hundred spirit stones; you just need to give me fifteen top-grade spirit stones.”

With money and goods settled, he said again:

”Fellow Daoist Ji, are you interested in going out for demon hunting? The target this time is quite powerful; I’m afraid Fellow Daoist Zhang and I might not manage.”

”As a Talisman Maker, I’ll stay safely in the Immortal City. Also, I advise you that the Law Enforcement Hall has found that in the past two or three years, many High-Tier Cultivators who rented grotto mansions went out and never returned. I suspect there might be a strong group of tribulation cultivators near the city.”

Yuan Hong was astonished, ”Is there really such a thing? Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for letting me know.”