Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

In the grotto mansion, Zhuu Xiangrong sat on the master’s chair, with several disciples standing behind him.

He looked at the disciple serving tea in front of him with a gentle gaze, a slight smile on his lips, and reached out to take the tea cup, sipping lightly, he said:

”Hongming, I wasn’t planning on taking any more disciples, but your talent and spiritualness moved me.

In the future, if you can balance the time to enhance your cultivation alongside artifact refining, maybe you could become the sect’s first Artifact Refining Grandmaster at the Golden Core level.”

Closed-door disciples are of great significance, so a rigorous talent test was conducted, this disciple’s aptitude reached Earth Grade, and is close to Celestial Grade.

With such talent, there will likely be no bottlenecks before breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, and it might allow for relatively quick advancement to the Fifth Transition of the Chao Origin Stage.

In that case, even if the comprehension is lacking, there would be sufficient time to comprehend the Divine Intent of Five Elements Mutual Generation.

Cultivation at the Chao Origin Stage has many checkpoints, including opening various Divine Mansions, comprehending five kinds of Divine Intent, reaching the state of Five Qi Chaoyuan, and finally refining the Golden Core.

Among the twelve checkpoints, the Five Qi Chaoyuan is actually the easiest, as it just requires slow and patient work, inevitably leading to success, with the difference being only in speed.

Considering this, this disciple should be able to reach the point of breaking through to the Golden Core.

Zhuu Xiangrong’s mood was even more joyful, for what could be more gratifying than grooming a Golden Core disciple?

Additionally, it was important to note that through conversation, he learned that this disciple has a solid foundation in artifact refining.

Guu Hongming bowed his head and solemnly said:

”I will adhere to my master’s teachings.”

He sighed softly in his heart, he didn’t have the privilege to choose a master, now he could only hope that this one wasn’t as strict as his grandfather, and would leave him some time for leisure.

Zhuu Xiangrong offered a few words of encouragement before turning and instructing:

”Zhao Lei, take the junior brother around, explain the sect rules and show him around my place, and arrange a residence for him.

He doesn’t need to be assigned tasks until he advances to the Foundation Establishment Stage.”

”Rest assured, Master,” Zhao Lei replied, his face full of wrinkles, with age whitewashing his temples.

After the disciples left, only the master and two observing guests remained in the grotto mansion, Zhuu Xiangrong’s benevolence disappeared from his face, replaced by seriousness:

”Something is amiss, Hongming’s aptitude is already close to Celestial Grade, if I were his grandfather, why wouldn’t I let him apprentice under a Golden Core Cultivator?”

Through Ji An, he had detailed insight into the disciple’s family background, as Guu Tai, as an Artifact Refining Grandmaster in the Red Rock Immortal City, could likely secure his grandson an apprenticeship under a Golden Core Daoist Master through connections.

Ji An gently shook his head and said:

”I’ve considered this too, I suspect there might be a conflict between the Guu clan and certain Golden Core Cultivators, but with sparse information, it’s meaningless to speculate.

Most importantly, I think Hongming has inherited some artifact refining skills from the Guu clan, which makes him becoming a sect disciple beneficial to us.”

The grudges of Red Rock Immortal City couldn’t possibly cross long distances to involve the Golden Spirit Sect at the southern tip of the Western Continent.

Jia Yu chuckled, ”Why overthink it? Brother accepted a disciple with great potential, worth celebrating, let’s enjoy a drink.”

...

Half a month later at noon, Red Flame Peak welcomed a group of guests.

Ji An organized a grand feast, hosting fellow sect members and Senior Sister Ge Luoying in the guest hall, while the younger disciples were hosted in outdoor shaded areas.

Except for Liu Yu, all cultivators of the Ningcui Cliff lineage he endorsed were present; Senior Brother Liu was traveling.

He raised his glass, smiling:

”This toast is to celebrate Senior Sister Zhong’s breakthrough to the Chao Origin Stage, our lineage grows stronger once more, congratulations.”

Besides the sect’s ancestor, the influence of the Ningcui Cliff lineage is second only to that of the Yunhe Mountain lineage, and surpassing them is a matter of time.

Zhong Yuefei beamed with joy, boldly declaring:

”Cheers!”

She was the eldest among them, and had she failed to break through, her days might be numbered, she was very grateful for her remaining resolve led to success.

With a few drinks in, the atmosphere became lively, but Ji An noticed the faint sadness hidden on Li Lingyu and Mu Qingwan’s faces.

He sighed inwardly, both had lived to be around a hundred and sixty years old, and watching fellow sect members advancing to higher realms, it’s normal for their emotions to become anxious.

Actually, they both had taken Lifespan Extension Pills refined from Tier Two Middle-grade Longevity Peach, leaving them ample time to break through.

However, adjusting their mindset was up to them, persuading them might feel like a hollow gesture that could backfire.

Compared to their situation, Senior Brother Du Huaiyuan’s circumstances were much better, he no longer held any hope for enhancing his cultivation, instead, he embraced more joy.

Drinking fine wine and savoring delicious food, perhaps one thought of giving up and the world broadened.

Du Huaiyuan put down his wine cup and laughed:

”Junior brother, is there no good wine in the Northern Land? Or are you holding the good stuff back?”

”Wine from the Northern Land isn’t strong enough; people I know prefer the Pine Nut Wine I bring.” Ji An explained, as the climate in the Northern Land meant cultivating Fire Element Plants incurred higher costs.

If the sect’s spiritual medicine production surplus were to grow, selling fire-element spiritual medicines or Spirit Wine to the Northern Land would be a good choice.

Du Huaiyuan’s eyes held a trace of melancholy as he said:

”While Red Flame Peak flourishes, the number of Spirit Plants here diminishes, and each year I spend less time brewing here.