Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

The tips of the Rock Armor Bear’s yellow fur turned crimson, resembling burning iron wires, and in its eyes, flickered an illusory shadow of flames dancing.

Demon Qi burst outward like a rising hurricane.

Ji An saw that the Demon Qi was crimson and yellow, yet mixed with many black impurities.

The process of a Demon Beast’s breakthrough is one of purging impurities; otherwise, its fierce instincts as a Demon Beast would pose a potential danger to its master.

Ji An observed Dahuang’s continually rising Demonic Power, nodding in satisfaction.

The bloodline fusion of the Beast Taming was excellent, truly reaching the level where bloodlines harmonize, reducing the resistance to its breakthrough.

After about a double hour, Dahuang’s Demonic Power reached a certain critical point but didn’t successfully complete the breakthrough in one go.

Normally, letting the Beast Taming accumulate strength over time would be fine, but Ji An was unwilling to wait any longer and directly threw two Spirit Fruits to Dahuang.

One was a Spiritual Peach, the other an Earth Spirit Fruit, both Tier Two Upper Grade.

Dahuang swallowed the Spirit Fruits, merely chewed a few times before ingesting them, and the Demon Qi began to churn violently again.

Moments later, the crimson and yellow Demon Qi shot towards the sky, and Dahuang let out a ferocious roar, seemingly celebrating its successful breakthrough and declaring some sort of sovereignty.

Its body swelled in size, fur bright as satin, the tips fiery red, moving like flames as it gently swayed its body.

From a distance in the mountains and forests, a deer call echoed, carrying the same unrestrained display.

After breaking through to the Chao Origin Stage, the Cyan Deer underwent significant changes, no longer timid, for the rise in cultivation gives all creatures their confidence.

Dahuang let out a reactive low growl again, as if encountering danger.

Ji An patted the bear’s head, ”Go back and stabilize your realm.”

Dahuang lacks a bloodline inheritance, and its potential in the future is lower than that of the Cyan Deer, highlighting the importance of having a ’good father.’

...

Half a year later, a corner of the summit of Sunrise Peak.

Ji An landed riding on a Red Spirit Cloud, while the stars were like bright gems adorning the serene night sky.

Tonight, his task was heavy; he had to perform magic on the Spirit Plants of Red Flame Peak, Red Copper Mountain, and Yunhe Mountain, with this being the last stop.

Fortunately, the magic techniques at the Golden Core Level are powerful and need not be performed daily—once every eleven days was busy, but with the teleportation arrays providing transportation, he could additionally earn three top-grade Spirit Stones annually, which he did not mind.

A giant copper tree, standing over three zhang tall, gleamed like a massive torch pointing toward the heavens.

Its branches were dense, and the edges of its round leaves were full of serrations.

As the evening breeze swayed, the branches danced, with purple metallic luster shimmering on the leaves.

This was the Purple Gold Phoenix Wood, a Gold Spirit Wood, said to have existed before the sect was established.

When the sect’s forebearer discovered this Treasure Plant, it was already Tier Two Middle-grade Spirit Plants.

Three thousand years flashed by in an instant, and it was still only Tier Two Top-grade Spiritual Materials—a testament to the fact that a Valuable Plant without the care of a High-tier Spirit Farmer or growing in high-grade Spirit Veins might as well be a common Spirit Plant.

Ji An reached out to stroke the smooth bark of the Spirit Wood, lamenting:

”What a pity, had you met me a few hundred years earlier, you might have already broken through to become a real Treasure Plant.”

Among the sect’s few top-grade Spirit Plants, the Spiritual Peach of Ningcui Cliff had the shallowest roots, merely being an advanced Spirit Wood, but the Purple Gold Phoenix Wood on Sunrise Peak, the Star Tree on Red Copper Mountain, and the Canglan Mist Pine on Yunhe Mountain were all Treasure Plants.

The Purple Gold Phoenix Wood had the longest lifespan, estimated at three thousand five or six hundred years, the Star Tree around two thousand six hundred years, and the Canglan Mist Pine lived for one thousand seven hundred years, all being elderly ’Treasure Plants.’

If they remained unable to break through to Tier Three, they would not escape the fate of decay.

Ji An sighed a few times, formed the Earth Vein Spirit Ascension Spell, and the heavy nourishing Earth Element Technique Intent spread, with golden lotus illusions appearing across the ground.

A red cloud emerged beneath his feet, ready to leave, when a sudden change occurred.

The Spirit Wood’s light flickered, Treasure Light shot toward the skies, and powerful fluctuations of Spiritual Power spread outward like a hurricane.

With the fierce wind blowing against his face, Ji An’s eyes suddenly widened, his heart surging like an ocean, words condensed to two characters:

”Damn!”

The Spirit Wood’s branches radiantly shone, Spirit Qi spontaneously gathered toward it, the Treasure Light it emitted receding while remaining about a zhang long, and the rich purple aura akin to rippling water.

Such magnificence could only mean one thing—the Purple Gold Phoenix Wood truly became a Treasure Plant!

Ji An’s hand trembled slightly; this was a historic moment, significant for both him personally and for the sect.

A Tier Three Treasure Plant could continuously generate benefits, whereas a Tier Two Top-grade Treasure Plant had no real function.

He felt the surging Life Force inside the Spirit Wood, bustling like boiling water.

He gazed up at the endless starry sky, his laughter resounding far and wide.

Daoist Master Zhengyang and Master Yuxiao jointly flew up to the peak. Such a strange fluctuation of Spiritual Qi naturally caught their attention.

From afar, they heard Ji An’s laughter and saw the Spirit Wood emitting lights far beyond what it had previously.

From this scene, how could the two not guess what had transpired!

They landed beside the Purple Gold Phoenix Wood, each reaching out to touch the trunk, Daoist Master Zhengyang incoherently exclaimed:

”It’s actually, actually—a Treasure Plant!”

He felt a surge of emotion that almost brought tears to his eyes; the Treasure Plant found by the sect’s predecessors had never been utilized, yet occupied the best growth spot.

A Treasure Plant that doesn’t reach Tier Three won’t seed; if chopped down, ’the old hen’ would be gone.

Like a chicken rib, tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard.

Now, years of perseverance had finally paid off.

While Master Yuxiao rejoiced, he also lamented:

”Why did it have to be the Purple Gold Phoenix Wood that broke through? It’s the least cost-effective among the Treasure Plants.”

The fruit of the Purple Gold Phoenix Wood has little utility; it’s a Spiritual Material that can be refined into various Flying Swords and Magical Treasures, but requires chopping it down to refine using the tree’s core.

”Greedy!”

Daoist Master Zhengyang scoffed, laughing:

”In a few years, it’ll start to seed.

Though we can’t chop it down, using its seeds to cultivate Tier Two Top-grade Spiritual Materials, then chopping them down to refine Top-grade Spiritual Artifacts.”

This natural Spiritual Material can greatly enrich the sect’s secret vault, whether it’s to exchange with disciples or sell Top-grade Spiritual Artifacts, yielding tremendous and continuous profits.

He saluted Ji An, ”Junior Brother, your planting skills are admirable. In my view, even the Golden Core cultivators of the Central Continent Divine Wood Sect pale in comparison to you.”

With the first Tier Three Treasure Plant born, can the others be far behind?

Ji An scratched his head, ”Senior Brother’s praise has left me disoriented; some tangible benefits, please!”

Daoist Master Zhengyang suddenly raised his voice, stating:

”Certainly, we’ll give them!

According to sect rules, cultivating a regular Tier Three Spirit Plant rewards three thousand Great Merits, cultivating a Tier Three Treasure Plant rewards five thousand Great Merits.

I can tell you now, and additionally, I’ll personally reward you with one thousand Great Merits.”

He currently had almost no expenses; keeping Great Merits seemed pointless and was better given away.

Master Yuxiao interjected:

”I might not be as affluent as Senior Brother, but I sincerely wish to offer you five hundred Great Merits as a personal reward.”

He realized the significance of Spirit Farmers to the sect; if there were a few Tier Three Treasure Plants, the resources needed for Golden Core cultivators to cultivate would be more plentiful.

He couldn’t help but ponder the depth of the accumulations within the Central Continent Divine Wood Sect, which explained the presence of several Nascent Soul Daoist Masters in the sect.

”With such generosity from senior brothers, I shall humbly accept.”

Ji An smiled broadly, having secured six thousand five hundred Great Merits, akin to finding money.

He understood at this moment that the Spirit Wood’s own accumulation was already adequate, only lacking a trigger.

The Earth Vein Spirit Ascension Technique provided this trigger, thus only taking six months to cultivate a Tier Three Treasure Plant.

However, this bounty could only be claimed by him, thanks to the combination of Golden Core level techniques and top-grade Dao Seed creating this opportunity.

Otherwise, for the Spirit Wood to naturally accumulate sufficient foundations, who knows how many years it would take.

Ji An took out his Identity Jade Token and Spirit Disc, saying:

”Senior Brothers, please don’t hesitate, send out the rewards; my debts will significantly lessen!”

Daoist Master Zhengyang smiled gently, took out the Jade Token, and began to operate it.

Master Yuxiao laughed, ”In a few days, it’ll be Junior Brother’s Golden Core ceremony. To cultivate a Treasure Plant tonight symbolizes a great omen for the sect!”