Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Ji An left the little world, flying slowly and steadily upwards.

The Red Gold Carp wants to recover from its coma, but it won’t be possible within a few double hours.

After leaving the volcano, he flew to the edge of the Cold Pool and instructed:

”Xue Ning, I want to have a few drinks tonight. Make a honey grilled fish and stew a pot of spicy fish tail!”

Encountering something joyful certainly calls for a few drinks, and the Top-Grade Pine Nut Wine and Top-Grade Cyan Leaf Wine are his new favorites.

The main ingredient of Cyan Leaf Wine is the Biluo Fruit. After continuous improvements by Senior Brother Huaiyuan, the bitterness is now quite faint, replaced by a special fragrant and mellow taste.

”Alright, I’ll go prepare it right now.”

Zhang Xueling smiled brightly; life at Red Flame Peak is truly wonderful.

Her aptitude is quite low, but cultivating in the environment rich with Spiritual Qi has provided great enhancements.

Now, she has broken through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, a huge progress. After years of nurturing the Immortal Vein, her aptitude improved slightly.

Perhaps she still has hope of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage in this life; if the opportunity arises, she would like to try.

She is now over fifty years old; cultivating to the Qi Refining Perfection Realm might take until her eighties or nineties, but thanks to ancestor’s kindness, she received a Tier Two Lower Grade Lifespan Extension Pill, postponing her decline in vitality significantly.

If given the chance to attempt breaking through the Foundation Establishment Stage, she would gamble everything for one dazzling attempt.

While waiting, Ji An pinched the spell to attract energy into a talisman, Five-Colored Spirit Light swirling, forming a Sealing Spirit Talisman in the void.

Currently, with cultivation reaching the Golden Core Stage, aided by ten Dao Seeds, his understanding between the Five Elements has reached a level difficult for an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator to achieve.

”Ding dong, ding dong!”

The crisp sound of bells approached from afar, as the Cyan Deer elegantly trotted to the Cold Pool’s edge.

”Yu yu,” it came to its master, gently nudging the master’s arm with its antlers.

Ji An rubbed the antlers; brown antlers had strands of green leaf-vein-like patterns with a protruding sensation.

Among the tree species at Red Flame Peak, the Biluo Tree is the highest yield of Spirit Fruits, now boasting over fifty top-grade plants.

Ji An is not lacking in resources; besides the rent he pays and some Spirit Fruits, he uses more than half of the Biluo Fruits as feed for the Cyan Deer.

Additionally, being served fresh Mulberry Leaves daily, the growth speed of this beast is incredibly fast, and its bloodline is becoming increasingly pure.

It has now reached the Fifth Level of the Chao Origin Stage.

Next, as long as its bloodline continues to purify and improve its spiritual nature, it has the possibility of advancing to the Golden Core Stage.

At that time, Ji An would have an additional speaking companion.

”You must work hard.”

If the Cyan Deer successfully breaks through, it could provide great assistance to him. He would entrust all beast taming responsibilities to it.

”Yu yu,” the Cyan Deer, understanding its master’s words, gave a proud response.

When the master is not at Red Flame Peak, it is half the master here.

Ji An smiled, again pinched the Spirit Sealing Technique to attract energy into a talisman, arranging the Five-Colored Spirit Lights into a mysterious pattern.

He gently pressed down, and the talisman composed purely of Spiritual Qi embedded into the beast’s body.

The next moment, fear flashed through the Cyan Deer’s eyes; it felt its Demonic Power tightly restrained, making it very difficult to mobilize, relying solely on the robust body of the Demon Beast.

”Yu yu?”

Its gaze showed pleading; it knew it must have been the master’s magic technique that caused this.

”No need to worry.”

Ji An patted its head, explaining:

”I was testing the power of this magic technique. It seems quite good.

Approximately ten double hours from now, the magic technique’s effect will wear off; during this time, you can take a rest.”

The effect of the magic technique pleased him very much; it’s useful to control targets.

The downside is it can’t be used in Magical Combat because in the level-matched skirmishes of Golden Core Level cultivators, the distance between opponents could be up to fifty zhang, but the casting range of the Spirit Sealing Technique only covers a few zhang around him.

The Cyan Deer grinned, revealing white teeth, ’Why am I the one injured when master tests magic techniques?’

It turned and ran towards the depths of the forest; at this moment, it was very weak, unable to be discovered by other ’companions’.

...

Ji An finished the last of the spicy fish tail, drinking a bowl of honey Pearl Blood Rice porridge to conclude his dinner.

On the table, not a drop remained of the Pine Nut Wine and Cyan Leaf Wine.

He contentedly patted his belly and praised:

”Xue Ning, your culinary skills have improved again.”

The ingredients at Red Flame Peak are getting better and better; even without pills, dietary supplements can be used instead, making his cultivation speed far faster than the other fellow disciples.

”Thank you, ancestor, for the compliment,” Zhang Xueling’s face showed pride; as a Spirit Chef, she is qualified.

She recalled her decision, hesitating to speak; the ancestor chose her as Red Flame Peak’s Spirit Chef because her aptitude was low enough to serve for a long time.

Now, deciding to try to break through the Foundation Establishment Stage, does it count as a betrayal? If ancestor feels uneasy, could she still have the chance to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill?

Ji An noticed the conflict on her face and asked:

”You seem to have something to say to me, feeling troubled about how to begin?”

Zhang Xueling hesitated for a moment, then gently voiced her plan.

Ji An furrowed his brow slightly, asking:

”You should know, attempting to break through the Great Realm at an advanced age is extremely dangerous; failure means death.

”Do you have this kind of understanding?”

”Disciple understands the dangers within, but having come to this world and become a cultivator, if there is a possibility to advance further, I am willing to give everything to try, even if it means flying into the flames like a moth.”

Zhang Xueling’s voice is small, yet carries a determination like a cold wind sweeping over the mountain stones.

Ji An looked at the disciple before him and nodded lightly:

”As long as you are willing, you can try.

Let me give you a word of advice: once you decide, do not look back.”

Every dream is remarkable.

The aptitude of a cultivator undergoes subtle changes, and should one break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, there will be a significant enhancement in aptitude.

If one can maintain this initial intention, the sect might gain another Chao Origin Stage cultivator.

Ji An flew away on a cloud, landing at the entrance of the grotto mansion halfway up the mountain.

He nourished two Red Cloud Pines with magical power, then entered the quiet chamber and took out the Gourd Stone.

In the next moment, his figure disappeared.

The Gourd Stone suspended in the air, and its surface adorned with flowers, birds, insects, and fish seemed to come alive; the sun, moon, and stars each shimmered, transforming it into an endless starry sky.

Ji An entered the little world, and his first act was to fly into the depths of the magma.

The position where the Red Gold Carp was originally placed showed no trace of spirit fish, and the entire lake hid its shadow.

Ji An was not surprised; a smile blossomed on his lips. This situation indicated that the spirit fish had escaped its torpor and hidden in the depths of the magma lake.

Just as he smiled, strange sounds emerged from the lake, raising waves of magma several feet high towards him.

Ji An grinned, releasing a spiritual pressure at the Golden Core level, and the ripples were pressed back by a massive force, vanishing along with the flick of a red gold fish tail.

”Amazing!”

Ji An said with a skewed mouth, resting assured that this Red Gold Carp was well-adapted to this environment.

After surveying the little world, Ji An arrived at the center, sitting cross-legged beneath the Gathering Essence Tree.

Here the spirit vein tier reached Tier Two Top Grade, and he wanted to test the effects of cultivation in this place.

He circulated the Five Elements Reincarnation Scripture, gathering spiritual qi from the little world; from the earth and plants emanated white, black, cyan, red, and yellow five-colored spirit light, which along with the spiritual qi entered his mouth and nose.

The surface of the Five Elements Divine Mansion showed cyclical brightening and dimming, resembling breathing.

The spiritual qi flowed in the immortal vein, swiftly transforming into spiritual liquid before becoming crystal sand, completing the transformation from spiritual qi to magical power.

A small portion of magical power was absorbed into the dantian, aiding the primordial life fire and the Stone Turtle.

The majority was drawn into the middle dantian, absorbed by the Golden Core.

Years of pouring a vast amount of magical power into the Golden Core had shown no increase nor decrease; the sole change was its slightly brighter hue.

This was Ji An’s first time cultivating in the little world since breaking through to the Golden Core, feeling particularly peaceful and beautiful, as though soaked in a hot spring, indescribably comfortable.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Ji An felt his spirit soul growing weary, thus he ended his cultivation.

He noticed that cultivation here differed from usual, as if the spiritual qi here was purer.

...

Half a year later.

The Golden Crow descended in the west, the Jade Rabbit ascended in the east.

At the cold pool’s edge, Ji An gazed at the mountain peak, where mist of gold and red continued to steam over Red Flame Peak, bustling as though in a market.

Suddenly, memories of the past life surged within him, triggering a song lyric he recalled.

”Waited for so long and finally the day arrived, dreamed for so long and finally the dream realized...”

Red Flame Peak was soon to be elevated to Tier Three; that day was finally near.

Ji An retrieved a Communication Golden Sword unused for a long time, inputting messages one by one before activating it collectively.

Golden light, like agile swimming fish, vanished into the splendid night sky.

The enhancement of spirit vein quality signified that Red Flame Peak would erupt once more, hence he notified all Golden Core cultivators remaining in the sect, and Jia Yu from the Treasure Pavilion.

Liu Yu and Ge Luoying were not in the sect currently, otherwise he would have informed them too.

During the last eruption of Red Flame Peak, the Tier Three spiritual object Phoenix Stone appeared; who knows what treasures would be brought by this eruption.

Since breaking through to the Golden Core, his contact with Jia Yu had lessened, sometimes a year passing without a meeting.

This time he had invited the other to arrive a few days early, with plenty of good wine at hand, and also invited Senior Brother Sect Leader.

On both of them appeared faint traces of deathly aura; time is the enemy of all living beings.

Ji An summoned a maid and instructed:

”In a few days, the Daoist Masters of the sect will visit; prepare Tier Two Top Grade Spirit Wine and the finest ingredients.”

He was unsure if Senior Brother Yuxiao would come, but Li Haoran certainly would.

Upon reaching the Golden Core level, a sword cultivator must seek Tier Three spiritual objects to refine, afterward conducting sacrificial refinement of the lifebound flying sword with secret techniques.

Half of a sword cultivator’s power resides in the lifebound flying sword intertwined with their lives, and Li Haoran hadn’t acquired a stable channel for Tier Three spiritual objects, so he surely wouldn’t miss the opportunity.

Zhang Xueling loudly responded:

”Yes, however, I fear managing alone might neglect the ancestors.

Disciple humbly requests inviting Junior Martial Uncles Xia Yu Lian and Xia Yu Han to assist.”

Honestly, hearing of the ancestors’ arrival made her somewhat nervous.