Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 413 Changes in the Sect and Crimson Flame Peak

Three days later.

White water ripples, a layer of yellow sand clings to the crest of the waves, even without wind, the turbid waves are three feet high.

With the sky high and the water wide, various water birds inhabit the shallow beaches along the shore.

"After wandering in the South for more than ten years, I have now returned to the West."

Looking back at the seamless blend of sky and water, Liu Yu let out a long sigh, feeling a sense of peace in his heart.

Sects occupy the top of the food chain in the Western Continent. Although there are missions within the sect, there are very few cases of death.

Even in the perilous situations when demonic or monster calamities broke out, he had his teachers and fellow disciples to fight alongside him. But traveling alone in the Southern Continent, he experienced even more bloodshed and darkness, and was repeatedly put in danger.

Many times, it wasn't a direct, open battle; it was more often a covert operation. After years of wandering, I finally understood the preciousness of a stable order within the sect.

Compared to his sighs, Han Yan didn't feel so much. Not counting the battles with demonic beasts, she had no more than ten opportunities to fight with cultivators.

Although she hadn't fought many times, her mindset was much more resilient and composed than before when facing a Golden Core cultivator for the last time.

The three rode on clouds and landed beside a vast expanse of waves. Ji An laughed and said:
"The only regret is that I didn't get to properly experience the local customs and culture of Nanzhou. I can only wait for the opportunity to visit Nanzhou again in the future."

The trip to the Southern Continent was not pleasant; I was forced into something and chased by others. Although the process was tortuous, the result was very beautiful.

The Void Stone in his arms and the Corpse-Nourishing Bag on his body are the best proof that those who were hunting him down have been forgiven by him.

Even these were all superficial gains in his eyes; the truly valuable harvest was etched on his chest: a complete little world.

This small world is still unstable and lacks spiritual energy, but its future is limitless, especially for him.

From now on, he will essentially be carrying a resource secret realm, able to replenish resources anytime, anywhere.

He had already planned it out: once the small world was stabilized, he would transplant various precious plants into it.

Han Yan pointed eastward and said:

"According to the plan, we will travel along the Kuangsha River, close to the outer edge of the Shiwan Mountains, and return to the sect in two months."

"Junior Brother Ji will surely have a lot of things to deal with after returning to the sect. What are your plans, Junior Brother Liu?"

She and Liu Yu's Earth-type Divine Palace is not yet complete, and they still need to find a suitable place to absorb Qi.

In fact, the Ten Thousand Mountains is also a good place to absorb Qi, but the current situation between humans and demons is unclear, and it is unknown whether many demon kings have returned to the depths of the mountains.

"Send the harvested resources to the Treasure Pavilion and see how many Earthly Soul-Soothing Pills you can exchange for. The speed at which the Divine Palace Core is growing is too slow due to the constant running around consuming Qi."

"I haven't been in the Enforcement Hall for a long time. After the Earth Palace core is perfected, I will stay in the sect peacefully until I open the Water Palace."

Liu Yu explained his plan. His connections within the sect were mainly divided into two groups: his fellow disciples from the Ningcui Cliff lineage and his fellow disciples from the Enforcement Hall.

Having shared life and death with fellow disciples for many years and made several life-or-death friendships, he still enjoyed the exhilaration of roaming the Ten Thousand Mountains, hunting demonic beasts for provisions.

With fellow disciples as support, one can avoid the feeling of being alone and helpless, as one experienced in the Southern Continent.

Collaborating with Junior Brother Ji would also be a very good option, but the other party has the resources of the Crimson Flame Peak family and wouldn't be interested in his meager earnings from working in the open.

Han Yan's eyes sparkled as she smiled:
"That's similar to my idea. After I open up the Golden Element Divine Palace, I need to stay in the Pill Cauldron Academy. I wonder if there are any outstanding junior alchemists who have broken through to the Chaoyuan stage."

If she had one, she would be much more at ease.

Thinking of this, she said softly:

"I remember that Zhong Yuefei from the Dan Ding Academy is one of my two senior sisters. Her alchemy skills are also quite good. She is very likely to break through to the Chao Yuan stage in the future."

She felt a surge of admiration. What virtue and ability did Ge Ying possess to produce three cultivators at the Chaoyuan stage? This was extremely rare in the history of the sect.

Cultivators at the Chaoyuan stage are the decision-making level of the sect, and they will more or less control some high-level resources.

Ji An smiled and nodded, "I don't know the specifics of Senior Sister Zhong's alchemy skills, but I have obtained a lot of pills from her."

If Senior Sister Zhong breaks through to the Chaoyuan stage, it will mean that the Ningcui Cliff lineage will become even stronger.

With his control of the Ministry of Agriculture and his possession of Crimson Flame Peak, these senior sisters and brothers would receive his extra support.

Thinking of this, Ji An suddenly felt an urge to return home, wondering how the Crimson Flame Peak of the Ministry of Agriculture was doing.

High-grade spiritual herbs require a long aging period, but the supply of pills for Qi Refining disciples within the sect is expected to be extremely sufficient.

During his absence, it is unknown how many second-tier high-grade spiritual plants Crimson Flame Peak may have been able to grow.

Two months later, three cultivators, wielding magical artifacts that trailed brilliant crimson light, sped along in the sunset.

Ji An did not leave his companions to return to the sect alone. They left the sect together back then, so of course they should return at the same time. It wouldn't make a difference if it took a little longer.

At this moment, all three of them were wearing sect robes, which were a symbol of status in the Western Continent.

The wind howled in my ears, and the mountains lay prostrate beneath my feet.

Ji An gazed into the distance and said:

"Strange, why are there so many flying boats docked outside the sect?"

With his eyesight, he could already reach Luoxia Mountain.

That place is the gateway for the sect to communicate with the outside world. If other forces come to the Golden Spirit Sect to visit relatives and friends, they can only enter through Luoxia Mountain.

Before the demonic calamity broke out, there were several airship routes connecting sects and strongholds in Luoxia Mountain, with a large flow of people.

However, as humans and demons entered a standoff, the place was no longer as prosperous as it once was.

Today, however, he was quite surprised to see nearly a hundred flying boats of all sizes moored outside.

Liu Yu saw his lips move but didn't hear what he said, so she asked:

"What did Junior Brother just say?"

Ji An condensed her voice into a thread and recounted what she had seen.

Liu Yu smiled and said, "The sect has regular transactions with many forces. Except for the shops in Qingyun Immortal City, which are personally managed, the various markets are all run by others."

Today, other shops must be coming to pick up goods. It's never been this bustling before. We'll find out when we get back to the sect.

The disciples of the Enforcement Hall often patrolled the perimeter of the sect and were very familiar with these situations; he had also heard his fellow disciples talk about them.

Han Yan smiled and said, "Then let's hurry and get back to the sect as soon as possible."

The three of them increased the power of their magical artifacts, and their speed increased even further as flames erupted.

Before long, everyone arrived at Luoxia Mountain and landed on the platform.

Ji An found a steward and asked:

"I see many flying ships outside. What forces are they, and what brings them here?"

The deacon looked suspicious and frowned slightly as he said:

"Uncle-Master, you didn't know?"

Liu Yu interjected, "Your senior uncles are asking you questions, so just answer them! It's perfectly normal for us to be unaware of what's happening after traveling for so many years."

The deacon grinned, then quickly corrected himself:
"I spoke out of turn. In recent years, the sect has implemented new laws. The magical artifacts produced by the Refining Hall and Puppet Hall are not expensive and are of reliable quality, which are deeply loved by various forces."

In addition, the Dan Ding Academy is able to consistently produce high-quality Qi Refining stage pills, and these flying boats are used by various forces to purchase supplies.

"What used to take half a day to complete now takes two days." His tone was filled with pride. The sect was becoming more prosperous, and the disciples were all able to benefit, with everyone's treatment improving to varying degrees.

Ji An gave a strange smile, scratched his head, and thought to himself:
'The sects have finally come to this point. The assembly line production method can definitely bring about an "industrial revolution" in the cultivation world.'

Producing more Qi Refining stage materials now is not a problem; later, we will be able to produce more Foundation Establishment stage materials.

As the three entered the sect's protective array, Han Yan said:

"It will take us more than an hour to fly to Chaoyang Peak. It's getting late now, so why don't we visit the Ancestor tomorrow? What do you think?"

"Then let's meet at the Treasure Pavilion at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow to pay our respects to the Ancestor."

The three agreed and then went their separate ways.

The bright moon shone in the sky, and a streak of crimson light flashed across its cool glow as Ji An returned on a cloud.

The flaming banner, lifted off the ground, transformed into a cloud of auspicious light, leaving behind a crimson-gold halo that lingered for a long time.

Within Crimson Flame Peak, a shimmering light and a faint fragrance wafted through the air. A mountain breeze swept by, causing the spiritual plants to ripple like waves, enhancing the tranquility.

Wei Songtao and his friends were drinking by the cold pond. They had been living such a carefree life these past few years that they had all gained weight.

No one in the sect's various halls would make things difficult for them. Although they were only at the Qi Refining stage, most Foundation Establishment cultivators treated them with great courtesy.

As they were engaged in their lively discussion, Zhang Cuihua caught a glimpse of the dazzling crimson sky and exclaimed in surprise:

"Grandmaster is back!"

Except for certain special days, the protective array of Crimson Flame Peak is always activated every night.

The fact that someone could enter the mountains silently at this time must mean they possess a forbidden jade tablet.

Wei Songtao and the others hurriedly got up, but at that moment a strong gust of warm wind hit them, making it hard for them to open their eyes.

The flaming banner quickly shrank after leaving the ground, returning to its master's dantian and sinking into the crimson flame layer. The magical artifact swam happily like a small fish.

"Greetings, Grandmaster. Congratulations on your progress in cultivation."

Several disciples shouted in unison, their tone very respectful.

Ji An glanced at the porcelain plates on the stone table; spirit wine, grilled fish, stewed meat, pastries, and spirit fruits were all available.

"You're living a pretty good life. Let me add a set of chopsticks and a bowl, and have a drink too."

Wei Songtao scratched his head and said with a forced smile:
"These are all leftovers. Why don't we have Cuihua prepare a good spiritual meal for our master?"

"Let's keep things simple today, and taste how much Cuihua's cooking has improved tomorrow night."

Ji An looked at the group of people whose faces were rosy but whose hair was turning white, and sighed inwardly. These people were already over seventy years old, and they could only stay on Crimson Flame Peak for a maximum of twenty more years.

He should relax today and perform the ritual for the spirit field tomorrow night.

"I'll go get the bowls and chopsticks," Zhang Cuihua said as she jogged away.

Tian Tiezhu said in a low voice:

"I'll go get some wine for my master."

Ji An released several spirit beasts. The golden-haired beast squeaked and jumped around a few times before suddenly falling into the ground and escaping using earth-based techniques.

How could sleeping in a spirit beast pouch possibly be as pleasant as staying next to the Soul Nourishing Wood and Earth Spirit Fruit Tree!

Big Yellow ran off happily, the Golden Eagle let out a cry and soared into the sky, while Blue Shell slowly crawled towards the cold pool and quickly dived to the bottom.

"Where are Lin Lan and Han Shan? Why aren't they here?"

"Reporting to Grandmaster, my two uncles have said that the affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture are too busy and they will not be returning to Crimson Flame Peak for the next two days."

Ji An picked up the spirit peach, took a bite, and discovered that it was only a first-grade top-quality fruit.

He then pinched a piece of honey osmanthus cake, and upon tasting it, he realized that the honey used was also of a high quality, and nodded secretly.

The wine and tea were fragrant, and Ji An listened to the reports from the group about the situation at Chiyan Peak over the years as he ate.

Wei Songtao gave the final report, explaining the accounts and expenditures over the years.

"Since our master left, the spiritual fields at various small nodes of the spiritual veins have been cultivated to the second-tier high-grade level by the people sent by the Diligent Work Hall."

In addition, the Crimson Flame Peak has gained two second-tier superior spiritual plants: two spirit peaches, one dragon blood tree, four jade-leaf mulberry trees, and one green ivy tree.

He felt a little uneasy. When his grandmaster was alive, the rate of increase in second-grade high-quality spiritual plants was much faster than in recent years.

As a result, after the grandmaster traveled for more than ten years, and with fifty acres of spiritual fields cultivated to the same level as the main spiritual vein node, the increase in only this many high-grade spiritual plants was far too little.

The production of various spirit trees has also decreased significantly, and the quantity and size of spirit fruits have also decreased.

Taking the Crimson Cloud Pine as an example, the pine nuts of a second-grade superior spiritual tree ripen once every three years. In the past, each tree yielded an average of 500 catties, but now it barely yields 300 catties, and this is still the output from a superior spiritual field.

The reduction in spiritual wood production is even more severe in mid-grade spiritual fields located far from spiritual vein nodes.

This result made everyone clearly realize just how enormous the role of a high-level spirit farmer can be.

Ji An listened calmly, having anticipated this outcome.

If second-tier superior spiritual vein nodes can cultivate a large number of second-tier spiritual plants, what's the point of having high-level spiritual farmers!
In that case, a force that occupies a high-level spiritual vein can be worry-free, but how many high-level forces have been submerged by time?

The moon was setting in the west, and not a single drop of wine could be poured from the bamboo tube. Ji An waved his hand, stood up, and said:

"You can all leave now. Songtao and I are going to the secret vault."

The two entered the secret vault one after the other. Ji An glanced at the account book and put it down. It had the signatures of the two disciples and Wei Songtao, and the accounts were clear and concise.

Ji An took some Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea and 80% of the second-tier superior resources and put them into the virtual space and storage bag. He also put away dozens of bottles of fire and earth element essences.

How has Xiaozhushan fared in recent years?

Wei Songtao was overjoyed, and said meekly with his head bowed:
"The number of cultivators in Xiaozhushan has grown rapidly in recent years, reaching more than two hundred people."

The old patriarch has passed away, but the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators is still only three, thanks to the fact that the grandmaster has maintained the soul incense trade.

The Wei family's most difficult days are over, and they will prosper more and more in the future.

The clan chief will always remember this kindness.

The fact that the grandmaster asked about Xiaozhushan shows that he still cherishes their friendship.

As he grows older, he will eventually return to his roots. The more prosperous his family becomes, the more peaceful his life will be.

Ji An nodded slightly and said:

“Very good. After I finish my chores in a few days, I will invite your brother to the banquet. You can let him know in advance, within a month.”

He still has a large number of Heavenly Water Soul Cleansing Pills, and there are areas within the sect that allow him to consume metal and circulate qi. His life will return to peace in the future.

Reconnect with old friends and catch up; for many, each meeting may be the last.

"In a few days, the family cultivators will come to trade with Crimson Flame Peak. We can have them pass on the message."

The two walked out of the secret vault, and Ji An took out a large handful of communication talismans and swords to inform the people of Ningcui Cliff of his return, and said that they would get together in a few days.

(End of this chapter)