Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 442 Former Friends

The shopkeeper was dumbfounded. Looking at the spirit stones piled up on the table, he said with difficulty:
“Fellow Daoist, the Treasure Talisman Pavilion doesn’t have that many high-grade spirit stones.”

Selling talismans will earn you three high-grade spirit stones, and you can exchange them for a maximum of two more.

He maliciously speculated that the other party might have embezzled some of the sect's resources for their own use; otherwise, how could they have accumulated so many mid-grade spirit stones?

The client looked very young and was clearly not the kind of monk who had accumulated a lifetime of experience.

Ji An scratched his head, "Alright, thank you for your help, fellow Daoist."

He pointed out 350 mid-grade spirit stones and pushed them towards the other party, asking in a casual, conversational manner:

"I once sold talismans at your esteemed establishment, and the Daoist who received me was named Yin Lingsu. I wonder how she is doing now?"

Back then, he sold Gengjin Talismans and Water Curtain Talismans, and cooperated with Baofu Pavilion for a long time.

"You mean Junior Sister Yin? A few years ago, she failed to break through to the Chaoyuan stage and passed away when her lifespan was exhausted."

Upon hearing this answer, Ji An sighed deeply, lamenting the ruthlessness of time.

After counting the spirit stones, the shopkeeper put them away and stood up, saying:
"The amount is exactly enough to exchange for five high-grade spirit stones. Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment while I go and fetch the spirit stones."

After a while, once the money and goods were exchanged, Ji An left with the spirit stones.

He wandered around the immortal city for half an hour and found that he was not familiar with it. The quality of the goods in the shops was much worse than that in the merchant flying boat.

Finally, disappointed, he returned to the sect's headquarters and took the teleportation array back to the sect.

Three days later, at noon.

Zhang Yuanshan and his companion rode side by side in their flying shuttle, with the golden-red mist rising from the mountain peaks visible in the distance.

The two slowed down, and Zhang Yuanshan said in a deep voice:
"I wonder what Fellow Daoist Ji's purpose is in inviting us this time."

He seemed to be asking a question, but he also seemed to be talking to himself.

When Chu He died in battle and was buried, he invited him to return to his hometown to pay his respects, but was unexpectedly refused.

At the time, he thought that perhaps the difference in their cultivation levels was causing the gap between them to widen, so he took the initiative to reduce contact.

"I don't know," Zhao Mengyao said, gazing at the distant mountains with a complicated expression, her eyes crinkling with wrinkles.

Although she still possesses a captivating charm, she carries an air of maturity and experience.

Of all the disciples who left Qingsong Taoist Temple on Xiaocang Mountain back then, Ji An was arguably the worst.

Because the other party is about to turn eighteen, which will soon exceed the sect's standard, and the opening of the meridians will be the latest. If the opening of the meridians is delayed by two more days, the sect will miss the opportunity to recruit disciples.

In order to open their meridians, the other party used a little trick, borrowing their spirit stones.

Time flies like water, and more than a hundred years have passed. Of the disciples who entered the sect at the same time, some died and some left, leaving only the three of them in the sect.

The opponent is now a high-ranking cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage, who has been at this level for over seventy years.

The two of them are still hesitating, making every possible preparation for breaking through to the Chaoyuan stage.

Unlike Zhang Yuanshan, the reason she distanced herself from Ji An was because she didn't know how to face her former companion whom she used to look up to.

Even the longest road eventually comes to an end. Zhang Yuanshan and his companion entered Crimson Flame Peak. They gazed at the radiant spiritual plants covering the mountains below, feeling the rich spiritual energy surging like the tide, and remained silent.

Their shuttle hovered in the air for a long time before Zhang Yuanshan sighed in dejection:
"I feel like I'm nothing."

He was still racking his brains to earn small merits to exchange for the Qi Cultivation Pill; the annual income of Crimson Flame Peak was probably enough to exchange for just one pill.

Zhao Mengyao shook her head and smiled bitterly, saying:
"Let's go down, I see Fellow Daoist Ji."

At this moment, she felt endless disappointment, and only bitterness welled up in her mouth.

The two piloted their flying shuttle to the icy pool and landed slowly.

Ji An stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and smiled:

"We're not hosting a banquet for anyone today, just the three of us having a few drinks."

He invited his two old friends into the living room, where Feng Xing served them some spiritual tea.

After taking his seat, Ji An began to speak:

"Let's try the pastries and roasted pine nuts first."

There are two types of honey from the Red Flame Bee, and roasted pine nuts can also be paired with honey. Zhang Xuening can make seven or eight different kinds of pastries and pine nuts.

With the addition of second-grade high-quality honey and pine nuts, its richness of spiritual energy and taste are unmatched within the sect.

The three exchanged pleasantries for a while, then fell silent.

Ji An sighed softly. His path had diverged from theirs, and perhaps they could never go back to the way things were.

He tilted his head back and drank the Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea in one gulp, then said in a deep voice:

"Have you two fellow Daoists ever heard of the Blood Transformation Soul-Chasing Curse?"

Zhao Mengyao raised an eyebrow slightly and said:
"Of course I've heard of it. This method is used by both cultivators and demon beasts, but it's mainly used on the offspring of Golden Core experts."

Zhang Yuanshan nodded slightly. "I've heard of it."

Ji An looked towards the door, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes:

"I was also drafted when the battle at Mingfeng Mountain was at its most intense."

At first, I did some logistical work to treat the wounded. I was by Chuhe's side when he died. His injuries were too severe. Although I had practiced my Rejuvenation Technique to perfection, I was still powerless to save him.

I watched helplessly as he breathed his last.

Later, I joined the battle on the city wall and killed many monsters, including a Golden Feathered Eagle in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Unexpectedly, this golden-feathered eagle was a descendant of the demon king, afflicted with the Blood-Transforming Soul-Chasing Curse.

Later, the sect retreated, but the demon beast army besieged the city, and the Golden-feathered Eagle Demon King was able to sense my location.

Every few days, the Demon King would linger outside the sect's protective array, so I didn't attend Chu He's funeral. After breaking through to the Chaoyuan stage, I was busy developing my Divine Mansion, and my interactions with the two of them decreased.

In a few days I will be leaving the sect to travel, and my return date is uncertain. Today I'm having a farewell drink with my old friend, looking forward to our reunion.

According to the experience of the sect's elders, comprehending the mutual generation of the five elements can take anywhere from fifty or sixty years to a lifetime.

If his two friends cannot break through to the Chaoyuan stage, when he returns, he will be faced with two lonely graves.

“I see,” Zhang Yuanshan said softly.

Zhao Mengyao stood up, picked up the wine jar, filled the cup, and smiled:
"We've indeed lost touch over the years. What is your cultivation level now, fellow Daoist?"

"The fifth stage of the Chaoyuan period is complete. The purpose of the journey is to comprehend the mutual generation of the five elements. The next stage is the Five Qi Converging at the Origin, at which time one can be called a half-step Golden Core."

Ji An sighed, "The claim of being a half-step Golden Core cultivator is just self-aggrandizement. Haven't you heard that a slight difference can lead to a huge error?"
Whether or not one takes even half a step makes all the difference.

Golden Core cultivators live for a thousand years. Although they are only five hundred years longer than Chao Yuan cultivators, their influence is incomparable.

"If you say that, how are Fellow Daoist Zhang and I supposed to feel?"

Zhao Mengyao said that such a gap is almost equivalent to a difference of an entire major realm.

The gap was too big, so she lost the desire to compare.

“I misspoke,” Ji An said, raising his glass. “Both of you, drink to your hearts’ content.”

After a few cups of spirit wine, the other two became slightly tipsy and started talking more.

A moment later, Zhang Xuening and the others brought out various kinds of spiritual food and removed the pine nuts.

Ji An waved his hand and said:
"No need to serve me today."

With disciples present, one will not easily open one's heart to speak.

After the disciples left, everyone started talking about their past experiences that they had never mentioned before, and the atmosphere became even more harmonious.

As the wine flowed freely, Ji An spoke:

"Both of you fellow cultivators are currently at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment. Have you managed to exchange for a Qi Cultivation Pill?"

Zhao Mengyao gently shook her head:
"Not yet, I'm still accumulating experience."

"me too."

Ji An solemnly said:

"I can help make up the difference. You can pay me back when you have more money. Is that necessary?"

He still remembers the spirit stones he received from the two men when he was at his lowest point.

Zhao Mengyao's smile grew even gentler:

“I once thought of asking you for help, but I was afraid that it would make us estranged, so I never brought it up.”

Zhang Yuanshan nodded, "I will always remember your kindness, fellow Daoist."

"How much skill are you all lacking?"

"I'm short a little over seven thousand."

"I'm short 9,000 points."

Ji An put down his wine cup. "Tomorrow I'll go to the Treasure Pavilion with you all and lend each of you ten thousand merit points."

That's all he can do to help; when it comes to making a breakthrough, he can only rely on himself.

The two of them had accumulated enough experience over a long period of time, and the amount of minor achievements they lacked was not much. They were both wealthier than he was back then.

"I am deeply grateful for your kindness, fellow Daoist."

"You flatter me. It's fate that we came from Qingsong Academy together."

Ji An raised his glass again, and the three of them drank to their hearts' content, making the atmosphere even more lively.

The following day at dawn, at the Treasure Pavilion on Chaoyang Peak.

Sunlight shines on the plaque, making the large, golden characters gleam.

Ji An led his men into the main hall, cupped his hands, and said:

"Senior brother, I want to help them exchange for Qi-Nourishing Pills."

He brought Zhang Yuanshan, Zhao Mengyao, and his two disciples with him. It will take 80,000 minor merits to settle the matter today.

Jia Yu's eyes widened in admiration:

"Junior brother, you're really generous. Take out your jade tokens."

Everyone handed over their jade tokens and stated the amount of merit they needed to have deducted. Jia Yu then placed each token on the spirit plate and processed the transaction.

Ji An transmitted the message:
"Senior brother, is the sect's supply of Qi-Nourishing Pills sufficient?"

Jia Yu transmitted her voice:

“That’s enough. When the cultivators from Central Continent arrived last time, the sect bought eight Qi-Nourishing Pills in one go. In addition, you handed over the main ingredient for the Qi-Nourishing Pills, and Junior Sister Han refined eight more.”

Although some have been exchanged away over the years, there are still twelve pills available in the secret vault.

He returned the jade tokens to everyone and said solemnly:
"The exchange records have been saved. As long as you all improve your cultivation to the Foundation Establishment stage and reach the realm of constant life light, you can come to the Treasure Pavilion to apply for and receive the pills."

However, the sect has rules, which you may already know, but I must reiterate them.

The Qi-Nourishing Pill must be taken immediately; the sect will arrange a cave for the breakthrough.

These kinds of pills that allow one to break through to a higher realm are strictly prohibited from being circulated outside the country, because the price of exchanging these pills is far lower than their intrinsic value.

Zhang Yuanshan and others spoke up one after another:
"I know these rules, and I will strictly follow the sect's requirements."

(End of this chapter)