Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 443 Will We Still See the Same Old Appearance?

After Zhang Yuanshan and the others had left, Jia Yu spoke up:

"They are so lucky to know their junior brother."

As cultivators cultivate for longer periods, their personalities become more detached, and they tend to prioritize self-interest in their interactions with others.

Ji An smiled slightly, "Meeting each other is our good fortune."

If it weren't for Zhang Yuanshan and others lending the original owner spirit stones back then, there would have been no Meridian Opening Pills available.

When he transmigrated here, even though there was a stone tortoise, it couldn't be activated without opening his meridians.

Later, he received several spirit stones from old friends, which were extremely important to him at the time.

Without those spirit stones, it's no exaggeration to say that his growth would have been delayed by several years.

The saying "a step behind leads to a step behind" is not a joke. If he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage a few years later, his life trajectory would inevitably have been different from what it is now.

"Haha, junior brother has high standards, that's good."

"Senior brother, I still have several hundred thousand minor merits on my jade token. If I want to ask you to exchange them for Gengjin Divine Thunder Talismans, how many can I get?"

Jia Yu pondered for a moment, then said:

"It's about fifty or sixty sheets, but when trading with cultivators from Zhongzhou, we have to settle accounts with high-grade spirit stones. The sect doesn't have many high-grade spirit stones in its inventory, so we have to keep some for working capital."

"Junior brother knows that the sect has spent a lot of money purchasing various knowledge inheritances. I can only exchange for ten more Gengjin Divine Thunder Talismans for you at most, no more."

The knowledge passed down is currently just a foundation; its actual impact will be a long process. It's like the predecessors planting trees for the successors to enjoy the shade, which is why the situation in the sect is not very good.

Ji An smiled, "Ten is fine, please help me exchange them, senior brother."

He could purchase inheritances and spells from the sect at extremely low prices, but now that the sect is in trouble, he cannot demand more.

With these talismans as a foundation, he could even contend with enemies at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, thus gaining some self-protection ability.

He never boasted about his achievements in killing Golden Core cultivators; half of the Earthly Fiend Sect cultivators' combat strength lay in corpse refining.

If he had encountered a Golden Core cultivator from another faction in the last battle, he would have died a terrible death.

"Junior brother, wait for my news. There will be results within three to five days, and I will deliver the talisman to you then."

Jia Yu took a sip of wine, gazed longingly at the door for a few moments, and then said:

"Our ancestor is preparing to leave the sect and travel with the flying boats of the cultivators from the Central Continent. We will go and see him before leaving the sect."

Did the patriarch mention the reason for his departure?

Ji An was somewhat puzzled. His ancestor's lifespan was limited, with only a hundred years left. There was no need for him to leave his hometown at this age.

"Since the ancestor didn't say, I shouldn't ask."

However, judging from his mention of taking Junior Sister Han Yan with him, it must be related to the elixir.

Jia Yu suddenly chuckled and said:
"Junior Sister Han has been particularly busy lately because she has a lot of pills to refine."

They will not return for decades after leaving, and some pills can only be refined by the other party, so they can only work for a while.

Ji An smiled wryly. If Senior Sister Han were to study the pill formulas, she would be very motivated, but refining medicine every day would be quite tiring.

"I'll go to the Wuji Palace to pay my respects to the Ancestor now. In the next few days, I'll hand over my tasks to the others and then leave."

He took out ten jars of top-grade pine nut wine, saying, "I won't come to say goodbye to my senior brother then. I will order my disciples to send over a few jars of spiritual wine every year."

A Gengjin Divine Thunder Talisman is worth two high-grade spirit stones. The other party didn't actually drink much wine for free; most of the time, they paid with spirit stones.

Jia Yu tapped the wine jar a few times with his hand and said in a deep voice:
"Junior brother, take care."

A simple "Take care" is worth more than a thousand words.

Traveling is not a leisurely outing; it is fraught with danger.

A few years ago, Yue Yunlong, a cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage of the sect, went on a trip and his soul lamp went out.

The other party was going to the Southern Continent to cultivate earth and qi, but unexpectedly, they never returned.

Ji An cupped his hands, nodded cautiously, and then smiled broadly:
"When I return one day, I will drink and chat with my senior brother again."

Enemies at the Chaoyuan stage are no longer enough to frighten him. As long as he is clever enough not to provoke Golden Core cultivators, he has nothing to fear.

Of course, this refers to direct confrontation. The cultivation world has many insidious methods, so one must not be careless in daily life.

The wind swept through the corridor, and the clanging of iron horses under the eaves sounded like battle cries, while the twenty-eight constellation banners hanging inside the hall fluttered in the wind.

The wisps of smoke rising from the two large incense burners were blown away by the strong wind, leaving no trace.

Master Zhengyang's expression was solemn, and his tone was low:
"As long as the sects are unable to refine the Golden Core, they will be subject to the control of the Central Continent. They only regard the Western Continent as a buffer zone against the demonic calamity."

The demonic calamities of recent years have proven that, after thousands of years of suppression, the various demon races are no longer able to pose a threat to the Central Continent.

We were once a barrier, but now we are potential competitors. Therefore, my main task on this trip to Zhongzhou is to purchase the formula for the Golden Core Pill, or at the very least, to acquire some Golden Core Pills for future use.

He had been tossing and turning these past few days, unable to sleep, because he realized that if the Central Continent cut off the supply of Golden Core cultivators, the Golden Core lineage of the various sects in the Western Continent would be cut off, which was something he absolutely did not want to see.

Ji An nodded slightly. If core technology is in the hands of others, then one is bound to be subject to their control.

Without an alternative, he had no choice but to endure severe exploitation, something he had seen many times in his previous life.

"Ancestor, the formula for forming the Golden Core must be difficult to obtain, right?" True Master Zhengyang smiled mysteriously and said:
"Everything in the world has its rise and fall. There are many impoverished sects in the Central Continent. If you look carefully, you should be able to find a force that is willing to sell pill formulas."

In Zhongzhou, there are at least dozens of forces that possess the formula for the Golden Core Pill. This formula is not a top secret; the Nascent Soul Pill is.

Obtaining the elixir formula is not easy, but it's not impossible.

With a wave of his hand, Master Zhengyang produced a talisman that shimmered with crimson spiritual light:
"Keep these two mid-grade, third-tier Bing Fire Divine Thunder Talismans safe."

"We can't extract any more essence from the Xuanhuang Pagoda, otherwise it will seriously affect the control of the magic weapon. Otherwise, I'll give you another talisman."

Ji An accepted the talisman with both hands and said gratefully:
"Ancestor, I have received too much kindness from you and the sect, and I feel ashamed that I have no way to repay it."

"Haha, all the sect can do now is try its best to protect you from the wind and rain. One day in the future, perhaps we will need you to protect the sect from the wind and rain."

Master Zhengyang looked up at the caisson ceiling above him and continued:
"I inquired about the sale of corpses. The cultivators in the Central Continent are particularly aggressive in driving down prices. Since I'm going to the Central Continent next, I plan to sell them there."

The price is ridiculously low; it would be foolish to sell it.

"I'll listen to the ancestor."

"What do you plan to exchange the proceeds from selling the corpse for? I suggest you exchange them for third-tier materials and a small amount of high-grade spirit stones. These things are hard currency wherever you go."

Ji An pondered for a moment and said:

"Then please ask the Ancestor to help us exchange them for third-tier spiritual items of the Water and Metal elements. As for high-grade spirit stones, we don't need too many, ten or less will suffice."

He still hadn't found the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag or the Plain Cloud Banner, so if he had enough capital, he would naturally want to refine magic weapons directly.

In the following days, Ji An explained the affairs of the Si Nong Hall and handed over the management of the Ningcui Cliff Herb Garden to other spiritual farmers.

As promised, Jia Yu delivered ten Gengjin Divine Thunder Talismans, which cost him over 50,000 minor merit points.

Five days later, guests gathered at Crimson Flame Peak, and all the fellow disciples came together. Ge Luoying and Li Haoran were also among those invited.

Du Huaiyuan's eyes were blurry with drunkenness, and his voice seemed to float in the clouds:

"I still vividly remember the scene when my junior brother hosted a banquet for everyone during his last trip. I never imagined he would be going on another trip."

My return date is uncertain; I wonder if I'll see myself looking the same when I come back.

He is 166 years old this year, and even if he takes longevity pills, he will only have about 50 more years to live.

He knew that Senior Sister Zhong, Junior Sister Li, and Junior Sister Mu all had the hope of breaking through to the Chaoyuan stage, and that he was the least promising among all his fellow disciples.

In the dead of night, he sometimes asked himself if he regretted it. After much thought, he felt that this was the life he should be living.

Over the years, he and Xia Yulian lived a harmonious and comfortable life, brewing various flavors of spirit wine and having a son and a daughter. They had few regrets.

After he began refining spiritual objects in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he knew that even if he tried his best to reach the Yuan stage, he probably wouldn't be able to grasp the threshold of the Yuan stage.

These words added a touch of melancholy to the atmosphere at the dinner table.

Ji An said in a deep voice, "What discouraging words are you saying, Senior Brother? Have you had too much to drink?"

Du Huaiyuan shook his head, raised his wine glass and said:

"We know our own family situation. If I were to pass away someday, I would only hope that you would help take care of my wife and children."

The atmosphere was somewhat somber. If the Foundation Establishment cultivators could not break through to the Chaoyuan stage, and if Ji An were to be away for a longer period of time, it was indeed possible that their meeting today would be their last.

Li Haoran lowered his gaze. In his opinion, if the other party persisted in cultivation and had the help of many fellow disciples, the hope of breaking through to the Chaoyuan stage was still very high.

Since you've chosen to enjoy life, you have to accept everything that comes with it.

As the sun sets, the music ends and the audience disperses.

After Ji An saw everyone off, Zhong Yuefei transmitted her voice:
“Junior brother, my life force is growing stronger every day. When we meet again, I will be a cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage. Thank you for your support of Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea over the years.”

Her gaze was calm, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned.

'Would this count as opening champagne at halftime?'

Ji An shook his head abruptly, dispelling the evil thought in his mind.

The sunset glow resembled a continuous mountain range, illuminated by a crimson-gold light, making the mountains on the earth look like gilded Buddha statues.

As the last rays of sunlight faded, the magnificent spectacle in the sky receded like the tide, disappearing into the deep night.

Ji An instructed his two disciples:
"I will be leaving tomorrow without saying goodbye. The affairs of Crimson Flame Peak are now in your hands."

"You should not meddle in the trivial matters of the Ministry of Agriculture, unless you can break through to the Chaoyuan stage."

If a disciple makes a breakthrough, he will no longer interfere with their decisions.

Deep down, he hoped that his disciples would continue to cultivate diligently, because with his support, as long as they had enough comprehension, they could potentially become Golden Core cultivators.

"As ordered."

The two disciples responded in unison, and Lin Lan pursed her lips and said:

“Master, I will do my utmost to make progress in both my cultivation and the care of the spiritual fields.”

She secretly made up her mind that she would break through to the Chaoyuan stage when they met again!

(End of this chapter)