Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 454 Pearl Blood Rice

Cultivators lined up in an endless stream in front of the Drunken Immortal Abode, each dressed in luxurious robes.

Amidst the clamor of voices, faint, ethereal music drifted from within. Ji An listened intently, and the image of towering mountains and flowing water seemed to appear before his eyes.

There's some skillful sound editing involved, so the food must have been quite expensive.

"Senior, Zui Xian Ju is the most luxurious restaurant in the Immortal City. More than ten years ago, it cooked a Golden Core demon beast. I remember that the whole street was filled with the rich aroma of food for several days, and it only gradually dissipated after several days."

As Li Zhonghe spoke, a glistening line of water dripped from the corner of his mouth, which he immediately wiped away with his sleeve.

“Golden Core demon beasts,” Ji An sighed. When the demon calamity broke out, Golden Core cultivators from the Western Continent killed two Golden Core demon beasts. He wondered who ate their flesh.

These beast meats were absolutely comparable to high-grade pills for cultivators, but unfortunately he wasn't qualified to enjoy them at the time.

"Let's go in and take a look."

Li Zhonghe smiled and waved his hand, saying:

"Senior, please go ahead. This restaurant charges an entrance fee, but you can get a discount by eating spiritual food. I'm reluctant to spend the money."

I'll grab a bite to eat elsewhere, and then wait for you outside the restaurant in half an hour.

The ingredients here are of very high quality; the meat is made from demonic beasts and spirit fish at least at the Foundation Establishment stage. A single banquet here can easily cost hundreds or even thousands of spirit stones.

As a Qi Refining stage cultivator who needs to support his family, he doesn't deserve such luxury.

"I understand, see you later."

Ji An nodded, stepped inside, and immediately a maidservant greeted him with a sweet smile:
"Welcome, may I ask how many people are dining with you, senior?"

"One person can simply sit in the lobby."

Sitting in the lobby, you can hear some news. Back in the day, I heard the news about the small world fragments falling in Rotten Peach Mountain in the Southern Continent in a restaurant.

"Senior, according to the rules of this shop, you need to pay a mid-grade spirit stone to be seated."

"Give it to me after you order."

Ji An went up to the second floor, found a seat by the window, took the menu handed to him by the maid, glanced through it, and frowned slightly, saying:
"A single pan-fried precious dragonfish costs 36 mid-grade spirit stones. Why is it so expensive?"

This is one of the most expensive dishes on the menu, but since he's here, he won't hesitate to try the local delicacies, provided they're worth the price.

"Senior, the precious dragonfish is a specialty of the Nulan River; it simply cannot survive in other waters."

Its flesh is tender and delicious. We select only the spirit fish from the Chaoyuan stage, which are about the length of an arm, with flat bodies and golden scales.

Moreover, this type of treasure fish is not common; it is only easy to catch during this season.

"Hehe, I haven't tasted a spirit fish at the Chaoyuan stage yet, so this is the one."

Also, please order an Eight Treasure Chicken, a serving of Pearl Red Rice, and a pot of Osmanthus Wine.

Ji An handed over a mid-grade spirit stone. He didn't order too many dishes, as higher-grade ingredients are more filling.

"Okay, senior, please wait a moment, I will bring you a pot of spiritual tea right away."

The maid memorized the menu and hurried downstairs.

While waiting, Ji An pondered where to go in the afternoon, and at the same time, he listened intently to the conversations of the cultivators at the nearby dining tables.

He wouldn't hear any secrets here, but he could learn about any major events that had recently occurred in the Immortal City.

Those who came and went were all cultivators at or above the Foundation Establishment level, and their conversations were free of trivial matters.

A moment later, the maid and the waiter brought out all the spiritual food at once. "Please enjoy your meal, senior. If you have any other requests, please feel free to ask."

Ji An nodded slightly, the rich aroma of the spiritual food whetting his appetite.

The golden-yellow dragonfish displayed mysterious patterns on both sides. He picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth.

His mouth watered, the aroma lingering between his lips and teeth. He swallowed the fish, and a rich spiritual energy burst forth in his chest and abdomen, as if he had swallowed a ball of fire, or the exhilarating feeling of eating a spicy hot pot on a winter's day.

The Nulan River is chillingly cold, yet it has given birth to the Fire Spirit Fish. Does this signify the mutual transformation and interdependence of Yin and Yang in the universe?

Then he ate Eight Treasure Chicken, which turned out to be a demonic bird at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Its meat was so tender that it could melt in his mouth.

Pearl blood rice is much larger than ordinary spirit rice, resembling crystal-clear jade grains, and has a unique fragrance.

Ji An took a bite of the spirit rice, chewed it, and swallowed. His eyes widened slightly. He thought the blood rice was a spirit rice that nourished blood and qi, but he didn't expect it to be fire-element spirit rice.

He beckoned, and a maidservant approached, smiling slightly:
"Senior, what are your orders?"

"This spirit rice is actually of the second-grade low quality. Where can I buy spirit seeds?"

"Senior, this kind of spiritual rice is specially supplied by the Sun family of Hongyun Mountain, but I heard that it has very special requirements for spiritual soil, and the yield is extremely low when planted in other areas."

If you wish to purchase spirit seeds, you can do so at Sun's Spirit Rice Shop on Selangor Street.

"Okay, here's your reward."

Ji An took out five low-grade spirit stones and handed them to the other party. Xuelan Street was the street where Zhou's shop was located.

"Thank you, senior, for the reward!"

The maid took the spirit stone, left with a smile, and kept the reward for herself.

After a hearty meal, Ji An leaned against the window, quietly sipping spiritual tea and listening to the other cultivators' discussions.

Some people say that hundreds of years ago, a black dragon transformed into a human form in the Nulan River. At that time, there was thunder and lightning and torrential rain for hundreds of miles around, and the river swelled and flooded countless nearby lands.

Some people also say that ancient cave dwellings were discovered deep in the mountains, where several cultivators at the Chaoyuan stage perished.

Before I knew it, the teapot was empty.

Seeing that the broker had returned, Ji An got up and headed for the stairs.

A maidservant came forward and said softly:

"Senior, are you settling your bill and leaving?"

"Yes, lead the way."

The two arrived at the counter on the first floor, where the fat, big-eared shopkeeper said with a smile:

"A total of 41 mid-grade spirit stones. Since this is your first time here, you've already paid 1 spirit stone, so you only need to pay 39 spirit stones in total."

He has a special skill: he can remember a person's face after meeting them only once, and he will never forget it for decades.

After paying the spirit stones, Ji An left and found the broker, saying:

"Go back to Selangor Street, I want to buy some pearl rice."

The best spiritual rice in the Western Continent is Jade Marrow Rice, which is only a mid-grade first-level rice and cannot compare with Pearl Blood Rice at all.

He wanted to experiment with whether the spirit rice could be grown in the gourd world, and later try it on Crimson Flame Peak as well.

Li Zhonghe hesitated for a moment, then said:
"Senior, are you keeping it for personal consumption or for cultivation? Only the Sun family of Hongyun Mountain can cultivate this kind of spiritual rice to a high yield."

Every year he receives some cultivators who buy spirit rice to grow, but he has never heard of any cultivator who can produce a high yield.

Lingmi is a bulk commodity; if production is not high, there will be no profit to be made.

"Both factors are at play. I'll have my friend plant some to try it out."

The two returned to Xuelan Street, where Ji An purchased 1,000 catties of pearl blood rice, spending 15 mid-grade spirit stones.

As Li Zhonghe stepped out of Sun's shop, he began to speak:

"Senior, do you have any plans for this afternoon, or would you like to just wander around?"

“I need to find a reliable talisman shop and a pill shop to discuss cooperation,” Ji An replied. This was his first step in expanding his network. He planned to gradually reach out to families that controlled mines and seek out places with a strong aura of the gold trade.

In fact, the sect's mines occasionally produce areas where one can comprehend the concept of metal generating water, but such areas are extremely rare, far fewer than those in Red Rock Immortal City.

The families who own the mines have turned this into a business, selling leases whenever they discover an area where the gold mines are teeming with spiritual energy.

In the afternoon, Ji An used his self-made pills and talismans as a stepping stone to successfully reach agreements with two shops to supply goods starting next month.

As the sun sets, the rocks in the fairy city are bathed in orange-red light, and the stones refract a seven-colored halo.

Ji An and the other person walked out of the Spirit Pill Pavilion. "One last thing, take me to rent a cave dwelling. It must be at least a second-grade high-quality one."

"Yes, sir. Please follow me."

Li Zhonghe was shocked. He could tell the general level of the cultivator from the rented cave dwelling. The renter of a second-grade high-quality cave dwelling was at least a third or fourth stage cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage.

If one's cultivation level is insufficient, renting such a luxurious cave dwelling would be a waste.

Half an hour later, Ji An signed the lease agreement, renting the property for three years at a price of 6,000 spirit stones per year, and also paid a deposit of 3,000 spirit stones.

The rental price of the cave dwelling is much higher than that of Silvermoon City.

Because he would be staying in the Immortal City for a long time, he luxuriously rented a high-grade spiritual vein cave.

Ji An shook his head slightly. He needed spirit stones in every aspect of his life when he was away from home, and he missed the sect more and more.

"Senior, you will be living in Immortal City from now on. If there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know."

"Just stop any middleman, and they can deliver a message to me."

Li Zhonghe solemnly said that today he had witnessed the other party's wealth and ability, and he deeply understood that this was a high-level cultivator who was not short of money.

Ji An nodded slightly and said with a smile:
"I happen to have a favor to ask you. Help me get a few rare dragonfish, Qi Refining stage level is fine, and they must be alive!"

The environment in the gourd world is unique. It is a small world created through special modifications by the stone turtle, and it also has a spiritual root of heaven and earth to guard the place.

He wanted to test whether he could raise spirit fish in the pond. If not, he wouldn't suffer any loss; if he could, he would make a fortune.

That would mean that many spiritual plants or fish that can only grow in certain specific areas can survive in the gourd world.

Li Zhonghe paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically:

"Don't worry, senior. These days are the peak season for catching precious arowana. I will inform you as soon as I have any news."

If you're using it for cooking, there's nothing extra you need to be careful about, but I have some news for you.

These spirit fish cannot survive a single night outside the Nu River, and even if you fill a pond with river water to raise them, they will not live for more than a few days.

He carefully cautioned that this was his professional ethics, because his honesty and reliability had enabled him to purchase a small courtyard in the outer area of ​​the immortal city from an ordinary wandering cultivator who had no fixed abode in the mountains.

If I work harder in this life, I might be able to find a place for my descendants to live in the Immortal City.

Ji An nodded gently, "Just go ahead and do it. What's a suitable price to buy the spirit fish?"

"A small fish about the length of a palm will cost twenty spirit stones."

The arowana is extremely delicious; it tastes good no matter how it's cooked: pan-fried, grilled, steamed, or stewed.

"Not too many, about ten will suffice."

Ji An took out five spirit stones and handed them to the other party, then said:

"This is the delivery fee; there will be a reward upon receiving the spirit fish."

He loves eating fish, and if he could raise all kinds of unique and delicious fish, he could eat fish wherever he went. How wonderful!

"Thank you, senior. We'll have the results in a few days. You just need to wait."

Li Zhonghe happily accepted the spirit stone, saying, "This junior will take his leave."

Inside the cave, Ji An carefully inspected it. It was spotless, indicating that it must be regularly cleaned.

He summoned several beasts, fed them some spirit pills and spirit fruits, and then assigned Big Yellow and Golden Fur to guard the door.

Big Yellow grew bigger and bigger, taking up almost half the room. The Golden Retriever shook its fur a few times and jumped onto Big Yellow's back.

Ji An returned to the quiet room and immediately focused his mind on his dantian, connecting with the stone tortoise.

Enter the world of gourds!

His figure disappeared, and the gourd-shaped stone emitted a soft light that filled the room.

"I've brought my things in."

Ji An smiled and took out the Soul-Devouring Insect's nest, placing it three zhang away from the Gathering Yuan Tree. The spiritual energy concentration in this spiritual field was higher than that in the other spiritual fields.

There are invisible barriers between the various spiritual fields in the small world, but he believes there are connecting passages in the underground area.

However, this was just his speculation, and he did not find any strong evidence to prove it.

A moment later, movement came from the spirit insect's nest. One by one, the insects crawled out, spitting out transparent spiritual liquid, and began to build their nests like swallows carrying mud.

"So hardworking?"

Ji An chuckled and caught more than a dozen spirit insects. Yellow clouds rose from beneath his feet as he flew toward the black earth.

When these insects are caught in the palm of your hand, they immediately stiffen and begin to play dead.

This is one of the reasons why it is difficult to cultivate spirit-devouring insects in the outside world. Playing dead does not prevent death, but only makes it easier for predators to eat.

Once they reached the sky above the pond, Ji An released half of the spirit insects.

After falling into the water, these spirit insects began to struggle and slowly sank to the bottom. Before they could completely reach the bottom of the pond, the spirit fish quickly swam to the insects and began to tear them apart and devour them.

The pond suddenly became lively as most of the spirit fish joined the scramble.

Ji An smiled; it seemed these spirit insects were indeed excellent bait.

Even if the Soul-Eating Insects don't improve the soil, it's still worth it.

He rode the clouds across the yellow earth and arrived at the red earth region, where he scattered the remaining spirit insects near the fire crystal ants' nest.

Perhaps the spirit insects had a special scent, because they were quickly discovered by the fire crystal ants and then dragged into their nest.

A moment later, Ji An probed the anthill with his divine sense and communicated with the queen ant.

'Master, I just tasted something delicious.'

The queen ant was in a good mood, clearly finding the spirit-devouring insects a delicious treat.

'Great, you'll be able to eat this often from now on.'

Ji An was in an even better mood. Since both the spirit fish and the fire crystal ants liked to eat the spirit-devouring insects, the number of insects would not become excessive.

He plans to customize a highly intelligent puppet to regularly deliver food to the spirit fish and fire crystal ants, which will make the ecosystem here more and more complex and gradually cultivate biodiversity.

He arrived near the Spirit Peach Tree, planted an acre of Pearl Blood Rice, and then unleashed the Cloud Dragon Rain Technique.

Rolling dark clouds loomed over the spirit field, with flashes of lightning crackling and spiritual rain, as clear as white jade beads, falling down.

A moist atmosphere filled the air, and the water mist rose rapidly before quickly dissipating.

The green seedlings with red stripes sprouted from the soil, swaying in the rain.

"Let me see how the production is!"

(End of this chapter)