Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 486 Worshiping the Clan
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Ji An and the other man parted ways. He left Zuixianju and went to Xuelan Street.

Now that I've accumulated some spirit stones, I need to spend them.

Spirit stones are just meaningless numbers if you keep them; they only have value when you use them.

After comparing prices at several shops, Ji An stepped back into Zhou's Lingmi Shop.

The shopkeeper, Zhou Changji, led him to the VIP room and exchanged pleasantries:

"It's been a few years since I've seen my senior."

He remembered the customer's face ever since the last time the customer came to buy second-grade low-level spirit soil.

Ji An raised his eyebrows slightly and said:

"Fellow Daoist, you have a good memory. You've come to purchase mid-grade second-tier spirit soil. What's your price range?"

After the Calabash World was upgraded to the second tier, because of the need to purchase a spot to enter the Nine Netherworld, the spirit soil was not purchased immediately to upgrade the spirit field's tier.

Now that we have some savings, we must start the cultivation plan as soon as possible.

Zhou Changji's eyes lit up. If the other party really needed mid-grade second-tier spirit soil, this would be a big deal.

"Second-grade medium-grade black soil and white clay cost thirty spirit stones per kilogram, while green soil, red flame sand, and earth yellow crystal cost thirty-five spirit stones per kilogram."

How much are you planning to buy, senior? The more you buy, the bigger the discount will be.

Ji An scratched his head. Prices here were really not cheap, but the other party's quote was reasonable.

"Give me two hundred catties of each kind to start."

The spirit stones I have are still too few. Second-tier mid-grade resources are already considered scarce. Two hundred catties can last for three months.

"Alright, Black Soil and White Concrete each require 6,000 spirit stones, Green Soil, Crimson Flame Sand, and Earth Yellow Crystal each require 7,000 spirit stones, for a total of 33,000 spirit stones."

"Senior, is there anything else you'd like?"

Zhou Changji couldn't stop smiling; the higher the level of the resource, the higher the profit margin.

Ji An nodded slightly and asked:
Do you have Kunyu soil, Danqing stone, or Huangjing jade?

These materials are used to refine a level 2 mid-grade Spirit Binding Stake. In the Calabash World, the Spirit Binding Stake needs to replace more than a dozen main stakes.

"We have everything, we have everything," Zhou Changji's mouth was practically stretched to his ears. "How much do you want, senior?"

Even if the warehouse is insufficient, he can quickly transfer goods from familiar stores.

"Sixty catties of Kunyu soil, five hundred catties of Danqing stone, and one hundred and twenty catties of Huangjing jade."

"Kunyu soil costs 25 spirit stones per jin, Danqing stone and Huangjing jade cost 5 spirit stones per jin, for a total of 4,600 spirit stones."

The senior colleague didn't ask for much; the goods can be retrieved from the warehouse right now.

"Then can you help me calculate the total cost and how much discount will I get?"

"All the spiritual items together cost 37,600 spirit stones. Senior, you can pay 34,000."

"Okay, go get the goods. I'll pay with spirit stones after you inspect them."

A moment later, the money and goods were exchanged, and Ji An hurriedly left.

Upon returning to his cave, he immediately went to the meditation room and began refining the Spirit Binding Stakes by activating the alchemical fire. Due to his limited funds, he did not have the financial means to replace all the low-level Spirit Binding Stakes and could only replace them in batches.

A low-level spirit-binding stake cannot maximize the effect of the magic array, which would slow down the refining of the spirit soil and require more time.

However, in another month or two he should have accumulated enough spirit stones to replace the remaining spirit-binding stakes.

Although it would cost an extra ten or eight mid-grade spirit stones to activate the magic array, it would save time, which Ji An thought was well worth it.

Crimson flames erupted from his fingertips, which resembled the nozzle of a flamethrower.

The Kunyu soil, Danqing stone, and Huangjing jade melted one after another. He carefully removed the impurities, manipulated the object control technique to shape them into a suitable cylinder, and at the same time, he needed to infuse them with a magical restriction.

Essentially, this falls under the category of weapon crafting, but it's the most basic level of weapon crafting.

He crafted a total of twelve spirit-binding stakes, and then connected his mind with the stone tortoise, "entering the gourd world."

The next moment, he disappeared, leaving only the gourd-shaped stone floating in the room.

As soon as he entered the small world, the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner immediately flew out from his dantian and hovered around the Gathering Yuan Tree, a signature move.

Ji An couldn't understand why Xinghuangqi did this. It was also a second-tier top-grade earth elemental artifact, but Tianxiangjia had never done this.

He replaced the spirit-binding stakes at the main nodes and reloaded them with mid-grade spirit stones to drive the magic array.

From the inside out, the spirit-binding stakes lit up with a soft light in turn.

"We're one step closer to success."

Ji An nodded in satisfaction, his eyes now resembling those of a lion king surveying his territory.

Once all the spirit-binding stakes lit up, he checked the operation of the magic array and then sprinkled different grades of second-tier mid-grade spirit soil into the corresponding spirit fields.

This is a seed of earnest hope, and the next step is to nurture it step by step. All the efforts will bear fruit at some point, and this feeling is wonderful.

Time flies, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the cave, Ji An and Wei Chengyuan sat facing each other; they had been seeing each other quite frequently over the past two years.

Wei Chengyuan's expression was somewhat gloomy. Since the flood of the Styx River, the earth element in the Nine Netherworld has decreased significantly, and no spiritual domain has been born to transform earth into metal.

Moreover, the Immortal City recently decided to close its secret areas for another ten years, because the fading of the water elemental energy takes time, and it will be impossible to accumulate enough earth elemental energy in ten years.

“Fellow Daoist Ji, I have come today to say goodbye. I will be leaving the Immortal City tomorrow.”

Staying here would not give him the opportunity to comprehend the principle of earth generating metal, so he decided to travel.

It took him twenty-six years to comprehend the concept of metal generating water. He is now over two hundred and eighty years old, and time waits for no one.

Ji An had anticipated this. If the cultivators failed to seize the opportunity, they would have to hurry up and look for other opportunities. They would not get a good opportunity by sitting and waiting.

"Where are you planning to go, fellow Daoist?"

"Cross the Storm Sea and head to the Central Continent." Wei Chengyuan gave a strange, bitter smile. "I'm traveling with a few other unlucky guys who failed to comprehend the Earth-Born Metal technique in the Nine Netherworlds. It'll be good to have someone to look after us on the way."

As he spoke, he took out an invitation and said:

"Three months later, a grand auction will be held in the Immortal City, and the Soul Tempering Pill that you are interested in will also be available."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist," Ji An said, cupping his hands in thanks. He didn't have any pill formulas and was thinking of buying some pills to test their effectiveness.

If the medicine is effective, he is prepared to try to purchase the prescription at a cost.

This pill formula was not in the sect's alchemy heritage. He did not sell the soul stones he had, but rather intended to learn how to refine the Soul Tempering Pill after returning to the sect.

Since deciding to travel and present himself as a talisman maker and alchemist, his desire for the spiritual fire of heaven and earth nurtured by the green leaves and red lotus has grown stronger day by day.

He stood up and said again:
"We part ways today, and we don't know when we'll meet again. Let's go to Zuixianju for a good drink as a farewell party for my fellow Daoist."

He will have to return to his sect in another year, and then we may never see each other again.

Even if we meet again, it's hard to say how much of our friendship will remain.

"Haha, fellow Daoist, we should bring out a jar of your treasured wine and drink it together."

Wei Chengyuan had tasted the second-grade superior pine nut wine and never forgot it. This kind of strong liquor was most suitable for cultivators in the far north.

"no problem!"

Ji An readily agreed. He rarely drank alcohol, so he had kept quite a bit of spirit wine in his hand.

An hour passed.

After enjoying drinks and conversation, Wei Chengyuan left first.

Ji An sat down cross-legged and circulated the Five Elements Wheel Sutra to quickly refine the spiritual food, then got up and left Zui Xian Ju.

He strode through the streets and arrived at Shenhuo Street.

The signboard of Shenbi Lingjia Pavilion was bright and new. Ji An stepped inside and found the owner of the shop.

Gu Tai had just finished crafting a magical artifact and was sitting down to rest.

"Fellow Daoist Ji, please have a seat. You are a rare guest."

If I hadn't heard you were still in the Immortal City, I would have thought you had already left.

Both of them are busy on weekdays, and he sees the other only two or three times a year at most.

"Haha, I must treat you to a few drinks before I leave."

To gather enough spirit stones to forge the Sky Soaring Armor, I've been working day and night refining pills and crafting talismans.

Gu Tai's eyes lit up. "Fellow Daoist, you've made your decision?"

"Of course, the leg armor and face armor are made together."

I'll pay a deposit of ten high-grade spirit stones first, then another one hundred when I start refining, and the rest will be settled after the refining is successful. How about that?

"Yes, I trust your reputation, fellow Daoist."

Seeing that the other party had agreed, Ji An handed over the prepared spirit stones.

Gu Tai put away the spirit stones and pondered:

“Fellow Daoist, you are a cultivator from the Golden Spirit Sect of the Western Continent. Your sect is known for its weapon crafting.”

"Is it possible for me to have Hongming join your sect to learn weapon crafting?"

Ji An smiled, "Fellow Daoist, are you willing to part with it?"

Gu Hongming was the other party's youngest grandson, only twelve years old.

"The Northland is different from the Westland. Here, immortal cities and family forces are the main focus, but there are no powerful sects."

My Gu family is a small and humble family, and it is difficult for us to cultivate a powerful cultivator. That is why I wanted to send him to the Western Continent.

Compared to having my children and grandchildren around to comfort me, I hope they can go much further on their path to immortality.

Gu Tai's gaze deepened as he continued:
"I've inquired and found that it only takes half a year to fly from Xizhou to Hongyan Immortal City at full speed, so the distance isn't too far."

If I miss my grandson, I can go visit him.

He wasn't telling the truth; there's another reason behind it.

Ji An asked, "What is your grandson's aptitude? Could you please tell me?"

With his influence, recommending a disciple to join the sect would be easy, but a cultivator's aptitude directly affects their path to enlightenment.

Given the current state of the sect, if one's aptitude doesn't reach a certain level, entering the sect will only make them a cog in the machine, with no chance of receiving genuine training.

There is no point in joining a sect if one cannot become a true disciple.

Gu Tai straightened his back and said proudly:

"Geographical quality!"

"With such talent, there is no problem in joining a sect. However, the training methods of sects are completely different from those of family power."

"If your grandson wants to become a core disciple, he needs to sever ties with his family. Are you willing to do that, fellow Daoist?"

"If he can become a Golden Core cultivator, even if he becomes a sect cultivator and his family lineage is severed, the blood of my Gu clan will still flow in his veins."

My lifelong wish is for a Golden Core cultivator to be born into my family. If becoming a cultivator in a sect can fulfill my wish, then why not?

"I am relieved to hear you say that. In another year, my cooperation with the Wei Family Treasure Talisman Shop will come to an end. At that time, I plan to travel across the northern lands back to my sect."

Fellow Daoist, you have another year to consider whether you should accept the sect's rules.

What I can guarantee is that if Sun joins the Golden Spirit Sect, he will definitely receive the best training.

(End of this chapter)