Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 535: When time comes, heaven and earth all work together

Perhaps it was because the Golden Spirit Sect did not show any aggression, or perhaps it was because other forces had no intention of confronting them, that the Western Continent was calm, at least on the surface.

The leaders of various smaller forces breathed a sigh of relief, especially those forces located in the border areas of the major sects.

When the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer. If the Western Continent descends into chaos, these smaller factions will be the first to be affected.

Small boats fear the wind and waves, while large ships find it difficult to turn.

Time flies, seasons change, and five years have passed like smoke in the dust of time.

In the early morning, Crimson Flame Peak was still shrouded in a light, veil-like mist.

As Ji An stepped out of the cave, he glanced down and noticed a shimmering light rising at the foot of the mountain.

He froze for a moment, then immediately summoned the Flame Banner that had been lifted off the ground and flew down toward the place where the light was flashing.

That was the center of the Fire Spirit Plant Garden. Before he even reached the top of the fruit cluster, his gaze was drawn to a spirit peach tree inside.

He suddenly activated his magical artifact, increasing his speed even further, and arrived beside the spirit peach tree in the next moment.

The peach tree's gray bark cracked open, revealing a dark red interior—a new layer of bark.

Its leaves are as clear as jade, radiating a soft glow, and blending perfectly into the mist.

The veins of the leaf are the color of a frost-touched maple leaf, or perhaps a burning flame.

The combination of red and green is exceptionally eye-catching and alluring.

Below the spirit tree, some green fruits the size of walnuts fell; these fruits were still hanging securely on the treetops yesterday.

"Boom!"

With a soft thud, a small peach fell to the ground. Its skin was wrinkled, as if it had been dehydrated, just like the other fruits that had fallen to the ground.

Ji An didn't have time to feel sorry for the fallen spirit fruit. He rushed to the spirit peach tree and placed his hand on the trunk.

Feeling the rich fire elemental energy flowing inside the tree trunk, Ji An clenched his fist tightly.

"yeah!"

Positive changes are taking place inside the spirit peach tree. When these changes are complete, it means that this spirit tree has broken through to the third tier!

The first Tier 3 spiritual plant has appeared in Crimson Flame Peak, but it will definitely not be the last.

Happiness can come so suddenly, or perhaps it's the natural result of hard work. At this moment, Ji An's excitement was beyond measure.

He took out several golden communication swords, recorded the scene, and added a message.

"At Crimson Flame Peak, come quickly!"

Two hours later.

A light shone from the teleportation array, seemingly distorting space and time. The next moment, True Person Zhengyang and True Person Yuxiao appeared in the array.

Ji An cupped his hands in greeting, "Senior brother, when did you return?"

"I returned to the sect at midnight last night."

Master Yuxiao replied that he was originally stationed in the Red Rock Immortal City in the far north.

Master Zhengyang waved his hand and said urgently:
"We can catch up later, junior brother, hurry up and take us to see it."

He recognized the pattern on the golden sword as a spirit peach, but he had never seen such a magnificent spirit peach before.

Although the other party did not reveal any further details, he knew that he was about to witness history.

Ji An didn't keep them in suspense, or he might get beaten up. He turned around and spread his arms, "Senior brother, please come with me."

Three crimson clouds rose and fell, and True Man Zhengyang placed his hand on the trunk of the spirit peach tree, his smile never fading.

Master Yuxiao also examined the condition of the spirit wood. He frowned, rubbed his hands together, and said:

"I have a question. Since this spirit peach can be cultivated to the third level, why hasn't the Azure Mist Pine of Cloud Crane Mountain reached the third level yet? Is it just because it's a precious plant that it grows so slowly?"

He had many questions in his mind. The Purple Gold Wutong Wood and the Star Tree had both reached the third level, but the Azure Mist Pine was still only a second-level top-grade one.

Master Zhengyang nodded. "Actually, I had the same question. Could it be that the Azure Mist Pine has some inherent deficiencies?"

The Azure Mist Pine has been growing on Cloud Crane Mountain for over a thousand years. Logically, its own accumulation should be sufficient, at least much deeper than that of this Spirit Peach.

Ji An pondered for a moment and said:
"Actually, I had a guess a long time ago. Now that the Spirit Peach Tree has reached the third level, I think this guess should be correct."

As everyone knows, the success rate of transplantation decreases once the spiritual plant reaches the second tier.

Records show successful transplantations of low-grade second-tier spiritual plants, but transplanting mid-grade or higher second-tier spiritual plants will only result in one outcome—the death of the plant.

"This is very abnormal. Logically speaking, the higher the grade of a spiritual plant, the more tenacious its life should be."

The current explanation for this phenomenon in the cultivation world is that spiritual plants of the second rank and above have formed a peculiar symbiotic relationship with the land they grow on.

This means that after the spiritual plants changed their growing area, they lacked a certain mysterious substance necessary for survival, making them prone to death. I believe this explanation is plausible.

Ji An carefully looked into their eyes and continued:

"Based on the conclusions I just made, I believe that there is a mysterious energy in the third-tier spirit field that we cannot observe."

"And the existence of this energy is a necessary condition for spiritual plants to grow to the third level," Master Zhengyang interjected.
"A very interesting inference, which is self-consistent."

The Purple Gold Wutong Tree grows on Chaoyang Peak, and the Star Tree grows on Chitong Mountain. They both grow on the third-order nodes of the main spiritual vein in the south.

The Star Tree is located on Yunhe Mountain, which is situated on the main spiritual vein in the north of the sect. None of the nodes on this spiritual vein are of the third tier.

Master Yuxiao nodded slightly and said:

"In other words, as long as Yunhe Mountain becomes a third-tier spiritual vein node, it won't be long before Canglan Wusong can be upgraded to the third tier."

Ji An nodded solemnly: "That's how it is in theory."

Master Yuxiao smiled and said, "The spiritual energy of Yunhe Mountain is gradually showing signs of stirring. Based on past experience, it should be able to improve its rank within half a year. Let's wait and see."

Master Zhengyang was also all smiles, and he exclaimed:
"It feels like since the end of the demon calamity, the sect's fortune has soared to the sky, with good things coming one after another. It's as if the heavens and earth are working together to help us when the time is right."

The establishment of the Sinong Hall shortened the cultivation cycle of spiritual herbs and plants while improving their quality, thus driving the development of the Dan Ding Academy.

Subsequently, the sect underwent reforms, and halls such as the Weapon Refining Hall, Puppet Hall, and Array Hall entered a period of rapid development.

The sect now possesses three Tier 3 spiritual plants, and more Tier 3 spiritual plants will be cultivated continuously.

Within Crimson Flame Peak stands a Phoenix Tree, a fourth-tier spiritual plant with emerald leaves and red lotus, capable of nurturing the spiritual fire of heaven and earth.

The sect has two Soul-Nourishing Trees, and the Cloud Peak Jade Trees have begun to be planted extensively. In the future, the number of Nether Moon Azure Jade Trees will also gradually increase.

Given time, these will all become the foundation for the Nascent Soul stage of the sect!

However, there are many challenges ahead. Solving the problem of passing on cultivation techniques is of paramount importance. Without cultivation techniques that directly lead to the Nascent Soul stage, it is impossible to give birth to a Nascent Soul True Person.

These kinds of secret techniques are precisely what top powers are trying their best to block, so we must find another way.

Furthermore, with the increasing number of Foundation Establishment cultivators, the sect's spiritual fields will soon be insufficient for distribution.

We must expand outwards, either by expanding within the human race or by attacking the territory of the demon beasts, and we must plan ahead.

Master Zhengyang prefers to attack the Ten Thousand Mountains. Internal power struggles within the human race would cause many negative consequences, and most importantly, what can be obtained is not worth the risk.

After visiting the spirit peach tree, Ji An said:
“Senior brother, it’s a rare opportunity for you to come to Crimson Flame Peak. Let’s go to the living room and enjoy some strong tea and fine wine here.”

Master Zhengyang waved his hand and said with high spirits:
"No, let's go to Crimson Flame Peak together. I want to explore the Earth's Lung Fire Vein again."

"Our capabilities are insufficient to explore deep into the lava lake."

"Hehe, I'm prepared this time. Junior Brother Yuxiao, bring out our treasure."

Master Yuxiao took out a fist-sized crimson pearl and said:
"Three years ago, when I went to Red Rock Immortal City, my senior brother gave an order to find a weapon refiner to forge a mid-grade third-tier fire-avoiding pearl."

Ji An's eyes widened suddenly, unable to understand the point of refining a mid-grade third-tier auxiliary magic weapon.

However, the sect leader is not senile; he must have his reasons.

Master Zhengyang didn't keep you in suspense and revealed his guess:
"The Crimson Flame Peak erupts repeatedly, and the spiritual objects that gush out are becoming increasingly advanced, exceeding the level of the spiritual vein itself. I believe that a depleted high-level spiritual vein is buried deep within the earth's veins."

If the guess is correct, that depleted spiritual vein is at least a low-grade third-tier vein.

"I see, I hadn't thought of that at all!"

Ji An said that even if they guessed wrong, the sect would still receive a support magic item as a consolation prize.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Beside the lava lake at the deepest part of Crimson Flame Peak, True Immortal Zhengyang took out a dark jade bottle and solemnly instructed:

"Junior brother, this is a five-thousand-year-old stone stalactite, which can quickly restore magical power."

As you delve deeper into the lava lake, the spiritual energy consumed will increase dramatically, so you must ensure that you have enough mana within you.

There's not much stalactite left, only a dozen drops. Please use it sparingly.

He originally planned to go down and investigate, because his cultivation level was the highest and his magical power was the most abundant. However, Master Yuxiao said that he wanted to go down and explore the way.

He knew that his junior brother was worried about his health.

Although he didn't want to admit it, his condition had indeed started to decline in recent years, and his energy was no longer abundant.

Master Yuxiao took the jade bottle and smiled:
"Don't worry, senior brother. I know my limits. If my magic power is insufficient to complete the exploration mission, I will not push myself."

"At that time, I'll have to rely on you, senior brother."

He channeled his magic into the fire-avoiding pearl, and the pearl shimmered with light, revealing crimson-gold runes.

Centered on his body, a semi-transparent crimson magical shield about ten feet in diameter appeared, with dark red stripes forming a tortoise shell-like pattern.

The moment the protective shield appeared, the lava at the edge of the pond was pushed away.

Ji An said in a deep voice:
"Brother, be careful."

He only had the first level of Golden Core cultivation, and the total amount of mana in his body was the least among the three; otherwise, he would have been the one to do this job.

Master Yuxiao smiled, "The weapon refiner has done a good job. This magic weapon has two more layers of protective restrictions than a regular mid-grade third-tier fire-avoiding pearl. I am capable of undertaking this exploration mission!"

After saying that, his body sank into the lava lake and disappeared.

(End of this chapter)