Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 546 Family background
The interplay of light and shadow, thirty years have passed like a dream.

Ji An stood by the cold pool, waiting for the arrival of the sect leader.

Five years ago, he became a second-level Golden Core cultivator. With the help of elixirs, his cultivation speed improved much faster.

It was almost Chen Shi (7-9 AM), and the sun's rays had just begun to shine into the mountains and forests, dispelling the fog of last night.

After the water-based spiritual veins of Crimson Flame Peak grew stronger, the fog became very thick at night, especially near the Cold Pool.

As the fog dissipated, dappled golden light shone through the forest. Ji An stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the clear sky, but his eyes were unfocused.

Over the years, he has attended many funerals, including those of Wei Songnian, Du Huaiyuan, Zhu Xiangrong, Zhang Zizhao, Jia Yu, and his senior brother Zhengyang, among others. He has felt the ruthlessness of time very frequently.

The path to immortality is littered with withered bones; how many can actually reach the other side?
However, there was also something to be excited about: Zhang Xuening successfully established her foundation at the age of eighty-seven, which became a legend in the sect.

Wei Baiyang successfully broke through to the Chaoyuan stage, becoming the youngest Chaoyuan stage cultivator in the sect in recent decades.

The youngest cultivator in the sect's history to break through to the Chaoyuan stage was Li Haoran, who was only thirty-six years old.

Just as his thoughts were racing, a crimson cloud rose from the foot of the mountain, and Jade Cloud Immortal arrived on the wind, his wide sleeves fluttering. Beside him were Hall Master Liu Mingli of the Diligent Work Hall and Lin Lan.

"The brilliant spiritual light in Crimson Flame Peak outshines the sun in the sky. It is a blessing for the sect to have a disciple like my junior brother."

Master Yuxiao sighed, "Since the spiritual veins of Crimson Flame Peak have been upgraded to the third rank, the sect's foundation has become increasingly profound."

With these resources, the cultivation of Golden Core cultivators gradually got back on track.

Ji An snapped out of his daze, greeted the others, and said:

"Let me show you around and show you how all the resources are listed."

Tomorrow he will head to Qingyun Immortal City, board a merchant flying ship to travel to Zhongzhou, and enter the most prosperous place on this continent.

Lin Lan opened her mouth, sighing softly in her heart. Her master had already told her and her fellow disciples that it was time to say goodbye, and she felt a deep sense of reluctance.

The group first arrived at the Water Spirit Plant Garden by the Cold Pool. Ji An pointed to a spirit tree shrouded in a thin mist and said:

"A third-tier Azure Spirit Tree can be used to refine Azure Treasure Light Pills, but it would be too wasteful to use a third-tier spirit fruit to refine pills for the Origin Stage."

Due to species limitations, the earliest cultivated aquatic fruit tree, Tianyuan Pear, only had second-tier top-quality plants.

However, the Tianyuan Pear planted in the Gourd World broke free from the constraints of its genes and became a third-tier spiritual plant.

Master Yuxiao nodded, "Of course it won't be used to refine the Azure Light Pill. Even if the third-tier spiritual fruit can't be used now, it will be stored in the secret vault."

The sect will only use a small portion of it for trading; third-tier resources are a better form of hard currency than high-grade spirit stones.

Liu Mingli counted the number of various spiritual plants and recorded them in the jade slip.

Ji An took out the water-repelling pearl and led everyone into the icy pool.

Seeing the shadows of fish over ten feet long swimming by from time to time, Master Yuxiao exclaimed in admiration:

"I feel that some of the spirit fish have reached the Chaoyuan stage."

The water veins of the entire Western Continent are not strong, and there are very few spirit fish in the Chaoyuan stage.

Ji An chuckled softly, “The water veins here are also at the third level, and with the precious Pure Water Lotus at the bottom of the pool, it’s not surprising that they can nurture spirit fish at the Chaoyuan stage.”

His tone carried a hint of pride. Back when he first arrived at Crimson Flame Peak, all the large fish in the Cold Pool had been caught, and the largest was only the length of a palm, barely reaching the category of spirit fish.

Now, everything is different.

The group arrived at the bottom of the pool, where several water lilies, shimmering with a pale blue light, were distributed around the spring.

"There is one Tier 3 Pure Water Lotus and three Tier 2 Medium Grade Lotuses here."

After Baozhi reached the third level, it grew a lotus pod. Five years ago, it produced six lotus seeds. Three of them were planted on Crimson Flame Peak, and the rest were planted in the pond of the small world.

The Pure Water Lotus in the small world has been cultivated to the second-tier superior grade.

In Ji An's view, the reason why seeds from the same mother plant can have such a huge difference when planted in spiritual veins of the same grade is entirely due to the influence of the Gathering Yuan Tree.

It was his good fortune to obtain this spiritual root of heaven and earth, and also the good fortune of the small world.

Liu Mingli quickly made a note of it; he had never known before that there were treasures in the pool.

Master Yuxiao nodded. "The seeds of the Pure Water Lotus can be refined into pills that purify the soul. We are actively searching for similar pill formulas."

If the Dan Ding Academy's research doesn't yield a breakthrough, they'll only be able to sell lotus seeds in the future.

He felt a lot of resentment, but he had no better solution.

Ji An comforted him, "I will travel to the Central Continent. If I collect any pill formulas, I can ask the Merchant Alliance to deliver them to the sect."

"Haha, good, the sect will not let junior brother's efforts be in vain."

The group left the cold pool and entered the Fire Elemental Plant Garden.

Ji An gazed at the dragon blood tree laden with fruit, his eyes shining:

"This area has the most Tier 3 spiritual plants: seven Tier 3 spiritual peaches, three dragon blood trees, and one Lingxiao cloud tree."

In addition, there are five second-tier superior-grade Fire Immortal Apricots. With further cultivation, they can be grown to the highest grade.

However, he estimated that it would be difficult for the remaining spiritual plants to produce third-tier plants, because he was leaving, and it would only be possible if the sect produced another spiritual farmer at the Golden Core level.

Lin Lan smiled and replied:
"I think the effect of a second-tier top-grade Fire Immortal Apricot is comparable to that of a third-tier Spirit Peach."

Consuming the Fire-Separating Immortal Apricot can enhance a cultivator's comprehension of fire-based spells. Junior Brother Han Shan personally tested it and found it to be effective, and the effect was quite significant.

When the Immortal Apricot bears fruit again, she will request the Dan Ding Academy to collect all the seeds and distribute them to the Spirit Farming Group, which has the best magical abilities.

This spiritual plant is suitable for mass cultivation and can significantly enhance the combat power of the disciples of the Enforcement Hall who practice fire-element techniques within the sect.

Liu Mingli chimed in, "I once took a elixir made primarily from a Li Huo Xian Xing apricot, and its effects were indeed remarkable."

Master Yuxiao patted his disciple on the shoulder and said with a laugh:

"Don't slack off in front of me. Hurry up and count the number of spiritual plants of each grade. We have a lot to do."

"Disciple, go now."

The waves of green surged and rolled, the fragrance of jasmine blossoms wafted everywhere, and herds of white jade peaks darted about, creating a bustling scene of harvest.

Several people stood atop the white tea tree. Master Yuxiao said:
"This time, I can tell you the number of third-tier spiritual plants without my junior brother's introduction."

There are three Tier 3 Azure Jade Trees of the Nether Moon, six Jade Trees of the Cloud Peak, and one Bodhi Tree. The numbers are correct, aren't they?

Lin Lan covered her mouth and chuckled. Anyone who wasn't blind could tell the difference between third-tier spiritual plants.

Liu Mingli flew away on a cloud in the spirit field. Fortunately, today he only needed to count the number of second-tier top-grade and third-tier spirit plants.

He would be exhausted if he were to count all the second-tier spiritual plants, because there are very few spiritual plants below the second tier here, and the sunlight is dazzling.

Ji An exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Senior brother has a good eye, I admire you!"

"Haha," the scene erupted in laughter.

Ji An added, "There are also four third-tier Azure Dragon Trees here."

Over the years, he has cultivated a total of twelve third-tier Azure Dragon Trees. He took six with him, and the sect left two behind. Relatively speaking, this kind of spiritual wood is easier to cultivate to the third tier.

No Jade Leaf Mulberry on Crimson Flame Peak has broken through to the third tier, but about one-fifth of the plants in the small world have broken through to the third tier.

In the current small world, more than 20 catties of third-grade low-quality Jade Leaf Mulberry Honey have been stored.

Ji An plans to study alchemy and strive to refine a third-tier 'Jade Bee Pill'.

In the world of gourds, both copper-patterned mulberry and fire coral have broken through to the third level, but neither of these two spiritual plants in Crimson Flame Peak has reached the third level.

After surveying the Wood Spirit Plant Garden, it was already noon. Everyone ate a hearty spiritual meal, rested for a while, and then continued their journey.

Flying above the crimson pine forest, it seemed to be traveling through crimson clouds.

"These fifty acres of spiritual fields have only produced two third-tier Crimson Cloud Pines, which is somewhat below my expectations."

Ji An led the people to the fire crystal ant's nest and pointed to the huge wooden frame erected nearby:
"Eight Azure Flame Purple Spirit Gourds were planted here. I kept sixteen gourds, which can be used to refine many top-grade spiritual artifacts in the future."

Master Yuxiao sighed softly:

"When Zizhao was still alive, he often regretted not getting the second-tier top-grade gourd. It's a pity he can't see such a magnificent sight now."

Most of the fellow disciples at the Chaoyuan stage knew about the tragic story that Zhang Zizhao experienced.

Liu Mingli stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring at the ground with a complicated expression.

Ji An's eyes flashed with regret, "Sigh!"

Lin Lan transmitted her voice:
"Senior Brother Liu, hurry up and count the number of spiritual plants. There are a lot of top-grade Crimson Cloud Pine here."

Liu Mingli came to his senses and said:

"Two patriarchs, I'll go and take stock of the spiritual plants."

Ji An nodded, "We'll come back here after we finish the statistics."

"Yes, sir," Liu Mingli said, riding away on a cloud.

Fifteen minutes later, he returned to the fire crystal ant's nest.

Ji An paced around, made a hand seal to open the mimicry array, revealing the entrance to the lava cave.

Lin Lan's eyes widened; she had never known that Crimson Flame Peak had such a place before.

The group entered and finally found a spirit tree in the lava pool with pale golden feather-like patterns on its bark. Its lush green leaves were a dazzling highlight of this fiery red territory.

Ji An said softly:
"This is a third-tier precious plant, the Phoenix Tree."

Master Yuxiao coughed and gave instructions:
"Don't spread the word about the phoenix tree."

The phoenix tree is a spiritual plant that can grow to the fourth tier; the fewer people who know this, the better.

"Understood," the two disciples replied in unison, having gained a vague understanding of the value of this precious plant.

Putting aside everything else, the very term "treasure plant" speaks volumes about its status; not all spiritual plants that reach the third rank can be called treasure plants.

Treasure plants must possess a characteristic that most spiritual plants of the same type and grade do not have.

Ji An looked at his disciples and said, "From now on, the Crimson Flame Summit will be managed by you and your fellow disciples. You should give a warning to Han Shan and Bai Yang."

Lin Lan replied, "This disciple understands."

The Xuan Ye Sword Bamboo Forest is like a golden island hidden in silver waves, a breathtaking sight when viewed from the sky.

Ji An introduced:
"There are nine third-tier sword bamboo plants here, but most of the golden leaves produced can only be stored in the secret vault."

Each year, about 30% of these items are exchanged by Lin Qiubai and Li Haoran to cultivate their natal flying swords. Other Golden Core cultivators in the sect have no intention of refining a second magic weapon, so these third-tier spiritual items have no greater use.

Master Yuxiao smiled and said, "The sect is preparing to refine a few spare magic treasures for cultivators who go out on missions. Perhaps we will need third-tier golden leaves."

A Golden Core cultivator's natal magic weapon cannot be used by other cultivators to create a magic weapon that everyone can use.

In addition, many cultivators in the Chaoyuan stage can also control third-grade low-level magic weapons. Although they only have the power of a single strike, they can greatly enhance their disciples' combat power.

When the core disciples of the Nascent Soul sect in Zhongzhou travel outside, they will receive a magical artifact for protection.

Ji An smiled, "This is a good idea; it will enhance the sect's foundation."

He turned to look at Liu Mingli, "We'll do the counting of top-grade spiritual plants later. Let's go to the next place now."

This is the largest spirit field on Crimson Flame Peak, and the Copper-Patterned Mulberry was the first spirit plant to be planted here. The number of second-tier top-grade plants is astonishing, and it would take a long time to count them all.

Ji An led the group to the underground cave, where the unique aura of the Soul-Nourishing Wood brought a sense of tranquility to their hearts.

Upon entering this place, Master Yuxiao felt refreshed and relaxed.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, a look of enjoyment on his face.

"It's so comfortable here. Junior brother, have you ever tried cultivating here?"

He felt that the effects of cultivation here would be much better, the efficiency of cultivation would be slightly improved, and the consumed spiritual energy would be replenished, thus extending the cultivation time.

Ji An gently shook his head, "I prefer to cultivate in my cave, and I'm afraid that cultivating here will affect the growth of the spiritual plants."

He paused for a moment and said:

"Here you will find one precious Soul-Nourishing Wood, two Tier 3 Earth Spirit Fruit Trees, and all the other spiritual plants are Tier 2 top-grade."

When he is in his cave, he will enter a small world to cultivate, where the environment is more suitable for cultivation.

Although the Gathering Yuan Tree is still at the second-tier top-grade level, all the earth-elemental spiritual plants closest to it have been cultivated to the third-tier level.

Cultivating in a small world is about 20% more efficient than cultivating on Crimson Flame Peak, which is equivalent to having more than two months of extra cultivation time per year.

A Golden Core cultivator's lifespan is a thousand years, and if the cultivation time is calculated as five hundred years, then he has cultivated for the equivalent of six hundred years.

"Squeak," the golden retriever squeaked ingratiatingly. It was much fatter than before and not nearly as cute as it had been when it was in the Qi Refining stage.

Thanks to the Xuan Tu Refining Pill given to him by his senior brother Zheng Yang, and the daily supply of second-grade high-quality spiritual fruits, Jin Mao successfully broke through to the Chao Yuan stage ten years ago.

Ji An reached out and patted the beast's head before putting it into his spirit beast pouch.

Liu Mingli was excited. He had never known that there was a third-order Soul Nourishing Wood in the sect. The sect's foundation was much richer than he had imagined.

If Lin Lan knew what he was really thinking, she would definitely correct him:
'Everything here previously belonged to my master, and strictly speaking, did not belong to the sect.'

After counting the number of spiritual plants, the group left the underground cave.

Liu Mingli cupped his hands and said, "Ancestor, I'm going to count the number of Copper Pattern Mulberry and Mysterious Leaf Sword Bamboo."

Ji An nodded and said:

"After you finish the statistics, come find me by the cold pool. There's another area I need to explain to you."

　Something came up at work, I've been busy from morning till night, and I haven't had time to write during the day.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)