Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 577 Suggestions
The phoenix's cry soared into the clouds, its joyful sound reaching the Angry Wind Mountain and filling the Thunder Valley with its fragrance.

Ji An felt as if a golden sun was rising in his mind, radiating light and warmth.

The golden sunlight quickly faded and blurred, the warm afterglow dissipated rapidly, leaving only a feeling of cozy comfort.

Normally, the sea of ​​consciousness is where a cultivator stores their soul, preferring yin to yang, but it does not reject the rhythm of the Flaming Banner of the Ground, which is probably due to the blood sacrifice during its creation.

He quietly savored the beauty of the moment, his lips curving upwards, his eyes shining with a smile.

A crimson-gold phoenix swooped down, shrinking as it fell until it landed on his shoulder, no bigger than a sparrow. Its long, beautiful tail feathers made it look like a peacock spreading its tail.

The phoenix hopped repeatedly across his shoulder, its voice clear and melodious.

Ji An reached out and stroked its feathers, feeling a special warmth. All three Five Elements Flags had transformed into magical treasures, and the next step was to refine the other two Five Elements Flags.

The phoenix transformed into its true form and merged into his palm, flowing along the immortal meridian into his lower dantian and plunging into the primordial fire.

Ji An felt his body suddenly sink, as if he had become much heavier, and a forced smile appeared on his lips.

Nurturing the three magical treasures is still quite difficult for him at this stage.

However, as long as he doesn't engage in combat, it won't have a significant impact on him, which is acceptable.

A feeling of pride welled up in his heart. To possess three magic treasures at the second level of the Golden Core stage was something even the core disciples of those Nascent Soul sects probably couldn't do.

This places extremely high demands on the quality of magical power and the intensity of the life-giving fire.

His magical power was enhanced by the Dao Seed, and his primordial fire was strengthened multiple times by the stone tortoise, making him one of the best among cultivators of the same level.

Crimson clouds rose beneath his feet, and Ji An rode away on the clouds with his hands behind his back.

Goodbye, Jilei Valley!
The city was bustling with activity, and it seemed that the incident at Wulan Mountain had not had a major impact so far.

Ji An landed in front of Wanbaolou, stepped inside, took out the jade token given to him by Wan Jinrong, and said to the welcoming maid:

"I am Xuanqing Zhenren, and I have come to see Jinrong Zhenren."

He had been in Yunhai Immortal City for several years, and this was only his second time entering Wanbaolou.

The first time I came here was when I had just arrived in Xiancheng. Accompanied by Zhang Jun, I visited all the medium-sized and larger shops.

The maid took the jade token with both hands. "Please wait a moment, senior. I will inform the master."

She walked quickly to the backyard, the workplace of the weapon refiners, where outsiders were not allowed to enter without permission.

A moment later, Wan Jinrong strode into the hall. "Haha, it's rare that you have time today, fellow Daoist. Let's go upstairs and talk."

Ji An smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "I'm sorry to have bothered you."

"We hit it off immediately, so let's not be so formal with each other!"

The two entered the VIP room and took their seats as host and guest. A maid served them some tea and then left the room.

Ji An asked in a friendly manner, "What have you been busy with lately, fellow Daoist?"

Wan Jinrong sighed, "What a miserable life! I can't compare to your carefree life, fellow Daoist. After the Wulan Mountain incident, I received heavy family missions and haven't had a moment's rest."

As a cultivator of the family, having enjoyed the conveniences provided by the family, he has an obligation to obey the family's arrangements, which is also a responsibility he should bear.

He didn't want to delve into this issue, so he countered with:

"Fellow Daoist, haven't you received any missions from the Certification Association? Misty Mountain needs a lot of related supplies, such as Purification Talismans and Vajra Pills. We need your help with those."

The association issues certification jade tokens, and these token holders will also receive tasks issued by the association. Although these tasks are not mandatory, those who repeatedly refuse to accept tasks will naturally face repercussions from the association.

"Whether it's alchemy or talisman making, the materials need time to grow."

I received this assignment a few years ago, but the association probably doesn't have the materials now.

Ji An replied with a smile, "With the outbreak of the True Demon Tribulation, the related spiritual herbs I've planted need time to mature, so I should be able to relax for a few more years."

His real intention was to take on more missions, so that he could at least exchange them for alchemy recipes and talisman-drawing techniques, which were all urgent missions.

After chatting for a while, he explained his purpose:

"Fellow Daoist, could you refine a replica of the Profound Origin Water Control Flag or the Plain-Colored Cloud Realm Flag?"

Wan Jinrong paused for a moment and shook his head slightly. "Many years ago, with the destruction of the Tianshui Sect, the method of refining the Xuan Yuan Water Control Stage replica was lost. There should still be a tradition in the East Sea."

As for the Plain Cloud Banner, large sects like the Taihua Sect and the Taixu Sect may have the method of refining replicas.

The Five Elements Flag was popular in the Central Continent for a time, but people found that in order to master this kind of magic weapon, one must have a certain level of understanding of the power of the five elements in order to have the same effect as other ordinary magic weapons.

Since then, the demand for crafting such magical artifacts has decreased significantly.

He understood very well that the Five Elements Flag had a very high upper limit, but also a low lower limit, and most people couldn't grasp it.

Those cultivators who have the ability to grasp the situation will also have better alternatives.

The Five Elements Flag is a replica of the Innate Five Directions Flag, but its power is far inferior. It would be better to forge a magic weapon that is more suitable for oneself.

Ji An nodded slightly. Although he did not receive direct help, he had a direction in his heart.

He possessed a token given to him by his senior brother Zhengyang. If the Taixu Sect had the method to refine the Plain Cloud Banner, he could seek help from True Monarch Canxia.

A large number of cultivators poured into Misty Mountain. As their opportunities to fight the Yin Demons increased, the cultivators also learned how to fight them.

The situation at Wulan Mountain quickly stabilized and entered a standoff.

Time flies regardless of anyone's will, and half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Ji An received a message from Master Feiyun via a golden sword and rode a cloud to the Immortal City Certification Association.

After exchanging pleasantries, Master Feiyun took out a storage bag and said:

"In a few months, Yunhai Auction House will hold a large-scale auction that takes place every three years. This time, they have prepared five batches of medicinal materials for forming Golden Elixir and have specifically requested you to refine them."

Ji An was delighted to have work done, but his expression remained somewhat indifferent.

"Of course, no problem, but this time it'll cost extra!"

The Azure Lotus Burning Heart Flame has significant additional effects on refining the Golden Core, which the auction house itself has verified. Therefore, his request to increase the refining fee is reasonable and not an attempt to raise prices arbitrarily.

Master Feiyun nodded, "It's a very reasonable request. The auction house also knows that the original price was not commensurate with your appearance fee, so they took the initiative to raise the fee."

As before, each batch of materials for forming the Golden Elixir can yield two pills. They require a 50% success rate and insist that the Azure Lotus Heart-Burning Flame be used for refining.

In addition, they will pay the refining fee of five hundred high-grade spirit stones in advance.

Any more pills you refine are yours to do with as you see fit. If you wish to sell them, each ordinary-quality Golden Core Pill will be worth 1,200 high-grade spirit stones, and each fine-quality pill will be worth 1,700 high-grade spirit stones. If the success rate is insufficient and the number of pills is less than five, you will need to compensate by paying 1,200 high-grade spirit stones per pill.

These are the maximum concessions they are willing to make. I wonder if you are satisfied, fellow Daoist? If so, we can sign the agreement now.

Ji An quickly began to think. The refining fee had increased to one hundred high-grade spirit stones per batch, which was double what it used to be.

The purchase price of each pill has increased by two hundred high-grade spirit stones, which is not bad overall.

Since the client is responsible for collecting medicinal herbs and the auction is also organized by the client, they must ensure that the other party makes a profit so that the cooperation can last.

"I accept."

"Very good. The association still has the task of refining twenty batches of Vajra Pills. Would you like to accept it, fellow Daoist?"
This is your second time refining Vajra Pills, and there are higher requirements. Each batch of medicinal materials can produce five pills, and twenty batches of medicinal materials are required to produce forty pills to complete the task. However, the reward of contribution points will be doubled.

As before, each additional pill will be rewarded with 300 spirit stones, and high-quality pills will be rewarded with 400 spirit stones.

"Of course I'll take it. Give it to me all at once. You can contact me again if you post similar tasks that offer a lot of reward points in the future."

Ji An wanted to seize the time to exchange for the recipe for the Purple Cloud Jade Mushroom Pill and was willing to take on pill refining tasks.

The alchemy process itself doesn't take much time; a few hours is enough for one batch of pills. The difficulty lies in the growth of spiritual herbs, which takes a very long time.

It is said that refining pills at the Nascent Soul level can take more than ten hours, or even several days, but I don't know if that's true or not.

Master Feiyun took out the jade slip and said:

"Fellow Daoist, please check the medicinal herbs. If there are no problems, we will sign an agreement."

The association will take 10% of the cost of refining the Golden Core, and you will receive 450 high-grade spirit stones.

Ji An carefully inspected the quantity and quality of the medicinal herbs, signed the agreement, and then inquired:
"The Tribulation of the True Demon is related to the rise and fall of the cultivation world. Do you know how long such a calamity usually lasts, fellow cultivator?"

The various sects of the Western Continent have no records of this matter, and he has no clear understanding of the severity of the True Demon Calamity.

Master Feiyun recalled for a moment and said:

"The Tribulation of the True Demon will last for two to three hundred years from its full outbreak to its end."

A complete eruption refers to all demonic caves violently spewing out demonic energy. At that time, the demonic energy will spread rapidly throughout the cultivation world, and demons and evil spirits will increase their hunting range as the area covered by the demonic energy expands.

Cultivators entering areas shrouded in demonic energy will have their combat effectiveness affected, while demons who rashly enter areas without demonic energy will also fall into a weakened state.

Two or three hundred years is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but the True Demon Tribulation caused great damage to the cultivation world.

Throughout history, countless high-level spiritual veins have withered away in calamities, including several fourth-order spiritual veins.

According to records, the cultivation world suffered repeated defeats in its battles against the true demons. Some cultivators pessimistically predicted that the world would one day be completely shrouded in the shadow of the demons.

However, when the True Demon Tribulation broke out last time, the cultivators reversed their previous decline and gained the upper hand in the confrontation for the first time.

Ji An then asked, "When do you think the demonic calamity will fully erupt?"

Master Feiyun gently shook his head, "Fellow Daoist overestimates me. Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch cannot predict the true timing of the Demonic Tribulation's outbreak. How would I know?"

"Just guessing! Fellow Daoist knows I come from the Western Continent, and my knowledge is far inferior to that of fellow Daoists from the Central Continent."

Your opinion is a very good reference for me.

Ji An subtly flattered the other party, saying that their sources of information were far more extensive than his own.

"I predict that the true demonic calamity will fully erupt in 120 years."

Master Feiyun's expression turned serious, and he said again:
"Fellow Daoist, you should prepare early. It is said that after the True Demon Tribulation fully erupts, demonic energy will soon cover most of the land in the cultivation world."

There are also demonic caves in the deep sea, which will pose a huge threat to the entire cultivation world.

In the face of an apocalyptic torrent, remaining unscathed is virtually impossible; joining a major power would be a wise choice.

She felt it was a great loss for a cultivator who possessed the Azure Lotus Heart-Burning Flame to perish in the great calamity, as such a cultivator could make greater contributions to the cultivation world.

Putting everything else aside, if the other party continues to grow and one day is able to refine the Nascent Soul Pill, the cultivation world might be able to produce one or two more Nascent Soul True Monarchs as a result.

For cultivators aiming to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, if the effects of the elixir are even slightly better, the outcome will be drastically different, greatly reducing the margin for error.

Ji An smiled bitterly, "I've already joined a sect in the Western Continent. If I join another force, how is that any different from betraying my master and ancestors?"

No matter the time, the act of betraying one's teacher and ancestors will always be despised.

His origins in Xizhou meant he couldn't join other factions, and even if he did join some loose factions, he wouldn't become a core member.

In his view, if one cannot become a core member, one is merely a tool, and it is better to live a carefree life.

"I have no intention of persuading you to betray your sect. You are perfectly capable of becoming a guest of other forces. This is not considered betraying your master and ancestors; it is simply a mutually beneficial exchange."

Ji An pursed his lips and forced a smile: "Thank you for your suggestion, fellow Daoist. I will consider it carefully."

After parting ways with Master Feiyun, Ji An rode his Fire Cloud and left the Immortal City, heading towards Black Stone Mountain with a heavy heart.

Having experienced the demonic and monster calamities in the Western Continent, he knew how helpless small forces would be when such disasters broke out. It could be said that the rogue cultivators and many small forces had always been moving forward under the calculations and arrangements of the three sects.

Now that he has come to Central Continent, his status has changed, and he has become the weaker party.

When the true demonic calamity truly erupts, he will inevitably be forcibly conscripted against his will.

The road ahead was dangerous and difficult, but he couldn't see where the opportunities lay.

The True Demon Tribulation is different from the Demon Calamity. When the Demon Calamity breaks out, killing demonic beasts can yield many useful materials for cultivators to use in their practice.

However, cultivators cannot directly use the materials obtained from killing demons and evil spirits. The secret methods for utilizing these materials are all controlled by large forces.

For those powerful Nascent Soul cultivators who have stood for tens of thousands of years, the True Demon Tribulation is a combination of danger and opportunity, with the danger far outweighing the opportunity.

Should we run away?

Ji An asked himself in his heart, should he find a place to hide? After all, he had his small world as a backup, so he had more confidence to hide than anyone else.

Or he could return to the Western Continent, but he wasn't sure what kind of impact the full-blown True Demon Tribulation would have.

If the Western Continent is also shrouded in demonic energy, the sect is not a good place to hide.

He shook his head sharply, dispelling the pathetic thought.

They haven't even had a real fight yet, how can they run away at the first sign of trouble!
He decided to go to Misty Mountain after breaking through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, to experience the atmosphere of the True Demon Tribulation in advance.

Whether to stay or leave at that time, one can make plans in advance.

(End of this chapter)