Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 589 Third-Order Mid-Grade Gathering Yuan Tree

Master Qingxu subconsciously lowered his voice and said:
"There are two options to choose from, fellow Daoist, please listen to my explanation."

The first option is for fellow Daoists to purchase talisman materials, draw talismans, and then sell them to us. Of course, we are not forced to sell them to us.

The second option is for everyone to sign a long-term cooperation agreement, whereby the shops provide materials to fellow cultivators free of charge, and 40% of the materials submitted to the shops are given to the cultivators. There are no fees for making talismans.

The rest are yours to use as you see fit, or you are welcome to sell them to shops.

Choosing the second option means that even if you don't make a profit initially, the shop is willing to continue supporting you by providing materials. You can consider which option is more suitable.

Ji An pursed her lips. The second option was very demanding, and the connection between the two was even deeper.

If your skills aren't up to par, you'll end up with nothing to show for it.

However, he understood very well that choosing the first option would not guarantee a supply of materials. Why would anyone sell materials to him if there was no benefit to them? It seemed like he had a choice, but in reality, he had no choice at all.

“I choose the second option. Only through deeper cooperation can we go further together.”

In the current state of the cultivation world, it is easy for major powers to obtain low-level resources, especially in the Central Continent, where the scarcity of high-level resources is only now becoming apparent.

A batch of resources for refining talisman paper has been planted in the gourd world. Harvesting them can alleviate Ji An's predicament, but it is only an alleviation.

Because the small world is not large, it is currently far from being able to plant resources in batches and then harvest them continuously.

He needs reliable allies to provide a stable supply of materials and to turn his craft into power.

Master Qingxu smiled and said, "A wise decision. Let's discuss the details of our cooperation."

Only tier 3 talismans that reach the mid-grade level will be purchased by cultivators. The talismans you draw must also be at least mid-grade.

The shop is not heartless; if you submit talismans of superior quality or above, we will make up the price difference.

Taking the Gengjin Divine Thunder Talisman as an example, if you submit a high-grade talisman, we will compensate you with ten high-grade spirit stones; if you submit a top-grade talisman, we will compensate you with fifty high-grade spirit stones.”

The power of the same type of talisman varies greatly depending on its grade. The attack power of a top-grade talisman is comparable to a late-stage Golden Core cultivator wielding a third-grade top-grade magic weapon in a full-force attack.

In critical moments, top-grade talismans can have a decisive effect in battle.

He explained it in great detail, taking all sorts of situations into account, and it's clear that the agreement has been refined several times.

Ji An listened attentively and finally said:
“I agree to this agreement, but I have one condition: you must hand over the materials for making the talismans from now on.”

These materials are all pre-made talismans and cinnabar. He has planted many materials in the small world, and he needs to make talismans himself. It's good for him to practice now.

"No problem, but the shop will not be liable for any losses caused by you in making the talismans."

Making third-tier talisman paper is a technical skill; if you don't understand some of the tricks, it's easy to fail.

“I understand, so I need the shop to provide me with 60% of the talisman paper and cinnabar, and the rest as raw materials.”

Ji An understood the gravity of the situation; this approach would minimize the risks.

In addition, making talisman paper and mixing cinnabar can also help calm the mind and make it easier for him to enter the state of mind to draw talismans.

Master Qingxu took out a jade slip, and the two signed the agreement, each leaving their own magical imprint.

"What third-tier talismans can you draw now, fellow Daoist?"

"I only know these two: the Purifying Spirit Talisman and the Geng Metal Divine Thunder Talisman."

"If I were to exchange talisman-making techniques at the certification association in the future, do you have any suggestions, fellow Daoist?"

Qingxu thought about it carefully and said:
"Learning to draw defensive spells is the best option, and Solidification is an excellent choice."

However, the drawing of the Solidifying Metal Talisman is extremely difficult, so fellow cultivator should choose carefully.

Most of the time he could only draw mid-grade third-tier solid metal talismans, and occasionally he was lucky enough to draw high-grade talismans.

However, this kind of talisman is too effective. A high-grade talisman can withstand several attacks from a late-stage Golden Core cultivator during the activation process, making it the best life-saving talisman in critical moments.

The only drawback is that it is useless when under siege, because you cannot move after using the Gold-Stabilizing Talisman.

"Alright, next time I exchange for the drawing method, I'll choose the Solid Gold Talisman."

Ji An readily accepted good advice because he had a solid foundation in the Great Perfection Realm of Solid Metal Technique, which gave him a better understanding of how to arrange the various magical nodes in the talisman, thus enhancing his ability to draw talismans.

He changed the subject and asked:

How many sets of talisman materials can I obtain now?

"Ten sets, but they are all finished talisman paper and cinnabar. If you want the raw materials, you'll have to wait for the next batch."

Ji An was secretly pleased and continued to ask:
"After I draw the talisman and submit it to the shop, will I be able to continuously receive materials?"

This question is equivalent to asking, "Do you have enough Tier 3 rune materials left?"

A faint hint of pride appeared on Master Qingxu's face as he said in a deep voice:

"Fellow Daoist, rest assured in making talismans. The shop has several stable channels to supply materials, and new materials are added to the warehouse every few years."

The magic array in the Black Stone Mountain cave was tightly closed, and the gourd-shaped stone inside the quiet room floated in the air.

The earthen unicorn transformed from the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner frolics on the Gathering Yuan Tree, while the Azure Dragon transformed from the Azure Lotus Treasure Banner stretches its elegant form above the azure land, surrounded by light clouds.

The fire phoenix, transformed from the Flame Banner, hovered above the lava lake. If any red gold carp peeked out, it would surely be captured by the fire phoenix.

When the phoenix's cry rang out, these fire-elemental spirit fish inevitably became dizzy, making them easy targets.

The fire phoenix does not eat fish. It will grab the spirit fish and fly to the edge of the small world, and then throw the spirit fish down.

This behavior does not cause much harm to the spirit fish, but the fire phoenix enjoys it immensely; it is its favorite form of entertainment.

In the spirit field, swarms of white jade bees were busy in the mulberry grove, while amethyst bees moved through the orchard and fire coral thickets, creating a vibrant scene.

At this moment, Ji An was sitting cross-legged near the Gathering Yuan Tree. He was familiarizing himself with the new alchemy furnace, as attempting to refine pills directly would lead to an accident.

As a magical artifact, the Blazing Sun Furnace is more 'sensitive' than the original second-tier mid-grade alchemy furnace. Its temperature can rise in a very short time, and the temperature inside is more uniform.

This way, we can save energy and reduce the mana and time consumed when refining pills. Of course, the spiritual energy consumed when activating the process will increase.

As the furnace temperature rises, the golden patterns on the flamingo relief wings become increasingly bright, and the fire essence transforms into a radiant golden sun, so bright that the patterns of light can even be seen.

Inside the furnace, the inscriptions for the fire were arranged in a string, moving rhythmically like a flying dragon, with the occasional faint cry of a crane occasionally heard.

At this time, white mist will rise inside the furnace, which will quickly dissipate under the heat of the flames.

After half an hour, Ji An had become familiar with the new alchemy furnace. He officially began refining the Firefire Essence Pill and gained a deeper understanding of the differences between a mid-grade third-tier alchemy furnace.

When refining third-tier spiritual medicine essence using the Fire Crane Danyang Furnace, he needed to increase the output of the Azure Lotus Burning Heart Flame. Now, he doesn't need to do that; normal output is sufficient.

The medicinal herbs quickly liquefied, and the impurities were extracted more rapidly. As a result, it only took 30% of the previous time to complete the refining of all the medicinal materials for a batch of Fire Essence Pills.

Ji An began refining pills with extreme caution. Even so, of the five pills that could be made from medicinal herbs in one batch, only two were produced, far below the previous 80%. The good news was that both pills were of high quality, with significantly improved medicinal potency. This pill furnace was better able to bring out the power contained within the spiritual herbs.

Ji An put the pills into a jade bottle, closed his eyes, and began to recall the details of the alchemy process, pondering which techniques could be improved.

Having a new alchemy furnace is like a factory introducing new machinery; it always needs to be tested for a period of time until the workers are familiar with it before production efficiency can be improved.

He refined another batch of pills, producing two pills, both of them of the highest quality.

Although there was no improvement in the number of pills produced, he was able to control the pill furnace more easily.

Having exhausted his spiritual energy, Ji An paused his alchemy practice, took out medicinal mud to apply to his entire body, and then began practicing the Immovable King Technique.

Improvement is a slow, persistent process; only by persevering over a long period can one see significant progress.

Qi and blood flow like surging waves in the ocean, constantly tempering the internal organs and bone marrow, and nourishing the muscles and skin.

His fingernails now had a warm, jade-like color, as if they had been coated with bright nail polish.

His bones crackled intermittently, and his every move produced a whooshing sound. Ji An's eyes were firm as he focused intently on his cultivation, and the world around him seemed to blur.

He felt his blood flowing through his body like surging waves, and a tingling sensation in his bones, as if something was brewing and waiting for rebirth.

Time is like a lone wild goose in the sky, disappearing without a trace after it goes far away, or like morning dew, vanishing without a trace after being exposed to the scorching sun.

They all existed, but they will never reappear.

Time passes silently; ten years have passed like a dream.

In the gourd world, Ji An stood under the Gathering Yuan Tree, bent over his desk drawing the Gengjin Divine Thunder Talisman, a gentle breeze blowing by as if bathing in a spring breeze.

The tip of the talisman brush emitted a crystalline magical light, and the talisman ink made with cinnabar was a pale gold color. He wielded the brush like the wind, and runes flowed out one after another.

His movements were fluid and graceful, possessing a unique beauty, but unfortunately, no one in the small world appreciated them; only the Earth Qilin hovered in the sky on yellow spiritual clouds.

As the last stroke was made, the talisman shone with golden light, and a thunderous sound echoed in the void.

Then the golden light completely subsided, and the talisman revealed an ancient and weathered texture, as if it had experienced countless years and no longer showed any sharpness.

"OK!"

Ji An laughed loudly, his spiritual light concealed within, clearly indicating that this talisman had reached the top-grade level of the third rank.

Third-tier lightning-attracting grass powder was added during the creation of this talisman, allowing it to withstand more spiritual power.

Drawing thunder talismans also involves the transformation of yin and yang, which is why it is impossible to draw top-grade thunder talismans using ordinary third-tier talisman paper.

The Yin-Yang spiritual energy contained in top-grade thunder talismans is much stronger. Ordinary talisman paper cannot withstand such intense collisions and often catches fire during the drawing process.

This situation is still good. The real fear is that an explosion might occur the instant the drawing is successfully completed, which could very likely result in a fatal accident.

Ji An stored the Gengjin Divine Thunder Talisman into the Cave Void Stone. This was the fourth top-grade talisman he had drawn.

The Thunder-Attracting Grass was only cultivated to the third tier in the last two years. If it had been cultivated a few years earlier, he would have had more top-grade Gengjin Divine Thunder Talismans.

At this moment, the puppet brewed a cup of Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea and handed it over. The light fragrance floated in the air, bringing a refreshing coolness to the mind.

Ji An took the teacup and sat down in the rattan chair to enjoy it.

Over the years, the stone tortoise has experienced ten more tribulations of lightning, gaining a total of about three hundred points of Dao essence, all of which it used to cultivate the Gathering Yuan Tree.

Three years ago, the Heavenly Spirit Tree reached the middle grade of the third rank, the same grade as the spiritual veins in the small world, and the stone turtle was able to absorb more spiritual energy every day.

The Juyuan Tree is now two zhang tall, with lush branches and leaves, and there is a special sense of peace when you stay under it.

Ji An finished his tea, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair. His consciousness connected with the stone tortoise, and words with a warm, spiritual light appeared in his mind.

[Master: Ji An]

[Tao Yun: Gold 46.8, Water 51.6, Wood 49.2, Fire 52.4, Earth 47.9]

Spiritual Ability: Kan Spirit 3251.5, Gen Spirit 8764.8, Zhen Spirit 52361.4, Xun Spirit 3874.6, Kun Spirit 35681.6, Qian Spirit 38916.2, Dui Spirit 33952.5, Li Spirit 76.8

[Spell: Spirit Sealing Technique (Perfect 59%)]

Mental Roar (Perfect 8%)

The Thread-Pulling Mantra (Perfect 1%)

Yi Wood Divine Thunder (Perfect 97%)

Bing Fire Divine Thunder (Perfect 66%)

Gui Water Divine Thunder (Great Success 74%)

[Yi Wood Soul Stealing Technique (Mastery 68%)]

Since the Gathering Yuan Tree reached the middle grade of the third rank, Ji An kept the Daoist essence absorbed by the stone turtle, intending to accumulate some for future use and to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.

Ji An's lips curved into a joyful smile. In the past ten years, two more spells had reached the Great Perfection level: the Earth Divine Thunder and the Gold Melting Divine Fire Technique.

Releasing the Molten Gold Divine Fire Technique consumes mana and physical energy, but the primordial fire will become extremely vigorous.

At this point, he was able to nurture four magic treasures simultaneously. The Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner rose in rank along with his cultivation, reaching the mid-grade level of the third tier.

Another good thing is that, thanks to the ample supply of Fire Essence Pills, Ji An's cultivation level has improved rapidly.

His cultivation progress has slowed down a lot recently because he has reached the bottleneck of breaking through to the middle stage of the Golden Core realm.

Once he breaks through the bottleneck, he can naturally become a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

However, he does not plan to use pills to break through bottlenecks for the time being. He will first solidify his foundation and improve himself by utilizing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

This can purify magical power and slowly cleanse the undetectable poisons accumulated in the body.

The reason for not using pills to break through bottlenecks is that doing so would slightly reduce the difficulty of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. This is news that Ji An heard from True Person Feiyun. Similar statements exist for other major realms, so he prefers to believe it.

He will stick to this decision unless he fails to break through the bottleneck after thirty years.

Improving one's cultivation level to cope with the True Demon Tribulation is important, but breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage is even more important, and he is willing to wait.

With a sense of pride, Ji An read the words through again from beginning to end. Overjoyed to find that he had accumulated enough Xun Spirit, he immediately issued the order:

"Refine the spiritual energy to enhance the Wood Divine Lightning."

His consciousness was pulled into the mysterious space of the stone tortoise, transforming into a phantom that looked almost real, with his feet placed on the Zhen and Xun positions respectively.

With his arrival, the color of the Zhen position turned emerald green, like green leaves after rain, and the Xun position turned dark green, like a secluded pool in the green mountains.

The phantom began practicing its spell, and a muffled rumble of thunder echoed through the space.

(End of this chapter)