Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 653 Mysterious Wood Nourishing Pill

"Haha, there have been quite a few cultivators ordering custom puppets lately. Perhaps I've mistaken someone for someone else. I hope you won't take offense."

Master Xuanji chuckled, said a few perfunctory words, and saw the guest off.

He returned to his room, paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, feeling a fire burning fiercely within him.

'Mistaken? How could I be wrong! Your senior brother, Master Xuanqing, commissioned two puppets from me.'

I crafted two top-grade third-tier puppets using high-quality third-tier Vajra Bodhi wood. How could I possibly be mistaken!

Master Xuanji understood that the origin of the Vajra Bodhi Tree was a mystery, and the target must have some hidden secrets, having obtained the superior spiritual wood through unknown means.

He began to speculate about what secret his target had obtained to cultivate a third-tier spirit tree, and his excitement grew with each method he conceived.

Master Xuanji could no longer sit still. He hurriedly gave some instructions and flew away on his magical artifact.

After taking a detour, he arrived at Black Stone Mountain and observed from afar the spirit trees planted in the spirit fields outside his cave, all of them being Azure Dragon Wood.

"If there are no Vajra Bodhi trees planted in the spirit field, where did those top-grade third-tier spirit trees come from?"

Master Xuanji held his breath. Fragments of small worlds and spatial treasures with special rules can be used to plant spirit trees. There are two such treasures in the sect.

The fact that the target's fellow disciples were unaware of the secret indicates that the target was keeping it to themselves. The solution is to seize the target's secret for ourselves.
Master Xuanqing left quietly, pondering whether or not to inform the sect about this matter.

At this moment, he had already decided in his mind that the target should be a small world that possessed fragments of the world and had evolved to an extremely extreme degree.

Only in such an imperfect world does a certain strange ability exist, enabling the rapid cultivation of a particular type of spirit wood.

Within a sect's world fragment, one can quickly cultivate spiritual materials such as ironwood and bronze wood. In just over ten years, one can cultivate a third-grade low-level spiritual wood. Other spiritual woods are difficult to grow in this world fragment.

However, the highest grade of spirit wood can be cultivated is the third-tier low-grade, because the world's laws are too severely lacking, making it impossible to cultivate spirit wood of a higher grade.

In Master Xuanji's view, the goal is to possess these kinds of world fragments, which have more potential than those of the sect.

Each fragment of the sect's world can cultivate hundreds of spirit trees at a time, and then the materials can be upgraded to the middle grade of the third tier using the Spirit Stacking Secret Technique. This fragment of the world is a major source of wealth for the sect.

The target world fragments should be smaller, with only a few spirit trees cultivated each time, and the cultivation cycle taking about thirty years.

Master Xuanji thought it through and decided not to inform the sect of this news for the time being.

Greed prevailed; if he could obtain such a fragment of the world on his own, he could exchange it for more bargaining chips from the sect.

In that case, he would have greater confidence in accumulating enough resources to prepare for breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm.

The thought that he was one step closer to the True Monarch realm made him feel dizzy with happiness.

However, the target has two Tier 3 top-tier puppets, so if a direct confrontation breaks out, he will have to pay a considerable price to take down the enemy.

In addition, he had his trusted confidants gather information about the target, who had not left the Immortal City in recent decades, making the matter quite difficult.

Master Xuanji pondered for a moment, then flew back to the Immortal City after circling around once.

He called his confidant and ordered:
"Intensify your surveillance of True Person Xuanqing. Notify me immediately if he leaves the Immortal City."

Master Nan Hua nodded. "Yes, sir. The target hasn't left the Immortal City for many years. What if he remains silent?"

Master Xuanji's gaze turned serious. "Find out what they want and lure them out of the Immortal City."

After Han Yan left, Ji An needed to oversee the Crimson Flame Pavilion, so he returned to Black Stone Mountain much less often. He would rush back when he needed to cast spells on the spirit fields, and then return to the Immortal City after one night.

That day, he went to the certification association and found Master Lieyang.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and taking their seats, Ji An explained his purpose:
"I am looking for a elixir to help wood-elemental demonic beasts reach the Golden Core stage. Which elixir do you think would be most suitable?"

His Azure Deer had never appeared in the Central Continent and had always stayed in the Calabash World. No one would have guessed that he possessed a beast that was about to break through to the Golden Core level.

Master Lieyang was somewhat curious as to why the other party would inquire about this, but he did not voice his doubts and instead replied:
"The Xuanmu Shenghua Pill is excellent; it's most suitable for wood-type demonic beasts that are breaking through to the Golden Core stage."

Unlike cultivators, demonic beasts begin to condense their inner core during the Foundation Establishment stage, and the process of breaking through to the Golden Core stage involves purifying the demonic power of their inner core.

If the bloodline of a demon beast is mixed, this step will not be possible no matter what kind of elixir or potion it consumes.

This is also why demonic beasts place great importance on bloodlines; some demonic beasts are born at the top of the food chain, while most are only good for food.

Monsters are divided into four categories: birds, scaled creatures, feathered creatures, and armored creatures. Birds are called "feathered insects," with the phoenix bloodline being the most noble. Beasts are called "hairy insects," with the qilin bloodline being the most sacred. Insects and aquatic creatures with shells are called "shelled insects," with the Xuanling tortoise bloodline being the most revered. Fish, lizards, snakes, and other scaled animals are called "scaled insects," with the jiaolong bloodline being the most powerful.

Ji An asked with a smile, "Do we have any Xuanmu Shenghua Pills here? A friend of mine needs them."

Master Lieyang shook his head. "The Xuanmu Shenghua Pill is a mid-grade third-tier pill. There aren't many cultivators who raise wood-type beasts."

"If you wish to help your friend, I can request headquarters to exchange one pill for you."

How many points are needed to redeem?

"Wait a minute, I need to check."

These kinds of pills are used infrequently, so there was no deliberate memorization of the exchange rules.

Master Lieyang took out a jade slip that shimmered with golden light and placed it on his forehead. After a long while, he spoke:

"I need 500,000 contribution points. Are you sure you want to redeem it?"
If you wish to redeem it, you will need to pay a deposit of 100,000 contribution points.

Ji An feigned hesitation, seemingly calculating gains and losses, before finally speaking:

"I have enough contribution points to redeem it."

With that, he handed over the alchemist's jade token.

Master Lieyang placed the jade tablet on the spirit plate and operated it, "After deduction, fellow Daoist, you still have 450,000 contribution points left. The pills are expected to return in about three months."

"Other Golden Core level alchemists would probably need forty or fifty years to accumulate this many contribution points, but you seem to have done it in less than thirty years."

The other party isn't the kind of cultivator who frequently takes on missions. If the refining time were longer, the speed at which contribution points would be accumulated would be even faster.

Ji An gave a strange smile. "Working for the association for decades only to exchange for a single pill, isn't that a bit... something?"

"Without further ado, fellow Daoist's alchemy skills are excellent enough, so naturally there is no shortage of channels."

Many more alchemists, who could hardly be considered skilled, simply accumulated contribution points through association missions, which they then exchanged for pill recipes and elixirs.

Master Lieyang returned the jade tablet and laughed:
"Because of my excellent performance, I will be leaving for headquarters in six months." Ji An paused for a moment, then smiled.
"Congratulations on your promotion, fellow Daoist. You will surely receive more resources in the association and sect, and your cultivation will undoubtedly reach new heights."

Frankly speaking, the other party's promotion is not friendly to him. The relationship he has maintained for so many years is about to end, and he will hardly be able to use it in the future.

"Before I leave, I will hand over my duties to the new head of the Alchemy Department, and I will invite you to a welcome dinner for him."

Master Lieyang said that this was the last thing he could do.

Alchemists who possess the Azure Lotus Burning Heart Flame can refine more potent pills, which will greatly benefit the assessment of the person in charge. It is believed that the new person in charge will value Ji An.

"Thank you, fellow Taoist."

On this day, Ji An left the Immortal City and returned to Black Stone Mountain after casting a spell on the spiritual field of the cave where Han Yan originally lived. The Azure Dragon Trees planted in the two caves had matured, with a total of six third-grade low-level plants.

Once the fellow disciples arrive in the Immortal City, these spiritual trees will be felled for the next round of planting.

A piece of Azure Dragon Wood with abundant innate vital energy can be cultivated to a low-grade third rank in thirty years. The rest will take who knows how many more years to reach the third rank. There's no need to keep them for further cultivation; it's better to just sell them directly.

Without the special function of the Gathering Yuan Tree, it would take much longer to cultivate a third-grade low-grade to a mid-grade, estimated to be measured in centuries, so there's no need to keep it.

The crescent moon hung in the sky as Ji An activated the Azure Dragon Water Moon Technique.

A round, jade-like moon appeared in mid-air, the two moons vying for brilliance.

The Azure Lotus Banner flew out of the body and transformed into a ten-foot-long azure dragon, which, together with the azure dragon formed by magic, worshipped the moon and roared.

The sounds rose and fell like the first thunder of spring at the time of the Awakening of Insects, like the harmonious playing of zithers and lutes.

Under the cold, desolate light, the azure leaves transformed from the Wood elemental spirit fell together with the glistening spiritual rain.

The vigorous growth of the Wood element and the nourishing properties of the Water element blend perfectly, inseparable from each other.

After breaking through to the sixth level of the Golden Core realm and stabilizing his realm, Ji An's internal mana quality increased, and the power of his spells also increased slightly.

He entered the cave and stood facing the entrance with his hands behind his back. Water vapor rose up and silently engulfed the forest.

The moon disappeared, the mist receded like the tide, and the figures at the entrance of the cave were gone.

The blue water turtle raised its head and 'strolled' through the forest where raindrops dripped from the leaves, while the golden retriever bared its teeth and looked at its companion.

In the quiet room, the gourd-shaped stone gleamed, the sun and moon changed on the walls, flowers bloomed and withered, fish swayed their tails, rippling the water, and birds soared tirelessly.

At this moment, Ji An is releasing the Earth Vein Ascension Technique under the Gathering Yuan Tree.

A warm, yellow aura spread out in an instant, a faint tremor emanated from the depths of the earth, and lotus flower phantoms bloomed on the ground.

The nourishing Dharma teachings flowed continuously like silk threads, and the soul felt a special warmth.

The black leaves of the Soul-Nourishing Wood appear even more inky, yet they emit a deep purple spiritual light.

This spirit tree has reached the third-tier top-grade level, making it the first precious plant to achieve this level.

In the twentieth year since the late-stage Golden Core cultivator was buried, it completed its rank upgrade, at which point all the energy contained in the cultivator's ashes was exhausted.

I wonder if that kind of spirit tree will be the next spirit plant, besides the Gathering Yuan Tree, to be upgraded to the third-tier top-grade.

Over the years, I have gained approximately 7,000 points of Daoist essence, and I have spent 5,000 points on the Gathering Yuan Tree. I don't know how much more Daoist essence I will need to invest.

With a helpless sigh, Ji An shifted his gaze to the other spiritual plants.

The twelve fruits on the Nightshade Tree were shrouded in spiritual light. Although the fruits were not yet ripe, the plant had already been upgraded to a third-grade superior level, which would further extend the ripening period of the spiritual fruits.

This is a very lucky thing, as a third-grade superior plant cannot possibly produce twelve fruits.

The Phoenix Tree also enjoyed this good fortune; other spirit trees only improved their grade after their spirit fruits matured.

There are three Enlightenment Trees in total. One of them has been upgraded to the upper grade of the third rank by using Daoist principles, while the other two are still at the middle grade of the third rank.

Golden Leaf Sandalwood was upgraded to the third-grade superior quality using Daoist principles a long time ago, and Azure Mist Pine and Star Tree were also upgraded to the third-grade superior quality one after another.

The Star Tree is an earth-elemental spiritual plant similar to the Mysterious Leaf Sword Bamboo, which produces various spiritual fruits with metal-elemental properties.

Among all the precious plants, it is relatively the most productive, producing more than sixty fruits when it reaches the third-tier medium grade, each about the size of an ordinary red date.

It has red fruits, and its properties are similar to those of Wind Demon Copper, but it has stronger toughness and wear resistance, and contains more of the characteristics of Xin Metal.

There are white fruits, which are similar in nature to Geng metal and are suitable materials for forging flying swords. However, these fruits are the rarest, with only two available.

There are golden fruits, and these are the most abundant. Their properties are not much different from ordinary mid-grade third-tier spiritual materials.

There is also a spiritual fruit with a topaz color. This is the seed of the Star Tree. If you plant the spiritual fruit directly, the peel and pulp will turn into nutrients in a very short time, providing the seed with the same source of nourishment.

The spiritual fruits of the Star Tree need to be refined by a weapon refiner before they can be used as spiritual materials. A single spiritual fruit can probably only be refined into a material the size of a sesame seed, so this spiritual plant needs to be planted in large quantities to be effective.

Ji An immediately buried the three seeds in the soil, and now all the spiritual plants have reached the middle grade of the third rank.

He discovered a pattern: the spirit seeds he planted could quickly reach a level one tier lower than the Gathering Yuan Tree.

The Star Soul Tree is currently at the mid-grade of the third rank. Although he planted the spiritual medicine of the Divine Fire Spirit-Nourishing Pill, it is still a long way from maturity, requiring at least another hundred years. There is no need to rush to upgrade its rank.

Most of the Earth Spirit Fruit Trees are of the third-tier low-grade quality, with a few reaching the third-tier mid-grade quality. Their potential should have reached its limit.

The situation of the Xuan Ye Jian Zhu is slightly better. Twenty-one out of the sixty plants have reached the third-grade superior quality. It is possible to cultivate a third-grade supreme quality plant in the future, but it is only a possibility.

Ji An rode the clouds and landed on the white land, releasing the Earth Vein Ascension Technique once again.

There are no spells specifically designed for metal-elemental spiritual plants, so earth-elemental spells have to be used as a makeshift solution.

Only one acre of bronze-patterned mulberry trees were preserved on this land, mostly low-grade third-tier plants, with only three reaching mid-grade third-tier.

Apart from a few reserved plots of land, the rest of the land was planted with Bodhi trees. There was no better choice than to plant this sacred tree.

Of the five hundred Bodhi trees, only a dozen or so are of the highest grade three due to their late planting time, about 30% are of the middle grade three, and the rest are of the lowest grade three. However, in a few years, the lowest grade three spiritual plants will all be cultivated to the middle grade.

Each spirit tree nurtures two treasure talismans, so Ji An will never lack third-grade top-quality Gengjin Divine Thunder Talismans in the future, and he might even get a few fourth-grade thunder talismans.

The ground shimmered with a warm, spiritual light, and the leaves rubbed together, producing a metallic clang, like the murmur of swords.

(End of this chapter)