Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 869 Earth-grade Bing Fire Dao Seed
Generally speaking, to obtain a high-grade fourth-tier water-based spiritual item, one needs to travel to the East Sea, where the natural conditions are most conducive to the creation of spiritual items of this grade.

Now that the East China Sea coast of Zhongzhou has been occupied by Buddhist cultivators, the connection between the East China Sea and Zhongzhou has been severed, making aquatic spiritual items scarce, unless one happens to encounter a cultivator who has a collection.

The Southern Continent also borders the ocean. Although the South China Sea is not as vast as the East China Sea, and the quality of the underwater spiritual veins is lower than that of the East China Sea, it is still possible to find fourth-grade high-quality spiritual objects.

Qin Yan pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice:

"The influence of cultivators in the Southern Continent cannot extend to the depths of the ocean, and most of the fourth-grade high-quality aquatic spiritual creatures are obtained by the demon beast race."

Trade between human forces and demon beasts is strictly prohibited on the surface, so the chance of obtaining a fourth-grade high-quality water-based spiritual item from the Southern Continent is not particularly high.

However, we can inform the Earthly Fiend Sect and the Shadowless Sect of our needs. As forces at the Nascent Soul level, they have intricate connections with the South Sea Demon Beast Clan.

However, to obtain spirit items, one must exchange them for spirit items of the same grade, or acquire top-grade spirit stones, and one must bear a high premium.

As long as there is profit to be made, the so-called ban on trade will be moved to the shadows.

He had little contact with these two sects, and it would take time to gain their trust.

"Top-grade spirit stones are only produced by spirit veins of the fourth-order superior grade or above. They are extremely difficult to obtain. I'll just exchange them for fourth-order superior resources."

Ji An took out a piece of lightning-struck Azure Dragon Wood without a core, "Is this even presentable?"

The spirit wood contains the power of thunder, but the Earthly Fiend Sect is a sect that refines corpses, and the Shadowless Sect is a sect that cultivates ghosts. Such a good thing as lightning-struck wood is probably not very popular in the eyes of these two sects.

"I doubt it, but we can trade the lightning-struck wood with the True Monarchs in the far north, and then use that to purchase the resources needed by the cultivators in the southern continent for exchange."

"Then I'll trouble you, junior brother, to see if you can purchase the spiritual items you need."

As Ji An spoke, he took out all the lightning-struck Azure Dragon Wood. He only had this much fourth-grade high-quality resource in his hands, and he hoped to trade for enough resources to meet the needs of upgrading his spiritual treasure.

He then took out the Buddhist artifacts he had obtained from the Buddhist monks, asking, "Can these Buddhist monks' ritual implements be melted down into spiritual objects?"

Buddhist treasures such as the Vajra hoe, the Vajra pestle, the wooden fish, and the alms bowl were placed on the table, all of which were of the middle grade of the fourth rank or above, with the Vajra hoe even reaching the upper grade of the fourth rank.

Qin Yan's eyes widened. "How many enemies has Senior Brother killed?!"

He had been trying his best to overestimate the opponent's combat strength, but at this moment he realized that he had underestimated it.

"The five Buddhist cultivators were killed in two groups; all of them were enemies at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm or above."

Taking this opportunity, Ji An briefly recounted his glorious achievements. Now, having obtained the fourth-grade superior-quality Azure Lotus Treasure Banner, the defensive domain composed of five spiritual treasures has been strengthened, giving him even more confidence in fighting his enemies.

Qin Yan carefully examined these Buddhist treasures and sighed:

"Even the best materials have been contaminated. Remelting these Buddhist treasures isn't particularly difficult, but the spiritual items obtained will be significantly reduced. Are you sure you want to do this?"

In his eyes, the power of Buddha's light and vows can damage spiritual objects in a way comparable to the pollution of true demons, and can alter the characteristics of spiritual objects.

After smelting, there are many 'impurities', and repeated smelting is required to obtain pure spiritual objects. This is a long and difficult process.

Ji An nodded in agreement without any hesitation:

“That’s how it will be done. I will give you a portion of the spiritual items I’ve obtained as a reward. You can deduct your reward directly and trade my portion with the True Lords of other continents to exchange for the spiritual items needed to upgrade the five spiritual treasures of the Water, Wood, and Fire elements.”

"The treasure vault also contains some metal and fire elemental spirit items that I've stored, all of them top-grade fourth rank. Junior brother, go and inquire to see if anything is missing."

Keeping the Buddhist treasure in his hands was no different from using it as scrap metal. It would be better if he could exchange it for resources. As for the losses caused during the smelting process, he didn't care at all, and even if he did care, there was nothing he could do about it.

"Alright, senior brother, wait for my good news. If I gather enough resources to upgrade a spiritual treasure, I will personally come to find you. May I ask where I can look for you?"

Ji An took out the map jade slip, made a copy, and handed it to the other party:

"The red-marked area is my activity range. If you can't find me, it means I'm hiding somewhere."

"Junior brother, you can search in the morning. I will perform a ritual for the land then, making it very easy to find."

Ji An returned to Crimson Flame Peak, absorbed the Sunset Spirit Essence, and entered the cave, arriving in the small world.

Given his current cultivation efficiency, it would be even more frustrating to cultivate at a low-grade fourth-order spiritual vein node.

He instructed the puppet, saying:
"Ayun, brew a pot of mid-grade fourth-level Enlightenment Tea."

Ayun immediately set to work, boiling the spiritual spring water and grabbing a handful of tea from the porcelain jar containing the Enlightenment Tea, which she then put into the jar.

Most of the time, the first thing the master does upon returning to the small world is to drink tea, so she prepares everything very well and doesn't delay anything after receiving orders.

Ji An sat cross-legged under the Gathering Yuan Tree, took out a jade box, and tore off the spirit-sealing talisman attached to it to open it.

The box contained three golden mulberries, large and plump, with a rich aroma wafting out.

"These are the last few mulberries. If we can't raise the grade of the Dao Seed, we'll have to try refining the Dao Essence."

Based on past experience, even if eating these mulberry seeds doesn't lead to an improvement, it's not far from it.

Ji An focused his mind on his dantian and connected it with the stone tortoise. Golden characters appeared above the Guanghan Palace, half of which were obscured by playful dark yellow auspicious clouds.

[Tao Yun: Gold 61.4, Water 72.6, Wood 75.8, Fire 186.5, Earth 802.9]

The three disciples attempted breakthroughs one after another, with two succeeding and one failing. However, the stone tortoise absorbed all the Dao essence it could obtain, and these thousand-plus points of Dao essence were its last source of confidence.

A moment later, Ayun brought over the teapot, and Ji An drank the spirit tea in one gulp. For him, the boiled water was just a little too hot.

Ji An put the mulberry in his mouth and chewed it. The sweet juice flowed in his mouth, leaving a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth. The rich spiritual energy spread out, and he quickly swallowed the juice and pulp.

This is another kind of 'enjoyment', where you feel as if you are swallowing molten lava instead of juice, and exhaling super-hot steam mixed with sparks.

In recent years, he has often enjoyed this kind of bliss, which has made him much more immune to pain. In addition, his cultivation level has improved, which has increased his tolerance.

He quietly felt the scalding blood surging through his body as it was compressed by his heart, and the thunder and flame patterns on his white jade bones shimmered with light.

The mulberries from the hibiscus tree not only contain abundant spiritual energy, but also promote physical cultivation.

A vision appeared before his eyes, and in a daze, a three-legged golden crow flew to a hibiscus tree burning with golden flames, leaping and singing among the branches, its fire elemental power clearly displayed at this moment.

It was as if he had been pulled into the mysterious space of the stone turtle, and his understanding of the power of fire was improving day by day.

He didn't know how much time had passed—it must have been very short—but Ji An awoke from that mystical state, his eyes blazing with boundless fire. He was unaware of all this. As the strange phenomena subsided, he felt he had overcome that hurdle, and a sense of joy naturally welled up within him.

He once again focused his mind on his dantian and connected with the stone turtle, the corners of his mouth constantly turning up.

[The Dao Seed - Bing-Ding Fire (Earth Grade): Residing in the Fire Palace of the Heart, it allows one to comprehend the properties of fire—burning all things and warming living beings—and enhances one's understanding of fire-based magic.]

At this moment, the spiritual energy contained in the mulberry was still surging within his body. He calmed his mind and began to circulate the Five Elements Wheel Sutra.

Perhaps because the environment in the gourd world is better, the fourth-grade mid-level Fusang tree mulberries harvested this time are slightly better than the fourth-grade low-level Wuhua pills.

Seeing that her master had begun his cultivation, A-Yun lit the Bodhi Auspicious Incense and then quietly left.

The spiritual energy surged within the immortal veins, the Five Elements Divine Palaces shone brightly, the spiritual energy within the mulberries rapidly transformed into golden magical crystals, and the fragrance within the incense transformed into silver soul power crystals.

The nascent soul devoured the magical power and soul crystals, a smile on its small face.

Two hours later, Ji An refined the spiritual energy in the mulberry, feeling the improvement in his cultivation. He nodded in satisfaction, filled with emotion.

Thanks to his possession of the Calabash World and Lingnong's skills, even without elixirs to consume, his cultivation level still improved at a rocket-like speed.

The main reason is that he possesses the Gathering Yuan Tree, and the Five-Colored Pill, refined from the five-colored flowers, is the most suitable elixir for him.

In another one or two decades, a large number of mid-grade fourth-order spiritual fruits will ripen one after another, and his cultivation will be able to continue to grow at a high speed.

The small world and the stone turtle are the strongest engines for his cultivation. Give him a period of peace and stability, and the cultivation world will have another legend!
The following day, at the Crimson Flame Peak cave.

The four disciples sat comfortably in the living room. Ji An instructed each disciple on their cultivation, then took out several jade bottles:

"These are some low-grade fourth-tier Five Qi Pills that I kept in my possession before. You will each have two bottles. Cultivate diligently and do not slack off."

I will soon head to the Land of Desolation and return in about twenty years to cultivate new lightning-struck wood.

If Buddhist cultivators cannot infiltrate, the Western Continent is safe. However, if those Buddhist cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul level are determined to enter, they cannot be stopped.

"Thank you for your reward, Master."

Lin Lan stood up, took the jade bottle, and shared it with her junior brothers.

Ji An asked again:
"Now there are several lightning-struck trees, a red cloud pine, and two jade-leaf mulberry trees in Crimson Flame Peak. They need to be carefully taken care of."

"Lin Lan is now the sect leader, so she probably doesn't have much time to attend to the spirit fields at Crimson Flame Peak anymore, right?"

"Master, what are you saying? I'll be fine with coming here only once a month."

However, the Five Qi Pill is no longer suitable for me. I'm wondering if I should exchange it for the Fire Cloud Pill.

The more time Lin Lan can dedicate to cultivation each day, the more effective the Five Qi Pill will be. Lin Lan has many affairs to handle, which inevitably take up a lot of time, so taking the Five Qi Pill would be a great waste.

The Fire Cloud Pill is a variant of the Fire Cloud Pill. Senior Sister Han Yan of the Pill Refining Academy used the Fire Cloud Pill formula as a base and the third-grade superior Red Cloud Pine nuts as the main raw material to refine the Fire Cloud Pill, which is suitable for cultivators in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm.

This is good news for mid-stage Golden Core cultivators. The Fire Cloud Pill, originally intended for early-stage Golden Core cultivators, has been renamed Fire Cloud Minor Pill, and the name is becoming increasingly unpleasant.

The pills that the sect's Pill Refining Institute can now refine allow disciples to steadily advance from the Qi Refining stage to the mid-Golden Core stage.

What the sect lacks is elixirs to break through bottlenecks, but this is something the sect does intentionally, using bottlenecks to select true seeds of cultivation to nurture as the core.

All disciples who exchanged for breakthrough pills were recorded, essentially disqualifying them from becoming core disciples.

At any time, cultivation improvement is never an obstacle to a cultivator's progress. Without elixirs, cultivation may be slower, but bottlenecks are a huge test.

Some disciples spend decades trying to break through their bottlenecks, wasting their precious youth.

Han Shan put the jade bottle into the Cave Void Stone and laughed:

"I can exchange the Fire Cloud Pill I have for Senior Sister. We'll make the transaction later."

He has fewer daily chores to deal with, so taking the Five Qi Pill can have a greater effect, and overall, he will receive a greater boost than taking the Fire Cloud Pill.

Common types of pills that enhance cultivation can significantly increase the maximum amount of mana in a short period of time, but no cultivator has the means to consume pills like rice.

Even the master who possesses a small world is the same; the master can at most consume more spiritual fruits, which already makes others extremely envious.

"Ok."

Lin Lan nodded in agreement, then asked with a smile:
"Master, how long do you expect it will take to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage?"

"I've made a breakthrough."

Ji An did not publicize his breakthrough, and his fellow disciples were unaware of his cultivation level. His tone became serious, and he said in a deep voice:

"You need to prepare contingency plans. If I leave here to pursue a wider world, which resources of the sect will be interrupted, what should be used to replace them, and how should the inheritance continue in an orderly manner?"

A large number of mid-grade fourth-tier spiritual fruits have ripened, and the five-colored flowers will also ripen in about thirty years. This will yield several dozen high-grade fourth-tier Five-Colored Pills, which are exquisite pills infused with Xuanhuang Merit Qi.
In that case, his cultivation level would experience an explosive increase.

Instead of waiting until then to figure out how to deal with the situation after he leaves, it's better to prepare now.

His words fell like a meteor into the ocean with the force of thunder, stirring up a storm in the hearts of his disciples.

Lin Lan felt her mind go blank. She couldn't understand why others struggled to break through to the second level of the Nascent Soul stage, while her master's cultivation breakthrough was as easy as that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Master has now become a Nascent Soul Level 7 cultivator. Judging from this speed, he will break through to Nascent Soul Level 9 within 200 years, and reach the perfect Nascent Soul Level 9 realm in more than 300 years.

If the master leaves, the supply of Divine Fire Spirit Pills, Nascent Soul Pills, and Five Qi Pills will be cut off, and the sect will have no way to obtain fourth-tier spiritual fruits.

These are the foreseeable direct consequences; the indirect impacts are immeasurable.

A sense of urgency rose in Han Shan's heart. A few years ago, he broke through to the seventh level of the Golden Core stage and was in a state of great pride. Now, that pride had vanished.

He needs to work harder to improve himself, and at least get guidance and help from his master when he breaks through to the Nascent Soul realm.

If I don't break through quickly enough, my master might already be on the path to stardom.

(End of this chapter)