Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 965 Vast Sea Realm

Ji An was in a dilemma. He had originally planned to exchange some mulberries for some fifth-tier resources, but he never expected that low-grade fifth-tier mulberries could provide so much Dao essence.

In this way, he was reluctant to exchange mulberries for resources, but doing so would delay the upgrading of other spiritual treasures to the fifth rank, as would the time to obtain the alchemy furnace.

After a moment's thought and weighing the pros and cons, he abandoned the idea of ​​selling mulberries. Now that he possessed a natal spirit treasure focused on defense and the Yin-Yang Divine Thunder at the Great Perfection level, he was not in a hurry to replenish his combat power.

Consuming mulberries increases Daoist energy, which can then be used to accelerate the growth of spiritual plants, thereby enabling one to acquire a fifth-order spiritual vein earlier.

If the quality of the small world's spiritual veins could be improved a few years earlier, there would be no shortage of fifth-tier spiritual plants.

In addition, when the grade of the spiritual vein is improved, it can also nourish the individual, which can be considered a way to accelerate the improvement of cultivation.

Having made up his mind, Ji An rode the clouds and flew to the side of the Azure Jade Tree.

With his current abilities, he could fly very fast without activating the spirit cloud, but out of habit, he still subconsciously rides the cloud when flying, otherwise he always feels like something is missing.

He focused his mind on his dantian, connecting with the stone tortoise to issue a command:

"Refine the Dao essence to enhance the grade of the spirit wood."

The stone tortoise flew out from the lower dantian and hovered above the Azure Jade Tree, with a Tai Chi pattern appearing on the ground.

At the same time, strands of black and white spiritual light intertwined horizontally and vertically, quickly transforming into a giant oval egg that enveloped the spirit wood.

The giant eggs are black and white, but white is more predominant, interspersed with black patches.

Several hours later, the stone tortoise returned to Ji An's dantian. The giant egg shattered and the spiritual light dissipated. Unfortunately, the grade of the spirit wood did not improve.

He once again focused his mind on the stone tortoise to check the consumption of Daoist energy.

[Taoist Rhyme: Yin 28.8]

The positive Daoist energy has been completely consumed, while the negative Daoist energy has been consumed in much smaller quantities.

Ji An rode the clouds and searched for the Five Sacred Mountains True Lords, saying:
"Go and find those cultivators who hunt monsters in the deep sea, and buy fourth-tier top-grade monsters from them, even their bones will do."

There's no need to buy those high-value individuals; just ensure the sea beasts are large enough. Exchanging them for fourth-grade top-quality spirit fruits should be enough. I believe there will be quite a few cultivators willing to do so.

The ashes of a fourth-tier top-grade creature are effective enough to enhance spirit wood of the same grade. He doesn't have fifth-tier resources, but he has plenty of fourth-tier top-grade resources.

The fourth-grade top-quality spiritual fruits that I had saved up were originally intended to be used after the spiritual vein was upgraded to the fifth grade, but now they need to be used ahead of schedule.

The Five Sacred Mountains True Lord nodded with delight, “Yes, sir. I will go and seek help from Da Huang.”

In the days that followed, Ji An would consume a Fusang tree mulberry each month, then refine the resulting Daoist essence to upgrade the grade of the Azure Jade Tree.

The effects of the Yin-Yang Spirit Transformation Technique last for about five months. He would go out every three days and randomly find a desolate mountain wilderness to release the spell.

Continuously casting spells into the gourd world will not only fail to accelerate the improvement of the spiritual veins, but will also have adverse effects.

This is similar to how humans fertilize fields; too much fertilizer can actually harm the growth of the fields and crops.

The negotiations between the Five Sacred Mountains True Lords regarding the exchange of sea beast bodies went smoothly, with a steady stream of top-grade fourth-tier sea beasts being transported over, all of which were burned and used as fertilizer.

The Yin-Yang Spirit Fire is highly efficient at burning sea beasts; it can burn a house-sized body to ashes in less than an hour.

Because there are so many ashes, there will be no 'gap period' when scattering ashes near the Seven Luminaries Golden Branch.

Half a year passed peacefully, and the spiritual field under the Gathering Yuan Tree was the first to reach the fifth-grade low level.

Ji An was overjoyed. He had originally thought that the soil would not be able to reach the fifth level if the spiritual veins could not be upgraded to the fifth level.

This is great news, indicating that the improvement of the spiritual vein's grade has begun, and as long as enough is accumulated, the improvement will proceed naturally.

On this day, Ji An once again stood beside the Azure Jade Tree and gave an order to the stone tortoise:

"Refine the Dao essence to enhance the grade of the spirit wood."

The stone tortoise appeared above the spirit tree, and the spiritual light transformed into a giant egg. Ji An flew back to the Gathering Yuan Tree and studied the black jade skeleton.

He gained a lot of inspiration from studying the remains of this late-stage Three Flowers Realm cultivator, and gradually understood how a cultivator's inner realm should be constructed.

Cultivators cannot choose what their Nascent Soul Dharma Form looks like, but they can choose what type of inner landscape to construct, thereby accelerating the cultivation and refinement of their small world.

It is said that the small world inside a cultivator's body is vast and boundless, comparable to a planet.

About half an hour later, the spiritual light illuminated the sky, and the stone tortoise returned to Ji An's side at this moment, entering his lower dantian to begin a deep sleep.

"Why are you back so soon?"

Ji An muttered to himself, his gaze returning to the black jade skeleton. Based on past experience, it would take the stone turtle nearly an hour to refine the Dao essence.

However, the next moment he suddenly took off and looked down into the distance. A huge spiritual tree, almost as tall as the Gathering Yuan Tree, stood on the blue earth. Its emerald leaves were like jade carvings, full of spiritual light.

Due to its inherent characteristics, the Fusang tree is four or five zhang shorter than the Juyuan tree. In the past, the Juyuan tree stood out from the crowd, looking down on all living beings.

Ji An released a golden light that seemed to leap across the earth, arriving beside the Azure Jade Tree. He released his divine sense to feel the surging life force within the spirit tree, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his lips.

"It's a pity that the spirit tree didn't bear fruit, otherwise we could have exchanged for fifth-tier resources."

If the spirit tree bears fruit and matures, he will eat one first. Perhaps a fifth-tier Azure Cloud Fruit can also increase his Daoist charm.

He focused his mind on his dantian and connected it with the stone tortoise to check the consumption of Dao energy.

[Taoist Rhyme: Yin 20.6, Yang 2.7]

Upon seeing that the positive Daoist aura still remained, Ji An immediately flew to the Seven Luminaries Golden Branch and ordered the stone tortoise to refine the Daoist aura.

The giant egg formed by the stone turtle this time was also black and white, but the black part was more predominant, with a few white patches mixed in.

Metal belongs to Lesser Yin. From the perspective of Yin and Yang, Metal belongs to Yin, so the difference in color between the giant egg and the Azure Jade Tree is reasonable.

Ji An checked the remaining Daoist energy and found that the amount of Yin Daoist energy consumed was significantly greater.

Three days later, Ji An was invited to the cave of the Crescent Moon Hermit, where he found the Frost Hermit also there, along with a cultivator wearing an ochre-yellow Taoist robe.

This unfamiliar cultivator had a handsome and refined face, but his eyes were deep and his temples were streaked with white hair, revealing a sense of vicissitude.

Crescent Moon Hermit laughed warmly:
"Fellow Daoist Xuanqing, let me introduce you. This is Yunmiao Sanren. She is an extremely powerful cultivator, currently at the mid-stage of the Three Flowers Realm."

"Fellow Daoist Yunmiao once single-handedly hunted down a mid-stage Three Flowers Realm Mirage Dragon Beast. His current combat power is likely enough to overwhelm me completely."

He was lavish in his praise; in terms of combat ability, he truly admired his opponent.

Ji An bowed respectfully, "Fellow Daoist Yunmiao, this humble Daoist Xuanqing greets you."

He was curious about what the other person had gone through, because unless their lifespan was nearing its end, it was impossible for a cultivator at the Three Flowers Realm to grow white hair.

If the other party's lifespan is not long, he will definitely be able to sense it, and no matter how the other party tries to hide it, he will still be able to discover it.

Yunmiao Sanren returned the greeting with a cupped-fist salute, and the two became acquainted. After the others exchanged pleasantries, Queyue Sanren spoke:

"Fellow Daoist Xuanqing has not been in Haixing City for long. Have you heard of anything about the Hanhai Realm?"

Ji An shook his head, "This humble Taoist priest rarely leaves his home and has never heard of the Vast Sea Realm. May I ask what this is?"

The fact that it can be named after a realm suggests that it is a world like a giant secret realm.

Crescent Moon Hermit maintained his smile and said gently:

"Haha, then this humble Taoist will tell you about the origin of the Vast Ocean Realm."

When talking about the Vast Ocean Realm, one must mention Vast Ocean Star Lord, a powerful figure at the Cave Heaven level who originated from Starfish City and was active 150,000 years ago.

He once slew a black dragon at the Cave Heaven level. The dragon's body transformed into a vast world comparable to a small planet. To commemorate the Star Lord's great achievements, later generations named this world, transformed from the dragon, the 'Vast Ocean Realm'.

"The battle at that time caused mountains to collapse and the space to shatter. This world disappeared into another spatial dimension. Every three thousand six hundred years or so, this world reappears in the Starlight Sea of ​​Ziwei Star, revealing the gateway to the Vast Sea Realm."

The Vast Ocean Realm is rich in resources, including numerous fifth-tier resources. Entering it will undoubtedly bring rich rewards.

"Of course, the Vast Sea Realm is not peaceful; on the contrary, it is extremely dangerous. Many dragon descendants live there, and if any human cultivators appear, it will inevitably lead to a fight to the death."

The next appearance of the Vast Ocean Realm is expected in three hundred years. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Xuanqing would be interested in cooperating to explore it together?

Queyue Sanren looked at Ji An with eager eyes. He was very clear about the potential of the Yin-Yang Spiritual Fire that the other party possessed. Putting aside everything else, the other party could force ordinary Three-Flower Realm cultivators to scramble and panic just by releasing the spiritual fire.

Ji An raised an eyebrow. "I am honored by your invitation, fellow Daoist, but..."

There were still three hundred years before he could enter the Vast Ocean Realm, so he naturally agreed without hesitation. There was plenty of time to verify the truth of the matter.

Furthermore, his strength will undoubtedly improve again in three hundred years, so he has no worries about the other party having any bad intentions.

If so, he is confident that he can add some high-quality fertilizer to the world of gourds.

He changed the subject and continued:

"This humble cultivator is only at the early stage of the Three Flowers Realm. Could you please tell me why I have gained your favor?"

They got along quite well, but their friendship wasn't particularly deep, and they didn't know why the other party had extended the invitation.

"Then I will speak frankly, fellow Daoist. Your spiritual fire is extremely powerful and can inflict additional damage on the dragon descendants of the Vast Sea Realm."

Furthermore, through my interactions with you, fellow Daoist, I have come to believe that you possess profound knowledge and are a worthy partner for collaboration.

Queyue Sanren spoke very frankly, without any hesitation, simply stating that he only invited the other party because they were useful to him.

Ji An smiled. He was quite happy to receive recognition from someone whose cultivation level was higher than his.

He thought quickly for a few seconds, then asked:

"How many of us are going to depart? What preparations do I need to make before we set off?"
One more thing, how should the harvest be distributed?

It's too early to talk about distributing the spoils, but if the other party hasn't thought about it, it's likely there's something fishy going on.

The Recluse of the Crescent Moon coughed lightly and began to speak eloquently:
"As you can see, the four of us set off together."

As for what preparations are needed before setting off, I will have to wait for me to study the information left by my predecessors in detail before I can tell you.

The distribution of benefits is something everyone cares about. I have a draft in mind to share, and I welcome everyone's feedback. If we can reach an agreement, then we can truly become allies.

During the joint operation, all the resources gained were distributed equally among everyone.

However, since the three of us—fellow Daoist Xuanshuang, fellow Daoist Yunmiao, and I—have collaborated once in the Vast Sea Realm, we have experience and therefore have the right to choose first.

The resources consumed during the battle are converted into top-grade spirit stones, which are then offset by the final harvest.

He would only reveal inside information after becoming an ally; otherwise, he would seem too foolish.

After listening to the news, Ji An nodded slightly and said:
"The distribution plan is fair, and I have no objection."

The other party provided many details, indicating that they had carefully considered the distribution of benefits.

The crescent moon felt at peace and then said:

"Entering the Vast Ocean Realm will inevitably be a bloodbath, and there is a risk of perishing there. Therefore, everyone should do their best to arm themselves and improve their strength in the time ahead."

There were four of them when they went on an expedition into the Vast Ocean Realm last time, but only three of them came back.

Their squad was in a better position; some squads were left there forever, their bones surely buried there.

Xuan Shuang Sanren let out a good-natured laugh, "No one would joke about their own life, and I believe everyone will make as many preparations as possible for this."

If any fellow Daoist needs to refine fifth-grade pills, I will only charge half the usual refining fee.

She looked at another female cultivator, "Fellow Daoist Yunmiao, if I am unable to deal with certain dangers in time, please do not hesitate to lend a helping hand. I will be very grateful for your help."

When she entered the Vast Ocean Realm last time, she witnessed firsthand how powerful the other party was. At that time, the other party was only a cultivator in the early stage of the Three Flowers Realm who had broken through for more than two hundred years. Facing the siege of several black dragons of the same realm, he single-handedly dealt with three of them and saved the lives of the entire team.

Now the opponent's realm is at the mid-stage of the Three Flowers Realm, and perhaps not too far from the late stage. Their combat power is probably twice as high as it was back then.

With such teammates by her side, and with her cultivation level also improving, she felt much more at ease entering the Vast Ocean Realm again this time.

Yunmiao Sanren feigned seriousness, "This humble Daoist demands a very high price; fellow Daoist, you are not allowed to renege on your debt, otherwise..."

She made a fierce expression, but only for a few seconds before laughing.

They have a friendship spanning thousands of years, and their bond has deepened through numerous perilous experiences.

"I definitely won't renege on my debt, hehe."

The two female cultivators laughed at the same time, filling the cave with a joyful atmosphere.

Crescent Moon Hermit began to recount his experiences from back then, with Mysterious Frost Hermit and Cloud Mist Hermit occasionally adding a few words.

Ji An listened very attentively. He understood that the other party had specifically told him this so that he would know what kind of preparations to make.

Several hours later, the Recluse of the Crescent Moon said:
"That's about all I remember. I'll let you know if I remember anything else. Fellow Daoist Xuanqing can figure out how to fight while conserving mana."

He scratched his head and said:

"By the way, if you want to upgrade the grade of your spiritual treasure, it's best to do so before entering the Vast Sea Realm."

Ji An smiled wryly, "If I accumulate enough resources, I will come to find you as soon as possible."

It wasn't that he didn't want to upgrade the grade of his spiritual treasure sooner, but he simply didn't have the resources.

(End of this chapter)