Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Chapter 105: Chapter 103: Extra Benefits

The grey-feathered sand goose landed halfway up the mountain, and Ji An energetically jumped off the back of the beast, striding towards the Diligence Hall.

“Thud!”

A heavy object fell to the ground behind him, and Ji An paused and turned back, only to see the sand goose collapsed on the ground, its wings spread out, and its long neck lying weakly on the ground.

After four or five consecutive days of intense flying, coupled with carrying a person, it had reached its limit.

Usually, upon reaching the destination, it would always give a few triumphant cries, but today, it was too exhausted.

It’s time to purchase a flying shuttle for travel, Ji An thought to himself.

He performed a spell, and a mist about ten feet in diameter rolled above the sand goose’s head, as if a hidden cloud dragon was lurking within.

As the rain drops imbued with nourishing spiritual energy pattered down, the beast’s condition improved slightly.

The sand goose’s physique inclined towards the Water Element. Life on Red Flame Peak wouldn’t be easy for it, and it could only be kept in that Hidden Pool.

Ji An entered the main hall and saw Ye Changqing meditating with his eyes closed. He chuckled and said:

“Senior Brother, your daily life seems quite leisurely.”

Ye Changqing had heard someone approaching a while ago, and upon hearing this, he finally opened his eyes:

“Although there are quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect, the assigned tasks often span years, and several junior brothers in the Diligence Hall specialize in running errands to collect task items, so this place is mostly quiet.

Junior Brother, you’re still young and at a vigorous age, while I’ve grown old and no longer seek progress in cultivation, so of course, my days appear idle.”

He stood up, a hint of melancholy in his smile:

“Have you chosen your grotto mansion’s location?”

“I’ve chosen Red Flame Peak!”

“I’ve been there a few times. Since you cultivate a Wood Element technique, it will have quite an effect.

Are you sure? Once chosen, it’s difficult to change.”

Ji An cupped his hands and said, “Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I have my own plans.”

“As long as you understand the pros and cons. Since you’ve made your decision, please leave a magical mark on the Map of Mountains and Rivers.

Tomorrow, on behalf of the sect, I will send someone to Red Flame Peak to notify them that they must relocate within a set time.”

“Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators are entitled to twenty acres of Spirit Field, but the spiritual energy on Red Flame Peak is fierce, even affecting those cultivating Metal and Fire Element techniques.

The sect provides an additional subsidy for cultivators who choose such grotto mansions, allowing you to freely manage thirty acres of Spirit Field.”

“Excellent,” Ji An smiled, even more delighted by the additional benefits.

After leaving a magical mark on the Map of Mountains and Rivers, he stayed to chat.

The grey-feathered sand goose had exhausted its strength and needed more time to recover before setting off.

He took out a blue porcelain jar containing Spirit Tea, smiling:

“I see you also have tea sets here, Senior Brother. Why not brew some tea for us to share?”

Ye Changqing glanced at the jar, a hint of a smile on his lips:

“Good tea, ’New Rain on the Empty Mountain’ from Yifang Studio. I’ll go get some spiritual charcoal.”

“An expert indeed.”

Ji An carefully examined the patterns on the jar, thinking that Tian Qingbai was rather generous, as he originally thought it was just ordinary Spirit Tea given at random.

Ye Changqing came over, carrying a copper basin with one hand, cheerfully saying:

“If you delve into the art of tea brewing, there’s a vast body of knowledge within, including which spiritual charcoal pairs with which Spirit Tea.”

He took out a bronze wind furnace somewhat resembling an ancient tripod, with three legs and two handles, polished to a shine from prolonged use.

Loading the silver-grey charcoal inside, Ye Changqing pointed a finger, and a flame sprouted from his fingertip into the furnace.

In the next instant, a fiery crimson glow reflected from the tiny furnace, though no flames were visible, nor was there any trace of smoke or fire.

Ji An used the Object Control Technique to place the water kettle on the wind furnace, curiously asking:

“Senior Brother, I noticed the sect’s tasks demand a significant amount of spiritual charcoal, and they even require Tier Two spiritual charcoal. Why is that?”

Isn’t it too wasteful to use Tier Two Spirit Wood, which takes at least twenty to thirty years to mature, to make spiritual charcoal? Surely it’s not just for the culinary treat of brewing tea?

Ye Changqing didn’t answer, but instead asked:

“Didn’t you learn the art of alchemy after joining the Ningcui Cliff lineage, Junior Brother?”

“No,” Ji An paused and added:

“It seems Spirit Charcoal is only used for alchemy by Qi Refining disciples, while Foundation Establishment alchemists replace it with Earth Lung Fire.”

“At certain stages of alchemy, it’s necessary to simmer the medicinal liquid for a long time. Earth Lung Fire can be too volatile, potentially losing some medicinal essence.

While it’s not a big deal for ordinary pills, collecting ingredients for high-tier elixirs is already challenging, and any waste is unacceptable to alchemists.

Similar to brewing Spirit Tea, certain specific elixirs use specific spiritual charcoal, maximizing the medicinal properties.

Therefore, using high-tier spiritual charcoal during the simmering stage of alchemy is essential. Senior Sister Ge Ying is a grandmaster in Alchemy Dao; you can ask her when you return.”

Ji An felt slightly embarrassed. Most of his time was spent enhancing his cultivation and practicing his techniques. He should catch up on his studies after this trip to avoid being secretly mocked.

As long as he reviewed the Jade Slips from the Inheritance Hall several times, he could gradually broaden his horizons.

He changed the subject, asking:

“Senior Brother, which elder is overseeing the Inheritance Hall? I sensed a momentary Fire Element aura from him.”

“It’s Elder Zhuu Xiangrong, who excels in Artifact Refining and cultivates a Fire Element technique.”

The kettle began to make a bubbling sound. Ye Changqing skillfully used the Object Control Technique to grab the kettle and started steeping the tea, as a faint fragrance mixed with mist wafted through the air.

…

Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

As soon as Ji An stepped into the room, he heard the enthusiastic voice of Tian Qingbai.

“Junior Brother, where have you been wandering these past few days? I’ve already found a few suitable Spirit Farmers for you to choose from.”

“I spent some extra time conducting a field survey of the grotto mansion, thanks for your help, Senior Brother.”

“Please wait a moment, Junior Brother, I’ll notify those disciples who meet the conditions to come and let you choose.”

Tian Qingbai picked up a few Communication Talisman Swords and sent them out, then said:

“Choosing a grotto mansion indeed requires prudence, and conducting a field survey is a necessary duty. Where did you choose your grotto mansion, Junior Brother?

If we’re close by, it would be more convenient for us to visit each other.”

“The grotto mansion’s location is somewhat remote, at the Red Flame Peak on the sect’s outskirts.”

“That’s quite a distance, what a pity.”

Tian Qingbai didn’t actually know where this so-called Red Flame Peak was, but since it was on the sect’s outskirts, it must be at least a few hundred miles from his grotto mansion. Frequent visits could be avoided.

Ji An looked at Fatty Tian, who was speaking of it as a pity, yet his tone did not reflect any regret, and showed a polite smile:

“Indeed a pity.”

Half an hour later, those Spirit Farmers who met the criteria arrived one after another. After personally overseeing the test, Ji An selected a Spirit Farmer who had reached the Perfection Level in both the Small Cloud Rain Technique and Thick Earth Technique.

“Before 7:00 AM tomorrow, come find me at Ningcui Cliff, and I’ll take you to the Medicinal Garden.”

“As you command, I’ll go back and prepare right away.”

The Spirit Farmer, with hair like frost, showed a joyful expression and respectfully said.

With his proficiency in magic techniques, managing the Medicinal Garden wouldn’t take much time, so it wouldn’t interfere with planting Spirit Grain, effectively earning quite a few contribution points each month for free.

Sometimes, if the Upper Master was in a good mood, he might even get some rewards.

Ji An waved his hand, and after the person left, he bid farewell to Tian Qingbai and departed.

…

The grey-feathered sand geese joyfully skimmed over the surface of the lake, letting out delightful cries. Returning to its most familiar area made it extremely excited.

The unpleasant experiences from the past few days had made it miss this place, where mountains and waters connect, very much.

Ji An could roughly guess the thoughts of the beast he’s tamed, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth, with a hint of sympathy flickering in his eyes.

The sand goose landed in the Spirit Field. Ji An looked at the lush Talisman Grass and Spirit Rice, nodding with a smile.

In the days he was away, the Spirit Plants had been well taken care of.

He performed the Spell, casting the Thick Earth Technique and Small Cloud Rain Technique. This should be his last season of planting at Jade Water Lake.

In a few days, once he had entered into Thick Earth Returning Origin Spell and Spring Breeze and Rain Skill, the two Beginner Planting Techniques that had accompanied him for several years would slowly be buried in the dust of time.

The nourishing aura spread in the air with the drops of Spirit Rain, the Spirit Plants swaying with the wind, and green waves rolling.

With hands behind his back, Ji An gazed at this piece of land that he had poured a great deal of effort and care into, his thoughts drifting back to the night he first entered the sect.

“Senior Brother, what have you been busy with these days?”

Huang Feihu, seeing the figure standing on the small path in the field from afar, shouted happily, as he was about to come and water the Spirit Field.

Having to care for dozens of acres of Spirit Field had exhausted him over the past few days, but now that his rightful owner was back, he could finally lighten his workload.

Ji An turned around, waved softly.

Huang Feihu ran over quickly, his face looking increasingly surprised:

“Senior Brother, did you reach Foundation Establishment?”

“I was fortunate enough to reach Foundation Establishment a few days ago, that’s why I’ve been busy with other things, thank you for your hard work these past few days, Junior Brother.”

“It’s not hard, just what I should do.”

Huang Feihu hastily waved his hand. Although he knew this day would come sooner or later, he hadn’t expected it to arrive so soon.

His eyes were filled with deep admiration. He knew the other had only joined the sect three years before him, and had advanced from First-Layer Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment in eleven years.

Such talent was not inferior to those disciples with Top-Grade Talent and family support.

What inspired him most was that all this had been achieved by the other person through his own efforts.

This boosted Huang Feihu’s own confidence; although his talent couldn’t compare, by progressing step by step and with his grandfather’s support, breaking through to Foundation Establishment wouldn’t be difficult.

He was now at the Eighth-Layer Qi Refining, and having already touched the bottleneck, after breaking through to the Ninth-Layer Qi Refining and accumulating for a few years, he could exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill and then focus on honing himself, awaiting breakthrough.

“Feihu, after my Foundation Establishment, I recommended you to help manage the Medicinal Garden at Ningcui Cliff, but Master demanded at least one of the Small Cloud Rain Technique and Thick Earth Technique reached Perfection Level, so I couldn’t make it happen.”

“That was due to my lack of capability, thank you for the recommendation, Senior Brother.”

Huang Feihu laughed bitterly, knowing that he stood no chance against the Spirit Farmers who had tended the Spirit Fields for most of their lives, he could only say that the opportunity wasn’t ripe and the chance was wasted.

“Now that I’ve successfully reached Foundation Establishment, I’ve chosen a grotto mansion and am missing someone to handle both internal and external matters. Would you be willing?”

The sect regulations allowed Foundation Establishment cultivators to have two Qi Refining disciples assist with trivial matters, thus freeing up more time for better cultivation, only needing to cover the contribution points the accompanying disciples had to submit each quarter.

For example, his Master’s entourage included two maidservants responsible for food and daily needs.

“I am willing!”

Huang Feihu bowed deeply; there was no need for hesitation. Being able to attach oneself to a Foundation Establishment Junior Martial Uncle was something all ordinary disciples dreamed of achieving.

Not to mention, being able to cultivate at a Spirit Vein Node would significantly enhance their efficiency in improving their cultivation levels.