Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Chapter 123: Chapter 120: Foundation Establishment Third Layer

After the first volcanic eruption, Ji An excavated a large amount of fertile volcanic ash to construct nurseries beside his grotto mansion.

Under the silent illumination of the bright moon, the tips of two Red Cloud Pine trees emitted a faint orange-red spirit light.

These two pines were personally planted by Ji An, and now they are over three zhang high and as thick as a barrel, with lush branches and leaves.

At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged on his pudun, circulating the Evergreen Wood Skill.

The magical power within him condensed into waves, swiftly flowing through the immortal veins.

The Dao Seeds within his acupoints sparkled with starlight as the magical power flowed.

Suddenly, a strong suction came from his dantian, like a great whale drawing water, swallowing all the magical power within the immortal veins, then slowly spitting it back out.

A much stronger spiritual pressure radiated from Ji An’s body; he found that the immortal vein became thicker, while some fine auxiliary veins emerged in the chest and abdomen area.

Gradually finishing his cultivation, Ji An let out a soft, melodious chant.

Ten years of arduous cultivation in the stone cave, now he has reached the third layer of Foundation Establishment, but what he gained over these years far exceeds merely an enhancement of cultivation.

Several shining Dao Seeds appeared in his acupoints.

[Dao Seed·Hundred Refinements to Gold (Unranked), housed in the Yunmen Acupoint, comprehend the true intent of the Dao of Xin Metal Magic Technique ’True Gold in Fire’, slightly increasing comprehension of Xin Metal Dao Magic Technique.]

This Dao Seed was obtained as the Golden Armor Technique reached the Great Perfection Level; now, after he releases the Golden Armor Technique, the spirit light concealed within his entire body could not be directly harmed by a Tier One Middle Grade Magic Sword wielded by a Ninth-Layer Qi Refining cultivator with full force.

Even a direct stab from the sword tip could only leave a shallow white mark.

[Dao Seed·Sky Fire (Unranked), housed in the Zhiyang Acupoint, comprehend the true intent of the Dao of Bing Fire Magic Technique ’Yang Flame’, slightly increasing comprehension of Bing Fire Dao Magic Technique.]

Obtained from reaching the Great Perfection Level in Explosive Flame Technique, performing the Explosive Flame Technique can blast half-foot-thick volcanic rock into rubble.

It was a pity for Ji An that he could not know what it would be like if he released Explosive Flame Technique to bombard a cultivator who has comprehended the Great Perfection Level of the Golden Armor Technique.

[Dao Seed·Wood Fire (Unranked), housed in the Celestial Pool Acupoint, comprehend the true intent of the Dao of Ding Fire Magic Technique ’Warm Spirit Fire’, slightly increasing comprehension of Ding Fire Dao Magic Technique.]

The Dao Seed of Wood Fire obtained after Flame Fire Spell reached the Great Perfection Level can stimulate the life force of fire element plants.

[Dao Seed·All Things Born (Unranked), housed in the Hua Gai Acupoint, comprehend the true intent of the Dao of Jia Wood Magic Technique ’Thriving’, slightly increasing comprehension of Jia Wood Dao Magic Technique.]

Obtained when Jade Wood Transformation Skill reached Perfection Level, the Dao Seed is most effective on wood and fire element plants.

Aside from Iron Birch Wood, the spirit wood planted on Red Flame Peak is growing exceptionally well, and the spiritual charcoal produced here has been listed as top-grade by the sect, favored greatly by numerous alchemists.

Especially in the recent three to four years, alchemists have been visiting one after another.

Li Lingyu explained that using his spiritual charcoal for spirit medicine refinement warms the pill liquid, resulting in pills that slightly increase medicinal power compared to using other spiritual charcoals.

Since pills are consumed over long periods, a single pill with slightly more medicinal power accumulates significantly over time.

Alchemists keenly noticed this, so they all came to Red Flame Peak to place orders.

Ji An felt that most of this was thanks to the Dao Seed of Ding Fire and the Dao Seed of Jia Wood.

He immersed his mind into the dantian, and the Stone Turtle floating in the Sea of Magical Power appeared more animated than before.

[Master: Ji An]

[Dao Rhyme: 0]

[Spiritual Mechanism: Kan Spirit 7.8, Gen Spirit 2772.4, Zhen Spirit 0.9, Xun Spirit 14.2, Kun Spirit 42.6, Qian Spirit 2962.4, Dui Spirit 2952.3, Li Spirit 3108.6]

[Magic Techniques: Jade Wood Transformation Skill (Perfection 51%)

Thick Earth Returning Origin Spell (Perfection 74%)

Spring Breeze and Rain Skill (Perfection 72%)

Golden Light Technique (Minor Achievement 26%)

Bursting Fireball (Great Success 32%)

Pan Mountain Technique (Entry 1%)…]

Over the years, those Spiritual Mechanisms intended to improve planting techniques were stored for a year and a half before he refined them.

Even the smallest progress in magic technique levels would be directly reflected in the growth of spirit wood.

Since there was no need to go out, Ji An did not refine those Spiritual Mechanisms that could enhance magical combat spells.

He preferred to save up a wave of Spiritual Mechanisms and intensely improve them; that feeling of soaring like a rocket was exceedingly intoxicating.

Ten years of accumulation, only for today.

His Divine Sense immersed into the Stone Turtle Space, with each kind of Spiritual Mechanism refined several times.

As Gen Spirit, Qian Spirit, Dui Spirit, and Li Spirit continuously decreased, the Golden Light Technique and other three magic techniques rapidly improved.

The land at the Gen Position of the Stone Turtle constantly heightened, soon forming a towering mountain piercing into the clouds, seemingly with limitless power emerging from beneath.

Another Dao Seed was generated, gently falling into an acupoint.

[Dao Seed·Unmoving as a Mountain (Unranked), housed in the Duyu Acupoint, comprehend the true intent of the Dao of Wu Earth Magic Technique ’Mountain’, slightly increasing comprehension of Wu Earth Dao Magic Technique.]

When Ji An opened his eyes once more, at this moment he had already transformed into a cultivator possessing advanced magical combat techniques, walking a path that many Foundation Establishment cultivators would take decades, even centuries to complete.

[Magic Techniques: Golden Light Technique (Minor Achievement 26%→Perfection 45%)

Bursting Fireball (Great Success 32%→Perfection 23%)

Pan Mountain Technique (Entry 1% → Perfection 15%)

Ji An gestured a spell and lightly waved his hand. A crescent-shaped golden blade silently embedded itself into the rock.

He used his Divine Sense to probe into the fissure and discovered that the blade penetrated more than two feet into the stone. It should slice through a Tier One Middle Grade defensive magical artifact like a hot knife through butter.

To determine how much damage it could do to a Tier One Upper Grade defensive magical artifact, he’d have to experiment further.

He again gestured the Golden Light Technique, and a thin golden circular light screen appeared on the palm of his left hand, intricately etched with symbols and talismans, resembling a delicate art piece.

Ji An multitasked, deploying the Golden Light Technique again, and another golden light screen appeared in his right hand.

Elevating the Golden Light Technique required the simultaneous consumption of Qian Spirit and Dui Spirit. This magic technique had two forms.

It could manifest the sharpness of the Path of Geng Metal and the tenacity of True Gold in Fire of the Path of Dui Metal.

These two golden light screens were the defensive forms evoked by the Golden Light Technique.

Learning the Golden Light Technique was like mastering two spells, one offensive and one defensive.

The only inconvenience was that, because he chose the Evergreen Wood Skill as his Cultivation Technique, even when he practiced the Golden Light Technique to the Perfection Realm, it still consumed a lot of magical power.

Ji An cast the Golden Armor Technique, instantly transforming into a copper statue, then released the Pan Mountain Technique, covering his body with a layer of earthy yellow Spirit Light.

The Pan Mountain Technique is an Earth Element Magic, significantly reducing damage to a cultivator.

Spells of the same type cannot stack on a cultivator, meaning they can’t boost their defense by consecutively casting two Golden Armor Techniques.

But in Ji An’s current state, metal defense magic and earth defense magic did not conflict and could both benefit him simultaneously.

Earth Element Magic boasts the strongest defense, as the phrase ’as heavy as a mountain’ aptly describes.

He learned from the Jade Slip, “Miscellaneous Records of Cultivation,” that there is a sect called Cangyue Sect in the Central Continent, renowned for its Earth Element Cultivation Methods and Earth Element Magic, with disciples known for their incredible defenses.

When battling other cultivators, often they can exhaust their opponent’s magical power without breaking through their defenses.

Ji An exited the grotto mansion, casting Bursting Fireball. A football-sized yellow fireball gathered in his hand, flickering with occasional blue glimmers on its surface.

Intense heat radiated in all directions as he cast the spell, launching the fireball like a heavy kick.

The fiery tail of the Flying Fire Meteor formed a continuous streak of fire, instantly hitting a peculiar rock about thirty meters away.

With a resounding boom, sparks and fragments flew everywhere. The surface of the stones faintly shimmered, a phenomenon of the high-temperature flames melting them.

Ji An nodded with satisfaction. The fireball’s speed was such that a cultivator with even slightly slower reactions would be directly hit.

If that late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator’s Bursting Fireball had reached his current level during the assault ten years ago, he might have been ’split open’ back then.

The Bursting Fireball not only inflicted damage through searing heat but also through its tearing force upon explosion.

If it directly hit an object, it could inflict tremendous impact damage, not to be overlooked.

…

The next day, Ji An concluded his Cultivation and went to inspect the growth of the Spirit Fruit Trees beside the Cold Pool.

Thanks to ten years of careful nurturing, the Spiritual Peach Tree had now reached Tier One Upper Grade yet hadn’t flowered.

This made Ji An very happy. So many years without flowering meant the peach tree was still in a rapid growth phase, hinting at significant potential for the future.

The Spiritual Apricot Tree had reached Tier One Middle Grade, flowering and fruiting once every three years. This year was its second fruiting.

Last time it produced over forty fruits; this time, about one hundred and twenty fruits were already hanging on the tree.

Ji An began casting spells: the Thick Earth Returning Origin Spell, the Jade Wood Transformation Skill, and the Flame Fire Spell, tending to it one by one.

The leaves of the fruit tree shimmered with Spirit Light, resembling a divine treasure tree.

With his careful care, each Spiritual Apricot was as large as a goose egg, exceeding other Tier One Middle Grade Spiritual Apricot Trees cultivated by others.

This is what Ye Changqing had said, having frequently visited Ji An in recent years for tea and meals.

Fortunately, because of these frequent visits, Ji An stayed informed about the Sect’s events and minor tidbits, preventing him from becoming isolated and uninformed.

Though he also kept in contact with several senior brothers and Zhang Yuanshan, they rarely discussed the Sect’s secrets and rumors.

A silver Communication Talisman Sword flew into Red Flame Peak, spiraling around Ji An.

He raised his hand to receive the sword, reading the information within, and then cast a spell to open a portal in the Mountain Protection Array. A Flying Ship, seven or eight zhang long and two zhang wide, entered Red Flame Peak.

Seeing the Flying Ship, Ji An let out a long shout and waved from afar.

As the Flying Ship neared the Cold Pool, Ye Changqing, clad in a black robe, jumped down like a plump crow.

Landing, he laughed heartily:

“Junior Brother Ji, the Sect has issued a task for you to supply fifty more Flame Bursting Talismans each month. You’re going to earn more Contribution Points again.

Here, I’ve brought the relevant Talisman-Making Materials for you.”

As he spoke, he cast a spell, and the large Flying Ship shrank into a small boat, easily stored in his sleeve.

“Wow, these Spiritual Apricots have grown even larger than before; Junior Brother truly has some skills,”

Ye Changqing praised with a thumbs-up. As they stood close now, he sensed the Spiritual Pressure emanating from Ji An and widened his eyes like apricots:

“You, you broke through to the Third-Layer Foundation Establishment?!”