Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Chapter 188: Chapter 185: Flying Tiger’s Foundation Establishment

Xia Yu Lian came out of the kitchen and bowed, saying:

“When would you two Junior Martial Uncles like to have breakfast?

Junior Martial Uncle Ji has mentioned that breakfast need not wait for him.”

Usually, Ji An finishes his morning cultivation around 7:00 AM, but here the Qi Refining disciples eat breakfast first.

Ye Changqing frowned slightly, whispering:

“Being a guest in the Grotto Mansion, not waiting for the host to have breakfast feels a bit rude.”

Du Huaiyuan grinned:

“What’s there to feel bad about? I’ve grown used to it; by the time Junior Brother Ji finishes his cultivation, it’s already quite late.”

During the years he brewed wine at Red Flame Peak, the brothers never had breakfast together.

He sighed inwardly, admiring how Junior Brother’s discipline in cultivation is beyond his reach.

He often resolves to change after waking up late following nightly indulgences in wine, but ends up setting the same resolve again.

“Let’s have breakfast; the two of us will eat first.”

Du Huaiyuan instructed the maids, then said to Ye Changqing:

“Senior Brother, please take a seat.

Junior Brother Ji is diligent in his cultivation; I will host in his stead.”

They sat down, and the maids served the dishes.

Spirit Wine Stewed Deer Meat, Stir-Fried Bamboo Shoots, Pan-Seared Fresh Fish, Honey Osmanthus Cake, Honey Rice Porridge—exquisitely made and plentiful.

Taking a couple of bites, Ye Changqing sighed:

“When I was cultivating back then, my diet was far from this fine.”

After more than twenty or thirty years of Foundation Establishment, such high-quality Spiritual Food wasn’t daily fare, simply unaffordable.

Only after breaking through the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment did his days start to improve gradually.

Junior Brother Ji had surpassed most Foundation Establishment cultivators in living standards shortly after residing at Red Flame Peak.

“Who hasn’t? I wonder if choosing the path of a Spirit Farmer would have been better.”

Du Huaiyuan grumbled as he indulged his appetite.

In previous years, he couldn’t freely drink Spirit Wine, let alone savor exquisite meals daily.

He pondered the issue repeatedly, thinking if he had chosen to be a Spirit Farmer, he could grow his spirit medicines used in brewing wine.

Doing so might save many Spirit Stones, possibly achieving Spirit Wine freedom sooner.

“If you chose to be a Spirit Farmer, your days would likely be tight.”

Ye Changqing chuckled; unless one’s planting technique reached a certain level, harvests might barely sustain cultivation consumption.

This has been validated over thousands of years by the sect; rent prices weren’t capriciously set by the hierarchy; each rule has reasoning.

Most Spirit Farmers produce enough to maintain their cultivation but hardly accumulate Spirit Stones yearly.

With Du Huaiyuan drinking Spirit Wine daily, he probably wouldn’t save a single Spirit Stone as a Spirit Farmer.

…

Ji An finished his cultivation and returned to the stone house, cupping his hands towards his tea-sipping senior brothers:

“Sorry for neglecting you, Senior Brothers.”

“The food is abundant, there’s not a hint of neglect? Junior Brother’s consistent diligent cultivation puts me, this old man, to shame.”

Ye Changqing waved his hand; he had just asked the maids about Junior Brother’s daily cultivation schedule and found that aside from eating and sleeping, he hardly had a spare moment.

Junior Brother has made every effort possible, achieving today’s accomplishments naturally.

“I know my aptitude is somewhat lacking, so I can only hope that diligence makes up for clumsiness.”

Ji An spoke humbly; in his magic technique practice, every bit of effort shows; he enjoys it.

Du Huaiyuan stood up, chuckling:

“Returning to the sect, I came here first, haven’t even visited my Grotto Mansion yet; Junior Brother, I’ll take my leave.”

He said, preparing to depart on his Flying Shuttle.

Huang Feihu stepped forward:

“Junior Martial Uncle, you haven’t told me the price of the pills yet.”

Although Foundation Establishment Pills made with Demon Core are less effective than normal ones, acquiring high-quality pills compensates considerably.

“The regular price for these Foundation Establishment Pills is one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones; since they are high-quality pills, add another five hundred.”

Ji An took out twenty Middle-grade Spirit Stones, saying:

“I’ll pay for Flying Tiger’s Spirit Stones first.”

Huang Feihu hasn’t saved that many Spirit Stones yet; he had requested Ji An’s help in advance.

“I’ll accept them without reserve.”

Du Huaiyuan accepted the Spirit Stones and flew off on his flying shuttle.

…

Shortly after Du Huaiyuan left, Li Minghui arrived at Red Flame Peak to check on the Jade Leaf Mulberry.

In the Mulberry Field, Ye Changqing proudly said:

“Senior Sister, how about these two Tier Two Jade Leaf Mulberry trees?

This is just the beginning; Junior Brother Ji will surely cultivate more Tier Two Spirit Mulberry in the future.”

Judging by his tone, one might mistakenly think he contributed to cultivating these spirit plants.

Li Minghui smiled slightly, saying:

“Very well, Master is still gathering materials, and in a few years, after creating pills for the Five-Colored Deer, we’ll need large amounts of Tier Two Mulberry Leaves and Spirit Fruit to feed and tame beasts.

If Junior Brother could cultivate more Tier Two Jade Leaf Mulberry, it would solve our urgent needs.”

The gap in Tier Two Spirit Plants is significant; her master is worried about this; Red Flame Peak’s ability to cultivate suitable spirit plants opens a new channel for materials.

Ji An inquired:

“When does Junior Martial Uncle He need them? How big is the gap?”

Knowing would give him clarity, assessing how much he can help.

“About four to five years from now, needing fresh mulberry leaves daily at a gap of forty pounds, lasting for two to three years.

“It’s not too difficult in itself, but the tender mulberry leaves are especially beneficial for the Five-Colored Deer, and Master plans to use all the tender mulberry leaves that grow within the next three days. After all, we’re breaking through to the Chao Origin Stage, and we can’t let go of any glimmer of hope.”

“If there are Tier Two Lower Grade spirit fruits, the demand for tender mulberry leaves would decrease a bit, and spirit fruits with any Five Elements attribute would work.”

Li Minghui reported a number slightly higher than the minimum estimate; after all, it’s better to have more than less.

Ji An quickly calculated in his mind; each Tier Two Jade Leaf Mulberry could produce seven to eight pounds of mulberry leaves, but he hadn’t experimented on how much tender mulberry leaves could be produced in three days.

“Senior Sister, have you concluded how many tender mulberry leaves a Tier Two spirit mulberry can produce in three days?”

“About three pounds. With your ability, Junior Brother, it should be a bit more.”

Ji An scratched his head and said with a wry smile:

“The gap is quite large indeed.”

By this count, theoretically, forty Tier Two Spirit Mulberries are needed, but the leaves cannot be harvested too frequently.

Doing so for two or three years would deplete the origin of the spirit wood, which cannot be compensated by planting techniques.

For Junior Martial Uncle He, depleting Tier Two spirit plants to cultivate Chao Origin Stage beast taming is worthwhile, but for the owner of the spirit plants, it’s not necessarily so.

“It is somewhat difficult. Master is currently trying to stockpile as much Tier Two spirit fruit as possible.

Please do your best, Junior Brother; Master will not mistreat any cultivator who helps.”

Li Minghui paused, then added:

“Junior Brother’s ability to cultivate Jade Leaf Mulberry to Tier Two so quickly means you’ll surely cultivate more spirit mulberries in the coming years.

I will report the good news to Master; hopefully, Junior Brother will give us an even bigger surprise in a few years.”

Ji An showed a polite smile:

“It’s an honor to help Junior Martial Uncle He; I’ll do my utmost to cultivate more Tier Two spirit plants.”

Ye Changqing sighed and said:

“It’s a pity the Five-Colored Deer doesn’t eat pine nuts, otherwise it’d be easy as anything.”

…

Night fell, and the stars twinkled.

Huang Feihu once again launched an assault on the Foundation Establishment Stage, with spiritual qi gathering into clouds over the stone house.

The people of Red Flame Peak were all seated near the Cold Pool, with several Qi Refining disciples looking full of hope.

Huang Xuan pursed his lips, his fists involuntarily clenching; he was actually somewhat nervous.

Huang Feihu handled many of the tedious matters at Red Flame Peak. Whether he could establish his foundation greatly affected him and Li Cheng.

If he succeeds, both he and Li Cheng could gain more power and receive invisible benefits.

Ji An nodded slightly; from the speed of Spirit Cloud formation, the accumulation is much higher than it was three years ago.

He never treated anyone at Red Flame Peak harshly. Though the others’ food was not as good as his, it was still spiritual food every day, which was luxurious enough for Qi Refining disciples.

In his view, the current foundation establishment by Feihu would surely have no problems in terms of magical power and physical body barrier, and there probably wouldn’t be an issue in terms of divine sense either.

As long as his confidence is firm and his Dao Heart steady, the success of his foundation establishment is almost certain.

Ji An stood up and said softly:

“You all keep watching here. I’m going to the spirit field to cast a spell.”

Looking for better yields, it’s not possible to depend on these Qi Refining disciples, it can only be done personally.

“Farewell, Junior Martial Uncle.”

Ji An rode the gray-feathered sand goose away, Xia Yuhuan softly remarked:

“Senior Brother Huang is really fortunate. Without the help of Junior Martial Uncle, it would have been impossible for him to recover so quickly and obtain a second Foundation Establishment Pill.”

Xia Yu Lian replied in a low voice:

“Indeed, Junior Martial Uncle Ji knew Senior Brother Huang back in the Qi Refining Stage, and he is a person who values old friendships.”

She also envied Huang Feihu’s circumstances. Ordinary disciples without family support can’t usually get the chance to acquire two Foundation Establishment Pills.

Li Cheng lowered his voice and said:

“Now the competition for the Foundation Establishment Pill in the sect is becoming even fiercer. Even if we save up enough contribution points to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill, we’ll probably have to wait one or two decades to get it.

If I borrow spirit stones from Junior Martial Uncle now to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill, do you think it’s possible?”

Although Foundation Establishment Pills refined from demon cores are cheaper, as demonic power cannot be completely refined, it’s the last resort, and taking the normal Foundation Establishment Pill is the consensus among cultivators.

Huang Xuan gently shook his head:

“It’s hard to say. We are four people; if everyone asks for spirit stones from Junior Martial Uncle, what will he think?

Unless the gap is small, it’s best not to ask, causing the Junior Martial Uncle to feel aversion isn’t worth it.”

A Foundation Establishment Pill, if converted into spirit stones, requires three thousand spirit stones. Before they entered Red Flame Peak, having fifty spirit stones would already be considered a lot because maintaining cultivation is not easy.

Most disciples accumulate spiritual stones for exchanging Foundation Establishment Pills during the eighth or ninth layer of Qi Refining.

Everyone remained silent; the night breeze blew through, with the bamboo forest emanating a clear tune and the spirit cloud above the stone house appearing even more immense.

…

Under the moonlight, the silver leaves of the Copper Patterned Mulberry reflected gently, making the mulberry fields seem like vast lakes, with a golden island in one corner of the lake.

Ji An landed on the “island,” making gestures to release the Thick Earth Returning Origin Spell, as the gentle yellow spirit light flickered, and slowly seeped into the black soil.

Over the years, with the nourishment of the Thick Earth Returning Origin Spell at the Great Perfection level, most of the spirit fields surrounding Red Flame Peak have turned black and more fertile.

The cool night breeze rose, and the Profound Leaf Sword Bamboo Forest made a light, musical sound like wind chimes, with the mulberry fields providing a low accompaniment.

Ji An took a jade bottle from his storage bag, made a gesture to release the earth element essence inside, nourishing the sword bamboo.

Compared to Copper Patterned Mulberry, these sword bamboos have a higher growth potential, making them more highly regarded by him.

If Red Flame Peak can produce Tier Two Sword Bamboo Leaves, he could connect with the Artifact Refining Hall, and establish ties with the sect’s two main industries.

After casting a spell on the mulberry fields, Ji An rode the beast towards the Cold Pool.

As he approached the Cold Pool, he suddenly heard a long, joyous howl.

Huang Xuan and others’ voices simultaneously rang out:

“Congratulations to Senior Brother Huang for successfully establishing his foundation!”

“Haha, thank you all for your protection. I’ll consolidate my realm now and get together tomorrow.”

Ji An jumped off the beast with a hearty laugh:

“Disperse, everyone. Tomorrow noon we’ll hold a small banquet to celebrate for Junior Brother Huang.”