Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Chapter 204: Chapter 200: Preparing for Alchemy

“The one selling the demon beast eggs is actually Junior Brother Ji, quite unexpected for me.

Both junior brothers, please have a seat, we can chat over tea.”

Li Minghui was slightly surprised, having heard rumors about the ’Stone Turtle Cultivator’.

Ji An introduced the others, and after some pleasantries, they got straight to business.

He took out a beast egg and handed it over, saying:

“What’s the purchase price for such a variant beast egg at the Beast Taming Hall? Senior Sister, could you give us a fair price?”

Li Minghui received the beast egg with both hands and examined it carefully.

The white eggshell was speckled with ice-blue spots, resembling embedded diamonds, possessing a unique beauty.

She extended her Divine Sense to gauge the life fluctuations within, and after a moment, nodded slightly:

“A top-grade bloodline ice element mutated Cyan Water Turtle, its life features are full, quite nice.

The price for top-grade bloodline beast eggs or young ones starts at a hundred spirit stones, with an additional fifty for the variation.

However, due to the slow growth of turtle-type demon beasts, few cultivators are willing to nurture them, making their price much lower than those beasts that can grow rapidly.

I’ll decide to buy it for a hundred and sixty, what do you think, Junior Brother?”

Turtle-type beings grow slowly but have long lifespans, often outliving their owners, so only sects and families are willing to nurture them as mountain guardian spirit beasts.

Ji An looked at Liang Hill, who nodded slightly.

Purchasing such beast eggs from the Beast Taming Hall fluctuates around two hundred spirit stones, so the offer is acceptable.

Especially since if they can’t sell it quickly, the Beast Taming Hall needs to prepare spiritual liquid to nourish the egg, or else the life within will gradually wither.

“We accept this price.”

Ji An said, then took out all the beast eggs from the spirit beast bag:

“Fourteen in total, please appraise them, Senior Sister.”

Each beast egg varies, with those showing strong life fluctuations fetching more spirit stones.

“So, the junior brothers destroyed a demon beast nest,” Li Minghui began verifying them, occasionally giving out numbers.

“One hundred sixty spirit stones.”

“One hundred forty spirit stones.”

“A total of two thousand one hundred spirit stones.”

Li Minghui instructed a maid:

“Place these beast eggs in the warehouse’s water element spiritual liquid, and fetch twenty-one middle-grade spirit stones.”

“As you command,” the maid carefully placed the beast eggs on a tray and gracefully walked out of the guest room.

In truth, she needn’t be so cautious, as the shells of these beast eggs might seem thin but are actually very hard.

Liang Hill was somewhat excited, being able to divide a thousand spirit stones this quickly, he wondered how much those demon hunting cultivators would earn if they were lucky.

After a while, the maid brought the spirit stones.

Li Minghui reached out and said:

“Junior Brother, please count them.”

Ji An handed the spirit stones to Liang Hill for safekeeping, as the lotus seeds were the major profit, and after all transactions were complete, he estimated he would need to pay spirit stones to the other party.

“Senior Sister, does the Beast Taming Hall accept reservations? I’d like to purchase an earth grade bloodline demon beast, preferably tiger or bear species.”

Li Minghui nodded slightly, then gently shook her head:

“The Beast Taming Hall certainly accepts reservations, but we’ve taken many orders from sect disciples and certain large families.

For you to get an earth grade demon beast from the Beast Taming Hall, you’d have to wait many years, not to mention specifying the species.

I suggest trying your luck at Mingfeng Mountain Immortal City, perhaps you might find a hidden gem.”

Ji An sighed inwardly.

With the transaction complete, the two did not linger, said their goodbyes, and left, as there were still several other places to visit today.

The sect spanned thousands of miles, so most of the time was spent traveling.

…

Ji An and Liang Hill flew to the Red Copper Mountain Artifact Refining Hall, sold two turtle shells, and exchanged them for eight hundred spirit stones.

Then, they hastily arrived at Lingxiao Mountain, quickly entering the Diligence Hall.

At that moment, Ye Changqing was bored, with eyes half-closed, drowsily dozing off.

Liang Hill approached and whispered:

“Senior Brother Ye, we have an important matter to report.”

Ye Changqing acknowledged with a sound, opening his sleepy eyes.

Seeing who it was, he was somewhat surprised:

“Both junior brothers are rare guests, what’s the matter?”

Neither Ji An nor Liang Hill were ones to venture out often.

“It’s like this, I discovered a very small spirit vein node in a hidden stone grotto at Black Dragon Pool, with the spiritual qi concentration reaching a top-grade level.

Senior Brother Ji and I ventured into the cave and found a sect cultivator who had perished there; this is that cultivator’s storage bag.”

Liang Hill described the situation then handed over the storage bag, all items untouched, including the spirit stones.

Ye Changqing listened intently, occasionally asking questions.

He took the storage bag and poured all the contents onto the table.

Picking up the beast taming token, he found a crack on the soul bead, determining the spirit beast must be dead.

He took out the identity jade token, placing it on the spirit disc to read the information within:

“Wei Qingshu, from the Wei Clan of Little Bamboo Mountain, sixth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivation, disappeared sixty-seven years ago…”

Ye Changqing shook his head slightly and said:

“He must have placed his jade token in the storage bag, or else his demise location would have shown on the Map of Mountains and Rivers.”

Based on transaction records, he judged that something unforeseen happened to the other party during his attempted breakthrough to late-stage Foundation Establishment.

Ji An had a peculiar expression, not expecting this cultivator to be a relative of Wei Songnian.

He cleared his throat and asked:

“Senior Brother, how are such matters usually handled?”

“If the cultivator has kin, the Law Enforcement Hall cultivators will return his belongings, with the contribution points in the jade token converted into spirit stones for his family.

Given that he has clan members in the sect, these contribution points will be evenly distributed to his clan members.

For discovering relics of our fellow cultivators and handing them over, each of you is rewarded with ten thousand Contribution Points.

Additionally, for uncovering a hidden top-grade Spirit Vein Node, each of you is rewarded with fifty thousand Contribution Points and one hundred Small Merit.

By the way, how large is the Spirit Vein Node?”

Ji An replied:

“The node is only ten feet in diameter.

Senior Brother, all these contribution points should go to Junior Brother Liang since it was found in his territory, and I was just passing by.”

Ye Changqing looked at both of them and noticed their calm expressions, indicating they had discussed this beforehand, so he nodded:

“Since you have already decided, let’s do it that way.

Junior Brother Liang, hand me your Jade Token, and later we’ll both head to Black Dragon Pool to take a look.

Now that the Jade Water Spirit Lotus at the Spirit Vein Node has matured, you’re required to submit forty percent of the harvest.”

“Understood, Senior Brother Ye! When the Spirit Plants mature, I will report to the Diligence Hall.”

Liang Hill handed over the Jade Token, his heart brimming with excitement.

If you were to exchange Spirit Stones for a hundred and twenty thousand Contribution Points, it would require roughly six thousand Spirit Stones and earn two hundred Small Merit.

These Contribution Points are enough for him to use for several years, effectively making the future harvests of Spirit Fish cost-free.

Ji An asked:

“Senior Brother Ye, what price does the sect pay for the lotus seeds of the Jade Water Spirit Lotus?”

“Ah, it sounds like you’ve come into some unexpected fortune.”

Hearing this, Ye Changqing immediately understood that the two had harvested lotus seeds from the Spirit Vein Node, but such gains are considered the discoverer’s property, and the sect will not reclaim them.

“The lotus seeds have a medicinal age of two hundred years, and a single seed combined with some Spirit Medicine can be refined into a cauldron of Cyan Lotus Pills, with the sect buying each seed for 1500 Contribution Points.”

Ji An quickly calculated in his mind that if seventy-five Spirit Stones could be exchanged for 1500 Contribution Points, carrying away all the lotus seeds meant taking 4350 Spirit Stones from Liang Hill.

“Senior Brother, let’s step out and discuss some matters and return shortly, you carry on.”

Ye Changqing muttered:

“What business is so secretive.”

He understood that the two were likely going to distribute the gains.

The two walked out of the great hall, and Ji An whispered:

“Junior Brother, now that all the gains have been dealt with.

Fifteen bottles of Demon Beast Essence Blood were acquired, with each bottle priced at around twenty Spirit Stones in the market. I plan to use them to produce Talisman Ink.

In addition to taking away all the lotus seeds, I owe you 4650 Spirit Stones.”

“Senior Brother, I’ve claimed the Spirit Stones from selling the Beast Eggs and Turtle Shell, which includes your 1450 Spirit Stones.

I still owe you 2000 Spirit Stones; you just need to give me 1200 Spirit Stones.”

Liang Hill felt a wave of relief, finally clearing his Spirit Stone debt.

He thought for a moment and said:

“Senior Brother, next time the Purple Fire Gourd matures, please reserve one for me; I also want an artifact like that.”

He saw how useful this artifact was, able to automatically nourish the flames just by enclosing them within.

“Sure, when Senior Brother Zhao Lei comes to collect materials, you can discuss it with him.

However, you’re cultivating a Water Element method, and there’s no Earth Lung Fire Vein nearby, so it might be inconvenient.

How about this—you can replenish the flames at Red Flame Peak. I have an idle Earth Fire Chamber that you can use.”

Using the Fire Control Technique to replenish flames takes at most half an hour and is required only once every half month.

“Senior Brother is indeed thoughtful.”

Ji An handed over the Spirit Stones, and the two returned to the great hall.

“Senior Brother, help me prepare enough materials for 116 furnaces of Cyan Lotus Pills without the lotus seeds.”

“Don’t even think about the lotus seeds! Just wait, I’ll get it for you.”

Ye Changqing walked into the storeroom, searched for materials based on the Pill Formula, and took two double hours to gather everything.

“It totals fifty-eight thousand Contribution Points.”

He took the Jade Token Ji An handed over, deducted the Contribution Points, and grinned:

“Junior Brother’s Contribution Points are accumulating more and more.”

…

Ji An controlled the Flying Shuttle straight towards Ningcui Cliff, and after arriving at the grotto mansion, he took out ten jars of Spirit Wine:

“Master, Red Flame Peak brewed Tier Two Mulberry Wine this year, I’m bringing some for you to enjoy, and it’s best consumed after aging for four to five years.”

Each jar of Spirit Wine weighed five pounds, totaling fifty pounds this time—a generous gesture indeed.

Ge Ying’s eyes showed a kind smile, and she said:

“You just cultivated Tier Two Jade Leaf Mulberry this year, so how much wine could you possibly produce, yet you bring me so much!

When you leave, take some back; leaving four jars for me is enough.”

The Spirit Wine left here would merely satisfy appetite.

She no longer hoped for any further progress in cultivation, as the Spirit Wine would be more helpful to her disciples and at least could be traded for some cultivation resources.

Ji An quickly waved his hand, saying:

“That won’t do, it’s a gift for Master, how can I take it back?”

He scratched his head and continued:

“There was an unexpected gain yesterday, and today I seek Master’s assistance.”

He recounted the events at Black Dragon Pool, showing the lotus seeds of the Jade Water Spirit Lotus and related materials.

Ge Ying chuckled and said:

“It seems fortune favors you; otherwise, why would Liang Hill seek your help instead of someone else’s?

However, refining so many cauldrons of pills is a heavy task.

I often have pill refining tasks assigned by the sect to complete, so it might take one or two years to finish all these pills.”

She became more convinced that this disciple had considerable luck.