Chapter 191 Obtaining the Elixir

Inside the stone house, Xia Yuhan and her sister sat cross-legged on futons.

The spiritual energy concentration in a second-tier spiritual vein is sufficient to support two Qi Refining stage disciples cultivating together in one room without any problem.

An unusual fluctuation occurred beside her, and Xia Yulian subconsciously stopped her cultivation to check the situation.

She sensed the powerful spiritual pressure emanating from her sister, and a complex mix of joy and disappointment flashed in her eyes.

Five years have passed since the two of them arrived at Crimson Flame Peak.

They used the same cultivation method, took the same pills, took the pills at the same frequency, and practiced for roughly the same amount of time each day.

Now that her older sister has broken through, she feels that the bottleneck still needs a long time to be overcome.

During the sect entrance test, they had the same aptitude, but now it seems that the older sister is actually better.

Xia Yuhan finished her cultivation and happened to meet her younger sister's gaze.

Xia Yulian immediately composed herself, put on a smiling face, and said softly:

"Congratulations, sister, on breaking through the bottleneck and reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining."

Breaking through three realms in five years is an incredibly fast pace.

"Congratulations! My sister will also break through soon."

Xia Yuhan chuckled. Having broken through to the ninth level of Qi Refining, she needed to start preparing for Foundation Establishment.

She's only 22 years old, she has plenty of time.

She sighed inwardly, realizing how fast her cultivation speed was when she was cultivating in a second-tier spiritual vein; she only needed to take four or five pills each month.

"I have a long way to go."

Xia Yulian's expression became somewhat unnatural, and she changed the subject:

"My sister is now facing the problem of exchanging Foundation Establishment Pills. It would take at least seven or eight years for us to do it on our own."

After exchanging for Foundation Establishment Pills, you'll need to wait in line, so plan ahead.

"I can only borrow some from my senior uncle, but all I've saved up over the years is a little over nine hundred spirit stones, which is a huge shortfall."

"Sigh, if only I hadn't eaten that Heavenly Origin Pear, I could have sold it for some spirit stones."

Xia Yulian gently shook her head:

"How many spirit stones can a single spirit fruit sell for? I have some here; you can give them to my sister first."

"My sister has broken through to the ninth level of Qi Refining and is also facing the need to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills. I cannot accept your spirit stones."

I'll find an opportunity to ask my martial uncle for help, hoping he'll lend it to me out of consideration for all the hard work we've done over the years.

Xia Yuhan knew that she was not as important to her martial uncle as Huang Feihu and Liang Qiu, and she was afraid that if she asked for help but failed to borrow any spirit stones, it would only displease her martial uncle.

She needs to think carefully about how to bring it up without the other person refusing.

The next day, at Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

Huang Xuan stepped forward, took out the flying shuttle, and said:

“Uncle-Master, we delivered the Heavenly Origin Pears to all the uncles and masters yesterday. However, Uncle-Master Zhang Yuanshan, Uncle-Master Mo Shan, and Uncle-Master Zhao Mengyao are not in their cave.”

Ji An nodded slightly and said:

"Thank you for your hard work. I will be going out today, so please continue with your duties."

"Yuhan, go and get some Tianyuan pears and put them in brocade boxes, ten in one box and four in another."

He was somewhat surprised that Liu Yu and the others were all in the cave. He could arrange a time to meet and reconnect with them.

"Yes," everyone responded, and Xia Yuhan jogged to the warehouse to prepare things.

After obtaining the brocade box, Ji An rode his flying shuttle eastward at breakneck speed.

The mountains are lush and green, with palaces and caves nestled among them, and disciples riding flying birds or talismanic birds can be seen from time to time.

After flying for more than an hour, Ji An landed on the mountainside of Ningcui Cliff.

This journey alone consumed dozens of spirit stones.

"Master, the Tianyuan pears grown on Crimson Flame Peak are ripe. I brought some for you to try."

Ji An smiled and presented the brocade box, explaining that this water-elemental spiritual fruit would bring even more benefits to his master.

"I'm so glad that you still think of me."

Now that your cultivation has progressed significantly and Crimson Flame Peak has a stable output, you are living the most comfortable life among all the disciples.

A kind smile appeared in Ge Ying's eyes as she personally took the brocade box and opened it.

She had no shortage of spiritual fruits; what pleased her was that her disciple always kept her in mind and shared whatever the cave produced with her.

The spirit apricots, spirit peaches, pine nuts, mulberries, and other fruits, along with the cooked spirit fish, were delivered while still warm.

She handed the box to the maid and instructed her:

"Wash one plate and store the rest in the warehouse."

She turned her head, carefully looked her disciple up and down, and nodded in satisfaction:

"To be able to break through to the fifth level of Foundation Establishment so quickly, your speed in refining spiritual items must have increased again, right?"

Although it was a question, her tone was confident.

"That's right. I don't have many of these spiritual items left, so I need to exchange them from the secret vault."

Ge Ying nodded slightly, took out her jade token, and asked again:

"Are there enough pills?"

The sect provides cultivators who practice the Evergreen Wood Technique with Azure Lotus Pills, a spiritual pill that combines water and wood elements, which is sufficient for cultivators to advance to the late Foundation Establishment stage.

She was one of the sect's strongest alchemists, and she also practiced the Evergreen Spring Technique, so she was well aware of the situations her disciples would face.

Ji An grinned and said:

“It’s not enough. The sect only distributes a dozen or so pills. I can buy twenty or thirty pills from other alchemists in the sect every year, and I also buy some from the Zhendanfang, but there is still a considerable shortage.”

Cultivators who practice the Wood Element Technique cultivate on Crimson Flame Peak, where their magical power is refined and purified. Therefore, they take medicine whenever they can, allowing their cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.

“A while ago, the sect assigned me the task of refining Azure Lotus Pills. I happen to have some left over. You can take them and use them.”

Ge Ying took out two jade bottles, each containing eighteen pills.

"Master, how many? I'll buy them with spirit stones?"

"Do you think I need your spirit stones? Did I pay you spirit stones for the spirit fruits and wine you brought? Take them!"

Ge Ying feigned anger; every year she received gifts from her disciples that amounted to at least a hundred spirit stones.

"Thank you for the reward, Master!"

Ji An grinned, obediently took the jade bottle, and solemnly put it away.

"That's more like it."

"Master, when will the sect's second-grade top-quality spirit peach tree bear fruit? I want to plant some more spirit peaches."

Ji An inquired, saying that he now held a certain position in the sect and had discussed with Senior Brother Ye the idea of ​​planting spirit fruit trees in all the places where spirit herbs were originally grown, as that would be easier to manage.

The other party agreed, but required that the seeds be at least at the second level, and that they could be planted once the spiritual herbs were harvested.

Ge Ying pondered for a moment and said:

"If you calculate the time, it will be ready in another fourteen or fifteen years."

At that time, all Spirit Farmers in the late Foundation Establishment stage will receive two seeds as a gift, and I can save the ones I receive for you.

In the early and mid-stages of Foundation Establishment, Spirit Farming requires contribution points to exchange for seeds. If you want to plant more, you need to apply to the Diligent Work Hall, and they will give you a few more seeds at their discretion, but there may not be any extra.

It's not that all Tier 2 top-grade seeds can be cultivated into spirit trees of the same level. Generally speaking, being able to cultivate them to Tier 2 mid-grade is already quite good.

A maid came over with a fruit platter, placed it on the table quietly, and then quietly withdrew.

"Thank you very much, Master. I have spoken with Senior Brother Ye from the Diligent Work Hall, and he will try his best to get me more seeds."

There's one more thing I'd like to ask you, Master: do you know any methods for cultivating Soul-Nourishing Wood?

"I was fortunate enough to obtain a Soul-Nourishing Wood, and I am currently troubled about how to cultivate it quickly."

Ji An revealed an undisguised smile as he explained in detail how he obtained the Soul-Nourishing Wood, its current growth environment, and his cultivation methods.

"You're quite lucky; you're just sitting in the sect and yet treasured plants still come to you!"

Ge Ying felt that this disciple was quite lucky, being able to witness the eruption of Crimson Flame Peak and obtain a precious plant.

"The Soul-Nourishing Wood is one of the rare trees in the cultivation world, and as far as I know, there doesn't seem to be any secret method for its cultivation."

The sect obtained a Soul-Nourishing Wood, which has been cultivated for 120 years. It only reached the second-tier, low-grade level 30 years ago. You should be mentally prepared.

"After observing the actual planting situation, we found that the Thick Soil Returning to Origin Mantra has a better effect on the Soul Nourishing Wood."

The sect's Soul-Nourishing Wood is being cultivated by Junior Brother Lin Mao, because he specializes in earth-elemental cultivation techniques.

“Junior Brother Lin’s cultivation method is similar to yours. He discovered that the Soul-Nourishing Wood likes to be bathed in moonlight. You need to dig a sufficiently large opening to draw in the moonlight, which will help the spirit tree.”

"Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Ji An cupped his hands in greeting, and he once again realized the benefits of having a sect to rely on. If he had to figure these things out on his own, he didn't know how many years it would have taken him to understand them.

The significance of inheritance lies in the fact that future generations can stand on the shoulders of their predecessors to move forward.

"As long as it's useful to you," Ge Ying's eyes grew even more kind.

She picked up a Tianyuan pear, took a small bite, and felt the aroma and spiritual energy spreading between her lips and teeth.

Ji An reduced the speed of the shuttle, followed the prescribed route over Chaoyang Peak, and finally landed at the Treasure Pavilion.

He stepped inside and called out:

"Uncle-Master Jia, the spirit wine is here!"

While shouting, he placed a five-jin jar of second-grade pine nut wine on the table.

"Hey, you know how to handle people."

Jia Yu chuckled as he put away the spirit wine, saying:

"Are you here to exchange for spirit items again? The refining speed is faster than before this time."

The other party visits once every six months, each time bringing a jar of spirit wine. Although he hasn't kept track of the exact dates, he can roughly calculate them.

Ji An released his spiritual pressure as if showing off, and laughed:

"He's at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, so it's normal for him to be fast."

A high-level cultivator can easily see the cultivation level of a low-level cultivator with a single scan using their divine sense. However, it is impolite to do so, and no cultivator likes to be "scanned" every day.

"Good lad, that's fast enough."

Ji An handed over two jade tokens and then took out a jade box with a green hue:

"As usual, Azure Dragon Wood, Jade Water, and Dark Yellow Soil, this time the quantity will be half again as much as before."

"There are a few top-grade Tier 1 Heavenly Origin Pears in the box, which I grew myself. Please, Martial Uncle, have a taste."

"Very good, you think of your martial uncle when there's something good to be had. I'll get it for you."

Jia Yu entered the secret vault, and after a moment peeked out, saying:

"We're out of Azure Jade Water, so we'll use Flowing Spirit Water instead. We're also short on Azure Dragon Wood; the next batch will take three or four years. Shall we use other types of spirit wood instead?"

"Forget it, if I don't have Azure Dragon Wood, I'll go back and cut down some Clear Spirit Bamboo to make do."

Ji An encountered a situation where spiritual objects were insufficient for the first time.

Jia Yu quickly came out with a storage bag and said:

“Make sure you count it carefully. I won’t acknowledge any problems after we leave here.”

Ji An quickly checked the items and put them into his storage bag.

"Uncle-Master, the quantity is fine, but the secret vault is starting to run out of spiritual items?"

"In the past six months, two disciples who practiced the Wood Element Technique have broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. In a few more years, other spiritual woods will also become scarce."

As more cultivators break through to higher levels, the shortage of spiritual items will become even more severe.

Upgrading the sect's spiritual veins will produce more spiritual items, but it will also lead to more disciples breaking through to higher levels.

These resources have never been truly enough.

Jia Yu sighed and asked again:

"You remember you said you wanted to plant Azure Dragon Trees, what's the situation now?"

"Ten spirit trees were planted, and all of them were cultivated to the highest grade of the first rank."

Since this is the first time planting, it's unclear how long it will take to cultivate it to level two.

(End of this chapter)