Chapter 197 Azure Mist Secret Realm

The other party's reaction was as expected. Ji An said gently:

"Please wait a moment, senior brother."

"Yuhan, go to the warehouse and fetch one hundred Tianyuan pears."

The two sat down and exchanged pleasantries. The maid quickly brought out ten jade boxes with sealing talismans affixed to them, and said softly:

"Uncle-Master, each box contains ten spirit fruits. Please take a look."

The two senior uncles did not hide their conversation from her, and she marveled at how easily Senior Uncle Ji earned spirit stones.

In just a short while, he had acquired six thousand spirit stones, enough to exchange for two Foundation Establishment Pills.

Du Huaiyuan grunted in agreement and began checking each box.

After reviewing it once, he nodded slightly, took out sixty mid-grade spirit stones, and handed them over.

"Exactly one hundred spirit fruits."

After the transaction was completed, Du Huaiyuan said:

“Junior brother, I asked Master and the weapon refiner, and the most suitable spiritual weapon for me is the Tidal Wave Pearl, which is good at both offense and defense.”

It can both activate water-based spiritual energy for self-protection and unleash attacks similar to the Wave-Swept Technique.

He had inquired with the weapon refiner in detail, because the protective method was the constantly flowing water-based spiritual light, and the defensive power of the spiritual weapon was not weak.

The activated Wave Spell, equivalent to a perfected spell effect, was sufficient for him.

Ji An put away the spirit stones and said:

"Congratulations, senior brother. You have crafted a spiritual artifact that can meet most of your needs."

His tone carried a hint of envy, as it seemed that only water-based magical artifacts possessed both offensive and defensive capabilities.

Du Huaiyuan shook his head and gave a wry smile:

"Refining spiritual artifacts requires a large number of second-tier water-elemental spiritual materials, which are very scarce in the Western Continent. It is unknown how long it will take to gather enough materials."

I estimate I'll only be able to gather the full fleet once I encounter a merchant ship from Central Continent. Waiting that long is taking too long; I'm getting impatient.

After obtaining the magical artifact, one must practice it daily to master its use.

There are countless water-based spiritual creatures in the East Sea, but the West Continent has no large lakes, only a large river located in the heart of the Ten Thousand Mountains, so cultivators have few opportunities to obtain second-tier water-based spiritual creatures.

Ji An thought for a moment and said:

"The cloud boats from Zhongzhou travel back and forth every thirty years or so. It has been more than twenty years since the last one. Senior brother, just wait patiently."

After he joined Ningcui Cliff, he encountered a flying boat as big as a small mountain in the sect. That was the merchant cloud boat of Zhongzhou.

There was a Golden Core stage array master inside that cloud boat. The sect needed his help to upgrade its spiritual veins; otherwise, they would never have allowed such a cloud boat into the sect.

Du Huaiyuan was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice:

“Junior brother, transactions involving second-tier spiritual items are usually done through barter, and spirit stones can only be used to make up for the price difference.”

If I don't have enough resources at the time, I'd like to borrow some spiritual items from my junior brother. Is that possible?

He gradually accumulated more spirit stones, but he didn't have many spirit items to offer. He worried that even if he had the chance to encounter Yunzhou, he wouldn't have enough spirit items to exchange for materials.

My junior brother has already cultivated a second-tier spiritual plant, so he will have more resources at his disposal.

"no problem."

Ji An readily agreed, as the demonic calamity was about to erupt, and refining spiritual weapons was a major undertaking.

The two are from the same school, have a good relationship, and share common interests. If he has some spare money, he will certainly not hesitate to lend a helping hand.

Du Huaiyuan cupped his hands and smiled:

"In critical moments, it's always my fellow disciples who can be relied upon. I thank you in advance."

He planned to stockpile some high-quality Foundation Establishment Pills and late-stage Foundation Establishment Pills, and would only ask to borrow them if he still couldn't exchange them for the materials he needed.

"You're too kind, senior brother."

Du Huaiyuan pondered for a moment and said:

"Junior brother, let's calculate the time. In ten years, the Canglan Secret Realm will open."

There are quite a few Bao Zhi in there, do you have any thoughts on that?

Secret realms are dilapidated small worlds attached to the cultivation world. Due to their enclosed environment and special laws, they are more likely to nurture specific high-level spiritual plants and objects.

The Azure Mist Secret Realm is located between the three sects of the Western Continent, near the Azure Cloud Immortal City. It opens once every sixty years, allowing cultivators to enter and search for resources. It reopens after six months.

The wood and fire elemental energies in the secret realm are exceptionally abundant, and the spiritual plants and objects nurtured there also tend to be of these two types.

"I have no particular ideas. The sect will only send cultivators from the Enforcement Hall into the secret realm."

Senior Brother Liu is presumably going inside, and I plan to ask him to help collect spirit seeds and seedlings.

Ji An replied that, due to the restrictions of the laws governing the secret realm, only cultivators below the Chaoyuan stage could enter.

There are many demonic beasts at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment level, and there are even rumors of demonic beasts that have stepped into the Yuan stage.

Entering the secret realm is a matter of life and death, and battles between cultivators and demonic beasts are inevitable. Therefore, the sects send out cultivators from the Enforcement Hall who are experienced in combat.

The entrance to the secret realm is controlled by the three major sects, which limit the number of people entering. However, they also issue entry permits to independent cultivators. Each permit costs 5,000 spirit stones, and 30% of the spiritual items harvested must be handed over.

Each of the three sects dispatched one hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators and two hundred independent cultivators.

"Senior Brother Liu was able to stand out in the competition between the three sects, so his combat strength is undoubtedly excellent. Once the secret realm opens, he will surely break through to the sixth level of Foundation Establishment. As long as he is lucky, he will definitely reap a great reward."

Inside is the main ingredient of the Peiyuan Pill, the Tianyuan Ginseng. If I could obtain a sufficiently mature Tianyuan Ginseng, and if I were powerful enough in combat, I would definitely make the trip.

Du Huaiyuan exclaimed in admiration that Liu Yu, with his fourth-level Foundation Establishment cultivation, already had a high number of victories in the mid-Foundation Establishment group. Coupled with his powerful combat abilities, even ordinary late-Foundation Establishment cultivators were no match for him.

Ji An pursed his lips. Based on his observations over the years, he believed that Senior Brother Liu would most likely be able to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage in ten years.

At that time, I will sponsor some good things for the other party, so that I can be unruly during the Foundation Establishment stage.

Du Huaiyuan stopped talking about the secret realm; to him, these things were just something to watch and enjoy.

"Junior brother, what is the current quantity of top-grade and superior-grade Emerald Leaf Mulberry? I will make a list of brewing materials. We need to prepare before the mulberries ripen in large quantities."

Xia Yuhan immediately replied:

"I'll go get some paper and pen."

Ji An nodded slightly and said, "There are about three thousand of each type of Emerald Leaf Mulberry."

The number of Jade Leaf Mulberry trees has decreased significantly. Fortunately, the quality of the spirit wood has greatly improved, otherwise the population of White Jade Bees would have shrunk considerably.

Du Huaiyuan grinned and said:

"In a few years, we won't be brewing top-grade spirit wine anymore, and those Qi Refining stage wine addicts will suffer."

A few years ago, all the Crimson Cloud Pines on Crimson Flame Peak reached the highest grade, and the amount of superior spirit wine they produced decreased year by year. Once more Jade Leaf Mulberry trees reached the highest grade, they completely withdrew from the superior spirit wine market.

Ji An smiled:

"An inevitable outcome."

From now on, Crimson Flame Peak will be synonymous with high-end, and its customers will only be cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage and above.

A maid brought paper and pen and laid them on the stone table. After Du Huaiyuan finished writing the list, he subconsciously blew on it and said:

"I estimate the cost of the materials will be around five thousand spirit stones."

Ji An took out a storage bag and put in fifty-five mid-grade spirit stones:

"Yuhan, give the list to Huang Xuan and tell him and Li Cheng to go out and make the purchases tomorrow."

“Yes, ma’am,” Xia Yuhan said, taking the list and storage bag before leaving.

After dinner, a slightly tipsy Du Huaiyuan refined spiritual wine by the cold pool.

He wouldn't have done that before; a deep, peaceful sleep was his favorite thing to do.

The water element here is abundant with spiritual energy, so after refining the spirit wine, he simply began to cultivate.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Xia Yuhan and her sister came out chatting and laughing.

When they saw the figure enveloped by the water-based spiritual light by the cold pool, they immediately shut their mouths and tiptoed back to the stone house.

"Uncle Du has changed so much since then."

Xia Yulian whispered that in her memory, the other person would always get drunk after drinking, and then go back to his room to sleep soundly.

He usually wakes up around 7 AM the next day, by which time Uncle Ji will have already been cultivating for two hours.

"Perhaps he suffered some kind of shock."

Xia Yuhan lowered her voice and said, "Several of Uncle Du's junior brothers and sisters broke through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage a few years ago, so they should be feeling some pressure."

Even monks are human, and they like to compare themselves with those they are close to.

More than an hour later, Du Huaiyuan finished his cultivation and felt refreshed.

"Yes, it's still more effective to cultivate near the water veins."

The effects of training at Mingfeng Mountain are significantly different from those here.

Du Huaiyuan stood up and caught a glimpse of a beam of light faintly visible in the mulberry field.

He was somewhat surprised and flew to the target location to take a look.

The white leaves of a sacred tree appeared exceptionally translucent under the moonlight, with golden light flowing through their veins.

"It really is the Azure Jade Tree of the Dark Moon. There are more and more good things on Crimson Flame Peak."

Du Huaiyuan grinned. Everyone said that alchemists and weapon refiners could easily earn cultivation resources, but he thought that the spirit farmers who made it through were the ones who were truly living the best lives.

"Junior Brother Ji, you deserve to be rich."

He sighed deeply, returned to his room, took out his wine gourd, poured himself a cup, and sipped it slowly, savoring the taste.

After drinking one cup, I promptly stopped and went to sleep.

Half a month later, in the afternoon.

The mulberry field was bustling with activity as several Qi Refining stage disciples carried baskets and picked mulberries.

Huang Xuan rode the talisman bird, patrolling the sky above the mulberry fields, and shouted:

"Be careful, we'll check it all over again later."

Fortunately, Sangtian is far enough away from Crimson Flame Peak that the golden fire spiritual energy here is not too strong, which is tolerable for Qi Refining disciples.

An elderly disciple popped a few fresh mulberries into his mouth, savoring the sweet and sour taste and fragrance spreading in his mouth, and nodded in satisfaction.

"The quality of these spirit mulberry trees is getting higher and higher, but their numbers are getting fewer and fewer."

I remember in the early years after we planted the mulberry trees, during mulberry harvesting season, even twenty or thirty people couldn't keep up with the demand.

It's allowed to eat something occasionally while working here.

The disciple next to him also grabbed a few mulberries and put them in his mouth, saying enviously:

"With so many high-grade mulberries brewed into spirit wine, I wonder how many spirit stones we can earn!"

The mulberries here are as big as a finger; eating a dozen or so will make you feel very full.

He couldn't wait to sit down right now and circulate his cultivation technique to refine the spiritual energy within.

"Hey, the harvest of Crimson Flame Peak in a year is more than we can harvest in a lifetime."

Every disciple who has worked here considers Uncle Ji to be the sect's strongest spirit farmer.

When Jiang Wanrong arrived at Chiyan Peak by flying boat, she saw disciples busily picking fruits and vegetables, and smoke billowing from the winery.

She landed beside the icy pool and saw Ji An practicing his magic by the water.

Having interacted with him frequently, she knew that Senior Brother Ji wasn't busy in the afternoons and could bother him.

Ji An also saw the person approaching, stopped his magic and flew over, saying:

"Junior sister, you don't look well. Is something bothering you?"

The other person's face was filled with sorrow; three words were written all over it: 'Unhappy.'

He suddenly thought of something funny: if you're unhappy about something, tell me so I can have a good laugh.

Jiang Wanrong took out a storage bag and sighed:

"It hurts! I've saved up so many spirit stones for so long, and now I have to use them all to pay off my debts. I wonder if there are any other ways to pay off my debts?"

After she finished speaking, she blinked, revealing a unique charm.

Ten catties of second-grade mulberry leaves every day, and after half a year, that's nine thousand spirit stones.

You're not getting away with not paying!

Ji An ignored it and laughed:

"With the supply of second-grade mulberry leaves over the past six months, Junior Sister will surely cultivate top-quality spirit silkworms."

He took the storage bag, took out the spirit stones inside, and counted them:

"The number of spirit stones is the same. As the first customer of second-tier mulberry leaves, I will give my junior sister another ten catties of mulberry leaves later."

(End of this chapter)