Chapter 206 Bloodline Mutual Support

On the eve of his departure, Ji An hosted another banquet at Dingxiang Pavilion.

Today, Liu Yu and Chu He were out on a mission, and Wei Songnian was busy with business, so only Zhang Yuanshan and Zhao Mengyao came.

All of them were cultivators from the Qingsong Taoist Temple on Xiaocang Mountain, so the atmosphere among them was even more harmonious.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhao Mengyao slightly raised her eyebrows, her features as beautiful as a painting:

"Senior brother's smile was restrained; he seems to have gained a lot."

Within the same lineage, fellow disciples are ranked according to the order in which they entered the sect, while other cultivators are ranked according to their cultivation level.

She naturally addressed Ji An as her senior brother, but secretly resolved to work even harder in the future so as not to fall too far behind him.

"Am I being that obvious?"

"It's not very obvious, but the corners of his mouth are almost turned up to the sky."

"Hehe," Ji An grinned and laughed:

"I was truly delighted to have acquired a cub with earth-grade bloodline yesterday. Please take a look, Junior Sister."

He released the Rock Armor Bear from the spirit beast pouch.

The little bear cub looked around at its surroundings and let out a soft, babyish roar.

"Aww!"

Ji An used his object manipulation technique to stuff a chicken leg into the bear cub's mouth.

The little bear tasted it, then wolfed down the chicken leg, bone and all.

Its short tail wagged incessantly, and it stared longingly at its owner.

'Delicious, I want more!'

Zhao Mengyao's eyes widened into round almonds. She had stayed in Mingfeng Mountain for several years and had never encountered a cub with earth-grade bloodline.

How can they get one after only a month?

Ji An understood his thoughts, handed over the bear cub, and said:

"Its bloodline has some flaws, which is why I was able to obtain it. Junior sister will know this with a single examination."

Zhao Mengyao grabbed the bear cub by the scruff of its neck and examined it closely.

The monster had pale yellow fur and a 'V'-shaped patch of red fur on its chest.

In a normal bear-like monster, this tuft of fur should be white.

She sensed the situation within the demonic beast through her divine sense, and then her expression turned solemn:

"If we can harmonize the forces of earth and fire and make them complement each other, we might just turn misfortune into blessing."

That's what she said, but she understood that reconciling the two kinds of Five Elements power was not easy.

We don't know how much it will cost, and success is not guaranteed.

“Let me see,” Zhang Huaiyuan said. He had never obtained a beast with earth-grade bloodline before, so he found it very novel.

Ji An said in a deep voice:

"Junior Sister, you've been in the Beast Taming Hall for a long time, do you know any secret techniques?"

He raised his beasts in a free-range manner, without seriously studying the relevant secret techniques.

The reason they were confident enough to buy this bear cub was because they had the backing of a sect.

The situation of bear cubs is not uncommon. The sect's ability to cultivate and control beasts is unparalleled in the Western Continent, so they should be able to find a suitable secret method.

Zhao Mengyao replied:

"The sect has a secret method for harmonizing bloodlines. Senior brother can go to the Transmission Hall to take a look."

I usually only raise purebred beasts and have no knowledge of related matters.

Sects have numerous inheritances and secret techniques, but cultivators will only choose to learn those that are closely related to themselves.

First seek depth, then seek breadth.

"Aww!"

The bear cub let out a dissatisfied roar, and Zhang Yuanshan hurriedly handed it a piece of stewed meat.

The little bear chewed a few times, swallowed quickly, and stared at the food on the table, trying to break free from Zhang Yuanshan's hand and crawl over.

"What a foodie! She can eat so much at such a young age."

If it were me, I probably couldn't afford to raise them.

Zhang Yuanshan jokingly said, "Give the teddy bear back."

As a weapon refiner, raising a beast is not a problem, even a beast with a first-grade bloodline.

If high-grade ingredients cannot be provided frequently, the growth of the tamed beasts will be relatively slow, which is why he does not like to raise tamed beasts.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that he has not encountered a suitable target.

His target is a fire-elemental demon beast, which, once raised, can assist him in refining weapons.

Ji An took the bear cub, fed it a few more pieces of meat, then put it back into his spirit beast pouch, and smiled:

"With this beast, the ever-increasing number of red-tailed squirrels on Crimson Flame Peak should be somewhat contained."

Bears are excellent tree climbers and can attack squirrels in the trees.

“One bear isn’t enough,” Zhao Mengyao chuckled, covering her mouth as she asked.

"How did you manage to acquire this cub, senior brother?"

"Thanks to Junior Brother Wei's help, an auction was being held at a beast-taming shop."

Ji An briefly recounted the situation, and then said:

"The cubs have slightly flawed bloodlines, so the competition isn't too fierce."

Zhao Mengyao's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward slightly:

"Did you buy the Purple Flame Gourd that you used for the exchange from Senior Brother Zhao Lei, the weapon refiner?"

"Exactly."

"What is the relationship between Senior Brother Zhao Lei and Senior Brother Shi? I also want to buy a top-grade Purple Fire Gourd."

When carrying out missions, we often encounter a large number of demonic insects, which is extremely annoying.

Using spells to destroy the demonic insects consumes too much mana and affects the battle.

Zhao Mengyao had long wanted to buy a Purple Fire Gourd, but this kind of magical artifact only appeared sporadically, and she often went out on missions, so it was difficult for her to come across one.

"Junior sister, you don't need to go looking for Senior Brother Zhao Lei. I'll sell you one."

As Ji An spoke, he took out a purple fire gourd from his storage bag, maintaining his smile:

"Two thousand spirit stones, plus a gourd of earth fire nurtured for three years."

Zhang Yuanshan exclaimed in surprise:

"How do you have so many gourd-shaped magical artifacts? The hardest part about these artifacts is that the best materials are hard to come by."

He paused, then said with a piercing gaze:

"Don't tell me that the Purple Flame Gourd was grown by you, Senior Brother!"

Although he said that, he felt in his heart that it was very likely.

This former junior brother, now senior brother, has shown him how many impossibilities have become possible.

Generally speaking, few cultivators would keep two magical artifacts of the same type, unless such artifacts are easily obtained.

"It really was planted by me."

Ji An recounted the battle he fought at Mingfeng Mountain years ago.

"That's how it is. I think this gourd magic weapon is very effective against large groups of weak targets, so I asked Senior Brother Zhong Yue for a few seeds."

Then I experimented with planting them on Crimson Flame Peak. Surprisingly, growing top-quality gourds wasn't as difficult as I'd imagined.

What he values ​​most about the Purple Fire Gourd is that it consumes very little magical power when activating the artifact, because the effort is put in during normal times.

Zhang Yuanshan grinned, shook his head, and sighed inwardly.

It's not that difficult? Why were the top-grade Purple Flame Gourds produced by the sect so rare in recent years? It seemed like only one or two would appear every few years.

Zhao Mengyao took the gourd from his hand and smiled:

"I didn't expect there to be so many good things hidden in Crimson Flame Peak. I want the magic weapon."

Ji An took out a blank jade slip, copied the control incantation into it, and sent it to her by performing the incantation.

Zhao Mengyao placed the jade slip on her forehead, familiarized herself with the incantation, and then put it into practice.

Seeing the blue flames and feeling the intense heat, she became increasingly satisfied.

She readily took out twenty mid-grade spirit stones, her eyebrows dancing with delight as she spoke softly and gently:

"I really like the free gift, thank you, senior brother."

She then took out several red jade bottles and said:

"In the end, I benefited. I'll give these few bottles of fire-elemental demonic blood to my senior brother as a small compensation."

The flames inside the gourd were already overflowing, saving a lot of effort.

The other party said that the flames had been nurtured for three years, which should not be an exaggeration, as the color of the flames confirms this claim.

If she only offered twenty spirit stones, it would seem very impolite of her.

"Junior sister, you're too kind. I'll accept the gifts."

Ji An accepted the gift without any hesitation.

Zhang Yuanshan pondered for a moment and said:

"Senior brother, could you sell me some high-grade gourds? I want to learn how to refine these kinds of magical artifacts."

The Purple Fire Gourd is a type of spatial magic artifact, and he wanted to practice how to incorporate spatial magic into materials.

"No problem, but we'll have to wait until next year. Senior Brother Zhao Lei has already pre-ordered all the gourds from Crimson Flame Peak this year. Are you also planning to get involved in the trade of Purple Flame Gourds, Junior Brother?"

Ji An asked, "There was only a verbal agreement between me and Zhao Lei; we didn't sign a contract."

Once the Purple Fire Gourd is grown, he can sell it to whomever he wants.

This could create a hidden danger: if he suddenly and drastically reduces his supply to the other party, it might cause resentment.

Of course, it depends on Zhao Lei's character.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Would that put you in a difficult position, senior brother?"

Zhang Yuanshan said softly that he understood this move would directly compete with Zhao Lei and might affect their relationship, but there was no rule that said a business could only be done by one person.

"No, I told Senior Brother Zhao when he came to buy materials this year."

Ji An has control over the supply, so he doesn't have to depend on others.

"How much longer until your gourd matures, Senior Brother?"

"Around seven or eight months."

Zhang Yuanshan nodded slightly. In another six months, he would be able to return to the sect. At that time, he would visit Senior Brother Zhao Lei and say hello.

As cultivators who both hail from the Weapon Refining Hall, we shouldn't let competition strain our relationships.

Early morning, at the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

The sunrise was magnificent, as if the mountains and the sea were reflected in the sky.

The pale golden mountains and the gray sea merge into one.

At the Lingzhou mooring platform, Wei Songnian bowed respectfully.

"Senior brother, take care."

If you have something to do but are unable to come in person, please feel free to send a letter.

A gentle breeze blew by, and his robe sleeves fluttered.

Ji An patted the other person on the shoulder and smiled:

"Thank you for seeing me off, junior brother. As fellow disciples, I will definitely let you know if I need any help."

If we come across unusual seeds, we'll buy them even if it costs more.

Every few months, Mingfeng Mountain holds an auction, which increases the chances of obtaining rare seeds.

“Even if my senior brother hadn’t told me, I’ve been collecting these things.”

Wei Songnian said that the Soul-Nourishing Wood was something he found by chance.

"I have always trusted my junior brother to do things."

Ji An channeled his magical power, slowly walking through the void, stepping onto the spirit boat and waving his hand:

"Please leave."

After a while, the spirit boat raised a transparent magical shield, then slowly rose into the air, turned around and sped eastward.

Three days later, the spirit boat landed at Luoxia Mountain in the sect, and Ji An piloted the flying shuttle towards the direction of Cuizhu Peak.

He released the bear cub from the storage bag, and the little guy ran around on the shuttle, very happy.

The flying shuttle landed in the Beast Taming Hall, and Ji An strode inside, saying to the disciples on duty:

"I need to see Senior Sister Li Minghui. Is she here now?"

"The Palace Master is in the main hall at the back. May I ask where my martial uncle is cultivating so that I can inform him?"

"Crimson Flame Peak, Ji An."

"Please wait a moment."

The disciple went in to report and quickly returned, inviting Ji An to the rear hall.

Upon entering the inner hall, Ji An stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"Greetings, Senior Sister. I have come to seek your guidance today."

Li Minghui returned the greeting, saying:

“Junior brother, please sit down and speak. I will tell you everything I know without reservation.”

She had been wondering why the other person had the time to come here, but it turns out they had something to do.

Ji An pulled the bear cub out and handed it to his senior sister:

"I obtained a rock-armored bear by chance from Mingfeng Mountain, but it has two of the five elements: earth and fire. I am worried that as it grows, it will affect the purity of its bloodline."

"Senior Sister, does your sect possess any secret techniques for harmonizing bloodlines?"

Li Minghui took the cub and felt its internal condition.

The bear cub struggled anxiously, letting out a fierce but cowardly roar.

"Junior brother is lucky. He got a cub with a low-grade bloodline on just one trip."

A strange light flashed in Li Minghui's eyes. Although the bloodline was flawed, it was still considered a low-grade bloodline. When did it become so easy to obtain cubs of this level?

She returned the cub, looked Ji An up and down a few times, and then said:

"This type of situation is quite common, and there are two solutions."

The first approach involves focusing on cultivating one bloodline. Over time, the other bloodline will be gradually suppressed, and its power will weaken. Children with conflicting bloodlines will inevitably choose this approach.

The downside is that it takes a long time and may not be entirely successful.

For demonic beasts, bloodline is the foundation of everything. Even if only a trace of bloodline is manifested, it is extremely difficult to eliminate it.

The advantage is low risk and a relatively high probability of preserving the bloodline of the local quality level.

"The second option is to rely on blood relatives."

This cub belongs to the elements of earth and fire. By using the power of fire to nourish the earth element, it can not only preserve its ability to use fire-based spells, but also enhance the power of its earth-based spells.

The downside is the high risk; the simultaneous growth of both bloodline powers could potentially lead to a situation where neither is dominant.

In the end, it was all for naught; the bloodline plummeted from the lowest quality to the highest.

The little bear, nestled in Ji An's arms, looked around adorably, completely unaware that the two were discussing a crucial matter that would determine its future fate.

Ji An pondered for a moment and said:

"I choose the second option."

For Little Bear, the first option was safer, but his purpose in raising and training beasts was very clear: for use in battle.

Raising beasts quickly requires a significant investment, and further investment in the future is inevitable.

He needs powerful enforcers, not just bystanders.

With the help of the stone tortoise and his own efforts, Ji An's understanding of the cultivation technique deepened day by day, and he became more and more confident in breaking through to the Chaoyuan stage.

He didn't want to start training his beast tamer again after breaking through, so he had high hopes for the little bear.

"If you choose the second option, junior brother can go to the Transmission Hall and borrow the 'Treatise on the Mutual Assistance of the Five Elements of Spirit Beasts'."

This secret technique evolved from the cultivation methods of cultivators in the Chaoyuan stage, and it is quite obscure. Junior brother, you can just learn about it.

There are records of how to prepare pills; you can prepare them yourself by finding the chapter on the balance of fire and earth.

"We need the relevant array diagrams; junior brother, you can ask the sect's array masters to help you refine them."

Li Minghui pointed out that if she were faced with this choice, she would choose the first option, as the second option involves a greater gamble.

However, since the beasts are not hers, she has no right to interfere with their choices.

My junior brother clearly wants to take a big gamble, and I can understand that.

(End of this chapter)