Chapter 221 Tempering Body and Soul

'You're the one who took the wrong medicine.'

Liu Suyun choked upon hearing this, silently retorting in her heart.

She snorted and said:

"My friend helped me a lot, this is a return gift."

"So it was to repay a favor. What kind of big favor could it be that made you spend your merit to exchange for pills?"

Jia Yu was slightly tipsy at this moment, and he showed a gossipy expression, as if he wouldn't move unless you told him.

Liu Suyun was both amused and exasperated, and could only recount the whole story.

"I entrusted a junior brother to cultivate the Earth Spirit Fruit Tree. Now one of the trees has been cultivated to the second-grade low level, and according to the agreement, I need to pay him the relevant resources."

It's not a secret, so there's no harm in talking about it.

She thought back carefully and realized that it wasn't her own initiative to ask for the favor, but rather Ji An's suggestion.

Seeing the profound mystery of the other person's magic, she nodded in agreement.

"I see. This favor should indeed be repaid. It's a win-win situation for you both, Xiao Liu!"

I think we can entrust more of the potential spiritual energy to the other party to manage. This is both worry-free and beneficial, and the other party can also gain extra benefits.

Jia Yu suggested that the sect had allocated dozens of acres of spiritual land to each Foundation Establishment cultivator, and in his opinion, many cultivators were wasting the land.

Most of the spiritual plants in cultivators' caves can only grow by relying on the fertility of the spiritual fields themselves.

“What my uncle said is a good idea, but I don’t have any more rare seeds.”

"You can go to the Hall of Diligent Work and ask if they have any high-level seeds."

"Uncle-Master, do you think the Hall of Diligent Work will give me this opportunity?"

Liu Suyun looked distressed. It was impossible for a cultivator who wasn't a Spirit Farmer to exchange for a high-level Spirit Seed.

The sect's exchange of spirit seeds and similar items is not expensive; the purpose is to enable spirit farmers to cultivate more spirit plants and then recycle the resources.

"Uncle-Master, hurry up and get me the pills, important business is more important."

She urged him on, saying that it was common knowledge that the other person liked to talk when drunk.

It's getting dark soon, so he probably thought no one would come to exchange resources, which is why he got drunk.

Seeing the other person's dazed and drunken state, I don't know how long they'll keep talking if I don't urge them.

What a waste of good wine!

Jia Yu nodded slightly, circulating her cultivation technique to refine the spirit wine; she couldn't afford to make mistakes while doing serious business.

After a dozen or so breaths, he opened his eyes, his drunkenness mostly gone.

"What kind of pills were we exchanging them for?"

"Mysterious Wood Gathering Spirit Pill".

Jia Yu found the corresponding pill in the niche, took out a bottle, and said:

"You can only exchange for ten of these pills a year. If you want to exchange for more, you'll have to wait until next year. It costs a total of four hundred minor merits."

"That's not right, Uncle-Master! I remember we used to be able to exchange for two bottles of twenty pills."

"High-level resources are becoming scarcer, and the number of pills that can be exchanged for in addition to the cultivation techniques of the user will only decrease in the future."

The signs of an impending demonic calamity were becoming apparent, and the sect began to tighten its control over various resources, which would later be distributed as rewards.

"Uncle-Master, could you make an exception and let me exchange for two bottles this time?"

I just made a promise to my friend that I'd give him more this year, at least.

The sect's decision caught Liu Suyun off guard, and she tried to pull some strings.

One major merit can be exchanged for one hundred minor merits, and she needs to exchange for pills containing five thousand minor merits.

If the amount that can be redeemed each year decreases, it will take more than a decade to fulfill the promise.

Purchasing these elixirs from outside sources would be too costly.

Jia Yu placed the jade tablet on the spirit plate and deducted the corresponding amount of merit.

He returned the sign, then waved his hand solemnly and said earnestly:

"Little Liu, if everyone were like you, how could the sect's decisions be implemented?"

There's no room for negotiation. You can tell your friend the actual situation; it doesn't mean you didn't try your best.

By the way, who is this Lingnong? Where does he cultivate?

There are only a handful of spirit farmers capable of cultivating second-tier spirit plants.

"Ji An of Crimson Flame Peak".

"Is this kid starting to hoard late-stage Foundation Establishment resources now?"

Jia Yu was slightly surprised, but then thought it was good that the other party was able to plan ahead.

Liu Suyun nodded slightly, then sighed with some disappointment:

"I can only tell Junior Brother Ji the truth about the situation."

She felt a little embarrassed that things hadn't gone smoothly.

"Uncle-Master, farewell."

Jia Yu glanced at the sky outside and said:

"Hmm, fly slowly and watch carefully."

It was completely dark outside, and the great formation on the mountainside was even more powerful at night.

While the others were picking spirit peaches, Ji An checked on the condition of the dragon blood tree.

Dragon blood fruit is shaped somewhat like an orange, with a light green peel.

He roughly counted them and found there were more than a hundred fruits.

The spirit tree cannot sustain so many fruits to reach a medicinal age of several hundred years. Once the fruits reach a medicinal age of a hundred years, he will harvest some gradually, and in the end, he should leave no more than ten fruits for cultivation.

The spirit fields in the orchard area have been upgraded to mid-grade second tier, which will allow the medicinal life of the spirit fruits to increase faster in the future.

Ji An stood with his hands behind his back, pondering what kind of spiritual tree would be best to plant after the spiritual herbs were harvested.

Now that I have a second-tier low-grade spirit peach, if I don't obtain any other rare seeds, I will continue to plant peach trees.

Peach wood is also known as "immortal wood". Magical implements made from century-old peach wood can suppress evil spirits, and ordinary people use them to ward off evil spirits and protect their homes.

For cultivators, cultivating peach wood with effects lasting a hundred years is far too easy.

With Ji An's abilities, he could cultivate this kind of peach wood within ten years.

To craft a peach wood artifact suitable for cultivators, it must be made of at least thousand-year-old peach wood, with the finest being peach wood struck by lightning.

The Western Continent is teeming with demonic beasts, while the Southern Continent is teeming with vengeful spirits. Cultivators there have a great need for peach wood magical artifacts.

A moment later, Xia Yuhan ran over to report the situation:

"Uncle-Master, all the ripe spirit peaches have been picked, a total of twenty-one."

Everyone just counted; each peach tree bore thirty-six peaches.

They were all surprised that the two trees had the exact same number of fruits.

Ji An nodded slightly:

"They are all packaged in gift boxes, with twelve pieces in a large gift box and two pieces in a small gift box."

The spiritual energy contained in the second-tier spiritual fruit is too strong, so I won't give any to you few to eat.

The setting sun was as red as blood.

Outside Crimson Flame Peak, Ji An, who was practicing his spells, immediately ended his practice and hurried back.

He quickly ate his dinner and began casting a spell on the spirit field.

The plants growing in the large orchard are all fire-elemental spiritual plants, requiring the use of the Thick Earth Returning to Origin Spell, the Azure Wood Transformation Technique, and the Blazing Fire Spell, and rain is applied every three or four days.

There are only a few Tianyuan pear trees in the small orchard. You only need to use the Jade Wood Transformation Technique and the Spring Breeze and Rain Transformation Technique, and occasionally use the Thick Earth Return to Origin Mantra.

In the area where wood-elemental spiritual plants are planted, all three Foundation Establishment stage planting spells must be used.

There are currently 96 second-order Ficus syriacus and 54 Ficus microcarpa trees.

Some mulberry trees were felled, and the area planted with Canglong wood reached two acres, with ten second-tier Canglong trees.

The spell cast in the Crimson Cloud Pine Forest was the same as that in the Great Orchard. Currently, there are 64 second-tier spirit pines in the forest, and all the spirit pines in the mid-grade spirit field area have reached the second tier.

In the Earth and Metal elemental plant areas, there are fifteen Tier 2 Copper Pattern Mulberry plants and twelve Tier 2 Mysterious Leaf Sword Bamboo plants.

It has to be said that a mid-grade second-tier spirit field is really powerful.

They rushed as fast as they could, and by the time Ji An finished casting the spell, it was already late at night.

The cold moon hangs high in the sky, its light serene and cool.

"No, we've spent too much time in the spirit field."

He breathed a sigh of relief; he realized he wasn't spending enough time cultivating at night and should increase it appropriately.

A large portion of the spirit fields on Crimson Flame Peak have already been nourished to the second-tier low-grade by the earth veins, so he can appropriately reduce his care for ordinary spirit fields.

Ji An rode his flying shuttle to the foot of the Azure Jade Tree in the Moonlight, where the tree seemed to be veiled in a light gauze.

He sat cross-legged under the tree and began to practice the Green Wood Everlasting Spring Technique.

A vibrant, emerald-green light bursts forth from the nearby mulberry trees, while a nourishing, profound yellow light rises from the earth.

Two kinds of radiance converged on Ji An, and in the darkness, he felt himself transform into a cassia tree.

As the technique was activated, wisps of silver light were drawn to his side and entered his mouth and nose with each breath.

Ji An felt a slight coolness rising in his sea of ​​consciousness, and his soul felt instantly refreshed.

The chill grew stronger, spreading outwards from his sea of ​​consciousness and gradually throughout his entire body.

A layer of white frost had formed on his eyebrows and temples, as if an icy river had been poured into his immortal veins.

The chill intensified, and his body instinctively began to tremble, pulling him out of his profound meditative state.

As his cultivation ceased, the white frost on his body quickly disappeared.

Ji An frowned deeply, feeling a mix of emotions.

My spirit was overjoyed, but my body was ice-cold, creating a contradictory sense of separation.

During the latter half of my morning practice, I felt the exact opposite.

At that time, my spirit was somewhat weak, my body felt warm, and I felt a burning sensation coming from my immortal meridians.

Ji An fell into deep thought. He had never felt this way when he was cultivating at night in a nearby place.

The reason for all of this should be the influence of the Azure Jade Tree of the Moon.

He knew the reason for the unusual phenomena in his body during daytime cultivation: it was because he had absorbed the spiritual energy from the sun.

The reason for the unusual sensations in the body during this period of cultivation is not hard to guess.

Ji An looked up at the sky; the cold moon was silent.

If I'm not mistaken, he absorbed the spiritual energy from the moonlight while cultivating here.

His thoughts wandered as he pondered the changes brought about by the movement of the sun and moon.

The sun is the essence of fire, containing the true fire of the sun, with a golden color, extremely yang and strong, burning all things.

The moon is the essence of water, containing the true water of the Great Yin, silver in color, extremely Yin and cold, freezing heaven and earth.

Could it be that the Evergreen Wood Technique can actually draw upon the power of the sun and moon?

Ji An grinned and shook his head abruptly.

The foundation-building techniques of various sects are of similar quality. If this is the case, then these techniques can all be linked to Yin and Yang.

It is difficult to combine the power of the five elements with yin and yang, but it is much simpler for yin and yang to interact with the five elements.

To be honest, a sect's lineage shouldn't be this powerful; that would imply that the sect possesses a method that leads directly to the supreme Dao.

If a sect is this powerful, it shouldn't just be a Golden Core sect; it should at least be a Nascent Soul sect.

If it's not due to the cultivation technique, then what could it be?

Ji An tugged at his hair.

The next day, at noon.

Ji An finished his cultivation and carefully felt the sensations in his body, comparing them with the feeling from last night.

At this moment, he felt more and more the wonder of the Green Wood Everlasting Spring Skill, or the wonder he had encountered in his own cultivation.

He clenched his fist, becoming increasingly certain of his judgment. He believed that he could now absorb the essence of the sun and moon to temper his body and soul during his cultivation.

However, all of this is just my guess, and I need to ask an elder for advice.

The benefits of joining a sect become apparent: if you don't understand something, you can ask, and there will always be someone with greater knowledge who can answer your questions.

Ji An hurriedly ate lunch and then rode the flying shuttle out of Crimson Flame Peak.

He replaced the spirit stone in the shuttle and activated its fastest flight mode.

A silver streak cleaved the sky and sped eastward.

After more than an hour of flying at full speed, Ji An arrived at the mountainside of Ningcui Cliff.

He made a hand seal, and the shuttle transformed into a small boat about an inch long, which he then put into his sleeve.

Stepping into the cave, he hurried forward, presenting a gift box with both hands, and said loudly:

"Greetings, Master. I have cultivated some second-tier spirit peaches and brought them here for you to enjoy."

"You remember me every time you achieve something; that's great!"

Ge Ying stood up and accepted the gift box, her eyes shining with a kind light:

"Sit down. Your planting skills have already surpassed those of your teacher."

She was filled with pride, knowing that this disciple would surely go further than her and see more of the scenery along the path of cultivation.

Although the disciple had not visited Ningcui Cliff for ten years, the other party has been one of the most frequent visitors in recent years.

Ji An sat up straight and smiled gently:

"It is my honor to be able to become a disciple of my master."

A sigh flickered deep in his eyes.

After several months apart, Master's forehead wrinkles had increased significantly, his eyes appeared somewhat cloudy, and his face had become thinner.

The master grows old; this only happens rapidly to cultivators when their qi and blood are depleted and their spirit is weakened.

Ge Ying nodded with a smile, her eyes filled with affection.

She opened the gift box and immediately smelled a faint fruity fragrance, carrying a hint of warmth.

After examining them carefully for a few moments, she selected the two plumpest fruits and handed them to the maid beside her.

"Wash it out with warm water."

"Yes, ma'am," the maid said, taking the spirit fruit and backing away.

Ge Ying rested her elbows on the armrests of the chair to support her body.

"Tell me about the recent situation at Crimson Flame Peak. I'd love to hear it."

At present, everything on Crimson Flame Peak is thriving.

Listening to the disciple's story, it was as if a hopeful picture was unfolding before my eyes.

Ji An naturally complied and recounted the spiritual plants, bee colonies, and ant colonies on Crimson Flame Peak, as well as the growth of several tamed beasts.

The maid put down the fruit platter containing the spirit peaches and quietly retreated.

Ge Ying maintained a smile throughout, occasionally interjecting with a few words.

Half an hour later, Ge Ying said softly:

“The Soul-Nourishing Wood, the Azure Jade Tree of the Dark Moon, and the Mysterious Leaf Sword Bamboo—once these things are cultivated to the second tier, they will be of great significance to both you and the sect.”

The output of other second-tier spiritual plants can enrich the sect's secret vault. When I was at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, I didn't possess your current abilities at all.

The student surpasses the teacher, and she felt a surge of emotion.

The disciple's comprehension is astonishing; he can grasp the divine meaning contained within any spell once it is in his hands.

"Master's problem stems from the strain of refining elixirs."

Ji An maintained his smile and said again:

"Master, I'm encountering some problems while practicing my cultivation technique and would like to ask you for guidance."

“My understanding of the techniques is no longer as good as yours. Tell me and we can discuss it together.”

"At night, when I cultivate under the Azure Jade Tree of the Dark Moon, my soul feels exceptionally refreshed."

(End of this chapter)