Chapter 307 Soul-Nourishing Pendant

"I have been following the sect's preparations for the establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture."

According to Uncle Zhang from the Diligent Work Hall, the sect has made initial progress and is currently formulating detailed rules and regulations for the Ministry of Agriculture.

Once the rules are established, it will become a separate hall.

Ge Ying smiled broadly, explaining that the establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture indicated the sect's intention to vigorously cultivate spiritual farmers.

Years later, the sect's alchemists will have more abundant spiritual herbs, and the status of the Pill Cauldron Academy will rise accordingly.

Most of the cultivators from the Ningcui Cliff lineage are alchemists, which is very good news.

She paused, then continued:

"After the establishment of the Department of Agriculture, you are very likely to become the head of the department, because only with you in charge can all the spirit farmers be respected and other departments take you seriously."

She was so happy that the Ningcui Cliff lineage was finally going to produce a core cultivator of the sect.

Ji An gave a polite smile, "I just hope my cultivation won't be disturbed too much."

Taking over Ningcui Cliff won't take much time, but sitting in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture will definitely be very busy in the early stages, which is not what he wants to see.

"Of course the sect will consider this. I expect you will only be on temporary assignment and will not have many opportunities to show your face."

Ge Ying expressed her guess: this disciple is a cultivator who has the potential to reach the Golden Core stage, and the sect's patriarch would not waste the other party's time on trivial matters.

That would be best.

Ji An hates troublesome things. He feels that there is not enough time to do just these two things in a day: cultivation and opening up his divine palace.

He changed the subject and asked:

"How often does Senior Sister Ge return to the sect now?"

Both Ge Luoying and Liu Yu worked in the Law Enforcement Hall and frequently carried out overseas assignments.

"The timing is uncertain. If all goes well, it will be a five-day cycle. If not, it's hard to say."

Ge Ying heard from her grandniece that demonic cultivation techniques were rampant among independent cultivators, and it was obvious that there was a mastermind behind it all.

There are enemies who are unwilling to let the Western Continent settle down; it's unclear whether it's the work of demonic beasts or some other force.

Ge Ying's words revealed her worry. Things were not peaceful outside the sect. After the ravages of the demon calamity and the demonic cultivators, the original order of the Western Continent had collapsed.

Each sect's control over the surrounding area has decreased to varying degrees, which is unavoidable.

The combined events at Mingfeng Mountain and Canglan Secret Realm resulted in the loss of a large number of core disciples in each sect.

It will take at least one or two decades to recover.

Ji An sensed his master's worry and comforted him:

"The sect attaches great importance to the safety of disciples who go out on missions, so Master can rest assured."

After chatting for a while, Ji An stood up and said:

"Master, I still need to go to the Treasure Pavilion, so I'll take my leave now."

If Master is bored staying at Ningcui Cliff, he can go for a stroll at Chiyan Peak.

"The number of second-tier spiritual plants there has increased considerably in the past six months."

Ge Ying smiled and said:

"I guard the teleportation array, and I can go wherever I want with just a few steps."

The two left the cave, and Ji An took out the Flame Light Flag and channeled his magic power into it.

Bright yellow flames soared as he rode his magical artifact away from Ningcui Cliff.

Ji An put away the Flame Banner and stepped into the Treasure Pavilion.

He took out a jar of mid-grade second-level pine nut wine and said with a smile:

"Senior Brother Jia, how have you been?"

"I'm not feeling well! I haven't had a good drink in a long time, and my body often trembles uncontrollably!"

Jia Yu took the wine jar, tapped off the seal, smelled the aroma, nodded in satisfaction, and skillfully poured the wine into the gourd.

Shaking uncontrollably was a sign of his craving for alcohol. Ji An looked puzzled and asked:

"Senior brother, aren't you afraid of the mixed flavors of different grades of liquor? Or is there something else going on inside?"

There were only five catties of wine in the jar. Jia Yu used the water control incantation and poured all the wine into the gourd in just two breaths.

He held the gourd to his ear, shook it vigorously, and laughed:

"How could the flavors mix? Your words are disrespectful to my attitude towards drinking!"

How could a seasoned alcoholic make such a basic mistake?

Ji An immediately understood; there must be another mechanism inside the gourd.

He used his object manipulation technique to grab a chair and handed over his jade token:

"Senior brother, collect the resources for the Chaoyuan stage."

Jia Yu put away the wine gourd, stood up and said:

"Junior brother, please wait a moment."

He entered the secret vault, took out a storage bag, and said:

"Inside are a second-grade low-level Daoist robe, three high-grade spirit stones, two Bihua pills, a second-grade low-level magic artifact Soul Nourishing Pendant, and ten trays of Soul Incense."

When you receive resources again three years later, everything except the Taoist robe and pendant will remain the same.

"Junior brother, please check everything. Once you've verified everything is correct, I'll process your paperwork."

Ji An took the items out of the storage bag. The ochre-colored Taoist robe could keep the body clean and free from dirt at all times, and also had a certain defensive function. Don't underestimate this Taoist robe; it was comparable to the Golden Armor Technique at the perfect level.

The benefits of high-grade spirit stones are self-evident; they are considered common spirit stones for cultivators in the Chaoyuan stage.

The Jade Flower Pill can nourish the Wood Element Divine Palace and strengthen its core, which is just right for him.

However, having only two in three years is really too meager.

The incense is a deep purple color and has no scent whatsoever.

The Soul-Nourishing Pendant is a deep black, seemingly capable of attracting even light, and is made of Soul-Nourishing Wood.

It was a rectangular sign tied with a red silk thread.

It is four fingers long, two fingers wide, and half a finger thick, with a shallow relief, floral patterns, and the words "Jin Ling".

These patterns are actually magical restrictions imprinted on them by the weapon refiner.

Ji An probed it with his divine sense and immediately felt enveloped by a coolness, like the refreshing feeling of inhaling air after eating a mint candy.

He solemnly hung the Soul-Nourishing Pendant around his neck, placing it next to the strange object close to his body, and then gently patted it.

Jia Yu chuckled:

"This pendant is a treasure. The weapon refiners used magic to lock the energy of the Soul-Nourishing Wood, allowing it to be slowly released to nourish the soul and make it grow stronger."

The energy within the magical artifact can be released for approximately five years. In the entire Western Continent, only we and Fallen Maple Valley each possess a Soul-Nourishing Wood.

The Soul-Nourishing Pendant is made from second-grade low-level spirit wood. It is a magic weapon rather than a spiritual weapon because it is a one-time use item.

Once the spiritual substances in the Soul-Nourishing Wood have completely evaporated, it becomes an ordinary magical artifact that can slowly restore the depleted spiritual energy.

Ji An raised an eyebrow slightly and said:

"So, the next time I want to receive a soul-nourishing artifact is five years from now?"

It's reasonable that the spirit can be nourished for five years, and the next harvest will be five years later.

"You're overthinking it. The Soul-Nourishing Wood grows extremely slowly and cannot be artificially cultivated. The sect's more than thirty cultivators in the Origin Stage are all counting on it."

I will notify you when it is time to collect it next time.

Soul Incense is made from the leaves of the Soul-Nourishing Wood and other calming herbs. Although it doesn't strengthen the soul, it can quickly restore depleted spiritual energy, and it can be obtained once every three years.

Jia Yu shook his head and smiled bitterly. A strong soul is extremely beneficial to all aspects of cultivation, and the soul-nourishing wooden artifact is the most popular item, without exception.

If the Soul-Nourishing Wood is of a high enough grade, it will probably become an exclusive resource for the ancestors.

Ji An grinned, "There are never enough resources to go around."

"That's right. It's not just us; the major Nascent Soul sects in Central Continent are the same."

However, they have many minor clans that depend on them, and they receive a considerable amount of tribute every few years.

Otherwise, they certainly wouldn't be able to afford to supply so many Golden Core cultivators.

Jia Yu tilted his head back, took a sip of wine, let out a satisfied snort, and then said:

"Junior brother, your situation is much better than most cultivators of the same level. Crimson Flame Peak has second-tier mid-grade Cloud Peak Silver Hair and second-tier low-grade Jade Dew Golden Sprout, which are more than most cultivators can achieve in terms of nourishing the soul."

If only you had been born three hundred years earlier, perhaps I could have nurtured all the wonderful things you could have.

If the other party had been born three hundred years earlier and entered a sect, the number of high-level spiritual plants in that sect would probably have been the highest in the Western Continent.

Currently, he is the only Lingnong cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage in the Western Continent. He wonders how much of a shock he will bring to the sect. He waits and see.

Ji An chuckled but didn't reply.

Even if he were born a hundred years earlier, resources would still be insufficient.

The abundance of these high-level resources is relative; it is impossible for them to be absolutely excessive.

Take the pills needed by cultivators in the Chaoyuan stage as an example. They often require the pills to be seven or eight hundred years old. How many years do cultivators in the Chaoyuan stage live? Only five or six hundred years.

Time is the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Even if spells such as the Azure Dragon Awakening Technique reach the Great Perfection level, they still need time to mature spiritual herbs.

High-level spiritual herbs receive far less magical bonuses than low-level spiritual plants. For example, with Yellow Sprout Rice and Heavenly Origin Ginseng, a Foundation Establishment spell at the Great Perfection level can shorten the maturation time of spiritual rice from three months to seven or eight days, requiring only one-tenth of the normal maturation time.

However, the same spell, over twenty years, can only increase the age of the Tianyuan Ginseng by a hundred years, requiring one-fifth of the normal maturation time.

Jia Yu did not continue the topic, and said:

"By the way, how many strands of qi can you consume each day now?"

The efficiency of absorbing Qi can be used to judge the growth of the core of the Divine Palace.

"Seven strands a day, four in the morning and three in the evening, is that alright?"

Jia Yu stopped in her drinking posture and unconsciously squinted her eyes.

After a moment's thought, he asked again:

"It's hard to tell. How long have you been operating your divine abode?"

Ji An recalled for a moment, "Four months exactly."

Jia Yu tilted his head back and took a sip of wine, but he felt like he was drinking vinegar instead of wine, and his teeth ached!

Back then, after he broke through to the Chaoyuan stage, it took him five months to open up the Fire Element Divine Palace, while his opponent only took two months.

Six months after he successfully established his own residence, he consumed four strands of qi daily, which was almost double the amount he had consumed.

"Absorbing seven strands of Qi every day—this pace makes one want to punch someone, you get what I mean?!"

Can I take my senior's words as a compliment?

Ji An's face showed a smug look. After breaking through to the Chaoyuan stage, he also did not communicate much with his fellow cultivators.

Firstly, he didn't encounter any substantial difficulties, and secondly, he was busy opening up the Heart Fire Palace and didn't have much time.

Jia Yu gritted her teeth in hatred and said 'angrily':

"Enjoy your last vacation. When the three-year period is up, you will take over the Ministry of Agriculture."

At the same time, the sect will select a group of qualified Qi Refining stage disciples for you, and you must accept at least two of them as your disciples.

(End of this chapter)