Chapter 973 Five Elements Gather

Several months later, Ji An was invited to the cave of the Crescent Moon Hermit.

The owner took out a red wooden tray that looked like it had been through many years, with a long nail covered in engraved patterns on it.

Amazingly, the long nails floated on the tray, about an inch above it.

"Fellow Daoist, this is a fifth-tier high-grade spiritual treasure, the Yuan Magnetic Divine Needle. It can affect any of the five elements and influence the flight trajectory of such spiritual treasures."

However, due to their small size and weight, they have less interference with those large magical treasures.

"I have reserved some magical restrictions. If one day you obtain fifth-grade top-quality Yuan Magnetic Refined Iron, you can refine it into your spiritual treasure, thereby enhancing its power."

The Recluse of the Crescent Moon took out a white jade slip and said sincerely:

"This is the technique for controlling spiritual treasures. Because the number of Yuan Magnetic Treasures I have refined is limited, this is only a basic technique. If you want to control them better, you will need to study it carefully."

Magnetic materials are relatively rare, and he doesn't even have a single magnetic treasure yet.

Although he possesses some primordial magnetic iron, he has not yet determined what kind of spiritual treasure he can refine it into.

Ji An took the jade slip, read the information within, and nodded slightly.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist. I will study carefully how to use it to maximize its effectiveness."

By the way, what are the refining costs?

"Fellow Daoist received a total of 504 catties of Yuan Magnetic Refined Iron. It took 476 catties to refine this spiritual treasure, and there are still 28 catties of materials left."

We had originally reached a verbal agreement that the remaining materials would be used as payment.

"Besides these materials, fellow Daoist, you only need to give me five hundred top-grade spirit stones."

Queyue Sanren offered a lower price, and as this was their first collaboration after becoming allies, it was only right to offer a discount.

Ji Anqing counted out a sufficient number of top-grade spirit stones, and after the other party had counted them, he took out a fifth-grade Soul Nourishing Incense that was only two fingers long. "Fellow Daoist, how much is this spirit incense worth?"

This is a second-tier soul fragrance without the addition of soul-nourishing flowers. Its effect is 30% weaker than that of soul fragrance with added flowers, but it is still a rare and excellent product for nourishing the nascent soul.

As he spoke, he activated the Yin-Yang Spiritual Fire, and a flame appeared at his fingertips, igniting the Soul Incense. The flame leaped up, wisps of white smoke rose, and a delicate fragrance wafted out.

If the Soul-Nourishing Incense is lit with a fourth-tier top-grade flame, it will take quite a while.

The Crescent Moon Hermit twitched his nostrils, a look of ecstasy appearing on his face:

"It smells wonderful. It contains leaves of Soul-Nourishing Wood, as well as some other fine things that I don't know the names of. Could you please provide a continuous supply?"

The moment he smelled the fragrance, his nascent soul felt a sense of comfort, and he was able to cultivate for a longer period of time in such an environment.

In addition, the nourishing effect of the Soul Incense is better than that of the one he usually uses, and it is easy to feel.

Ji An thought for a moment and shook his head slightly, "Not at the moment. The Soul-Nourishing Wood in my small world has only recently reached the fifth level, so I can't harvest the leaves frequently. It will take a few years before it can stably produce Soul-Nourishing Incense."

The main reason is that he also needs to use these soul incenses. Without the fifth-grade Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea, the consumption of soul incense would be very high.

The next step is to see if the Bodhi tree can reach the fifth rank. Once we have a fifth-rank plant, we can try to refine a brand-new Bodhi Auspicious Incense. Only then can we stably supply Soul Incense to the outside world.

"Haha, if you can consistently provide this kind of soul incense, please let me know."

The Recluse of the Crescent Moon pondered for a moment and said:

"If the quality of the Soul Incense can reach the level of this sample, I am willing to exchange it for the spiritual materials needed by you for refining the alchemy furnace."

The specific exchange rate is as follows: one plate of Soul Incense can be exchanged for half a pound of Tier 5 Low-grade Black Gold Iron or three ounces of the same grade of Breath Soil; ten plates of Soul Incense can be exchanged for half a pound of Tier 5 Mid-grade Star Iron.

There's one more thing. Fellow Daoist, could you now provide the fifth-tier Yellow Emperor's Virtuous Soil?

His eyes were full of anticipation. He thought that the fact that the other party had cultivated a fifth-order Soul Nourishing Wood proved that the spiritual veins of the other party's small world must have already reached the fifth order.

Based on this calculation, the other party should be able to sell the spirit soil.

The Yellow Emperor's virtuous soil can not only be used to refine weapons, but can also be integrated into the spiritual fields of a small world through special means.

He has considerable wealth and wants to accelerate the upgrading of his small world by purchasing resources.

Ji An sighed softly and said:

"I agree with the exchange ratio you just mentioned. However, it is not possible for you to obtain the Yellow Emperor's Virtuous Soil for the time being, as the spiritual veins in my small world are at a critical moment."

He wouldn't dig up any soil until the spiritual veins of the Calabash World reached the fifth rank, which is why the Five Elements Divine Mountain is currently only a top-grade fourth rank.

He coughed lightly and made a promise:

"Once we get through this critical period, I am willing to reach a long-term supply agreement with you."

Once you become allies, you should cooperate more to ensure a stable relationship.

Ji An took out ten trays of soul-nourishing incense and continued:

“These Soul Incense can be exchanged for Star Iron. Fellow Daoist, just give me a voucher. You can keep the spiritual materials for now.”

"Haha, Fellow Daoist is so generous. How about this, when you have exchanged about two-thirds of the materials, I will refine a pill furnace for you."

The Recluse of the Crescent Moon was in a good mood; his motto was, "If others treat me with respect, I will treat them with even greater respect."

Ji An flashed two rows of white teeth, "Good!"

Back in his cave, Ji An entered the small world. He sat cross-legged under the Gathering Yuan Tree and began refining the Yuan Magnetic Needle.

Magical artifacts or spiritual treasures that have not undergone blood sacrifice need to be refined, otherwise they cannot be stored in the dantian.

The refining process was neither fast nor slow; it took him three days to completely refine the spiritual treasure.

This is a fifth-tier high-grade spiritual treasure. Theoretically, when fully activated, its attack power should surpass the effect of the Yin-Yang Divine Thunder.

The Yin-Yang Divine Thunder has a larger coverage area, but its ability to attack targets is not as good as this magical treasure.

A crimson cloud rose from beneath his feet, lifting him into the air.

With a few short whooshes, the five flags flew in from afar, and under his mental control, they catalyzed a piece of armor formed from the transformation of Yin and Yang energies.

Although these spiritual treasures are only of the fifth rank and low grade, the defensive strength of the spiritual armor made by combining the power of the five spiritual treasures should be able to reach the level of a fifth rank and high grade defensive spiritual treasure.

The armor plates, each a square foot in size, are black and white, resembling a cluster of glittering stars embedded in the night sky; they look exceptionally beautiful.

Ji An practiced the activation technique. He didn't need to use any fancy tricks; he just needed to activate the spiritual treasure as quickly as possible.

The jet-black magnetic needle left a very faint and blurry mark, which could be easily missed if one did not look closely.

A whistling sound came from the air, and the air vibrated like surging waves.

After practicing until he was proficient, Ji An activated his magic power to send the magical treasure out. The Yuan Magnetic Needle pierced through the armor plate like a black lightning bolt, leaving a sharp mark.

At that moment, a deafening explosion was heard in the air.

The speed was too fast, but the sound traveled too slowly.

Ji An saw that the armor plates activated by Lingbao held out for an extremely short time before being pierced by the Yuan Magnetic Needle.

The armor plates were transformed from the spiritual energy of several magical treasures. When damaged, they did not harm the original body, but instead turned into a sky full of spiritual light, and the armor collapsed.

Ji An was very satisfied with the result, which proved that his ability to tackle tough challenges had improved. The only disadvantage was that the spirit treasure was too small, which might not be enough to deal with large creatures.

As he stored the Yuan Magnetic Needle in his dantian, before he could sink it into the Yuan Life Fire, a sudden change occurred. The stone tortoise abruptly opened its mouth and swallowed the spiritual treasure.

The yin-yang symbol on its carapace lit up and began to rotate.

Ji An was dumbfounded. 'Brother, this is my magical treasure! Do you intend to nurture it for me?'

A moment later, the stone tortoise spat out the Yuan Magnetic Needle, and the spiritual treasure floated in the Yuan Life Fire.

Time flies, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

A gentle breeze wafted through the gourd world as Ji An let out a long, unrestrained cry. The five flags scattered across the land and the beasts he controlled all seemed to sense their master's mood and echoed his sentiments.

For a moment, all kinds of howling and screeching sounds rose and fell, echoing in the small world.

Ji An was currently hovering above the Panyun Tree, which had completely transformed into the fifth level today.

The spirit tree is twenty-six zhang tall and as thick as a water vat. A fine drizzle falls beneath it, which is the spirit water condensed from the spirit tree.

The tree trunk attached to the spirit wood is a ring-shaped container floating on the water, covering the entire area, and even rainwater swaying in the wind will fall into it.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on the addition of a fifth-tier spiritual root to your small world!"

Ayun cupped her hands in greeting, her eyes sparkling with joy; she felt her master's happiness deeply.

"Congratulations! Tonight, I'll cook a delicious meal with spiritual water. I'd like to have a taste."

"Yes, ma'am, I'll make the arrangements right away."

Not long after Ayun left, Ji An sensed a change in the wind. He was very familiar with that aura; he had sensed it after fully comprehending the true meaning of the mutual generation of the five elements.

He immediately landed on the black soil, feeling a faint yet mysterious rhythm deep underground, and a smile bloomed on his face.

At this moment, the five spiritual roots of heaven and earth in the gourd world have established a connection that can be clearly perceived.

"The interconnectedness of the five elements has been established; how far away can the advancement of the spiritual vein's grade be?!"

Ji An raised his hands to the sky, tilted his head back, and laughed triumphantly.

After a while, he stopped smiling, flew back to the Gathering Yuan Tree, personally brewed a pot of spiritual tea, and leisurely half-reclined on the rattan chair to wait.

About half an hour later, A-Yun led several puppets to fly over and placed the spiritual food on the table, and the aroma of the food spread.

Before anyone could call him, Ji An opened his eyes and walked to the round table:

"Compared to before, the aroma of the food is more refreshing."

Ayun said with a smile, "Kunyu Spirit Rice should best demonstrate the effects of fifth-grade spirit water. Please, Your Majesty, try it."

Previously, we used fourth-grade top-quality spring water to cook rice. Cooking spirit rice requires the deep involvement of spirit water, which directly affects the taste of the spirit rice and whether it contains more spiritual energy.

Ji An sat down, picked up his chopsticks and scooped up a mouthful of rice. The delicate fragrance spread in his mouth, bringing an ultimate enjoyment to his taste buds.

"Excellent! In addition to the improved taste, the spiritual energy contained in the spirit rice is 40% higher than before!"

He quickly shoveled the spirit rice out of the large bowl, then stuck out his tongue and licked the rice grains from the corner of his mouth into his mouth.

When we first obtained the Kunyu Spirit Rice Seeds, this spiritual plant was only a mid-grade fourth-rank plant, but now it is a high-grade fourth-rank spiritual rice.

The quality of the Jade Wheat has reached the middle grade of the fourth rank, and he now obtains a considerable amount of spiritual energy from spiritual food every day.

Now he eats only one meal a day. Although the dishes and drinks are all fourth-level spiritual items, he eats so much of them.

Ah Yun covered her mouth and laughed, saying gently:

"Your Majesty, don't just focus on eating rice. You haven't even tasted a bite of the vegetables yet. The fish soup must be extremely delicious as well."

Ji An handed over the rice bowl, saying, "You have to finish all these dishes and fill it with rice."

Inside the cave dwelling of the Crescent Moon Hermit, the two cultivators exchanged pleasantries and then took their seats.

"Fellow Daoist is a rare guest indeed. Was it ten years ago that we last met?"

His words were filled with emotion; he hadn't seen the other person step out of the cave in all these years, and it seemed he had been cultivating in seclusion.

"Yes, ten years have passed like a dream, gone in the blink of an eye."

A flash of memories crossed Ji An's eyes. Over the years, he had stayed in the gourd world and had not even gone out to practice the planting spell, Yin Yang Spirit Transformation Technique.

He filled his time with tasks such as tending to the spiritual fields, cultivating his techniques, and creating new golden light that seemed to rise from the ground.

Hard work pays off, and the creation of the Three-Flower Realm level golden light was much smoother than he had anticipated.

The new vertical golden light has lost its former flamboyance, now only displaying black and white colors, but its speed has increased by 30%, which is a huge improvement.

Don't underestimate a 30% improvement. Right now, cultivators in the mid-stage of the Three Flowers Realm can't catch up with him. Only those veteran late-stage Three Flowers Realm cultivators can compete with him in speed.

His speed increased, but the spiritual energy he consumed was only 10% more than before. He became both faster and more enduring, and his ability to escape was greatly enhanced.

Ji An took out a yellow jade box about a foot square and said mysteriously:

"I have acquired a batch of resources, which I believe you will be interested in."

After speaking, the jade box flew to his ally under his mental control. Now, transferring small and light objects does not require the use of object manipulation.

"This is so mysterious, let me see what this wonderful thing is,"

Crescent Moon Hermit caught the jade box and opened it with great anticipation.

In an instant, a dazzling array of colors shone on his face, as if he had been painted with vibrant camouflage.

He saw neatly arranged egg-sized objects in the box, in colors of blue, red, yellow, white, black, silver, and light gold. They looked like stones, but had a peculiar metallic texture.

He reached out and picked up a blue 'stone'. It felt slightly cool to the touch. He used his divine sense to examine it and found that it was definitely not a stone, but rather resembled a spiritual fruit.

The Crescent Moon Hermit examined the different colored spiritual fruits, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes:

"I understand now. This is a spiritual fruit that grows on the Seven Luminaries Golden Branch. Am I right?"

This is a peculiar spiritual fruit; each color of the fruit can be used to replace a variety of rare metals.

The Seven Luminaries Golden Branch is a spiritual root of heaven and earth, and it is definitely the most valuable spiritual plant for weapon refiners. He has always dreamed of owning one, but his dream has never come true.

Ji An complimented without showing any emotion, "Indeed, fellow Daoist has a keen eye. Please assess how many alchemy furnace materials you can exchange for."

With the alchemy furnace, he can start refining the Five-Flower Pill. At that time, it will be difficult for his cultivation not to advance by leaps and bounds, and the mid-stage of the Three-Flower Realm will be within his grasp.

(End of this chapter)