Chapter 212 Commission
"Reason doesn't lie in raising your voice. Why are you shouting? I'm not deaf. You don't need to yell so loudly."
Jia Yu slowly picked at his ear and then said:
"Senior brother, a disciple came to exchange for spiritual items for refining, but he didn't have enough Xuanhuang Soil, so I used some of your share."
Refining a magical artifact is not something that can be done overnight. It will be completed in a few months and will not delay your use.
"At most, it'll waste a little time making another trip, but we brothers can still have a drink together, isn't that wonderful?"
Zhu Xiangrong squinted at the person opposite him, frowning as he said:
"Just disciples cultivating? When did my priority become less than that of a disciple cultivating?"
You need to give me a legitimate reason for doing this, otherwise I won't stand for it.
The sect has its own rules, and there is a distinction between what is important and what is urgent.
Normally, cultivators in the Chaoyuan stage have a higher priority in obtaining resources than cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage, unless there are special circumstances.
"Another disciple has emerged who is expected to reach the Chaoyuan stage. His ability to refine spiritual objects to improve his cultivation is naturally a higher priority than your ability to refine spiritual artifacts."
Is this reason valid enough?
Zhu Xiangrong's expression softened:
"Such a reason is certainly justifiable."
"Which disciple has caught the junior brother's eye? Has he reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment yet?"
It is a blessing for the sect that the disciple is expected to reach the Yuan stage. The spiritual weapon he is refining is not urgent, and it will not matter if he waits two months.
"Uh, that disciple is from the Ningcui Cliff lineage, a student of Ge Ying. Senior Brother has met him before."
"Disciples of Ningcui Cliff? In my memory, Ge Ying's disciples are not particularly outstanding."
Zhu Xiangrong looked thoughtful, then shook his head and said:
"Junior brother, stop keeping me in suspense and tell me which disciple it is."
He was somewhat surprised that it was not from the lineage of cultivators in the Chaoyuan stage.
"When the sect's spiritual veins were upgraded, Crimson Flame Peak erupted on a large scale. We went to collect spiritual items. Do you remember, Senior Brother?"
The master of that dojo, Ji An, has made great progress in his cultivation techniques, and I believe he has a good chance of breaking through to the Chaoyuan stage.
He is currently at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, although his cultivation level is a bit low.
Zhu Xiangrong immediately raised his voice and interrupted:
"You saw the potential for the Rising Origin Stage in someone who's only at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment? Is he some kind of Heavenly Grade talent?!"
Disciples who haven't broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage probably haven't shown their potential yet!
"Hehe, I used to think so too."
Jia Yu described in detail Ji An's cultivation process, and then said:
"Disciples who cultivate the Green Wood Everlasting Spring Technique can draw upon the spiritual energy of earth, wood, and water, as well as the fire energy of the sun."
Wouldn't it be much easier for a cultivator like this to ignite their primordial flame in the future?
He paused, then said:
“I retrieved all of Ji An’s information from the spirit disk.”
According to Ye Changqing, a junior disciple of the Qin Gong Hall, Ji An fully comprehended the divine meaning of the Jade Wood Transformation Technique, the Spring Breeze Transformation into Rain Technique, and the Thick Earth Returning to Origin Mantra, and practiced all three spells to their fullest extent.
Currently, the Crimson Flame Peak Dojo has cultivated more than seventy second-tier low-grade spiritual plants.
"Given time, cultivating a mid-grade second-tier spiritual plant would also enhance the sect's foundation, wouldn't it?"
Zhu Xiangrong's lips twitched slightly as he said:
"Wait, this Ji An is actually a spirit farmer?"
In his memory, the spirit farmers in the sect who could cultivate second-tier spirit plants were all relatively old.
"What's wrong with a spirit farmer? If a spirit farmer can cultivate second-tier top-grade spirit plants, their contribution to the sect will not be much less than yours."
The sect's top-grade spirit peach tree is on the verge of extinction. If no new second-tier top-grade spirit plant is cultivated, the sect's foundation will be weakened.
If Ji An can truly break through to the Chaoyuan stage, his individual contribution will be comparable to that of hundreds of Foundation Establishment stage spirit farmers in Luofeng Valley!
Zhu Xiangrong nodded slightly. Why do cultivators emphasize combat ability?
Because they have to compete with monsters for resources in the wild, and they also need to rely on combat strength to resolve conflicts between factions.
Resources acquired through competition are gone once used; cultivating spirit plants is the most stable way to obtain resources, but there are not many high-level spirit farmers.
Lanterns and colorful decorations were hung in the Green Bamboo Valley.
The grey-feathered sand geese landed near the cave, and Wei Songnian greeted them, bowing respectfully:
"Senior brother, please come inside!"
Today is his big day, and he shouldn't need to be the one to welcome and send off guests. Sending a few Qi Refining disciples to do this wouldn't have drawn any criticism.
However, he still personally greeted each guest as a sign of respect.
Ji An took out a storage bag and smiled:
"Congratulations, junior brother. I have brought you four jars each of pine nut wine and mulberry wine, as well as fifty catties of roasted pine nuts."
May my junior brother soon have a son and enjoy great fortune in the immortal realm.
The gifts he gave weren't particularly expensive, but they were all second-tier spiritual items, which were quite rare for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
In addition, storage bags are also included.
"Haha, thank you very much, senior brother. I'll accept this without hesitation."
Wei Songnian smiled broadly and said:
"It's still a little over half an hour before noon. Qiuyun is inside entertaining guests, and I'll wait outside for the other guests to arrive. Please come in and take a seat, senior brother. Please forgive me if there's anything I haven't done well in terms of hospitality."
Ji An entered the cave, where many cultivators had already arrived.
He spotted several familiar faces, such as Senior Brother Gao Qinggang, a late-stage Foundation Establishment alchemist.
His first trade fair among Foundation Establishment cultivators of the sect was held in this senior brother's cave, so it left a deep impression on him.
Yin Qiuyun walked up with light, graceful steps and said gently:
"Welcome, Senior Brother Ji."
Wu Yan of the Beast Taming Hall on Luoyan Mountain greeted him as he entered:
"Junior Brother Ji, come and sit here."
Ji An nodded slightly and said:
"Sister-in-law, please go and greet the other guests. I'll sit with Senior Brother Wu."
He walked over and sat down. Jiang Wanrong smiled and said:
"Senior brother, I thought you would come at the perfect time."
In the past, when Zeng Rui hosted banquets, Senior Brother Ji would always arrive just before the banquet started.
Ji An gave a polite smile and chuckled.
After exchanging pleasantries, Wu Yan smiled and said:
"Junior brother, I've raised a blue deer. When Uncle He no longer needs second-tier spirit fruits, remember to save some for me."
His pet blue deer has reached the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, and he needs to make preparations as soon as possible.
Ji An agreed:
"No problem, I've got it."
"Senior brother, are the blue deer you've raised used for fighting?"
The Azure Deer, as its name suggests, is a wood-elemental demon beast, but wood-elemental demon beasts don't seem to be good at fighting.
Furthermore, the Azure Deer is not a productive demon beast like the Spirit Silkworm, so it's unclear what use raising such a demon beast would be.
"Junior brother, do you think Qinglu is not good at fighting? You are very wrong."
The blue deer I keep can cast entanglement spells and healing-like spells, possessing both control and healing abilities. It can also conjure grass puppets to attack enemies.
Wu Yanxing said excitedly that this was equivalent to raising two or three beasts at the cost of one beast.
Ji An praised:
"I see, I've learned something new. Senior brother, you've raised that beast well."
He was mistaken. His opponent was a cultivator from the Beast Taming Hall, who must have a complete system of demonic beasts and would rely on overwhelming force in battle.
They never fight alone; they always attack in a group.
"Haha, I think so too."
Wu Yanshen agreed. The cultivators of the Beast Taming Hall were skilled at breeding demonic beasts, and their abilities were all comprehensive, making them a viable combat team.
Take him as an example. He raised three demonic beasts: two Crimson Flame Tigers for attack and one Azure Deer for control. He himself mainly cultivated offensive spells and used spiritual artifacts for defense.
He wouldn't back down if he encountered a few mid-Foundation Establishment stage demonic beasts.
With the impending demonic calamity, it is essential to cultivate a Green Deer in the late Foundation Establishment stage as soon as possible.
After all the guests arrived, the banquet officially began. Wei Songnian was very skilled at social interaction, and the atmosphere at the scene was very harmonious.
When pine nuts ripen, it is the busiest time of year on Crimson Flame Peak. The yield of pine nuts is much higher than that of mulberries, requiring a large number of Qi Refining stage disciples to be hired for harvesting.
Du Huaiyuan was quite in high spirits. This year's second-crop pine nuts yielded tens of thousands of kilograms, an unprecedented bumper harvest.
"Junior brother, how many kilograms of wine are you planning to brew this year?"
"About four thousand catties."
Ji An replied that handing over 5,000 catties to the sect in exchange for minor merit, and cooking 1,000 catties for daily consumption, would be perfect.
"Alright, I'll start brewing now. Junior brother, go ahead and get busy."
Du Huaiyuan said happily, "Four thousand catties of pine nuts can produce about two thousand catties of wine. I can get two hundred catties, and I can enjoy it properly in a few years."
After saying that, he strode into the winery.
Ji An entered the stone house to draw talismans. He spent the entire morning cultivating, and the task of making talismans could only be completed in the afternoon.
After several years of hunting, the amount of animal hides produced in the Mingfeng Mountain area has decreased by 30% to 40%, and he is now assigned far fewer tasks.
Having completed the day's talisman plan, Ji An began drawing talisman soldiers.
A rock-armored bear the size of a bucket ran out of the woods, blood trickling from its mouth.
As an earth-elemental monster, capturing the Fire Fang Rabbit, which burrows in the earth, is incredibly easy.
It ran to the edge of the cold pool to drink water, then quietly ran to the bank under the shade of a tree and flipped the blue water turtle upside down.
"Aww!"
The rock-armored bear let out a triumphant roar and ran off triumphantly.
The Rock Armor Bear has now reached the third level of Qi Refining, and so far, the bloodline integration has been completed very well.
Ji An fed the animal with top-grade Earth Spirit Fruit and Spirit Apricot, and the effect was acceptable.
For demonic beasts below the Chaoyuan stage, their most powerful attack method is still biting. Feeding them with dragon blood fruit will be more effective, as it contains abundant blood and qi.
The blue water turtle easily flipped itself over and slowly went into the water to catch and eat the spirit fish.
Even with the continuous supply of top-grade Heavenly Origin Pears, this mutated tortoise has only just broken through to the third level of Qi Refining, highlighting its slow progress.
The distillery's chimney stopped emitting smoke, and Crimson Flame Peak enjoyed a rare period of peace for more than half a month before becoming lively again.
Huang Xuan led a group of disciples to cut down Xuan Yang wood, Zi Yang wood, and Qing Ling bamboo to make spirit charcoal.
Li Cheng led another group of disciples to cut down and stack the ironwood, waiting for the flying boat from the Diligent Work Hall to come and collect it.
Beside the cold pool, Liang Qiu's eyes flashed with admiration, and he said in a deep voice:
"Senior brother is truly patient; he can persist for so long even while practicing the water control technique."
Practicing spells is a tedious and mentally taxing task, and he usually can't keep going for more than half an hour.
The opponent managed to hold out for an hour, something he couldn't match.
Ji An smiled and said:
"Practicing spells gives me a sense of satisfaction, just like my junior brother felt when he caught a spirit fish."
His mind sank into his dantian for a moment.
[Spell: Water Control Technique (75% Perfection)]
Seeing the results of every bit of hard work greatly reduces the feeling of boredom.
Zhang Yuanshan piloted the flying shuttle to Crimson Flame Peak and landed by the cold pool. There was another person on the shuttle.
Ji An withdrew his water control technique and went to greet him, saying:
"Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Brother Zhang, welcome."
He hadn't expected the two of them to come together.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhao Lei said:
“A few days ago, Junior Brother Zhang visited me and said he wanted to refine a high-grade Purple Fire Gourd in the future. I invited him to come along so I could see how many materials he needed.”
He sensed Zhang Yuanshan's intention, but he didn't care. They were both weapon refiners, but their skill levels were different.
As Zhu Xiangrong's prized student, he was not afraid of competition among weapon refiners.
There was another thing he was very clear about: Junior Brother Zhang and Junior Brother Ji knew each other before they joined the sect and had a good relationship. They didn't need to go through him to get the materials.
Ji An nodded slightly and said:
"Everyone, please come and sit here."
This year, Zi Huo Hulu harvested eighteen top-grade gourds and one hundred high-grade gourds.
My junior brother Liangqiu and I have known each other for many years. He wants to buy a top-grade gourd-shaped magical artifact. You can discuss the transaction with him.
Liang Qiu cupped his hands and said:
"Senior Brother Zhao, how much does it cost to refine a top-grade gourd?"
"Junior Brother Ji's friend, you must give me a discount. Eight hundred spirit stones will suffice."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhao. I benefited from Senior Brother Ji's help."
Liang Qiu took out the spirit stones. He had inquired and found that the price of a top-grade purple fire gourd magic artifact was two thousand spirit stones.
He bought materials for 700 spirit stones, saving 500 spirit stones in the process.
He suddenly understood why Wei Songnian was so keen on trading; connections really could be continuously converted into spirit stones.
Zhao Lei smiled and waved his hand, saying:
"We all benefited from Junior Brother Ji's success."
Junior Brother Zhang, you need to discuss with Junior Brother Ji how many top-grade gourds you require.
This year I've received many custom orders for ritual implements, but I can't let you have this top-quality gourd.
Zhang Yuanshan said:
"I have to thank Senior Brother Zhao for making it possible for me to obtain the top-grade gourd."
"Senior Brother Ji, I'd like fifty high-grade gourds. Please calculate the cost in spirit stones."
He hadn't expected to receive the materials this year; it was a complete surprise.
Ji An nodded slightly:
"The price I paid for the gourd was 130 spirit stones, for a total of 6,500 spirit stones."
The two completed the transaction, and Zhao Lei bought all the remaining materials for 20,000 spirit stones.
Ji An received 265 mid-grade spirit stones. If we don't take into account his time and spellcasting costs, his profit would be about 160 mid-grade spirit stones.
Overall, he was quite satisfied.
He took out a gourd from his storage bag, two or three times the size of a top-grade gourd, and said:
"I also need to commission Senior Brother Zhao to refine a spiritual weapon."
The gourd, radiating spiritual light, immediately attracted the attention of the others. Zhao Lei exclaimed in surprise:
"A second-tier gourd! I'm impressed by my junior brother's planting skills!"
Previously, it would take him one or two years to obtain a top-quality material for refining the Purple Fire Gourd.
Over the years, we have been able to acquire multiple top-quality materials every year, and now we have even obtained second-tier materials.
He couldn't help but wonder how large the capacity of the refined spiritual artifact would be, and what level the flame it could reach!
(End of this chapter)
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