Chapter 346 Phoenix Cry
The next day at Chenshi (7-9 AM).
Three beams of light pierced the silent sky and landed beside the icy pool on Crimson Flame Peak.
Ji An went to greet him, cupped his hands in greeting, and said:
"I'm sorry to trouble you three senior brothers to come."
Yesterday, the patriarch instructed him that the matter of upgrading the spiritual vein's grade would be arranged today, and that he should wait at the Daoist temple.
"It's all for the prosperity of the sect, why bother?"
Zhang Zizhao responded with a smile, and then said:
"Our ancestor specifically instructed us to come up with a plan quickly. Junior brother, let's re-survey the earth's veins together."
"I will follow my senior's arrangements."
Jia Yu waved his hand and said:
"You guys go ahead with your work, I'll wait here."
Ji An immediately understood what the other party meant and said:
"Songtao, take Master Jia to the living room and serve him some good wine."
After giving his instructions, he and Zhang Zizhao and the others explored the various nodes of the spiritual vein.
At the hour of You (5-7 PM), Chu Huaige inscribed the designed plan into a jade slip and handed it over, smiling as he said:
"The main spiritual vein of Crimson Flame Peak runs almost vertically, with the major nodes spreading out in an umbrella shape."
This structure makes upgrading the grade of spiritual veins much simpler, requiring more than 60% fewer spiritual resources than I originally estimated.
The annual cost to support the operation of the magic array is about 40,000 spirit stones.
Even if it exceeds this limit, it won't exceed five thousand spirit stones.
The sect has upgraded the grade of the main spiritual vein several times and is very experienced in this regard.
When he asked the cultivators of Zhongzhou to help him improve his spiritual veins, he assisted them and also learned some skills.
The situation at Crimson Flame Peak is considered one of the most ideal spiritual veins by cultivators in the Central Continent.
Zhang Zizhao took the jade slip, read it once, and smiled:
"The cost is much lower than expected. Perhaps once the spiritual veins of Crimson Flame Peak are upgraded to the superior grade, the ancestor will directly request further upgrades."
He took out a blank jade slip, copied the magic array plan twice, and handed one copy to Jia Yu:
"Junior brother, you are in charge of allocating the second-tier materials, and I will obtain the rest from the Diligent Work Hall."
Jia Yu pressed the jade slip to his forehead and read it carefully:
"The materials can be delivered here tomorrow."
These are all commonly used magic array materials and spiritual items, and the treasure pavilion has a relatively ample supply.
Zhang Zizhao nodded slightly:
"The Qin Gong Hall can also send the other materials tomorrow. Junior Brother Chu, I'll have to trouble you to come again."
"It's my duty."
"Junior brother, how long do you expect it to take to finish?"
Chu Huaige pondered for a moment and said, "One month is enough."
After discussing the matter, the three of them did not linger and took their leave together.
Ji An took out a storage bag and handed it to Chu Huaige, transmitting his voice:
"Senior brother, these are the Bodhi fruits that the Bodhi tree bore this year and some Bodhi tea that has been roasted."
Since the Bodhi tree was upgraded to the second level, he has been sending the promised share to the other party every year.
Two months later, at the Red Copper Mountain Cave.
Within the Three Yangs Fire Furnace, the surging earth fire sometimes gathers and sometimes disperses.
When they gather, they are like blooming flowers; when they disperse, they are like a sky full of fire and rain.
A small red flag fluttered up and down in the flames, like a fire sprite.
The flag features a golden phoenix, from which a faint cry seems to emanate.
Ji An frowned slightly, wondering if this was just his imagination.
Zhu Xiangrong continuously injected legal prohibitions into the small flag; with each additional prohibition, the flag's luster increased.
"Junior brother, get ready. After I cast the final spell, I will take the Flame Banner from the furnace for a few breaths."
You need to force out enough blood and spray it onto the magical artifact.
Don't stop until I tell you to!
"clear."
Ji An was slightly nervous, staring intently at the magical artifacts playing in the raging flames.
Half an hour later, Zhu Xiangrong shouted:
"Prepare!"
He made a hand seal, and the lid of the Three Yang Fire Furnace spun and flew up, hovering above the furnace.
The Flaming Banner, rising from the ground like a dragon emerging from the sea, leaped out of the furnace and stopped in front of Ji An, trembling.
"Hurry up!" Zhu Xiangrong urged.
Ji An's left fingertip flashed with golden light, which condensed into a small knife, and he slashed his right wrist open.
He channeled his qi and blood, as if turning on a high-pressure water tap, spraying blood onto the flag.
Blood plasma, like grains of lead and mercury, was scattered across the flag, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf.
One breath, two breaths, Ji An felt that time was so long.
The blood gushed out extremely quickly; in a short period of time, he lost as much as seven or eight hundred milliliters of blood.
Since Senior Brother Zhu didn't tell him to stop, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue to circulate his qi and blood.
Another breath passed, and the screech was like a phoenix's cry from the heavens, piercing through the clouds and splitting rocks, containing endless flamboyance and arrogance.
"Enough! Enough!"
Zhu Xiangrong exclaimed in surprise. The Flame Banner on the Ground was full of spirituality, which was why it made a sound. He did not expect that his first top-grade spiritual weapon would perform so well.
Ji An hurriedly activated his body-refining technique to contract his muscles and better heal his wounds.
Then he activated the Rejuvenation Technique, and a green glow spread across the wound, causing the emerald green grass phantom to grow rapidly.
At the same time, the wound quickly closed, scabbed over, and fell off, leaving the smooth skin without a single scar.
After all, it's just an external injury; using a Great Perfection level Rejuvenation Technique would be a waste of its potential.
Zhu Xiangrong hurriedly made a hand seal to put the spiritual artifact back into the Three Yang Fire Furnace, silently increased the earth fire, and carved the blood into the pattern of a phoenix.
A miraculous scene unfolded: the moment the red phoenix and the golden phoenix overlapped, the pattern woven from blood quickly merged into the flag.
But the phoenix remained golden, unchanged.
Another screech rang out, sending a jolt through Ji An's heart.
The sound rang out in his mind, without any external noise.
He gazed at the magical artifacts churning in the furnace fire, feeling a connection to them as if they were connected by blood.
"Haha, it's done!"
Zhu Xiangrong let out a hearty laugh. He had succeeded in refining a top-grade spiritual weapon today and gained a lot of refining experience.
His position as the sect's top weapon refiner has become even more secure.
"Junior brother, catch it!"
He once again made a hand seal to activate the Three Yang Fire Furnace, and the flag flew towards Ji An, growing smaller and smaller.
Ji An opened his hand, and the flaming flag, now only the size of a child's palm, landed in his hand.
It's warm to the touch, giving me a particularly comforting feeling.
A thought struck him, and the magical artifact shrank again, like a drop of water falling into a lake, merging into his skin.
The magical artifact, like an old horse returning home, swiftly traversed the immortal meridians within his body.
In the blink of an eye, it entered the dantian.
Once again, jubilant cries rang out in Ji An's mind.
The Flame Banner, which had been lifted off the ground, transformed into a cloud of fire, resembling birds returning to their nests and plunging into the flames of destiny, or moths drawn to a flame.
Within his dantian, a brilliant crimson light shone forth, its shadows swaying.
Zhu Xiangrong smiled and said:
"Junior brother, top-grade spiritual artifacts are usually nourished by the Yuanming Fire in the dantian, but they also need a large amount of fire element essence to nourish their spirituality."
"Try to satisfy its need to devour two thousand strands of essence every day until it gives birth to a spirit."
The process of creating a spirit is extremely slow, taking anywhere from thirty to fifty years to several hundred years.
Ji An cupped his hands and bowed respectfully:
"Thank you, senior brother."
"You're welcome. Although you're very sincere, the cost of refining it cannot be reduced in the slightest!"
Ji An was amused and said:
"Not only will I give you less, I'll give you more!"
"Senior brother, second-tier superior-grade Xuan Ye Sword Bamboo has been cultivated on Crimson Flame Peak. I will include a portion of superior-grade golden leaves in your future rewards."
"That's excellent!"
What craftsman would complain about having too many high-level materials! I wish Xiang Rong even greater joy.
He pondered for a moment and said:
"The exchange rates in the Treasure Pavilion are as follows: 200 minor merit points for every pound of medium-grade sword bamboo leaves, and 1,200 minor merit points for every pound of high-grade leaves."
Let's calculate according to this standard. Do you think it's feasible, junior colleague?
“That’s fair, let’s do as my senior brother says.”
Ji An agreed, stating that the prices of the treasures in the Treasure Pavilion would serve as the standard for the disciples' private transactions.
He took out a gold leaf from his storage bag and said:
"The superior-grade sword bamboo has just completed its transformation, and it will take several months to obtain its leaves."
"This is ten catties of mid-grade sword bamboo golden leaves. This is part of the payment for my senior brother."
Zhu Xiangrong weighed it and said:
"Ten catties of gold leaf are worth two thousand minor merits, but junior brother still needs to pay another eight thousand minor merits for the supplies."
"I will pay it off in five installments."
Ji An said that, in fact, under extreme conditions, he could obtain enough sword bamboo leaves in about two years.
However, he supplies one-third of the sect's sword bamboo and gold leaf consumption. If he uses it all to pay off debts, it will affect the use by other sect members.
"no problem."
After chatting for a while, Zhu Xiangrong asked:
"Junior brother, are you still planning to refine the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner?"
He benefited greatly from refining the Flame Banner, and currently, the only one he plans to refine is the other party.
"Of course I'll refine it. I've already exchanged all the materials that can be obtained from the Treasure Pavilion."
Currently, I only lack the Golden Spider Silk and the Qi of Wuji. I have already cultivated a superior Earth Spirit Fruit Tree, and the Rock Ancestor requires fifty superior spirit fruits in exchange for some of his blood.
Only the Qi of Wu and Ji is still unresolved. Senior Brother, could you find a fellow disciple willing to help?
The low-grade apricot yellow banner could no longer meet Ji An's growing needs. If he left the sect to travel, the enemies who could pose a threat to him would all be at the Chaoyuan stage.
Zhu Xiangrong shook his head and said:
"I've inquired and found that there are currently only four cultivators who have opened up the Earth Element Divine Palace."
Senior Brother Lin Qiubai and his disciple Li Haoran have already gone traveling, and the other two are also unavailable.
Ji An grinned, "Looks like I'll have to do it myself."
Upon returning to Crimson Flame Peak, Ji An summoned his disciples and instructed them:
"Songtao, release the news tomorrow that Crimson Flame Peak is making long-term, large-scale purchases of Fire Element Essence."
Also, go to the General Affairs Hall and inquire whether you can exchange for Fire Element Essence.
"Grandmaster, shall we settle accounts with the other cultivators using spirit stones, or something else?"
“Spirit stones and spirit items are both acceptable. Anything that Crimson Flame Peak has can be taken out. You just need to record each transaction.”
Wei Songtao lowered his head and agreed:
"Disciple understands."
Ji An summoned the Flaming Banner that had risen from the ground, cast a spell, and infused it with magical power.
He immediately felt the spiritual energy within his body flowing into the magical artifact like a river bursting its banks. Only when 60% of the spiritual energy was consumed did the immense suction force within the magical artifact gradually disappear.
The phoenix pattern on the flag shimmers with gold, appearing exceptionally lively and almost lifelike.
(End of this chapter)
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