Chapter 732 Condensing Moon Essence
Ji An handed over his identity jade pendant and inquired:
"Does the current Array Formation Hall have any promising talents capable of breaking through to the Golden Core stage?"
If a hall is only presided over by a Golden Core cultivator, it will inevitably be somewhat weak and unable to carry out its work effectively.
The Refining Hall now has Qin Yan and Gu Hongming, which is enough to meet the sect's needs; the Pill Refining Academy has Han Yan, who can step in at crucial moments; the Agriculture Hall has Lin Lan and Han Shan, and Wei Baiyang is a reserve member, all three of whom are his disciples.
The Puppet Hall and Beast Taming Hall are in the worst situation, as they don't have a single Golden Core cultivator and require the sect to increase its investment.
Zhang Zeye shook his head with some worry and sighed:
“Array formation talent needs to be cultivated from a young age. Currently, the array formation experts in the sect who can stand alone are all new generation disciples in the Chaoyuan stage. They still have a long way to go before they break through.”
Now that the True Demonic Calamity has erupted, even if the disciples have opened up all five elemental divine palaces, they can only remain confined within the sect.
He scratched his head, his expression softening. "Fortunately, with the help of Senior Brother Yunxiao and Senior Brother Sect Leader, the Array Hall is now fully capable of fulfilling the sect's needs."
Once the calamity of the true demons ends, the old and new generations will be able to complete the handover.
His tasks are much easier now than in previous years, allowing him to dedicate more time to improving his cultivation and studying formations, making his life more comfortable.
The jade tablet was placed on the spirit plate, and after deducting five thousand merits, it was returned.
"After the sect has been closed for a hundred years, I estimate that many disciples will reach the standard of comprehending the Five Elements Intergeneration Realm after the Great Calamity ends."
The sect's current situation is like flowers and trees lying dormant in the soil after the cold winter. Once spring returns to the earth, they will surely burst forth with vigorous vitality and all trees will vie for spring.
Thanks to the powerful spirit farming team and the third-grade high-quality spirit fields, the supply of pills for cultivators in the Chaoyuan stage is currently relatively stable.
Ji An took the jade tablet and put it into the Cave Void Stone, and said with a smile:
"The sect's foundation is already established, and it will inevitably become more and more prosperous with the accumulation of time."
It is a blessing to live in an era like the rising sun; everyone can benefit from a powerful sect.
Taking this opportunity, Zhang Zeye asked about the problems he encountered in his cultivation and received detailed answers.
Two hours passed quickly. Orange-red light shone through the windowpanes, and the evening breeze gently caressed the leaves in the sunset, making a soft rustling sound.
Ji An stood up. "Let me know when the magic array is finished."
After obtaining the magic array, he would go to Yuanhe Mountain to "stake out" it, hoping to gain more Daoist essence.
If the Gathering Yuan Tree can be upgraded to the middle grade of the fourth rank, the spirit trees in the gourd world will be able to improve their grade more easily, and the grade of the spirit veins can also be improved rapidly.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will send a message to you via the golden sword as soon as I finish refining it."
Ji An teleported back to Crimson Flame Peak, took out several golden communication swords, and activated them.
The following day at noon, at the cold pool at the foot of Crimson Flame Peak.
The pavilion was washed clean by A-Yun and her puppets. The puppets could all use water control techniques, so doing such a small task was a piece of cake.
On the stone table under the pavilion, there was a honey-roasted red grouper, stewed golden-feathered chicken, spicy musk beef, salted peanuts, and several kinds of fruits and vegetables, all of which were produced in the world of gourds.
Two jars each of the three top-grade pine nut wine, green leaf wine, and spirit peach wine were set out, along with wine cups.
Liu Yu, Zhong Yuefei, Li Lingyu, and Ji An's three disciples are all guests today.
Zhong Yuefei and Li Lingyu's smiles seemed somewhat forced, as almost everyone present was a Golden Core cultivator, and there was also a True Lord.
The only one whose cultivation level was similar to theirs was Wei Baiyang, but he was a junior.
For a cultivator at the fifth level of the Chaoyuan stage who is just over two hundred years old, lifespan is the greatest asset of others.
Ji An raised his wine glass and smiled:
"I used to think that I would have more time to drink and have fun after my cultivation level improved, but I never thought that the higher my cultivation level was, the more I felt that I didn't have enough time."
It's a rare occasion for us to gather together today, so let's all drink this cup to the brim.
This glass of wine is pine nut liquor, its vibrant color like leaping flames, the shimmering liquid radiating a warm, luminous glow that dances on his face.
Everyone has their own rhythm. Although everyone stays in the sect, the time they spend together is actually not much.
Everyone raised their glasses and drank deeply.
A large fish suddenly rolled over, splashing water in the shallow pool near the edge, which, under the sunlight, looked like pieces of shattered jade, crystal clear and lustrous.
The water splashed down, the ripples quickly disappeared, and everything returned to calm as if nothing had happened.
Liu Yu put down his wine glass and sighed:
"Time flies like a song. Looking back, I realize that I have been a disciple for four hundred years, and my old friends have become a dream."
Sometimes, in the dead of night, alone under the lamp, an indescribable feeling wells up inside me, a bittersweet mix of emotions I can't quite put my finger on.
His ties with his family gradually diminished, and in many cases, they even turned into exchanges of interests.
The image of us drinking and enjoying the breeze together by this pool has vanished like smoke.
Zhong Yuefei sighed softly, her eyes filled with loneliness, but she lowered them, afraid that someone would see it.
She has been a member of the sect for over 470 years and has taken high-level longevity pills, so theoretically she has another 120 to 130 years of lifespan.
Given the current situation, there is no hope of breaking through to the Golden Core stage; the arrival of the True Demon Tribulation has extinguished all her hopes.
She was extremely unwilling, but there was nothing she could do.
Li Lingyu chimed in, "The higher a cultivator goes, the more they need to learn to enjoy solitude."
Standing atop a mountain offers a panoramic view of all other mountains, but the higher you climb, the colder it gets.
She is currently only a cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage, and most of the people she knows in the Foundation Establishment stage have already ascended to immortality.
Lin Lan and Han Shan both had a hint of sadness in their eyes, but not much. Wei Baiyang was almost unaffected, as most of his friends were people he met after the Chaoyuan period.
Ayun refilled everyone's glasses, and Ji An calmly picked up his glass and took another small sip.
Having prepared himself for this long ago, he has gradually become accustomed to the taste of loneliness.
A thousand years from now, I wonder how many of you will still be here. It's all fate, and we can't force it.
Wei Baiyang said with some frustration, "The outbreak of the True Demon Tribulation has affected the rhythm of many fellow disciples."
Some of the disciples in the Chaoyuan stage who had the potential to break through to the Golden Core stage are now left with only regret.
Upon hearing this, both Zhong Yuefei and Li Lingyu felt a bitter taste in their mouths; this had a profound impact on them.
Li Lingyu is in a better position and still has a chance, but for Zhong Yuefei, this is a catastrophe.
Lin Lan noticed the change in her senior uncles' expressions and immediately coughed twice to change the subject:
"Baiyang, how is the defensive formation at Xiaozhushan of the Wei family progressing?"
Although the junior brother comes from the Wei family, the sect will not accept the Wei family to seek refuge here, because there are too many families with intricate connections to the sect.
The sect only accepted some direct disciples from various families. Even if a family was wiped out in the True Demon Tribulation, at least a few bloodlines were preserved.
It's cruel, but there's nothing we can do about it. Resources aren't unlimited, and sects aren't charities.
Wei Baiyang's attention was diverted, and he said:
"My mother's strategy was to build underground fortresses and cultivate many spiritual plants that could survive in dark environments."
She said that when the great calamity comes, any small power that can survive will be victorious, and the Wei clan of Xiaozhushan will naturally prosper as long as they continue to exist.
Yin Qiuyun successfully broke through to the Chaoyuan stage, and the Wei clan became a powerful force at the Chaoyuan level.
Liu Yu nodded in agreement and said:
“Your mother is right. As long as we can survive this great calamity, our living space will naturally expand considerably.”
When the True Demon Realm invades the Immortal Cultivation Realm, its main targets are resources, flesh, and soul. If one can escape, the competition for the growth of one's family will be much smaller.
When smaller factions cannot align themselves with stronger ones, hiding is the best option.
The demonic energy will spread throughout the entire cultivation world. No matter how many demons and true demons there are, their density will not be high when distributed over such a vast area.
Unless you're extremely unlucky, it's still quite possible to avoid it.
In the case of a sect, an avoidance strategy is definitely not an option. The spirit fields contain too many valuable spirit trees and herbs, and if these things are damaged, the sect's heritage will be severely affected.
Wei Baiyang smiled sheepishly, "That's what I think too."
Lin Lan advised, "Junior brother, you must distinguish between the sect and the family. If you break through to the Golden Core stage in the future, you must remember this even more."
The sect's rules do not allow disciples to maintain too close a relationship with external forces, and core disciples should be especially careful.
"Senior sister, I know the importance of this matter."
Within the bounds of the rules, I will grant preferential treatment to the family, but I will not frequently abuse my power.
Everyone drank and made merry, indulging in fine wine and delicious food, and enjoyed a half-day of leisure.
As the sun sets and the music ends, the pool returns to its former tranquility.
The grey-feathered sand goose flew over with difficulty, letting out a few hoarse cries. The feathers on many parts of its body appeared very sparse.
Ji An reached out and stroked the back of the beast, letting out a soft sigh.
The grey-feathered sand goose's eyes revealed a lingering affection, gradually losing all their luster.
Ji An sensed the beast's extremely weak vitality as it flew over, and sighed deeply at this outcome.
This was his first flying beast, and it had contributed a lot to his training. There were some close calls when he first tamed it.
A faint sadness welled up in his heart. He used his manipulation technique to lift the beast up, and a ball of Azure Lotus Burning Heart Flame shot out from his fingertips, enveloping the corpse.
The three-colored flames flickered and quickly burned the Foundation Establishment stage beasts into black ash, which drifted in the wind and landed in the cold pool, on the leaves, and on the ground.
Two weeks later.
At this moment, the moon was full in the sky. Ji An sat cross-legged on the mountaintop, activating a secret technique to swallow the moon dew. Threads of silvery dew disappeared into his mouth.
His skin radiated a moonlit glow, and a full moon pattern appeared between his brows, vying with the bright moon in the sky.
The moon dew gathers in the upper dantian, accumulates in the caisson ceiling above the Guanghan Palace, and finally drips down.
In the very center of the palace, there was a visualized jade basin with a shallow layer of moon dew inside.
The nascent soul raised its hand and formed a hand seal, causing the spiritual liquid in the jade basin to suddenly fly into the air, shimmering with starlight.
The spiritual liquid clumped together, and the nascent soul's fingers moved nimbly, forming hand seals. With the silver light flashing continuously, the volume of the spiritual liquid decreased, eventually condensing into a drop the size of a mung bean, just like mercury.
This is the Moon Essence. The Nascent Soul's face showed joy, and it slightly opened its mouth. The Moon Essence tasted cool upon entering its mouth.
(End of this chapter)
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