Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

The only thing he needed to supplement was Fasting Pills. He had a little world, but he dared not expose it in the Nine Netherworld.

Ji An organized the supplies and said with a smile:

"It’s comfortable to be an all-around ace, able to handle various situations. Not having a weakness is the greatest strength."

Seeing that it was still early in the double hour, Ji An sat cross-legged on the Pudun in the Quiet Chamber and began to ponder over some of the words spoken by Wey Tianhua.

He discovered a very interesting phenomenon: Earth Born Gold, Gold Generating Water, Earth Overcomes Water; Wood Fire, Fire Generates Earth, Wood Overcomes Earth...

The mutual generation and overcoming among the Five Elements formed triangles, eventually piecing together into a pentagram.

He began to ponder what code might be hidden within, and what Yin Yang transformations might be contained in the mutual generation among the Five Elements.

The distinction between Yin and Yang’s clarity and obscurity confused and fascinated people.

...

The next day, double hour.

Wey Xianglin stepped into the Wey’s Villa at the mountain peak, skillfully entering a side hall, and cupped his hands:

"Greetings, Second Uncle. May I ask if you have any instructions?"

He was somewhat puzzled, not knowing why he was summoned so early in the morning.

"Xianglin, sit down!"

Wey Tianhua waited for him to sit down and said kindly:

"Last night’s auction was introduced by you, Ji An. Tell me more about this person."

"Elder Ji is an exceptionally talented Talisman Maker. He has been cooperating with our shop for eight years..."

After narrating the events, Wey Xianglin tentatively asked:

"Second Uncle, did something change during last night’s auction?"

The elder specifically inquiring about Ji An’s information must mean there was something he didn’t know.

"Change wouldn’t be the term, I’m just curious about him."

Wey Tianhua paused, gave a mysterious smile, and lowered his voice:

"Do you know what price the quota went for last night?"

"Based on your look, it must have been very high. So, Elder Ji won the bid for the quota."

"Xianglin, has anyone ever told you that occasionally appearing a bit slow can help you get along better with others?"

Wey Xianglin scratched his head with a bitter smile. Sometimes he had to pretend to be slow, other times he had to show enough cleverness; it was really challenging.

"Second Uncle, what was the final price? Tell me something eye-opening.

Since you presided over the auction, surely it made a lot for the family."

"Wouldn’t it have been better if you’d said this earlier?" Wey Tianhua lightly coughed a few times and said in a deep voice:

"We obtained 295 blocks of top-grade Spirit Stones and two segments of Tier Two Top-grade Cyan Dragon Wood. I estimated the value at 325 blocks of top-grade Spirit Stones.

The spiritual nature of Cyan Dragon Wood is extremely strong and can be used as a base material for Wood Element Treasures or to refine an excellent Puppet. Cultivators in the know would probably offer forty to fifty blocks of top-grade Spirit Stones to purchase it."

Wey Xianglin’s eyes widened, the number being truly enormous.

The family spent 200 blocks of top-grade Spirit Stones to purchase the quota and had reached some agreements, initially expecting to profit by thirty to forty blocks of top-grade Spirit Stones at most, far exceeding expectations.

He swallowed and said:

"Speaking of which, Elder Ji still owes the shop thirty thousand Spirit Stones from the last invoice."

He recounted the matter of the outstanding material invoice, prompting Wey Tianhua to laugh heartily:

"Good borrow; this business deal wasn’t a loss; it was a win-win financially!

I’m curious about the origin of the Top-grade Cyan Dragon Wood. The difficulty of cultivating such spiritual materials is extremely high.

Do you have any speculation about this?"

Wey Xianglin shook his head, "I don’t know, Elder Ji never mentions these things.

However, I know he’s a cultivator from the Golden Spirit Sect of Western Continent, most likely holding a decent position. I visited his Grotto Mansion, and he served me with Tier Two High-grade Spirit Tea."

"Golden Spirit Sect..." Wey Tianhua stroked his chin, and after musing for a moment, he said:

"Keep maintaining good relationships with them, and in the future, the family caravans can try to reach out to them to see if we can expand our business to the south of Western Continent."

"Understood."

...

Xuelan Street, Sunx’s Spiritual Rice Shop.

Ji An stepped into the shop and said:

"Shopkeeper, do you have Fasting Pills made with Pearl Blood Rice as the main ingredient?"

To refine Fasting Pills, the ingredients vary with the principal raw material.

Ji An didn’t have time to research new Fasting Pills himself, as his knowledge of medicinal properties was superficial. He would leave this task to his Senior Sister Han Yan back at the sect.

The shopkeeper responded with a smile:

"Yes, indeed. Pearl Blood Rice is a Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Rice, and the Fasting Pills refined from it contain more Spiritual Qi.

Without any fighting taking place, a single pill can support a Chao Origin Stage Cultivator for half a month.

Are you heading out, senior? How long do you plan to be away?"

The profits from selling materials can never compare with the profits from selling pills.

Ji An didn’t answer but instead asked in return:

"How many Spirit Stones per pill?"

"Two Middle-grade Spirit Stones per pill."

"Let me see the goods first. If satisfied, give me fifteen pills."

Ji An said, knowing that entering the Nine Netherworld would inevitably involve battles, significantly increasing the consumption of Fasting Pills.

Being well-prepared is better than being ill-prepared. With the Tier Two High-grade Spiritual Peach and Dragon Blood Fruit as supplements, fifteen pills should be enough.

"Alright," the shopkeeper called the clerk to bring a bottle of Fasting Pills, noting that ordering fifteen counted as a big customer.

Handing over the Jade Bottle sent by the clerk, he said, "Senior, you can inspect any pill you like."

After receiving the Jade Bottle, Ji An randomly poured out a pill, scraping a little powder with care to taste it.

He felt the rich Spiritual Qi radiate, and the aroma of rice lingered between his lips and teeth.

"Not bad, give me the full amount."

He put thirty Middle-grade Spirit Stones on the table; everything was ready now.

,

Under the full moon, cultivated immortals gathered in small groups before the Grand Palace at the peak of Immortal City.

Ji An mingled with the Wey’s clan from Dragon Head Mountain, feeling puzzled inside.

Nine Netherworld, as the name implies, should be connected to the Netherworld, supposedly underground, making standing on the mountain peak feel counterintuitive.

Noticing his expression, Wey Tianhua leaned in and said:

"Do you feel something’s off?"

Ji An nodded, "Feels like we’re going south by driving north."

"Haha, first-time visitors always think so. Soon, the Golden Core Daoist Master of Immortal City will activate the Teleportation Array, sending those with quotas straight to the Spirit Realm Secret Land’s entrance."

The Nine Netherworld lies a thousand feet beneath Immortal City, isolated from inside and outside by Dharma Prohibition. Cultivators can’t directly enter; they must rely on the Teleportation Array, as forceful entry would lead to being trapped in the Magic Array.

Wey Tianhua beckoned, calling over a cultivator with a gentle smile on his face.

"Let me introduce you: this is Wey Chengyuan from the direct lineage of Wey’s clan, and this is Fellow Daoist Ji An.

You two should get acquainted; you might need each other’s help."

Wey Chengyuan slightly raised his hand and quickly lowered it again:

"Fellow Daoist, greetings."

Ji An cupped his hands, offering a polite smile:

"Fellow Daoist Wey, greetings."

He could perceive an inherent arrogance beneath Wey Chengyuan’s smile; perhaps this cultivator was accustomed to favoritism and viewed himself above others at heart.

Wey Tianhua silently shook his head and switched to idle chatter, while Wey Chengqian found an excuse to leave.

As the full moon topped the sky, a solemn voice resonated from within the Grand Hall:

"Cultivators entering the Spirit Realm, come forward."

Ji An bid Wey Tianhua farewell before following the crowd away.

To the west of the Grand Hall, a roughly three-zhang wide Teleportation Array radiated Spirit Light, with three cultivators, including Cold Qilin True Man, standing next to it.

Ji An scanned the crowd, noticing over forty cultivators entering the Spirit Realm, not a small sum after all.

He also spotted a familiar face, Zhang Dong from the Law Enforcement Team, distributing Jade Slips among the crowd.

Cold Qilin True Man spoke:

"The Jade Slips contain maps of the explored areas and methods for dealing with Yin Soul Beasts in the Nine Netherworld.

Keep them safe, and feel free to duplicate a few copies for future reference. In a quarter hour, the Teleportation Array will activate."

The time slipped by quickly, and the crowd stood within the Teleportation Array. As the grey Spirit Light flickered, their surroundings changed instantly.

Ji An found himself in a massive cavern, with the ceiling embedded with numerous Luminous Beads resembling stars, lighting the area as bright as day.

All around the cavern, black-robed cultivators from the Law Enforcement Hall stood guard, encircling a gigantic pit in the center emitting faint mist. The light couldn’t penetrate the blackness within.

Cold Qilin True Man had also descended with everyone and spoke again:

"When day and night alternate, the mist in the pit will disperse; that’s when it’s time to enter. I wish you all good luck."