Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Hearing this, Zhang Le beamed with a broad smile and said:

"Heh heh, luck was on our side. It’s a pity that you were not with us back then, otherwise, you could have also gained an unexpected fortune."

Ji An smiled faintly, responding:

"Ah, my luck wasn’t that good."

If you ask whether there was any regret in his heart at this moment, there was indeed a trace, but just a trace.

The decision made at that time may have led to slightly less wealth, but by avoiding the risk of venturing out, he would not envy others’ gains since it came with dangers.

He extended his Divine Sense, shook the bottle a few times, and estimated the storage of Spiritual Fiends inside—it was about ten thousand strands.

"Fellow Daoists, what price are you intending to sell this bottle of Spiritual Fiends for?"

Nurturing a Spiritual Artifact in the dantian can enhance its power, but it is a process of slowly enduring time. Spiritual Fiends not only enhance the spirituality of a Spiritual Artifact but also increase its power.

The sect’s Spiritual Fiends need to be supplied to the disciples, and he currently cannot acquire more of them from within and can only purchase from external sources.

"Three Spirit Stones per strand, with a minimum transaction of five thousand strands, settled with top-grade Spirit Stones. How many can you afford, fellow Daoist?"

Ji An’s eyes brightened slightly. From their tone, it was apparent that they had reaped a substantial harvest.

These past two years, he had little expenditure, neither needing to acquire Spiritual Artifacts nor purchasing pills, so he had accumulated quite a few top-grade Spirit Stones.

Counting previous savings, he had over a hundred and twenty top-grade Spirit Stones.

At this moment, he was deliberating on how many Spirit Stones he should spend on the purchase, thinking that flaunting wealth would not be wise, but he also feared missing out on this unique opportunity.

Their quotation was approximately double the sect’s price, but external market rates were as such.

Zhang Le and his partner exchanged a glance, and said:

"Is there something difficult, fellow Daoist? If you don’t need it at present, it’s alright; we’re not forcing a sale."

Ji An waved his hand, "I am merely calculating my capital. How about this, I’ll purchase fifteen top-grade Spirit Stones’ worth of Spiritual Fiends."

He had figured it out in his mind; their ability to acquire Spiritual Fiends indicated that the relic could be continually productive.

Similar to his Red Flame Peak, which could perpetually create value, thus, there was no need to buy too much at once.

"Fellow Daoist is generous."

Zhang Le took out another jade bottle and said:

"A specially crafted storage jade bottle, with a full capacity of fifty thousand strands, deviating slightly from the actual value, but with a margin of error not exceeding two hundred strands."

In large-scale transactions, such margins of error are permissible.

Ji An took the jade bottle, opened it, and used magical power to suppress the Spiritual Fiends from escaping. After examining the density with his Divine Sense, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad, I accept this bottle of Spiritual Fiends."

He retrieved fifteen top-grade Spirit Stones and handed them alongside the initial jade bottle to the other party.

Zhang Le stowed away the Spirit Stones, his smile growing warmer:

"In the future, whenever you need to purchase Spiritual Fiends, you may come to me."

"Certainly," Ji An pondered for a moment and inquired:

"You must have obtained other Spiritual Fiends, right?"

The other party had previously mentioned that there was a Three Talents Mysterious Killing Array in the relic, thus deducing that there should be three types of Spiritual Fiends.

"Indeed, there are also Metal Element and Earth Element Spiritual Fiends, but the other two types were exhausted during the array-breaking process. If you wish to purchase, fellow Daoist, it will take a few more years."

Upon hearing the response, Ji An felt a sense of lost opportunity—this profit was something he could have shared in.

He clasped his hands and said:

"Congratulations, fellow Daoists. With such resources, you will inevitably break through the Golden Core Stage in the future, becoming grandmasters in your own right."

"Haha, you’re too kind, fellow Daoist.

If one day we break through to Golden Core, we plan to establish our own sect, and certainly send you an invitation to the ceremony!"

Zhang Le’s face was full of smugness, and Yuan Hong grinned widely.

Ji An shifted the topic, asking:

"Will the two fellow Daoists continue with Demon Hunting in the future?"

Currently, his Demon Hunting cooperation relied solely on these two. If these wealthy partners no longer pursued Demon Hunting, he would need to find new collaborators.

When trading with shops, they profited from his Spirit Stones on materials, and again on the finished products. Direct dealings with Demon Hunting Cultivators could yield better profits.

Zhang Le responded, "Of course, we will continue Demon Hunting. Accumulating Spiritual Fiends doesn’t happen quickly. Besides, both of us thoroughly enjoy the thrill of slaying Demon Beasts."

Yuan Hong nodded in agreement, "Indeed, Demon Hunting yields various materials and offers other benefits as well."

They chatted for a moment longer before the two took their leave.

...

After walking some distance away from the grotto mansion, Yuan Hong communicated via sound transmission:

"This Ji An is full of invigorating and pure energy; I can smell the captivating fragrance within, more tempting than those Chao Origin Stage Body Cultivators.

If we could lure him to the relic, the master would be very pleased."

Zhang Le’s eyes flashed with malice as he extended a crimson tongue to lick his lips:

"Let’s not rush. The other party is highly vigilant, not suited for direct baiting. We’ll seek a chance in the future to invite him for Demon Hunting."

"Heh heh, I thought the same. What’s our next step? Find other cultivators to search the relic?"

"I’m pondering whether there’s a more efficient method; finding suitable candidates isn’t easy, and the prolonged delay is inconvenient."

Yuan Hong’s eyes whirled around a few times as he transmitted:

"Do you remember an incident from when we were still Qi Refining Disciples? In the marketplace, several loose cultivators set traps selling treasure maps, luring others to seek treasures only to ambush them.

This tactic, though clichéd, with sufficiently tempting bait, will inevitably attract some, often those with overconfidence in their abilities."

Zhang Le slightly raised an eyebrow, a sudden understanding emerged on his face, "Ingenious, let’s discuss this thoroughly when we return."