Chapter 699 - 551: Cooperation
"Gurgle gurgle."
White mist spouted from the kettle spout. Ji An scalded the tea cup with the boiling water, poured himself a cup of Canglan Mist Pine tea, and brewed three different Spirit Teas for Master Qingfeng.
"Please!"
"Please," Master Qingfeng replied courteously, first picking up the Canglan Mist Pine tea.
This kind of Spirit Tea he had only heard of, never tasted.
The tea soup was verdant green, like the waters of a summer verdant mountain valley, clear and bright, calming one’s mood upon viewing.
Taking a small sip, although the tea soup was hot, it gave a cool sensation, with a very unique pine resin aroma.
Swallowing the tea, the fragrance lingered between the lips and teeth, while the coolness reached the brow, and in the Sea of Consciousness, it seemed as if snowflakes were falling, immediately making his thoughts clearer.
Master Qingfeng shook his head:
"A Tier Two Middle-Grade Spirit Tea having such an effect, I’ve finally learned today."
He was a Fifth-Layer Golden Core Cultivator, so theoretically, a Tier Two Middle-Grade Spirit Tea shouldn’t affect him, but Canglan Mist Pine Tea was an exception.
"Fellow Daoist, do you have a stable channel to acquire such Spirit Tea?"
Canglan Mist Pine was renowned, but only the Divine Wood Sect had cultivated it to Tier Three.
This type of treasure plant is of very low value if not cultivated to Tier Three.
Ji An shook his head, "I am a cultivator from the Golden Spirit Sect in the Western Continent, and the sect has a few Canglan Mist Pine trees.
We are tens of millions of li away from the Western Continent, so even if I wanted to contact the sect, it’s impossible."
Once Canglan Mist Pine trees were raised to Tier Three, they bore six seeds, two of which he cultivated in the Gourd World, and four were planted in the sect.
Perhaps due to the influence of the Gathering Essence Tree, the treasure plants were growing well in the Little World, currently at Tier Two Middle-Grade.
However, the matters of the Little World he wouldn’t reveal, choosing to say he couldn’t contact them.
"May I ask, what tier are the Spirit Pines in your sect?
If this is a sect secret, there’s no need to answer."
"It’s not a secret. The Spirit Pine’s yield is meant for trade.
Currently, the sect has one Tier Three Lower Grade Spirit Pine, and four Tier Two Lower-Grade Spirit Pines."
Though both were Tier Three Lower Grade Spirit Fields, Yunhe Mountain’s environment was clearly less favorable compared to the unique conditions in the Little World.
After leaving the sect, the advancement of Tier Two Spirit Pines would slow, but several disciples could care for the high-tier Spirit Plants in the sect.
While raising the treasure plants to Tier Three is difficult, reaching Tier Two Top Grade is still achievable.
Master Qingfeng imperceptibly shook his head; the number was rather small. Otherwise, he would have tried to establish a long-term cooperation with the Golden Spirit Sect through the Business Alliance.
The number of Spirit Plants was too few to be collected by the Business Alliance’s Merchant Flying Ship, leaving him without the opportunity to intervene.
He sighed, savoring the Yun Ding Silver Needle and Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea, his expression growing more impressed.
He had more opportunities to taste these two Spirit Teas, but besides the Divine Wood Sect’s special supply, rarely did the flavor reach such richness.
In many spiritual objects, if their quality surpasses a certain threshold, the resulting experience is entirely different.
The Divine Wood Sect’s special supply Spirit Tea grows in a Secret Realm, supposedly reaching the sect’s requirements after enormous costs and tens of thousands of years.
He eagerly asked, "Fellow Daoist, is this Spirit Tea also produced by your sect?"
"Is there an issue?"
"No issues at all, but the quality of the Spirit Tea is just so exceptional, hence the question.
I have some research on Spirit Tea, so I can discern how exquisite its flavor is, whereas those cultivators who only treat Spirit Tea as cultivation resources cannot appreciate its beauty."
Ji An forced a smile. He knew the tea he cultivated was rich in flavor, especially those grown in the Little World, but to speak of any beauty, he couldn’t feel it.
Somewhat embarrassed, he was the kind to treat Spirit Tea solely as a cultivation resource. If there was a tea flavor extremely unpleasant but beneficial for cultivation, he would drink it without hesitation and savor it.
Compared to advancing his cultivation level, poor taste could be ignored.
He changed the topic, discussing matters related to Talisman Making, showing willingness to take on tasks.
Master Qingfeng warmly offered guidance, informing him which kinds of tasks could earn more Contribution Points.
Time quickly reached noon, and the two went to the largest tavern in the Immortal City for a meal, with Master Qingfeng ordering a few speciality dishes.
Ji An felt it was much tastier than the small shop’s Spiritual Food, eating with delight, his chopsticks flying.
...
Five days later.
Ji An walked out of the Artifact Refining Shop, taking a long breath. In these days, he had visited all the large shops in the Immortal City.
Zhang Jun followed him out, smiling as he asked:
"Senior, will you be visiting other shops?"
Over the past few days, the other party hadn’t made many purchases, but each transaction involved dozens to hundreds of Top-grade Spirit Stones.
As a broker, he earned a considerable commission from the shops, gaining income in a few days equal to several years’ earnings before.
Ji An shook his head, "No."
Given his current level, those small shops could never meet his needs unless there was some unbelievable fortune in discovering a hidden spiritual object like the Gathering Yuan Tree Seed.
He thought for a moment and added:
"I am interested in collecting rare and unusual spiritual objects. If you come across any, bring them to me."
He didn’t need to personally search for them but could have others do it on his behalf.
"As you wish! Should Senior have any future needs, just instruct me directly."
Zhang Jun was overjoyed; this meant he now had a long-term connection with a Golden Core Daoist Master, bringing many invisible benefits.
Since he became a broker, he had served many Golden Core cultivators, but no one was willing to maintain a long-term relationship with someone as insignificant as him.
"I do have a matter that requires your help. In the future, if you discover any cultivator breaking through to the Golden Core, inform me immediately."
He needed a well-informed contact, and the other party was very suitable.
"No problem."
Ji An nodded slightly, and a crimson cloud formed beneath his feet, lifting the other party up.
"I’ll take you to my grotto mansion. In the future, you can find me there."
"Alright," Zhang Jun felt completely at ease in his heart.
...
A month passed.
An unexpected guest arrived at the grotto mansion. Ji An brewed a pot of Cloud Peak Silver Needle Tea and smiled warmly:
"Fellow Daoist’s visit truly graces my humble abode."
Feiyun Zhenren revealed her pristine white teeth. "You’re too modest. I have never seen a cultivator grow Spirit Wood over seven feet tall in such a short time."
She was stunned when she arrived at the grotto mansion, seeing the orderly array of Azure Dragon Wood. However, she knew the other party had been in the Immortal City for less than two months.
The day he went for alchemist certification was his first day in Cloud Sea Immortal City.
The Divine Wood Sect had Daoist Masters of this level, but those cultivators almost never left the jurisdiction of the Divine Wood Sect.
Ji An changed the subject, chatting about various topics.
A moment later, Feiyun Zhenren explained her purpose:
"The association received an alchemy commission, specifically requesting you to complete it."
Ji An narrowed his eyes slightly, with displeasure, he said:
"Can I refuse?"
He was willing to accept tasks to exchange for pill formulas but was unwilling to be forced into tasks.
"Of course, you can refuse. It’s your freedom. But why not listen to the remuneration first?"
Ji An’s expression improved a bit, "I’m all ears."
"Today, I’ll be frank.
When you certified as an Alchemist, you refined the Gold Core Pill. As per tradition, the association auctions high-quality pills.
The auction house seems to have noticed something different about the pills and intends to cooperate with you for regular Gold Core Pill refinement.
If you accept the commission, besides the usual payment for refining pills, you’ll earn double the contribution points."
Ji An stared deeply into the other party’s eyes, softly asking:
"The association hasn’t disclosed my identity information, have they?"
He vaguely understood that he had underestimated the effect of the Cyan Lotus Heart-Burning Fire on the pills. Fame could be burdensome; he didn’t want to become a pill-refining machine.
"The association will keep your identity confidential.
Today, I’m here to seek your opinion. If you’re unwilling, no one can force you."
The association has a duty to keep participating cultivators’ information confidential. This principle is the foundation of the association’s trust.
Trust is built gradually, but a single deleterious event can ruin what took so much to establish.
The association’s higher-ups harshly punish those who leak information, and most cultivators lack the courage to do so.
Ji An pondered:
"I want to know how the client handles this batch of Gold Core Pills."
Feiyun Zhenren smiled slightly. The other party’s tone had softened, and cooperation seemed very promising.
"Of course, they’ll be auctioned. The auction house is directly under the Cloud Sea Business Alliance."
The Certification Association is a neutral organization, officially not affiliated with any party.
"I want to ask, what do cultivators usually do after purchasing Gold Core Pills?"
Feiyun Zhenren frowned slightly, lost in thought.
On the surface, the question seemed silly. Winning a bid for a Gold Core Pill was obviously for making breakthroughs. Did the other party have any special demands?
"Generally, when auctioning valuable items, notice is given to various factions and capable loose cultivators half a month in advance.
If a loose cultivator or a disciple from a minor faction acquires a Gold Core Pill, they will most often choose to rent a grotto mansion for a breakthrough right away."
"Major factions have their own supply of Gold Core Pills and don’t need to purchase them, so about sixty percent of these auctioned Gold Core Pills are used for breakthroughs within the Immortal City."
"If the chance of cultivators breaking through increases, it would be excellent publicity for the auction house.
With your Cyan Lotus Heart-Burning Fire, refining Gold Core Pills can at least increase the breakthrough rate by five percent.
At that time, the auction house will spare no effort in promoting the advantages of Gold Core Pills."
Ji An’s smile gradually widened. He believed he had found a whole new financial path.
In time, more and more cultivators would come here to purchase Gold Core Pills, and more of them would choose to make their breakthroughs in the Immortal City.
The Stone Turtle could absorb more Dao Rhyme, which could practically benefit him regardless of whether it was for enhancing the Gathering Essence Tree or the tier of the Dao Seed.
"I’m willing to cooperate."
Feiyun Zhenren’s smile grew even more amiable. "Now, let’s discuss the cooperation details."
The client will deliver the herbal materials to the association, and once the materials are verified, the association will find a suitably skilled cultivator for refining.
The association can gain benefits from the client while also benefiting from the task-completing cultivators.