Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

The next day at Chen Shi (7:00 AM).

Three beams of light pierced the silent sky, descending beside the Cold Pool of Red Flame Peak.

Ji An stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting:

"Thank you, three Senior Brothers, for coming."

The ancestor had instructed him yesterday that arrangements for enhancing the spirit vein’s grade would be made today, asking him to wait at the Dao Field.

"All for the sect’s prosperity, there’s no need to thank us."

Zhang Zizhao replied with a smile, then said:

"The ancestor specifically instructed to promptly come up with a plan, Junior Brother, let’s survey the earth vein together."

"I’ll follow Senior Brother’s arrangements."

Jia Yu waved his hand, saying:

"You all go ahead, I’ll wait here."

Ji An immediately understood his intention, saying:

"Songtao, take Elder Jia to the guest hall and serve him with good wine."

After giving the instructions, he and Zhang Zizhao started exploring the various nodes of the spirit vein.

At You Shi (5:00 PM), Chu Huai’ge recorded the designed plan into a jade slip and handed it over, smiling:

"The main spirit vein of Red Flame Peak is almost vertical, with large nodes spreading out in a fan shape.

This structure makes the task of enhancing the spirit vein grade quite simple, reducing the consumption of spiritual objects by over sixty percent as compared to my original estimate.

The spiritual stones consumed annually to maintain the magic array will be about forty thousand, and any excess will not exceed five thousand spiritual stones."

The sect had upgraded the main spirit vein’s grade multiple times before and was very experienced in this aspect.

When they hired Middle Continent cultivators to help enhance the spirit vein, he assisted them and learned some skills.

The situation of Red Flame Peak was one of the most ideal types of spirit veins as spoken by the Middle Continent cultivators.

Zhang Zizhao reviewed the jade slip and smiled:

"The cost is significantly lower than estimated; perhaps once the Red Flame Peak’s spirit vein is upgraded to a top grade, the ancestor might directly request further upgrades."

He took out a blank jade slip and copied the magic array plan twice, handing one copy to Jia Yu:

"Junior Brother, you take care of the Tier Two materials, and I will retrieve the remaining materials from the Diligence Hall."

Jia Yu placed the jade slip against his forehead, examining it seriously:

"The materials can be delivered here by tomorrow."

They were all standard magic array materials and spiritual objects, abundantly stocked in the Treasure Pavilion.

Zhang Zizhao nodded slightly:

"The Diligence Hall can deliver the other materials tomorrow as well, Junior Brother Chu, we’ll need you to come by again."

"It’s my duty."

"How long do you expect it will take to complete, Junior Brother?"

Chu Huai’ge thought for a moment and said: "One month should be sufficient."

After finalizing the matters, the three of them didn’t linger and left together.

Ji An took out a storage bag and handed it to Chu Huai’ge, transmitting a message:

"Senior Brother, these are the Bodhi Fruits and roasted Bodhi Tea from this year’s harvest of the Bodhi Tree."

Ever since the Bodhi Tree was upgraded to Tier Two, he delivered the promised share to the other party every year.

...

Two months later, in the Red Copper Grotto Mansion.

Inside the Three Yang Li Fire Furnace, the earth fire surged and dispersed at intervals.

When gathered, it resembled a blossoming flower; when dispersed, it seemed like a rain of fire in the sky.

A small scarlet flag fluttered up and down in the flames, as if it were a flame spirit.

The pattern on the flag depicted a golden phoenix bird, and there seemed to be a faint cry emanating from it.

Ji An frowned slightly, pondering whether it was an illusion.

Zhuu Xiangrong continuously injected dharma prohibitions into the small flag. With every additional prohibition, the flag’s brilliance intensified.

"Junior Brother, prepare yourself. Once I insert the final dharma prohibition, I will extract the Earth-Departing Flame Banner from the furnace for a few breaths.

You need to discharge sufficient fresh blood and sprinkle it on the spiritual artifact.

Don’t stop until I tell you to!"

"Understood."

Ji An felt slightly nervous, intently watching the spiritual artifact frolicking in the fierce fire.

After half a quarter of an hour, Zhuu Xiangrong shouted loudly:

"Prepare!"

He performed a spell, causing the lid of the Three Yang Li Fire Furnace to spin and fly up, hovering above the spirit furnace.

The Earth-Departing Flame Banner leaped out of the furnace like a flood dragon emerging from the sea, halting in front of Ji An, trembling incessantly.

"Quick!" Zhuu Xiangrong urged.

Ji An’s left fingertips sparkled with golden light, forming a small blade, which he used to slash open his right wrist.

He channeled the power of qi and blood, as if turning on a high-pressure water hose, sprinkling fresh blood onto the flag’s surface.

The blood splattered like droplets of mercury, spreading across the flag akin to dewdrops on lotus leaves.

One breath, two breaths, Ji An felt time slow to a crawl.

Blood gushed out rapidly, and in a short while, he lost around seven to eight hundred milliliters of blood.

Senior Brother Zhuu hadn’t called for a halt, so Ji An could only grit his teeth and continue channeling the qi and blood.

Another breath passed, the cry resembled a phoenix soaring through the sky, piercing the clouds and splitting rocks, full of boundless pride and intensity.

"That’s enough!"

Zhuu Xiangrong exclaimed in surprise, realizing that only a spiritual artifact with full spiritual essence would produce such a sound. He hadn’t expected his first top-grade spiritual artifact to perform so well.

Ji An hurriedly activated the Body Refining Technique, contracting his muscles to better heal the wound.

Then he performed the Rejuvenation Technique, green brilliance suffusing the wound, with a verdant grass illusion rapidly growing tall.

Simultaneously, the wound quickly closed, scabbed over, and peeled off, leaving smooth skin without a trace of scars.

After all, it’s just an external injury; using Great Perfection Level Rejuvenation Technique is like wielding a mighty axe to kill a fly.

Zhuu Xiangrong hurriedly made a hand sign and placed the Spiritual Artifact back into the Three-Yang Li Fire Furnace, silently intensifying the Earth Fire to inscribe the blood into the pattern of a Phoenix Bird.

A miraculous scene occurred. At the moment the red Phoenix Bird overlapped with the golden Phoenix Bird, the blood-woven design swiftly merged into the banner.

Yet the Phoenix Bird remained golden, without any alteration.

Another screech resounded, shaking Ji An’s heart with a violent tremor.

The sound echoed in his Sea of Consciousness; there wasn’t the slightest sound outside.

Gazing at the Spiritual Artifact tumbling within the furnace fire, he felt a sense of kinship akin to blood ties.

"Haha, it’s done!"

Zhuu Xiangrong let out an exhilarating laugh, successfully refining a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact today, enhancing his refining experience considerably.

The status as the sect’s top Artifact Refiner became even more solid.

"Junior Brother, catch!"

Once again, he made a hand sign to open the Three-Yang Li Fire Furnace, sending the banner flying toward Ji An, growing smaller.

Ji An opened his hand, and the Earth-Departing Flame Banner, now only the size of a toddler’s palm, landed in his palm.

Touching it felt warm, bringing a soothing comfort.

His heart stirred, and the Spiritual Artifact shrank again, akin to a droplet joining a lake, merging into his skin.

The Spiritual Artifact, like a horse returning home, quickly traveled through his Immortal Vein.

In a blink, it entered his Dantian.

In Ji An’s Sea of Consciousness, there was again the jubilant cry of rejoicing.

The Earth-Departing Flame Banner transformed into a fire cloud, resembling a homing bird, entering the Primordial Life Fire, like a moth rushing toward the flame.

In the Dantian, red light flourished brilliantly, shadows swayed.

Zhuu Xiangrong laughed:

"Junior Brother, the Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact will usually be nurtured by the Primordial Life Fire in your Dantian, but it will also need a vast amount of Fire Element Essence to nourish its spirituality.

Try to meet its daily demand of absorbing two thousand strands of essence until it gives birth to an Artifact Spirit."

Birthing an Artifact Spirit is a very slow process, fast as thirty to fifty years, slow as several centuries.

Ji An cupped his hands, offering a respectful bow:

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

"You’re welcome, although you are sincere, not a penny less for the refining fee!"

Ji An was amused, saying:

"Not only will I pay fully, but I’ll even give more!

Senior Brother, in Red Flame Peak, we are cultivating Tier Two Upper Grade Profound Leaf Sword Bamboo; in the future, part of your payment will include Top-Grade Golden Leaves."

"That would be splendid!"

What Artifact Refiner would refuse an abundance of High-Tier Materials! Zhuu Xiangrong’s mood grew even more joyous.

He pondered:

"The Treasure Pavilion’s exchange rates are two hundred Small Merit per pound of Middle Grade Sword Bamboo Leaves, one thousand two hundred Small Merit per pound of Top-Grade Leaves.

Shall we calculate according to this standard, Junior Brother?"

"Very fair, as Senior Brother said."

Ji An agreed, for the Treasure Pavilion’s material prices serve as benchmarks for disciples’ private transactions.

He took out Golden Leaves from his Storage Bag, saying:

"The Top-Grade Sword Bamboo has only just completed its transformation; you’ll need to wait a few months before obtaining the leaves.

Here are ten pounds of Middle Grade Sword Bamboo Golden Leaves, first as part of Senior Brother’s payment."

Zhuu Xiangrong assessed the weight, saying:

"Ten pounds of Golden Leaves counts as two thousand Small Merit; Junior Brother still needs to pay eight thousand Small Merit of materials."

"I will pay it off within five years."

Ji An replied; actually, in extreme conditions, he could obtain enough Sword Bamboo Golden Leaves in two years.

However, a third of the sect’s Sword Bamboo Golden Leaves consumption is supplied by him; using them all to repay debts would impact other fellow disciples.

"No problem."

After chatting for a while, Zhuu Xiangrong asked:

"Junior Brother, are you also preparing to refine the Wuji Xinghuang Banner?"

Refining the Earth-Departing Flame Banner was very rewarding, and currently, only Ji An has plans to refine Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts.

"Of course, I am refining it; all the materials exchangeable from the Treasure Pavilion have been acquired.

What remains are Golden Spot Spider Silk and Earth Qi of Wu and Ji. I’ve cultivated Top-Grade Earth Spirit Fruit Trees; Rock Ancestor requires fifty Top-Grade Spirit Fruits to grant me some blood.

It’s only the Earth Qi of Wu and Ji still lacking; Senior Brother, can you find fellow disciples willing to help?"

The Lower Grade Xinghuang Banner can no longer meet Ji An’s ever-growing needs; should he venture beyond the sect, his threats are Chao Origin Stage enemies.

Zhuu Xiangrong shook his head, saying:

"I’ve inquired; currently, there are only four cultivators who’ve opened the Earth Element Divine Mansion.

Lin Qiu Bai Senior Brother and his disciple Li Haoran have gone adventuring, and the other two have no time either."

Ji An clicked his tongue, "Seems I’ll have to do it myself."

...

Returning to Red Flame Peak, Ji An called his disciple, instructing:

"Songtao, tomorrow spread the word that Red Flame Peak is purchasing Fire Element Essence in large quantities, long-term.

Also, head to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall and inquire whether Fire Element Essence can be exchanged."

"Elder, should we settle the accounts with Spirit Stones or any other means with the other cultivators?"

"Spirit Stones and Spiritual Objects both are fine; anything Red Flame Peak possesses can be used, you just need to record every transaction."

Wei Songtao nodded, replying:

"Disciple understands."

Ji An summoned the Earth-Departing Flame Banner, made magic spells, and infused it with magical power.

He instantly felt the spiritual energy within him, like a river breaking its bank, flowing into the Spiritual Artifact; as the spiritual energy depleted by sixty percent, the tremendous absorbent force within the Spiritual Artifact gradually ceased.

The Phoenix Bird pattern on the banner shone with golden light, appearing exceptionally lively as if it were a living thing.