Chapter 657 - 520: Vajra Bodhi Bearing Fruit

Daoist Master Zhengyang’s expression turned somber. Although the supply of pills within the sect was becoming increasingly adequate, this adequacy was only relative.

With the supply cycle and quality of spirit medicine materials improving, the treatment of Qi Refining Stage and Foundation Establishment Stage disciples was getting better.

However, the results of the sect’s reforms had not yet truly affected the Chao Origin Stage level, and it was the high-tier cultivators who were the backbone of the sect.

If Luofeng Valley reduced its supply of pills at the Chao Origin Stage level, it would impact many disciples’ cultivation advancements.

Doing so would also affect Luofeng Valley’s interests. But if it could slow down the sect’s development, it might allow the counterpart to find better countermeasures.

Master Yuxiao clapped his hands, "It’s not a big issue. We can trade with the forces of the Southern Continent and the Far North. This was mentioned before, and I will personally oversee it."

In the earliest days, if it was just about purchasing pills, it wasn’t worth the trip. However, many of the magical artifacts and puppets refined now by the sect, due to their large quantities, could only be sold at a discount in the Western Continent to get rid of them all.

Before this, no one anticipated that refining magical artifacts could be as easy as harvesting spirit rice.

Now, with so many finished magical artifacts and puppets, they must be exchanged for more resources. Keeping them is just wasteful.

Ji An nodded, "We ought to seek broader cooperation. It’s only upon venturing out that we realize we’re the weakest of our neighboring continental regions. This feeling isn’t exactly good."

Master Yuxiao grinned, "Western Continent has only been developed for six thousand years. How can it compare with other continental regions?

Besides, the area the human race currently occupies is not at the core of the Western Continent. Only a spirit vein of at least tier four is truly presentable."

Tier four spirit veins are the foundation of a Nascent Soul Sect, as anything less struggles to meet the daily cultivation needs of Nascent Soul cultivators.

Daoist Master Zhengyang turned his head seriously and asked:

"Junior Brother Ji, what are your plans going forward?"

Ji An pondered,

"I don’t have any long-term plans, just sticking to step-by-step cultivation, comprehending the mysteries of the cultivation techniques, and practicing magic techniques.

The short-term goal is to advance to the second-layer Golden Core and see how long that takes."

He estimated it would take a long time due to the extreme scarcity of pills, meaning he could only rely on his daily bit-by-bit diligent cultivation.

The pill sources needed by Golden Core cultivators mainly come from two aspects. The first kind is normally refined herbal golden stone elixirs with relatively minimal toxicity, as alchemists try their best to reduce pill poison.

The main medicinal materials for refining these kinds of pills often need to be at least 1,200 years old. Even when planted in high-grade spirit veins and managed by excellent spirit farmers, it would take several hundred years to mature.

The second kind is beast pills refined from the monster beast inner core at the Golden Core level, containing blood evil qi, and requires time for the dharma body to purify after consumption.

But Golden Core demon beasts aren’t pushovers; some strong races’ demon beasts aren’t even afraid to confront and fight against cultivators of the same tier.

Both types of pills are extremely precious. More awkwardly, the Western Continent doesn’t have the capability to refine Golden Core level pills.

This greatly limits cultivation advancements. The main reason Ji An stays in the sect is to accumulate some spiritual mechanism. If he leaves the sect, he’ll be a wanderer, likely struggling to settle in a spirit vein like Red Flame Peak.

Moreover, the seeds of Phoenix Wood, Star Tree, Canglan Mist Pine, and Pure Water Lotus are yet to be acquired.

Another critical task is to see if the Stone Turtle can absorb Dao Rhyme when other cultivators undergo the Golden Core Thunder Tribulation.

If it can, he plans to wait until Lin Jiuxiao, Lin Qiubai, and Li Haoran all make their breakthroughs before considering leaving.

He intends to head for the Central Continent, preferring to take a merchant flying ship, spending some spirit stones, and sparing himself the hassle.

Master Yuxiao’s face showed a hint of melancholy, speaking softly:

"If you stay at a third-layer spirit vein node and have a deep enough understanding of cultivation technique divine intent, breaking through to the second and third-layer Golden Core shouldn’t take too long.

The concern is encountering a bottleneck, which can delay you for a long time.

Most importantly, frequently relying on pills to break through small realm bottlenecks can reduce your chances of breaking through to Nascent Soul."

He had been stuck in a bottleneck for years, unable to advance to mid-stage Golden Core.

He now considered the notion of buying pills to breakthrough; realizing the dream of attaining Daoist Monarch was out of the picture, he only hoped to reach late-stage Golden Core in this lifetime.

Many cultivators faced similar situations, where progress suddenly halted at a certain cultivation level, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t advance further.

It erodes the cultivator’s will over time, standing still as the years pass, gradually losing the drive the longer it goes on.

"Every step the sect takes requires a tremendous price, sometimes instilling a deep sense of helplessness."

Daoist Master Zhengyang sighed lightly; without the guidance of mentors, faced with halted cultivation, they were left clueless about the issues they encountered, only being able to try and fail bit by bit on their own.

Without knowing what’s wrong, there’s no direction.

Major sects have numerous orally transmitted secret techniques. Though he obtained the Five Elements Sect’s cultivation techniques, he didn’t acquire such secret techniques, making it slightly better than fumbling blindly but not by much.

This is an inevitable problem small forces face in developing upwards—the best they can do is accumulate more experience for those who follow.

Ji An was silent for a moment. The main bottleneck in elevating a sect focuses primarily on cultivation techniques, then matching secret techniques and pills.

The sect didn’t possess these things. Traditionally becoming a Nascent Soul power would take unknown millennia of effort.