Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 977 Expanding Planting
Ji An gently shook his head and smiled:
"One hundred catties of gold leaves are needed to exchange for one catty of fifth-grade high-quality spiritual material. Isn't that too harsh a trade?"

Normally, such an exchange rate is only a theoretical value under extreme circumstances, and the actual transaction price is not that low.

He pointed to the gold leaf and said:

"Although I am not a weapon refiner, I know how rare it is to have a golden leaf with lightning attributes. We are going to have long-term and stable transactions in the future, so I cannot accept this exchange rate."

The output of the Calabash World far exceeds that of cultivators of the same level, and various fifth-order spirit woods are also excellent materials for refining weapons. Accepting this ratio would be extremely disadvantageous to him.

If the other party does not make concessions, he would rather find a new trading partner.

His confidence stemmed from his ability to provide a stable supply of transactions. Any weapon refiner, alchemist, or puppeteer would be a potential target. The reason he didn't contact others was because he was too lazy to deal with too many people.

Crescent Moon Hermit smiled. Bargaining was a normal part of negotiation. After feigning a moment of thought, he asked:

"How many lightning-struck wood and Xuan Ye sword bamboo plants do you currently have, and how many kilograms of materials can you provide each year?"
If the trading volume is too low, I will insist on maintaining this exchange rate.

Friendship is one thing, but a certain profit is still necessary. Right now, the other party still owes some materials for refining the alchemy furnace, so we can't easily make concessions, otherwise it will harm his vital interests.

Ji An sat up slightly and spoke confidently and eloquently:

"Currently, there are only two lightning-struck sword bamboo plants, and it is estimated that only four or five catties of golden leaves can be traded each year, but there will be more fifth-tier plants in the future."

Perhaps this explanation won't convince you, but let time tell.

Give me time, and you will be able to directly perceive the potential of the small world I possess.

Eighty catties of low-grade fifth-tier materials can be exchanged for one catty of high-grade materials, which is an acceptable price. Furthermore, as I am able to provide more materials, the exchange rate will need to be adjusted; at most, seventy catties of materials can be exchanged for one catty of high-grade spiritual materials.

"This humble Taoist can not only provide Thunderstruck Wood and Mystic Leaf Sword Bamboo, but will also provide more materials in the future, including Thunderstruck Wood timber, fifth-grade low-level Yellow Emperor's Virtue Soil, and so on."

Regarding cultivation, he has not yet encountered any equally matched cultivators.

His understanding of Yin and Yang power is extremely profound, and the proportion of lightning-struck wood cultivated by releasing the new type of Yi Wood Divine Thunder has significantly increased.

In the late Nascent Soul stage, only one in 30,000 spirit trees was lucky enough to be found, but now that ratio has reached one in seven or eight thousand, an increase of several times.

The number of lightning-struck trees continues to increase, and more and more plants will be upgraded to the fifth tier.

The essence of Yi Wood Divine Thunder is to inject new life into the spirit wood from destruction. It can now better interpret the vitality of Yang in the deathly stillness of Yin, so this is only natural.

The Recluse of the Crescent Moon was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice:
"Fellow Daoist, your bargaining is too harsh. However, since you say you can provide spiritual materials stably and in large quantities, I am willing to trust you this once."

I accept this ratio, but it's only for a thirty-year period. After that, trading volume cannot be increased. Everything I said today is null and void, and the exchange rate will revert to 100:1.

If the other party cannot provide a large amount of materials, his losses will not be too great. If they can provide a stable and large supply of raw materials, he can refine high-quality spiritual treasures in batches.

He agreed because it offered the potential for high returns with a small investment and the risks were manageable.

Ji An smiled with satisfaction, "Fellow Daoist will certainly not regret today's choice."

Crescent Moon Hermit waved his hand, "Fellow Daoist, you must pay off the materials you owed when you were refining the alchemy furnace before you can exchange them for materials to refine a fifth-grade high-quality defensive spiritual treasure."

“This is the proper course of action, and I agree.”

Crescent Moon Hermit frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked:

"What are your requirements for defensive magical treasures, fellow Daoist?"

Ji An had already considered this and began to describe his needs:
"A purely physical defensive spirit treasure, with earth-elemental materials being the best, and metal-elemental spirit treasures being acceptable, as sturdy as possible while also possessing cushioning capabilities."

"Alright, I understand. According to your requirements, metal-element spiritual treasures are unqualified; only earth-element materials can be used."

In fact, the best defensive magical artifacts should be made primarily of Magnetic Refined Iron, but such materials are rare and require many years to accumulate enough.

Since I last left the Vast Ocean Realm, I have been preparing materials for over three thousand three hundred years, and have barely accumulated enough.

There was a hint of smugness in the words of the Crescent Moon Hermit. Once he refined the Yuan Magnetic Treasure, even ordinary late-stage Three Flower Realm cultivators would find it difficult to pose a threat to him.

Ji An's eyes flashed with envy. "Congratulations, fellow Daoist. One day when I have enough Yuan Magnetic Refined Iron, I will also seek your help to refine it."

The density of the primordial magnetic iron is extremely high. To refine it into a defensive magical treasure would probably require tens of thousands of kilograms, and if one is unlucky, it would take thousands of years to gather enough materials.

"No problem, I'll definitely give you a discount then."

The two talked by candlelight, exchanging their understanding of the power of Yin and Yang. The night seemed to shorten considerably, and by dawn they were still reluctant to part.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), Ji An stood up:

"I have disturbed you for the whole night, causing you to stay up all night. I am sorry."

"Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. This all-night conversation has been very beneficial to me. I look forward to more exchanges in the future."

At this moment, Queyue Sanren greatly admired Ji An. Although neither of them had revealed many key details about the cultivation technique, he could clearly sense that the other's cultivation technique, whether in terms of the efficiency of refining spiritual energy or the degree of application of magical power, far surpassed his own.

Even though he broke through to the Three Flowers Realm many years earlier than the other party, many of the other party's insights were more profound than his.

After leaving the cave, Ji An did not return immediately, but instead flew to the largest pill shop in the vicinity.

He released a trace of spiritual pressure at the Three Flowers Realm level, and soon the shopkeeper appeared before him. This was his purpose: to meet the person in charge very quickly.

This is a female cultivator at the late Nascent Soul stage. Her skin is as white as snow, her eyebrows and eyes are exquisite, and there is a faint red crescent mark on her forehead, giving her a unique charm.

The female cultivator respectfully cupped her hands in greeting, then bowed deeply and extended her arms, her expression as gentle as possible:
"My Daoist name is Rulan. Welcome, senior. Please come to the VIP room to speak."

She quickly pondered what the other party's intentions were.

Starfish City is not small, but there are not many Three-Flower Realm cultivators living there. Even though she had never met them in person, she had collected images of them.

The fact that the other party wasn't in her database made her a little uneasy; she hoped it wasn't some vicious thug from another major city.

Ji An followed the shopkeeper to the VIP room. Without any pleasantries, he took out a jade slip, entered the information, and handed it over.
"This humble Taoist wishes to purchase some spiritual seeds. Is your shop able to gather them all?"

Having obtained the recipe for the Azure Cloud Pill, he naturally needed to cultivate the relevant spiritual herbs. Buying them from others was unreliable, so he preferred to cultivate them himself.

The recipe not only recorded various spiritual herbs, but also the refining steps. Of course, he couldn't give these things to the other party, so he only recorded the names of the spiritual plants, except for the Azure Cloud Divine Jade Fruit, in the jade slip.

Upon hearing that the other party was there to do business, Rulan Zhenjun felt a little relieved.

She respectfully extended both hands to accept the jade slip, and after quickly examining it, she realized that it contained materials for some kind of elixir formula, and that these materials were probably not all of them.

"I don't have any Xuan Yu Vine or Starlight Grass seeds in my shop, but I can get some from a familiar shop. Would you like to do that, senior?"

Alternatively, I can tell you the name of a shop that has the seeds, and you can search for them.

Although these materials can be cultivated to the fifth level, the seeds are not that expensive.

Ji An was overjoyed; he was too lazy to travel much and preferred an easier route.
"Just provide me with the full set, ten of each kind will suffice. Calculate how many top-grade spirit stones it will require." Usually, the Five Sacred Mountains True Lord represents him when he goes out to trade, selling some fourth-tier top-grade spirit fruits or pills. He has accumulated a lot of top-grade spirit stones in his hands.

For cultivators in the mid-stage of the Three Flowers Realm, the spiritual energy contained in top-grade spirit stones is not considered abundant. By the late stage of the Three Flowers Realm, it becomes difficult to meet the needs of top-grade spirit stones.

Back then, the more powerful spirit stones 'Elemental Crystals' would be used as currency, or as a power bank to quickly replenish mana.

After quickly doing a mental calculation, Ru Lan Zhenjun spoke:

"Senior, there are sixteen kinds of spirit seeds in total, and I will offer one hundred and twenty top-grade spirit stones."

Ji An did not haggle, but took out the spirit stones and counted out enough pieces.

If you were to buy the finished product of the relevant elixirs, you might not be able to gather enough materials for a single batch even if you searched the entire Immortal City.

High-level materials are rarely priced directly in spirit stones; most of the time, they are bartered, which is quite primitive.

Buying seeds is much easier; you can purchase all the seeds directly, and then simply wait after planting them in the gourd world.

With the fifth-order spiritual veins and the special effects of the Gathering Yuan Tree, it takes much less time for these spiritual plants to mature than for other cultivators.

The cycle of the five elements in the small world has been established, which can further accelerate the growth of the spiritual plants.

Rulan Zhenjun put away the spirit stones and smiled gently:

"Please wait a moment, senior. I will instruct the steward to go and prepare the seeds."

After obtaining the spirit seed, Ji An quickly returned to his cave and entered the gourd world.

He planted the seeds in different spiritual fields according to their inherent characteristics, then returned to the Gathering Yuan Tree and began to release the Yin-Yang Spirit Transformation Technique by forming hand seals.

The area of ​​the spiritual vein increases after its grade is upgraded, but it can still be covered by spells.

The magical power flowed through the immortal veins, and the surface of the Five Elements Divine Palace was alternately bright and dark, with all the veins maintaining a synchronized brightness.

The Yin-Yang Dao Seed emitted light, from which wisps of black and white spiritual light emanated and participated in the spellcasting.

The Five Banners within the body were not to be outdone, emitting their aura to enhance the spell's effect.

He is now a mid-stage cultivator in the Three Flowers Realm. The effect of the Yin-Yang Spirit Transformation Technique is more than 30% stronger than before his cultivation level improved, and the duration of his spells and divine intent is also ten days longer.

After the spell was completed, the Tai Chi diagram appeared beneath his feet and then rapidly spread out, instantly reaching every corner of the entire gourd world.

Strands of white light rose, and twisted, tree-like lightning tore through the sky with a deafening roar.

Black, yin energy sank into the soil, its mysterious rhythm resonating with the entire microcosm.

When the lightning stopped flashing, the rain fell heavily, and the large raindrops sparkled with crystalline light, turning the whole world into an ocean of light.

Water droplets falling on different lands reveal different divine meanings.

In the blue earth, the vibrant life force surges upward like a hurricane; in the red earth, the fiery and warm divine power spreads, becoming even more intense, and large amounts of bubbles rise from the lava lake.

From the yellow earth, a rich, nourishing aura rises from the ground; in the white spiritual fields, a somber atmosphere pervades, yet it is an aura that spiritual plants love; in the black earth, a moist, flowing, and purifying divine intent spreads, cleansing everything.

Various divine intentions of the Five Elements soared into the sky, eventually converging in the heavens to form magnificent and ever-changing clouds.

Rain fell on Ji An's body, and he quietly felt the breath of life and death intertwined, the balance of yin and yang was wonderfully indescribable.

He focused his mind on his dantian, connecting with the stone tortoise, and his own status information appeared above the Guanghan Palace.

Once everything had calmed down, Ji An instructed A Yun, who was guarding nearby:

"Begin digging into the loess and white soil, I want to refine it into Yellow Emperor Virtue Soil and White Emperor Crystal Soil."

Initially, he only intended to trade the Yellow Emperor's Virtuous Soil, but in order to give the Crescent Moon Hermit confidence, he decided to sell another type of spiritual soil so as to pay back the spiritual materials he owed as soon as possible.

Once the debt is paid off, upgrading the Five Elements Divine Mountain should also be put on the agenda. Hopefully, the spiritual treasure can be upgraded to the fifth level before entering the Vast Sea Realm.

Ayun bowed her head slightly, "Yes, sir. I will send someone to do it right away."

After saying that, she conjured up a cloud of spiritual energy beneath her feet and prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment, there's something else."

Ji An called out to the other person and continued:

"Increase the planting area of ​​common black bamboo and transplant the newly grown bamboo shoots."

He wants to cultivate more lightning-struck wood-leaf sword bamboo. Even if he doesn't sell the golden leaves in the future, the spiritual bamboo containing lightning will still be an excellent material for refining weapons.

In addition, he plans to try to refine a fifth-order puppet that can unleash lightning magic, which can be used as a trump card in the future.

"Okay, now the four seasons have been divided in the small world, and there are many more bamboo shoots than before. In a few years, they will be able to fill the empty spaces in the loess land."

After Ayun left, Ji An began to brew Enlightenment Tea. After drinking the tea, he sat down cross-legged and pondered the chapters for creating the mid-stage of the Three Flowers Realm cultivation technique.

Lost in thought, he forgot the time and didn't realize that it was getting dark.

Just then, A-Yun flew back excitedly and landed beside her master. She wanted to speak but was afraid of interrupting her master's inspiration, so she scratched her head in frustration.

After sensing the movement, Ji An stopped thinking, stood up, and asked while pressing his temples:
"Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Thinking is a tiring thing.

Ayun hurriedly stepped forward, cupped her hands, and said:

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! I have discovered some good news: the Soul-Nourishing Wood has actually borne fruit! There are two in total."

Ji An was stunned; he hadn't known before that the Soul-Nourishing Wood could bear fruit.

'Does the fruit contain seeds? Can the Soul-Nourishing Wood be planted?'

He quickly calculated in his mind, and a golden auspicious cloud rose from beneath his feet. He laughed and said:

"Let's go take a look."

After Ayun jumped up, he activated his spirit cloud to fly away, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived next to the Soul Nourishing Wood.

Ayun hovered in the air, pointing to a black fruit the size of an egg:

"The spirit fruit was originally hidden under the leaves, and it would not have been discovered if it weren't for a few birds playing here."

(End of this chapter)