Chapter 52: Chapter 50: Magic Technique Jade Slip "We’ve really made it, Junior Brother Ji!" Wei Songnian finished counting the talisman paper, and the fervor in his eyes could melt a person. Recently, the sect has seized yet another spiritual vein, and the establishment of a new outpost is sure to attract a large number of disciples to hunt demon beasts and search for spirit medicines. In the past, Qi Refining disciples didn’t dare to venture deep into the heart of the Ten Thousand Mountains, as encountering a powerful demon beast would make escaping a mere wishful thought. Now, with the new outpost established, as long as the Mountain Protection Array is set up well, there’s a stable rear guard. Centered around the new outpost, the sect will certainly dispatch Foundation Establishment cultivators to clear or expel high-tier demon beasts within a hundred miles. Compared to before, the risk of demon hunting has decreased, venturing into previously rarely trodden lands, the yield will also increase, greatly enhancing the disciples’ enthusiasm for demon hunting. Magical artifacts, talismans, pills, etc., are all easier to sell than before. Artifact Refiners, Talisman Makers, and Alchemists are making a fortune, and he too got a taste of the thick soup. "I’ve heard there’s a demon hunting squad that found the main ingredient for a Foundation Establishment Pill. When the sect refines Foundation Establishment Pills next time, there might be a few extra furnaces." Wei Songnian shook his head and added: "I don’t know what the sect is thinking, to set up a marketplace in our new territory and even allow loose cultivators to resupply. Isn’t this giving away the profit?!" Listening to the other party’s ramblings, Ji An lowered his eyes and said gently: "The number of loose cultivators in the Western Continent is increasing, and I’ve heard that Cyan Cloud Immortal City and various marketplaces can no longer meet the demand. Secretly, the dissatisfaction among loose cultivators with the three major sects and various big clans is also growing. It’s pretty good now. Loose cultivators have a way out, and relations with the sect can ease a little." The three major sects occupy the best spiritual veins in the Western Continent, and along with those occupied by cultivation clans, the days of loose cultivators have never been easy. "Ah, these issues are of the sect’s own making anyway. I heard from my elders that the sect increased the production of Meridian Opening Pills a hundred years ago, distributing them not only to Daoist schools but also selling them externally. The price of thirty-six Spirit Stones is expensive, but those late-stage Qi Refining loose cultivators, if they don’t aim to advance further, can still scrape it together over ten years." The medicinal ingredients for refining Meridian Opening Pills aren’t considered rare, and even some cultivation clans with a bit of history can refine them. Wei Songnian couldn’t understand the sect’s rationale for doing this; in the past, the sect and big clans tacitly controlled the number of cultivators, otherwise the sheer number of loose cultivators would be like locusts. There are only so many spiritual veins, and they can’t support too many cultivators drawing spiritual energy day and night. The amount of resource output is also fixed, and too many cultivators will only trigger conflicts among them. Seeing the sect’s actions, the big clans could only follow by producing more Meridian Opening Pills. With more Qi Refining loose cultivators, the number of clan cultivators naturally needs to be increased, and there are many precedents of loose cultivators banding together to forcibly seize resources. Ji An had a vague guess about the sect’s actions in his heart, and he smiled: "The sect definitely has other considerations, no one wants to lift a rock only to drop it on their own foot." "That’s true, without reaching Foundation Establishment, one hasn’t truly set foot on the Immortal Path, and us Qi Refining minor cultivators aren’t qualified to know so much." Wei Songnian had already done the math and said: "Junior Brother, your talisman paper and ink combined amount to a total of 6550 Spirit Crystals." He scratched his head, realizing this income is more than most Qi Refining cultivators risking their lives to hunt demons, and it’s also safe and risk-free. Hearing the other say they planned to plant 15 acres of Spirit Field, he roughly calculated the potential earnings, but when facing this sum of crystals, his heart couldn’t help but beat faster. He remembered a time when he was at the Seventh-Layer Qi Refining, he once earned thirteen Spirit Stones in a month, excited to the point of being unable to sleep half the night. "Senior Brother, how many Ginseng Essence Pills do you have now?" Ji An’s eyes flashed with enthusiasm, as for the past three months of cultivation, his body’s magical power always felt empty, and not even a branch of the Immortal Vein had been opened. Earning crystals is important, but expanding the Immortal Vein and enhancing one’s aptitude is even more crucial. "Twenty! However, the price of pills has risen recently, with each pill increased by ten Spirit Crystals." "I’ll take them all and also match it with twenty bottles of talisman ink materials." Wei Songnian beamed with joy, pleased with Ji An’s generosity, as he had deliberately stocked up on so many pills. If he weren’t short on crystals himself, he would have prepared even more. In terms of Flower Crystal Stone transactions, Ji An had never disappointed him. "Recently, talisman ink materials have dropped in price, and a set of materials will cost you 55 Spirit Crystals, leaving you with 12 Spirit Stones, Junior Brother." Ji An nodded slightly and said: "Ten Spirit Stones to pay off debts, the remaining two as a deposit. Senior Brother, I want a set of magic arrays to protect the small courtyard. I’ve planted Spirit Fruit Trees and a batch of Fire Cloud Ginseng, I can’t afford to be careless with them. I don’t ask for the array to be too powerful, just that it can seal off inside and outside." This transaction left him with not a single Spirit Stone in hand again. Wei Songnian stroked his chin approvingly and said: "Indeed, you can’t be careless. There might be small demon beasts sneaking in to steal them. Your courtyard isn’t big, ordinary sealing arrays are cheap, around twenty Spirit Stones will suffice. Business has been good recently, I’ll head to Cyan Cloud Immortal City again in a month to get you a set." "Can’t the sect’s Array Masters also handle it?" Ji An asked, feeling a bit anxious. "They can, but learning arrays is quite challenging, requiring at least late-stage Qi Refining cultivation to dabble in it. The sect’s Array Masters all have Foundation Establishment cultivation, firstly, I have no connections, secondly, they probably wouldn’t take on such a small job." "Alright, I’ll wait." After completing the transaction, Ji An hurriedly left with the pills and talisman ink materials. Without an array for protection, he felt uneasy leaving the courtyard for too long. ... Early the next morning, Old Huang and his grandson helped Ji An transport Spirit Rice to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to pay the land lease. After buying the grain seeds, he used ten Spirit Stones to exchange for two hundred Contribution Points, purchasing the long-desired Magic Technique Jade Slip. Returning to the bamboo house without a moment’s rest, Ji An couldn’t wait to place the Jade Slip on his forehead. After a long while, he put down the Jade Slip and began pondering what magic techniques to practice. There were many magic techniques in the Jade Slip, including offensive, defensive, and auxiliary ones, totaling more than a dozen. One’s energy is limited, so focus is necessary. After much consideration, Ji An made a choice, deciding to first learn Object Control Technique, Geng Metal Finger, Water Curtain Technique, and Wind Control Technique. Object Control Technique is the basis for controlling magical artifacts and is very practical. After learning it, whether for planting Spirit Fields, harvesting Spirit Rice, or making talisman paper, it becomes much more convenient, a must-learn. Among the Five Elements Magic, Metal Element and Fire Element techniques have stronger attack power, and he has a deeper understanding of Gold Element Spiritual Qi, so he chose Geng Metal Finger. Water Curtain Technique is a defense magic; although Water Element Magic isn’t known for its high defense, he can use a large amount of Kan Spirit, learning this only requires entry-level knowledge. Wind Control Technique can enhance physical speed and agility, and can still be used even after breaking through to Foundation Establishment; being able to escape from a demon beast is also a skill. With this approach, he has covered attack, defense, and auxiliary magic. Once his techniques reach Great Success and he breaks through to Ninth-Layer Qi Refining, acquiring a set of magical artifacts will allow him to participate in demon hunting.