Chapter 76: Chapter 74: Dao Seed: Cloud Formation and Rainfall After eating and drinking to his fill, Liang Hill was the first to bid farewell: "Senior Brother, Junior Brother, I will take my leave first. It is currently a crucial time for the growth of Spirit Fish. I need to keep a close watch. Once things settle down a bit, I will invite everyone over. The Spirit Fish will be plentiful." Wei Songnian laughed and said, "Alright, I’ll bring Spirit Wine when the time comes, and we shall drink to our hearts’ content." After Liang Hill bade farewell, he quickly went downstairs. Soon, Ji An saw him riding a Talisman Bird outside the window, flying towards the west of Jade Water Lake. Wei Songnian nodded slightly, speaking softly: "Junior Brother Liang is skillful in fishing Spirit Fish, and he’s also adept at cultivating them. Life has been getting better in the past two years. In a few more years, he should be able to save enough Contribution Points to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill." At gatherings of late-stage Qi Refining disciples, the topic always touched upon Foundation Establishment Pills. Huang Feihu’s expression grew solemn. He had heard of the intense competition for Foundation Establishment Pills in recent years. There was still a significant gap in buying a Foundation Establishment Pill using his grandfather’s savings. He needed to think carefully about how to earn Crystal Stones and Contribution Points. Thinking of this, he clasped his hands and said: "Senior Brothers, my earnings as a Spirit Farmer can never match up to Senior Brother Ji’s. I wonder what other Cultivation Techniques I should choose in the future?" Senior Brother Ji had achieved Perfection in the Small Cloud Rain Technique within three years of joining the sect, mastering Thick Earth Technique, Life and Death Technique, Flame Fire Spell, and Sharp Gold Technique, which was beyond his comparison. Meanwhile, Senior Brother Ji was also a skilled Talisman Maker. Even so, he still participated in Demon Hunting to earn Crystal Stones for exchanging Foundation Establishment Pills. He felt that he must learn another skill to support himself, or he didn’t know how many years it would take to gather enough Contribution Points for the Foundation Establishment Pill. Wei Songnian frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and answered: "Artifact Refining, Alchemy, and Arrays put more emphasis on real mentorship; without exceptional talent, buying entry-level spells and practicing on your own, it’s extremely hard to achieve anything. Talisman Making is also broad and profound, but entry is easier. If you are willing to put in hard work, drawing a few types of frequently used Talismans isn’t very difficult. However, there are many Talisman Masters, and the competition is fierce. Without solid skills, it’s hard to earn many Crystal Stones." This question was hard to answer, as each person had their strengths, and he couldn’t judge where Huang Feihu’s talent lay; it would only be known after trying. For many disciples, the cost of trial and error was high. Ji An also spoke up: "Relatively speaking, becoming a Talisman Maker has a lower cost." He once thought of trying Alchemy but decided against it. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶 Even with talent in Alchemy, without enough practice, it’s hard to achieve success, and each Pill has different techniques, making it hard to stand out unless you’re an Alchemist cultivated by the sect or major family. Most importantly, his advantage lay in Magic Techniques. Ji An was very much looking forward to seeing what changes Great Perfection level Magic Techniques would bring. The most suitable path for him was cultivating a large Spirit Field, drawing Talismans, and participating in Demon Hunting, training with a balanced approach. Once he successfully achieved Foundation Establishment and had ample time, he could then learn a new skill, not seeking great achievement but as a form of adjustment. Huang Feihu nodded slightly, preparing to ponder for a period and then discuss it with his grandfather. It concerned his future Dao path, so he couldn’t afford to be careless. Ji An took out a piece of ore with mottled blood-red color from the Storage Bag and handed it over, asking: "Senior Brother, with your broad knowledge, do you recognize this material?" Taking the ore, Wei Songnian examined it carefully, then scraped some red powder with a small knife and brought it to his nose to sniff. Weighing the ore’s mass, he smiled: "Junior Brother, you have good luck. This is Red Blood Copper, a rather advanced Artifact Refining material that can slightly enhance the power of Fire Attribute Magical Artifacts. Generally, Artifact Refiners will use it when crafting top-grade Magical Artifacts. This small piece of ore alone could easily sell for twenty Spirit Stones." "So it turns out to be a good thing." Ji An thought about the two pieces of ore in his possession, and his mood improved several folds. He placed the ore back into the Storage Bag and smiled: "Flying Tiger has now also broken through to late-stage Qi Refining. Senior Brother, how many Ginseng Essence Pills do you have left?" "I knew Junior Brother would ask." Wei Songnian took out six light green Jade Bottles, a smile spreading across his face: "I reserved sixty Pills, enough for the both of you." "Senior Brother, how much for one Pill in Spirit Stones?" Huang Feihu asked weakly, knowing only that Pills for improving cultivation at late-stage Qi Refining were very expensive. "Two Spirit Stones for one Pill. How many do you want, Junior Brother?" After a moment of silence, Huang Feihu gritted his teeth and took out ten Spirit Stones in three lots: "I’ll take five." Wei Songnian took an empty bottle and poured in six Pills: "Junior Brother, on breaking through to late-stage Qi Refining, the extra one is a gift." "Senior Brother, it’s too precious, I..." Wei Songnian waved his hand: "Accept it, I often borrowed Spirit Stones from Old Huang before." "Accept it," Ji An also persuaded, "Senior Brother, how much Middle Grade Talisman Paper do you have?" "I only have 100 sheets right now." "Give them all to me, the old rule is to add two types of Talisman Ink. Also, give me another 40 Pills." Ji An no longer prepared Talisman Ink himself, and to save time, he directly purchased it. The transaction completed, the three parted ways. ... Ji An’s days returned to a simple routine of tending the Spirit Fields and practicing Magic Techniques. Pills and the Spirit Capturing Array were all in place, and his cultivation level increased daily. As days and nights passed, time flew by, and before he knew it, it was time to harvest the Jade Corn once again. The full moon rose over the bamboo loft, and Ji An ended his cultivation with a look of delight in his eyes. With enough Spirit Stones spent recklessly, he could feel the bottleneck of the Ninth-Layer Qi Refining, confident that he would break through it soon. He focused his mind into the Stone Turtle, and line by line, words appeared in his mind. [Master: Ji An] [Dao Rhyme: 0] [Spiritual Mechanism: Kan Spirit 708.4, Kun Spirit 658.7, Xun Spirit 387.2, Zhen Spirit 6.5] [Magic Techniques: Small Cloud Rain Technique (Perfection 83%) Thick Earth Technique (Perfection 66%) Life and Death Technique (Perfection 7%) Flame Fire Spell (Perfection 2%) Sharp Gold Technique (Perfection 34%) Object Control Technique (Perfection 39%) Wind Control Technique (Great Success 46%) Water Curtain Technique (Perfection 21%) Geng Metal Finger (Perfection 7%) Cold Wind Technique (Minor Achievement 5%)] The Spiritual Mechanism had stored enough, and it was time to use it. Ji An’s Divine Sense locked onto the Small Cloud Rain Technique, beginning the refinement of the Spiritual Mechanism. The Kan Spirit rapidly decreased, and insights into the Magic Technique flowed into his mind. Ji An seemed to hear the sound of misty rain gently falling in the wind, his heart becoming peaceful. In a trance, he saw myriad plants stretching their bodies in the fine rain, dewdrops converging on their leaves and slowly seeping into the soil... When he returned to his senses, he saw that the line for the Small Cloud Rain Technique had disappeared, and at the bottom, a new line appeared. [Dao Seed: Cloud Formation and Rainfall (Unranked), hidden in the Yongquan Acupoint, understood the True Intent of the Dao of Gui Water’s Magic Technique ’Spirit Nourishes All Things,’ enhancing a little comprehension of the Dao of Gui Water’s Magic Techniques.] Comprehending True Intent and enhancing comprehension—sounded promising. Ji An nodded slightly, stood up, opened the door, and headed to the back of the courtyard to perform a technique, channeling Magical Power.