Ji An's heart trembled. He immediately realized the change must have come from his Minor Rain Technique.
He sank his consciousness into his dantian and linked with the stone tortoise.
[Master: Ji An]
[Dao Resonance: 0]
[Spiritual Qi: Kan 0.8, Kun 0.3, Xun 0.1]
[Techniques: Minor Rain Technique (Perfection 1%),
Thick Earth Formula (Great Accomplishment 66%),
Withering-Bloom Formula (Great Accomplishment 25%),
Flamefire Incantation (Proficient 53%),
Sharp Gold Art (Minor Accomplishment 69%)]
So it was true that Minor Rain Technique had reached the Perfection stage. Ji An laughed aloud three times, then quickly fell into deep thought.
Kan, the water trigram of the Five Elements, stood for flow, transformation, purification, and nourishment.
That strange aura within the falling rain must have been the manifestation of water's life-giving essence.
Still, he hadn't expected that a perfected Minor Rain Technique could actually accelerate the growth of spirit grain and talisman grass.
Li Changfeng had once said that reaching Perfection in a technique was "skill approaching Dao." Ji An hadn't believed it then, but now, he did!
The thought thrilled him.
If a farming spell at Perfection allowed him to glimpse the truth of the Five Elements, then what further insights would come if he pushed Minor Rain Technique to true Perfection?
Yet his excitement quickly cooled. Wouldn't such rapid progress in spell mastery draw the wrong kind of attention?
Still, the stone tortoise resided within his qi sea; it shouldn't be detectable. He had already faced Foundation Establishment cultivators without them sensing anything.
So long as he found a reasonable explanation, there would be no problem openly revealing that he had reached Perfection in a spell.
Judging from the sect's rules and conduct, the higher-ups seemed eager to nurture talented disciples.
And it made sense: since migrating west, the Golden Spirit Sect had survived and grown while dozens of rival sects perished. If the sect's own core were plagued with intrigue, how could they have withstood the storms outside?
This land was a buffer against war; the elders surely knew it. External pressures demanded internal unity; otherwise, the sect would have collapsed long ago.
Ji An reached his decision. If he could come up with a proper explanation, he would reveal his achievement.
Showing talent would surely bring special treatment. Even if nothing else, being reassigned to cultivate on a spirit vein would be a massive gain.
The stone tortoise would draw in more spiritual energy there, letting his golden finger be used to its fullest.
With this thought, Ji An hurriedly activated a talisman bird. As it grew larger, he leapt aboard, impatiently flying toward the Bihui Market.
Among his acquaintances, no one was more well-informed than Wei Songnian. If he wanted to find something out, that was the man to ask.
It was still morning; Wei was probably not yet at the market. Still, Ji An was itching for answers and couldn't wait until noon.
The talisman bird, a gift from Zhao Mengyao, was nearing the end of its lifespan. As it flew, it creaked and groaned.
The memory of plunging into the lake on his last flight flickered through Ji An's mind, instantly dampening his urgency.
By the time he reached Bihui Market, his mood was completely calm again.
Since it was still early, he landed in a quiet spot by the lakeshore and began practicing the Sharp Gold Art.
Metal spells and fire spells were renowned for their offensive power. Without the right elemental qi to support him, Ji An could only rely on sheer persistence.
The wondrous change brought by pushing the Minor Rain Technique to Perfection made Ji An realize that even practicing these low-level spells would benefit him in the long run; at the very least, they could help him grasp the true essence of the Five Elements.
No road is ever walked in vain; every step counts.
Golden threads of light flared from his fingertips, shifting and scattering at will. Sometimes they merged into a single ray, and whenever that beam shot forth, it carried a razor-sharp killing intent.
Wei Songnian finished tallying up the talisman paper and ink, his face beaming.
"140 sheets of low-grade first-rank talisman paper, 48 sheets of mid-grade, and 6 bottles of low-grade ink, 734 spirit crystals in total.
Junior Brother, even among the old spirit farmers, this season's harvest of yours is outstanding.
How about some more Jadegrain Pills?"
In his eyes, this junior's prospects were brighter than anyone else he had deliberately befriended.
Beast blood always varied in concentration, and talisman ink was tricky to refine. It required a strong spiritual sense to feel the subtle changes in the spiritual energy within the ink and adjust the recipe ratios accordingly.
Plenty of veteran spirit farmers could only make talisman paper; the inks they brewed were useless.
What impressed Wei even more was how different Ji An was from those farmers who hoarded every coin.
Not only did he sell raw materials to Wei, but he also spent freely. Aside from the scions of great clans, Wei had never seen such a generous disciple.
"Mm, thirty Jadegrain Pills." Ji An placed down two spirit stones. His priority was to secure his cultivation speed; only then would he think about saving up.
"Good!" Wei Songnian chuckled, happily pocketing the stones. He quickly packed up thirty pills along with the change in crystals and handed them over.
All told, he had cleared a profit of two spirit stones. Clients like this Wei wished he could meet them every day.
Ji An tucked the pills and crystals into his sleeve and asked,
"Senior Brother, you've traveled widely. Have you ever heard of treasures that can speed up comprehension of spells?"
"That list is endless. But honestly, Junior Brother, if you're still looking for treasures to make you learn even faster, how are the rest of us supposed to survive?
You must have been born with an unusually strong soul and exceptional perception. Otherwise, your progress in spell mastery wouldn't be this fast."
Wei began counting on his fingers, speaking at length:
"Take Old Huang's water-essence extract; he tempers every day.
That stuff isn't just used to enhance the spirituality of tools and treasures; if we refine it ourselves, it can temporarily deepen our insight into water-attribute spells. All Five-Element essences have similar effects.
Then there's Enlightenment Tea. A spirit tea that, when drunk, heightens perception for a short while. It greatly aids both in cultivating techniques and in grasping spells. The higher its grade, the stronger the effect. They say long-term use even nourishes the soul and strengthens the spiritual sense.
There's also Soul-Nurturing Wood, second-rank and above. Forged into artifacts, it nourishes the soul and can briefly boost comprehension. Practice spells then, and the results are doubled for half the effort.
And since we're on the topic of artifacts, I once heard an elder speak of innate spirit treasures born alongside the cultivator in the womb. They often possess unimaginable powers.
Those with an innate spirit treasure are rarer than even those with Heaven-grade talent."
Wei clicked his tongue, letting out a long sigh.
"If I had been born with an innate spirit treasure, what would Foundation Establishment or Origin Ascension matter? Golden Core would've been my starting line!
Every time I think of it, my heart aches. Fate is cruel, Heaven is unfair!"
"Senior Brother Wei," another familiar cultivator teased, "maybe your innate spirit treasure just hasn't manifested yet!"
"Bah, innate spirit treasures manifest at birth. Watch your stall, don't spout nonsense."
Ji An's eyes tightened. He asked softly,
"If news of an innate spirit treasure got out, wouldn't its owner be in danger?"
Wei shook his head.
"Innate treasures are bound by blood and soul. They only work for the one they're born with. Even if someone else stole it, it'd be useless.
Otherwise, wouldn't every innate treasure already have been snatched up by the powerful?"