The Gray-Feathered Sand Goose glided down to mid-mountain. Ji An leapt lightly from its back, full of energy, and started toward the Labor Hall.
A heavy "thud!" came from behind. Ji An turned, only to see the sand goose collapse to the ground, wings spread wide, its long neck limp against the earth.
After four or five days of high-intensity flight, carrying a rider all the while, it had reached its absolute limit.
Normally, upon reaching a destination, it would cry out proudly, demanding praise. But today, it didn't have the strength for even a single call.
It's about time I bought a flying shuttle, Ji An thought to himself.
Forming a hand seal, he summoned a cloud of mist more than a yard across to swirl above the sand goose's head. Hidden within, like a dragon weaving unseen through the fog, came a nourishing rain that showered down upon it.
With each drop of spirit-rich water, the beast's condition improved slightly.
Still, its constitution leaned heavily toward water affinity; life at Chiyan Peak would not be easy for it. In the future, he would likely have to keep it housed in the dark green pool at the mountain's base.
Entering the grand hall, Ji An saw Ye Changqing sitting with eyes closed in meditation. He couldn't help but smile.
"Senior Brother truly lives a leisurely life."
Ye Changqing had already sensed his approach. At Ji An's words, he finally opened his eyes.
"There are plenty of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect," he said, "but most assignments last a year or more. And here at the Labor Hall, several junior brothers handle the legwork of collecting task goods. So, yes, most of the time, this place is very quiet.
"Young as you are, it's right for you to press forward with vigor. But I… I've grown old. With no more prospects of advancement, my days naturally appear idle."
Rising to his feet, he smiled, though there was a hint of wistfulness in his expression.
"Have you chosen your cave dwelling?"
"I've chosen Chiyan Peak!" Ji An declared.
"I've been there a few times," Ye Changqing said with a shake of the head. "With your cultivation of a wood-element technique, the influence there will be considerable.
"Are you certain? Once chosen, it will be difficult to change."
Ji An cupped his hands.
"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I've considered it carefully."
"Good, as long as you understand the advantages and drawbacks. Since you've decided, place your mark of essence on the Mountain and River Map. Tomorrow I'll dispatch someone under the sect's authority to Chiyan Peak to notify the current tenants they'll be given a deadline to move."
He added with a chuckle,
"Normally, a Foundation Establishment novice is allotted twenty mu of spirit farmland. But because Chiyan Peak's spiritual aura is so violent, even for cultivators of gold or fire-element techniques, it has drawbacks.
"For that reason, the sect provides extra compensation. You will be allowed to freely manage thirty mu of spirit fields."
"Excellent!" Ji An's smile widened. The extra benefit was a delightful surprise.
After leaving his mark on the Mountain and River Map, he lingered to chat with Ye Changqing for a while.
His sand goose had overdrawn its strength; it would take some time to recover before they could depart again.
Ji An retrieved the celadon jar of spirit tea and grinned.
"Senior Brother, I see you have tea utensils here. Why not brew a pot and drink together?"
Ye Changqing cast a glance at the jar, the corners of his lips curling.
"Ah, good tea. 'Mist Rain in Empty Mountains,' from the Yifang Pavilion. Let me fetch some spirit charcoal."
"A true connoisseur," Ji An said with a laugh.
Ji An lifted the porcelain jar and studied the patterns on its surface. So, Tian Qingbai was really willing to part with this, he thought. I'd assumed he'd just tossed me some ordinary spirit tea.
Ye Changqing came over holding a copper basin in one hand, smiling broadly.
"When it comes to brewing tea, there's a whole world of learning behind it. Which kind of spirit charcoal to pair with which kind of tea? It all matters."
He pulled out a bronze wind stove, shaped a little like an ancient tripod with three legs and two handles. From years of use, the handles and the channel where the charcoal was loaded gleamed bright from wear.
Filling it with silvery-gray charcoal, Ye Changqing tapped a finger. A spark of fire shot from his fingertip and sank into the stove.
In the next instant, the little furnace glowed with a deep, fiery red, not a flickering flame, but a steady heat without smoke or ash.
Ji An, cooperating, used his object-control technique to set the kettle on top of the stove. Curious, he asked:
"Senior Brother, I noticed sect tasks often require large amounts of spirit charcoal, sometimes even second-rank spirit charcoal. Why is that?
To refine second-rank charcoal, the raw material has to be second-rank spirit wood. Isn't that wasteful, burning trees that take twenty or thirty years to grow? Surely it's not just for brewing tea?"
Ye Changqing didn't answer directly but instead asked:
"You've joined Elder Ge's Verdant Cliff lineage. Haven't you studied alchemy?"
"I haven't," Ji An admitted. After a pause, he added:
"As far as I know, only Qi Refining disciples use spirit charcoal in alchemy. Foundation Establishment alchemists all use earthfire instead."
"True," Ye Changqing said, "but during certain stages of pill refinement, the medicinal broth must be simmered for a long time. Earthfire is too fierce; it can easily burn off a portion of the medicine's essence.
It doesn't matter for ordinary pills, but for high-grade pills, where collecting even a single batch of herbs is extremely difficult, no alchemist would tolerate the slightest waste.
It's just like tea. For certain special pills, using the right type of spirit charcoal brings out the medicine's properties to the fullest.
That's why higher-ranked charcoal is essential. Elder Ge is a great master of alchemy. Ask her yourself when you return."
Ji An felt a flicker of embarrassment. Nearly all his time had been devoted to improving his cultivation and training spells. Clearly, he needed to start filling in these gaps in knowledge lest others laugh at him behind his back.
No matter. Once I go over the jade slips I brought from the Transmission Hall, my outlook will broaden naturally.
He quickly shifted the topic.
"Senior Brother, who is the elder guarding the Transmission Hall? I sensed a strong fire aura from him for a moment."
"That would be Elder Zhu Xiangrong," Ye Changqing replied. "He's an expert in artifact refining and cultivates a fire-element technique."
The kettle soon began to gurgle. Ye Changqing deftly lifted it with his object-control technique and began to steep the tea. A faint fragrance mingled with the rising steam, filling the room.
...
At the Administrative Hall.
Ji An had barely stepped inside when a hearty voice greeted him.
"Junior Brother, where have you been wandering these past days? I've already picked out several promising spirit farmers for you, just waiting for you to make your choice."
"I took a little extra time to personally inspect the cave dwellings. I appreciate your efforts, Senior Brother."
"Think nothing of it. Give me a moment, I'll send word to those suitable disciples to come here for you to choose from."
Tian Qingbai activated a few message-swords and then added:
"Choosing a cave dwelling is no small matter. It's only right to investigate carefully. By the way, where did you decide on?
If it's near my place, it'd be convenient for us to visit each other often."
"My cave is a bit remote, Chiyan Peak, on the outer edge of the sect."
"So far away? What a pity."
Tian Qingbai actually had no idea where Chiyan Peak was. But if it was on the outskirts, it meant at least several hundred li from his own dwelling. Any thought of frequent visits could be dismissed.
Ji An caught the glint in Tian Fatty's eyes. His mouth said "what a pity," but his tone carried not the slightest trace of regret.
Ji An gave him a polite smile.
"Indeed, a pity."
Half an hour later, the spirit farmers who met the requirements began arriving one after another. Ji An personally oversaw the tests and finally selected one whose Minor Rain Technique and Thick Earth Art had both reached the level of perfection.
"Before the hour of Chen tomorrow, come to Verdant Cliff and find me. I'll take you to the medicine garden."
"At once, Master. This disciple will return and prepare."
The gray-haired spirit farmer's face lit with joy as he bowed respectfully.
With his mastery of spellwork, managing the medicine garden would take little of his time and wouldn't interfere with tending his own spiritual grain. It was essentially free contribution points every month. And if his master happened to be in a good mood, he might even receive extra rewards.
Ji An waved him off, and once the man had departed, he bid farewell to Tian Qingbai and left.
The gray-feathered sand goose soared happily over the lake, letting out a joyous cry. Back in its familiar territory, it was visibly excited.
The last few days had been truly unpleasant, and it had longed for this place where mountains and waters embraced.
Ji An could easily guess the beast's thoughts. The corners of his mouth lifted, his gaze tinged with sympathy.
The sand goose landed among the spiritual fields. Ji An looked over the lush talisman grass and spirit rice and nodded with satisfaction.
Even during his absence, the spiritual plants had been well cared for.
Forming a hand seal, he cast the Thick Earth Art and Minor Rain Technique. This would likely be the last season he farmed by Bihui Lake.
In a few days, once he'd begun practicing the Thick Earth Returning Chant and Spring Breeze and Gentle Rain Art, these two beginner-level planting spells would be consigned to the dust of time.
Moist spiritual energy spread through the air with the falling rain, the plants swaying as green waves rolled across the fields.
Hands clasped behind his back, Ji An gazed over the land into which he had poured so much time and effort, his thoughts drifting back to the night he first entered the sect.
"Senior Brother, what have you been busy with these past few days?"
From afar, Huang Feihu spotted the figure standing on the narrow field path and shouted with delight. He had been on his way to water the fields.
Dozens of mu of spiritual farmland had worn him out in recent days. Now that his senior brother had returned, he could finally rest.
Ji An turned and waved lightly.
Huang Feihu jogged over, his expression growing more and more astonished.
"Senior Brother, you've… you've reached Foundation Establishment?"
"A few days ago, I was fortunate enough to break through. I've been busy since then. These days must have been hard on you."
"Not hard at all, just what I should do."
Huang Feihu quickly waved his hands. He had always known this day would come, but hadn't expected it so soon.
His eyes brimmed with envy. His senior had entered the sect only three years before him, eleven years total, and had gone from Qi Refining stage one all the way to Foundation Establishment.
Such talent rivaled that of upper-grade aptitude disciples with family backing.
What encouraged him most was that all of this had been achieved by Ji An's own effort.
It strengthened Huang Feihu's own confidence. Though his aptitude couldn't compare, with steady steps and the support of his grandfather, breaking through to Foundation Establishment would not be difficult.
He was already at Qi Refining stage eight, brushing against the bottleneck. Once he broke through to stage nine, he could spend a few years saving contribution points for a Foundation Establishment Pill, then focus fully on honing himself for the breakthrough.
"Feihu, after I established my foundation, I tried recommending you to help manage the medicine garden at Verdant Cliff. But Master required at least one of the Minor Rain Technique or Thick Earth Art at the level of perfection, so I couldn't make it happen."
"That only shows my lack of strength. Thank you for thinking of me, Senior Brother."
Huang Feihu gave a bitter smile. He knew that compared to veteran farmers who had spent half a lifetime in the fields, he had no advantage. It was simply that the time and fortune weren't on his side, and the chance had slipped away.
"Now that I've broken through and chosen a cave dwelling, I'll need someone at my side to manage matters inside and out. Would you be willing?"
By sect rules, Foundation Establishment cultivators could bring two Qi Refining disciples to assist with chores, freeing more of their time for cultivation. They only had to cover the disciples' quarterly contribution fees.
For example, his own master had two servant girls attending to her daily needs.
"I am willing!"
Huang Feihu bowed deeply. There was no hesitation in being attached to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, which was the dream of every ordinary disciple.
Even setting aside everything else, simply being able to cultivate at a spiritual vein node would dramatically increase his cultivation speed.
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