The moon hung like a hook, slanting its light over the bamboo loft.
Inside the room, a single stick of incense burned, its thin, curling smoke carrying a faint fragrance that spread through the air.
At this moment, Ji An sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, running the Evergreen Aetherwood Art. Heaven and earth spiritual energy flowed into his body through his breath and circulated through his immortal meridians.
When the qi passed through the Jade Spring Acupoint and the Gushing Spring Acupoint, the seed of the Dao flickered with an almost imperceptible glow, causing his aura to shift slightly.
Completing one great cycle, droplets of refined mana fell into his dantian. The stone turtle floating there flashed with a soft azure light across its shell, swallowing three parts out of ten.
Ji An's heart remained as calm as an ancient well, running the technique again and again.
Only when he sensed a faint swelling pain in his meridians did he stop, opening his eyes to check the hourglass by his side. Two and a half hours had already passed.
He sighed inwardly. No wonder people say: In cultivation, the years pass unseen; when you wake, you know not how much time has gone by.
He was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, and already one meditation session lasted this long. How much longer would an Origin Ascension cultivator spend in a single sitting?
Beyond Origin Ascension were Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and many more realms. The road ahead stretched endlessly; who knew when it would ever end?
A faint loneliness welled in Ji An's heart. He pushed open the window and gazed at the cold, clear crescent moon, lost in silence for a long time.
The Dao has no end… perhaps there is no end at all.
The night wind rustled the leaves, accompanied by the chorus of insects, deepening the stillness of the scene.
"Heh," he chuckled softly, lifting his brows:
"From the foot of the mountain, the peak seems unreachable;
Within the mountain, the path feels confusing;
But upon the summit, one beholds a thousand vistas.
If others can reach those lofty realms, why can't I?!"
To have come to this world of cultivation with the stone turtle by his side, he had far broader prospects than most. How fortunate was that?
Re-centering himself on the cushion, Ji An took out the jade slip for the Verdant Wood Vitalization Art.
Clearly, this spell leaned toward the jia wood path. If he could condense a jia wood Dao seed, harmonizing yin and yang, it would aid him greatly in comprehending the true essence of wood-element qi.
About an hour later, he stepped out of the loft. The moonlight was cool as water, the chill night air brushing against his face, refreshing his spirit.
He formed seals with his hands, the hazy moonlight outlining his palm's shadow.
Mana coursed through his meridians in a set pattern, and when the incantation completed, faint green motes of light scattered like stars descending upon the earth.
Gentle radiance settled on the wild grasses and thornbushes, sinking into them. Their slender leaves glowed with a jade luster, swaying like clusters of immortal herbs, visibly growing by inches in moments.
Unlike the Withering-Bloom Formula, which stole spiritual essence from plants only to feed it back, this spell directly transformed his mana into the vigorous vitality of wood qi to nourish growth.
Ji An narrowed his eyes, carefully savoring the lingering resonance of casting. Soon after, he sank his mind into his dantian.
The stone turtle floated atop the sea of mana like a tiny skiff. On its shell, streams of light shimmered.
[Spell: Verdant Wood Vitalization Art (Entry 1%)]
With his ample Kan and Kun qi, once he got the Spring Breeze and Gentle Rain Art and Thick Earth Returning Chant to entry level, he could refine spiritual qi at will to push them upward rapidly.
With these three spells, tending spiritual herbs or cultivating spirit-fruit trees would become effortless.
But the night was already deep. If he dove into two more Foundation Establishment spells now, he would be up until dawn. Best to pause for a few days.
Still, an offensive spell was necessary. After Master Zhu's reminder at the Transmission Hall, he had decided on Golden Light Art.
But to truly grasp the Golden Light, he would need to cultivate Golden Armor Art as its foundation, likely condensing a Dao seed of yin metal.
The Sharp Gold Art represented the yang aspect of metal; the Golden Armor Art, the yin.
The Golden Light Art could transform metallic qi into blades of light to strike enemies, or condense it into armor to shield the body.
In this way, the spell was surprisingly "complete," being both offensive and defensive.
Back in the loft, Ji An retrieved an old jade slip he'd purchased years ago. Pressing it to his forehead, he located the Golden Armor technique and began silently chanting the incantation, working through the spell's logic.
It was only a beginner-level spell. With his current comprehension, reaching entry level would not take long.
A quarter of an hour later, he formed the seals and tried twice. A faint golden light spread over his body like a thin veil.
He flicked a finger against his chest; it felt like striking a hard surface, yet his joints moved unhindered. Remarkably wondrous.
Once more, Ji An drew his mind into his dantian, linking with the stone turtle.
[Spell: Golden Armor Art (Entry 1%)]
"Refine spiritual qi to raise the Golden Armor Art."
As the words echoed in his mind, Ji An's divine sense entered the mysterious space of the stone turtle, transforming into a hazy shadow that appeared above the Dui position.
The section of shell beneath his feet began to change, as though cast entirely in molten gold, something that had never happened before.
It seemed that with his cultivation breakthrough, the stone turtle had also undergone a deeper transformation.
Insights into spell cultivation flowed through his mind. Soon, the Dui spiritual qi was exhausted, halting his progress in the Golden Armor Art.
[Spell: Golden Armor Art (Entry 1% → 6%)]
The stone turtle's refining of elemental qi allowed him to rapidly improve his spell comprehension, freeing up more of his time to study cultivation methods and advance his realm.
"Refine qi to enhance Verdant Wood Vitalization."
Ji An noticed that the Zhen and Xun positions simultaneously sprouted with verdant light. Zhen glowed brighter though paler, while Xun appeared deeper, like dark green jade.
His shadow stepped into both positions at once and began running the spell.
The Zhen and Xun qi steadily drained away. Zhen slowly, Xun far more quickly.
When the Zhen qi was finally exhausted, his shadow gradually dissipated. Ji An's divine sense returned to his body, spell comprehension lingering at the forefront of his thoughts.
[Spell: Verdant Wood Vitalization (Entry 1% → Minor Achievement 2%)]
His brows knit slightly. The stone turtle absorbed little Xun qi each day, and even less Zhen qi. Quickly advancing this spell would be difficult.
But his expression soon eased. That short moment of progress would have taken an ordinary cultivator a year or two of grinding effort.
This was a Foundation Establishment spell, being able to improve so quickly. What more could he ask for?
The night passed quietly, his dreams sweet and untroubled.
...
At dawn, Ji An brought the new spiritual farmer who was to replace him into the medicine garden.
"Old Xiang, put down your work for now. Show him around, and discuss how you'll divide the tasks going forward."
Turning to the newcomer, Ji An said:
"Follow Old Xiang for the next few days to get familiar with things. Once my master is free, I'll take you to meet her."
"Many thanks for your guidance, Martial Uncle."
Ji An nodded slightly, leaving the two to their discussion while he began practicing the Verdant Wood Vitalization Art.
Without qi to refine, all he could do was practice over and over again, mere grinding work.
Old Xiang and the newcomer gazed at the falling emerald starlight with admiration in their eyes.
...
Five days later.
Ji An opened the protective wards and stepped into the courtyard, having just finished working in the spirit fields.
He checked the growth of the spirit-fruit trees and the Firecloud Ginseng, a faint, thoughtful smile tugging at his lips.
Plans are rarely kept up to date with change. When he first planted this batch of herbs, it was with the intention of using them as collateral to "borrow" a sum of spirit stones from a senior brother or sister to cover the shortfall for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
But now, he had already formed his foundation and was preparing to move on, yet these plants still needed another four or five years to mature.
Ji An chuckled at the irony. The fruit trees would have to be transplanted, and the Firecloud Ginseng would be handed over to someone else. Otherwise, he'd be forced to keep returning every so often.
At least they could fetch five or six hundred spirit stones. No matter what, he wouldn't just abandon them.
He formed seals, emerald starlight falling like rain. Under the sunlight, the courtyard became an ocean of luminous green, dreamlike and ethereal.
The two spirit-fruit trees glistened as though freshly washed, their leaves even more vibrant.
After a few breaths, Ji An's seals shifted, and he cast the Flame Incantation. Heat surged through the courtyard, fire-qi rising like boiling vapor.
The plants stretched their leaves, trembling with joy.
When wood flourishes, fire thrives.
He closed his eyes, using his divine sense to feel the transformation between elemental forces.
Moments later, Ji An summoned a light rain with the Minor Rain Art, then shut down the wards and left riding his Grayfeather Sand Goose.
Upon returning to Verdant Cliff, he found two unexpected visitors waiting by his bamboo loft.
"Haha, junior brother, we've been waiting a long time!"
Zhu Qinghao clasped his hands with a smile. From vague memory, he recognized Ji An.
When he had seen this named disciple of Master Ge years ago, he never imagined the youth would advance to Foundation Establishment so quickly. At the time, he hadn't made any effort to get close.
Though they had crossed paths a few times since, they had never exchanged mana imprints.
Now, needing to find him, Zhu had no choice but to wait outside. After such a long wait, his patience was fraying.
"Second Senior Brother, such an honored guest, pardon my lack of welcome."
Ji An cupped his hands politely, exchanging the usual pleasantries while inwardly wondering what had brought them here.
Though they were technically fellow disciples of the same lineage, their cultivation gap had always been too wide, and there had never been any real friendship.
...
Zhu Qinghao gestured toward the man beside him.
"This is Senior Brother Chen Xingyun, from the Chen clan of Puyun Mountain."
"Senior Brother Chen, I've long admired your name. I am Ji An."
"Younger Brother Ji is truly gifted, forming your foundation at such a young age. Far beyond me at this stage."
"You flatter me, Senior Brother. It's I who should take you both as examples."
Ji An smiled politely, formed a seal, and released the restriction around the bamboo loft. He gestured invitingly.
"Please, Senior Brothers, come inside so we may speak properly."
Once seated as host and guests, Ji An considered offering tea. But with no proper tea set on hand, he could hardly serve it in bowls without looking crude. Better to feign ignorance of social niceties than to lower himself in such a way.
Zhu Qinghao glanced around the sparse room, the corners of his lips lifting with amusement.
"Younger Brother dedicates himself wholly to cultivation, admirable indeed.
But this place is rather plain. Now that you've built your foundation, in a few days I'll send some cultivation supplies…and perhaps even a female cultivator to serve you.
A little leisure now and then can help one cultivate all the better."
Such unwarranted generosity instantly raised Ji An's guard. He declined with courtesy but firmness:
"I'm accustomed to my current lifestyle. I fear indulgence in comfort would only weaken my will to cultivate. I can't accept unearned gifts, but I appreciate the kind thought."
Who knew what traps might be hidden inside such "gifts"? With strangers, better to refuse.
After some back-and-forth, the topic was dropped.
Zhu Qinghao cleared his throat.
"In truth, we came with a request.
Brother Chen's clan makes its living through artifact crafting. They run workshops across many markets in the Western Continent, and they also lease the sect's Chiyan Peak.
A few days ago, the Labor Hall sent notice that they must vacate within two months. After some inquiries, we learned that it was you who chose that peak as your cultivation cave.
What you may not know is that the spiritual energy there is violent and harsh, not exactly an ideal place for cultivation."
Chen Xingyun spoke up, his voice mild and courteous:
"Forgive the intrusion, Junior Brother. We've been operating on Chiyan Peak for many years.
We've built several Earthfire Forging Chambers there, each stabilized with expensive Tier Two arrays.
If we're forced to relocate, all those arrays become useless, and the loss is too great. Might I ask if you'd reconsider your choice of cave and select another?"
Before coming, they had investigated Ji An's situation. Seeing how bare his residence was, they assumed he only coveted the extra ten mu of farmland the sect granted to those who chose difficult cave sites.
Chen Xingyun smiled even more warmly.
"Of course, we wouldn't let you suffer a loss. We are willing to offer one thousand spirit stones in compensation. What do you say?"
Ji An frowned. For him, Chiyan Peak was perfect. The unique convergence of elemental energies meant the stone turtle could absorb multiple types of essence at once.
Not even ten thousand spirit stones could replace that. Without it, where else could he find such a place?
"Forgive me, Senior Brother. I truly value that cave."
Chen Xingyun's eyes flickered, but he pressed on.
"If one thousand isn't enough, we can offer more. Or perhaps you could name another condition."
Ji An shook his head.
"One thousand five hundred."
He still shook his head.
"Senior Brother, please understand."
Chen Xingyun's expression darkened. After a pause, his voice dropped.
"Two thousand spirit stones."
"Senior Brother, I mean it. That place suits me best."
Zhu Qinghao finally spoke, his tone slow and weighty:
"Junior Brother, even I would be tempted by two thousand stones.
Chiyan Peak's qi may be strong, but it's hardly a true cultivation paradise.
You've only just stepped into Foundation Establishment; it's a time to be making allies, not enemies. Think carefully: more friends and fewer foes, isn't that simple arithmetic?
Give us this face, and I'll remember your kindness."
"Forgive me. I cannot."
Ji An's heart sneered If I give you face, I'll lose my very foundation.
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