Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

Golden Puppet Pavilion.

Fang Shiping listened to the report from his subordinate, slightly furrowed his brow, and said helplessly:

"So coincidental, I understand, you may go about your tasks."

The subordinate was his confidant, and he trusted the other’s words.

It’s very normal for Chao Origin Stage cultivators to go on adventures; there are many instances where there isn’t enough Five Elements Qi within the sect’s territory to consume.

For example, in the Golden Puppet Sect, cultivators need to go out to explore and consume qi after opening the Water Element Divine Mansion and the Wood Element Divine Mansion, as these two types of Five Elements Qi are hard to obtain within the sect.

"I’ll take my leave," Liu Anqing turned and left.

He felt speechless in his heart, as he spent a Middle-grade Spirit Stone but didn’t accomplish even a small task, which made him worry about affecting the steward’s perception, although he did nothing wrong.

Fang Shiping went to the fourth floor, recounted the event, and waited for the elder’s instructions.

Yun Feihua laughed after listening, "Fated yet not destined, what can be done?"

Fang Shiping said:

"It’s not without benefit. When the Business Alliance’s flying ship next arrives at the Western Continent, we will have another opportunity to inquire further.

At that time, we should be able to easily gather information."

It’s been thirty years, and they surely wouldn’t expect us to be inquiring about the location of the Azure Dragon Wood.

Yun Feihua raised an eyebrow and said:

"The next time the flying ship comes, it won’t be me, and whether you can come is also uncertain.

However, we can record this information. If we discover the location of the Azure Dragon Wood, we can send our people to search for it.

But don’t hold too much hope, a lot can happen in thirty years."

...

Ji An and Han Yan were riding on clouds, two Fire Element Auspicious Clouds like splendid rosy clouds, flying all the way southeast.

They would pass through the sect’s territory bordering Luofeng Valley, then continue flying for several months, crossing the boundary rivers of Kuangsha River, entering the Southern Continent.

Ji An gazed at the distant mountains and said:

"Senior Sister, the mountain ahead is quite high, and there is a deep valley, we could try to consume Earth Qi."

Han Yan raised her delicate eyebrows and said:

"Junior Brother has keen eyes, to be able to see the valley."

She could only make out a tall mountain ahead, vaguely seeing a crack, but could not discern its depth at all.

"Haha, cultivators beginning with the Wood Element Divine Mansion all have enhanced vision, and I am a cultivator with the Wood Element Divine Mansion at Perfection."

Ji An spoke with a hint of pride, overlooking everything on the ground as they raced forward, the gale whistling in his ears, there was a sense of elation.

Riding the green sea at dawn and the Cangwu at dusk, seeing the blue sky and climbing the white sun, if Xu Xiake knew of his experiences today, who knows how envious he would be.

Mountains can tire horses, but ’flying’ takes away this worry, and within just two double hours, they reached the high mountain.

At the mountain peak, a large stone with three gracefully carved, vigorous characters: Yu Hua Mountain.

The originally reddish-brown characters were speckled with black dots, the north face of the stone covered in moss, narrating past storms.

An unknown wild grass stubbornly grew, bending under the wind but not bowing its head.

Ji An placed the Jade Slip etched with the map of the Western Continent on his forehead, searching for their current location, grinning he said:

"It turns out to be Yu Hua Mountain, we’ve deviated slightly and are about to enter the area controlled by Luofeng Valley."

Flying from the air is indeed fast, but they were unfamiliar with the path, easily taking unnecessary detours.

Han Yan also took out the Jade Slip to check their current location, and laughed:

"Long-distance flight often causes direction shifts, just adjust it.

When we first came to the Western Continent without any maps, it was difficult for us cultivators not knowing how to travel far, and demon beasts were everywhere back then."

"It’s true there were demon beasts everywhere, but not so many flying demon beasts, and those needing to travel, at least were Chao Origin Stage cultivators, it shouldn’t have been that tough."

Demon beasts are meticulous in territory division, dividing hunting areas, and cultivators don’t directly face too many demon beasts.

Ji An paused and then said:

"Senior Sister, based on my experience, this kind of mountain peak can at most yield two wisps of Earth Qi of Wu, you take it, and I’ll have the next mountain, how about that?"

He now understood why Liu Yu didn’t want to partner with others; the Earth Element Qi is scattered, and with another person, the efficiency of consuming qi can’t be quick.

Ji An didn’t mind, as traveling ten thousand miles beats reading a thousand books, but journeying alone is inevitably too lonely.

Short-term is fine, but long-term loneliness might unexpectedly change one’s personality.

He believed that cultivation is not about being emotionless, but about facing one’s true inner self.

He could stay in a bustling place without interacting with people, but enduring solitude might be hard.

Communicating with peers is quite necessary, even if it’s just idle chatter with no real significance.

"Then I won’t be polite."

Han Yan struck a pose, raising both hands from the front of her abdomen, palms facing upward, uttering the sound "hu."

She continued with the sound, occasionally switching areas, and after half an hour, she smiled and said:

"Junior Brother’s experience is accurate, I only consumed two wisps of qi.

Let’s go, to the valley."

Ji An nodded slightly, taking out the Golden-winged Bird Puppet from the Void Realm Space.

With an open view at the mountaintop, any issues could be immediately noticed, but entering the deep valley required preparation.

He also took out the Golden Feathered Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag, and instructed while holding the puppet:

"This is your new companion, take good care of it in the future.

Once in the sky, warn us if any cultivators or large flying demon beasts come close."

The Golden Feathered Eagle glared intently at the small bird, its dark pupils showing malice, yet it still nodded submissively.

Ji An sensed its mood change and said with a chuckle:

"You’re jealous! It’s a puppet, lifeless, no conflict with you."

He engaged in a brief spiritual communication with the beast, explaining what a puppet was.

The Golden Feathered Eagle let out a joyful cry, happily spreading its wings in flight, as Ji An raised his hand and released the Golden-winged Bird.

"You’re really cautious, Junior Brother," Han Yan smiled brightly, feeling at ease with such a responsible companion.

"Hehe, I’ve been burned before, so I have to be careful."

Han Yan became intrigued and curiously asked:

"What happened before? Tell me more."

Ji An looked at his companion’s eager expression and grinned, baring his teeth:

"You want to hear about my troubles to amuse yourself, right?"

The two joked around, riding on a cloud to descend into the valley.

There should be a hidden spring in the valley, as the soil was very moist.

While Senior Sister was Qi-eating, Ji An released the Golden Fur, commanding it to search around and see if there were any gains.

Han Yan finished Qi-eating and smiled:

"Junior Brother, I’ve absorbed two strands of Qi, why don’t you try Qi-eating as well.

When we reach the next mountain peak, we might not encounter a valley or an underground chamber."

Without a valley or an underground chamber, the Qi of Ji Earth spreads through the earth veins, making it difficult to identify the exact Qi-eating spot.

"Alright."

Ji An did not stand on ceremony. Without any fancy gestures, he pursed his lips and made a "hoo" sound.

After three breaths, he said:

"Not bad, two strands of Qi-eating."

He judged that there should be a water vein nourishing the area underground, as regular spring water couldn’t cause such a change.

Han Yan smiled and nodded, releasing her own Golden Feathered Eagle:

"Let’s travel by beast taming, the magical power consumption from flying for two double hours is quite high."

In the wild, the primary task is to maintain enough magical power.

"Indeed."

Ji An summoned the Golden Fur back and placed it back into the Spirit Beast Bag, then ascended into the sky on a cloud.

He put away the Golden-winged Bird, checked the stored information from the patrol just now, and then proceeded on the beast taming journey.

Taking out a middle-grade Spirit Stone, he operated his cultivation technique to absorb the Spiritual Qi within.

A Chao Origin Stage Cultivator has developed strong immunity to the rampant Spiritual Qi in Spirit Stones, making them a good choice for magical power recovery.

Ji An clasped his hands together and, having exhausted all the Spiritual Qi, crushed the Spirit Stone into powder, the gray residue dispersing in the wind.

"Senior Sister, I’ll rely on you for direction while I practice the Silk Thread Spell."

Who said there are no benefits to traveling in pairs for Qi-eating!

"Sure," Han Yan replied, gaining a new appreciation for her junior brother’s diligence.

...

"Junior Brother, it will soon be dark. Shall we land?"

Ji An was roused by his senior sister’s words, linking his mind with the Stone Turtle. He glanced at it and nodded slightly, quite satisfied.

[Magic Technique: Silk Thread Spell (Entry 56%)]

"Senior Sister, what area are we now flying over? If we can determine the direction, we should fly for another double hour into the night."

The sooner they reached the Southern Continent, the sooner he could break through to the Fourth Transformation of the Chao Origin Stage.

Han Yan shook her head and said:

"There are no obvious landmarks ahead; it’s difficult to navigate while flying at night."

"Then let’s land and set up camp."

Ji An patted the back of the Golden Feathered Eagle, signaling it to start descending.

They found a clearing, where he spoke:

"Senior Sister, you take the first watch tonight, and I’ll take the second half. We can switch every few days. How does that sound?"

The second benefit of traveling together became clear: if traveling alone, one would need to sleep with one eye open.

"Sounds reasonable, Junior Brother, you should rest."

Ji An nodded slightly and released all his tamed beasts from the Spirit Beast Bag.

The area instantly became lively with the Cyan Water Turtle, Spirit-Seeking Rat, Golden Feathered Eagle, and Rock Armor Bear, as demon energy surged forth.

The Southern Continent has numerous great marshes; bringing along the Cyan Water Turtle should prove useful.

"Junior Brother, you have so many beasts; you’re like a cultivator from the Beast Taming Hall."

Ji An chuckled dryly, "I still have two beasts I didn’t bring along!"

He assigned the beasts to guard their respective areas, then released the Golden-winged Bird and Storm Thunder Eagle, and said with a smile:

"Senior Sister, may I borrow three top-grade Spirit Stones?"

The Storm Thunder Eagle puppet still didn’t have Spirit Stones to power it—it was in standby mode. As a puppet, it doesn’t consume much.

Receiving the Spirit Stones handed over by his senior sister, Ji An equipped them into the puppet, after which he took out a Pudun and sat down to begin practicing the Five Elements Reincarnation Scripture.

He planned to replace rest with cultivation practice.

Night enveloped the area, and after an unknown period, a loud, panicked shout from afar woke Ji An from his cultivation.

"Help!"

Han Yan came over cautiously and said:

"Junior Brother, did you hear the cry for help?"

"I heard it."

Han Yan hesitated and asked:

"What should we do now?"

While traveling, one should avoid trouble, yet the fear in the plea for help made her heart ache a little.