Rising from Small Cloud Rain Technique

The moonlit night stirred with a shock of wind, as two red clouds blossomed like fiery mists, adorning the boundless sky.

Ji An pointed towards the distant glittering stars and said with a smile:

"If my guess is correct, that must be Lantao Mountain."

Though the distance blurred the view, the moving lights suggested that cultivators were searching for treasures under lamplight.

"Let’s push on," Han Yan’s eyes flashed with a hint of joy.

The fragmentation of a Little World or Secret Realm is such a grand event that it cannot be missed.

As the junior brother suggested, if the news spreads, the major powers from the Southern Continent will undoubtedly clear the area and expel other cultivators.

If such heavensent fortune appeared near the Sect, the Sect would do the same — the stakes are too high.

Gaining a World Core would be equivalent to acquiring an exclusive resource realm.

Even though a World Core might not exist, the slightest possibility warrants digging three feet deep to find it.

The task right now is to seize some advantages before the major powers clear the scene.

The two adjusted their course, and the red clouds accelerated, dragging vibrant hues behind.

Upon reaching the destination, Ji An used the moonlight above and the light from Luminous Beads and torches held by cultivators to make out the terrain of Lantao Mountain.

Rather than a mountain, it resembled a mountain hollow, surrounded by mountains on the east, north, and west, with a depression in the middle.

Lights twinkled across the vast region, akin to a modern city brightly lit at night.

"Junior brother, shall we split up and search by luck?"

Han Yan proposed. Searching for treasures together, they could easily divide any spiritual artifact ores found.

But what if they discovered the elusive World Core? How would it be divided?

Priceless treasures entice everyone to claim ownership, and even if profits from within were to be shared, deciding who controls such a treasure poses a colossal challenge.

In facing immense benefits, trust between people becomes exceedingly fragile.

There’s a high chance of conflict, making it better to rely on one’s fortune, avoiding potential strife that could harm the camaraderie among sect mates.

Life and death are fated, wealth and status lie in destiny’s hands.

Ji An gave a slight nod, echoing his own thoughts.

"Take care, senior sister; I’ll search in the east."

According to the Five Elements, the east belongs to wood, symbolizing vibrant life, with a rising aspect of wood that seems auspicious.

"I will head west."

Han Yan summoned a Puppet Beast, and the Sun-Swallowing Bead was also conjured, hovering above her head and emitting intense light in lieu of the Luminous Bead.

The Puppet Beast bore Dharma Prohibitions that could vary its size, currently as large as a sturdy ape.

She controlled the light projection of the spiritual artifact, knowing that fully activating the Sun-Swallowing Bead could flood the forest with daylight, which would only benefit others.

Ji An watched his senior sister leave, then released the Golden-winged Bird with instructions and called out Golden Fur.

The Spirit Beast Bag contains a peculiar space where Demon Beasts quickly fall asleep after entering, yet awaken instantly upon exiting, a truly wondrous phenomenon.

Golden Fur, as large as a fat pig now, lacked its youthful innocence and instead appeared fiercely menacing when baring its teeth.

Ji An rode a cloud to the eastern edge of the mountain ridge,

waiting patiently as the Golden-winged Bird scouted out the terrain.

Lacking sufficient light, the full view could not be seen with just the naked eye.

A sharp tool does not delay the work of chopping firewood, there’s no need to rush; treasure hunting, if destined, will come eventually.

He descended, scrutinizing the vegetation, noticing apart from some wild grass, peach forests grew rampantly.

Upon seeing the red cloud descend, nearby cultivators chose to distance themselves, wary of the temperament of the newly arrived High-Tier Cultivator — an encounter with a violent one could spell doom.

Ji An spread his Divine Sense, sensing a peculiar Power of Wood Element hidden within the soil.

As a cultivator of Wood Element Divine Mansion at Perfection, he discerned that the soil held toxicity.

He frowned slightly, retrieving an Antitoxic Pill from his Storage Bag to feed Golden Fur.

The soil’s toxicity implied the spirit plants here were also poisonous; in such an environment, spiritual objects untouched by toxins were certainly the targets.

"Search down there, but don’t stray too far; collect any spiritual objects with no or very weak toxicity."

The Spirit-Seeking Rat had a knack for distinguishing toxins, and Ji An could do the same, possibly making this treasure hunt easier than expected.

"Squeak, squeak," Golden Fur shook its head, fluffing its fur, and jumped down joyfully.

Sinking into slumber in the Spirit Beast Bag too long left its muscles sluggish, requiring activity every few days.

Ji An rode the cloud into the sky, observing the land for whether fortune had favored anyone below.

The wait was somewhat long, lasting about half an hour, before the Golden-winged Bird returned from afar.

’This area is quite sizable,’ Ji An thought, and the swift flight of the Puppet, even faster than his Golden Feathered Eagle, led him to expect quicker results.

Taking the small bird in hand, he delved his Divine Sense into the Memory Stone, and a moment later, a three-dimensional ’sand table’ projection formed in his Sea of Consciousness.

The area was rectangular, wider in the middle, about thirty miles long and twenty miles wide, with low hills on the east and west, and towering ones to the north.

Now knowledgeable of the layout, he ordered the Golden-winged Bird to circle overhead on standby and called back Golden Fur.