The shopkeeper was dumbfounded as he looked at the pile of Spirit Stones on the table and said with difficulty:

"Fellow Daoist, there aren’t that many top-grade Spirit Stones in the Treasure Talisman Pavilion.

You can get three top-grade Spirit Stones for selling talismans, and I can exchange for a maximum of two more."

In his heart, he maliciously speculated that perhaps the other party had embezzled some resources from the Sect, otherwise, how could they have accumulated so many middle-grade Spirit Stones.

The customer looked very young, clearly not the type of cultivator who had accumulated wealth over a lifetime.

Ji An scratched his head, "Alright, thanks for the help, fellow Daoist."

He counted out three hundred and fifty middle-grade Spirit Stones to push to the other person and asked in a conversational manner:

"In the past, when I sold talismans at your pavilion, I was attended to by Fellow Daoist Yinn Lingsu. How is she these days?"

Back then, he sold Geng Metal Talismans and Water Curtain Talismans, and had collaborated with the Treasure Talisman Pavilion for a long time.

"Oh, Junior Sister Yin, she failed to break through the Chao Origin Stage a few years ago and died of old age."

Upon hearing this reply, Ji An’s face was full of sighs, lamenting the relentless passage of time.

After counting the Spirit Stones, the shopkeeper put them away, stood up and said:

"The amount is just right to exchange for five top-grade Spirit Stones. Please wait a moment, I’ll go fetch the Spirit Stones."

After a while, with the transaction settled, Ji An left with the Spirit Stones.

He wandered around the Immortal City for half an hour, finding himself unfamiliar with the city, and noticing that the quality of goods in the shops was significantly inferior to those on the Merchant Flying Ship.

Finally, he returned disappointed to the Sect’s premises and used the Teleportation Array to go back to the Sect.

...

Three days later, early afternoon.

Zhang Yuanshan and another person were driving Flying Shuttles side by side, with the peaks shrouded in golden-red mist visible from afar.

Their speed slowed down, and Zhang Yuanshan said in a deep voice:

"I wonder why Fellow Daoist Ji invited us this time."

It seemed like a question, yet also seemed he was talking to himself.

Back when Chu River died and was buried, he invited the other to return to his hometown for a memorial, only to be refused unexpectedly.

At that time he thought, perhaps it was the gap in cultivation level that was widening the distance between them, so he proactively reduced contact.

"I don’t know," Zhao Mengyao looked at Yuan Mountain with complex eyes, with faint crow’s feet appearing at the corners of her eyes.

Despite still being charming, there was more of a weathered aura around her.

Among the many disciples who left Little Cang Mountain’s Cyan Pine Daoist School, Ji An was arguably the worst.

Because he was about to reach eighteen, almost exceeding the Sect’s standard, and his Meridian Opening was the latest. If delayed by just two more days, he would have missed the Sect’s recruitment.

For Meridian Opening, he even resorted to a little trick and borrowed Spirit Stones from several of them.

Over a hundred years have passed like flowing water, and among the disciples who joined the Sect on the same path back then, the dead are dead, the departed have left, leaving only the three of them still in the Sect.

Now he is a high and mighty Chao Origin Stage cultivator, having reached this realm for over seventy years.

While the two of them are still lingering, preparing for everything they can do to break through to the Chao Origin Stage.

Different from Zhang Yuanshan, her reason for distancing from Ji An was because she didn’t know how to face a once peer who she now needed to look up to.

The road, no matter how long, has an end. Zhang Yuanshan and the other person entered Red Flame Peak, looking at the spirit plants shining all over the mountain and feeling the dense spiritual qi surging like tides, they remained silent.

Their Flying Shuttle hovered in the air, and after a long time, Zhang Yuanshan sighed in defeat:

"I feel like I’m nothing."

He was still racking his brain to earn small merits to exchange for a Nourishing Yuan Pill, while the annual income of Red Flame Peak was probably enough to exchange for a pill.

Zhao Mengyao shook her head with a bitter smile, saying:

"Let’s go down, I see Fellow Daoist Ji."

At this moment, she also felt endless disappointment, with bitterness tingling at the corner of her mouth.

The two maneuvered their Flying Shuttle to the Cold Pool and slowly descended.

Ji An walked forward, cupped his hand with a smile and said:

"Today there’s no grand feast, just the three of us having a few drinks."

He invited the two old friends into the living room where Feng Xing served Spirit Tea.

After sitting down, Ji An began:

"First, taste the pastries and roasted pine nuts here."

There are two types of honey among the Red Flame Bees, and roasted pine nuts can be paired with honey. Merely with pastries and pine nuts, Zhang Xueling can create seven or eight kinds of styles.

With Tier Two upper-grade honey and pine nuts as a pairing, whether it’s the richness of the spiritual qi or taste, it can be said there is no one within the Sect who can match it.

The three of them chatted for a while and then fell into silence.

Ji An sighed softly; he and the others have different trajectories, maybe never to return to the past.

He raised his head and downed a cup of Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea, then said in a deep voice:

"Have you two ever heard of the Blood Transformation Soul-Chasing Curse?"

Zhao Mengyao slightly raised her eyebrows and said:

"Of course I’ve heard of it, this method is used by both cultivators and demon beasts, mainly used on the offspring of Golden Core powerhouses."

Zhang Yuanshan nodded slightly, "I’ve heard of it."

Ji An looked outside the door, his eyes flashing with the color of memories:

"Back when the battle at Mingfeng Mountain was most intense, I was also conscripted.

I initially did some logistical work in healing the wounded, and when Chu River died, I was by his side. His injuries were too severe, and even though my Rejuvenation Technique was perfected, it was still powerless.

I watched him take his last breath, helplessly.

I later joined the battle on the city walls, killed many demon beasts, and even slaughtered a late-stage Foundation Establishment Golden Feathered Eagle.

Who would have thought that this Golden Feathered Eagle was the offspring of the Demon King, its body cursed with the Blood Transformation Soul-Chasing.

Later, the Sect retreated, but the demon beast army besieged the city. That Golden Feathered Eagle Demon King could sense my position.

Every few days, the Demon King would roam outside the Mountain Protection Array, so I did not attend Chu River’s funeral.

After breaking through the Chao Origin Stage, I’ve been busy opening the Divine Mansion, and have had less interaction with you two.

A few days later, I will leave the sect to travel abroad, with an undefined return date. Today, I share a farewell drink with old friends, hoping for reunion."

According to the experiences of the sect elders, understanding the Five Elements Mutual Generation can take as fast as fifty or sixty years, or it may linger until one’s life ends.

In this sense, if my two friends here cannot break through to the Chao Origin Stage, when I return, I may be faced with two lonely graves.

"So that’s the case," Zhang Yuanshan said softly.

Zhao Mengyao stood up, picked up the wine jar, filled the cups, and laughed:

"Indeed, our correspondence has been scarce over the years. Fellow Daoist, what realm is your cultivation now?"

"The Fifth Transformation of the Chao Origin Stage, Perfection; the purpose of traveling is to grasp the Five Elements Mutual Generation. The next realm is Five Qi Chaoyuan, at which point one can be considered half-step Golden Core."

Ji An sighed softly, "The concept of ’half-step Golden Core’ is purely self-aggrandizing; have you not heard the difference of a fraction can lead to a thousand-mile error?

Whether the half step is taken or not is a world of difference."

The lifespan of a Golden Core cultivator is a thousand years. Though it’s only five hundred more than a Chao Origin cultivator, the influence is incomparable.

"Saying this, fellow Daoist makes it difficult for me and Fellow Daoist Zhang,"

Zhao Mengyao said, such gap is akin to a whole Great Realm apart.

The gap is too wide, she no longer has the thought for comparison.

"I misspoke," Ji An raised his cup, "Both of you, drink up."

After a few cups of Spirit Wine, the other two were slightly intoxicated, and conversations increased.

A moment later, Zhang Xueling and others brought various Spiritual Food, taking away the pine nuts.

Ji An waved his hand:

"No need for service today."

With disciples present, there wouldn’t easily be openness in discussions.

After the disciples left, they began to talk about past matters they hadn’t shared before, making the atmosphere more congenial.

When the wine flowed freely, Ji An spoke:

"Both of you are now at Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment, have you exchanged for a Nourishing Yuan Pill?"

Zhao Mengyao gently shook her head:

"Not yet, I am accumulating Small Merits."

"I’m the same."

Ji An said earnestly:

"I can help make up the difference, and when things are easier for fellow Daoists, you can return it to me. Do you need it?"

Back when he was at his most humble, he received aid from the two with Spirit Stones, and he still remembers it.

Zhao Mengyao’s smile became even softer:

"I have thought of seeking help from fellow Daoist, but feared becoming distant because of it, so I never managed to ask."

Zhang Yuanshan nodded, "The care from fellow Daoist is noted."

"How many Small Merits are you both short?"

"I lack over seven thousand points."

"I am short by nine thousand points."

Ji An put down his wine cup, "Tomorrow, let’s go to the Treasure Pavilion together, each borrowing ten thousand Small Merits for you both."

This is as much as he can assist, as the breakthrough must rely on oneself.

Both have accumulated for long enough, the missing Small Merits aren’t many, they are more affluent than he was back then.

"The kindness of fellow Daoist, Mengyao is grateful."

"You overstate, we came out together from Cyan Pine Daoist School, which is a fate."

Ji An raised his cup again, the three drank deeply, making the atmosphere even more enthusiastic.

...

The next morning at seven, Sunrise Peak’s Treasure Pavilion.

The sunlight shone on the plaque, making the golden characters shimmer brilliantly.

Ji An led the people into the main hall and cupped his fist in greeting:

"Senior brother, I want to use them to exchange for Nourishing Yuan Pills."

He brought Zhang Yuanshan, Zhao Mengyao, and two disciples today, needing eighty thousand Small Merits to settle the matters.

Jia Yu widened his eyes and praised:

"Junior brother, such generosity. Bring out your Jade Tokens."

Everyone handed over their Jade Tokens and stated the amount of Small Merits to be deducted. Jia Yu placed each Jade Token on the Spirit Disc and operated it.

Ji An transmitted:

"Senior brother, are the sect’s Nourishing Yuan Pills sufficient?"

Jia Yu replied via transmission:

"Enough, when the Central Continent cultivator arrived last time, the sect purchased eight Nourishing Yuan Pills in one go, plus you submitted the primary medicine for Nourishing Yuan Pills, Junior Sister Han refined another eight.

Though some have been exchanged over the years, there are still twelve pills available in the Secret Vault."

He returned the Jade Tokens to each person, speaking seriously:

"The exchange records have been retained, once your cultivation reaches Foundation Establishment Perfection, and you achieve the Life Light Ever-Present realm, you can apply for the pills at the Treasure Pavilion.

However, the sect has rules, perhaps you’re aware, but I must reiterate.

Nourishing Yuan Pills must be consumed immediately, the sect will arrange a grotto mansion for the breakthrough."

Such Great Realm breakthrough pills are strictly forbidden to be leaked, because the exchange price is far below its real value.

Zhang Yuanshan and others spoke up:

"This rule is known to me, we will strictly comply with the sect’s requirements."