Three days later.

Ye Changqing controlled the flying shuttle to land at the cold pool and asked:

"Where is Fellow Daoist Ji?"

Zhang Cuihua stepped forward and slightly bent her knees:

"Elder Ji is currently cultivating in his grotto mansion and will return at noon.

Please, Junior Martial Uncle, wait in the living room. I will brew you a pot of spirit tea."

Ye Changqing looked up at the height of the sun and waved his hand:

"No need to go to the living room. I’ll just sit here for a while, and there’s no need for spirit tea. I’ll join you for lunch here."

There was still about half an hour until noon, and sitting alone in the living room seemed rather foolish.

"With a friend visiting, the ancestor will surely be pleased.

I’ll get some dried fruit and pine nuts to pass the time. Please wait a moment."

With that, Zhang Cuihua ran towards the storeroom.

Ye Changqing chuckled softly and thought to himself:

’Fellow Daoist Ji’s serving girls are all quite articulate.’

He sat at the stone table by the pool, looking at the Cyan Water Turtle lazily lying under the shade on the other side, and sighed lightly:

"If human cultivators could have the same lifespan as turtle-type demon beasts, that would be wonderful!"

Turtle-type demon beasts at the Foundation Establishment Stage can easily live four to five hundred years, while human cultivators only have a lifespan of two hundred years.

When turtle-type demon beasts reach the Chao Origin Stage, their lifespan is at least a thousand years, while human cultivators only live for five hundred years.

To turtle-type demon beasts, human cultivators jokingly call them ’Ten Thousand Year Turtles’—they really do live too long.

The serving girl brought over fried pine nuts and some snacks. Ye Changqing waved his hand and jokingly said:

"You go ahead and busy yourself, I’ll keep myself company for a while. I’ll need you to prepare lunch!"

"Apologies for the neglect, Junior Martial Uncle," Zhang Cuihua apologized and left, running to the kitchen to arrange lunch.

At noon, Ji An emerged from the grotto mansion, with a faint smile on his face.

In the past few days, he had consecutively opened up two more vein patterns, bringing the total to eighteen, completing half of his work.

He took out the flying shuttle and was about to input magical power when he suddenly felt an intense heat all over his body. His skin emitted a blood-colored spirit light and began to scorch.

Twisted black patterns appeared on his skin, quickly covering his arms and cheeks, and a cold malice gathered in his sea of consciousness.

The Blood Transformation Soul-Chasing Curse had appeared again.

Ji An gritted his teeth, nearly forgetting that he had a Golden Core Stage demon beast as an enemy.

These past few years had been peaceful, and he had thought that the Golden Feathered Eagle Demon King had returned to the Ten Thousand Mountains with the beast horde.

It seemed the enemy was still eyeing him covetously, venturing into the sect’s territory again.

"Haunting Ghost, if you’re so bold, wait until I break through to the Golden Core Stage!"

A ruthless intent flashed across his face as he maneuvered the flying shuttle back to the cold pool.

The Golden Feathered Eagle Demon King was incredibly fast, allowing it to roam freely within the territory of human cultivators.

He contemplated forming an alliance with Brother Li Haoran to try and hunt down the demon king together in the future.

When the flying shuttle landed, Ye Changqing saw his appearance and exclaimed in surprise:

"The demon king has appeared again?"

He was aware of Ji An being cursed with the Blood Transformation Soul-Chasing Curse.

Ji An nodded slightly, somewhat helplessly, and said:

"Yes, I have no idea what the relationship is between the demon beast I killed back then and the demon king, but it can’t seem to forget me!"

"Do you know the level of the demon king?"

Ji An shook his head, "I don’t know. The ancestor never encountered the demon king, so I have no way of knowing the demon king’s level."

He paused and said fiercely:

"So what if it’s a demon king? It can only linger outside the sect! I’m still living well."

This threat was something he’d remember firmly, and he would eliminate it when the opportunity arose.

"Ha ha, you have a good attitude, Daoist Friend, I admire that."

Ye Changqing cupped his hands, for how many cultivators could disregard the threat of a Golden Core Stage demon king?

"This time, I’m here for my last task for Diligence Hall, to inspect the magic array built by Junior Martial Uncle Chu."

"The last time?"

"Yes, the sect has found a replacement for me. After this task, I’ll be free, able to enjoy my years in peace."

"You’ve served the sect all your life, Daoist Friend, you deserve to rest well."

Ji An discreetly sighed. Though only a few days had passed since their last meeting, he noticed the decline of decay and death aura in Ye Changqing had grown denser.

"Let’s go, I’ll take you to inspect the teleportation array."

Walking side by side, Ye Changqing asked:

"After completing the teleportation array, did you conduct a self-check?"

"Yes, we did.

At that time, Senior Brother Chu experimented with a First-Layer Qi Refining Earth Rock Rat, and we took the teleportation array to Ningcui Cliff together.

Later, I also teleported back from Ningcui Cliff."

The two entered the stone house, and Ye Changqing took out a booklet, meticulously comparing the array map before writing notes on it.

He then took out a storage bag, withdrew spirit stones, and loaded the teleportation array, "I need to ride it personally; please wait a moment."

With those words, he activated the teleportation array.

After the light distorted, he disappeared.

Ji An softly said, "Fellow Daoist Ye is thorough in his work."

The last task was completed meticulously by the other party.

The other party worked at the Diligence Hall for many years, seemingly never making a mistake.

A moment later, the light in the Magic Array flickered again, and Ye Changqing appeared once more.

He wrote a few more words in the booklet and said with a smile:

"Completed!"

Ji An also laughed heartily, "Let’s go, drink some wine."

"Let’s go! There’s one more thing to tell Fellow Daoist. After you take charge of Ningcui Cliff, you’ll receive a monthly allocation of Spirit Stones for teleportation."

...

A month passed.

Inside the Grotto Mansion, Ji An sat upright on the Pudun, activating the Secret Technique.

Magical Power flowed between the Dantian and liver, and the Wood Dao Seed in the Acupoints shone brightly.

He introspected his body, the liver’s surface had veins glowing in vivid emerald color.

Within the liver, thirty-five veins were arrayed neatly, and the thirty-sixth vein was also mostly complete.

His breathing was very even, precisely controlling Magical Power to traverse through the veins.

Ji An lost his perception of time and simultaneously felt no fatigue in his Spirit Soul.

He activated the Secret Technique, continuously opening up veins.

Suddenly, he heard a peculiar sound, like the ticking of a clock starting to move.

The last vein was opened!

All veins quickly turned yellow and the emerald liver rapidly contracted, like a withering flower.

In the next instant, the liver suddenly pulsed, and the veins regained their green hue.

Ji An suppressed his joy and immediately switched Dharma Gates, Magical Power surged out from the Dantian.

Magical Power flowed rapidly in the Immortal Vein, like a rushing river, wildly pouring into the liver.

Condensing the core, it happened at this moment!

Ji An vaguely felt the sound of waves in his ears as Magical Power gathered and compressed within the veins.

Not knowing how much time had passed, the Magical Power in the Dantian was nearly exhausted, and inside the liver, all thirty-six veins simultaneously emitted a drop of emerald essence.

When these essences fused together, it seemed as if a new organ grew within the liver, producing a heartbeat-like sound, the core was formed.

The core’s shape was identical to the liver, but only as large as a peanut, semi-transparent, faintly emitting a pale blue glow.

His skin turned a light blue, simultaneously appearing with many liver-like patterns, a radiant glow lit up the Grotto Mansion.

Around the Pudun, it became lush and verdant, as if placed in a meadow with countless green plants sprouting.

Ji An slowly withdrew his force, the unusual sensations within the Grotto Mansion vanished.

He forcefully clenched his fist and shouted excitedly:

"Succeeded!"

The Wood Element Divine Mansion was opened, he could start cultivating the Chao Origin Stage.

He suddenly stood up from the Pudun, feeling as if time had slowed down, his heart filled with infinite delight.

Ji An paced around the Grotto Mansion to relieve the excitement induced by extreme exhilaration.

From his predecessors’ cultivation notes, he saw that cultivators like him, who had already opened multiple organ surface veins, could attempt opening a second Divine Mansion before the current core fully matures.

In other words, while strengthening the Wood Element Divine Mansion, he could open veins for organs like the Fire Element Heart Mansion, Water Element Kidney Mansion, and Earth Element Spleen Mansion.

By doing this, he could save a great deal of time and simultaneously strengthen four Divine Mansions.

This was why he was so excited.

After a moment, when the excitement waned, he felt the fatigue of his Spirit Soul surging in waves.

Ji An felt dizzy and his vision became slightly blurry, a result of Divine Sense being overexerted.

He took out some Tier Two Jade Dew Golden Bud Tea, quickly boiled a pot of Spirit Spring Water, and brewed all the leaves.

He finished a pot of tea, a gentle cooling sensation spread in his Sea of Consciousness, alleviating the pain.

Ji An could no longer hold on, he lay on the stone bed and quickly fell asleep.

...

When Ji An woke again, he felt vigorous and all fatigue was gone,

He checked the Drip Clock and found it was just 5:00 AM, smiling widely.

Striding out of the Grotto Mansion, Ji An took out the Flame Light Banner, after channeling Magical Power, a Fire Cloud appeared underfoot.

He guided the Spiritual Artifact, flying to the Wood Element Spirit Plant Garden by the Cold Pool, landing near the tea trees.

The Wood Element Divine Mansion had been opened, and the condition was right, the hour suitable, it was a good time for practicing the Qi Eating Technique.

The ancient Qi Refiners referred to Qi Eating as breathing; why? Because it involves expelling the old and taking in the new.

Facing east where the morning sun rises, his feet stood shoulder-width apart, shoulders relaxed and slightly rolled inward, knees slightly bent, chest slightly sunk with back straight.

Ji An lightly closed his lips, with the tongue tip slightly forward and inward, and slight gaps between his teeth.

Exhaling, his hands slowly lifted from in front of the lower abdomen, palms facing each other, eyes widening as much as possible, mentally chanting "Xū" sound.

This was the first step of consuming the Qinghua Qi from the Wood Element, first clearing the liver’s impurities through exhalation, akin to clearing "internal memory," making space.

After exhaling, naturally inhale, rotate palms downward, slowly lower, and repeat.

After six times, Ji An felt a cool Qi distinctly different from earlier entering his mouth, carrying a special fragrance.

His body instinctively swallowed, the special Qi circulated along the Immortal Vein to the liver.

Without activating the cultivation technique, the liver became akin to Cuiyu, veins instantly fully revealed.

Qi compressed and processed via the veins, blending into the core, the core lighting up with a blue glow before dimming down again.

"Qi eating accomplished!"

Ji An laughed heartily, just now he had inhaled a strand of Qinghua Qi from the Wood Element, feeling a warm current rising from the liver, spreading to his limbs and bones.