Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: The Spiritual Convergence and Rain Spell

After Zhang Mengyuan rambled on for a while, he began explaining the key points of the Spiritual Convergence and Rain Spell to Zhang Zhixuan. Zhang Zhixuan had already watched the Seventh Uncle cast the spell earlier and had studied the spell for several days—he quickly grasped the essentials and got started.The Spiritual Convergence and Rain Spell worked by gathering the thin spiritual energy in the heavens and earth, then channeling the water vapor in the air to condense it into raindrops, which were infused with spiritual energy. This spell was a core skill for spiritual field cultivators, improved from another Water-Attribute spell called the Water Gathering Spell. When first learning the spell, one needed a ritual platform and formation flags to assist; once proficient, one could cast it quickly even without them.Zhang Mengyuan calmly returned to his room, brought out a ritual platform, four formation flags, two hoes, and some other odds and ends. He pointed to the ritual platform and said, "This ritual platform was my old magical artifact—I haven't used it in over ten years. You've just started learning this spell and don't have a Water Spiritual Root, so casting it will be difficult. I'll lend you these two artifacts first. If you want to keep them after a year, you can buy them for twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones. I'm not taking advantage of you—this ritual platform is a Low-Grade Second-Rank magical artifact, and the four formation flags are all High-Grade First-Rank magical artifacts. I spent thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones to buy these items back then. To become the clan's spiritual field cultivator, I saved Spirit Stones for ten years to afford them."Over the past thirty years, as the Zhang Clan's strength declined, the benefits for clan cultivators had gradually decreased. Two-Spiritual-Root Qi Refining cultivators received only one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per month, twelve per year. Three-Spiritual-Root cultivators received half that—six per year. Four-Spiritual-Root cultivators fared even worse, getting half of the Three-Spiritual-Root amount—three per year. As for Five-Spiritual-Root cultivators, the clan invested little in them, giving only one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per year."Seventh Uncle is a Four-Spiritual-Root cultivator. When he was young, the clan wasn't as declining as it is now, so his annual benefits were probably one or two more Spirit Stones. He learned the Spiritual Convergence and Rain Spell when he was over forty, and had saved Spirit Stones for over a decade to buy the artifacts. For ordinary loose cultivators, who have no spiritual veins to cultivate with and no cultivation techniques, they can't save many Spirit Stones in a year. Even if they want to become a spiritual field cultivator—the lowest threshold among the 'hundred arts of immortal cultivation—it's not easy," Zhang Zhixuan thought to himself.He reached out and touched the ritual platform. It felt cold to the touch; upon closer inspection, he saw it was made of fine white jade, engraved with a complex rune."That's a Water-Gathering Rune," Zhang Mengyuan explained, as if reading his thoughts. "The formation flags also have Spirit-Gathering Runes. When learning the spell, channel your mana along the Water-Gathering Rune first, then merge it with the Spirit-Gathering Runes on the four formation flags—that's how you cast the Spiritual Convergence and Rain Spell. If you have extra Spirit Stones, go to the market and buy a High-Grade First-Rank Water-Attribute formation disk. Combining the disk with these artifacts will form a Low-Grade Second-Rank Water-Walking Formation—you'll have a great advantage against Qi Refining cultivators who don't understand formations."Zhang Zhixuan had been cultivating for over ten years. Initially, his benefits matched those of a Three-Spiritual-Root cultivator. After his father passed away, due to his fast cultivation progress and the clan's desire to compensate him, his benefits now matched those of a Two-Spiritual-Root cultivator. Over these ten years, including his father's inheritance, he had handled over a hundred Spirit Stones. Though he wasn't frugal in his cultivation and sometimes even used Spirit Stones lavishly for cultivation, he had still saved over seventy Low-Grade Spirit Stones."Since I've decided to guard the spiritual fields, I must learn the Spiritual Convergence and Rain Spell. I shouldn't skimp on the necessary investments," Zhang Zhixuan thought. He then said, "Seventh Uncle, you probably aren't well-off either. I have extra Spirit Stones now—I don't need to wait until next year."With that, he hurried back to his room, took out a silk package, and inside was a delicate leather box about a chi square. Opening the box, Zhang Zhixuan revealed dozens of Spirit Stones of various attributes. Under the Spirit Stones lay an eight-cun-long green small sword; on the left were over a dozen paper talismans, and a pair of palm-sized wooden talismans stood out the most.This wooden box was Zhang Zhixuan's most valuable possession besides the Daoist scripture on his person. Part of it was his father's inheritance, and the rest was his savings over the past ten years. The green small sword was a Middle-Grade Second-Rank magical artifact called the Green Bamboo Sword, made from the branches of the spiritual bamboos on the mountain gate. The dozen or so spiritual bamboos on the mountain gate not only served as the formation base but also produced spiritual materials every year, allowing the clan to refine three or four Second-Rank Dharma Swords. The quality of these swords varied—some reached High-Grade Second-Rank, most were Middle-Grade Second-Rank, and if the artifact-refining cultivator lacked experience, they might even turn High-Grade Second-Rank spiritual materials into Low-Grade Second-Rank swords. This artifact was a gift from his Seventeenth Uncle Zhang Mengling on behalf of the clan five years ago, when Zhang Zhixuan advanced to the mid-stage Qi Refining Realm.The pair of wooden talismans was a gift from Clan Leader Zhang Leqian when Zhang Zhixuan broke through to the Innate Realm at the age of six—delighting the Clan Leader. These were High-Grade Second-Rank spiritual talismans: one sealed the Fire Thunder Spell, and the other sealed the Golden Blade Spell. The power of the spells sealed in the wooden talismans was considerable, equivalent to a full-force strike from a Ninth Layer Qi Refining cultivator. Even a Sixth Layer Qi Refining cultivator like Zhang Zhixuan would find it hard to survive if hit by this spell without special defensive means.The remaining over a dozen talismans were ordinary common ones. His father had also owned a Second-Rank artifact, but he was killed by enemies, and the artifact was lost—never passed on to Zhang Zhixuan.Zhang Zhixuan selected over a dozen Earth-Attribute Low-Grade Spirit Stones, then reluctantly added a few Metal and Fire-Attribute ones, and handed them to his Seventh Uncle Zhang Mengyuan. Zhang Zhixuan had no Earth Spiritual Root, so refining Earth-Attribute Spirit Stones was inefficient; Metal and Fire-Attribute Spirit Stones, however, were perfect for his cultivation."As an elder of the clan, I should give you these artifacts as a gift. But I also have to think about your Twenty-Ninth Cousin—his spiritual root aptitude is probably even worse than mine. Once I'm gone, I want to leave him something. Please understand, Nephew—don't blame me for being stingy," Zhang Mengyuan hesitated for a moment, then happily accepted the Spirit Stones and said.