29: Chapter 29 Grain Rain Sign

When Jiang Xingchuan and Jiang Shoushan returned, the sky was already turning dark.

Jiang Shoushan carried a roll of grey-white snake skin on his shoulder; the skin was not yet completely dry, with a few un-scraped scales along the edges.

Jiang Xingchuan held a small cloth bag in his hand, the corner of which was damp.

"Are you injured?" Lin Suwen asked first.

Jiang Xingchuan shook his head.

"Nothing serious."

Jiang Shoushan placed the snake skin under the eaves and said, "We encountered a Mountain Boar that had awakened its intelligence and helped it deal with a Mountain Snake that was about to awaken its own. It gave us the snake skin and also traded us a stone core."

He took out that Baili Rain Core and placed it on the table.

The stone core was grey-green, the size of a chicken egg, and its surface looked as if it had just been rained on. It didn't feel cold to the touch, yet it carried a sense of sinking water.

As soon as Jiang Yuhe approached, the Grain Rain in her chest stirred slightly.

Jiang Chengning looked at the stone core, his expression shifting.

"This is of the Grain Rain type."

Jiang Shoushan nodded.

"It seems so."

Jiang Xingchuan added, "That Mountain Boar also ate half a bag of our Spiritual Rice."

Lin Suwen looked at him.

Jiang Xingchuan immediately corrected himself: "It was Shoushan who gave it to him, saying we could continue to interact in the future."

Jiang Shoushan said, "It lives permanently on Baili Mountain and knows that mountain better than any person. In the future, when we need to find things, we might be able to trade with it."

In the eyes of a Cold Household, Yao Beasts in the mountains are mostly disasters. But if they have truly awakened their intelligence and can communicate and trade, it might actually be an opportunity.

What the Jiang Family currently lacks is a channel to communicate with the outside world. If they could build a little rapport with a Mountain Boar that had just entered the Dao, it might not be worse than those Cultivators in the small markets who smile and ask prying questions.

Jiang Chengning did not comment immediately, only taking a wooden box from his bosom. The box was not large, wrapped three times with hemp rope. After opening it, a fist-sized, grey-green stone lay inside. A Chenlin Stone.

Lin Suwen said, "We traded for it from the Shi Family."

She didn't elaborate on how they traded, only saying that Old Crow Chen had acted as the intermediary, and the Jiang Family had used the method of using the Sinking Water Talisman to stabilize sand for a season as the exchange.

The Shi Family was reluctant, but they also understood that using one spiritual item to trade for a chance to solve a problem was still profitable.

A Baili Rain Core.

A Chenlin Stone.

Zhou Wang felt his heart warm as he watched from within the family genealogy.

These past few days, he had been using Spring Observation to watch the Qi paths of the main lineage of the Jiang Family. Yuhe's third layer was stable, Xingchuan's Awakening of Insects was not disordered, Shoushan's Winter Solstice had deepened, Chengning's Start of Spring was still slow, and Suwen's second layer was unobstructed.

He knew that all paths had made progress.

However, he hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.

The Chenlin Stone from the Shi Family was in hand, and a Grain Rain stone core had arrived from Baili Mountain. Neither spiritual item was of top-tier quality, but one sinking and one moisturizing perfectly matched Yuhe's current path.

The family genealogy opened automatically. Jiang Chengning glanced at Yuhe and said, "Shall we try?"

Jiang Yuhe nodded.

She placed the Baili Rain Core and the Chenlin Stone together in front of the family genealogy. Zhou Wang moved his thoughts, and the small heaven and earth within the paper opened.

Under the grey-white sky, the stream of water flowed a bit wider, and the green seedling grew an inch taller. The ink furnace stood in the center, and the character "Wang" on the furnace belly glowed faintly.

As the two spiritual items entered the furnace, it was as if a light rain had fallen within the small heaven and earth.

The Baili Rain Core transformed into light green water Qi, while the Chenlin Stone slowly sank to the bottom of the furnace, as if pressing down on that water Qi, not allowing it to float around aimlessly.

Zhou Wang grabbed the bit of newly generated Spiritual Qi from the small Realm and sent it in, strand by strand.

There wasn't much Spiritual Qi. After saving up for these days, it was only enough for one furnace load.

But he was willing; all these years, he had long regarded these people as his own Family, silently caring for their every move.

The ink furnace had no fire, yet it had ink light. The light retracted into the furnace mouth; after a full hour, it spat out a small Signet of Seal.

It looked like a piece of extremely thin green jade. The surface of the Signet of Seal had faint patterns, and within the patterns, the characters "Grain Rain" were vaguely written. Next to them, a water mark appeared; the water mark did not move, yet it seemed as if it could hear sound.

Four characters appeared on the paper: Perception Avoiding Misfortune.

Below, a few lines slowly appeared: Upon receiving this, one can change Meridians and cross Realms. True Essence becomes heavy, and Qi capacity doubles. Listening to Rain allows one to perceive subtle opportunities, seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune. Grants innate technique: Rain Screen of Perception.

Jiang Xingchuan stared at the phrase "Qi capacity doubles" for quite a while.

"Qi capacity doubles?"

It meant doubling the True Essence compared to Cultivators of the same Realm. Although the speed of recovering True Essence remained the same and one still had to slowly recover it after using it up, this doubled amount of True Essence during a battle was often the key factor in the outcome.

Jiang Chengning, however, stared at the first line.

"Change Meridians and cross Realms..." This was directly skipping over that most difficult threshold for a Cold Household.

The meridian-changing barrier that had stuck Sun Changshui for decades, and the hidden injuries Old Crow Chen had sustained when recklessly attempting to break through—here, with Yuhe, it was easily bypassed by a single Talisman.

Zhou Wang, inside the paper, also understood that this thing was Heaven-Defying.

And not just for Yuhe.

Every person of the main lineage, if they had corresponding seasonal spiritual materials put into the furnace, could likely produce a corresponding Signet of Seal. After receiving the Signet of Seal, one would have an innate technique and could cross a small Realm. If the spiritual material quality was better, or if a Foundation Establishment-level spiritual item was put into the ink furnace, it could even cleanse bone marrow and change Aptitude.

The furnace Qi was completely exhausted, the water in the small heaven and earth was half as shallow, and the green seedling had drooping leaves. Zhou Wang knew that refining this thing was not an easy matter.

Jiang Chengning looked at Jiang Yuhe. Jiang Yuhe looked at the Signet of Seal and extended her palm. When the Signet of Seal touched her palm, a light rain began to fall outside the window.

Jiang Yuhe closed her eyes, feeling the Grain Rain in her body suddenly sink, moving extremely fast, drilling into her main Meridians and rapidly taking root and sprouting.

She didn't even feel the excruciating pain of Meridians tearing like others did when changing Meridians; the Grain Rain expanded extremely smoothly.

The Grain Rain Spirit Register named "Perception Avoiding Misfortune" dispersed within her body, Spiritual Qi filled her entire body, and the Grain Rain fell into her main Meridians.

Her Grain Rain Qi, which had already been patterned, was pushed forward at this moment. Her main Meridians opened an inch, then another inch. When that burst of rain sound receded, Jiang Yuhe's aura was no longer in the Early Stage. She had entered the Middle Stage.

But the remaining Qi in the Signet of Seal did not stop. The Spiritual Qi of the small heaven and earth that Zhou Wang had forcibly stuffed in finally took effect, carrying her Grain Rain all the way up, crossing the fourth layer, stabilizing the fifth layer, and pausing for a moment on the edge of the sixth. Finally, it gently broke through. Seventh layer of Qi Refining. Late Stage.

No one in the room spoke. Jiang Yuhe opened her eyes, a faint rain-like color in her eyes. She raised her hand, and a thin Rain Screen of Perception floated in her palm.

The rain screen was not large, but it seemed to know in advance where the wind would blow, automatically shifting an inch in that direction. Rain Screen of Perception.

This innate technique could autonomously predict crises to protect its master. It didn't even require magic power, constantly hidden within the body for nourishment; once a crisis was encountered, it could appear on its own, though it could also be summoned actively.

She said in a low voice, "Listening to Rain has also changed."

Jiang Chengning asked, "How has it changed?"

"Before, I could only hear sounds and Qi." Jiang Yuhe said, "Now, I can hear a bit of a trend. Before someone strikes, their Qi must move first. Before the Qi moves, there is a trace of imagery. I cannot hear it clearly, but I can know, or at least perceive, the general direction."

Jiang Xingchuan said, "Similar to seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune?"

"Something like that." Jiang Yuhe nodded.

"I can only see the nearby Qi mechanisms. Some people have heavy fates, and perhaps I can slightly see the Qi they carry with them."

She looked at the few people in the room. On Jiang Chengning was a layer of very low-pressed green, like spring grass clinging to the ground. Lin Suwen's side was warmer. On Xingchuan, the Awakening of Insects was like muffled thunder. Shoushan was almost silent, like a well in the night. None of them had great fates.

At this moment, the family genealogy moved again. Zhou Wang, in the small Realm within the paper, was almost emptied out. But as soon as Yuhe entered the Late Stage, the character "He" on the family genealogy suddenly lit up, and the feedback of genealogy ink increased significantly. The small heaven and earth expanded a circle, the stream of water grew wider, the green seedling sprouted a second leaf, and even the ink furnace became much more stable.

At the same time, many things related to the Grain Rain path flooded into Zhou Wang's mind.

He saw rain falling into deep mud, saw water entering the main Meridians, saw how the Grain Rain seasonal Qi patterned, how it changed Meridians, and how it opened acupoints. Many previously blurred points in the "Lesser Start of Spring Guide: Grain Rain Chapter" suddenly became clear.

Zhou Wang's eyes lit up; once a Cultivator of the main lineage increased their Realm, his small heaven and earth could also be nourished, and at the same time, his understanding of the corresponding solar term would grow.

The pages of the family genealogy turned, lines of ink characters quickly seeped out, then turned into light like fine rain, falling directly into Jiang Yuhe's brow. "Chenlin Grain Rain Sutra." A Fourth-Grade Grain Rain Cultivation Technique. Can be cultivated to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Jiang Yuhe's body trembled, as if a scroll of scripture had suddenly appeared in her mind, like a road that had already been paved far into the distance. The first three layers for nourishing breath and patterning. The middle three layers for changing Meridians and forming seals. The last three layers for opening acupoints and connecting Qi. Beyond that, was Foundation Establishment.

Zhou Wang finished the last stroke, and the entire family genealogy dimmed. He was so tired he almost sank into the paper. But Jiang Yuhe had already sat up straight.

"Father." Her voice was a bit hoarse. "I know what is needed for Foundation Establishment."

The people in the room all looked at her simultaneously. Jiang Yuhe closed her eyes and spoke the most critical things from that scroll of "Chenlin Grain Rain Sutra."

"For one solar term, when entering Foundation Establishment, one must combine it with a Dao attribute; generally, there are at most six branches. Different Dao attributes form different Immortal Foundations."

"In this scroll, two paths are given. One is Grain Rain combined with Pin Water, the Immortal Foundation is named Profound Rain Abyss. One is Grain Rain combined with Cold Qi, the Immortal Foundation is named Cold Rain Heaven."

Jiang Chengning's brows moved slightly when he heard the words "Pin Water."

"Pin Water, I have heard a little bit; it should be easier to find than Cold Qi."

Lin Suwen said: "It is a branch of water-type Dao traditions, leaning towards the feminine and soft. But I have only heard the name; I have never seen the spiritual material."

Jiang Yuhe nodded.

"What is needed for Foundation Establishment is not just hearing about it."

She continued: "We need a spiritual land that can support the status. At a minimum, it must have sufficient Spiritual Qi and possess Grain Rain imagery. If it can simultaneously carry Pin Water imagery, that is even better. This spiritual land must belong to me when I perform Foundation Establishment, or at least belong to the Jiang Family."

This sentence caused the people in the room to fall silent. A spiritual land, and it must belong to them. Never mind a spiritual land with sufficient Spiritual Qi for Foundation Establishment; even expanding their current fields was absolutely impossible, as the main Family had already issued a strict order not to expand by even a single inch.

Jiang Yuhe added: "We also need high-grade Grain Rain spiritual materials and Pin Water spiritual materials. Both must be present; neither can be lacking. It is best to also learn a Pin Water technique to increase the chances of forming the foundation. In addition, we must cultivate at least three Grain Rain techniques. Listening to Rain, Catalyzing Green, and Rain Screen of Perception—exactly three."

Lin Suwen took a light breath.

"Three techniques..." For an ordinary Qi Refining Family, to obtain one innate technique is already not easy. To go and learn other techniques requires money, methods, and time. Many people don't even know the threshold of the Middle Stage in their entire lives, let alone talk about three techniques of the same solar term.

If the Jiang Family hadn't received the innate technique bestowed by the Signet of Seal and had the innate techniques that came with the Cultivation Technique, they wouldn't even be able to meet this requirement.

Jiang Yuhe paused, then added: "Catalyzing Green is also done."

She raised her hand, and a piece of withered grass in the corner of the room suddenly sprouted a bit of tender color.

"It can nourish fields and also allow for escaping. Where vegetation has green Qi, I can borrow a strand of green Qi to change my position. Currently, I can only do it for a few zhang, but in the future, it will be further."

Jiang Xingchuan's eyes lit up as he watched.

"This technique is good."

Lin Suwen said: "It is good, but those conditions for Foundation Establishment..." She didn't finish. Everyone felt their scalp tingle.

A Grain Rain spiritual land belonging to the Jiang Family. High-grade Grain Rain spiritual materials. High-grade Pin Water spiritual materials. A Pin Water technique. And one must cultivate oneself to the Perfection of Qi Refining, waiting for the opportunity to form the foundation.

The Jiang Family rarely even sees Medium Grade spiritual items; now, suddenly hearing about high-grade spiritual materials and Foundation Establishment status, it was like the mountain gate suddenly opening, revealing not a path, but layer upon layer of stone steps that reached into the invisible sky.

Jiang Chengning was silent for a long time, finally opening his mouth: "At least, we know what is needed."

Once this sentence was spoken, the few people slowly steadied themselves. It is difficult. As difficult as ascending to heaven. But in the past, the Jiang Family didn't even know where heaven was. Now, this family genealogy had already illuminated that shadow on the horizon.

Jiang Yuhe lowered her head to look at the rain screen in her palm, her voice light, but very steady: "I will walk down this path until I am strong enough to carry the Jiang Family."

The family genealogy on the corner of the table closed silently.

Zhou Wang, in the small Realm within the paper, leaned against that green seedling, so tired that his thoughts were almost dispersing, but he was in a very good mood. This day, he had refined the Signet of Seal, opened an innate technique, pushed Yuhe into the Late Stage, and written the "Chenlin Grain Rain Sutra." The book pages dimmed, and the genealogy ink was hitting the bottom. But that stream of water was still flowing. The green seedling was still growing.