"Senior Brother, I failed to make progress quickly and have let everyone down!" Ksitigarbha's expression was not very good. In fact, he still had great ambitions, but he encountered such a big setback on his first mission, which made him feel somewhat frustrated.
Jiang Yun offered a few words of comfort, "Life's journey is never smooth sailing. Only through setbacks can we make progress. Although you have managed the affairs of the Lecture Hall and the Aid Hall in the mountains, you still lack experience."
The purpose of having you build this Spirit Land is to help you develop your ability to handle things independently.
When you encounter a problem, you should learn to find the root cause of the problem, and then start from the resources you already have to find a solution. If the resources you already have cannot help you solve the problem, you have to look outside for solutions, or abandon the old ways and create new ideas.
What problems are you currently facing? What targeted solutions do you have?
Ksitigarbha hesitated for a moment before speaking:
In fact, most of the problems here can be attributed to excessive Earth Fire, Yin-Yang imbalance.
The balance of Yin and Yang between Heaven and Earth is called the Dao. The Earth Fire causes an excess of Yang energy, making it difficult for Yin Nurture Life Yin-Yang, resulting in a scarcity of local life and increasing the difficulty of our construction.
I currently lack manpower and a large number of creatures capable of channeling the Earth Fire, so the construction progress is not satisfactory.
I have some thoughts on the issue of Earth Fire.
I plan to use the Earth Vein Network Formation to guide and gather the Earth Fire energy of a region to one place, and then guide it to the ground. At the exit, Formations can be set up as needed to introduce Starlight Spiritual Energy to neutralize it. Alternatively, the Earth Fire can be left for Artifact Refining or for the cultivation of living beings. If the vitality of this place recovers in the future, we can also use the Spirit Plant Conversion Formation created by you, Senior Brother, to turn the Earth Fire into spiritual energy.
As for the issue of manpower, I originally intended to gather some local creatures for my use through preaching. However, this place was formed under the influence of the Southern Region Immortal Volcano, and most of the creatures here are loyal to the Phoenix Clan. Moreover, creatures raised in this environment are influenced by the fire element, making them rather irritable and difficult to communicate with.
Cultivators with powerful abilities are ultimately a minority, and they are unwilling to pay attention to us until we achieve results.
After listening to Ksitigarbha's analysis and ideas, Jiang Yun thought that there was nothing wrong with his approach, especially the method of regional governance, which is to concentrate the Earth Fire energy of a region together for treatment.
However, limited by his cultivation level, he cannot directly subdue the creatures in the area. He has few manpower at his disposal, and he also has too few resources and connections. Even if he had good methods, he could only develop step by step.
Jiang Yun pondered for a moment and replied, "Your idea is correct, but without manpower and resources, the development efficiency is indeed too low."
Since this place is close to the Phoenix Clan, let's think of a way to see if we can use the Phoenix Clan's power to speed up the construction process.
I have some acquaintance with the Son of the Phoenix, so I'll make a trip to the Phoenix Clan. You continue developing the Spirit Land and wait for my return.
"Okay, Senior Brother."
After leaving the Gobi Desert, Jiang Yun flew straight Southern Region towards the Immortal Volcano, the habitat of the Phoenix Clan.
The Immortal Volcano is the source of the Primordial World fire veins and the Ancestral Land of the Phoenix Clan.
Even before getting close, one could feel the overwhelming heat, the sky dyed red by the crimson glow, and the lava spewing from the distant volcano cascading down like a waterfall, yet being drawn in mid-air by some force, transforming into Fire Spirits energy to nourish the surrounding land.
Looking at this scene, Jiang Yun thought of the method for controlling the Earth Fire that his junior brother Ksitigarbha had mentioned, which seemed to have something in common with what he was seeing.
"Who goes there?" A clear cry rang out, and several Fire Phoenix circled in, their Yuyi burning with intense Southern Bright True Fire, watching Jiang Yun warily.
"Jiang Yun from the Western Sect of Mount Sumeru has come to pay a visit to Fellow Daoist Kong Xuan." Jiang Yun smiled slightly, and a crimson feather flew out from his sleeve. It was the token he had exchanged with Kong Xuan after their martial arts discussion years ago.
Seeing this, the Fire Phoenix softened its attitude slightly, and one of them flapped its wings and flew Clan Grounds to report.
Before long, a Five-Colored Divine Light streaked out from the depths of the Phoenix Clan's territory. Kong Xuan arrived, his Great Luo aura undisguised. A smile appeared on his cold face as he said, "Daoist Friend Jiang Yun, it's been a long time. What brings you to my Southern Bright Volcano today?"
Jiang Yun was pleased to see Kong Xuan again. "It has been a long time. To be honest, I have come today to discuss some matters of cooperation with your Phoenix Clan."
At the foot of the Immortal Volcano, inside the Phoenix Clan's territory, under the Wutong Tree.
Jiang Yun explained to Kong Xuan the Western Region development plan and the problems currently facing the Southern Region Spirit Land Node, and earnestly invited the Phoenix Clan to participate.
After listening to Jiang Yun's purpose, Kong Xuan tapped the Jade Table lightly with his fingertips and pondered, "The Western Teachings is really going all out for the revival of the Western Region. Their development plan is quite good!"
So you mean you want my Phoenix Clan to assist your Western Teachings in controlling the subterranean Earth Fire in the Southern Region Gobi Desert?
"Exactly." Jiang Yun nodded. "The Phoenix Clan is born with the power of the Southern Bright Departing Fire. If they can make a move, the power of mere Earth Fire will be no problem, and they will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort."
During the Spirit Land Construction, you can also reap the Fortune and Merit of Heavenly Dao, which will benefit the development of your clan.
Furthermore, during the Spirit Land Construction, your Phoenix Clan can also establish a new habitat here. Our Western Teachings warmly welcomes the Phoenix Clan to build a new home in the Western Land, and at the same time share the fortune of the spiritual Earth Qi.
Surely your Phoenix Clan doesn't want to guard the Immortal Volcano forever!
Kong Xuan's eyes flickered slightly. He had already noticed that the Phoenix Clan was trapped in the Immortal Volcano and its Fortune was gradually declining. If they could use the power of the Western Teachings to expand outwards, it might not be a bad way out.
"This matter... is worth a try." He finally nodded. "However, the Phoenix Clan cannot intervene on a large scale at the moment. I can discuss it with my clan and send the Fire Crow and Red-tailed Kite clans to assist first. If the results are significant, we can discuss further steps."
Jiang Yun smiled and said, "That's acceptable."
Upon returning to the Gobi Desert, Ksitigarbha was overjoyed to see that Jiang Yun had brought back a flock of Fire Crow and Red-tailed Kite, as he had been longing for a leader without any followers.
The Fire Crow is a branch of the Phoenix Clan. Although its Bloodline is not as noble as that of the Phoenix, it lives in the land of fire year-round and its control over the power of Fire Spirits far surpasses that of ordinary cultivators.
The same is true of the Red-tailed Kite; the Chiyu on its tail are spiritual feathers formed from the accumulation of Fire Spirits power within its body, which can be used to perform fire-attribute spells and Divine Ability.
With their assistance, Ksitigarbha quickly allocated manpower to set up Earth Vein Network Formation, guiding the originally scattered Earth Fire from various regions to specific Earth Fire Cave within those areas. Then, three Star Lords from the Star Academy set up Formations within the Earth Fire Cave to Jieyin Moonlight Essence. The Earth Fire and Moonlight Essence neutralized to form a special Spirit Liquid that could cleanse the Fire Poison caused by the fire-attribute spiritual energy within the body, strengthening the foundation. Through everyone's efforts, tens of thousands of small "Spirit Cleansing Pool" were formed within the territory in a short period of time.
Jiang Yun personally took action, separating some branch Spirit Bamboo from his own body in the largest Earth Fire Cave in the center of the Spirit Land. Using the Offshoot Spirit Root as a guide, he transformed the Earth Fire within into pure Fire Spirits energy, which then dissipated to nourish the Gobi Desert.
After the Earth Fire was resolved, several months later, the once barren Gobi Desert began to show signs of life. Spirit Plants such as Moonlight Grass even grew around the Spirit Cleansing Pool. The Phoenix Clan Fire Crow and Red-tailed Kite gradually became acquainted with the Western Teachings cultivators, and some even voluntarily stayed to become Dharma Protector of the Spirit Land.
Looking at the gradually revitalizing Spirit Land, Ksitigarbha sighed, "Senior Brother's use of the Phoenix Clan's power was indeed a brilliant move."
Jiang Yun stood with his hands behind his back and smiled, "Cooperation and mutual benefit are the only way to last. We need to make as many friends as possible; that way, we'll be successful in everything we do."