Chapter 152: Chapter 151 Thousand Thread Puppet Controlling Skills (Congratulation to the God. Alliance Head!)_1
After finishing today’s tasks, Fang Xi leisurely left his closed-door cultivation.
In the spacious courtyard of the Peach Blossom Pavilion, numerous peach trees were planted. Within the array that maintained eternal spring, peach blossom petals fluttered in the air, creating a particularly beautiful scene.
In the pond in the courtyard, the Great Liang fish sometimes sank to the bottom, and sometimes floated to the surface, stealthily eating peach blossom petals.
"What a gluttonous fish..."
Fang Xi said with a smirking scold. He was rather lenient towards this spiritual beast, after all, it had accompanied him for many years.
As for the idea of changing spiritual beasts?
Second-order spiritual beasts are rather hard to find. As for bringing one from the Da Liang World?
Fang Xi had no such intentions, because once monster beasts reached the second-order, they would inevitably awaken a certain spiritual wisdom! They would have the ability to remember and communicate!
By then, the secret of his own traversal could potentially be exposed!
Even though he could use divine consciousness to enslave and imprint them... the enslavement contract was not foolproof. If he encountered a Core Formation elder, it could completely be undone!
Therefore, even Taisui, who had meritorious service, was released back to Da Liang World to roam free. Fang Xi had no intention of bringing it to the South Wilderness.
"Puppets are more reliable... at least they don’t betray!"
As for the rumored self-aware puppets that developed their own spiritual wisdom?
These second-order ones were not qualified enough. Let the fourth or fifth order ones mentioned in legends come, then it would be somewhat close...
"Young master!"
Jin Ling, dressed in a golden robe with flowing tassels, bowed gracefully: "Today marks the Lord’s sixtieth birthday, your servant wishes the old master longevity without bound!"
Being called an old master made one seem elderly. Fang Xi now preferred others to call him young master.
After all, compared to a long lifespan of four hundred and twenty years, sixty years was equivalent to merely being fourteen or fifteen in human terms—he was still excessively young!
"Ah, am I already sixty?"
Fang Xi touched his face, feeling somewhat bewildered.
In the reflection of the pond, he still looked like the graceful young man beneath the peach blossom tree, not showing a hint of aging.
Even Jin Ling felt some envy for such brimming vitality and youth.
Fang Xi’s sixtieth birthday was quite lonely, with hardly any friends coming to celebrate.
He simply opened a bottle of spirit wine and drank heartily with Jin Ling, considering it an adequate celebration.
The wine was Peach Blossom Brew.
Drinking this wine, Fang Xi always thought of Peach Blossom Island.
He wondered how those old friends were doing now?
And whether the news of his Foundation Establishment had spread in Baize Immortal City, or if it might have reached Peach Blossom Island?
A sudden urge to visit and return home in glorious attire arose in his heart, but he quickly suppressed it.
The waters of Thousand Island Lake were treacherous and unpredictable, and Song Qinghu’s covetous gaze lingered. Venturing out of the city now would be asking for a magical duel, wouldn’t it?
Although he considered himself skillful among early Foundation Establishment cultivators and had puppets to assist him, enabling him to hold his own against mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators—
But that Song Qing had profound cultivation and exotic treasures in hand, making a magical duel somewhat risky, with the possibility of losing.
...
"Heavenly Pill Pavilion!"
Fang Xi raised his head to look at the signboard.
This place specialized in buying and selling pills and pill recipes... Rumor had it that it had the backing of the Martial Kingdom’s Yiling Valley!
Yiling Valley was also a Golden Core major sect with a Core Formation elder in residence, with an orderly inheritance that had endured through a thousand years of vicissitudes, never falling!
Unlike Yue and Mu countries, the cultivation world of the Martial Kingdom was said to be quite stable.
"Esteemed senior, may I help you with anything?"
As Fang Xi walked in, he saw a Qi Refining late-stage female attendant approaching him, swaying gracefully in a light gauze, bowing elegantly.
’Inside the Inner City, it indeed differs from the Outer City, even employing a beautiful Qi Refining late-stage female cultivator as a waiter...’ he thought to himself, then said solemnly, "I require a second-order pill recipe that replenishes qi and blood..."
Living in Baize is no easy feat!
Even though Fang Xi’s storage bag was filled with second-order monster materials, it was problematic to sell them. After much consideration, he decided to continue with alchemy.
However, he did not plan to reveal his ability to craft Foundation Establishment Pills to avoid being treated as a mere tool.
Cultivators at Foundation Establishment had the aid of divine consciousness, which made training in first-order alchemy relatively easy, whereas second-order alchemy required consuming vast resources!
Fang Xi planned to specialize in a few obscure second-order pill recipes, through which he could make a living. He didn’t need to earn too much, just enough to reside long-term in Baize Immortal City.
With his improved spiritual root and extended lifespan, he did not need to consume medicinal pills for cultivation and planned to slowly meditate and cultivate on top of the second-order spiritual vein.
"Please, this way, guest..."
Upon hearing his request, the attendant’s eyes lit up, leading Fang Xi to the counter with a charming smile and said, "We have three types of second-order qi and blood pill recipes. They are ’Seven Treasure Snake Blood Pill,’ which requires essence blood of a second-order demon snake as the main ingredient, ’Red Dragon Pill,’ with hundred-year-old ’Red Dragon Ganoderma’ as the main ingredient, and ’Beast Blood Pill,’ concocted from second-order demonic beast materials and blood..."
Fang Xi carefully reviewed each one.
Out of these three second-order pill recipes, the ’Red Dragon Pill’ was the highest grade, reaching second-order intermediate, and its medicinal power was intense, suitable for body-refining cultivators to consume.
In reality, body-refining cultivators are a rarity, and qi and blood-type medicinal pills were even more niche.
Having three recipes was already quite good.
’Alas, I have no spirit medicine, and gathering them is too much trouble...’
Fang Xi immediately discarded the "Red Dragon Pill" recipe and looked at the main ingredients that mainly comprised monster beast materials, complemented by spirit medicine.
The auxiliary materials for second-grade pills didn’t require a high age, a few decades would suffice, and they were relatively easy to collect.
"The ’Seven Treasure Snake Blood Pill’ possesses a refined efficacy, it’s a pity that it requires the essence blood of demon snakes, and I don’t have much of that on hand..."
"The Beast Blood Pill ranks as a lower-grade second-level pill, with the simplest required materials; essence blood and flesh and bones of second-grade monster beasts will do, refined in conjunction with spirit medicine... However, after taking it, one risks the complications of impure vital essence and excessive toxicity from impurities in the pills."
After scanning the options, Fang Xi made an instant decision, "Let’s go with the Beast Blood Pill recipe..."
"This pill recipe is priced at five hundred Spirit Stones, senior must swear not to reveal it to others!"
The maid responded with a charming and delighted smile.
’A single pill recipe for five hundred Spirit Stones, how on earth do alchemists manage to master so many recipes...’ Fang Xi thought to himself, grumbling inwardly.
At the same time, he felt some regret for not having carefully selected from the offerings at Ten Thousand Law Pavilion before.
Ten Thousand Law Pavilion was another major merchant in the Inner City, backed by White Peak Mountain, and its second floor was even harder to enter.
One had to either spend a large amount of Spirit Stones in Baize Immortal City to become a VIP or have someone vouch for them.
Last time, it was all thanks to Yuan Feihong, Sir Yuan.
He wondered when he would next be able to enter the pavilion on his own.
And even then, Fang Xi suspected that the second-level alchemy inheritance inside the second floor of Ten Thousand Law Pavilion was likely incomplete, and the pill recipes recorded in the alchemy books were also few.
After all, alchemy was an extremely sought-after skill, and White Peak Mountain wouldn’t be so willing to share the source of its wealth with outsiders.
After inwardly airing his gripe, Fang Xi obediently took out the Spirit Stones and made an oath, receiving a jade slip from the maid’s hands.
When his Divine Consciousness entered it, the list of alchemy materials, along with the methods and incantations, emerged.
"The auxiliary materials are Nine Transformations Sweetflag, Verdant Jade Leaves, Bluish Rattan Roots... over fifty years old, thankfully, not too difficult to find..."
Fang Xi chose the ’Beast Blood Pill’ because he still had a substantial amount of second-grade monster beast materials in his Storage Bag.
Initially, he did not turn all the second-grade monster beasts into Puppets.
Now, they could replace the massive consumption of resources, enough to support his entry-level practice of the ’Beast Blood Pill’ and even push his success rate to a profitable level!
...
Nightfall.
Peach Blossom Pavilion.
After Jin Ling finished her service, she had gone off to rest in an adjoining room.
Fang Xi closed the room door and activated the protective array.
Although the original array at Peach Blossom Pavilion was effective, he had secretly added a few modifications.
Especially since he had set up the ’Yi Wood Divine Thunder remnants’ around his cultivation room, enhancing its defenses.
Now, entering the Cultivation Quiet Room, he felt the dense spiritual energy and nodded to himself in approval.
"Today, not only did I acquire the Beast Blood Pill recipe, but I also purchased most of the auxiliary materials..."
"However, there’s no rush to start refining pills..."
Instead of taking out the Purple Jade Furnace, Fang Xi took out a jade slip and studied it intently.
This was the second-level Puppet inheritance he had acquired from the second floor of Ten Thousand Law Pavilion!
Previously, by using the Demonic Tree, he had controlled the second-grade monster beast corpses, but they lacked agility and could only be considered as approximate second-level Puppets.
Naturally, he now wanted to supplement where he was lacking.
This door of second-level puppetry had arrived just in time!
"Puppets are crafted using metals, woods, and even monster beast bones... each with their distinct functionalities..."
The contents of this puppet practice was an eye-opener for Fang Xi.
At least, when it came to repairing wounds and damages on those second-level Puppets, he now had a viable plan in mind.
He flipped to the end of the puppetry and saw the related secret skill to control Puppets—’Thousand Thread Puppet Controlling Skills’!
"This supporting skill is divided into three levels. Upon reaching the first level, one may divide one’s consciousness and create two subsidiary Divine Consciousness threads, entering them into Puppets to take command, thereby controlling Puppets as if they were extensions of one’s limbs, almost like avatars..."
"Upon reaching the second level, four threads can be divided, and at the third level eight... These threads, if destroyed, will damage the cultivator’s Divine Consciousness."
Fang Xi’s expression became serious, "Therefore, some Puppet Masters do not divide their consciousness but use Divine Consciousness as threads to control broadly... even so, Puppets are more flexible than my Demon Servants..."
In truth, having read through the Puppet Master’s secret arts, Fang Xi was somewhat disappointed.
In this peculiar second world he was traversing, only Divine Consciousness could pass through, so he was looking for some skills related to Divine Consciousness, the kind that could attack or defend using Divine Consciousness.
Unfortunately... Although the skills practiced by the Puppet Masters did involve Divine Consciousness, it was completely different from what he wanted.
"Never mind, I can continue looking for Divine Consciousness secret skills... after all, I have plenty of time and am not in a rush..."
"I currently need time to settle things down, and also to wait for the impact of negative news to pass before I go and socialize, making connections with peers to expand my network and resources..."
With that in mind, Fang Xi put away the puppetry jade slip and took out the Purple Jade Furnace.
His internal liquid Magic Power condensed, instantly releasing a cyan-colored True Fire that flowed along his meridians to his palm.
With a flip of his hand, the cyan-colored True Fire reached the bottom of the Purple Jade Furnace, igniting fiercely.
This was the ’Innate True Fire’ that only a Foundation Establishment cultivator could possess, extremely useful whether for refining pills or forging talismans!
His expression became solemn as he took out each ingredient needed for the ’Beast Blood Pill’, and began the pill-refining process...