Chapter 157: Chapter 156: Dividing Thoughts (Congratulations to the Night Alliance Leader for his Cramps!) _1
Several years later.
Drunk White Pool.
This was the Inner City Dongfu that Luo Gong received as a gift, a second-tier high-quality Spiritual Vein with a vast area, where one could also raise aquatic Spirit Plants and Spirit Fish in the pool water, yielding substantial income every year.
Having joined Baize Immortal City as a guest, Luo was given this Dongfu for free. The scenery was beautiful, and sharing it with his family members and disciples truly made living there a great joy of the mortal world.
When Fang Xi first visited, the view of Drunk White Pool made him quite envious.
At this moment,
Above the surface of the pool, Spiritual Lotuses were blooming, petals unfurling one by one, exuding a clear fragrance.
A Spirit Boat was drifting among the green waves of the lotus leaves.
"With friends visiting, my humble abode may be simple, so I’ll entertain our esteemed guest with these lotus pods and seeds..."
Luo Gong sat on the Spirit Boat, casually reached out, and summoned a big green lotus pod, placing it in front of Fang Xi’s desk.
"Thank you..."
Fang Xi swept it with his Divine Consciousness, and immediately smiled, "This is the second-tier Spirit Plant ’Bitter Heart Lotus’, is it not? The lotus heart can be used in medicine, being the main ingredient for ’Bitter Heart Pill’, which has miraculous effects on Cultivators for draining heart fire and expelling external demons... "
"Bitter Heart Lotus seeds need over a hundred years before they can be used in medicine. I’ve only had them for about a dozen years... and even this is a legacy from the predecessors..."
Luo Gong stroked his chin and laughed heartily: "What I really have been looking forward to is Mr. Fang’s Peach Blossom Brew..."
"Sure thing, sure thing..."
Fang Xi and Luo Gong had only known each other for a while, and recently, with deliberate efforts to make friends, had become frequent visitors to each other’s places, and could be considered friends.
The two chatted about the insights they had during their cultivation, as well as other miscellaneous matters, and they got along quite harmoniously.
"This position as a guest is actually quite leisurely..."
Luo Gong took a sip of Peach Blossom Brew and let slip a little too much, "There’s only a mandatory mission every two or three years, which is nothing more than driving away second-tier Monster beasts in the vicinity or escorting a trade convoy... It’s really very relaxed!"
He was overjoyed: "Not only that, but the rewards after completing a mission are generous, this time I exchanged for a bottle of ’Ice Skin Jade Bone Pill’, and with the aid of this pill, practicing the ’Bright Jade Mantra’ feels divinely assisted... Perhaps within twenty or thirty years, I’ll be able to have full Magic Power and break through the mid-stage bottleneck!"
The Bright Jade Mantra was the cultivation that Luo Gong exchanged from White Peak Mountain.
This Magic Spell cultivates both body and magic, and with an extremely fast advancement in Magic Power and potent strength, it is a rare top-tier Magic Spell.
In comparison, Fang Xi’s own ’Green Wood Longevity Skill’, aside from maintaining youthfulness and health benefits, was plain in combat, with nothing noteworthy at all.
"Luo is truly a genius who has tackled the Foundation Establishment on his own and has joined a major power; the future is a smooth path for you. When you flourish in the future, please do not forget to help your younger brother..."
Fang Xi raised his glass and toasted Luo Gong again.
Although Luo Gong’s expression remained calm, his slightly twitching brows revealed his extremely pleased mood.
As the two chatted about everything under the sun, Fang Xi inadvertently brought up the Song Family.
"The Song Family has always been domineering. When I was an Individual Cultivator, I often suffered at their hands. Isn’t it just because they rely on an ancestor who has reached the peak of Foundation Establishment?"
Luo Gong looked down upon this as well.
He is now a guest of Baize Immortal City, with Core Formation ancestors backing him!
"I don’t see the Song Family being able to maintain their arrogance for long..."
Fang Xi said with shared animosity.
"That might be somewhat difficult... Alas, the Song Family has profound heritage after all, their clan’s protective Great Array is of third-tier level!" Luo Gong lowered his voice, "With the protection of a third-tier Great Array at their foundation, and their ancestor sitting in the stronghold year-round, with a Foundation Establishment peak Cultivator presiding over a third-tier Array, even Core Formation ancestors would have a hard time breaking through it... However, I think that the Mysterious Heaven Sect, which was able to annihilate the Situ Family back in the day, surely has some designs on the Song Family too. It’s just a matter of doing the easier tasks first. Brother, just wait and enjoy the show... Of course, there’s a slight chance that the Song family ancestor breaks through and becomes a Golden Core, but that’s none of our concern. We just need to steer clear of the Song Family..."
"Indeed, with our long lives, we can just sit back and watch as flowers bloom and wilt, isn’t it perfect?"
Fang Xi laughed heartily, peeled the lotus pod, and began to eat the seeds one by one.
Tasting the sweetness tinged with a hint of bitterness of the lotus seeds spreading in his mouth, his gaze darkened as he asked, "Although Baize Immortal City is nice, certain items that are not suitable for public transactions are difficult to purchase. I wonder if there is a market nearby?"
"Are you referring to... the black market?"
Luo Gong smiled faintly, "We are of the Righteous Path in public, those items from Demon Cultivators and even spoils from murder and robbery... indeed cannot be publicly handled in the Fairy City. Outside of Baize Immortal City, a black market gathers periodically, with locations changing. I will notify you when the time comes. If Sir is interested, I can keep an eye out for you..."
"Let’s forget about that..."
Fang Xi shook his head, "If something were to happen during a transaction outside the Fairy City, what would we do?"
"Haha, we Immortal Cultivators should advance valiantly and vigorously!"
Luo Gong laughed heartily, "You’re being too cautious..."
"My Magic Spell is mediocre, with low Magic Power and average combat prowess... I’d better focus on production and acquiring resources for cultivation..."
Fang Xi sighed and looked somewhat disconsolate.
...
"I was thinking of buying second-tier puppet materials at the black market. Now it seems, I’ll have to hold off..."
Peach Blossom Pavilion.
In the Cultivation Room.
Fang Xi was seated cross-legged, his hands continuously forming spells.
Green light flickered in his eyes, and within his Sea of Consciousness, two threads of Divine Consciousness were severed.
"Thousand Thread Puppet Controlling Skills, first layer, done!"
Once this Secret Skill was mastered, it could divide the spirit and thoughts, creating two Divine Consciousness threads that enter into Puppets for perfect control.
Fang Xi’s Divine Consciousness was powerful, allowing him to practice quickly.
A hint of joy crossed his face, and with a slap on his Spirit Beast Bag,
Boom!
With a dull thud, two Demon Tree Puppets landed on the ground, their bulky bodies filling the Cultivation Room to the brim.
One of the Golden Hairy Ape King Puppets, towering six meters high, even had to bend its waist as if it felt quite aggrieved.
Another puppet was a second-tier flying Demonic Beast, covered in pitch-black feathers, resembling a crow.
"Go!"
Fang Xi formed a magic spell with his hands, and a split divine consciousness entered the head of the Ape King Puppet.
Since the puppet was already controlled by the Monster Tree, it did not resist at all, allowing Fang Xi’s thoughts to invade its core unhindered.
After a moment, Fang Xi held his head, feeling a sense of fatigue that comes with the intense consumption of divine consciousness.
This feeling was something he often enjoyed, particularly after exiting the Fragment World.
Fang Xi caught his breath for a moment and then swallowed a Calming Pill, his complexion improved significantly in an instant.
At the same time, he also gained another field of vision.
It came from the ’Golden Hairy Ape King Puppet.’
"This feeling... it’s weaker than that of an avatar, but much stronger than the indirect manipulation by the Monster Tree before. It’s like the internet speed upgrading from dial-up to broadband fiber optics..."
Fang Xi controlled the Ape King Puppet, making several movements, and could not help but feel very satisfied.
Now that the puppet’s defects had been repaired, it could easily be considered a second-tier lower-grade puppet.
Moreover, with its tough skin and flesh, like an indestructible vajra body, and awakened with the talent of Monster Skills—’Stone Transformation Skills,’ it was incredibly strong in close combat.
Had it not fallen directly into the Array Death Gate, it might not have perished at all.
After checking the puppet, Fang Xi started to work on the second one in the same manner.
This puppet, needless to say, died even more frustratingly... after all, a flying Demonic Beast that falls within the Array Death Gate can hardly leverage its greatest advantage.
Fang Xi chose this puppet precisely for its ability to fly and its innate Monster Skill of transforming wind to boost its speed greatly. Its escape speed was extremely fast, far exceeding the average spiritual instrument, only slightly slower than his own Blood Combustion Escape Skill.
"Not bad, it can be used as a flying spiritual instrument..."
Fang Xi looked at the wounds on the puppet’s wings and frowned slightly; those were the sins he had committed himself.
Now, he can only repay them himself. In the future, he would still need to purchase second-tier materials for repairs.
"Two main combat puppets, and in addition, with the help of the Monster Tree, I’ve controlled six other puppets..."
Although the remaining puppets weren’t as responsive as his own limbs, after being re-refined using puppet skills, they became much more agile to operate.
"My cultivation skill is indeed average, and the power of my fighting spells is just mediocre..."
"But controlling puppets to besiege in the early Foundation Establishment stage, I’m afraid one could dominate..."
"People like Luo Gong, once surrounded, are doomed to fall..."
Hmm, having been friends for so long, Fang Xi was quite familiar with Luo’s cultivation level and his mastery of magical spells and spiritual instruments. Naturally, he took him as an example for comparison.
"Now I have offensive spiritual instruments, and a flying spiritual instrument, albeit barely. What’s missing is a defensive spiritual instrument..."
Fang Xi pondered.
Lower-grade spiritual instruments often start at several hundred spirit stones, and top-quality ones can cost over a thousand. They’re truly not a small expense.
The key point was that his apparent income from refining pills as a Qi Refining Cultivator was barely enough to cover the rent for his Dongfu...
"Wealth should not be exposed, wealth should not be exposed..."
"Moreover, the circle for selling spiritual instruments is very small, with too few choices..."
"It would be better to wait for the major auction to go out of town, sell one or two Demonic Beasts, and then look for the item of my heart’s desire at the auction..."
...
Having successfully cultivated the first level of ’Thousand Thread Puppet Controlling Skills,’ and controlling two more puppets, Fang Xi’s strength had increased substantially and he was in a very good mood as he stepped out of the Cultivation Room.
Outside, under the shroud of the array, the Peach Blossom Pavilion was forever in spring, with peach blossoms perennially in bloom.
The Great Green Dragon fish, upon seeing Fang Xi’s arrival, got so scared that it hid at the bottom of the pool.
Even the Dragon Fish Zhong Family, who raised first-tier superior Little Green Dragons, had no idea how to make a Little Green Dragon advance to the second-tier.
Besides, this kind of nurturing was too costly and not worth the losses incurred.
Fang Xi simply kept it as a hobby and did not take it seriously.
He sat down under the Peach Blossom Tree, reaching out to catch a falling petal.
"My lord..."
Jin Ling came gracefully, with a flower ornament on her forehead, which added a touch of charm to her cuteness.
"Hmm? Did you break through in your cultivation?"
With a sweep of his divine consciousness, Fang Xi made a discovery.
Jin Ling’s cultivation had been stuck at the sixth level of Qi Refining, just like many other Individual Cultivators, trapped by a major bottleneck in the later stages.
But today, she had finally made a breakthrough.
"It’s all thanks to the spiritual energy here and the divine pills bestowed by you, my lord..." Jin Ling bowed formally, "Why does lord treat me so well?"
’Is that considered good? It’s just a trickle through the cracks of my fingers...’
Fang Xi silently sighed inwardly but teased with a smile on his face, "Of course, because I fancy the beauty of the little lady..."
As he spoke, he stepped forward and lifted the chin of the beautiful woman.
After Foundation Establishment, Fang Xi’s actions became even more at will.
Jin Ling couldn’t help but blush with a beautiful flush on her cheeks, glanced around like a small bunny, and muttered softly, "My lord, please come to the room..."
"Right here!"