Chapter 176: Chapter 175: Eighty Years Old (Congratulations to the Silver Alliance!)_1
Cultivation flies by, years uncounted.
The Peach Blossom Pavilion.
Inside the training room.
Fang Xi was meditating deeply, his appearance still resembling a young man, radiant as jade. A verdant, vibrant blue light of vitality swirled around him as he sat tranquilly detached, like an elegant orchid or a noble tree...
By his side, an empty jade bottle remained, its fragrance of herbs still lingering at the mouth.
After a long while.
Fang Xi opened his eyes, a gentle blue gleam flickered within them, "Finally... the upper limit of my Dantian Qi Ocean has expanded to forty drops of liquid magic power... In theory, I should now be able to advance to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, but I still need the assistance of a breakthrough pill..."
This was also a flaw of the ancient method, where quantification was quite vague.
Fang Xi estimated that, if it were the modern method, his current level of cultivation would roughly be equivalent to just entering the third layer of Foundation Establishment.
Although he could indeed advance, the failure rate was high.
Without the assistance of a breakthrough pill, the hope was even more remote, and a failed advancement would certainly lead to a severe backlash!
"I still need to refine my magic power... and continue to expand the limits of my Dantian Qi Ocean."
"Thanks to the ’Hundred Herbs Pill’ I managed to forge from a full set of rare materials... Although I have to nurture the ’Green Barley Sword’, the progress of my magic power is not slow at all..."
Fang Xi examined his Dantian Qi Ocean and saw a pool of serene azure blue. Floating above the water was a green wooden sword, seemingly absorbing strands of magic aura, making the sword even more lush...
"Not only that, by training my Divine Consciousness with the ’Treasures of All Heavens’, the limit of my Divine Consciousness has now extended to up to two hundred and one feet... The Divine Consciousness of many mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators may not even be as strong as mine."
"And I have also made initial progress in the ’Hundred Illusions Skills’ and the ’Sky Demon Dismemberment Skills’."
"This closed-door cultivation session has been quite fruitful."
With a slight smile on his face, Fang Xi calculated and discovered that he was already eighty years old.
It had been more than twenty years since he reached Foundation Establishment...
"How time flies..."
Fang Xi sighed, flicked a Cleaning Skill over himself, and strolled out of the closed-door cultivation room.
In the courtyard, it was eternally spring, and peach blossoms were in full bloom.
"Fang, you’re late... you owe a drink for that penalty."
Ruan Xingling, Jin Ling, and Wei Yixi were all present, the three women sitting under the Peach Blossom Tree, savoring spiritual tea and cakes, radiating a harmonious atmosphere.
Fang Xi had once gathered ingredients to concoct a batch of ’Wrinkle-Resisting Pills’, naturally distributing one to each of them.
Additionally, being cultivators skilled at preservation, the three women had also consumed Youth-Retention Pills, and they did indeed look as if they were in the bloom of their youth.
’Is the purpose of cultivation, perhaps, to eternally preserve beauty?’
As Fang Xi was thinking to himself, Ruan Xingling, smiling, handed him a cup of spiritual tea which he drained in one gulp, then turned to Jin Ling and Wei Yixi.
"Yixi, your cultivation is not bad; you’ve actually broken through to the ninth level of Qi Refining..."
Upon seeing them again, he felt a bit of surprise.
As for Jin Ling, she was older than Wei Yixi, and feared that her Taoist path might have reached its end.
"Yes... Uncle, you wouldn’t believe, I was just going with the flow and somehow I just broke through..."
Wei Yixi said with a laugh, "Now I am fifty-seven, and I have three years left to reach the threshold of Great Perfection."
There was no such distinction as an early, middle, or peak stage for the tenth level of Qi Refining. Once someone reached this threshold, they became a Great Perfection cultivator and qualified to attempt Foundation Establishment.
Given Wei Yixi’s current progress, there seemed to be some hope for her yet.
"Hmm, keep up the hard work..."
Fang Xi encouraged her, while Ruan Xingling thought of her own disciple.
Four years ago, at the grand auction in Baize Immortal City, both Ruan Xingling and Fang Xi had attended.
Ruan Xingling paid a premium for a second-tier, high-quality ’Out-of-Body Talisman’ for Ruan Dan, for it’s the Divine Consciousness stage that’s the most difficult for Qi Refining cultivators!
Alas, despite obtaining a Foundation Establishment spiritual object, Ruan Dan’s attempt at Foundation Establishment in a rented Dongfu still failed!
Luckily, this failure didn’t result in the worst-case scenario—death due to completely ruptured meridians—but it did greatly damage her primordial energy, requiring a period of recuperation.
Afterward, she bid her master farewell and went on a journey to clear her heart.
Ruan Xingling initially did not permit this, but not wanting to see her disciple disheartened and taking into account that most Demon Cultivators in Thousand Island Lake had been mostly cleansed, she eventually agreed.
According to the latest news, Ruan Dan had joined an Individual Cultivator Alliance under a pseudonym and then went to hunt Monster Beasts in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range...
’In fact, even with Foundation Establishment pills, the chances of an Individual Cultivator successfully forming the foundation is only about fifty-fifty... A failure in Foundation Establishment is really the norm.’
Fang Xi lamented in his heart and enjoyed tea and merriment with the three women as an after-cultivation relaxation.
Suddenly, a Voice Transmission Talisman flew towards him. Fang Xi caught it in his hand, scanned it with his Divine Consciousness, and his expression suddenly turned grim.
"What’s the matter?" Ruan Xingling asked with concern.
"Nothing serious, just a law enforcement patrol in the Inner City..."
Fang Xi got up and opened the Dongfu.
Outside the Dongfu stood more than a dozen cultivators clad in spirit armor, with Luo Gong at their head—a man Fang Xi recognized.
"Luo... what is this about?"
Fang Xi looked surprised.
"Ah..." Luo Gong sighed and presented an image from a jade slip—it was none other than Master Huahe. "The whole city is under martial law, they are hunting for Prime Taoist Huahe... My friend, since you have met the man, please recount everything you know..."
"Of course, I only did a few pill transactions with him..."
Fang Xi explained everything, then couldn’t help asking, "What has he done?"
"Ah... it’s tough to know someone’s true colors. I only found out just now that this Master Huahe is actually the mastermind behind many cultivation-robbers outside the city..."
Luo Gong looked distressed, "Before, he was very clever, only preying on Qi Refining cultivators but over the last decade or so, he slowly started plotting against fellow cultivators... It is said that several Sirs have already fallen into his traps, dying tragic deaths. Fortunately, there was one Individual Cultivator with a superior Wind Spiritual Root, who was astonishingly fast and managed to escape with his life, bringing the news to White Peak Mountain, and only then did we uncover his true identity!"
"Now, Master Ouyang is furious and has declared a city-wide manhunt for this man, offering a hefty reward for his capture to cultivators in the neighboring three countries!"
...
After Ouyang hastily left, Ruan Xingling could hardly believe it, "Prime Taoist Huahe... to think he was such a person?"
She too had dealings with Master Huahe and had a good impression of his insight and way of speaking.
Especially since he had placed an order for a second-level Spiritual Instrument, which indeed made her a tidy profit.
Who would have thought... that he was actually the leader of the cultivation-robbers!
"Thank goodness Fang was vigilant, or else the two of us might have also..."
Ruan Xingling was still terrified.
"Alas... This is truly a case of ’seeing the face but not the heart’."
"Luckily, I will never lose if I don’t gamble!"
Fang Xi sighed and instructed Jin Ling and the other woman, "It’s bound to be chaotic again recently, you two should go out less..."
...
Fang Xi was always a homebody.
For him, there was no problem with residing and practicing cultivation in Baize Immortal City until reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment.
As for Core Formation?
Forget it, forming a core in Baize Immortal City could be dangerous if he didn’t get along well with Master Bai Feng.
However, when he stayed home, there was always other entertainment to be had.
...
Fragment World.
"Kill!"
"Under the glory of Black Mountain!"
"Kill them all!"
In the barbaric wilderness, a battlefield ensued.
Multitudes of Shaman Race warriors, led by shamans and carrying banners marked with dark mountain peaks, fiercely charged at another army.
The Big Shaman, upon obtaining the mirror fragment, did not conceal it but instead taught the "Spirit-opening Script" to the minor shamans.
After ten years of gathering strength and nurturing their vitality, today’s Black Mountain Tribe was far stronger than before.
In terms of the number and power of the minor shamans, they completely overwhelmed the neighboring tribes!
As a result, the Big Shaman seized the opportunity to wage war, first annexing the nearby ’Fierce Mountain Tribe’ and then attacking the ’Black Fish Tribe’!
The warriors of the Black Fish Tribe were beaten into retreat.
As brave as they were, they could not stand against the onslaught once their shamans were defeated, as mere flesh and blood could not stop the magic of the rising stars.
"Ba Yan!"
Within the Black Fish Tribe, an old man dressed in black beast skin and strung with many skull necklaces flew up, his voice thundering, "Come out and battle!"
This was the Black Fish Tribe’s Big Shaman, and the ’Ba Yan’ he called out to was the name of the Big Shaman from the Black Mountain Tribe.
"Da Gu, you only have one choice, to submit to me and offer your Spirit Mark!"
Within the ranks of the Black Mountain Tribe, Ba Yan the Big Shaman slowly rose into the air accompanied by a fierce wind that gradually formed into a massive tornado around him.
Compared to ten years ago, his visage seemed unchanged, in fact, he appeared even younger.
Fang Xi had never expected that by casually giving away a first-grade Longevity Pill recipe, this Ba Yan the Big Shaman would truly be able to scrounge up the materials and successfully produce it in the Fragment World!
However, a first-grade pill could extend one’s life by only a few years, and after three or four pills, its effects would fade.
Ba Yan the Big Shaman had only extended his life by about ten years, then began frantically searching for other Spirit Marks to trade for the mirror fragment...
After all, Fang Xi would not accept the Metal and Xun Wind Spirit Patterns a second time.
Therefore, the Black Mountain Tribe embarked on the path of war, and once started, could not be stopped.
"Go!"
With a roar from Ba Yan, the tornado suddenly swept towards the Black Fish Tribe, warriors and minor shamans caught in its path exploded into bits of flesh and blood.
Opposite, Da Gu the Big Shaman also had Spirit Marks flickering about him, creating torrents of water out of thin air.
The numerous streams of water joined to form the shape of a white dragon, its ferocious head charging at the tornado.
Crash! Bang!
The wind and water tore through everything, rising into the air and then violently bursting, like a downpour, soaking all the nearby tribe warriors.
The two figures clashed swiftly mid-air, and even the remnants of the Bright Moon Level Witchcraft forced shamans to keep their distance.
"Hahaha..."
In the end, Ba Yan the Big Shaman, holding Da Gu’s head, triumphantly flew high into the sky, "Your Big Shaman is dead... will you not surrender now?"
"We surrender!"
"The Big Shaman is dead, we surrender!"
Seeing Da Gu’s head, the Black Fish warriors who were fighting fiercely began to drop their weapons and scattered in despair...
...
In the encampment of the Black Fish Tribe, numerous tents were flipped inside out, as invaders brought devastation.
"Big Shaman, found it."
A minor shaman ran over, holding a black fish hide in both hands.
On the fish hide was a profound Water Spiritual Pattern.
"At last... The Water Spiritual Pattern!"
The Big Shaman’s eyes lit up.