Chapter 210: Chapter 209: One Hundred Years Small Feast (Congratulations to the Silver Alliance!)_1
"Lady Yixi... What kind of person is Sir Fang?"
A green spirit boat flew out from Peach Blossom Island, made its rounds on White Feather Island and Black Sand Island to gather people, and then headed towards Dragon Fish Island.
This team was led by Wei Yixi, the acting master of Peach Blossom Island, to celebrate Fang Xi’s hundredth birthday on Dragon Fish Island.
The green spirit boat was quite spacious, and with a spiritual shield against the wind, standing on the deck one could not feel the slightest gust, making the ride extremely comfortable.
A young man in a coarse hemp robe, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, asked Wei Yixi.
This person, named ’Mu Huaihai,’ was a cultivator from the Mu Family lineage of Gemini East Peak.
Although in the past the Mu Family was disastrously swindled by a prodigal family head, almost losing all their spirit land, one lineage still survived, stubbornly persisting to this day by bitterly tilling a few spiritual fields.
’Mu Huaihai’ possessed a medium-grade earth spiritual root and was regarded as the hope of the Mu Family. This time the old family head of the Mu Family personally pleaded with Wei Yixi to take him to see the world on Dragon Fish Island.
Out of respect for the friendship among the three families, Wei Yixi agreed.
There weren’t many people on the green boat, aside from Wei Yixi and Mu Huaihai, there were only Hai Dagui, Mo Xiaoyao, and the head of Feng Family, Feng Xiaotian.
Both the Mo Family and the head of Feng Family pricked up their ears when they heard this.
As the latest legends of Thousand Island Lake, Fang Xi and Fairy Taoling, who soared on dragons, were inspirational tales for countless Qi Refining cultivators.
In fact, Fang Xi was even more popular amongst the lower classes than Ruan Xingling and her apprentice!
After all, Ruan Xingling and her disciple had their spiritual islands and inheritance... but Fang Xi was a genuine grass-roots figure, whose background as a former Spirit Farmer provided great relatability to the individual cultivators from the lower classes.
Perhaps, they too could achieve Foundation Establishment one day!
"Uncle..."
Wei Yixi’s gaze became slightly misty, "Before, he was solely focused on farming, until the big battle on Dragon Fish Island, when he himself broke through to the later stages of Qi Refining. It wasn’t until several years later, after he disappeared without word, that I found out he had actually established his foundation..."
Essentially, those who knew Fang Xi all recognized that he had participated in the Dragon Fish Zhong Family’s downfall and had gained immense benefits from it.
Otherwise, how could he have rapidly cultivated to the peak of Qi Refining and then successfully established his foundation?
"Uncle has an outstanding temperament and character, like pine and cypress, upright and steadfast. He’s very stable in every step he takes..."
Wei Yixi murmured to herself.
She was somewhat emotional, thinking that perhaps she had not learned Fang Xi’s steadiness, which is why she had trouble succeeding in Foundation Establishment.
Hearing this, Mu Huaihai couldn’t help but feel admiration for the Foundation Establishment elder, "Sir Fang truly is a role model for our generation..."
...
Dragon Fish Island.
Fang Xi’s hundredth birthday celebration was not held with great fanfare, and few were invited.
Moreover, there were already few cultivators on Dragon Fish Island, and over the past few years, some children with qualifications for cultivation had been selected through several tests for spiritual roots. Fang Xi did not take any disciples or change his surname; he simply sent them to work at the fishery and Spirit Medicine Valley.
On this day.
A weary Wei Yixi, along with several others, finally arrived at Dragon Fish Island just before the ceremony.
"What is this...?"
The green spirit boat hovered midair, and Wei Yixi’s expression changed slightly.
She could see a thin layer of grey-black fog surrounding Dragon Fish Island, making it impossible to clearly see the scenery beyond.
"Such a grand array... covering the entire Dragon Fish Island?"
Mo Xiaoyao exclaimed with a sigh, "Such an array is not much different from the Dragon Fish Zhong Family’s protective Great Array from back in the day, right?"
Feng Xiaotian also nodded repeatedly, his heart awestruck that Sir Fang, a Tier 2 alchemist, could actually afford the huge expense of Spirit Stones to purchase a Tier 2 array.
"Wait here for a moment..."
Last time Wei Yixi visited, the protective array of Dragon Fish Island was not like this, so naturally she dared not rush in. She simply waved her sleeve, sent out a spirit talisman, and it disappeared into the array.
It didn’t take long for a streak of escape light to fly out, and it was Xiahou Ying!
She held a pitch-black token in her hand and approached with a cheerful smile, "Sister Wei, it’s been a long time..."
"Hmm, take me to the Evergreen Pavilion!"
Seeing that the person was Xiahou Ying, whom she knew, Wei Yixi relaxed a bit and followed her into Dragon Fish Island. While observing the towering tree, she chatted, "Why is the array here different from last time?"
"The young master recently made minor adjustments to the array... and also updated the prohibition tokens..."
Xiahou Ying explained.
In fact, the authority of the prohibition token she held was very low, only capable of controlling the opening and closing of the outermost gates.
Several restricted areas on the island, such as the Demon Tree with Taisui, the Spirit Rice storage, and Fang Xi’s closed-door cultivation room, Refining Chamber, and Talisman Drawing Room... were all inaccessible.
"The young master is currently in seclusion, but he will definitely come out for the evening banquet, so please wait a moment, sister..."
Xiahou Ying led the group to the guest rooms to rest.
"No problem!"
Wei Yixi waved her hand, letting Xiahou Ying go on with her business, and she began to meditate to restore her magic power.
"I’ve long heard that Dragon Fish Island is a second-tier spiritual vein..."
Feeling the dense spiritual energy in the void, Mo Xiaoyao’s face was full of envy, "If I could meditate and cultivate here, perhaps my cultivation technique could advance sooner..."
"There are only a few second-tier spirit islands in the entire Thousand Island Lake, and even fewer second-tier superior spiritual veins. Only this place and Maple Leaf Island... Xiaoyao, if you’re interested, why not set your sights on Ling Kong Island."
Head of Feng Family, Feng Xiaotian, jokingly added.
With the death of the Yan Family’s Foundation Establishment elder, they were now merely a Qi Refining family, yet they occupied a second-tier spirit island, which actually made many native Thousand Island Lake cultivators quite dissatisfied.
After all, the Yan Family was an outsider family, not yet settled in, and losing strong military force, it was natural for them to face exclusion.
"The Yan Family has always kept their island closed... and they also have people serving under Foundation Establishment elders; it’s not an easy target to aim for..."
Mo Xiaoyao shook his head repeatedly, "Moreover... they still have several talented clansmen as disciples in Mysterious Heaven Sect..."
"Competition among disciples of great sects is fierce too. What difference does it make for cultivators from minor families like us compared to individual cultivators? If the elder of the Yan Family were still here, he would grit his teeth and offer some support... but now, it has become difficult."
Feng Xiaotian seemed to think of something, and he sighed deeply.
Mu Huaihai and Hai Dagui, however, had faces full of wonder, looking around and touching everything, feeling as if their horizons were being broadened.
...
Inside the closed-door cultivation room.
Fang Xi, with his divine consciousness turned inward, could feel strands of Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi being drawn into his body with each breath, condensing into magic power within his dantian.
"I’ve just reached a hundred years old, nearly a decade into planting trees, with eighty-five drops of liquid magic power stored in my dantian, and the limit of my divine consciousness has broken through to one hundred and seventy zhang..."
"What’s more crucial is that my lifespan has surpassed five hundred years... does this mean I’m getting younger as I live longer?"
Calculating the time, his hundred-year celebration banquet was about to begin, so Fang Xi slowly ended his practice and walked out of the training room.
Yan Hongxue had been waiting outside for a long time, holding a set of purple-green robes embroidered with the character for ’longevity’ in profound gold thread. Seeing Fang Xi emerge from seclusion, she immediately knelt down: "This servant congratulates the young master on his hundredth birthday, and may you live long and prosperous for a thousand autumns!"
"Haha, you are thoughtful."
Fang Xi laughed heartily, put on the robe with the help of Yan Hongxue, and went to the banquet hall of the Evergreen Pavilion.
Before entering the living room, a sweep of his consciousness told him who had arrived.
In reality, Fang Xi didn’t have many connections in Thousand Island Lake, and other Qi Refining practitioners didn’t dare to come uninvited to the banquet of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The number of people in the living room was sparse, with Wei Yixi at the lead, each sitting at a table, and still, there appeared to be plenty of room.
"Today, I celebrate my hundredth birthday. I’m troubled by the distant travels everyone has made to honor me, truly a glorious occurrence..."
Fang Xi’s mouth curved with a hint of a smile as he slowly walked into the venue.
"We dare not..."
Mo Xiaoyao and others quickly rose to their feet and gave a greeting: "We wish Senior Fang immortality and a life as everlasting as the heavens..."
"Haha, no need for such formality, please, take your seats!"
Fang Xi gestured for them to sit down and clapped his hands: "Let the banquet begin!"
Xiahou Ying and Yan Hongxue hosted, instructing maids to start setting up the banquet.
The rice was second-tier Dragon Scale Fine Rice, the meat was savory Taisui Meat, and the soup was ’Little Green Dragon Soup’...
Apart from that, there was Peach Blossom Brew for spirit wine, and specifically purchased second-tier ’Four Flavors Wine’, a drink that undergoes four different taste changes from smelling its fragrance to swallowing it, leaving an endless aftertaste.
"All... second-tier spiritual objects?"
Such lavish extravagance left not only Mu Huaihai astonished, but even the heads of Feng and Mo Families were dumbfounded.
Mo Xiaoyao, looking at the table full of delicacies, swallowed hard, then felt his storage bag. He thought the birthday gift he had carefully prepared seemed rather inadequate.
"Today’s guests are either friends of mine or descendants of good friends. There’s no need to stick to formalities..."
Fang Xi raised his white jade cup: "To victory!"
"Thank you, Sir Fang!"
The several Qi Refining cultivators each took a sip of the second-tier spirit wine and silently began to cultivate, digesting its effects.
At that moment, a Voice Transmission Talisman flew into the array, and a crisp bell-like sound emerged from it.
The ringing bell transformed into a woman’s voice: "Ruan Xingling has come to offer her congratulations on the grand birthday celebration of Fang Xi!"
"It’s Fairy Taoling herself!"
The heads of Feng and Mo Families quickly stood up and, following Fang Xi, went outside the Evergreen Pavilion to welcome her.
The array opened, and a ray of Escape Light landed in front of the Evergreen Pavilion; it was indeed Ruan Xingling!
"Ruan, thank you for coming. Please come inside for a cup of humble wine!"
Fang Xi’s face brightened with joy as he invited Ruan Xingling into the living room, and for a time, the hall was filled with jubilant hosts and guests.
However, Wei Yixi looked at this scene and a trace of sadness momentarily crossed her eyes.
Now that the uncle was a hundred years old, and she was seventy-seven herself...
The lifespan limit of a Qi Refining cultivator was about two jiazi, but she didn’t practice longevity techniques and had also failed in her Foundation Establishment attempt, depleting her Primordial Energy, so it was unlikely she’d live that long.
’It’s better this way... Let uncle be the one to see me off to avoid sadness... Yixi really is a selfish person, isn’t she...’
Wei Yixi felt the corners of her eyes warm up, hastily wiped them with her sleeve, and showed a smiling face again...
...
After the banquet, a few Qi Refining cultivators returned to their rooms to meditate, not wanting to waste such a rare opportunity.
Fang Xi, however, was taking a stroll on Dragon Fish Island with Ruan Xingling.
"This array..."
Ruan Xingling looked at the huge canopy of the Demon Tree, the rest shrouded in a layer of black mist that made it difficult to see clearly but instilled a sense of terror in her.
"This is a second-tier spirit plant I found, and also the core of the ’Profound Wood Formation’ I’ve laid out..."
Fang Xi smiled as he explained briefly, with no intention of taking Ruan Xingling closer: "Last time, Fairy Ruan expressed concerns about the arduous Taoist Path, and recently, I’ve obtained a secret skill, which I’d like to gift to Fairy Ruan, although the requirements for this skill are quite harsh, so please be cautious, very cautious..."
If Ruan Xingling had not come this time, then no fate between them would remain, and Fang Xi had no intention of giving it away.
Since Ruan Xingling had come, however, Fang Xi didn’t mind going with the flow.
After all, killing Song Qing... after the success of the ’Nine Nether Profound Wood Array’, it wasn’t really a big deal.
Moreover, Ruan Xingling would likely keep it a secret for him.
Ruan Xingling received the copy of the cultivation technique and secret skill from Fang Xi, and her pupils dilated slightly: "This is..."
She then looked back at Fang Xi, feeling as if he was enshrouded in a layer of mist, realizing she had never truly seen through him.