Chapter 276: Chapter 275: The First Sword of Core Formation (Congratulations to alliance leader xinhuitianmi!)_1
In the Peach Blossom Forest.
The guests of Dragon Fish Island had mostly departed, and compared to the previous bustle, it now seemed slightly desolate.
"Everyone’s gone... It’s good that they’ve left."
Fang Xi was half-leaning against a peach blossom tree, holding a jade slip in his hand, engrossed in contemplation.
It was the subsequent cultivation technique for the ’Kuyong Skills’ the old ghost had given him, which also contained content on ’Longevity Skills’.
Although it was largely consistent with what he had learned, the descriptions of certain details and critical stages were still immensely beneficial to Fang Xi.
"The major cultivation methods really do have their pitfalls, or rather, the tricks of the trade are passed down orally and not written... The ’Kuyong Skills’ I previously acquired didn’t mention a single word about ’Yi Wood Magic Body’... If other cultivators were unaware of the intricacies and continued to cultivate until the late stage of Core Formation, that would be a huge trap..."
"Regrettably... even in the ancient Green Emperor Mountain, it seems that those who managed to cultivate the ’Eternal Green Body’ are rare, and it’s possible that there were none... The commentary on this ’Longevity Skills’ only goes as far as the ’Yi Wood Magic Body’ section!"
"Even so, some speculations about this type of Longevity Taoist Body are enough to benefit me greatly."
Fang Xi silently sighed.
Having grown the ’Yi Wood Magic Body’ for so many years, by all logic, even if achieving the ’Eternal Green Body’ was difficult, there should have been some feedback.
But so far, he felt nothing!
"A body suitable for becoming an immortal is indeed not something that can easily be achieved by shortcuts..."
"Based on the pivotal points of the method, it is either that the grade of the Spiritual Root is not high enough, or the Spiritual Vein is insufficient..."
"Eternal Green... after all, is but a moon reflected on the water, a flower in the mirror; it’s time to wake up from this dream."
With a flick of his hand, a stream of azure light flew out; it was the Green Barley Sword!
Embracing the Green Barley Sword, he stepped into the forbidden area and saw the towering Monster Tree.
"The first sword of Core Formation, let’s cut down one of our own first!"
"No, it’s about cutting down myself."
Fang Xi sighed again, holding the Green Barley Sword with a roll of his Golden Core inside his body; terrifying Core Formation level magic power surged out and into the Green Barley Sword.
The Green Barley Sword let out a long cry, and golden patterns lit up along the blade, bursting forth with dazzling light.
This third-rank magical treasure, a flying sword, was only truly complementary in the hands of a Core Formation cultivator!
In the hands of Fang Xi at this moment, it suddenly burst forth with a sword light even more radiant than before!
Fang Xi held the Green Barley Sword and swung it gently!
The dazzling sword light slashed toward the void... above the Monster Tree!
After all, the Monster Tree was a part of Fang Xi, and he would be foolish to cut down himself.
With a flash of purple light in his eyes, Fang Xi aimed at the connection established by ’Longevity Skills’ within the void between himself and the Monster Tree.
Boom!
Azurite sword light streaked across the void, then soared into the sky, dispersing the black mist of the Monster Tree.
It even went uninterrupted, cutting straight through the dense clouds, allowing the dazzling sunlight to fall...
Fang Xi felt empty inside, as if he’d lost something significant.
He knew this was the feeling of loss produced by severing the great circulation connection with the ’Monster Tree’.
After all, the two had been connected for nearly a hundred years!
"This ’Longevity Skills’ practice is still not perfect..."
He muttered to himself, looking at the mighty Monster Tree that blocked out the sky, retracting the ’Green Barley Sword’, deep in thought.
Then, Fang Xi opened his mouth and exhaled a stream of pitch-black light.
This light fell into the air, emitting a mysterious fluctuation of withering and flourishing, which was a pitch-black wooden seal, the Life-Death Seal!
"This seal was originally crafted using a branch of the Ancestral Demon Tree as the main material, further refined with a sapling of the Monster Tree, which made it even more powerful; I wonder how much its might will increase."
As Fang Xi’s thoughts moved, the massive Monster Tree began to tremble.
One by one, the roots were pulled out from the depths of the earth, and the entire Dragon Fish Island was shaking.
Many ordinary people, seeing the cracked earth and the swaying black roots, fell to their knees in fear, thinking some apocalyptic disaster was about to strike!
Even Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators, witnessing the scenes unfolding across the island, were agape, at a loss for what to do.
But Fang Xi didn’t care.
Watching the Monster Tree retract layer by layer of roots, and the vast tendrils and Qi Roots nearly filling the space, he rotated his hands, sending one seal after another into the ’Life-Death Seal’.
With a roaring sound, the Life-Death Seal floated above the Monster Tree, emitting rings of pitch-black ripples, enveloping the Monster Tree!
"Rise!"
With the full cooperation of the Monster Tree, Fang Xi sent a seal into the trunk, and the body of the tree began to shrink rapidly, the roots curling up, all retracting into the ’Life-Death Seal’ interior.
Being a magical treasure, it naturally had some space-altering divine capabilities.
By doing this, Fang Xi was thoroughly refining the Monster Tree, causing it to lose its vitality and turning it into a material for the magical treasure!
Eventually, it merged completely into the ’Life-Death Seal’.
Seeing the ’Life-Death Seal’ swallow up the Monster Tree and start to rapidly expand, like a black mountain dozens of feet high, Fang Xi’s lips curled into a smile. He exhaled wisps of azure Core Fire, which wrapped around the base and surroundings of the seal mountain, starting another round of sacrificial refining...
...
Months later.
Fang Xi opened his eyes.
In the azure Core Fire, the ’Life-Death Seal’ had returned to the size of a fist, its dark black surface seemingly several shades deeper, even turning smooth and jade-like, exuding a sense of heft.
And the previously blurry knob of the seal was gradually becoming clear.
The knob, also known as the ’seal button’ or ’seal head’, is the engraved decoration on the top of a seal.
Initially, this part was quite vague, but after Fang Xi’s meticulous efforts, it began to reveal a hint of elegance.
It was a form that seemed to be a Qiu Dragon, created by the intertwining and twisting of a Monster Tree’s Qi Roots and vines!
"In fact... this magic artifact is called ’Wood Dragon Seal’—that actually seems rather fitting. No matter, let’s stick with calling it the Life-Death Seal..."
Fang Xi slowly ended his cultivation and stored the magic artifact back in his dantian, a hint of joy surfacing on his face.
"This ’Life-Death Seal,’ even without invoking the ’Kuyong Mysterious Light,’ has incredible power based solely on its material—probably comparable to a top-tier magic artifact cultivated with Golden Core True Origin by a Core Formation cultivator for hundreds of years, right?"
"In an early Core Formation cultivator’s battle, as soon as it’s used, victory should be firmly established."
After the sacrificial refining of the magic artifact, Fang Xi stretched his body, feeling utterly refreshing.
Although he had not yet left Dragon Fish Island, his mind was exceedingly clear, reveling in a sense of ease like never before.
"I’m free again..."
"There are too many places I want to go, each one must be carefully planned..."
"This Dragon Fish Island is no longer suitable for my cultivation."
"And there’s Taisui, I should send it back to Great Liang first..."
Fang Xi pondered slowly, his eyes gradually growing colder.
...
Half a month later.
In front of the Evergreen Pavilion.
"You say... the Island Master has suddenly summoned us, what could it be for?"
Taishu Hong looked at the other three Foundation Establishment cultivators and transmitted to Zhong Hongyu with Divine Consciousness.
"How could I possibly know the Island Master’s thoughts?"
Zhong Hongyu spoke directly, "Does Mr. Hong have any brilliant insights?"
Yuan Feihong glanced at Hai Danaiu standing solemnly to the side, along with several Qi Refining managers who carried some weight, and responded with a light smile, "After the Golden Core celebration, the old Core Formation ancestors probably re-divided the territories. The Island Master must have obtained a third-grade Spiritual Vein and is preparing for the relocation... Even starting a sect is not impossible."
While they were discussing fervently, the doors of the Evergreen Pavilion suddenly flew open, and Yan Ying, along with several maids, came out—tear stains still on their faces, "The Island Master... has invited you in!"
Yuan Feihong felt something was amiss.
Each maid carrying a parcel and now holding a Storage Bag as well... could it be...
But he had no time to ponder further as he, along with Hai Danaiu, Zhong Hongyu, and Taishu Hong, stepped into the great hall of the Evergreen Pavilion, and met the seated Master Golden Core.
"We pay our respects to the Master!"
The Foundation Establishment cultivators bowed first, followed by the Qi Refining managers.
"Hmm, dispense with the formalities..."
Fang Xi sipped his Spiritual Tea and then said, "I will soon embark on a journey, traveling to the central region of the Southern Wilderness Cultivation Realm. This trip may take years, decades, or even a century. Naturally, some arrangements need to be made..."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Feihong and the other Foundation Establishment cultivators’ faces changed.
Especially Yuan Feihong, who might still have been harboring dreams of returning to Baize Immortal City, now felt his heart sink.
Fang Xi, a cultivator who barely managed to reach Core Formation at the age of almost two hundred and had the limits of sixty years to Foundation Establishment.
Wasn’t he the one who, after a stroke of luck in breaking through to Core Formation, felt his potential depleted with no path forward, and thus completely abandoned cultivation to enjoy the glory of a high-level cultivator?
How could this cultivator be so steadfast in his pursuit of the Dao?
It seemed that the earlier summoning of the maids was for their severance packages?
"Island Master... may I come with you?"
Zhong Hongyu stepped forward and pleaded.
"The journey to Yuan Country is fraught with danger, and Foundation Establishment cultivators would only be a burden!"
Fang Xi did not outright refuse, but his meaning could not have been clearer.
Although he had no intention of embarking on a long journey, if he was to deceive potential enemies, he must first deceive his own people.
Zhong Hongyu looked dejected as she retreated a few steps back into the crowd.
Fang Xi, however, remained resolute, "From today onward, I entrust all matters of the island to Hongyu. Later, I will also pass on control of the ’Profound Wood Formation’s’ nexus to her... I must trouble Yuan to assist her as well."
"It’s my duty," Yuan Feihong firmly agreed to the task entrusted by a Golden Core.
Taishu Hong’s gaze darkened, but he dared not object.
It was clear that in the struggle for Dragon Fish Island, the Zhong Family had prevailed.
"And the affairs of Thousand Island Lake? You can discuss with Liu Sanqi and Yan Dongqing... "
...
After dismantling the Demon Tree and the third-grade great array, Fang Xi worked swiftly to resolve matters.
After sorting through the multitude of affairs on Dragon Fish Island, one sunny and breezy morning at sunrise...
As the Great Sun rose, a cliff on Dragon Fish Island was teeming with Immortal Cultivators.
"That will be all, no need for further farewells..."
Fang Xi instructed, the Azure horn Fish Dragon immediately flew out and landed beneath his feet.
Man and dragon, riding the sunlight, stylishly headed south...
Completely disregarding the deep bows of the many cultivators left behind...
...
The flying speed of the Azure horn Fish Dragon, though decent among Foundation Establishment cultivators,
seemed like a blunder in Fang Xi’s eyes.
After leaving Thousand Island Lake, he slapped his Spirit Beast Bag at his waist, taking in the Azure horn Fish Dragon, and his Escape Light suddenly became faint, took a loop in the air, and headed back toward Thousand Island Lake...