Chapter 374: Chapter 372: Indestructible Yi Wood (Congratulations to the Silver Alliance)_1
"This is bad... That puppet is likely the doing of the Dragon Fish Island’s Island Master!"
Within Zhan Tu’s Sea of Consciousness, an old ghost’s cackle came through, seemingly taking pleasure in the misfortune.
Zhan Tu’s scalp went numb, but he soon calmed down, "No matter... We’ll just wait."
...
Before long, a blue rainbow flashed across the southern sky with astonishing speed.
The Escape Light converged, and Fang Xi’s figure appeared, looking at Zhan Tu with a hearty smile on his face, "Fellow Zhan... long time no see. To think that you’ve advanced to the Jiandan Middle Phase, truly a joyous occasion worth celebrating."
"I can’t compare to the Island Master whose Core Formation Late Phase shook three nations."
Zhan Tu felt overpowered by his momentum, but still spoke with neither servility nor overbearance.
"Not bad, not bad, when you left Dragon Fish Island, I already knew you were not ordinary, certainly not someone who would remain in obscurity..."
Fang Xi’s expression gradually turned stern, "But with the century covenant nearing its end, why has Sir not gone to Dragon Fish Island but instead come to Jade Island on your own and even destroyed my puppet? Don’t tell me you plan to break the agreement and search for treasures on your own?!"
As he spoke, the aura around him grew stronger bit by bit, the pressure from a Core Formation Late Phase was unrestrainedly released.
If this old ghost together with Zhan Tu wouldn’t do, Fang Xi indeed had the idea to capture the old ghost, search his soul, and then go treasure hunting alone.
Perhaps it would even be safer to do so!
"Hmm?"
Seeing this, Zhan Tu immediately formed hand seals with both hands.
On his body, the magic power of the Kuyong Skills burst forth in a surge of blue, yet his eyes turned a withered yellow.
In the Kuyong Transformation, he actually raised his magic power to a Core Formation Late Phase level!
"Integration techniques? Interesting..."
Fang Xi showed an intrigued expression, yet his intimidating presence washed over like waves, each one stronger than the last.
Zhan Tu suddenly spoke, his voice growing aged, "Youngster... Even if you could capture this old man, I have ways to lock my Divine Soul, ensuring you get nothing..."
This old ghost, cunning with age, seemed to have already seen through Fang Xi’s thoughts.
Or rather, cooperation amongst Immortal Cultivators requires equal, or at least comparable strength; otherwise, it’s not much different from seeking skin from a tiger.
"Haha... old ghost, you jest. How could I do such a thing? I merely wanted to greet you."
Fang Xi laughed heartily, withdrawing his aura, "May I enquire when you plan to explore the ruins?"
After pondering, the old ghost replied, "How about after three months?"
"Three months? Just right... I too have some personal matters to handle."
Fang Xi nodded in agreement.
"But I wonder, are you still cultivating the Kuyong Skills, Island Master?"
The old ghost suddenly asked another question.
"Of course!"
Fang Xi raised his hand, the blue and yellow magic power circulating, the aura of his Core Formation Late Phase but not yet Perfect Core Formation spilling forth.
"Hehe... you have indeed chosen to continue cultivating this technique, and have even cultivated to the Core Formation Late Phase. It seems you’re not only extremely suited to the Kuyong Skills, but you’ve also gained quite a few opportunities over the years."
The old ghost’s voice carried a hint of ridicule, "At this point, you have also climbed aboard our Nine Leaves Sect’s boat, and you’re one of us now. What do I have to worry about? After three months, I shall await your esteemed arrival here."
His voice gradually deepened, and his eyes became much clearer.
"Island Master... until we meet again in three months."
Zhan Tu bowed, then the Escape Light disappeared into the distance.
Fang Xi watched his departing figure, contemplative.
Even though the opponent had raised his strength to Core Formation Late Phase through a secret technique, Fang Xi found him easy to capture.
What he was somewhat wary of was the old ghost’s mention of the soul-locking technique.
Even though Fang Xi didn’t care about that ruin, if he lost the chance to break through to Nascent Soul by combining Kuyong Skills with the ’Yi Wood Magic Body’, it would be quite a loss.
...
"Three months, eh? It matters not..."
Fang Xi’s Divine Consciousness radiated outwards, and his figure suddenly disappeared.
And then...
On Peach Blossom Island, in an underground cavern.
A flash of light occurred, and Fang Xi’s form emerged directly.
He looked at the damp cave around him, and at the ’Soul Lamp’ shining even more brightly, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face, "As expected... once the externalized part becomes stronger... it can serve as coordinates to return from another world."
As for controlling the Treasures of All Heavens to travel freely within the Southern Wilderness Cultivation Realm?
Fang Xi currently lacked the strength to do so, and could only snatch a bit of advantage...
"However, there are still some risks here."
He glanced around, still not quite satisfied.
Peach Blossom Island, despite being a level one Spiritual Vein Island, still had Cultivators coming and going, and there was a possibility of a leak!
To maintain secrecy, the only option was...
The next moment, Fang Xi rolled up the Soul Lamp, transformed into a blue light, and disappeared amidst the flickering luminance.
...
In Yu County.
A remote mountain range in the Mortal World, devoid of any human presence, and lacking Spiritual Veins.
Fang Xi chanted a spell, sinking it directly into the ground, reaching a depth of a thousand feet.
Deep underground.
A layer of green light appeared, pushing the soil and rocks to the sides and forming a sealed underground space.
Fang Xi placed the Soul Lamp in the very center of the space and looked around. With a raise of his hand,
Puff puff!
A series of flags were driven into the walls, creating some sort of barrier.
"Even if a Core Formation Cultivator were to meticulously scan inch by inch with their Divine Consciousness, they wouldn’t be able to find this chamber... And what Immortal Cultivator would bother using their Divine Consciousness to search every inch of the mortal world for no reason?"
Fang Xi muttered to himself, "Even so... when I return from this adventure, I still need to retrieve this projected fragment of my spirit... that way, my Divine Consciousness can improve even further, right?"
This was mainly to prevent risk.
Fang Xi was always quite fond of his own life.
He gazed at the Soul Lamp, seeing the blue flame at its core grow even brighter and slightly revealing his own figure within it, and he couldn’t help but sigh, "My Divine Soul has grown so strong, it could be used to craft an External Incarnation, right? It’s a pity that the technique I deduced is flawed, and this second External Incarnation is impossible to cultivate now."
Or rather, many techniques for creating External Incarnations can at most forge a single incarnation.
Techniques capable of creating two or three External Incarnations would be valuable enough to serve as the most treasured secret skills of a major Transcendent God Sect like ’Primitive Devil Door.’
Fang Xi suspected that the complete ’Six Desires Mixed Sky Demon’ technique might be able to forge several External Incarnations, but it was a pity that what he possessed was incomplete, mostly patched up by himself, so the level and power of the secret skill naturally diminished.
After finishing all this, he left without a trace and flew high into the sky.
His Divine Consciousness swept the area to confirm that nothing had been overlooked before he felt relieved to leave.
Upon returning to Dragon Fish Island, Fang Xi called Zhong Hongyu to give a few orders before sending her away to begin the retreat involving refining talismans, pills, secret skills... preparing for the upcoming exploration.
After all, he had lived for nearly three hundred years, and this was the first time he had ventured into a Secret Realm!
...
Three months later.
Jade Island.
The breeze was brisk.
Fang Xi, dressed in a bamboo robe, stood levitating in the air, looking in the direction of Jade Island.
Suddenly, a streak of blue light approached; it was Zhan Tu.
"Island Master!"
Zhan Tu greeted with a fist salute.
"Never mind..."
Fang Xi waved his hand dismissively and looked at Zhan Tu, or more precisely, the old ghost inside his body, "Is the Secret Realm we’re about to explore within Jade Island?"
"It is... and it isn’t!"
Zhan Tu’s eyes emitted a yellow glow, and his voice began to sound old.
Fang Xi, upon seeing this, couldn’t help but complain inwardly that in the past, Zhan Tu had to feign sleep to let the old ghost emerge, but now the two seemed to switch more smoothly.
"Now that we’re preparing to explore the Secret Realm together, shouldn’t we agree on some of the gains and terms in advance?" Fang Xi asked, his eyes sparkling with sharpness.
"Of course... as long as Sir helps me through a certain ordeal, the ’Nine Heavens Purified Spirit Water’ within the Secret Realm will be offered with both hands... Aside from that, how about we split all other profits equally?"
The old ghost chuckled.
According to him, there was a difficult passage in the Secret Realm that could only be crossed with a good chance of success if one’s Kuyong Skills were cultivated to the later stage of Core Formation.
But Fang Xi shook his head, "Not enough! I need some benefits first... like giving me the Kuyong Skills - Transcendent God Volume, or the secret of using the ’Yi Wood Magic Body’ with the Kuyong Skills to break through to Nascent Soul..."
"Do you not think you’re being a bit presumptuous, Sir? Back in the day, I straightforwardly gave the Kuyong Skills for the later stages of Nascent Soul, and now you’re asking me for more benefits?"
The old ghost huffed angrily.
"Heh... if Sir agrees, I can guarantee that the Ghost Cultivator at the later stages of Core Formation in the Underworld Earth Vein will be left to you... Otherwise, if something goes wrong during the fight later, it could be troublesome," Fang Xi replied with a chuckle.
"What?"
When the ghost cultivator was mentioned, the old ghost’s voice suddenly changed, "That ghost cultivator... alright, you truly are incredibly cunning. If it had been you who went back then, instead of little Zhan, how good would that have been? Ah... indeed, that late-stage Core Formation ghost cultivator is one of my trump cards."
Both were clever; since Fang Xi had made it clear, there was little point in the old ghost denying it.
So, he admitted readily, "I’ll need your help later... as payback, I indeed can give Sir something in advance. The Kuyong Skills - Transcendent God Volume is the supreme inheritance of the Nine Leaves Sect and cannot be passed on lightly, but the secret method regarding the Yi Wood Magic Body can be given to you beforehand."
The old ghost took out a jade slip, two yellow lights entered it, and then he tossed it over.
Fang Xi caught it with his hand, scanned it with his Divine Consciousness, and saw a secret skill—’Indestructible Yi Wood Body’!!!
As he looked through it in detail, a glimmer of joy appeared on his face.
This secret skill turned out to be a powerful Divine Skill that only Cultivators with a Perfect Core Formation or above who had the ’Yi Wood Magic Body’ could use.
Upon activation, it would instantaneously make one’s body incredibly powerful and temporarily grant the ability of an ’immortal body,’ surviving even if the head were chopped off or the heart ripped out.
Of course, as described by the secret skill, such an action would diminish the essence and potential of the ’Yi Wood Magic Body’ itself.
But it was just perfect for breaking through the Nascent Soul barrier.
"How is this ’Indestructible Yi Wood Body’?"
The old ghost laughed heartily, "In cultivation, whether it be the body, Magic Power, or Divine Consciousness, any aspect that grows stronger can help break through bottlenecks... With this ’Indestructible Yi Wood Body,’ when breaking through Nascent Soul, there’s no need to worry about the infusion of Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi or the reversal of True Element damaging the body’s meridians during Shattered Pill into Infant... although it will slightly harm the Spirit Body, it’s all worth it as long as you break through to Nascent Soul."
"Indeed, it’s excellent, but it’s a pity, I don’t have the ’Yi Wood Magic Body’..."
Fang Xi’s face showed regret mixed with keenness, "Nine Heavens Pure Flower Water..."