Chapter 708: Chapter 666: Banquet (Additional Request for Monthly Tickets)_1
Earth Immortal Realm.
Moon Invitation Immortal City.
Compared to ascending to the Three Realms Mountains, naturally, his own advancement to Returning to Emptiness was more important.
After paying respects to Zhong Hongyu and Ling Shu, Fang Xi brought his Externalization back to Moon Invitation Immortal City.
Lake Heart Island Dongfu.
Wang Lingying handed over a pile of jade slips with respect, "Reporting to the old ancestor, this is the newly updated map of the Taiyin Secret Realm... Several resource points where ’Taiyin Jade Crystal’ has been produced have been specially marked..."
"Hmm."
Fang Xi took the various jade slips, his face revealing a hint of a smile, "You’ve worked hard."
"It’s not hard work to serve the old ancestor, besides... I got what I wanted,"
Wang Lingying replied respectfully.
He truly hadn’t felt that it was too onerous or difficult; it was just a matter of trading Spirit Stones.
And the secret realm maps he obtained... he might well need them in the future!
Fang Xi had long since concluded the exploration of the Taiyin Secret Realm, but he still casually asked about the outcomes of everyone else.
"This exploration of the Taiyin Secret Realm has resulted in the fall of several Transcendent God cultivators... none of whom obtained the Taiyin Jade Crystal, of course... though it is possible that they concealed it in secret."
One should never underestimate a cultivator’s wisdom for survival. Everyone understands the principle that a tall tree catches the wind, and each is skilled at playing dumb to catch the wise.
Wang Lingying then reported the names of a few fallen Transcendent Gods, causing Fang Xi’s eyelids to twitch slightly when he heard that ’Kou’, who had reached the Perfect Transcendent God level along with Fairy Ma, had also perished in the Secret Realm!
"Such explorations in the Secret Realms are indeed too dangerous..."
After pondering for a moment, Fang Xi stood up, "Since you haven’t contacted Fairy Ma yet, let this old man go in person this time to offer condolences..."
"Yes!"
Wang Lingying naturally agreed respectfully.
...
It had already been several years since the opening of the Secret Realm.
For a Transcendent God cultivator, this amount of time is not really long.
Moreover, just after coming out of the Secret Realm, they needed time to recuperate and heal, and they did not entertain guests... Visiting now was just the right timing.
The Horse Family had several Transcendent God cultivators and was considered a medium force within Moon Invitation Immortal City.
In their Dongfu—’Bigenyuan’—which was home to millions of cultivators and mortals, it was almost like a small kingdom.
Fang Xi transformed into a beam of Escape Light and arrived above a grassland, discerning the direction before sending out a transmission through a Flying Sword.
Soon, a green bird flew over and spoke in human tongue, "A distinguished guest has arrived, please proceed to ’Cold Moon Cave’..."
Fang Xi nodded slightly and followed behind the green bird to a Dongfu.
This Dongfu was elegantly arranged, with lush vegetation within a hundred-mile radius, radiating faint spiritual energy.
Many green birds nested within, with the calls of fledglings occasionally sounding.
At the entrance of the Dongfu, a beautiful woman in red was waiting. Seeing Fang Xi, she immediately performed a courtesy, "Friend Wang pays respects..."
"Fairy Ma is too polite,"
Fang Xi said with a slight smile, admiring, "The Fairy’s Dongfu is ingeniously designed, spreading spiritual veins everywhere, breeding so many green birds. I’m afraid you must take up a considerable share of the Spirit Bird market in Moon Invitation Immortal City, right?"
"It’s merely hard work in running the business by my Horse Family who established itself with Beast-controlling Skills, just striving to make ends meet for daily Cultivation resources..."
Fairy Ma replied with a faint smile.
After reaching the Transcendent God level in the Earth Immortal Realm, one’s lifespan could reach four to five thousand years, and the time needed for cultivation and breakthrough became even longer.
Breaking through a minor realm in a thousand years would already be cause for universal celebration.
And although resources in the Earth Immortal Realm are plentiful, the elixirs suitable for Transcendent God cultivators to increase their Magic Power remain scarce.
Many Transcendent God cultivators, unless encountering the emergence of an Immortal Mansion at sea, Taiyin Jade Crystal, or other items related to the Taoist Path, would not engage in violent confrontations.
Operating their daily affairs and slowly accumulating cultivation resources, persevering in cultivation, is the mainstream practice.
Even since Wang Lingying settled in Moon Invitation Immortal City, he had started a side hustle.
And previously, in the Mysterious Dark Abyss, Fang Xi too made a living by fishing while also acquiring cultivation resources.
If it weren’t for exploiting the industrial and agricultural price scissors of The Nine States, using The Nine States’ cost-effective elixirs and magical treasures to deceive, he would not have obtained so many ’True Blood Pills’, allowing his cultivation to flourish so rapidly.
’So it turns out, the Horse Family also specializes in Beast-controlling Skills, but they seem to only have a fifth-order heritage, far less than the sixth-order Beast-controlling Heritage of the Dragon Controlling Sect... If I were to enter this trade, the Horse Family might just be hopping mad.’ Fang Xi thought with an indifferent smile.
The Beast-controlling Heritage of the Dragon Controlling Sect is as high as sixth-order, and it’s particularly suited to taming dragon-type Spiritual Beasts.
Back in the Mortal World, he had already practiced on a small scale by subduing a ’Horned Wood Dragon’ within the Mountain Sea Pearl, preparing to breed it along with the ’Gold and Silver Bean Mother’ in the Earth Immortal Spirit Realm.
Heritage in the Earth Immortal Realm also emphasizes management, and entry is tough.
Fang Xi thoroughly pondered and felt that it might only be possible to begin practicing after Returning to Emptiness and truly embark on the Way of the Earth Immortal!
This was also thanks to the fact that most of what he had learned so far came from Green Emperor Mountain, which aligned very well with the Way of the Earth Immortal.
Otherwise, just the search for one’s Life-bound Spirit Plant, as well as the requirements for Longevity Skills, would have baffled many cultivators.
"Liu Xu was successful in her Transcendent God transformation, partly thanks to the legacy of Green Emperor Mountain,"
Her cultivation of the Green Wood Longevity Skills, astonishingly, were also a cultivation method passed down from the Nine Leaves Sect. Once she advanced to the Nascent Soul realm, she obtained a top-tier wood attribute cultivation method from the essence soul of a Heavenly Maiden, which seamlessly integrated with her own..."
"This was a tremendous help for her breakthrough to Transcendent God!"
Fang Xi’s thoughts inexplicably drifted.
Shortly after, he entered the Dongfu with Fairy Ma.
Her Dongfu was quite small. After entering the gate, he saw a verdant green screen.
"Sir, please!"
Fairy Ma said with a charming smile, transforming into a streak of light that disappeared into the screen.
"So this is a Heaven Treasure!"
Fang Xi focused his gaze and saw that the screen was painted with landscapes of mountains, rivers, vegetation, and buildings, somewhat reminiscent of the Map of Rivers and Mountains.
He naturally realized that this was a Heaven Treasure akin to the Mountain Sea Pearl, and immediately turned into a streak of blue light, entering through the screen.
As far as the eye could see, the surroundings were dazzlingly splendid, as if he had arrived at a palace covering a vast area.
One after another, the maids came forward with delightful smiles, "Paying respects to the distinguished guest..."
Fang Xi released his Divine Consciousness, quickly establishing an assessment of this screen’s Heaven Treasure.
’In terms of vastness, it still can’t compare to the Mountain Sea Pearl.’
The Mountain Sea Pearl was originally quite confined, but after several expansions, especially after incorporating the essence of the Vast Sea Realm, it had become extremely expansive.
Fang Xi nodded and was surrounded by many maids as he was led to a grand hall.
Fairy Ma had changed into a new set of clothes. She sat at the head of the hall and said with a smile, "Sir, please take your seat... This ’Eternal Green Palace’ has a spiritual banquet with three thousand, six hundred and fifty-seven exquisite dishes. Each one is a Spiritual Delicacy not to be missed!"
"I shall indeed indulge, then," Fang Xi replied.
Hearing this, his eyes lit up, and the speed at which his fingers played with the rosary beads quickened.
Fairy Ma eyed the Ten-thousand-year-old Soul Nurturing Wood Bead String in the ’Wang Family Ancestor’s’ hands with considerable envy.
Although the Ten-thousand-year Soul Nourishing Wood could benefit them to a certain extent, coupled with the prohibitions of the Buddhist mantras, it might not be useful against the Return to Emptiness Heart Demon Tribulation. Still, wearing it usually could refine one’s disposition and nurture the Divine Consciousness, eliminating Heart Demons.
Over time, it afforded many benefits.
The key issue was that if she wanted to purchase a string of such beads in Moon Invitation Immortal City’s market, she would have to pay an equivalent of a hundred years’ income from breeding Blue Birds...
Fang Xi didn’t refuse and ate with great enjoyment.
After all, they were high-level cultivators. Ordinarily, they could abstain from food and drink, living off the wind and dew. But when it came to enjoyment, they could feast for ten days and nights without it being anything out of the ordinary.
His pursuit of cultivation and Long Life was for the sake of better enjoyment, not for anything else.
Thus, Fang Xi truly indulged himself, feasting to his heart’s content, and he praised the Blue Bird meat to no end.
"If you like it, I’ll send you a few Blue Birds later..." Fairy Ma said when she saw her guest’s pleasure.
Fang Xi raised his cup to thank her, and then the two of them got down to business.
"As soon as I entered the Secret Realm, I unluckily encountered a Transcendent God Wood Dragon. Chased with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, I had to crush my token and get teleported out of the Secret Realm..."
Fang Xi said with a bit of a mournful expression on his face.
Fairy Ma, initially feeling downcast when mentioning the venture into the Secret Realm, felt much better hearing that the ’Wang Family Ancestor’ had a similar experience, replying with a wry smile, "The fact that you could retreat with your whole body is already very fortunate. The three of us joined forces, and although we got some resources, we didn’t find the most important ’Taiyin Jade Crystal.’ Kou died a tragic death in the jaws of Wild Beasts... Alas, my family already felt that the quota for the Taiyin Secret Realm was expensive, and the returns were not high... Yet I wanted to take a gamble, and now I can only slowly repay the debt by breeding Blue Birds for the family."
’The harvest wasn’t good either?’
’It seems my guess was correct, this Secret Realm adventure indeed had some irregularities...’
Fang Xi thought to himself, then casually inquired, "I wonder how that senior who entered with us fared?"
"She is, after all, a Return to Emptiness cultivator, so she should at least be able to secure a piece of Taiyin Jade Crystal, right?"
With a hint of jealousy, Fairy Ma answered, "Moon Invitation Immortal City basically doesn’t auction off Taiyin Jade Crystals, but instead exchanges them for ’Sun Gold Spirit’ with other major powers, and then refines it into ’Biyi Breaking Virtual Pills’..."
Transcendent God cultivators in the Earth Immortal Realm can strut around, but after all, they are not truly among the upper echelons.
Return to Emptiness cultivators are different!
In the Star Domain, except for the Integration cultivator of the Star Sect, it is mainly the Return to Emptiness cultivators who lead various major powers!
Therefore, the resources for breaking through to Return to Emptiness are tightly controlled by all major powers.
This has made it increasingly difficult for Individual Cultivators at the Transcendent God stage to advance.
Upon hearing this, a thought stirred in Fang Xi’s mind.
He certainly had a generous amount of ’Sun Gold Spirit,’ the main ingredient!
In the Lower Realm, there are occasionally Spiritual Objects that make Earth Immortal Realm cultivators go mad.
’To exchange with the Fairy City... heh, I’m not that naive!’
An Individual Transcendent God Cultivator trading with a Return to Emptiness power would most likely end up completely exploited.
Fang Xi, even though he had surplus Sun Gold Spirit, would never do so.
After the banquet, he discussed cultivation experiences with Fairy Ma and eventually took out a sum of Spirit Stones to trade with her, acquiring the map of the Secret Realm route of their three-person group.
"Taiyin Jade Crystal?"
"This item should be retrieved by my Externalization... Unseen and unheard is the safest way!"