Chapter 94: Chapter 93: Departure (Congratulations to Clan Leader KKRGUN!)_1 Chapter 94: Chapter 93: Departure (Congratulations to Clan Leader KKRGUN!)_1 Summer passed and autumn arrived.
In the thirteen-acre Spiritual Field at Jadeite Cliff, the rice ears were full and almost drooping to the ground, revealing the evenly filled Spiritual Grains within.
Fang Xi held a sickle in hand and began to harvest.
The growth of the Red Blood Spirit Rice was approximately as he had estimated, yielding three hundred catties per acre.
In the meantime, Xiumu came seeking Fang Xi with a shameless face, wanting to introduce a few Spirit Farmers from his own lineage, but Fang Xi directly refused.
Then, Wei Yixin also arrived, boasting of his bountiful harvest from a recent excursion and inviting Fang Xi to join him on an adventure outside the island.
To this, Fang Xi naturally rolled his eyes and refused just the same.
By now, his acquaintance with these two families had truly started to fade.
This was exactly what Fang Xi needed.
Inside the courtyard, a granary was specially built, and after storing the last bag of Spirit Rice, Fang Xi could not help but exhale a long breath.
After days of continuous labor, even he felt a bit weary.
After meditating and regulating his breath, Fang Xi took out the newly harvested Spirit Rice of the year and cooked a pot of Red Blood Spirit Rice.
Puff puff!
Once the rice was thoroughly cooked, he lifted the lid of the pot and saw a pot of bright red Spirit Rice still emitting hot steam.
Only within the steam was there also a hint of a fishy smell.
Fang Xi picked up chopsticks and just tasting a mouthful, he frowned: “Indeed, the texture is quite coarse and there’s a bit of a fishy taste… it’s best not to eat it alone, but to make it into other pastries and the like.”
However, after eating the Red Blood Spirit Rice, he did feel the blood and qi in his body becoming lively, almost no different from eating Taisui Meat.
‘Anyway, this Spirit Rice isn’t for me to eat, but for the Taisui to consume, so let it be…’
The Taisui also required a constant supply of food in order to produce meat.
Fang Xi believed that the Spirit Rice from the Cultivation World must be far superior to ordinary grain.
“When the time comes, I’ll cultivate Spirit Rice, feed the Taisui with it, and then harvest Taisui Meat to feed the Monster Tree… A perfect self-supporting production chain!”
Some Spirit Rice could be saved for seeding, to continue cultivation in the coming year.
Thus, it would be like having an endless supply of Taisui Meat without the need to go out hunting for bloody food!
This also reduced the risk of exposing the Monster Tree!
“Hmm, I still have to return the Spirit Stones, as I’m someone who keeps his word.”
Fang Xi deliberately set aside six hundred catties of Red Blood Spirit Rice, preparing to repay Xiumu.
The old Daoist had lent him twenty Spirit Stones to purchase the ‘Flying Heaven Talisman’, and to be fair, he wasn’t lacking in vision or courage.
Unfortunately, there were too many worthless descendants in his lineage, leaving the future of the Mu Family rather bleak.
Previously, even though Xiumu had guaranteed with a slap on his chest that his family would definitely work hard, Fang Xi still didn’t accept the offer, solely not wanting to be disturbed.
This had nothing to do with repaying debts.
‘But… when I start cultivating the ‘Longevity Skills’ later, I won’t be able to stray too far from Jadeite Cliff… Maybe I indeed need such a person to gather information from the outside world for me, or even to purchase supplies…’
‘But it definitely can’t be an adult, it’s best to nurture someone from a young age, the loyal kind…’
‘It’s just too troublesome, if I could obtain the puppet skill, that would be ideal.’
Fang Xi loaded the Spirit Rice into his Storage Bag, released the Black Cloud Cap, and immediately flew up, heading towards Mirror Moon Lake.
Today, Ruan Xingling had also sent a Voice Transmission Talisman, indicating that the flying artifact had been refined; two tasks could be accomplished at once.
…
Mirror Moon Lake.
Spirit Fog was vast and amidst it seemed to float the shadowy illusion of a moon.
Fang Xi took out his Master Command Token, and the fog automatically dispersed, revealing a path.
He piloted the Black Cloud Cap and flew straight into the Ruan Family’s mansion, finding Ruan Xingling.
In the backyard.
Ruan Xingling took out a palm-sized Spirit Boat and handed it to Fang Xi: “I’ve accomplished the mission, take a look!”
Fang Xi nodded, carefully inspecting the small boat.
The boat, palm-sized, was an apricot yellow with still some wooden grain patterns visible.
On either side of the boat’s hull were painted black wing patterns.
“Black Feather Boat, this boat is mainly made from the wing bones of a top-grade first-tier flying bird, and I’ve added a Cloud Cotton Wood for increased stability and comfort, and can activate a wind-protection shield, to avoid the disturbance of the strong winds during flight…”
Ruan Xingling said: “You can give it a try.”
“There’s no need, I trust it’s good with the Island Master’s craftsmanship.” Fang Xi said with a smile as he put away the Black Feather Boat: “How many Spirit Stones is the Island Master’s labor worth?”
“Just the cost of the Cloud Cotton Wood you provided. The refinement of such an artifact also benefits my own cultivation of Talisman forging,”
Ruan Xingling waved her hand: “After all, I was originally going to reforge the Green Barley Sword for you, this was merely a change of request…”
…
“There seems to be no Earth Flames in Mirror Moon Lake?”
Walking out of Mirror Moon Lake, Fang Xi’s mind, however, was on another matter.
He had a Refining Equipment Inheritance at hand, albeit one he only briefly tasted, abandoning it once he confirmed that he had no talent, but he still had a general knowledge.
For refining a first-tier artifact, if one is not a Foundation Establishment Cultivator unable to use one’s own Innate True Fire, then they must resort to using Earth Flames!
And neither Mirror Moon Lake nor Peach Blossom Island seemed to have fire veins!
‘So… is it some other unconventional talisman forging method, like… raising a Demon Beast capable of spewing demonic fire?!’
Touching his chin, Fang Xi took out the Black Feather Boat.
With Magic Power infused, the boat instantly expanded, transforming into a small boat about the length of a zhang.
Feeling the infusion of Magic Power without any obstruction, Fang Xi nodded in satisfaction.
He boarded the boat and discovered several grooves in the base where Spirit Stones could be placed to replace the Magic Power consumption of the Cultivator.
Generally, long-distance Spirit Boats cannot be fully propelled by a Cultivator’s Magic Power and must consume Spirit Stones!
However, when flying to Peach Blossom Island, Fang Xi’s own magic power was enough.
“Let’s go!”
He formed a magic spell with his hands, and the Black Feather Boat immediately soared into the air, like a black stream of light!
“This speed is much faster than the Black Cloud Cap, almost comparable to the ‘Flying Heaven Talisman’!”
Having flown in the sky for a while and confirming its performance, Fang Xi couldn’t help but fall silent.
Such a Spirit Boat, I’m afraid, is close to the level of a superior magical artifact.
“This favor is not a small one…”
Unfortunately, the more this was the case, the less Fang Xi dared to ask Ruan Xingling to refine the Snake Dragon armor.
“After returning, while it’s the slack farming season, I must hurry to set up the Little Cloud Rain Array to block all prying eyes…”
After all, once the underground caverns are developed, everything will be on the right track.
By next year, I should be able to plant trees.
Fang Xi was in a good mood as he arrived at Gemini East Peak.
“Old Ancestor!”
At this time, heart-rending cries came from the continuous buildings.
“What happened?”
Fang Xi landed the Spirit Boat and quickly asked a Mu Family cultivator.
“Mu Xiu, the old ancestor… has passed away in meditation!”
That cultivator was around fifty years old, with red-rimmed eyes and a voice tinged with sobs: “Sir, you have arrived at just the right time, I was about to notify the others…”
“Xiumu has actually…”
Fang Xi thought back to his previous encounter, feeling that Xiumu seemed to be nearing the end of his life, and fell into silence.
Sometimes, life is just that fragile.
Compared to those Individual Cultivators who are like duckweed in the wind, Xiumu was fortunate to pass away in his home and be buried in the Family Spirit Land, with his achievements recorded in the family chronicles; his life can be considered fulfilled…
“This is really…”
Fang Xi hurriedly said some words of comfort but then thought of Xiumu whom he had seen a few months ago, noticing that the latter already showed signs of impending death.
Presumably, the old man knew it well and had arranged everything for after his death, leaving Fang Xi with nothing more to say.
He walked forward and came to the large hall of the Mu Family, which had been temporarily arranged in the style of a mourning hall, with a group of grieving descendants dressed in funeral attire.
“I was a friend of Mu Xiu and have come to pay my respects!”
Fang Xi lit three sticks of incense, bowed solemnly, and then turned to say to the people of the Mu Family.
“Thank you very much…”
Mu Wen, dressed in mourning clothes, wiped away his tears, seeming to have lost some of his previous haughtiness when interacting with others.
‘The young man is growing up fast… I hope he can change for the better in the future and not let Xiumu’s hard work be in vain…’ Fang Xi sighed inwardly and then said, “I had borrowed twenty Spirit Stones from Comrade Xiumu earlier. Today, the harvest of Spirit Rice has been plentiful, and I was thinking of repaying the debt. I did not expect that we would be forever separated by heaven and earth, sigh… I only wish for Comrade Xiumu to reincarnate and continue on the Taoist path in his next life!”
These were just some formalities, as the Cultivation World doesn’t really have the concept of an underworld.
The notion of reincarnation is, at best, a kind wish and nothing more.
Mu Wen was a bit stunned when he heard this: “Before his soul wandered into the Void, the old ancestor did not mention this…”
That’s twenty Spirit Stones! Could the old ancestor have been confused at the time?
Additionally, why is there no IOU to serve as evidence?
Fortunately, this person still knew to repay the debt, but it was uncertain whether there was any interest withheld!
In Mu Wen’s heart, a thousand thoughts whirled around.
Seeing him stunned there, Fang Xi said nothing more, but handed over a Storage Bag containing six hundred catties of Spirit Rice to Mu Wen: “This is six hundred catties of Spirit Rice. Consider the Storage Bag my contribution to the wake. You need not send me off, nephew…”
“How could I accept this?” Although Mu Wen spoke politely, his hand tightly clutched the Storage Bag.
Fang Xi offered a few more words of comfort, then turned to leave, silently lamenting in his heart: “He has only developed a tough exterior… Truly, it’s hardest to change what’s in someone’s bones.”
…
Jadeite Cliff.
Fang Xi did not attend Xiumu’s funeral.
He had paid a visit once, shown his respect, and let it be.
After all, he had only some acquaintance with Xiumu.
As for the old cultivator hoping that Fang Xi would transfer this acquaintance to his descendants? That was somewhat naive…
Fang Xi took out the previously measured geographical jade slip and arrived at a certain location, gripping an Array Flag firmly in both hands, and thrust it mightily into the ground!
The Array Flag was pure white, embroidered with many mysterious runes that shimmered with light.
“There are a total of eighteen flags for the Little Cloud Rain Array, in addition to other supporting components… and coupled with the core Array Disk, it’s much more expensive than an ordinary magical artifact…”
“Any slight mistake in setting up the array could disrupt its continuity…”
Fang Xi also felt that it was no wonder that the best way to begin studying arrays was to develop Divine Consciousness.
Without Divine Consciousness, which couldn’t be projected externally, many measurements and calculations became very troublesome; even after placing the Array Flags, observing the flow of spiritual energy was nowhere near as clear as with Divine Consciousness.
Fortunately, he had a jade slip, and by copying from it, Fang Xi could still manage.
After being busy for a whole day, he came to the Cultivation Room with a serious expression and started embedding low-grade Spirit Stones into the Array Disk.
“There’s nothing wrong with the heavenly stems and earthly branches…”
“Now is the time!”
After calculating the right moment and distance, Fang Xi buried the Array Disk into the prepared Array Eye.
Humming noises filled the air as the Array Disk was activated instantly, with bright Spirit Marks appearing and continuously spreading to the surroundings.
Fang Xi held the Master Command Token for controlling the prohibition and kept adjusting…