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Chapter 108: Ten Years of Tree Cultivation (Please Subscribe)

Chapter 108: Ten Years of Tree Cultivation (Please Subscribe)

After Lu Guo obtained the subsequent cultivation method of the 'Evergreen Chant', his cultivation speed was very fast.

After breaking through in his first year and becoming a Qi Refinement First Layer cultivator, he cultivated diligently for another year and broke through to the Qi Refinement Second Layer.

Then, in less than two years, he broke through again, becoming a Qi Refinement Third Layer cultivator.

He was at the same realm as Fang Xi when he first transmigrated!

At this time, Lu Guo was even only twelve years old!

Although breakthroughs in the early Qi Refinement stage were somewhat easier than those in the middle and late stages, he could absolutely be considered a minor genius.

The reason his reputation wasn't more prominent was entirely due to his remote location, and because he was overshadowed by another person.

Ruan Dan, who was among the same batch of immortal sprouts as Lu Guo, had seen her cultivation advance by leaps and bounds ever since she became Ruan Xing Ling's disciple.

Judging by this progress, she definitely had high hopes of breaking through to the late Qi Refinement stage before thirty, making her a solid Foundation Establishment seed!

At this moment, she enjoyed immense favor, considered the young island master of Peach Blossom Island.

Compared to these two talented young people, Fang Xi's own progress was harder to define.

Ever since he started cultivating the tree, he had felt his aptitude gradually improving, with the speed and efficiency of his spiritual energy absorption increasing significantly.

However, accumulating Qi at the Qi Refinement Sixth Layer was, after all, more difficult than before.

He had spent a full four years just barely completing the cultivation method of the 'Evergreen Chant's' Sixth Layer, and then he had been stuck at the bottleneck, unable to break through to the late Qi Refinement stage.

By now, it had already been a year!

Nevertheless, Fang Xi's mindset was excellent; he persisted in his daily cultivation, continued to nurture his tree, and occasionally fed his fish and raised his insects.

He had a premonition that his 'Longevity Art' would soon usher in a crucial breakthrough!

...

Emerald Cliff's spirit fields, after years of cultivation, had now expanded to fifteen mu.

With Fang Xi overseeing things and rarely taking action himself, most of the labor fell to Lu Guo.

The twelve-year-old boy was now over a meter tall, dressed in short coarse linen clothes, looking like a miniature adult, working the spirit fields.

"Geng Metal Sword Qi!"

Lu Guo flicked a finger, and a faint golden sword qi appeared, piercing through a fat, green caterpillar in an instant.

The next moment, his right hand extended like a blooming lotus, and streams of sword qi emerged, cutting through weeds.

"Brother Lu!"

Beside the fields, there was another child, around seven or eight years old—it was Xiao Hu!

His head tied in a boy's topknot, he watched Lu Guo unleash sword qi, his face full of envy: "I'm starting Qi Refinement this year, and next year, Mama will teach me powerful spells! Then I'll be just like Brother Lu!"

"Hehe. . ."

Lu Guo ruffled Xiao Hu's head, his smile tinged with bitterness.

Even now, Fang Xi had only taught him the first four layers of the 'Evergreen Chant' cultivation method, plus two spirit farmer spells.

As for truly powerful offensive spells? They hadn't even been mentioned.

Not only Fang Xi, but even Widow Wang dared not break taboos in this regard.

Cultivators matured mentally early; Lu Guo now knew that being able to cultivate peacefully was already immense luck, and he dared not ask for too much.

As the young man weeded, he thought to himself: ‘I can't be a spirit farmer my whole life. After I break through to mid-stage Qi Refinement, I'll find a way to get on a spirit boat and try my luck in the market town. . . Sigh, I wonder if the island master would be willing to let me go? ’

Just then, he saw swirling clouds atop the Small Cloud Rain Formation, and he was greatly startled: "This is. . . someone trespassing the formation? ! Could it be an enemy?"

The changes in the Small Cloud Rain Formation, of course, immediately drew the attention of everyone at Emerald Cliff.

When Fang Xi emerged, even Widow Wang stood nervously to the side, drawing a black long saber artifact, ready to fight with her life at any moment.

Fang Xi's expression, however, was somewhat strange.

Despite five years passing, he still looked youthful and handsome, like a refined gentleman, showing no hint of being a thirty-three-year-old middle-aged man.

He then took out a restriction token and waved it gently.

The clouds dispersed, revealing a youth clad in brocade robes and splendid attire, standing on a golden flying boat, holding a golden ring artifact in his hand—it was Mu Wen!

"Mu Wen, why are you disturbing my mountain-protecting formation?"

Fang Xi frowned, his voice solemn as he demanded.

"Old Uncle, don't be offended!"

Mu Wen laughed heartily, not bothering to conceal the powerful magical energy of his Qi Refinement Sixth Layer: "Your nephew has been at the Spirit Sky Island market town all this time and only recently returned to the island to report. Thinking of Old Uncle, I made a special detour to visit. Please, Old Uncle, assess this newly acquired artifact of your nephew's, the 'Xuanjin Ring'!"

The golden ring in his hand was an exceptionally rare high-grade artifact, capable of both offense and defense, and even possessing the power to trap! It was, moreover, a fine specimen among high-grade artifacts!

Over the past five years, the Dragon Fish Zhong Clan allowed the Spirit Sky Island market town to develop, gradually eroding the Treasure Ship Market's transaction volume. The opportunistic cultivators who invested early had all made a fortune.

Mu Wen's spiritual root aptitude was not bad, and he had landed a cushy job. Cultivating on a second-order spirit vein, he had actually broken through to Qi Refinement Sixth Layer recently!

Not only that, but he had also acquired a high-quality artifact!

This time, returning home in splendor, remembering the grudge from when Fang Xi refused to lend him spirit stones, he had specifically come to show off and mock. . .

He wanted Fang Xi to see just how well he was doing!

As for actually attacking Emerald Cliff, that was utterly impossible.

"Indeed, not bad!"

Unexpectedly, Fang Xi remained calm and composed in the face of Mu Wen's sarcastic remarks, even taking the time to comment: "This Xuanjin Ring's surface gleams with golden light; could it be that a bit of 'gold essence' was added? This is a material that can be forged into spirit artifacts, so its price must be considerable, no?"

Mu Wen's face showed his pride: "Let Old Uncle know, in our Spirit Sky Island market town, we have Foundation Establishment cultivator Yu Lingzi presiding. The Zhong family has already chosen to reconcile, and the market town is now developing at a thousand li a day, its future limitless. . . Your nephew has returned this time prepared to invest the entire clan's strength to buy a shop in the market town, and even move most of our clan members to Spirit Sky Island, as it is a second-order spirit vein after all!"

What Twin Peak East? A mere unranked spirit vein; he had long since looked down upon it.

When the Thirty-Six Islands Alliance initially sought to establish the Spirit Sky Island market town, Fang Xi had found it somewhat strange.

Later, he learned that several years ago, Yu Lingzi, a Qi Refinement Tenth Layer Perfected rogue cultivator, had actually succeeded in Foundation Establishment!

Not only had this person successfully established Foundation, but he was also recruited by the Tai Shu family among the Thirty-Six Islands, becoming their Guest Supreme Elder and taking charge of the Spirit Sky Island market town!

With a Foundation Establishment cultivator presiding and a formation protecting it, even if the Zhong family were to send out their entire force, they might not necessarily win.

After all, the Thirty-Six Islands still had another Foundation Establishment enshrinement!

And the Dragon Fish Zhong Clan currently only had two Foundation Establishment cultivators in total. . .

Therefore, even though the Spirit Sky Island market town siphoned off a large portion of the Treasure Ship Market's customer flow, the Dragon Fish Zhong Clan could only silently bear this loss!

This news was initially kept secret, much to Feng Man Lou's vexation, who stated plainly that had he known then, he would have readily taken up the opportunity and not allowed Mu Wen to gain the advantage.

Upon hearing this, Fang Xi could only sigh at how fools sometimes had fool's luck.

Then, hearing Mu Wen's 'grand plan', he couldn't help but secretly click his tongue: "Shops in the market town are quite expensive, Nephew. Do you have enough spirit stones?"

‘Even if you old fogey want to curry favor and borrow spirit stones now, I wouldn't take them! ’

Mu Wen rolled his eyes internally and stated directly: "No need for Old Uncle to worry; your nephew has his own connections. . . Since Old Uncle has studied artifacts, why not experience it firsthand? How about it?"

"No, no, that won't do. I cultivate longevity arts; how could I engage in fighting and killing?"

Fang Xi repeatedly waved his hand: "Just consider Old Uncle to have conceded!"

"Haha. . ."

Mu Wen laughed heartily, feeling immensely pleased.

He couldn't actually kill Fang Xi, but being able to severely embarrass him felt like a great release of pent-up frustration.

With a shift of his feet on the flying boat, he transformed into a streak of light and headed towards Mirror Moon Lake.

"Pfft! What kind of person was that!"

Widow Wang waited until the other party had left before spitting fiercely, expressing her loyalty to the 'Old Master' beside her.

As for Lu Guo, he gazed at Fang Xi, his face filled with disappointment.

‘Could it be that the Island Master wants me to follow this person just to learn the art of spirit farming, to be content with enduring and tilling fields for a lifetime? ’

‘No, I'm not willing! ’

"Alright, everyone, continue with what you were doing."

Fang Xi patted Xiao Hu's head, finding the chubby little fellow quite endearing to the touch. He couldn't help but ask with a smile: "Fellow Daoist Wang. . . your son had his spiritual roots tested. How is his aptitude?"

"Thank you for your concern, Old Master. He has low-grade water and wood spiritual roots! " Widow Wang quickly replied.

"Oh? Would you like him to cultivate the 'Evergreen Chant' with me? To be frank, I've gained quite some insights from cultivating the Evergreen Chant over the years. It can preserve one's youth and health, with endless wondrous uses. . ."

Fang Xi's interest was piqued.

Lu Guo's identity was awkward after all; it might be better to train Xiao Hu instead.

"No, no!"

Widow Wang quickly refused: "Among my Xiao Hu's water and wood spiritual roots, his water spiritual root is better than his wood spiritual root. It would be better for him to learn the Black Water Art with this concubine. . ."

She was also genuinely afraid that Fang Xi would lead the child astray.

After all, as cultivators, if they didn't know how to fight or kill, how would they overcome future tribulations or enemies who came knocking?

Even if one was willing to be a cowardly old turtle for life, one still needed others not to come killing at their doorstep!

...

Soon, the news of Mu Wen's return spread throughout Peach Blossom Island.

Mu Wen made a grand display, feasting guests and flaunting his wealth wantonly.

Moreover, during the banquet, he revealed how he had suppressed Fang Xi, drawing a chorus of praise.

Although Fang Xi was mighty, ten years had already passed since he single-handedly suppressed the Lu family with his sword!

In ten years, how much had changed!

It had long since become blurred and forgotten. . .

Furthermore, he had always been farming, not even leaving Emerald Cliff, so it was inevitable that some would say his reputation was undeserved, or even that he was a shrinking turtle!

Consequently, Mu Wen stepped on Fang Xi to successfully rise to power, dominating the limelight for a time.

This was not only due to his astonishing combat power, which firmly secured his position as Peach Blossom Island's foremost mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, but also because he had earned a great many spirit stones!

Most cultivators on Peach Blossom Island now used the island's unique spiritual material, peach wood, to craft low-grade peach wood swords or peach wood talismans and other artifacts, which they consigned to Mu Wen for sale, exchanging them for spirit stones and resources.

This man was a walking God of Wealth; naturally, no one dared to offend him.

Subsequently, the matter of Fang Xi's refusal to lend spirit stones back then, and Feng Man Lou's voluntary withdrawal, was spread by unknown individuals. All the cultivators mocked these two for being short-sighted and timid, having actually missed such an excellent opportunity!