Chapter 117: Prodigality and Departure (Please Subscribe)
Chapter 117: Prodigality and Departure (Please Subscribe)
The news of Fang Xi's defeat by Ruan Dan quickly spread across Peach Blossom Island.
The cultivators' reaction. . . was quite indifferent!
After all, Fang Xi had been dormant for fifteen years; he no longer had much of a reputation. Even if he did, it was merely the reputation of "Old Turtle of Emerald Cliff" or a "first-order low-grade alchemist."
As Ruan Dan was a prodigy with a superior-grade spiritual root, diligently taught by Island Master Peach Bell Fairy, and both were at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement, her victory was expected; her defeat would have been truly shocking!
Poor Ruan Dan had no idea that if she had intentionally thrust her sword in that final moment, it would likely have been her own flying sword that shattered.
Moreover, this matter was quickly overshadowed by another event!
The Mu family had fallen! !
Years ago, the Mu family had mortgaged their spiritual land and borrowed a large number of Spirit Stones from the Feng and Mo families, gambling everything on purchasing shops in the Spirit Sky Market. They had originally believed that with the booming business of the market, they could grit their teeth and manage to repay the agreed-upon amount of Spirit Stones and interest each year.
The 'silver-armored man' became increasingly rampant, and while the Spirit Sky Market's trade routes weren't completely severed, they were severely impacted.
The Mu family's shops were far from thriving; in fact, they suffered losses year after year!
With this constant drain and lack of income, they naturally couldn't repay the Spirit Stones each year.
It was said that Mu Wen even sold his own superior-grade artifact and mobilized the entire clan to contribute Spirit Stones, begging for loans everywhere. He barely managed to repay for two years, but by the third year, he could no longer fill the deficit no matter what.
By now, the Feng and Mo families already intended to reclaim the land. With the contract in hand, even Ruan Xing Ling found it difficult to interfere.
The entire Mu family was naturally utterly despondent, frantically begging for Spirit Stones everywhere. But who would dare lend Spirit Stones to a group of people without any backing?
As the deadline approached, this had already become the most talked-about topic on Peach Blossom Island.
Even those from other islands were aware of Mu Wen's infamous reputation as a "prodigal son."
After all, it was truly rare for a Rogue Cultivator family to struggle for several generations, even more than ten, to finally acquire a piece of spiritual land as their foundation, only to have it squandered by the second generation.
Many cultivation families were even preparing to use this as a classic case study to educate their younger disciples.
...
Bang!
Bang!
Hai Da Gui, holding a mid-grade artifact hoe, tilled the land with great effort.
"Uncle. . . Uncle, save me!"
"Just two hundred Spirit Stones. . . no, one hundred Spirit Stones!"
"Our three families are connected like branches of a single tree, Uncle, you cannot just stand by and watch me die. . . If my Mu family falls, your two families will be next!"
Outside, faint sounds occasionally drifted into the formation.
"So noisy, what's he mumbling about?"
After Hai Da Gui finished a mu of land's worth of work, he rested by the field and drank some tea.
"Isn't it just that prodigal son again? He used to be so arrogant, with his nose in the air, and now he's been kneeling outside, begging for days. . ."
Wang Xiao Hu walked over, his face full of disdain: "My mother says he's a bottomless pit that can never be filled. . . and Master certainly won't help. When he came knocking on our door back then, he was so arrogant, didn't he? Does he think our memory is so bad that we've forgotten everything? I don't know how he has the nerve to come back. . ."
"It's not good that he's always so noisy. . ."
Hai Da Gui's face was full of displeasure: "Last night, when I was cultivating Qi, his yell startled me so much that my True Qi almost went astray. . ."
"Master is already adjusting the formation, I hear he's adding a sound-proofing restriction. . . Just bear with it a bit longer, for now, just treat it as dog barking!"
Wang Xiao Hu yawned.
Suddenly, a white light shot up from the courtyard, merging into the white mist.
Runes, like swimming fish, glided past, and Mu Wen's wailing cries from outside gradually diminished, finally falling silent. . .
"Finally, it's done. If I had to listen to it for a few more days, I wouldn't have been able to sleep well."
Hai Da Gui let out a long breath and then asked somewhat curiously, "How many Spirit Stones is one piece of spiritual land worth?"
"I don't know either, but it's probably this big, and this much, spreading across the ground. . ."
Wang Xiao Hu drew a circle, thought about it, then spread his hands wide again, as if disdaining the smallness of the circle he had drawn.
"Oh, my mother. . . This prodigal son! If I had that many Spirit Stones, I'd hide them under my bed and sleep with one eye open, watching them."
Hai Da Gui gasped in amazement.
"Is the key Spirit Stones? The key is spiritual land. . . Even if you have Spirit Stones, others might not necessarily sell this kind of thing!"
Wang Xiao Hu scoffed.
...
Three days later.
Mu Wen left, crestfallen and disheveled, like a walking corpse.
Inside the residence.
Fang Xi leaned against the peach blossom tree, taking a bite of a peach.
Although these spirit peaches were not as good as those produced by the second-order spirit peach tree in the medicinal field, their taste was still quite pleasant.
Their flavor was crisp and sweet, quite satisfying to the palate.
Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, and with a wave of his hand, he dispersed the formation, revealing a passage.
Amidst the sky full of falling petals, a female cultivator gracefully landed.
She wore a pink-peach colored ruqun, her features plain. The years had not left many traces on her, only adding a hint of mature charm.
Upon seeing this woman, Fang Xi felt a momentary daze, as if he had returned to the time he first arrived at Myriad Islands Lake and met her at the Treasure Ship Market.
"Greetings, Island Master."
He hurriedly dropped the peach and stepped forward to salute.
"Fellow Daoist truly has a way with preserving his youth. . . "
Watching Fang Xi, who seemed to be growing younger with each passing day, Ruan Xing Ling spoke with a bright smile.
"Heh. . . it's merely a wood-element cultivation method, quite suitable for preserving one's appearance, and a good mindset, that's all."
Fang Xi shook his head.
Many wood-element cultivation methods had youth-preserving effects, and consuming youth-preserving pills could maintain eternal youth.
For cultivators, an ageless appearance was not at all uncommon.
Even if one didn't cultivate a wood-element method, as long as one broke through early enough, one could maintain an ageless appearance indefinitely.
Some special cultivation methods even possessed the effect of "rejuvenation."
Ruan Xing Ling herself had consumed youth-preserving pills, so she didn't mind at this moment, merely smiling as she said, "My little disciple is mischievous, I hope Fellow Daoist won't take offense!"
"For Fellow Daoist to take such an excellent disciple, I couldn't be more thrilled to congratulate you."
Fang Xi smiled faintly, indicating that he didn't mind in the slightest.
With a sweep of his Divine Consciousness, he already perceived that Ruan Xing Ling had indeed broken through to the tenth layer of Qi Refinement. It seemed it was time for her to venture out and seek her Foundation Establishment opportunity?
Although Myriad Islands Lake was vast, Foundation Establishment opportunities were, after all, still too few.
Basically, all Qi Refinement Perfected cultivators would strive to acquire a Foundation Establishment Pill, or at the very least, a Foundation Establishment spiritual item.
To attempt Foundation Establishment without any preparation not only had a quite high failure rate but also an extremely high death rate.
Fang Xi was definitely going to consume a Foundation Establishment Pill. Although he now had a certain degree of confidence in achieving Foundation Establishment, it wasn't for anything else, but simply because the Foundation Establishment Pill could ensure he wouldn't die if he failed to break through!
For him, any breakthrough with the possibility of death was unacceptable.
Ancient Method Foundation Establishment, Hearing the Dao Foundation Establishment, Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment. . . Any breakthrough method with a probability of death could just scram!
He was going to break through by consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill, no matter what!
With such a heaven-sent opportunity upon him, he absolutely had to be as steady as an old dog!
Ruan Xing Ling had merely used her disciple as an opening. She then brought up the Mu family's affairs, a smile gracing her lips: "To express my apologies, if Fellow Daoist were to intercede, this Island Master could indeed intervene in the Mu family's matter. . ."
When the late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators of the Feng and Mo families successively died, and the situation was precarious, it was she who stabilized the overall situation. She escorted the Feng and Mo families to the market town to use their clan resources to purchase tier-breaking pills. . . helping them endure until new late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators emerged, ensuring a smooth transition. She had shown great kindness to both families.
What's more, as the Island Master of Peach Blossom Island, she inherently possessed the authority to intervene!
"Alas. . . Fellow Daoist Rotten Wood went through so much hardship back then, but who would have thought the Mu family would come to such a predicament today?"
Fang Xi sighed, "Although I am quite friendly with him, how could I make the Island Master feel awkward for my own selfish gain? I still ask the Island Master to handle this justly and impartially, just ensure that Mu Zhong's branch of the family is not affected. . ."
Ruan Xing Ling nodded slightly: "Mu Zhong's branch has already split off. Their spirit fields are not part of the mortgage contract, so naturally no one will touch them. . . Alas, when this Island Master presided over the Mu family's division back then, it was because I felt Mu Wen was too reckless and wanted to leave a way out, just to give comfort to Fellow Daoist Rotten Wood. I never expected it to actually come true!"
"Changes in worldly affairs, how can one predict them clearly? It's only been fifteen years. . ."
Fang Xi sighed with emotion, then suddenly asked, "Is the Island Master planning to go out to seek a Foundation Establishment opportunity?"
"It seems my disciple mentioned my breakthrough to you; it is indeed so. " Ruan Xing Ling was first surprised, but then calmly admitted: "My childhood was blissful, but as I grew up, I drifted aimlessly. Later, my great revenge was avenged. . . and now I have taken an excellent disciple. My life is already complete, but this great Foundation Establishment hurdle, I must definitely attempt to overcome it."
"Then I shall congratulate Fellow Daoist in advance on successfully achieving Foundation Establishment."
Fang Xi solemnly cupped his fist and bowed.
"Thank you for your kind words. Today, passing by, I specially came to ask for a cup of Green Bamboo Wine to drink, considering it a farewell. " With a smile, Ruan Xing Ling's otherwise ordinary facial features unexpectedly carried a hint of charm.
Fang Xi naturally immediately went to retrieve the Green Bamboo Wine that had been aged for several years in his cellar. After treating Ruan Xing Ling well, he then watched this Island Master depart. . .
...
High in the sky.
Ruan Xing Ling, treading on her flower basket artifact, gazed at Peach Blossom Island and towards Emerald Cliff, muttering to herself, "So. . . it really wasn't you. . ."
In truth, she had always found Fang Xi somewhat mysterious.
Moreover, when the silver-armored man made his second move back then, severely injuring Feng Bai Meng and others, Ruan Xing Ling's suspicions grew even stronger.
Although it was unfounded, there was a hint of coincidence to the matter.
But thinking of the other party's cultivation, Ruan Xing Ling knew she had been overly suspicious.
Afterwards, she frequently came to Fang Xi to drink wine, also with some intention of probing.
But after so many years, she could finally confirm that this person was just an ordinary Spirit Farmer, at most with a few minor secrets, but nothing serious. After all, he was single-mindedly focused on farming, held no ambitions, and was extremely reclusive. . .
One could hide for a while, but not for a lifetime.
After fifteen years of observation, Ruan Xing Ling still largely trusted her own judgment.
Not to mention, five years ago, the silver-armored man reappeared, but Fang Xi had been on the island the entire time, never venturing out!
She had even specifically gone to visit Fang Xi, confirming that he himself was on the island at that time!
There was simply no connection between the two!
At this moment, Ruan Xing Ling couldn't help but laugh at herself, recalling the hint of suspicion that had occasionally surfaced in her heart, feeling that she had been too wildly imaginative.
"My Foundation Establishment opportunity, where could it be?"
Ruan Xing Ling cast one last look back at Peach Blossom Island, then gently patted her flower basket artifact. Instantly, amidst the scattered, dancing petals, she transformed into a pink escape light and swiftly vanished into the distance. . .
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