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Chapter 152: Thousand Threads Puppet Control Art (A Celebration for our Divine Alliance Master! )

Chapter 152: Thousand Threads Puppet Control Art (A Celebration for our Divine Alliance Master! )

Having completed his daily cultivation, Fang Xi gracefully emerged from seclusion.

The courtyard of Peach Blossom Pavilion was expansive, with numerous peach trees planted within. Under the influence of the perpetual spring formation, peach blossoms drifted and danced, presenting an exceptionally beautiful sight.

In the pond within the courtyard, the Big Green Fish occasionally sank to the bottom, then resurfaced, furtively nibbling on the peach blossom petals.

"What a gluttonous fish. . ."

Fang Xi chuckled, chiding it playfully. He was rather lenient with this spirit beast; after all, it had accompanied him for many years.

As for the idea of replacing his spirit beast?

Second-order spirit beasts were quite difficult to find. And as for bringing one over from the Da Liang world?

Fang Xi harbored no such thoughts. This was because once demonic beasts reached the second-order, they would inevitably awaken a certain degree of sentience! They would possess memory and the ability to communicate!

Even if he could enslave them with Divine Consciousness, leave a brand. . . slave contracts were not infallible. Should he encounter a Core Formation ancestor, it was entirely possible for such a contract to be dissolved!

Therefore, even the Taisui, despite its meritorious service, had been sent back to the Da Liang world to roam freely; Fang Xi had no intention of bringing it to the South Barrens Cultivation World.

"Puppets are still better. . . at least they won't betray me!"

As for the rumors of puppets gaining sentience and developing their own spirits?

These second-order ones weren't qualified enough. Perhaps legendary fourth or fifth-order puppets might be a different story. . .

"Young Master!"

Jin Ling, clad in a golden ruqun with fringes adorning her body, bowed respectfully. "Today is Young Master's sixtieth birthday. Your servant congratulates you, Master, and wishes you eternal longevity!"

Being called "Master" felt a bit old. Fang Xi now preferred to be addressed as "Young Master."

After all, compared to his long lifespan of four hundred and twenty years, sixty was merely the equivalent of a normal person's fourteen or fifteen years — excessively young!

"Is that so, I'm already sixty?"

Fang Xi touched his face, feeling a flicker of daze.

In the pond's reflection, he was still the elegant youth beneath the peach trees, showing no signs of age.

This vibrant youthfulness even sparked a hint of envy in Jin Ling's eyes.

Fang Xi's sixtieth birthday passed rather quietly, with few friends coming to celebrate.

He simply opened a bottle of spirit wine and drank freely with Jin Ling, considering it a way to pass the occasion.

The wine was Peach Blossom Brew.

Whenever he drank this wine, Fang Xi couldn't help but think of Peach Blossom Island.

He wondered how those old acquaintances were faring now?

The news of his Foundation Establishment was minor news in White Peace Immortal City, and he wondered if it would spread back to Peach Blossom Island?

A sudden urge to return and see his old home, to "return in splendid robes," arose in his heart, but it was quickly suppressed.

Myriad Islands Lake was treacherous and unpredictable, and Song Qing still eyed him covetously. Would rashly leaving the city at this time be akin to eagerly seeking a fight?

Though he considered himself quite skilled among early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and with the aid of his puppets, he could even exchange a few moves with mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

However, that Song Qing's cultivation was profound, and he possessed a unique treasure. Engaging him in battle carried a slight risk of failure.

...

'Celestial Pill Pavilion'!

Fang Xi looked up, gazing at the signboard.

This establishment specialized in buying and selling pills and pill recipes. . . It was said to have connections to the Ethereal Valley Sect in the State of Wu!

The Ethereal Valley Sect was a major Core Formation sect with Core Formation ancestors overseeing it, and its lineage was well-ordered, having endured over a thousand years of trials and tribulations without falling!

Quite unlike the States of Yue and Mu, the cultivation world of the State of Wu was rumored to be remarkably stable.

"Senior, may I ask what you require?"

As Fang Xi stepped inside, he immediately saw a female attendant, a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator clad in light gauze, approach him and bow gracefully.

'Indeed, the inner city is truly different from the outer city. Even a mere attendant here is a beautiful female cultivator in the late Qi Refinement stage. . . '

He sighed inwardly with emotion, then stated in a deep voice, "I require a second-order pill recipe, of the blood-replenishing type. . ."

Living in White Peace Immortal City was no easy feat!

Though Fang Xi's spatial pouch was filled with second-order demonic beast materials, they were not easy to sell directly. After much thought, he decided to continue refining pills.

However, he had no intention of revealing his ability to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, to avoid becoming a tool for others.

Foundation Establishment cultivators, aided by their Divine Consciousness, found it relatively easy to practice first-order pill refining. However, second-order pill refining required the consumption of vast resources!

Fang Xi planned to specialize in a few obscure second-order pill recipes, using them to generate wealth. He didn't need to earn too much, just enough to sustain a long-term residence in White Peace Immortal City.

With his spiritual root now enhanced and his lifespan greatly extended, he didn't need to consume pills for cultivation. He simply intended to slowly cultivate through meditation atop a second-order spirit vein.

"This way, honored guest. . ."

Upon hearing his request, the maidservant's eyes immediately lit up. She invited Fang Xi to the counter, her smile radiant. "For second-order blood-replenishing pill recipes, our establishment offers three types: 'Seven Treasures Serpent Blood Pill,' which requires the essence blood of a second-order demonic serpent as its main ingredient; 'Crimson Dragon Pill,' which uses hundred-year-old 'Crimson Dragon Ganoderma' as its main ingredient; and 'Beast Blood Pill,' refined using the materials and blood of second-order demonic beasts. . ."

Fang Xi meticulously examined each one.

Among these three second-order pill recipes, the 'Crimson Dragon Pill' was of the highest grade, reaching mid-grade second-order, and its medicinal power was formidable, suitable for Body Cultivation practitioners.

In truth, Body Cultivation practitioners were a niche path, and blood-replenishing pills were even more unconventional.

To have three pill recipes available was already quite good.

'Alas, I don't have spirit herbs, and gathering them would be too troublesome. . . '

Fang Xi immediately discarded the 'Crimson Dragon Pill' from consideration, turning his attention to those pill recipes where demonic beast materials were the primary ingredients, supplemented by spirit herbs.

The auxiliary materials for second-order pills did not have high demands for age; a few decades' growth was sufficient, making them relatively easy to gather.

"The Seven Treasures Serpent Blood Pill possesses pure medicinal efficacy, but unfortunately, it absolutely requires the essence blood of demonic serpents, and I don't have much in stock. . ."

"The Beast Blood Pill is a low-grade second-order pill, and its required materials are the simplest: both the essence blood and flesh of second-order demonic beasts can be used, supplemented by spirit herbs for refinement. . . However, after consumption, there's the hidden danger of impure qi and blood, and excessive pill toxins."

"This pill recipe is priced at five hundred Spirit Stones, Senior, and you must swear an oath not to disclose it to others!"

The maidservant replied with a radiant smile.

'A single pill recipe for five hundred Spirit Stones. . . how do those alchemists manage to acquire so many recipes? '

Fang Xi grumbled inwardly.

At the same time, he felt a twinge of regret that he hadn't chosen more carefully back then at the Myriad Arts Pavilion.

The Myriad Arts Pavilion was also a major merchant house in the inner city, backed by White Peak Mountain, and its second floor was particularly difficult to access.

Unless one spent a large number of Spirit Stones in White Peace Immortal City to become a VIP, or had someone vouch for them.

Last time, he had fellow Daoist Yuan Feihong to thank for it.

He wondered when he would be able to enter by himself next time.

And Fang Xi even suspected that even on the second floor of the Myriad Arts Pavilion, the second-order pill refining inheritance was likely incomplete, with only a few second-order pill recipes recorded in the pill scriptures.

After all, pill refining was an incredibly lucrative skill, and White Peak Mountain wouldn't easily share such a source of wealth with outsiders.

Grumbling inwardly, Fang Xi still obediently took out the Spirit Stones, then made his oath, receiving a jade slip from the maidservant's hand.

Once his Divine Consciousness entered it, the various pill refining materials, techniques, and incantations appeared before him.

"Auxiliary materials: Nine-Transformation Calamus, Gleaming Jade Leaf, Verdant Vine Root. . . fifty years or older. Thankfully, not too difficult to find. . ."

Fang Xi had chosen the 'Beast Blood Pill' precisely because his storage bag still contained a large quantity of second-order demonic beast materials.

He hadn't, in fact, processed all of his second-order demonic beasts into puppets back then.

Now, these could substitute for a significant consumption of resources, enough to enable him to grasp the basics of the 'Beast Blood Pill' and even push its success rate to a profitable level!

...

Night.

Peach Blossom Pavilion.

After attending to him, Jin Ling had already gone to the side room to rest.

Fang Xi closed his door and activated the defensive formation.

Though the Peach Blossom Pavilion's original formation was good, he had secretly added several more points to it.

In particular, he had arranged the 'Verdant Wood Divine Thunder Residual Array' around his cultivation chamber to enhance its defensive power.

At this moment, he entered his quiet cultivation chamber, feeling the dense spiritual energy, and couldn't help but nod to himself.

"Today, I not only acquired the Beast Blood Pill recipe but also bought most of the auxiliary materials. . ."

"However, I'm not in a hurry to refine pills just yet. . ."

Fang Xi did not take out his Purple Jade Cauldron. Instead, with a flick of his hand, he produced a jade slip and began to meticulously study it.

This was the second-order puppet inheritance he had obtained from the second floor of the Myriad Arts Pavilion!

Previously, he had used demonic tree seeds to control second-order demonic beast corpses, but they lacked flexibility and could only be considered quasi-second-order puppets.

Naturally, he now wished to compensate for this deficiency.

This second-order puppet art had arrived at precisely the right moment!

"Puppets are crafted from raw materials such as metal, wood, and even demonic beast bones. . . each possessing different functions. . ."

The contents of this puppet art gave Fang Xi a profound sense of enlightenment.

At the very least, he now had a certain repair plan in mind for the wounds and damage on his second-order puppets.

He flipped to the end of the puppet art and found the secret technique for controlling puppets—the 'Thousand Threads Puppet Control Art'!

"This auxiliary cultivation method is divided into three layers. Upon cultivating the first layer, one can split their Divine Consciousness into two subsidiary thoughts, which enter the puppets to oversee their operation. From then on, controlling puppets becomes as easy as moving one's own arm, akin to controlling an avatar. . ."

"Upon cultivating the second layer, one can split into four thoughts, and the third layer, eight thoughts. . . However, should these thoughts be damaged, it will cause harm to the cultivator's Divine Consciousness."

Fang Xi's expression gradually grew solemn: "Therefore, some puppet masters do not split their Divine Consciousness into thoughts, but rather use their Divine Consciousness as threads for rough control. . . Even so, their puppets are still more flexible than my demonic servants. . ."

In truth, after reading through the puppet master's secret art, Fang Xi felt a touch of disappointment.

The second world he currently traversed was somewhat peculiar; only Divine Consciousness could pass through it. Thus, he had hoped to find some cultivation methods related to Divine Consciousness, specifically those capable of Divine Consciousness attacks or defenses.

Alas. . . although the secret art cultivated by puppet masters also involved Divine Consciousness, it was entirely different from what he desired.

"Forget it, I can continue searching for Divine Consciousness secret arts. . . I have plenty of time anyway, no need to rush. . ."

"I also currently need time to slowly settle down, and at the same time, wait for the impact of negative news to pass before I can venture out to socialize, befriend fellow cultivators, and expand my network and resource channels. . ."

With this thought, Fang Xi put away the puppet art jade slip and retrieved his Purple Jade Cauldron.

The liquid magic power within him condensed, instantly emitting a streak of azure True Fire that traveled along his meridians to his palm.

With a flick of Fang Xi's hand, this azure True Fire descended to the bottom of the Purple Jade Cauldron and began to burn fiercely.

This was the 'Innate True Fire' that only Foundation Establishment cultivators could possess; it had boundless wondrous uses, whether for refining pills or crafting artifacts!

His expression turned solemn as he took out each 'Beast Blood Pill' ingredient, and began the pill refining process. . .