Chapter 217: Storm Approaching (Seeking Monthly Votes)
Half a month later.
"Fellow Daoist Yan, take care. Let's exchange more letters in the future!"
Fang Xi was all smiles as he saw Yan Chang Kong off.
This person had stayed on Dragon Fish Island for several days, during which he had discussed Dao arts with Fang Xi.
The result. . .
Fang Xi found that this person's cultivation and insight were both ordinary, and even the grade of the cultivation method he practiced was similar to his own 'Green Wood Longevity Art'.
In other words, even Fang Xi in his early Foundation Establishment stage could easily dominate him. . .
'Sigh. . . it seems not every disciple gets to cultivate the Core Formation sect's treasured core techniques. . . '
'My current strength is probably enough to be an Enforcement Elder or something similar in the Black Heaven Sect. . . '
Yan Chang Kong naturally promised to maintain frequent contact after returning to his sect, as both the second-order talismans and the Little Green Dragon Soup were quite good.
Thus, Fang Xi now had a somewhat tenuous connection within the Black Heaven Sect.
However, connections needed to be maintained. He didn't covet anything from the Black Heaven Sect; he just wanted to keep abreast of general developments.
Because he was simply placing pieces casually, he appeared quite detached.
Yan Hong Xiu, on the other hand, gazed at the dispersing light of Yan Chang Kong's departing (fleeing light), her eyes filled with worry.
She suddenly felt that they had been separated for too long. This Yan Chang Kong was no longer the snot-nosed little brat who loved to play with her, his elder sister, when they were children.
He had his own circle, friends, and masters. . .
'Perhaps. . . Great-Grandpa's decision to send Little Seventeen and Little Nineteen into the Black Heaven Sect was a mistake. . . '
Thinking of the deceased Little Seventeen and the various mid-stage Qi Refinement clansmen, Yan Hong Xiu couldn't help but feel even more dejected.
Fang Xi, however, felt rather good about Yan Chang Kong: "This person. . . is truly devoted to the Dao."
He turned and glanced at Yan Hong Xiu: "Still standing there? Get to work!"
"Yes!"
Yan Hong Xiu grumbled a reply and returned to the Evergreen Pavilion.
...
Five days later.
"Sister Hong Xiu, your letter!"
Xiahou Ying held a jade slip and handed it to Yan Hong Xiu.
"Is it from Spirit Sky Island?"
Yan Hong Xiu took the jade slip, tore open the protective talisman, and pressed it to her forehead.
Immediately, her eyes reddened, and she nearly burst into tears.
"What's wrong?"
Xiahou Ying quickly stepped forward to comfort her, inwardly muttering: 'Even if the family produced a great Foundation Establishment cultivator, wasn't that already known? Why is she crying with joy like this. . . '
Thinking of this, she also felt depressed.
She had tried every means to curry favor with the Young Master, and finally secured a promise to cultivate disciples from the three superior families. However, the Xiahou family truly had no talents, and the Tai Shu and two other families were in the same boat.
Even for cultivators, middle and low-grade spiritual roots were the majority, while high-grade spiritual roots were rare.
She discussed it with her clan brother Xiahou Zun, and neither wanted to waste their opportunity on middle or low-grade spiritual roots. Instead, they decided to save it for future geniuses in the family.
"I. . . I. . ."
Yan Hong Xiu was overwhelmed with anger, and suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood mist.
"Young Master!"
Xiahou Ying's slightly sharp voice broke the tranquility of the Evergreen Pavilion.
Fortunately, Fang Xi was not in seclusion. Noticing something amiss, he immediately rushed over and infused a stream of spiritual energy into Yan Hong Xiu's body: "It's nothing, just a bit of qi reversal due to extreme emotion, causing her spiritual energy to go astray. . ."
"I told you. . . it definitely wasn't me. . ."
Xiahou Ying was so frightened she spoke incoherently.
Fang Xi, however, was somewhat speechless. He then glanced at the jade slip in Yan Hong Xiu's hand and, with a sweep of his Divine Consciousness, understood the reason.
This time, Yan Chang Kong had returned to Spirit Sky Island and stayed for less than three days!
After paying respects at his parents' graves, he didn't appear for the Yan family to deal with the various major forces, nor did he hold any Foundation Establishment celebration. He merely left behind a bag of Spirit Stones and immediately returned to the Black Heaven Sect.
Indeed, his parents had also died in the chaos the night the Yan family ancestor perished. Now, he truly felt indifferent towards the remaining Yan family members on Spirit Sky Island, even less close than to Yan Hong Xiu!
Because of this, Yan family head, Yan Old Seventh, was so depressed that he vomited blood and became bedridden. . .
Although this person was a master of late-stage Qi Refinement, he had also suffered considerable injuries helping Yan Chang Kong take on missions. Not only was his vitality severely damaged, but he also developed a chronic illness.
Now, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. . . he simply became too ill to rise.
"Young Master. . ."
A moment later, Yan Hong Xiu slowly regained consciousness, her expression miserable: "Did Hong Xiu do something wrong?"
"You did nothing wrong. It's just that placing your hopes on others is ultimately a very foolish and helpless thing. . ."
Fang Xi stood with his hands behind his back, speaking calmly: "Relying on anyone is not as reliable as relying on yourself!"
"Myself?"
Yan Hong Xiu's eyes were a little dazed.
"Although your aptitude is ordinary, with the second-order superior-grade spiritual energy of Dragon Fish Island. . . your cultivation progress is not slow. With my help, you are now at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, which can be considered a master in the Myriad Islands Lake, capable of contending for the position of Island Master of a first-order spiritual island!"
Fang Xi said calmly: "If you continue to cultivate diligently, and one day reach the tenth level of Qi Refinement Great Perfection. . . you would already be capable of dominating the Myriad Islands Lake, and it would be enough to protect Spirit Sky Island. . ."
After all, he and Ruan Xing Ling wouldn't needlessly attack the Yan family.
"Yes. . . I was wrong. . . ohhhhhhhhhh. . ."
Yan Hong Xiu thought of the family's sacrifices over the years, her younger sister who became a human cultivation cauldron, and the many mid-stage Qi Refinement experts who had died. Two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks.
Fang Xi did not continue to persuade her. He simply walked out of the Evergreen Pavilion and sighed.
The Yan family had truly imagined things too beautifully.
Perhaps, it was precisely because they were too eager for quick success in the early stages, too desperate to quickly restore their reputation as a Foundation Establishment family, that they overlooked many things.
Leading to the current outcome, yet no one could be blamed.
"I must take this as a lesson. In the future, I must not act impatiently, and I must not seek quick results at all costs. . ."
...
Time, like a white steed flashing past a crack, sped by.
In the blink of an eye, several years had passed.
Inside the cultivation chamber.
Fang Xi was surrounded by a faint green aura. He suddenly opened his eyes:
"I'm 120 years old now. My Dantian Qi Sea contains 105 drops of liquid spiritual energy, still below the minimum requirement for breaking through to the late Foundation Establishment stage. . . but my lifespan has increased by 100 years. I can now live for 600 years, which is more than enough to outlive ordinary Core Formation ancestors. . ."
"If it weren't for cultivating the Green Reaping Sword, my spiritual energy advancement could have been even faster. . . However, this Green Reaping Sword can now be considered a proper magic treasure, can't it?"
"Alas. . . though its power is greater, activating it consumes even more spiritual energy."
Fang Xi pushed open the door, left the cultivation chamber, and went to the top of the Evergreen Pavilion, quietly watching the tide rise and fall, flowers bloom and wither outside. . .
From the outside, the color of the Profound Wood Grand Array seemed to have deepened.
'Mm. . . the demonic tree's demonic domain is more mature. Now, the 'Nine-Nethers Profound Wood Grand Array' is a true third-order formation. . . and my formation Dao techniques can also be considered to have broken through to the third-order, right? '
The demonic tree required very little spiritual energy. Even on a second-order spirit vein, it felt like a mouse falling into a granary.
With this as its core, the 'Nine-Nethers Profound Wood Grand Array' set up by Fang Xi required extremely little spiritual energy. If there weren't enough Spirit Stones, it could even sustain itself by devouring the flesh and blood of enemies or even its own people. . .
"Island Master adult. . ."
A graceful figure appeared outside the door and bowed: "Two letters from the Black Heaven Sect have arrived!"
"Ah, Hong Yu? Come in!"
Fang Xi smiled.
Twenty years had passed since his hundredth birthday.
Over a decade of seasons was enough for the little girl from back then to grow into a beautiful young woman with apricot eyes and peach cheeks.
Zhong Hong Yu entered gracefully, first bowing to Fang Xi, then presenting two jade slips.
Fang Xi did not immediately check the letters. Instead, he swept his Divine Consciousness over Zhong Hong Yu's cultivation: "Good. . . you've reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement."
"Yes, I just broke through the bottleneck recently."
Zhong Hong Yu replied. In truth, if she had been a true Five Elements Spiritual Root and hadn't been held back by cultivation methods, dedicating herself to cultivation on a second-order spirit vein, she might have broken through to the late Qi Refinement stage by now!
"Good. The 'Flash Evasion Art' I taught you is a very powerful spell for both saving your life and killing enemies. You must practice it well!"
Fang Xi instructed, then picked up one of the jade slips.
This jade slip was from Zhan Tu. This person was now in his early twenties. Since entering the Black Heaven Sect, he had cultivated diligently. Due to his good spiritual root, he was favored by a pill refining elder, who took him as a disciple and carefully nurtured him. After fifteen years of arduous cultivation on a third-order spirit vein, he had actually reached the eighth level of Qi Refinement.
This letter, besides thanking Fang Xi for his continuous sponsorship, subtly conveyed a request for help.
Upon reaching the late Qi Refinement stage, sect disciples generally had to start considering the matter of Foundation Establishment.
Even though his master was an elder of the Pill Refinement Hall, aiding a disciple in Foundation Establishment would require him to go all out.
But Zhan Tu's master had many disciples and direct bloodline descendants, so it was impossible for him to fully assist Zhan Tu.
In terms of his situation, this person was even worse off than Yan Chang Kong had been back then.
After all, his family were all mortals and could not provide any assistance.
At the end of the letter, Zhan Tu routinely asked Fang Xi to look after his parents and mentioned some minor matters.
But Fang Xi vaguely felt that something was amiss.
"The prices of talismans and artifacts have fluctuated. . . war preparations materials. . . Could it be that war is about to break out?"
He didn't ponder for long before picking up the second jade slip.
This jade slip was from Yan Chang Kong.
Since his Foundation Establishment, this Black Heaven Sect cultivator had taken on a post guarding a market town externally.
Although he was entangled in secular affairs and unable to cultivate on the sect's third-order spirit vein, he quickly accumulated merit points.
Furthermore, he frequently traded with Fang Xi, acquiring second-order talismans, pills, and even Little Green Dragon Soup to resell at a higher price in the market town, which was an unexpected source of income.
Sending a letter now naturally meant there was an important matter.
Fang Xi's Divine Consciousness sank into it, and he saw several lines of text, his expression slightly changing: "True Person Bai Feng of White Peace Immortal City failed to hunt a demon king in the Myriad Beast Mountain Range and instead suffered severe injuries. . . It is said he greatly damaged his lifespan and is about to pass away?"
The entire three countries region had only four great Core Formation combat strengths.
True Person Bai Feng's physical condition would profoundly affect not only White Peace Immortal City but also the other three countries!
"Over thirty years, half a Jiazi cycle. . ."
Fang Xi stood up, gazing at the scenery outside the window, a inexplicable sense of melancholy rising within him: "Is the thirty years of peace on Dragon Fish Island finally about to be shattered?"
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