Chapter 224: Breakthrough Failure (Please Subscribe)
Chapter 224: Breakthrough Failure (Please Subscribe)
Spring passed, autumn came.
The output from Dragon Fish Island's Baleful Lake unknowingly tugged at the heartstrings of countless Qi Refinement cultivators.
Yet, Fang Xi maintained his mysterious and homebody nature, never easily leaving the island.
To outsiders, with a second-order grand array and Foundation Establishment cultivators guarding it, Dragon Fish Island was as stable as Mount Tai.
Unbeknownst to them, several more years passed, and Fang Xi quietly celebrated his one hundred and thirtieth birthday.
Inside the cultivation chamber.
A surge of azure light erupted around Fang Xi, causing the cultivation chamber to flicker with light and shadow.
On this very day, the liquid spiritual energy within his body finally accumulated to one hundred and twenty drops, reaching the limit of the 'Evergreen Longevity Art' at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm!
And after his Dantian and Qi Sea expanded to their limits, Fang Xi naturally decided to attempt a breakthrough to the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm!
As the azure light continuously pulsed, an unknown amount of time passed.
Suddenly!
Fang Xi's expression subtly changed. He clutched his Dantian, feeling as if countless small knives were haphazardly stabbing within it, and a look of pain appeared on his face.
Pfft!
The next moment, his spiritual energy dissipated throughout his body, and he opened his mouth, spitting out a plume of dark red blood mist.
"It failed. . ."
Fang Xi's face was somewhat pale. He took out a second-order healing pill from his storage bag. After swallowing it, he closed his eyes and began to refine it.
Several hours later, his complexion improved slightly. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "The breakthrough to late-stage Foundation Establishment failed. I've encountered a bottleneck. . ."
Cultivators' progress isn't guaranteed to succeed just because they reach the limit of a certain realm.
Fang Xi's previous successful breakthrough to early-stage Foundation Establishment could only be attributed to a fortunate coincidence and his own decent spiritual body talent.
"My spiritual root is merely low-grade, but with the Wood Spirit Body, I can compare to ordinary superior-grade spiritual roots. . . Yet, even Foundation Establishment cultivators with superior-grade spiritual roots don't all manage to break through to the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm. It's quite normal to encounter a bottleneck and be trapped."
After all, once one breaks through to late-stage Foundation Establishment, cultivating to Foundation Establishment Perfected is merely a matter of accumulating spiritual energy, with no further bottlenecks or obstacles.
And how many cultivators in the entire State of Yue have reached Foundation Establishment Perfected and possess the opportunity for Core Formation?
Even the Song Clan has only one Song Clan Ancestor!
Fang Xi closed his eyes and peered within, finding that he hadn't forced the breakthrough this time. After failing, he received timely treatment, so the backlash from the failed attempt wasn't severe. With the aid of healing spirit pills, he would recover after a period of recuperation.
"It's just that breaking through this bottleneck. . . will be a bit difficult."
Throughout history, cultivators encountering a bottleneck during a realm breakthrough have only had a few options.
Either consume pills that aid breakthroughs!
Or travel and engage in combat, seeking opportunities for sudden enlightenment!
And finally, slowly grind it out over time!
"Pills that can assist mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators in breaking through to late-stage are too precious. . . Currently, being confined to Dragon Fish Island, I can't obtain them."
"Traveling and engaging in combat are also impossible. Am I to rely on slowly grinding it out over time?"
Fang Xi fell into contemplation.
Even if he continued to meditate and cultivate daily, the limit of one hundred and twenty drops of liquid spiritual energy wouldn't be broken. His spiritual energy could not advance further; he would have to break through to a major realm to continue accumulating it.
Essentially, every Foundation Establishment cultivator, except those with Heaven-grade spiritual roots, will encounter a bottleneck. Some even get stuck there for life.
"Fortunately. . . I still have a path!"
Fang Xi slowly exhaled a long breath: "Heaven-grade spiritual root cultivators face no bottlenecks during the Foundation Establishment stage because their talent is good enough! I'm currently trapped by a bottleneck simply because my talent isn't sufficient. . . Once my talent is raised again, breaking through to the late stage will likely be very simple."
In truth, he felt that his Wood Spirit Body was full of vitality, which was very helpful for healing.
Given this situation, as long as he recovered from his injuries and attempted breakthroughs a few more times, he could probably break through the late-stage Foundation Establishment bottleneck.
However, Fang Xi had a better method!
"Within ten years, my Wood Spirit Body will certainly be complete!"
"With the aptitude of the Wood Spirit Body, this mere late-stage Foundation Establishment bottleneck can be directly shattered. . ."
Fang Xi cast a cleaning spell on himself, and his azure Daoist robe immediately looked brand new.
Thanks to the excellent recovery effects of the Wood Spirit Body, his complexion was now normal. He immediately got up and walked out of the cultivation chamber.
Before leaving seclusion, Fang Xi thought for a moment and lifted part of his 'Breath Concealment Art' effect, raising his cultivation to the early mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm.
After all, he had publicly announced that this seclusion was for attempting to break through the mid-stage bottleneck.
Having been in Foundation Establishment for over seventy years, only now barely breaking through the mid-stage bottleneck, to outsiders, there was no hope for Core Formation.
But it could at least deter some restless Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators.
The past few years' news wasn't good. Messages from Yan Chang Kong all spoke of White Peace Immortal City being in turmoil, with Ouyang Zhen struggling to maintain order, leading to twenty-nine disciples from the Baifeng Mountain lineage being ambushed and killed by rogue cultivators when they went out!
Myriad Islands Lake had been peaceful for a while after the Ghost Moon Sect's Grand Elder slaughtered the Three Branch Halls, but turmoil soon resumed.
There were even rumors that the Long family, once one of the seven great Foundation Establishment families of the State of Yue, intended to migrate to Myriad Islands Lake.
In such turbulent times, Fang Xi felt he needed to display some strength to deter petty villains.
"Young Master? !"
Outside the cultivation chamber, Xiahou Ying, Zhong Hong Yu, and Yan Hong Xiu, who had been waiting anxiously, felt the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from Fang Xi, which were even stronger than before. Joy simultaneously appeared on their faces: "Congratulations, Young Master, on your successful breakthrough!"
"Sigh. . . After more than sixty years of arduous cultivation, I've barely managed to break through to mid-stage Foundation Establishment. If I can merely glimpse the scenery of late-stage Foundation Establishment in this lifetime, I'll have no regrets."
Fang Xi shook his head, letting out a bitter laugh.
"Island Master, you broke through to mid-stage Foundation Establishment without the aid of pills, indicating a solid foundation. . . If you encounter a fortuitous opportunity in the future, the Grand Dao may not be difficult to achieve."
Zhong Hong Yu quickly offered comfort.
Her cultivation had broken through again, reaching Qi Refinement level nine, catching up to Yan Hong Xiu.
As for Xiahou Ying?
This woman didn't seem to have any particular obsession with breakthroughs, and she appeared to have hit a bottleneck, with her cultivation stagnating at Qi Refinement level seven. Still, it was quite good.
Looking across Dragon Fish Island, or even Myriad Islands Lake, she could be considered a master in her own right.
"Hmm, good. Today is a joyous occasion; we should hold a banquet to celebrate. . . Have someone go to Old Zhong's place and catch a few more little Green Horned Dragons. . ."
Thinking of the delicious little Green Horned Dragons, Fang Xi couldn't help but feel his appetite stirred.
At this moment, Xiahou Ying and Yan Hong Xiu exchanged a glance, then bowed and said, "Reporting, Young Master. . . Zhong Qi has passed away."
"Oh? When did this happen?"
Fang Xi was slightly startled.
"While Young Master was in seclusion, they said he was fine just two days ago, even going into the water to fish. . . But suddenly he couldn't get up, was bedridden for two days, and then passed away when his lifespan ran out. . ."
Yan Hong Xiu reported, "Because Young Master was in seclusion at the time, we dared not report it. We beg Young Master for forgiveness. . ."
"Never mind. . ."
Calculating his age, Old Zhong had lived several years longer than Wei Yi Xi. What more could Fang Xi say?
Still, he had raised fish for him for half a lifetime, so Fang Xi said, "Let me go see his grave. While I'm there, ask the people around if this old man had any last wishes. If they can be resolved, then resolve them. . ."
Fish farm.
The always active Green Corner Fish Dragon seemed a bit listless, lying at the bottom of the lake.
Fang Xi arrived at the edge of the lake, where, amidst a patch of reeds, he saw a grave mound.
Around him were several fishermen, all at early to mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivation, serving cautiously.
Among them, a mid-aged fisherman at Qi Refinement level six bowed and said, "Reporting to the Island Master. . . Old Zhong had no children his entire life, and now that he has passed away, he left no belongings. . ."
"Impossible. . ."
Fang Xi shook his head. He had been quite good to his subordinates, granting spirit stones every year and occasionally allowing them to take some spirit fish and spirit rice. How could there be no inheritance?
Could it be. . . that these people embezzled it?
At this thought, his expression grew somewhat dangerous.
The mid-aged fisherman shuddered, quickly kneeling on the ground: "Island Master, Old Zhong's letters are here. You'll know once you see them. . ."
"Oh?"
Fang Xi took a stack of letters. The first few were still paper, already yellowed, bearing ancient traces of time.
He was sensitive to this and knew they weren't forged.
He pulled out one and read it, instantly feeling a little surprised: "This Old Zhong. . . he's actually been subsidizing Zhan Tu all this time? !"
He read Old Zhong's letters and discovered that this person had always been in contact with Zhan Tu, occasionally entrusting others to send spiritual items to Zhan Tu, who was cultivating in the Black Heaven Sect.
'I merely sent this person to escort Zhan Tu into the Black Heaven Sect back then, never expecting them to form such a bond. . . '
'Perhaps Zhong Qi even placed his own Dao path on Zhan Tu. . . '
Fang Xi didn't understand this kind of behavior, but it didn't prevent him from showing admiration: "Truly, an old warhorse in the stable, pouring out his heart and soul. . ."
"Someone!"
He lightly called out, and the mid-aged fisherman immediately responded, "I'm here!"
"Send a letter to Zhan Tu of the Black Heaven Sect, informing him of the death!"
Fang Xi gave a faint instruction, then looked at the mid-aged fisherman: "What's your name?"
"Reporting to Island Master, this one is Zhong Lu, one of the first batch of immortal seedlings after Island Master took control of Dragon Fish Island. . ."
Zhong Lu replied.
"Oh, yes, I have some impression. . ."
Fang Xi answered indifferently, but since this was, after all, a beneficiary on his side, and a sweep of his Divine Consciousness revealed that this person had the highest cultivation among the fish farm fishermen, he said: "Then you shall take over Zhong Qi's position and become the fish farm steward. . ."
"Many thanks, Island Master! This one will surely do his utmost to manage things well."
A hint of joy appeared on Zhong Lu's face.
Becoming the fish farm steward was already the highest aspiration for male immortal seedlings on Dragon Fish Island; after all, they weren't beautiful women who could be chosen for the Evergreen Pavilion.
Moreover, this Island Master's remuneration for his stewards was quite generous. Just by seeing how well-off Zhong Qi had been, even able to support a sect's Qi Refinement disciple in cultivation, one could gather a thing or two.
'Hmph. . . I wouldn't support outsiders. If I choose, I'll definitely choose immortal seedlings from my Zhong clan. '
Zhong Lu thought to himself, though he was just a fish farmer, he had more than a dozen wives in the mortal world and had sired many children, all while hoping for one to possess a spiritual root.
The cultivators from the other upper three families, like the Tai Shu clan, were all the same!
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