Chapter 274: Core Formation Celebration (Requesting Monthly Tickets)
Chapter 274: Core Formation Celebration (Requesting Monthly Tickets)
"Moonlight Sect's contemporary Moonlit Son, present!"
"Long family's Long Feng, present!"
"Golden Turtle Island's Island Master Liu, present!"
"Spirit Sky Island's Yan family head, present!"
......
Outside Evergreen Pavilion, the greeter's voice rang out continuously, followed by the announcement of many valuable gifts.
The sects and families in the State of Yue who received the news truly spared no expense to curry favor with Fang Xi.
Spirit items and spirit materials that could drive Qi Refinement cultivators mad piled up like small mountains, as if they were worthless.
During the war in the Three Kingdoms cultivation world back then, he had even refused refuge to cultivators from the Xu family and the Qi family, two major Foundation Establishment families.
Now, the Qi family had been annihilated in the great war, while the Xu family had lost all their Foundation Establishment Ancestors, with only a few Qi Refinement cultivators struggling to survive, appearing like a flickering candle in the wind, about to be extinguished.
There was no need for Fang Xi to act or even give a hint; the cultivators below, eager to please him, would handle everything flawlessly.
Fang Xi paid no attention to any of this, nor did he need to personally greet guests, as his cultivation and status were evident.
He merely needed to sit steadily on the high platform, occasionally exchanging a few perfunctory words with Zhang Zhu Sheng, and that was enough.
"It seems Daoist Friend doesn't like titles such as Dragon Fish or Green Dragon Perfected One. . . then how about. . . 'Perfected One Mu'?"
Zhang Zhu Sheng asked with a faint smile.
Fang Xi's heart stiffened, but he wasn't too surprised, merely sighing, "My cover's blown. . ."
Ever since You Kun had come knocking, only to be buried in his third-order array, he knew that the identity of "Daoist Mu" couldn't be kept secret any longer.
After all, in the Three Kingdoms cultivation world, those highly skilled in array formations were few and far between, and those who could reach the third-order were almost nonexistent.
The only one was that elusive "Daoist Mu," who appeared ephemeral as an epiphyllum in bloom.
Such a connection would inevitably lead to the knowledge that he was Daoist Mu, or at least intimately related to him.
"Perfected One Mu? That's not a bad title. . ."
Fang Xi nodded slightly, implicitly acknowledging Old Ancestor Zhang's conjecture.
In any case, he had already achieved Core Formation; he no longer feared revealing his identity.
"So that's how it is. . . " Zhang Zhu Sheng raised another cup of wine to Fang Xi. "Back then, Daoist Friend helped my Black Heaven Sect eradicate the Song Clan, that malignant tumor. . . this old one owes you a debt of gratitude. Let's drink another cup."
Xuan Xuan Zi, standing behind Zhang Zhu Sheng, subtly wiped away cold sweat that wasn't there.
After Fang Xi achieved Core Formation, he had naturally studied Fang Xi's information multiple times, knowing the grievances between him and the Song Clan back in White Peace Immortal City.
"This newly ascended Core Formation Old Ancestor is not only proficient in array formations and talismans, but also narrow-minded and extremely petty. . ."
Xuan Xuan Zi had already decided that upon returning, he would warn the sect and his close associates never to offend Perfected One Mu, or the future troubles would indeed be boundless!
Had they not seen how the Song Clan and the Qi family, anyone who had offended him, had all met a miserable end, their clans and sects annihilated?
"Foundation Establishment cultivator Hai Da Niu, present!"
Following the greeter's announcement from outside, a cultivator with honest features and fluctuations of Foundation Establishment cultivation power entered Evergreen Pavilion.
Upon seeing Fang Xi, he immediately prostrated himself in a grand bow. "Congratulations, Master, on your joyous Core Formation breakthrough. . ."
After bowing three times, he continued to prostrate. "Thanking Master for bestowing the baleful qi, which helped this junior achieve Foundation Establishment. . . this junior will be Master's tenant for generations to come. . ."
"To be able to win the grand competition and obtain the Black Wind Baleful Qi, that's due to your own diligent cultivation and the arrival of your destiny. . . it has little to do with me."
Fang Xi rubbed his forehead. "Quickly, go take your seat."
Although the story of the mortal Hai Dafu and the cultivator Hai Dagui—how their descendants transformed from mortals to cultivators, and even successfully achieved Foundation Establishment—was quite inspiring.
However, adding such a blunt fellow to a grand gathering of cultivators instantly made it feel like a countryside patriarch's birthday celebration, which was quite off-putting.
Fang Xi took a gloomy sip of peach blossom wine. Although his Divine Consciousness already covered an area of twenty li around, he still instinctively glanced towards the entrance.
"Oh? Daoist Friend Fang, are you perhaps waiting for someone?"
Zhang Zhu Sheng asked curiously.
"No. . . just a casual glance."
Fang Xi raised his cup in a gesture.
Below, Liu San Qi's expression was similarly complex as he watched Fang Xi achieve Core Formation.
He had never expected that the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Immortal City, the Island Master of Dragon Fish Island. . . could actually reach this stage.
Just as he was filled with emotion, his body suddenly trembled, and he looked outside Evergreen Pavilion.
An azure stream of light, radiating a terrifying aura far surpassing Foundation Establishment, continuously approached from outside Dragon Fish Island, pushing aside the clouds on both sides.
"It's Core Formation!"
"Another Core Formation Old Ancestor!"
"How could my Myriad Islands Lake be so fortunate?"
Numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators quickly rose to their feet, while Qi Refinement cultivators didn't even know where to stand.
"Daoist Friend Zhang, it seems I must go out to greet a fellow Daoist."
Fang Xi rose, transforming into an azure stream of light. In a mere flash, he appeared outside Evergreen Pavilion.
At this moment, the fleeing light also arrived just before Evergreen Pavilion. The azure light slowly receded, revealing an ordinary-looking elderly man in an azure robe, his face glowing with health, his voice booming: "Green Wood Sect's Lu Qing, here to offer congratulations to Daoist Friend! May Daoist Friend's Golden Core achieve Great Perfection, and your immortal path be eternally smooth!"
"So it is Daoist Friend Lu. Daoist Friend has come from thousands of miles away, I am deeply touched by your grand hospitality. Please enter! "Fang Xi quickly returned the bow and invited Lu Qing into Evergreen Pavilion.
This one was a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, and his cultivation power was indeed extraordinary.
However, rumors said he was heavily injured before; yet he looked quite well now?
He thought for a moment, secretly activating a secret art from the Withered Glory Chant, sensing him from afar.
In an instant, azure and yellow colors flashed deep within Fang Xi's eyes, and he felt as if the world was enveloped in a hazy gray mist.
Around the cultivators, streaks of azure life force spread from each of them.
Among them, Zhang Zhu Sheng, who had come to greet him, was even the most vibrant. . .
One could only say that even if he had consumed some lifespan, he still had two hundred years to live. . . truly more vibrant than an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator!
But Lu Qing. . .
"His life force is like a faint candle flame, fleeting in an instant. . . this person probably has only a few years of lifespan left. In such a state, he still dares to come out?"
"No, it's precisely because of this state that he must make a big show of it and appear before others, isn't it?"
Fang Xi sighed inwardly, his expression remaining unchanged, as he smiled and introduced Lu Qing to everyone one by one.
"Old Ancestor Lu, you actually came too?"
Zhang Zhu Sheng watched Lu Qing take his seat, his expression filled with surprise.
"Hmph. . . this old one heard there was such a young talent in the State of Yue, so naturally, I couldn't wait to offer my congratulations. . . Even if my sect members are slow, with the evasion speed of us Core Formation cultivators, crossing myriad mountains and rivers is nothing to it. . ."
Lu Qing snorted coldly. Even though he had signed an alliance with the Black Heaven Sect, his tone still had an edge of sarcasm.
Meanwhile, Zhang Zhu Sheng's heart grew unsettled with suspicion.
Recalling Fang Xi's frequent glances outside the pavilion just now, could it be that he and the Green Wood Sect already had a tacit understanding?
If so, wouldn't things be looking bad?
With the three kingdoms vying for supremacy now, this newly risen Core Formation cultivator had a high probability of determining the future direction of the three kingdoms' cultivation world. One had to be cautious!
"Old Ancestor Lu. . . please, this Little Green Dragon Soup is a specialty of our island, truly delicious."
Fang Xi was smilingly offering hospitality when he saw Lu Qing casually rummage through his sleeves, left and right, finally saying, "This old one came in a hurry, so I haven't yet prepared a congratulatory gift. . ."
"This is just a small banquet, so there's no need. . . " Fang Xi's smile remained unchanged as he was about to speak a few polite words, when he heard Lu Qing laugh heartily and toss over a jade slip. "Of course, this old one had already prepared it!"
"Rumor has it that Core Formation Old Ancestors are mostly eccentric, and the longer they live, the more so; it truly isn't false. . ."
Fang Xi muttered inwardly, picked up the jade slip, and probed it with his Divine Consciousness, his expression subtly changing.
"Daoist Friend Fang, how is this old one's congratulatory gift?"
Lu Qing laughed heartily, grabbed the wine pot, and poured the wine directly into his mouth without a cup.
"Daoist Friend's gift is indeed extraordinarily valuable. . ."
Fang Xi sighed, tapping his finger on the jade slip. "Such a precious gift. . . truly makes me need to weigh it carefully. Come, come. . . try this other kind of spirit wine. This peach blossom wine was personally buried by me back then, and it's nearly a century old now."
"Oh? Century-aged spirit wine?"
Lu Qing's eyes lit up, seemingly unconcerned by Fang Xi's reaction. "Then I must have a good taste of it. . ."
The banquet left Old Ancestor Zhang with a mind full of worries.
Fortunately, he noticed that Perfected One Mu didn't seem to be specifically waiting for Lu Qing of the Green Wood Sect, but rather for someone else.
It wasn't until the end of the banquet that the greeter from outside came in again, followed by a young female cultivator.
"Maple Leaf Island's Ruan family envoy—Ruan Xiuxiu has come to offer congratulations, celebrating Old Ancestor's joyous Core Formation breakthrough!"
This female cultivator possessed features as beautiful as a painting, and more importantly, her temperament was exceptional, making many other female cultivators present feel ashamed of their own inferiority.
One must know that it was a minor matter for cultivators to slightly alter their appearance, so female cultivators were often quite beautiful.
What stood out even more at this moment was their individual temperaments.
This woman's temperament was like an orchid in a secluded valley, somewhat similar to Ruan Xing Ling's.
"Xiuxiu. . ."
Fang Xi sighed and asked, "Where is your Island Master?"
"Reporting to Old Ancestor, Island Master Ruan went out traveling several years ago, seeking an opportunity for Core Formation. . ."
Ruan Xiuxiu replied neither obsequiously nor arrogantly. "Before she left, the Island Master instructed me. She believed that Old Ancestor would surely achieve Great Perfection in Core Formation, and thus prepared this congratulatory gift early and ordered me to deliver it!"
Fang Xi ordered someone to bring it over and personally opened the gift box.
Inside the box was a jar of spirit wine brewed many years ago.
He broke the mud seal and instantly smelled a rich, slightly familiar aroma of wine.
"It's Green Bamboo Wine!"
Fang Xi poured himself a cup and then looked into the gift box again, finding another jade slip.
His Divine Consciousness entered it, and he saw a wine recipe.
The recipe for Green Bamboo Wine was something Fang Xi had haphazardly concocted himself back when he was extremely poor in the market town, unable to even afford a brewing recipe.
It had no special effects and even tasted a bit bitter.
For some reason, Ruan Xing Ling had greatly enjoyed it and later asked for the recipe.
What was in the jade slip now, however, was a second-order spirit wine recipe, also named "Green Bamboo Wine"!
Fang Xi could tell at a glance that it had been repeatedly refined based on his original recipe, and he wondered how much effort had been poured into it.
At the end of the recipe, there was a single line: "Don't lose, don't forget; don't dwell, don't mourn."
"Don't lose, don't forget; don't dwell, don't mourn, huh?"
Fang Xi gave a bitter smile, raised his cup, and drained it, murmuring to himself, "This wine. . . it's still very bitter. . ."
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