Chapter 275: Lu Qing's Request (Congratulating Alliance Master xinhuitianmi! )
Chapter 275: Lu Qing's Request (Congratulating Alliance Master xinhuitianmi! )
Night was deep.
The Core Formation celebration had long ended, and the guests had returned to their respective abodes.
Compared to the daytime clamor, the Evergreen Pavilion now suddenly held a touch of desolation.
Fang Xi dismissed all the maidservants, holding a wine pot alone, gazing at the moon from the top of the pavilion.
The pot contained second-order Green Bamboo Wine. Although the wine's aroma was rich and its spiritual energy decent, that bitter taste seemed impossible to dissipate.
But when Fang Xi took another sip, savoring it carefully, he felt that after the bitterness receded, there was an inexplicable, subtle aftertaste of sweetness.
"Bitterness turning to sweetness?"
"No wonder Xing Ling likes to drink this wine. . ."
Ruan Xing Ling had gone out wandering, searching for a Core Formation opportunity. She was certainly not in the Three Kingdoms region, but would head towards the Yuan Kingdom.
The hardships and dangers along the way went without saying. Even if she safely reached the most prosperous region of the South Barrens Cultivation World, a Core Formation opportunity was not so easily found.
What's more, given this woman's lifespan. . .
'I gave her a bottle of Profound Water Liquid before. Was it because she wasn't confident, or did she attempt Core Formation once and fail? '
'Or perhaps, she might have already. . . '
'However, anything is possible in the cultivation world. . . There are examples of cliff-jumping lads gaining fortuitous encounters, accidentally stumbling into ancient cultivator's cave abodes, and cultivating all the way to become Nascent Soul old monsters. . . Even if the probability is small, what if she happened upon a great opportunity, or was taken in as a disciple by a reclusive expert, and successfully formed her core? '
Fang Xi silently comforted himself.
He rose and descended, transforming into a streak of green light.
With a turn of his body, he arrived at the peach blossom forest where he had once strolled with Ruan Xing Ling.
He saw that the peach blossoms had long since bloomed and faded, now only withered branches and fallen leaves remained.
His eyes clear, he drained the last cup of Green Bamboo Wine: "May you be well. . . I still have to continue cultivating in silence!"
For Fang Xi, everything now was merely scenery on the path of cultivation.
He could stop to admire it, but would not stay forever.
After all, the meaning of cultivation lay in being able to retrieve all that was good.
Even if there were some regrets on the path forward, Fang Xi believed that when he became an immortal, he could easily reverse them, resurrecting those he did not wish to abandon from the river of time.
If an immortal couldn't do it or the cost was too great, then beyond an immortal!
As long as he kept breaking through realms, there would always be a way!
Thus, he was unswerving in his pursuit of realm advancement!
With this thought, Fang Xi laughed heartily, his Wood Spirit divine light blossoming all around him. The divine light, originally incomparably sharp, now gently permeated the roots of the peach branches like threads of rain.
Whoosh!
The peach forest swayed, withered trees sprouted new buds, and peach blossoms bloomed in profusion, a sight of breathtaking beauty.
Fang Xi casually plucked a fresh peach, took a bite, and found it sweet, refreshing, crisp, and delightful. He couldn't help but praise it again: "Good peach. . . excellent for sobering up!"
He suddenly stirred, looking towards a certain direction: "Since Fellow Daoist Lu has arrived, why not show yourself?"
Not far away, a green light flashed, and it was Lu Qing who walked over, laughing heartily: "This old man had nothing to do at night, so I came out for a stroll. . . and witnessed Fellow Daoist manifesting spells and familiarizing yourself with Core Formation spiritual power. It was truly astonishing."
Lu Qing, clad in a green robe, stood with his hands behind his back, admiring the blossoming peach forest, while marveling: "Fellow Daoist can actually make withered trees bloom again! The wood-attribute cultivation method you practice is not only of an extremely high grade, but your cultivation base is also incredibly pure!"
"Speak plainly, if you have something to say."
Fang Xi sighed, returning to his usual calm and indifferent aura.
"Then, Fellow Daoist, what do you think of the conditions this old man proposed in the jade slip today? " Lu Qing didn't waste words and went straight to the point: "With your wood-attribute cultivation method, Fellow Daoist, you ought to join my Green Wood Sect. . . Heh heh, White Peace Immortal City is just a pit. Even if that brat Zhang becomes a Grand Elder, he's still small-minded. . . This old man is different. As long as Fellow Daoist is willing to join the Green Wood Sect, this old man is willing to accept you as a disciple on my master's behalf. From then on, we would address each other as senior and junior brothers. Within the Green Wood Sect, Fellow Daoist would be second only to one, above ten thousand, never lacking for spirit veins for cultivation, and with a large contingent of subordinates to command. Wouldn't that be delightful?"
"And this old man's lifespan isn't much. When this old man's life ends and I pass away, Fellow Daoist will be the Green Wood Sect's sole Grand Elder!"
Lu Qing's demeanor was extremely sincere.
Combining this with his previous observations of the other party's lifespan, Fang Xi could confirm that the other party was largely telling the truth.
"These conditions truly make even me feel quite tempted."
Fang Xi smiled faintly: "It's just that. . . for such a generous gift, Fellow Daoist must have something you desire in return. . ."
Lu Qing frowned: "It's merely swearing an Inner Demon Oath and a Grand Dao Oath to forever preserve my Green Wood Sect's lineage. Aside from that, there are no other requirements!"
In his view, these conditions were indeed extremely generous. They would tempt any rogue cultivator who had formed a Core Formation.
Why did this person not seem very tempted at all?
'Becoming a Grand Elder of a sect would certainly be great. . . but binding myself to the Green Wood Sect is quite unnecessary. '
'I only want to transcend myself; I don't want to be burdened by trivial sect matters. . . '
'What's more. . . although I seem to be enjoying boundless prestige now, there are hidden dangers. . . '
'Zhang Zhu Sheng's intelligence analysis is unreliable. What if the Hunyuan Sect makes peace with its great enemy, and a Nascent Soul old monster becomes free? What if the Ethereal Valley Sect has other connections and several Core Formation cultivators come for revenge? '
'At the very least, my conflict with the Ethereal Valley Sect is absolutely irreconcilable. '
'If I were to be bound to one place for a long time, wouldn't that just give my enemies a target? '
'The past few years were a golden period for information transmission, and it still required time for travel. . . but the longer it drags on, the greater the variables. . . '
'After Core Formation, where in the world can I not go? '
'Third-order spirit veins don't necessarily only exist in the Three Kingdoms cultivation world. . . '
'Even if I stay within the Three Kingdoms, I must disguise my identity and create the illusion of long-distance travel, so that potential enemies cannot find a target. That would be the safest. '
'Furthermore, there's a third world to look forward to. . . Why make a decision so early? '
'And last but not least, this person can't read the room, choosing precisely when I'm in a bad mood to say all this. . . '
His thoughts swirling, Fang Xi slowly shook his head, speaking words that greatly disappointed Lu Qing: "I am truly sorry. . . I currently have no plans to join a sect."
"What?"
Lu Qing was clearly taken aback: "Fellow Daoist, if you have any concerns, please speak frankly. My Green Wood Sect is extremely sincere. . . Furthermore, our sect is renowned for its mastery of wood-attribute spells, and we possess many secret arts and treasures. . . all useful to Core Formation cultivators like us. . ."
"Fellow Daoist, do not be anxious. . . It's just that after forming my Golden Core, I haven't yet traveled extensively."
Fang Xi's eyes showed a look of longing and yearning: "I want to go to the Yuan Kingdom, and even further countries, to seek opportunities for breaking through realms, and even condensing a Nascent Soul. . ."
"So that's how it is. . ."
Lu Qing was slightly dejected, but recovered in an instant: "When this old man and old ghost Jiang were young, we both traveled to the Yuan Kingdom. It's just a pity that for high-tier cultivators like us, opportunities are even harder to find. . ."
He did not try to persuade Fang Xi to abandon his idea. After all, for beings like them, their will was extremely firm; once a decision was made, it was unchangeable.
On the contrary, Lu Qing actively introduced the customs and traditions of the Yuan Kingdom, and even gave him a map.
It seemed that unable to recruit him, he had settled for the next best thing: forging a good relationship.
Fang Xi accepted the map, sent Lu Qing off, and felt that these Core Formation Old Ancestors were indeed all exceptional individuals.
At the very least, their composure, never revealing joy or anger, had reached an extreme.
The next day.
After seeing off Lu Qing, Fang Xi then met with the Black Heaven Sect party, directly rejecting Zhang Zhu Sheng's suggestion.
He didn't even want the Green Wood Sect, so White Peace Immortal City's allure was even less.
In fact, as long as he didn't mind the slow progress of his cultivation method, he could still cultivate on a superior-grade second-order spirit vein.
It was just that the speed of his cultivation advancement would slow down to an unbearable degree.
But alas. . . Fang Xi had a long life!
Even spending two or three hundred years cultivating his early-stage Core Formation magic power to its peak was not unacceptable to him.
...
Outside Dragon Fish Island.
The Black Heaven Sect's five-colored flying ship set sail once again.
Xuan Xuan Zi and Zhan Tu, along with other Foundation Establishment cultivators, seeing their Old Ancestor deep in thought, naturally stood respectfully to the side, not daring to disturb him.
"You go first, don't mind me."
Zhang Zhu Sheng suddenly spoke, transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the horizon.
Xuan Xuan Zi froze, then immediately bowed: "Understood!"
The five-colored flying ship quickly departed, but Zhang Zhu Sheng stood atop a cloud, addressing a green figure beside him: "Old Ancestor Qing. . . what do you think of that person?"
"Heh heh. . . Looks like you failed too."
Lu Qing appeared, speaking with schadenfreude.
"White Peace Immortal City is merely an overt scheme. As long as his resolve is firm and he isn't tempted. . . he can naturally escape it. . ."
Zhang Zhu Sheng looked at Lu Qing, somewhat curious: "I'm quite curious, what kind of conditions did Old Ancestor Qing offer that person?"
"Let's not speak of it."
Lu Qing's expression darkened: "That person doesn't care about a third-order spirit vein Daoist sanctuary. It seems his mind is truly made up, and he intends to travel to the Yuan Kingdom. . ."
"If I hadn't formed a False Core, with my path hopeless, perhaps I too would go to the Yuan Kingdom to seek opportunities for further advancement. . ."
Zhang Zhu Sheng suddenly sighed.
The two Core Formation Old Ancestors silently gazed at each other for a long time. Lu Qing suddenly sighed: "What a pity. . . Old Ghost Yan didn't come. Otherwise, combining our three strengths with the power of a formation, we might not have been unable to try and keep him here forever."
"Fellow Daoist would truly dare to act? " Zhang Zhu Sheng chuckled: "That person is different from You Kun. Although he has half-drawn from the sect, he is still a Core Formation cultivator of the Hunyuan Sect after all! He definitely has a few friends within the sect. . ."
"Heh heh, what is there to fear in death for the sake of the Green Wood Sect's lineage?"
Lu Qing said as if uncaring: "Didn't we already confirm that the Hunyuan Sect is embroiled in a great war with another Nascent Soul sect, making it difficult for them to intervene in the Three Kingdoms situation?"
"Even so. . . it's really hard to say what will happen after the war."
Zhang Zhu Sheng sighed: "I truly envy that person now. He can leave whenever he wants, freely and unburdened, without having to sink into a quagmire and worry about the Ethereal Valley Sect. . ."
"Heh heh, if rogue cultivators were so good, why would those Nascent Soul old monsters bother establishing great sects?"
Lu Qing, of course, scoffed at this: "As for the Ethereal Valley Sect. . . this time they lost the Nine Dragons Pearl. Without this treasure to suppress their fate, this old man refuses to believe they'll be so lucky generation after generation, all producing Core Formation Old Ancestors. I'm afraid their prosperity will decline within these two generations!"
"An External Core. . ."
Zhang Zhu Sheng also sighed, looking quite emotional.
He had no idea that the main reason Lu Qing wanted to recruit Fang Xi was precisely for that External Core!
After all, once the other party died of old age, wouldn't the Nine Dragons Pearl then circulate within the Green Wood Sect?
Even if it was handed down to disciples, students, or relatives. . . it would still be the Green Wood Sect's power!
This was the inclusiveness of a sect; it possessed more vitality than a mere family clan!
Zhang Zhu Sheng couldn't see this point, and still tried to fool people with White Peace Immortal City. No wonder Lu Qing considered him small-minded!
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