Chapter 342: Cultivation (Double Monthly Ticket Voting Bonus Chapter Activity 3)
Chapter 342: Cultivation (Double Monthly Ticket Voting Bonus Chapter Activity 3)
Six years later.
Inside the artifact refining room.
Fang Xi exhaled a wisp of Pill Fire, continuing to refine a jade talisman of verdant green.
Little by little, cinnabar sand permeated the jade talisman's interior, transforming into streaks of profound and mysterious runes around it.
"Divine sense as brush, spirit sand as ink. . . sealed with insect wax, and the jade talisman is complete!"
Recalling the crafting incantations from the jade slip, Fang Xi released his potent divine sense, causing the runes to swiftly outline and stabilize around the jade talisman. He then sealed it with a layer of spirit wax.
By this point, this jade tablet was barely distinguishable from the 'Thousand Miles Communication Talisman' Fang Xi had obtained previously.
"The final step. . . divide into two, one in essence, go!"
Swoosh!
A verdant green sword light flashed, cleanly splitting the jade talisman into two.
Clang!
The two jade tablets fell, caught by a large hand formed from gathered magical power.
"Refining this talisman has become second nature to me. . . it wasn't easy though."
Holding the two freshly crafted communication talismans, Fang Xi sighed with emotion.
In recent years, the effort he poured into jade talismans was second only to his pill refinement.
After expending a large amount of resources, he finally, with great difficulty, managed to get started and successfully refine his first jade talisman.
Through his own contemplation and deep understanding of the Dao of Talismans, he discovered several minor issues in the refining method and improved upon them, all without the aid of the Nine-Eyed Bodhi Seed.
By now, he could produce them steadily.
From the perspective of investment, it was naturally a loss.
But from the perspective of his advancement in the Dao of Talismans, it was entirely worthwhile.
Thinking of this, Fang Xi pulled out another jade talisman.
After refining it with the same Pill Fire, his expression subtly shifted, and he blew a basin of silver sand.
The sand melted in mid-air under the Pill Fire, transforming into wisps of silver threads that merged into the jade talisman, forming a somewhat incomplete seal script.
"Seal!"
Seeing the seal script take shape, Fang Xi immediately clasped his hands together, and his magical power, at the peak of the Core Formation middle-stage, surged forth.
Enveloped by the azure radiance, the jade talisman instantly solidified, deeply imprinting that incomplete silver seal script into its center!
"It's done. . ."
Holding this jade talisman, Fang Xi couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
Ever since he gained the ability to observe the 'All-Heavens Precious Mirror' with his divine consciousness, he had been trying to copy the patterns on it.
Later, his Dao of Talismans advanced by leaps and bounds, and only by seizing the opportunity during Zhong Hong Yu's 'Void Spiritual Root' Foundation Establishment breakthrough was he barely able to remember a few incomplete symbols.
Yet, those incomplete runes couldn't even remain on ordinary talisman paper.
Even third-tier talisman paper couldn't bear them and would directly ignite into flames!
But now. . .
A jade talisman inscribed with an incomplete silver rune, however, was quite stable!
"I've finally found a way to utilize those runes. . . This silver rune clearly involves the power of the void, and it could be quite useful in the research of teleportation arrays. . ."
This rune was named 'Void Seal Script' by Fang Xi, considered the least incomplete one he had managed to decipher.
Even so, it was still nearly half incomplete.
But after being sealed within the jade talisman, it surprisingly possessed a certain formidable power.
"The art of jade talismans was originally invented by cultivators. . . even after the ancient cultivation methods were lost, present-day cultivators can still replicate and improve upon them. . ."
"This jade talisman of mine can barely be considered a semi-original, brand-new jade talisman, though. . . it's only half-complete."
"The main reason I bought the jade talisman crafting method was actually to copy these silver runes. . ."
A faint smile played on Fang Xi's lips.
That Venerable Qingyang had indeed made a very unprofitable deal.
In recent years, the other party had continuously contacted him, promoting jade talismans and proposing joint actions, but all were directly ignored by Fang Xi.
He also witnessed the other party's tone shift from initial arrogance and self-reliance, to gradually leveling out, and finally to a subtle pleading for compromise. . . much like a youth who had experienced various financial traps and suffered the harsh realities of society.
"This new jade talisman. . . its effect should be related to the void."
Fang Xi held the jade talisman, pondered for a moment, but did not inject magical power to activate it.
After all, he only had a superficial understanding of the incomplete rune's effects.
If he accidentally collapsed the Little Cold Cave, that wouldn't be good.
Putting away the jade talisman, Fang Xi then went to the cultivation chamber, sat cross-legged on a futon, and began his daily, unshakeable cultivation.
On his body, azure and yellow lights flickered alternately, and within him, his Withered Glory Golden Core faintly exuded purple qi. . .
Several hours later.
Fang Xi opened his eyes: "I've finally brought the fifteenth layer of the cultivation technique to complete perfection. . . Now, further meditation will only serve to restore my magical power, with no effect on my progress."
In truth, he had vaguely touched upon this state a year ago, but he had remained calm and unhurried, continuously purifying his magical power.
By now, he was confident that even without the aid of any pills, relying solely on his spiritual body's innate talent, he would have a few chances to break through to the late Core Formation stage!
The characteristic of the 'Wood Spirit Body' lies in its ceaseless vitality; even if a breakthrough fails, it wouldn't lead to the backlash typically suffered by other Core Formation cultivators, where their Dantian and meridians are damaged, requiring long periods of recuperation.
Fang Xi, on the other hand, could recover within a few months and then attempt the next breakthrough. After several such attempts, breaking through to the late Core Formation stage could be said to be a sure thing.
After all, even with only a twenty to thirty percent chance, as long as he had enough attempts, he was bound to succeed!
This was the invaluable aspect of the 'Wood Spirit Body'!
Not to mention, the lifespan increase brought by this Dharma Body was enough to grant the cultivator many more opportunities to attempt breakthroughs!
Fang Xi had adopted the same approach when he initially formed his Golden Core.
"However. . . if I can succeed in one go, it's still better to succeed in one go."
"Therefore, I still need to prepare various pills or secret arts for breaking through bottlenecks. . ."
Fang Xi pondered for a moment, then stood up and walked out of the Little Cold Cave.
...
Profound Ice Palace.
Main Hall.
Feng Bingxian sat regally on a crystal-like throne, gazing at the boisterous Foundation Establishment elders below, her expression one of utter helplessness.
Back then, she had invited the Guest Supreme Elder back to resolve the great calamity of the Profound Ice Palace, but while cultivators could band together in times of dwindling Daoist traditions, now that the crisis was resolved, they had begun to secretly scheme for power and profit, entangled with personal grudges, loves and hates, and the messy affairs of the surrounding affiliated cultivation families—it was truly a tangled mess.
"The Head of the General Affairs Hall. . . I plan to appoint Junior Sister Lan to that position."
After a round of discussion, Feng Bingxian couldn't help but propose a candidate, settling the matter with a single decision.
"Thank you, Palace Master. I will surely manage the General Affairs Hall well."
This Junior Sister Lan possessed exquisite beauty, every frown and smile exuding captivating charm, her appearance subtly surpassing even Feng Bingxian's; she was none other than the female cultivator from that pair of Daoist companions from back then.
"Very well then. . . As for the Qi family, a mere Foundation Establishment family daring to probe a superior sect, they can simply be exterminated. . ."
Feng Bingxian's beautiful eyes gleamed with killing intent, deciding the fate of a Foundation Establishment family with a single word.
The cultivators present, however, appeared quite natural, as the Profound Ice Palace was, after all, a top-tier power in the vicinity, second only to the Ice Fiend Sect!
And to put it bluntly, after exterminating a batch of Foundation Establishment families, there would always be rogue cultivators who, by chance, acquired Foundation Establishment Pills or even achieved Foundation Establishment on their own, filling the vacant positions. Unless a great war broke out in the cultivation world, there would be no shortage of manpower.
Feng Bingxian, with her perfected Foundation Establishment cultivation and long tenure as Palace Master, possessed profound authority and swiftly handled the sect's affairs.
At this moment, a cold and stern black-robed young Foundation Establishment cultivator stood up: "Palace Master. . . my Foreign Affairs Hall has an urgent matter to report!"
This person was Hong Changsheng, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Foreign Affairs Hall, always responsible for external intelligence gathering.
The moment he spoke, he immediately drew the gaze of all the elders.
"Speak!"
Feng Bingxian had a faint bad premonition, and flicked her sleeve.
". . . Palace Master, do you still remember 'Profound Yin Old Demon'?"
Hong Changsheng asked.
"This person was a Core Formation elder of the Red Blood Cult, renowned for his fierce power, yet he inexplicably perished. . . " Feng Bingxian replied without a trace of emotion.
"Could it be that. . . there's some hidden truth behind this matter?"
Junior Sister Lan asked.
"How could the Red Blood Cult, from top to bottom, be content with the death of a Core Formation cultivator? They must have been secretly tracking clues. . . What's strange is that around the time of Profound Yin Old Demon's demise, several other Core Formation elders of the Red Blood Cult also inexplicably 'sat down' (perished). . . They were clearly targeted."
Hong Changsheng spoke eloquently: "This hidden force has been extremely covert, but recently, it has exposed itself. . . The Red Blood Cult has begun clashing with the Green Leaf Merchant Guild, plundering many of its large merchant convoys. . ."
"It's the Green Leaf Merchant Guild? ! " The other Foundation Establishment elders were all greatly startled, yet then felt it was only logical: "To dare to plot against a Nascent Soul-level force, it naturally had to be another Nascent Soul-level force. . . So, where's the evidence?"
"How could such a matter leave behind evidence? But the Red Blood Cult has already issued a statement: when the Profound Yin Old Demon perished, the Green Leaf Merchant Guild's Tiansha Laoren also happened to 'sit down' (perish). . . This is clearly no coincidence!"
Hong Changsheng said: "Although the Green Leaf Merchant Guild offered an explanation, another Core Formation elder was ambushed by a demonic cultivator and nearly perished. . . Both sides are already at daggers drawn, and a great war in the cultivation world has erupted once more. Our Profound Ice Palace must be prepared."
"This matter. . ."
Feng Bingxian bit her red lip: "I'm afraid I'll have to report this to the Supreme Elder. . ."
This was far too significant; she dared not make decisions on her own.
"No need to report; I am already here."
A gruff voice resounded.
Fang Xi strode in from outside the hall: "I happened to come out of seclusion just now, and unexpectedly heard such interesting news. . ."
He walked to the main seat, and Feng Bingxian immediately stepped aside, leading the Foundation Establishment cultivators in a bow: "Greetings, Supreme Elder."
"Enough."
Fang Xi sat down imposingly, stroked his chin, and felt a faint amusement in his heart: 'This Tianmeng. . . they're truly orchestrating something big. '
'The Green Leaf Merchant Guild is unlucky too; there must have been a mole. . . who found out about Tiansha Laoren's demise and then went to assassinate the Profound Yin Old Demon. . . '
'To think that the Core Formation Perfected cultivator I met once back then has already perished. . . It's impressive they managed to conceal it for so long. '
As high-level cultivators in this world often represent the lifeblood of a sect, their cultivation level, health, and even demise are top secrets, usually concealable for many years.
That Tiansha Laoren's demise had been concealed for so many years did not surprise Fang Xi in the slightest.
Instead, Venerable Qingyang's previous repeated invitations for him to act, whose timings were very close to the Red Blood Cult's incidents and the frictions between the two sides, made Fang Xi unable to help but ponder a bit more.
"I will discuss this matter with the Palace Master myself. All of you may withdraw for now!"
Fang Xi waved his hand, dismissing the Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Feng Bingxian looked at Fang Xi in astonishment, as Fang Xi's slightly gruff words reached her ears:
"Palace Master. . . I need you to help me cultivate!"
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