Chapter 366: Returning to the Island (For the White Silver Grand Alliance Leader)
Chapter 366: Returning to the Island (For the White Silver Grand Alliance Leader)
North of Yue Nation's remaining prefecture.
Above Myriad Islands Lake, the misty waves still stretched boundlessly.
Dragon Fish Island.
Evergreen Pavilion's deliberation hall.
A streak of light descended, its radiance slowly receding to reveal the newcomer.
Clad in a sky-blue robe embroidered with copper coins, his face was smooth and glistening, looking like a rich mortal landlord. It was none other than Hai Da Niu.
He stepped forward, gazing at Zhong Hong Yu, who stood at the head: "Young Island Master. . . is the news truly real? Has master truly returned?"
Zhong Hong Yu's countenance remained unchanged, a mere matter of taking a few more face-preserving pills. She appeared much more composed, merely closing her eyes to rest: "Not everyone has arrived yet, wait a moment. . ."
This genius, who once possessed a superior-grade metal spiritual root, had now reached the peak of Foundation Establishment cultivation, surpassing even the late-stage Foundation Establishment Zhong Hong Yu.
After all, Zhong Hong Yu only had a mid-grade spiritual root, and even with her Void Spiritual Root, her cultivation method wasn't a perfect fit.
"Young Island Master. . ."
Tai Shu Hong bowed calmly: "I heard that the Island Master has returned?"
"Indeed. . . The news from the Black Heaven Sect cannot be wrong. " Zhong Hong Yu opened her eyes, her gaze on Tai Shu Hong tinged with a complex emotion.
"If that's the case, why haven't we gone to the Black Heaven Sect to pay our respects?"
Tai Shu Hong's gaze was like lightning, pressing her, just like the sword art he cultivated.
"Fellow Daoist Tai Shu. . . The Young Island Master has her considerations, doesn't she?"
Hai Da Niu quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over, and looked at Zhong Hong Yu.
"Because along with the news from the Black Heaven Sect, there was also a verbal message from Young Master. . . telling me to simply wait. . . How fast is a Core Formation ancestor's escape speed? If we were to go to the Black Heaven Sect, we might very well mess things up!"
Zhong Hong Yu slowly explained.
"Since that's the case, it seems the Island Master will return in a few days. There's no need for us to go back; we'll just wait."
Tai Shu Hong smiled slightly, found a meditation mat, and simply sat cross-legged, quietly circulating his cultivation method.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, sitting in meditation for several days was nothing at all.
Zhong Hong Yu and Hai Da Niu exchanged glances, shaking their heads helplessly.
...
Three days later.
A streak of green firelight arrived above Dragon Fish Island, revealing a magnificent carriage pulled by a dragon and a phoenix.
The Profound Wood Grand Array dissipated like foam, unable to block it in the slightest, allowing the carriage to enter the island directly and arrive at Evergreen Pavilion.
"A dragon-phoenix carriage! The Island Master has arrived!"
Tai Shu Hong transformed into a golden streak of light, the first to fly out of Evergreen Pavilion, bowing in mid-air: "Greetings, Island Master!"
Zhong Hong Yu and Hai Da Niu were a step slower, somewhat aggrieved as they came to Tai Shu Hong's side, bowing respectfully: "Greetings, Island Master!"
From within the carriage, there was no reply.
After a long moment, a spiritual sense transmission finally sounded in their ears: "Come to the graveyard!"
In the peach blossom forest near Evergreen Pavilion, there were a few graves.
When Zhong Hong Yu and the other two arrived, they found a graceful young man standing before a cyan stone tombstone, his appearance unchanged from before, save for a hint of sighing on his face.
"Young Master. . . you've finally returned!"
Zhong Hong Yu's eyes were slightly red.
"Enough. . ."
Fang Xi looked at the tombstone, at the five large characters "Tomb of Yuan Feihong," and sighed softly, somewhat emotionally: "How did Yuan Feihong pass away?"
"Guest Elder Hong. . . no, Guest Elder Yuan passed away peacefully in meditation."
Zhong Hong Yu quickly replied.
Back then, Yuan Feihong came to Dragon Fish Island to escape disaster, taking the alias Guest Elder Hong, but now, no one would dare pursue that matter.
"So that's how it is. . ."
Fang Xi calculated on his fingers. He realized he was already two hundred and sixty-seven years old. For cultivators of his generation who hadn't formed their Core, their fate was predictable.
He looked at the names on the tombstones, some familiar, some unfamiliar, and couldn't help but lament the passage of time.
"How is the Myriad Islands Lake? Did she. . . send any letters back?"
After a simple offering, Fang Xi turned and asked.
"There's no news of Senior Ruan from Maple Leaf Island. . . However, before Senior Ruan left, she designated Ruan Xiuxiu, the successor of the Ruan family. She has now successfully reached Foundation Establishment and is the Island Master of Maple Leaf Island. . ."
"Senior Liu San Qi of Golden Turtle Island passed away in meditation, leaving no disciples. Later, there was great chaos, and Golden Turtle Island was taken over by our Dragon Fish Island. . ."
"Island Master Yan Dong Qing of Spirit Sky Island unfortunately perished while cooperating with someone to explore an ancient cultivator's cave-dwelling. . . Now, the Yan family has no Foundation Establishment cultivators, but they still control Spirit Sky Island. . ."
"As for the ghost cultivator of Emerald Island, for some unknown reason, they have been exceptionally quiet these past few decades, rarely venturing out. . ."
Zhong Hong Yu swiftly detailed the changes in Myriad Islands Lake over the past century.
"Alas. . . half of my old acquaintances have withered away."
Fang Xi sighed deeply. As for the ghost cultivator of Emerald Island? It was simple: with two Core Formation cultivators annihilated, they naturally became much more well-behaved.
He returned to Evergreen Pavilion and found that the furnishings within hadn't changed much. In particular, his cultivation chamber and cave-dwelling, though clearly uninhabited for a long time, were meticulously clean outside.
"You've done well; you have a good heart."
Fang Xi praised Zhong Hong Yu, then instructed the three Foundation Establishment cultivators to withdraw, and also arranged for the carriage and the Green Fire Luan to be settled.
Horned Dragon, feeling like he'd returned home in triumph, was as excited as could be, letting out a roar before flying back to the fish farm to bully his juniors.
The Green Fire Luan let out a disdainful cry, flying out of the island, presumably to find its own fun.
With the soul contract in hand, Fang Xi wasn't worried about it escaping his control.
The night wind was cool.
Fang Xi ascended to the top floor of Evergreen Pavilion alone, gazing at the starry sky and the peach forest not far away.
Thud!
He took out a green-skinned gourd, pulled out the stopper, and took a swig of spiritual wine.
The wine was Green Bamboo Wine, and it was second-order at that.
The wine had a bitter aftertaste, but it had its own unique flavor. . .
"Finally. . . I'm back again."
...
Maple Leaf Island.
"Island Master. . . The old Island Master of Dragon Fish Island has returned."
A Qi Refinement maidservant respectfully informed Ruan Xiuxiu.
Ruan Xiuxiu looked the same as before, likely due to consuming face-preserving pills, but now that she was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she carried an air of authority.
"Patriarch. . . if you knew that the Dragon Fish Island Master had returned, and even become the foremost cultivator of the three countries, you would be happy, wouldn't you?"
Ruan Xiuxiu murmured, then instructed: "Prepare a lavish gift. I will personally go to Dragon Fish Island to pay my respects to Senior Fang!"
The same scene unfolded across Myriad Islands Lake, and even within nearby sects.
However, those Foundation Establishment cultivators didn't have such great standing; they might not dare to visit in person. Being able to send a gift through someone to Dragon Fish Island's gatehouse, along with a message, would make them happy for half a day.
Spirit Sky Island.
In the Yan family graveyard.
Rows of tombstones stood erect, surrounded by evergreen trees, the dense foliage creating a solemn atmosphere.
The old patriarch of the Yan family walked over with several Yan family juniors, pointing to the names on the tombstones one by one.
"This one is Ancestor Wuxu's. . ."
"Our Yan family was just a Qi Refinement clan before. Only after Ancestor Wuxu successfully reached Foundation Establishment did we become one of the few Foundation Establishment Immortal Clans in Yue Nation. . ."
"This one is Ancestor Dong Qing's. . . After Ancestor Wuxu passed away, the family declined. It was Ancestor Dong Qing who turned the tide, strategizing and planning for the family. Later, with the help of the Emerald Island ruins, she successfully opened the Spirit Sky Island market, earning vast resources for the family, and she herself successfully reached Foundation Establishment. She was the reviver of our family. . ."
The old patriarch of the Yan family leaned on his cane, panting, as he introduced them one by one.
Among the numerous graves, the tombs of the two Foundation Establishment ancestors were naturally the most lavish and imposing.
Not far away, there were two more graves that, though slightly inferior to those of Foundation Establishment cultivators, surpassed those of all previous patriarchs.
"This one. . . is Ancestor Hongxiu's. . ."
The Yan family patriarch pointed to a tombstone: "When our Yan family's Foundation Establishment ancestor died, we were in a precarious situation. . . Thanks to Ancestor Hongxiu receiving that person's favor and being selected to serve as a maidservant in Evergreen Pavilion, if not for Ancestor Hongxiu. . . our family would never have held on until the day Ancestor Dong Qing successfully reached Foundation Establishment."
"And this one. . . is Grand-Aunt Ying's. . . Unfortunately, after her, our Yan family's connection with Dragon Fish Island was severed. . ."
The old ancestor of the Yan family turned around, looking at the Yan family juniors.
It was then that he realized that those following him were all young women in their prime.
Their appearances even vaguely resembled Yan Hong Xiu and Yan Ying.
Clearly, these had been specially selected.
"This time, when you accompany me to pay respects to the Dragon Fish Island Master, you must display your best side. . . If you gain the ancestor's favor and are selected to serve as maidservants in Evergreen Pavilion, it will be an immense blessing, and the rise and fall of our family will rest in your hands."
The old ancestor of the Yan family dropped his cane and bowed solemnly to the young women.
"Patriarch, please rest assured, we will definitely succeed."
The leading young woman's cheeks flushed slightly, her star-like eyes filled with determination.
...
Fang Xi, of course, didn't know that his arrival had already stirred up hidden currents throughout Myriad Islands Lake.
But even if he had guessed, he wouldn't have cared.
After a few days of adjustment, he came to an open space and released the Taisui.
He had obtained a third-order beast taming inheritance from the Black Heaven Sect. Although it was rather ordinary, it contained several unique secret arts and pill recipes for cultivating spirit beasts.
It was just that the Black Heaven Sect had always been in decline, and even Zhang Zhu Sheng, that False Core ancestor, couldn't acquire many resources, unable to even cultivate a single third-order demon beast.
This, of course, was not a problem for Fang Xi.
Before returning to the Three Countries, he had thought of this and purchased many unique cultivation resources from the Yuan Kingdom.
Coupled with the spirit herbs harvested from the Ethereal Valley Sect, it wasn't difficult to gather enough to refine a few batches of the pills mentioned in the secret arts that were quite helpful for demon beasts advancing stages.
At the same time, Fang Xi flipped his hand, and a box opened, revealing four demon cores within.
One of them, glowing faintly, was a gift from Yan Laogui, and the other three came from the three great demon kings.
He directly took out a wood-attribute demon core from among them, a contemplative look on his face: "Refining pills with a mid-grade third-order wood-attribute demon core. . . the effect will definitely be stronger than consuming it raw. . . I wonder if this Taisui can break through?"
"If it still can't, then I'll feed it all three demon cores; that should be enough. . . After all, it has already consumed quite a few demon cores and various pills before."
Fang Xi sighed, feeling that this was the retribution for having cut off too much of the Taisui's flesh before.
However, for the sake of the 'Extinction Pill', there was no other way. . .
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