Chapter 397: Alchemy Tome (For the Silver Grand Alliance)
Chapter 397: Alchemy Tome (For the Silver Grand Alliance)
Myriad Islands Lake.
On a first-order spirit island, two Qi Refinement cultivators were attempting to fly with their artifacts.
“Junior Sister Ying, this is your first time flying with a magic artifact. Don’t fly too high, and make sure you have your ‘Light Body Talisman’ with you, alright? ”
The Senior Brother, with honest features, ordinary looks, and appearing just like an honest person, earnestly admonished: “Don’t be afraid if you fall; just activate the talisman and you’ll be fine. . . ”
“Mm. ”
Junior Sister Ying, with a melon-seed face and a merely delicate appearance, nodded. Just as she was about to cast a spell, her expression suddenly changed.
Screech!
Roar!
A flash of azure light streaked across the sky, reaching the edge of the small island, then unapologetically sweeping right through its center.
Although it was merely a fleeting glimpse, the terrifying spiritual pressure of a third-order demon beast still made the two young Qi Refinement cultivators tremble uncontrollably.
“Se-Senior Brother, that was. . . ”
Junior Sister Ying stared at the grand procession of dragons and phoenixes pulling a carriage, her words becoming a stutter.
“A third-order Dragon-Phoenix Demon King pulling a carriage. . . there’s no mistake, it’s the carriage of that Dragon Fish Island Master. . . ”
The honest Senior Brother, seeing the azure light vanish, couldn’t help but exclaim with emotion: “That Dragon Fish Island Master is a truly great figure, one who appears only once every millennium in our Yue Kingdom’s cultivation world! It’s said he has already cultivated to the late-stage Core Formation realm, and came from the humble origins of a spirit farmer rogue cultivator. . . What’s more crucial, he possesses quite a few opportunities for Core Formation. For the past ten-odd years on Dragon Fish Island, Core Formation phenomena have truly been frequent; it’s an event rarely seen in a thousand years in the Yue Kingdom’s cultivation world! ”
For many cultivators, Fang Xi’s rise from humble beginnings, leaping from the most ordinary spirit farmer rogue cultivator to become a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, was indeed very inspiring, but that was about it.
What made them even more envious was that the Dragon Fish Island Master held Core Formation resources in his hands, and ever since he took charge of Dragon Fish Island, even stray cats and dogs achieved Core Formation!
How could this not make them filled with envy and jealousy. . . ? They simply wished they could take his place.
“I heard that although the Dragon Fish Island Master is advanced in years and highly esteemed, he is still dashing and refined, a rare handsome man. . . ”
Little stars seemed to sparkle in Junior Sister Ying’s eyes.
“Well. . . ” The Senior Brother with ordinary features immediately grew wary, and quickly wracked his brains, searching for unfavorable rumors about the Dragon Fish Island Master: “I heard that the Dragon Fish Island Master seems to be fond of women, and also enjoys dual cultivation for replenishment. . . ”
“It’s fine, as long as I can obtain the opportunity for Foundation Establishment, being a concubine or a cultivation vessel is acceptable. . . ”
Junior Sister Ying suddenly gritted her teeth: “Senior Brother. . . can we cultivate on Dragon Fish Island in the future? I heard that female cultivators living on Dragon Fish Island are more likely to be favored by the Ancestor. . . ”
The Senior Brother felt a pang in his heart, feeling as if something important was slipping away, and couldn’t help but say with a bitter expression: “The price for renting a cave abode on Dragon Fish Island to outsiders is really, really expensive. . . ”
...
“Not bad, not bad. . . ”
Fang Xi displayed his dragon and phoenix carriage, and sped like lightning all the way back to Dragon Fish Island.
All he saw along the way was peace across the land.
“This truly is the second home I like. . . a remote place in the countryside, with little change over decades or even a century. . . and no natural disasters or man-made calamities. ”
A streak of red light flew out from Dragon Fish Island, landing before the carriage, revealing a figure in red, who was none other than Zhong Hong Yu.
“Greetings, Young Master! ”
Zhong Hong Yu gazed at Fang Xi, her eyes holding a mix of complexity and resentment.
“Dispense with the formalities. . . ”
Fang Xi waved his hand: “While this Young Master was away, have there been any major events in Myriad Islands Lake or the Three Kingdoms cultivation world? ”
“Reporting to Young Master, all is well. ”
Zhong Hong Yu quickly adjusted her mindset; after all, she was already an Ancestor-level figure at the early-stage Core Formation realm. Among the Three Kingdoms, only Zhang Zhu Sheng and Tai Shu Hong, with their False Cores, could barely compare.
“Good. . . ”
Fang Xi made his way to the Evergreen Pavilion, and began contemplating moving matters.
However, he now preferred peace and quiet, and the Netherworld earth vein on Emerald Island had not yet been cleared, so there was no need to act immediately with great fanfare.
He would first go into secluded cultivation for a period, then ponder how to deal with that earth vein qi.
“Oh right, this trip out, I did manage to get quite a few good things. ”
Fang Xi suddenly smiled, and tossed over a spirit beast bag: “Inside are a few second-order Green Water Winged Snakes; instruct the fish farm steward to raise them. . . They’ll be quite good for guarding the house and grounds later on. ”
“This servant understands. ”
Upon hearing ‘Green Water Winged Snake’, Zhong Hong Yu knew that those fish farm stewards probably couldn’t handle this task, and she would have to do it herself.
Otherwise, would a few late-stage and perfected Qi Refinement fellows just be food for second-order demon beasts?
“Anything else? ”
Fang Xi was about to dismiss Zhong Hong Yu, and take a good soak in a hot spring, to alleviate the fatigue from his long journey away, when he saw Zhong Hong Yu with a hesitant expression, as if she wanted to speak but refrained, and couldn’t help but ask curiously.
“It’s a small matter. A few days ago, Tai Shu Hong sent a flying sword message, saying that a few remnants of the Ethereal Valley Sect’s Foundation Establishment cultivators escaped from the State of Wu, and journeyed deep into the Myriad Beast Mountain Range, seeming to intend to go to the Yuan Kingdom. . . ”
Zhong Hong Yu reported.
“Are you worried that these Ethereal Valley Sect remnants will go complain to the Hunyuan Sect? ”
Fang Xi smiled faintly: “No need to worry, a round trip through the Myriad Beast Mountain Range would take several years, not to mention, Foundation Establishment cultivators might easily die in the jaws of demon beasts. . . Even if they reach that bustling world of the Yuan Kingdom, whether they’ll still remember this grudge is another matter, after all, we weren’t the ones who destroyed the Ethereal Valley Sect. . . ”
It was clearly Ancestor Yan, in his old age, who went mad, and self-detonated his Golden Core, dragging the clan’s higher-ups to perish with him. What does that have to do with him?
Even if the Hunyuan Sect wanted to intervene, his reputation as a late-stage Core Formation cultivator would be enough to intimidate many, and they would most likely give up, and would not make an enemy of a late-stage Core Formation grand expert for the sake of a mere remote region among the Three Kingdoms.
Fang Xi, as always, habitually kept a card up his sleeve. Currently, the entire Three Kingdoms cultivation world was unaware of his External Avatar.
...
Three days later.
Inside the secluded cultivation chamber.
Fang Xi, sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes, and felt a wave of clarity and refreshment.
Then, he looked at his palm, a flash of light appeared on his storage ring, and he took out the Primordial Soul Lamp.
“After all, I don’t have the secret art to refine a second external avatar. . . ”
“When breaking through a major bottleneck, if one’s divine soul is strong enough, there are clearly some benefits. ”
At this thought, Fang Xi no longer hesitated, and formed hand seals, channels of magic power pouring into the Primordial Soul Lamp.
Swish!
The lotus-like lamp base of the Primordial Soul Lamp began to bloom, and the azure lamp flame within instantly expanded, transforming into a ball of azure light.
Fang Xi gently inhaled, and this ball of azure light was drawn into his nose.
The next moment, he felt his head shake with a loud thrum.
Immediately, a wave of dizziness and a throbbing head washed over him.
“Merging a divided divine soul, indeed causes some discomfort at first. . . ”
Fang Xi muttered to himself, then sat cross-legged, and quietly circulated his cultivation art.
Time passed, he knew not how long, when within his mind, a sensation of coolness emerged.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, that azure ball of light had already been absorbed by another, larger one of its kind, the two merging into one.
Subsequently, Fang Xi felt his divine consciousness continuously spread outwards, instantly reaching its maximum range of ninety li!
“My divine consciousness range has increased again! ”
“This secret art of the Yama Dao Lord, is indeed useful for increasing divine soul power. . . It’s just quite troublesome. ”
The materials needed to refine the Primordial Soul Lamp were merely ordinary.
The key was the large amount of lamp oil and time required to nurture the split soul afterwards!
Fang Xi invested a large number of living souls from the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, combined with many rare materials, to stew the lamp oil, and he had to wait with sufficient patience to achieve this success.
“However, for me, it’s no big deal. . . I can try it a few more times in the future, it’s also a small trick to increase divine soul strength. . . ”
“Sigh. . . Those large Nascent Soul sects, their accumulated heritage over many years, isn’t merely in a few powerful cultivation techniques and treasures, but rather in various experiences and tricks. . . allowing later generations to avoid many detours. ”
To this day, Fang Xi still felt some regret that he couldn't soul-search the Old Ghost.
“Fortunately, I’ve lived long enough, so if I take a detour, then I take a detour; it’s nothing more than spending a bit more time. . . And, it might not be impossible to make up for it in the future. ”
He swept his arm, and amidst a flash of silver light, he was already inside the Mountain Sea Pearl’s cave abode.
The Demonic Tree, standing alone, formed a forest, and spiritual energy luxuriated all around, already reaching roughly third-order superior grade.
“After investing Spirit Origin Pearls and two supreme-grade spirit stones. . . the spiritual energy in this cave abode is enough to support my daily cultivation. . . ”
Dragon Fish Island only had a second-order superior-grade spirit vein, which was somewhat insufficient even for early-stage Core Formation cultivators, let alone Fang Xi, who was in the late-stage Core Formation!
Thinking of supreme-grade spirit stones, Fang Xi remembered finding one in the Old Ghost’s storage bag back then.
However, that one had been sealed away by him, to be reserved for other uses in the future.
After all, even if he added more supreme-grade spirit stones to the spirit vein formation, it would be impossible to raise the spiritual energy grade of this cave abode to fourth-order.
He came to the foot of the Demonic Tree, and began his daily cultivation of the Longevity Art, followed by the unceasing practice of the ‘Withered Glory Chant’ cultivation method. . .
...
Several hours passed, Fang Xi completed a cycle of his cultivation art, exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi, and in his eyes, azure and yellow colors flickered alternately, faintly tinged with a hint of purple.
Then, he flipped his palm, and an jade hairpin appeared, along with a crimson iron scroll.
These were the ‘Thousand Mechanisms Secret Codex’ and the ‘Crimson Heart Alchemy Tome’!
“Puppetry. . . Forget it, my puppet techniques have always been unconventional, and my true mastery is probably still at second-order; this isn’t something that can be improved overnight. . . ”
Fang Xi looked at the wreckage of the two fourth-order puppets, feeling a bit regretful.
Although he really wanted to immediately repair the fourth-order puppets, so they could be used after being refilled with energy, his puppet techniques had actually always been specialized, more focused on manipulation and repair.
As for refining them? He had always made do with wooden puppets.
The path of puppetry is vast and profound, and raising one’s mastery to the fourth-order is by no means easy.
“Similarly. . . It’s not too late to study formations after breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm. . . ”
“What truly needs to be improved now is alchemy! After all, it concerns the refinement of the ‘Doom Crossing Pill’. . . ”
Fang Xi put away the jade hairpin, and began to study the ‘Crimson Heart Alchemy Tome’.
This ‘Crimson Heart Master’ was indeed worthy of being called an alchemy master of the Western Desert; many of his ideas gave Fang Xi a fresh perspective, and he felt his own accumulation rapidly increasing, which was likely the benefit gained from the exchange between different systems.
After all, the alchemy heritage of the Western Desert cultivation world must be slightly different from that of the Southern Barrens.
For example, in the Crimson Heart Master’s legacy, it leaned more towards refining ‘Metal and Stone Pills’ using various minerals. . .
In addition to this, it also mentioned different alchemy methods such as ‘Water Refining Method’, ‘Sun-Moon Refining Method’, and so on, giving Fang Xi a feeling of pleasant novelty.
“Sealing a semi-finished pill, using the creative power of a spiritual land, and consuming a long period of time, to improve its quality. . . ”
“This kind of thinking, is quite similar to the ‘Treasure Cultivation Art’. . . ”
Comments