Chapter 592: False Core Recultivation (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Votes)
Chapter 592: False Core Recultivation (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Votes)
Xuanming Abyss.
Fang Xi looked out and saw a stretch of pitch-black lake—no. . . it was a sea!
Boundless and endless, like a black ocean, it carried faint traces of a peculiar aura.
This was the Xuanming Abyss's unique 'Xuanming Heavy Water,' also known as 'Xuanming Black Water. ' It was said that even if a cultivator's magical artifacts or spirit artifacts were immersed in it for a brief moment, they would greatly lose their spiritual essence, turning into scrap metal.
If a low-level cultivator's physical body became contaminated, it was even more troublesome. If they didn't receive timely treatment and the water's poison seeped into their marrow, then, besides consuming specially concocted spirit pills, they could only watch helplessly as the poison of Xuanming Heavy Water corroded their Dantian, eventually slowly degenerating into a mortal. . .
For cultivators, their magical power dissipating and becoming a mortal was simply a torture more terrifying than death!
Even so, near Xuanming Abyss, a large number of low-level cultivators still gathered, establishing clans, propagating descendants, and widely recruiting disciples.
Fang Xi could only sigh with emotion in his heart, thinking that where there's a bane, there's always a boon.
At the same time, Xuanming Abyss also produced many special spiritual items and demon beasts.
While those major sects coveted the benefits of this place, making their numerous disciples risk damaging their cultivation to guard this place and scavenge for spiritual items—that was something they wouldn't do.
Therefore, it instead became a gathering place for rogue cultivators, allowing an endless stream of rogue cultivators to be buried in the Black Water. Meanwhile, the major sects and great powers hid behind the scenes, secretly extracting most of Xuanming Abyss's output by fostering proxies, establishing market towns, and other means.
Yet, the more this happened, the more lively Xuanming Abyss became, with an air of there being an inexhaustible supply of rogue cultivators. . .
Thinking of all this, Fang Xi could only sigh softly.
Rogue cultivators naturally didn't want to get involved with Xuanming Heavy Water, but without it, they wouldn't even have a moment's respite elsewhere.
In Xuanming Abyss, there were at least some opportunities. Therefore, almost every moment, rogue cultivators came here with their families, dedicating their entire lives, and even their descendants', to Xuanming Abyss, just hoping that one day, a high-level cultivator would emerge from their family, leading their family or sect out of this predicament.
Although this hope remained slim, in the cultivation world, anything was possible!
Fang Xi was still dressed in a bamboo hat and black clothes, his magical power fluctuations around the Nascent Soul level.
Last time, outside Feiri City, he saved City Lord Zhang. Although it was done incidentally, it could also be considered repaying the Li family somewhat.
Besides that, he secretly planted the seed of 'Fang Yuan's cultivation. '
After all, to be so highly regarded by a Nascent Soul master, advancing to Core Formation and Nascent Soul later was still quite possible.
By then, he might even be able to pick up this identity and continue using it!
...
Kungsang Mountain.
This mountain was lofty and grand, stretching for countless miles. The mountain range was filled with a peculiar type of mulberry tree.
This kind of mulberry tree was entirely purple, and the mulberry leaves it produced were greatly favored by the 'Heinie Silkworms. ' And the silk spun by these spirit silkworms was one of the rare materials not corroded by Xuanming Heavy Water. When forged into magical artifacts like fishing nets or ropes, they were even more in their element in the Xuanming Abyss environment.
At the peak of a certain mountain in Kungsang Mountain, there was a market town, named 'Kungsang Market. '
Every year, the 'Heinie Silkworm' magical artifacts and treasures sold in the market accounted for several tenths of the market's profits.
With a flash of flight-light, Fang Xi landed before the market town at the mountaintop.
After walking into the mist-shrouded formation, he immediately felt his body become much lighter.
'This Kungsang Mountain also has a fifth-stage spiritual meridian. . . '
Kungsang Mountain was named a mountain, but it was actually an unending mountain range, with spiritual energy that could be considered abundant.
And Fang Xi, standing at the peak, could overlook a part of Xuanming Abyss's scenery.
At a certain location at the foot of the mountain, there was also a massive shipyard and dock, where spiritual boats were moored one after another.
These spiritual boats were entirely black, seemingly built from a special kind of wood, only thus could they resist the erosion of Xuanming Heavy Water.
On their decks and hulls, there were also runes flowing and shifting irregularly, converging into a thick light shield, clearly providing excellent defense.
Currently, not many spiritual boats were moored at the dock, likely because most of them were in Xuanming Abyss.
"Esteemed senior, may I ask if you need a guide?"
After entering the market town, several cultivators approached him, with fawning expressions on their faces.
No, to call them cultivators was somewhat inaccurate.
Fang Xi looked at one of them and saw a middle-aged man with large, gnarled knuckles, dark skin, a face etched with the hardships of life, and a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
Most crucially, at this person's neck, there were several pitch-black lines.
These black lines seemed to have corroded into his skin and flesh, causing him to occasionally reveal a trace of pain on his face.
And his aura was constantly weakening, almost indistinguishable from a mortal's.
"You'll do."
He pointed at the middle-aged man.
"Many thanks, senior."
The middle-aged man quickly expressed his gratitude: "This humble one is 'Duanmu Wu. ' May I ask what this esteemed senior wishes to purchase? This humble one has mingled in Kungsang Market for decades and is quite familiar with some of the shops. . ."
"No hurry. How did you end up like this?"
Fang Xi said with a frown.
"Senior must be from out of town, right? Perhaps you haven't seen cultivators afflicted by water poison. . . " Duanmu Wu, looking at Fang Xi's unique decorations in several places, replied with a bitter smile: "To eke out a living in Xuanming Abyss, being contaminated by Xuanming Heavy Water is a common occurrence. This humble one didn't pay attention before, and later couldn't afford the 'Pure Water Pill' to remove the water poison. So, isn't this the only way it could be?"
"This humble one is still quite fortunate, at least young enough. Even though my magical power is gone, I still have my life. . . The worst part is, I heard of a Core Formation cultivator who, deep within Xuanming Abyss, accidentally got attacked by a unique demon fish from this place. Xuanming Heavy Water deeply entered his organs and Dantian. Before he could even make it back to the market town, his cultivation dissipated, and he fell to the Foundation Establishment stage. Unfortunately, he was already quite old, so he directly passed away. . ."
"This Xuanming Heavy Water is indeed extremely sinister. . ."
Fang Xi sighed with emotion.
In fact, he had already played in the water by the lake long ago. That Xuanming Heavy Water was immensely lethal to low-level cultivators, but only ordinary to Nascent Soul cultivators, and could be rapidly refined by Infant Flame.
As for Soul Transformation cultivators, even if they jumped in to bathe, it wouldn't cause much hindrance.
But how many Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation cultivators does a single sect have? How could they all come and change professions to become fishermen?
'Dissolving the Golden Core? '
Fang Xi stroked his chin, but suddenly thought of something!
'Those False Core cultivators, whose cultivation could never advance an inch in their lives. . . But if they were first fed 'Xuanming Heavy Water' to dissolve the False Core, and then took a 'Pure Water Pill' to remove the water poison. . . Wouldn't they be able to revert to the Foundation Establishment stage, then cultivate anew, and have hope of forming a Golden Core? '
'However, False Core cultivators in the lower realms also depended on their age. If they were over two hundred years old and didn't have longevity spirit pills to go with it, once the False Core dissolved, that person would also pass away. . . '
'Thus, it would be the path of False Core recultivation. . . Indeed, with the improvement of cultivation realms, many things that seemed impossible before could become possible. '
Fang Xi just casually thought about it. Although he had many False Core cultivators under him, he wouldn't bother expending so much effort on it.
In fact, when he was at the Nascent Soul stage, he already had a rough grasp on how to resolve the bottleneck of False Cores being unable to cultivate further.
As for the inspiration, it came from the 'Demonic Fire Refining Infant Method. '
If even an External Avatar that couldn't advance its cultivation could continue to improve, what was a mere False Core?
It's just that the consumed materials were too precious, and it required a large amount of demonic fire. He'd be foolish to do that.
Now, with this Xuanming Heavy Water being inexhaustible, if in the future he saw any False Core cultivators from the lower realms who were under two hundred years old and also astonishingly talented, he could casually bestow a bottle to help them dissolve their core and recultivate. . .
'But this is also a paradox. . . If they were truly astonishingly talented, why wouldn't they form a proper Golden Core, instead ascending to a False Core? Severing their own path? '
Fang Xi couldn't help but laugh wryly, feeling that he was overthinking things.
He said to Duanmu Wu: "I want to first rent a cave abode, and settle down before anything else. . ."
"If you want to rent a cave abode, naturally, you should go to the Black Water Sect's steward here."
Duanmu Wu replied without hesitation.
"Black Water Sect? !"
Fang Xi revealed a thoughtful expression.
"That's right. . . The Black Water Sect is a Soul Transformation sect, and they also hold a large share of the Kungsang Market behind the scenes. Which rogue cultivator in Xuanming Abyss wouldn't want to join the Black Water Sect, become a disciple of such a sect, and have hope for future cultivation. . ."
Duanmu Wu sighed.
When he was young, he also participated in the Black Water Sect's disciple selection, but unfortunately, he failed. . .
Fang Xi naturally knew of the great name of the Black Water Sect too.
It is said that within this sect, there was more than one Soul Transformation cultivator!
However, for Fang Xi, it was naturally irrelevant.
If he were truly pushed, he could have his main body come and sweep with the Withered Glory Mystic Light. Even Soul Transformation Perfected cultivators would die!
Of course, Soul Transformation cultivators generally had lifespans of four to five thousand years. If his main body were besieged by several very young Soul Transformation cultivators, it would still be very dangerous.
Moreover, making such a heavy move right away and then seizing the Black Water Sect's foundation did not align with Fang Xi's consistently cautious style.
With Duanmu Wu leading the way, Fang Xi quickly met the Black Water Sect's steward in Kungsang Market, a Nascent Soul cultivator surnamed Liu.
His cultivation was at the early Nascent Soul stage, but he carried an air of twilight about him, clearly quite old, with no hope of further advancement, which was why he had been assigned to work outside.
"Fellow Daoist, may I ask where you are from?"
Steward Liu, upon seeing Fang Xi, was slightly surprised.
"This humble one is 'Qing Hezi,' from the Sunset Plains. . ."
Fang Xi smiled faintly and gave his reply.
Steward Liu chatted cordially with him for a few more moments, clearly probing and trying to ascertain his background.
However, Fang Xi had his own confidence and answered fluently, causing Steward Liu to feel slightly relieved. He smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist wishes to rent a cave abode?"
"Precisely. After all, although this humble one is a rogue cultivator, I still wish to one day walk the Grand Dao of Soul Transformation."
Fang Xi said: "Therefore, the cave abode must be the best. If spirit stones are a bit more expensive, then so be it. . ."
"Good. Fellow Daoist's heart for the Dao is firm. This old man is truly impressed."
Steward Liu sighed with emotion: "If only this old man back then, alas. . . Never mind, no need to speak of it. . ."
He looked at Fang Xi, and suddenly his eyes flickered: "Fellow Daoist, would you like to join my Black Water Sect?"
"Well. . . This humble one is accustomed to being a free spirit. Perhaps I'll cultivate for a period first, and then we can discuss it."
Fang Xi waved his hand, refusing this 'kind offer. '
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