Chapter 596: Undercurrents (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)
Chapter 596: Undercurrents (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)
With a flash of escape light, a richly robed young master entered the Black Water Pavilion.
This Nascent Soul cultivator had a youthful face, was slightly short in stature, and his eyes darted around, giving an impression of shrewdness mixed with a hint of coldness.
He wore a golden crown, which for some reason gave Fang Xi the feeling of "a monkey in a crown."
"Fellow Daoist Liu, I've come to patronize your business again. Is Fellow Daoist Qing Yuzi here as well?"
The cultivator smiled and cupped his hands, then patted his storage bag, releasing a several-zhang-long Giant Salamander corpse onto the ground.
This Giant Salamander had horns on its head and sharp claws, resembling a flood dragon, and was sealed within a piece of crystal-clear profound ice.
"Oh?"
Liu steward's eyes immediately gleamed, and he meticulously inspected it: "This Dragon Salamander has at least nine hundred years of cultivation. . . A pity, a great pity. Just a hundred more years, and it could have truly transformed into a dragon."
"Fellow Daoist Wang Qiao is too modest. With your 'Matter Transformation Art' divine ability, even a transformed great demon would be easily captured," Liu steward chuckled.
This 'Wang Qiao' hailed from a nearby cultivation family—the Wang Family!
The Wang Family had relocated their entire clan to the Profound Nether Abyss a thousand years ago, and countless of their descendants had perished in the Profound Nether heavy waters.
Generation after generation, they persevered, and finally, their fortune erupted. The current Wang Family Ancestor successfully ascended to the Soul Transformation Perfected realm, leading the Wang Family to become one of the top powers near the Profound Nether Abyss, second only to the Black Water Sect, with no fewer than ten Nascent Soul cultivators.
This 'Wang Qiao' also came from the Wang Family. He successfully condensed a Nascent Soul at just over two hundred years old, earning him the reputation of a rising star whose talent was comparable to the Wang Family Ancestor, and he held a considerable reputation in the Profound Nether Abyss.
Fang Xi watched from the side as the two cultivators haggled, until Liu steward, with a pained expression, accepted the Dragon Salamander into the storeroom.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Wang. With this deal completed, you'll surely be able to purchase many spirit items to boost your cultivation. Perhaps you'll soon advance to the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm. . ."
He looked at Wang Qiao, smiling and cupping his hands.
"Many thanks!"
Wang Qiao exited the Black Water Pavilion and departed in a streak of blue escape light.
Fang Xi exchanged a few more pleasantries with Liu steward, then likewise left.
A short while later.
Within the Kungsang Market, inside the 'Heavenly Immortal Tavern'.
This tavern employed several spirit chefs at high salaries, whose spirit food was not only delicious but also had effects comparable to spirit pills, and, crucially, completely lacked pill toxins.
If not for the fact that a single dish far exceeded the price of miraculous spirit pills and could not be stored for long, alchemists in the Earthly Immortal World might have considered changing professions.
Fang Xi casually entered, looking every bit the regular patron.
"Ah, Senior Qing Yuzi! Your private room has always been reserved for you."
The waiter's face immediately broke into a wide smile upon seeing Fang Xi.
As one of the few Nascent Soul cultivators in the market, Fang Xi was indeed a major patron of the tavern.
Moreover, this Nascent Soul cultivator was quite fond of culinary delights, and in the eyes of the Heavenly Immortal Tavern, he was like a goldmine. Reserving a private room for him long-term was no issue at all.
Inside the private room.
Fang Xi picked up his jade chopsticks and feasted heartily on the array of delicacies, occasionally taking sips of spirit wine.
Thump-thump!
Just as he was reaching for a plate of five-colored small dragons still swimming in broth, a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in!"
Fang Xi waved his hand, and the restrictive spell on the door vanished, allowing a person to enter. It was none other than 'Wang Qiao'.
"Fellow Daoist Qing Yuzi certainly has refined taste. This basin of 'Nine Dragons Competing for the Pearl Soup' truly smells fragrant for ten li. . ."
Wang Qiao's mouth watered as he spoke.
"Fellow Daoist Wang. . ."
Fang Xi poured Wang Qiao a cup of wine and asked with a smile, "How have you considered the previous matter?"
"Well. . ."
A hint of difficulty appeared on Wang Qiao's face: "'Profound Water Serene Heart Pill' is a secret family formula. It has extraordinary efficacy for breaking through Nascent Soul bottlenecks. If paired with 'Infant Transformation Pill' and 'Nascent Soul Condensing Pill', it can enhance the original pill's effect by another ten to twenty percent. . ."
"Take a look at this first before you speak further."
Fang Xi smiled faintly, knowing that Wang Qiao was already tempted and was merely raising his price. He promptly tossed over an empty green bottle.
Wang Qiao opened it and his eyes immediately widened: "This seems to be. . . Fengyuan Dan?"
Although his previously cherished 'Fengyuan Dan' had long been exhausted, Fang Xi had obtained the pill formula from Qing Changlao, had Xiao Qing's assistance, and with the technology of the Kyushu World, recreating 'Fengyuan Dan' with his alchemy skills was naturally no problem.
"You actually recognize this type of demon race pill? " Fang Xi was slightly surprised.
"I once read an alchemy book that recorded this pill as being able to assist in breaking through mid-stage bottlenecks and having the effect of extending lifespan. . ."
Wang Qiao looked fascinated. He took out a medicine bottle: "I'll take the liberty of making this trade right now!"
"Many thanks."
Fang Xi also verified the authenticity of the 'Profound Water Serene Heart Pill' and couldn't help but reveal a satisfied smile. . .
...
Night.
Sangqing Peak.
A figure stealthily approached the edge of the formation, taking out a sound transmission talisman.
Not long after, the formation opened a crack, allowing the person to enter.
"Meng Zhuzi greets Senior!"
The newcomer was none other than Meng Zhuzi, the eldest brother of the five sworn siblings.
"Hmm. . . Any news from the market recently?"
Fang Xi had saved them back then, and these five had come to express their gratitude, gradually forging a connection.
The five needed a tiger hide, and Fang Xi needed some people to run errands and gather information. The two sides immediately hit it off.
"The White Crane Sect's fleet has been at sea for several years, with no news returning, essentially confirming they were all wiped out. . ."
"The Wang Family intends to marry into the Lingqiao Chen Family. . ."
Meng Zhuzi's expression was solemn as he reported the news one by one: "Also, a certain rogue cultivator surnamed Chen seems to have found a 'Nine Transformations Dragon Grass' in the Profound Nether Abyss, but now he's disappeared. . ."
This 'Nine Transformations Dragon Grass' was an exceptionally rare high-grade spirit medicine. It was normal for an ordinary rogue cultivator not to be able to protect it, so disappearing was to be expected.
Fang Xi's expression remained unchanged: "Is that all?"
Cold sweat immediately seeped from Meng Zhuzi's forehead. He knew that this senior was somewhat displeased.
He looked at the tight restrictions and formations around them, gritted his teeth, and revealed a vague piece of news: "There's also a rumor. . . that the Grand Elder of the Black Water Sect, his lifespan is nearing its end."
A glimmer of light seemed to flash in Fang Xi's eyes: "Oh? Where did this news come from?"
Daring to pry into the lifespan of a sect's patriarch was by no means a small matter.
To put it bluntly, the undercurrent lurking beneath it could overturn the Kungsang Market at any moment!
"I don't know. . ."
Meng Zhuzi quickly shook his head: "This news suddenly started circulating everywhere recently. We are also very curious. . ."
"Is that so. . ."
Fang Xi considered the high-level situation of the Black Water Sect. After being there for a long time, some things were no longer secrets.
For example, he knew that the Black Water Sect had three Soul Transformation patriarchs in total. The Grand Elder's cultivation was the most profound, around the mid-stage Soul Transformation realm, while the other two were early-stage Soul Transformation.
Ordinary early-stage Soul Transformation human cultivators had a lifespan of around four thousand years, while late-stage Soul Transformation cultivators, by consuming longevity-extending spirit pills or utilizing certain secret arts, could reach a lifespan limit of five thousand years!
That Grand Elder was a mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivator, making further breakthroughs basically impossible. He had been renowned for about four thousand years, and was now probably over four thousand five hundred years old. Indeed, his end was nigh.
'Someone is secretly spreading this, could it be a test? '
Fang Xi's mind stirred. He looked at Meng Zhuzi and solemnly warned: "Great changes may occur at any time recently. It's best for the five of you to be cautious in your words and deeds, especially regarding newly appearing factions and organizations. It's best not to get involved with any of them. . ."
"Yes, we understand the gravity of the situation."
Meng Zhuzi quickly assured him, resolving to rein in his sworn siblings upon his return.
He had already felt that this matter was strange, but he never expected Senior Qing Yuzi, a high-level cultivator, to take it so seriously. Clearly, the storm behind it was too immense, and a single misstep could drown them. . .
"Good. . ."
Fang Xi took out a jade bottle and casually tossed it to them: "You've worked hard coming here under the stars to deliver this news. Consider this bottle of pills your reward."
Meng Zhuzi opened the stopper, and his expression suddenly became somewhat agitated: "This is. . . 'Pure Water Pill'?"
"Indeed, it is the 'Pure Water Pill'."
Fang Xi smiled faintly.
This 'Pure Water Pill' could remove the poison of the Profound Nether heavy water and was a flagship product of the Kungsang Market. After purchasing one, he naturally tried to analyze its components and reverse-engineer the pill formula.
Originally, this wasn't an easy task, but who was he to complain when he had the Kyushu World backing him?
Only after fully analyzing the pill formula did Fang Xi realize how exorbitant the profits from this 'Pure Water Pill' were!
After all, it was just a low-grade pill formula, using common spirit herbs, with only a few being specialties of the Profound Nether Abyss. Yet, its selling price was enough to make even Core Formation cultivators feel the pinch!
'This is hard currency. Refining a few bottles privately to give as gifts is fine, but once I start selling it in large quantities, I'd essentially be undermining the Black Water Sect's business. . . '
'At this sensitive time, it's best not to provoke the Black Water Sect further. ' Fang Xi mused sagely.
As for the treacherous currents currently swirling, he didn't truly take them to heart.
Time was the greatest director. As long as he continued to observe for a few years, a few decades, a few centuries. . . any conspiracies and masterminds would naturally surface. He only needed to see which family the Black Water Sect destroyed in the future, or which family destroyed the Black Water Sect, and he would have a good idea. Even if there were some errors, by reverse-engineering and seeing who benefited second or third, they basically wouldn't escape suspicion. . .
What he needed to consider now was his own situation.
'The Kungsang Market is essentially controlled by the Black Water Sect behind the scenes. Now that the Black Water Sect is on the brink of collapse, perhaps I should go into hiding? '
'As long as I flee into the Profound Nether Abyss, no one will be able to covet me. . . '
'However, this opportunity is rare. Can I perhaps scheme for a fifth-order spirit vein? '
Fang Xi had long wanted to "plant a tree" in the Earthly Immortal World, but he had never found a suitable opportunity.
No matter who stirred up this storm, it was a good stepping stone.
With this thought, a token appeared in his hand, and he checked the various restrictions of the formation.
After confirming it was complete, he vanished in a flash of silver light.
...
Human World.
Demonic Tree Ridge.
A red streak of escape light flew into the area covered by the Demonic Tree. Zhong Hong Yu gazed at the even thicker, colossal tree that seemed to blot out the sky, feeling a little lost in thought.
"Hong Yu, you're here?"
On a simple table set on a patch of grass beneath the giant tree, Fang Xi held a talisman brush, writing furiously.
Upon seeing Zhong Hong Yu's arrival, he spoke without lifting his head.
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