Chapter 65: Eternal Evergreen (Celebrating Alliance Leader Yusheng Jiangxiangluan! )
Chapter 65: Eternal Evergreen (Celebrating Alliance Leader Yusheng Jiangxiangluan! )
"Everything imaginable? "
Fang Xi had originally intended to just buy two bottles of 'Wood Origin Pills' and leave.
But upon hearing Song Qing's boastful tone, he couldn't help but ask on a whim, "Do you also have spiritual items or secret methods that can enhance wood spirit root aptitude?"
The smug expression on Song Qing's face immediately froze. He then thought seriously for a moment and asked, "Is Fellow Daoist Fang's spirit root primarily wood-attribute?"
"Precisely!"
Fang Xi's heart stirred. Could it truly exist?
"Haha, isn't that a coincidence?"
Song Qing clapped his hands. "What Fellow Daoist seeks, this establishment truly has!"
Could it be that his previous knowledge was too limited, and improving aptitude was actually a simple matter in the Southern Barrens Cultivation World?
"Actually, as soon as I explain this method, Fellow Daoist will surely understand it's real. It is. . . " Song Qing didn't keep him in suspense, stating directly, "Possessing a wood-attribute spirit body is enough!"
If Fang Xi hadn't refrained from drinking the spirit tea, his spit would have splattered all over Song Qing's face.
"Cough, cough. . . I am not a cultivator with a spirit body, not even a latent one!"
Fang Xi was very certain of this point.
"Haha. . . who says a spirit body has to be innate? " Song Qing chuckled. "In the cultivation world, there are countless miraculous techniques and secret methods. Cultivating a special spirit body later on is not impossible!"
At this moment, Fang Xi's heart pounded with excitement!
But the next instant, he regained his composure, smiling bitterly. "Even if it exists, there's no guarantee of its authenticity. And. . . I probably can't afford it."
Although the temptation was great, Fang Xi knew one thing: there was no free lunch in this world!
As long as you don't gamble, you'll never lose!
"Haha. . . I can swear a Heart Demon Oath, this secret method is absolutely real."
Song Qing seemed to have already anticipated Fang Xi's reaction, saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, why not listen first. . . This secret art, incidentally, has quite a deep connection with the Green Bamboo Mountain Market and the Situ Clan. Has Fellow Daoist ever heard of the Purple Mystical Mountain mystic realm?"
Fang Xi's heart slightly stirred. "That mystic realm is renowned. It's said to have been divided up by the Situ Clan and Red Leaf Valley, and both clans were subsequently annihilated because of it!"
"Precisely! " Song Qing clapped his hands and chuckled. "This secret art was obtained by my Song Clan from the Situ Clan's treasure vault. According to information gathered from soul-searching captives, it originated from the Purple Mystical Mountain mystic realm! It's just a pity. . . this secret art is only suitable for cultivators who practice wood-attribute cultivation methods, and its conditions are quite harsh. Otherwise, my clan would absolutely not take it out for sale."
As he spoke, he took out an emerald-green jade slip from his storage bag, with a talisman affixed to it.
Fang Xi made no attempt to hide the burning intensity in his eyes. "Is this the jade slip from the Situ Clan's treasure vault?"
"Of course not, it's just a duplicate, but it's imprinted with a spell, guaranteed to be identical to the original!"
To ensure this point, Song Qing actually made a Heart Demon Oath, guaranteeing its authenticity.
Any cultivator can encounter Heart Demons, especially during emotional agitation and breakthroughs to major realms, where the danger is great.
Song Qing was only in the late-stage Qi Refinement realm at such a young age, so guaranteeing it with his cultivation path still held some credibility.
Fang Xi, however, sneered. "Pills, talismans, and artifacts are consumed one by one. . . but cultivation methods can be duplicated infinitely. The shopkeeper certainly plays a good abacus."
"Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand me. Within my clan, there are only a handful of these duplicates. We absolutely will not sell any more."
Song Qing resolutely pushed the jade slip over. "This jade slip has a restriction on it. Fellow Daoist can only view a small portion."
This was standard practice when purchasing cultivation method items; otherwise, with a cultivator's memory, they might memorize everything after just a few glances.
Fang Xi took it and placed the jade slip on his forehead.
"Longevity Art!"
He quickly saw the name of this secret art.
Looking at the introduction, he found that much of it was obscured, but he could generally make out that it primarily involved cultivating spirit plants, absorbing the essence of flora, and so on. . . It was indeed a method for cultivating an acquired spirit body!
"It's actually real."
Fang Xi's expression was one of shock. He put down the jade slip and looked at Song Qing. "May I ask the price of this 'Longevity Art' secret method?"
"Heh heh, not expensive at all, just five hundred spirit stones. " Song Qing smiled. "If Fellow Daoist doesn't have enough spirit stones on hand, this establishment also accepts various spiritual items as collateral."
At this moment, he seemed to finally reveal his true intention!
Fang Xi hesitated for a long while before gritting his teeth and taking out a storage bag. He swept his hand over it, and sheets of monster hides immediately appeared.
"Monster materials?"
Song Qing's eyes lit up, and he quickly began to appraise them. "First-order mid-grade monster wolf hide, well-preserved. . . What kind of monster beast is this? I haven't seen it before, but it's also first-order mid-grade. . . Monster wolf teeth, a bit damaged, ah. . ."
Fang Xi emptied two one-cubic-foot storage bags in succession. Fortunately, he had visited Han Pang Zi earlier and acquired quite a lot of monster materials; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to gather this much.
In the end, he sold them for over two hundred spirit stones in total. These, combined with the proceeds from selling Golden Grain Pills and the more than one hundred spirit stones Fang Xi already possessed, finally barely amounted to five hundred spirit stones.
Song Qing also solemnly drafted a contract, in duplicate. After both had imprinted their spiritual power, he said with a smile:
"Fellow Daoist Fang, the transaction is settled!"
He collected the large pile of spirit stones, then chanted a secret incantation. With a flash of light in his hand, he tore off the talisman on the jade slip.
This was a special restriction; if not followed according to specific steps, it would surely self-destruct!
However, within Song Qing's smile, there seemed to be a different kind of meaning.
Seeing this, Fang Xi's heart couldn't help but sink. But for him, monster materials were practically worthless; it was just a matter of spending a few spirit stones to buy a possibility.
At this moment, he picked up the emerald jade slip and placed it on his forehead.
Not long after, his face turned pale then flushed, and his eyes filled with bloodshot veins.
Pah!
Fang Xi slammed the table heavily, his eyes splitting with rage, filled with bloodshot veins. "You, surnamed Song. . . You tricked me? !"
"What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist? " Song Qing moved a short distance away as if he had expected it, saying with a smile, "I swore a Heart Demon Oath. Is the secret method introduced in this jade slip not a method for cultivating an acquired spirit body?"
"But. . . but this f***ing thing. . ."
Fang Xi stood up, seemingly about to attack at a word's disagreement, then sneered, "This Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root, and the time-consuming conditions, are indeed extremely harsh!"
Seeing that Fang Xi actually managed to control his anger, Song Qing was a bit surprised.
"Fellow Daoist, aren't you afraid of ruining Myriad Sea Pavilion's reputation by doing this? " Fang Xi said, his face turning a bit green again.
"Didn't Fellow Daoist read the contract? This establishment sold you a method for cultivating an acquired spirit body for five hundred spirit stones. You've clearly gained a great advantage, so what's wrong with that? We didn't force you to buy or sell; you actively came forward!"
Song Qing responded with a sneer. "If Fellow Daoist slanders my Myriad Sea Pavilion's reputation outside without real evidence, my Song Clan is not to be trifled with!"
He deliberately emphasized the words 'Song Clan'!
"This loss. . . I've taken it. Shopkeeper, could you perhaps return some spirit stones to me, even a hundred would be fine!"
Fang Xi's face changed ceaselessly, as if a dye shop had opened. Finally, he reluctantly forced out a smile, bowing and pleading pitifully.
"Heh heh. . ."
Song Qing's expression was like an iceberg. "Customer. . . you should leave now."
He was utterly bold and fearless, for Myriad Sea Pavilion's defenses were at least second-order!
"Very well, green mountains won't change, green rivers flow on forever. We'll meet again sometime!"
Fang Xi rose, dejected, and walked out of Myriad Sea Pavilion.
His steps quickened, and in a flash, he disappeared into the crowd.
After changing direction several times and altering his appearance multiple times, confirming that no one was following him, Fang Xi let out a long breath.
Stroking his storage bag, his spiritual sense perceiving the emerald-green jade slip within, he struggled to control his facial muscles to keep from laughing aloud.
The 'Longevity Art' was indeed a huge scam!
According to this secret art, cultivating an acquired spirit body naturally required incredibly harsh conditions.
Leaving aside the wood-attribute spirit root for now, its truly harsh aspect lay in needing to refine a 'Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root' as a foundation, to be refined into the cultivator's 'Life-Bound Spirit Plant'!
Only then could one continuously cultivate the Life-Bound Spirit Plant, absorbing its essence of flora and the power of the sun, moon, and annual rings, to temper the cultivator's own wood-attribute acquired spirit body!
This so-called 'Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root' was best obtained from heaven and earth treasures; at minimum, a third-order spirit plant would barely suffice. For a Qi Refinement cultivator, it was naturally a bottomless pit!
Not only that, the spirit plant also needed a suitable spirit vein to grow!
In other words, one would also need a spiritual vein land of at least third-order to plant the spiritual root and cultivate properly!
And this wasn't even the most scamming part of the 'Longevity Art'!
The biggest trick was that when cultivating this spell, the cultivator could not be too far from their Life-Bound Spirit Plant; they had to stay together for years to have an effect. Once separated for too long, the cultivation would immediately fail!
And the time involved was often measured in centuries!
"A hundred years for an Azure Wood Spirit Body, a thousand years for a Wood Spirit Body, ten thousand years for an Eternal Evergreen Body, which is the rumored 'Longevity Dao Body' capable of achieving immortality and enlightenment!"
"This cultivation method, it really is. . ."
To be honest, when Fang Xi saw it, he felt a bit speechless.
Even the lowest-grade Azure Wood Spirit Body required at least a third-order spiritual root, and it had to take root and be cultivated for a hundred years in a third-order spiritual land, during which the cultivator could not leave!
"A third-order spirit vein land. . . perhaps only the Black Heaven Sect in the entire State of Yue has one?"
"Even if all these problems were solved, if it takes a hundred years to cultivate an acquired spirit body, I'd have long since died of old age!"
"Not to mention the Wood Spirit Body, perhaps only a Core Formation Old Ancestor, or even a Nascent Soul True Monarch, would have enough lifespan to even attempt it? But since they can already achieve Core Formation and Nascent Soul, their spirit roots must be extraordinary, and they might have even awakened innate spirit bodies long ago. Why would they cultivate some broken acquired spirit body?"
"This is a f***ing chicken rib! Drawing a snake and adding feet!"
"Although it's mentioned later that one can prepare specialized spirit liquids to promote the growth of the spirit plant, the cost is astronomical. . . Especially the highest-grade 'Creation Spirit Liquid,' which is said to make a spirit plant instantly grow for a hundred years with just one drop. But I've never even heard of that stuff! Perhaps it can be found in the Immortal World, but it most likely doesn't exist in the Southern Barrens Cultivation World!"
Song Qing of Myriad Sea Pavilion clearly intended to use this Longevity Art to scam spirit stones!
But Fang Xi still let himself be scammed!
Because he suddenly remembered that demonic tree in Black Stone City!
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