Chapter 674: Reclaiming the Wilderness
Chapter 674: Reclaiming the Wilderness
Three days later.
Fang Xi once again arrived at the Treasure Pavilion but did not see Fang Xian Daoist. Instead, he received a box the Daoist had left for him.
On the box was a Thousand Mechanisms Box. If not unlocked with the specific password, it would self-destruct along with its contents.
Holding the box, Fang Xi immediately went to the location he had marked earlier.
Inside the underground cave.
He took out numerous materials and began to set up a "Super Teleportation Array" before him!
As for teleportation formations, Fang Xi had started to engage with and research them as early as when he was a third-rank array master.
Furthermore, due to the All-Heavens Precious Mirror, he diligently studied Phoenix Seal Script day and night. With perseverance making up for any shortcomings, his attainments in the path of the void should even surpass many Grandmaster array masters.
Even so, with Fang Xi's current foundation and accumulation, he still couldn't set up the Super Teleportation Array.
After all, without the most crucial void treasure, no matter how profound one's knowledge of array arts, it would be useless.
Fortunately, he could arrange the surrounding array patterns to look the part.
"Fang Xian Daoist, don't underestimate technology. . . Many years have passed since his ascension to the Kyushu World. With many hands making light work, artificial intelligence has advanced multiple times, and Taiyi has even evolved three or four generations. . ."
"With Taiyi assisting me, I can at least match Fang Xian Daoist in this regard. . ."
"Purely in terms of array arts, especially teleportation arrays involving the void, he can't compare to me!"
"Therefore, he won't be able to tell that this Super Teleportation Array is just a hollow shell. . ."
"As long as he doesn't see the core position, it'll be fine."
Fang Xi arrived at the core of the array, peeled away layers of restrictions, and found it was completely empty!
"The surrounding area is set with restrictions that block Divine Consciousness and are connected to the grand array. . . It can't be forcibly checked, or it will self-destruct directly," Fang Xi muttered. "Next. . . it's up to my main body."
...
Moonlight Immortal City.
Fang Xi's avatar, the Wang Family Ancestor, clad in a green robe, commanded his small mystic turtle to transform into a small mountain-sized form. He moved his rocking chair, table, and tea set onto it, then leisurely set off.
He lightly twirled Buddhist beads in his hand, feeling his sea of consciousness grow increasingly nourished, and couldn't help but nod slightly.
This string of Buddhist beads, made from ten-thousand-year soul-nourishing wood, only had this much effect.
"Currently, I've used two Immortal Jade to establish two coordinates in the Earthly Immortal World: one in Three Realms Mountain and another in the Taiyin Secret Realm. . ."
"Of course, it's impossible to transport Fang Xian Daoist into the Taiyin Secret Realm later. . ."
"Therefore, I'll have to expend another Immortal Jade to mark another spatial node!"
"That spot must be far away from Moonlight Immortal City."
Although Fang Xian Daoist possessed extraordinary talent and was a Return to Void mighty figure, Fang Xi didn't want to get too deeply entangled with him.
After all, he was likely a protagonist, and wherever he was, there would inevitably be a convergence of events, stirring up trouble even where there was none!
For cultivators who enjoyed riding the waves and seeking excitement, and whose cultivation found it hard to advance without engaging in tribulations, naturally, they loved to be around protagonists.
But Fang Xi didn't want that!
His path forward was boundless and bright; he could slowly accumulate resources and wasn't in a hurry.
Only a fool would go looking for excitement.
Steadily advancing, hiding within Moonlight Immortal City, and quietly cultivating until Return to Void, or even Void Amalgamation, that was what he wanted to do!
"Xuanming Abyss and Moonlight Immortal City are both out. . ."
"If I weren't afraid of exposing my wealth, perhaps I should go to the Starry Sky Sect to take their Super Teleportation Array and set up a spatial node in another distant place. . ."
Fang Xi thought for a moment, then set his target and headed towards the Starry Sky Sect.
Moonlight Immortal City was still too small to accommodate truly great figures.
But the Starry Sky Sect had Void Amalgamation mighty figures overseeing it. Surely, probably, perhaps. . . it wouldn't be destroyed by Fang Xian Daoist's protagonist's luck?
"Why bother with all this? Tea, tea. . ."
The small mystic turtle flew smoothly and steadily. Fang Xi sat cross-legged, brewing tea for himself.
He planned that once he reached the Starry Sky Sect's territory, he would find a desolate wilderness to place the spatial node, then immediately return. The entire process would be seamless, leaving no trace, utterly perfect.
"Speaking of which. . . That genius with the'star of Sacred Body,'seems to have achieved Divine Transformation recently?"
"He cultivates the 'Great Zhou Heavenly Star Qi Refinement Art,' and his cultivation progress is a thousand miles a day. His spells and divine abilities are also incredibly astonishing. It's said that even before Core Formation, he continuously challenged many cultivators, accumulating an invincible aura, naturally achieving his Golden Core. . . And for his Nascent Soul, he used an ancient method, forming a Nascent Soul much sharper than ordinary cultivators'. . ."
Recalling the intelligence obtained in Moonlight Immortal City, Fang Xi couldn't help but sigh.
As expected of the Earthly Immortal World, geniuses were as numerous as carps crossing a river!
"I also need to reach Return to Void as soon as possible, so as not to be surpassed by such geniuses. . ."
"Wait, I'm getting attached to appearances. . . What if those behind me surpass me? On the path of cultivation, moving fast isn't necessarily a good thing. . . Being able to reach the end safely is the true skill!"
Fang Xi took a sip of his clear tea, narrowing his eyes contentedly. . .
...
At the same time.
Three Realms Mountain.
Little Night Peak.
The External Avatar had just returned when he saw Liu Xu waiting outside the formation.
"Daoist Friend Liu. . ."
He was a little surprised: "Are you specifically waiting for me?"
"Precisely. . . " Liu Xu bowed respectfully. "Daoist Friend Fang, I previously investigated the ascended cultivators who were threatened by Gu Daoist and successfully joined a small circle. You've come at a good time; we can go to a gathering."
The External Avatar readily agreed and followed Liu Xu to an ascended cultivator's cave mansion.
"This place is called 'Blood Peak Mountain. 'the cultivator staying here calls himself' Kuang Tao Layman. ' His strength has reached late-stage Divine Transformation and should not be underestimated. . ."
Liu Xu explained to Fang Xi as she led him up Blood Peak Mountain.
At the summit of Blood Peak Mountain, a pond had been hollowed out and filled with exquisite jade nectar.
Beside the pond hung countless strips of meat, and a strange aroma of meat mixed with the scent of wine wafted out.
Not far away, tables, chairs, and benches were set up, and a group of cultivators sat in a circle, occasionally taking wine with their bronze goblets, drinking freely and unrestrainedly.
"What a beautiful scene of a 'wine pool and meat forest'. . ."
Fang Xi couldn't help but inwardly praise it.
His gaze shifted to the center of the circle, where he saw a mountain of flesh.
It was an incredibly obese male cultivator, currently baring his belly and continuously stuffing various meats into his mouth.
"Kuang Tao Layman, a fitting name indeed."
Fang Xi glanced around and saw Yunxi Xianzi was also there.
Liu Xu led him over, and the three of them took a seat.
"This one, Fang Xi of the Yaksha Camp, greets all Daoist Friends."
Fang Xi bowed to all around, then gracefully took his seat, picked up a bronze wine goblet, and took a sip. He felt a fiery sensation travel down his throat, immediately inducing a tipsy feeling, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Good wine!"
Wine that could make a Divine Transformation cultivator feel tipsy with just one sip was certainly no ordinary drink.
"Haha. . . Seeing Daoist Friend Fang drink so boldly, I know you're a remarkable person."
Layman Kuang Tao laughed heartily. "This one is also a commander in the Yaksha Camp. This Daoist Friend Yi is from the Asura Camp, Daoist Friend Pu is from the Dragon Group Camp, and then there's Daoist Friend Xie, and this Daoist Friend Su Qingzi, both from the Garuda Camp. . ."
Fang Xi greeted them one by one.
Daoist Friend Yi appeared to be in his thirties, dressed as a scholar, with three wisps of a long beard that looked particularly elegant.
Daoist Friend Pu wore a blood-red Daoist robe but exposed a good portion of her shoulder, a flirtatious female cultivator.
Daoist Friend Xie had an ordinary appearance, while Su Qingzi was a disheveled old man, sitting directly on the ground, tearing at a spiritual bird's leg.
These were all Divine Transformation cultivators. Layman Kuang Tao and Su Qingzi had the highest cultivation: the former was late-stage Divine Transformation, and Su Qingzi had actually reached the perfect Divine Transformation Realm.
"I have always admired Daoist Friend Su Qingzi's cultivation. For this gathering, he should actually be the leader. . ."
Layman Kuang Tao burst into laughter.
"Although this old man is a few years older and painstakingly reached perfected Divine Transformation, I haven't completed the Five Elements and cannot achieve the unity of all actions. . . As for cultivation methods, your 'Gluttony Scripture' integrates myriad cultivation methods into one, with all attributes complete. As long as one cultivates to perfected Divine Transformation, one automatically gains the power of unity, without needing to complete the Five Elements. You, my fellow Daoist, are truly the one among us with the greatest hope of breaking through to Return to Void."
Su Qingzi finished tearing at the spiritual bird leg, wiped the grease from his mouth, and sighed.
With many Divine Transformation cultivators gathered, the topic of breaking through to Return to Void naturally came up.
Hearing this, everyone fell silent.
How difficult was it for cultivators to break through major realms?
In the Earthly Immortal World, while forming a Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Divine Transformation might be easier than in the lower realms, Return to Void was an insurmountable chasm!
Even though these ascended Divine Transformation cultivators were all prodigies from the lower realms, due to their limited vision, knowledge, or the circumstances they were forced into, most had chosen top-tier cultivation methods of a single attribute, cultivating all the way to the Divine Transformation realm. It was practically impossible for them to abandon their current path, so they could only plan to complete the other elements.
In comparison, if they had started by cultivating Five Elements comprehensive cultivation methods like the "Hunyuan Arts," their future achievements would have been even more limitless.
However, single-attribute cultivation methods progressed faster. If they hadn't cultivated such methods, they might not have successfully achieved Divine Transformation and ascended!
The difficulty of Return to Void lay not only in the unyielding bottleneck but also in the prerequisite of "unity of all actions," which eliminated countless Divine Transformation cultivators!
"Hehe, Su Qingzi, you flatter me. This one was just lucky enough to obtain the ancient inheritance of the Gluttony Scripture. . . Even in the Earthly Immortal World, cultivating single-attribute techniques isn't going astray; it just becomes a bit troublesome after Divine Transformation."
Kuang Tao Layman praised at Fang Xi: "For example, Daoist Friend Fang here, his demonic cultivation is profound and pure. If he were to cultivate a top-tier orthodox human cultivation method as well, achieving unity of both orthodox and demonic paths, his chances of breaking through to Return to Void would be greatly increased."
Fang Xi gave a wry smile, toasted Kuang Tao, and then said, "My ascension to the Earthly Immortal World was extremely difficult. I only wanted to cultivate with single-minded devotion. Even being pressed into the Celestial Brahma Army, enduring a thousand years of hardship, I accepted it. But I never expected Gu Daoist to make things so difficult for us!"
"Hmph!"
The female cultivator surnamed Pu snorted coldly, evidently having suffered much at Gu Daoist's hands herself.
"Behind this person is the commander of the Deva Camp, who is indeed a Return to Void senior."
Layman Kuang Tao said individually, "Further. . . this one has already inquired about the upcoming missions for those of us in the Yaksha Camp who haven't obeyed Gu Daoist."
"Oh? What might they be?"
Fang Xi asked curiously.
He knew that these ascended cultivators gathered here were all troublemakers!
They might have even committed heinous crimes in the lower realms, such as sacrificing an entire continent through blood rituals. . . Naturally, they wouldn't want to clearly reveal their origins and backgrounds.
However, that these people could unite and even find out the Yaksha Camp's upcoming missions was somewhat unexpected.
"Indeed, no ascended cultivator should be underestimated. . ."
Fang Xi's gaze swept over everyone present, thinking to himself.
"Reclaiming the wilderness!"
Kuang Tao's voice carried a hint of helplessness.
"What? Reclaiming the wilderness, you say? !"
The scholar-like Daoist Friend Yi exclaimed, his eyes filled with terror.
"What is 'reclaiming the wilderness'? !"
Fang Xi saw Yunxi Xianzi and Liu Xu smile wryly and remain silent, knowing naturally that both women were already aware of the situation, so he couldn't help but ask.
"We Celestial Brahma Army cultivators, when there's no major war, only need to perform garrison and patrol duties. . . This is not only quite relaxed, but we also have plenty of time to cultivate on a daily basis, and even get a vacation every ten years. . ."
Yunxi Xianzi explained, "But the 'reclaiming the wilderness' mission is different. . . 'Reclaiming the wilderness,' as the name suggests, is to cultivate the wild lands of the Earthly Immortal World that were previously uninhabited. . ."
After Yunxi Xianzi's explanation, Fang Xi finally understood.
The Earthly Immortal World was vast and boundless. The human race initially occupied only a small territory. To become one of the three great overlords they were today, they relied on continuous reclamation of the wilderness!
They dispatched large numbers of cultivators to drive away the wild beasts and ancient wild beasts from the wilderness. . . then established formations, resisted natural disasters. . . transformed the wilderness into fertile land, then migrated low-level cultivators, and finally, mortals. . .
In this way, in just a few hundred or a thousand years, another fertile land for the human race would be established.
However. . . for the cultivators who first participated in reclaiming the wilderness, that initial batch was definitely the most arduous and dangerous!
Not to mention the daily need to deal with various threats, making it difficult to cultivate peacefully.
Just in the vast wilderness of the Earthly Immortal World, the endless wild beasts, and even ancient wild beasts comparable to Return to Void cultivators—encountering even one would be enough to make a group of Divine Transformation cultivators' scalps tingle.
Not to mention, there were also some indescribable and bizarre dangers.
For example, poisonous insects that could instantly kill Divine Transformation cultivators, fierce winds that could freeze souls, and even strange malevolent spirits that inexplicably caused Return to Void cultivators to perish. . .
In short, the death rate for the first batch of wilderness reclaimers was extremely high!
Therefore, many cultivators were unwilling to go, and over time, it became a military assignment.
This time, the Yaksha Camp was chosen, and most of the ascended Divine Transformation cultivators who had refused Gu Daoist's offer were listed for this mission.
It was even rumored that ascended cultivators from other camps would be conscripted to supplement their numbers.
Upon hearing about the reclamation mission, the expressions of the Divine Transformation cultivators present all turned grim.
"Damn it. . . How can this Gu Daoist and the Deva Camp commander behind him wield such absolute power?"
The female cultivator surnamed Pu's face was flushed.
It seemed she might also have been selected and conscripted for this mission.
"A mere Deva Camp commander naturally cannot wield such power. . . " Su Qingzi, however, scoffed. "Although superiors are superiors, and commanders are commanders. . . it's normal for high-level cultivators to have connections with each other, but they absolutely cannot wield such absolute power! Moreover. . . anyone who joins Gu Daoist's side will also be branded as 'other' within the Celestial Brahma Army. . . As far as this old man knows, while we go to reclaim the wilderness, Gu Daoist and his group of cultivators will most likely be assigned to the combat camp's ranks, directly patrolling the Three Realms Mountain battlefield!"
Although there were no major wars among the three races, minor skirmishes were constant, and many spies infiltrated territories.
One could say that high-level cultivators engaged in constant battles every day!
The danger level of this was no less than that of the reclamation mission.
At these words, the expressions of the cultivators present turned somewhat strange.
"It seems the higher-ups of the Celestial Brahma Army neither like Gu Daoist's faction nor our ascended cultivators' laxity. They plan to teach both sides a lesson."
Fang Xi sighed, "This matter isn't completely settled yet. If one were to convert to Buddhism now, perhaps there's still a way to be transferred out. . ."
Upon hearing this, the scholar-like Daoist Friend Yi and Daoist Friend Xie exchanged glances, both seeming somewhat moved.
Kuang Tao Layshi and Su Qingzi remained noncommittal.
Fang Xi glanced at Kuang Tao Layman.
This person's physique was so peculiar, and there was a trace of demonic qi, extremely well-hidden. He must have used the Gluttony Scripture to fuse a terrifying blood and flesh demonic art.
He must have committed boundless slaughter in the lower realm. Coupled with the incompatibility of his cultivation method's attributes with the Buddhist sect, it was highly unlikely he could join Jin Gangzi's faction.
Su Qingzi discarded the bone in his hand, a hint of regret in his voice: "Most Buddhist cultivators need to be pure-hearted and have 'Verbal Precepts. ' This old man fears it would be difficult to abide by them. . ."
Fang Xi looked to either side and found that Yunxi Xianzi and Liu Xu were both looking at him, clearly deferring to his lead.
The female cultivator surnamed Pu's face was gloomy, evidently having thought it over and similarly unwilling to give up her freedom.
"We are still accustomed to being unrestrained. . . It seems we'll have to work together closely from now on, everyone."
Fang Xi thought for a moment and gave his reply.
"Haha, good! With three more Daoist friends joining us, as long as we're careful, we should be able to protect ourselves in that 'Thunder Marsh Great Wilderness. '"
"What? The Thunder Marsh Great Wilderness? !"
The scholar-like cultivator's expression changed.
"What's wrong? Daoist friend has heard of this place?"
Daoist Friend Xie asked, surprised.
"Naturally. . ."
The scholar-like Daoist Friend Yi's expression changed several times before he finally spoke: "This one has always loved reading. After arriving at the Celestial Brahma Army, I collected a batch of ancient texts, mostly travelogues and notes from predecessors, as a pastime. . . Among them, one recounted an event: several millennia ago, a cultivator army once attempted to reclaim the Thunder Marsh Great Wilderness, but the result was. . . complete annihilation!"
Daoist Friend Xie shivered, then suddenly stood up: "Fellow Daoist Friends, I just remembered I have a batch of pills in my cave mansion that I haven't finished refining. I need to go back and watch the fire. I'll take my leave first."
Before his words fully fell, he stomped his foot, transforming into a crimson streak of light that swiftly vanished into the distance.
"This person has a true temperament. He's probably going to truly pledge allegiance to the Buddhist sect now!"
Fang Xi watched the disappearing streak of light, muttering to himself.
Between Divine Transformation cultivators, there was no fear of one another, and ascended cultivators were even more decisive in temperament.
After seeing the immense danger of reclaiming the wilderness, it was understandable for Daoist Friend Xie to choose to surrender himself.
If Fang Xi's identity hadn't been so awkward, he might have even infiltrated the Buddhist sect himself to learn their scriptures and various divine abilities.
After all, the paths of demons and Buddhas, in a sense, were quite compatible.
It was said, "Lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha instantly," but if one had no butcher's knife, how could one lay it down?
The scholar-like Daoist Friend Yi looked at the trailing light of Daoist Friend Xie's departure, his expression changing several times, but he ultimately remained silent.
Fang Xi guessed that after the gathering, this person would likely make the same decision as Daoist Friend Xie.
Sometimes, thinking too much wasn't a good thing.
For instance, if news of today's gathering spread, Daoist Friend Xie's decisive and unhesitating departure would be a strong point for him in the Buddhist sect.
Daoist Friend Yi's hesitation, on the other hand, made him seem like he was sitting on the fence.
After Daoist Friend Xie left, Kuang Tao Layshi and the others probably felt it was dull, so they quickly finished their banquet and dispersed. . .
...
Little Night Peak.
Fang Xi landed on the peak, only to see two streaks of light arriving together behind him—it was Yunxi Xianzi and Liu Xu!
"Daoist Friend Fang. . ."
The two women exchanged glances, both looking a little nervous.
Evidently, the rumors about the Thunder Marsh Great Wilderness had made them uneasy.
The vast wilderness outside the human regions in the Earthly Immortal World inherently represented danger!
"Since things have come to this, we can only do our best."
Fang Xi sighed.
As an External Avatar, he wasn't afraid of death.
Furthermore, he could run very fast. . .
"Currently, there are only two tasks. First, ascertain the truthfulness of this intelligence. Second, gather as much information as possible about the Thunder Marsh Great Wilderness, regardless of its authenticity, down to the smallest detail. . ."
Fang Xi casually assigned tasks and sent Yunxi Xianzi and Liu Xu away.
Recalling the two women's hesitant expressions at the end, he muttered to himself: "There's also a third task. . . Make sure that Gu Daoist can't cause any more trouble!"
He returned to his cave mansion, rested for a bit, then sat cross-legged and silently began to cultivate.
As a newcomer who had just returned from the military camp, it would be strange to apply to leave again.
The External Avatar had prepared to act as an alibi, staying within the Celestial Brahma Army at all times.
Of course, he had also consumed an Immortal Jade to set up a spatial node on Little Night Peak.
In this way, once his main body completed its mission in the Starry Sky Domain, it could teleport to the underground cave, continue setting up the Super Teleportation array, and handle subsequent matters.
When everything was ready and it was time to take risks, the main body and the External Avatar could seamlessly swap positions through the two nodes, achieving a complete transformation.
His main body would stay in the military camp to watch the show, while the External Avatar would go on adventures!
Although the art of External Avatars was not uncommon in the Earthly Immortal World, distinguishing between a clone and the main body was still a very difficult task.
If there were no clear suspicions, Fang Xi was confident he wouldn't even be on a list of suspects, and naturally, no one would consider if he had an External Avatar.
Conversely, if something major happened and he happened to be absent from the military camp, he would certainly be questioned.
Therefore, it was better to play the part fully.
...
Inside the underground cave.
A Super Teleportation Array was already quite impressive in scale.
Fang Xi's main body was here, making the final adjustments.
Buzz! Buzz!
He sent a spell seal into it, and the Super Teleportation Array immediately hummed!
"Not bad, not bad. All the fluctuations are correct. . . But in reality, without a true core, it's just a fancy facade."
Fang Xi shook his head.
The core of the Super Teleportation Array required void treasures of a higher rank than those used for human world teleportation arrays.
He hadn't been able to get his hands on them yet.
Therefore, this Super Teleportation Array was just for show; the true power lay with the All-Heavens Precious Mirror!
He had already set up a spatial node within the Starry Sky Sect's region. When the time came, he only needed to activate the precious mirror to transport Fang Xian Daoist there.
"However, the All-Heavens Precious Mirror's teleportation is too smooth. . . That won't do!"
"Fortunately, after Divine Transformation, my refinement of the All-Heavens Precious Mirror is deeper. I can now
activate some void energy to create void ripples, adding some turbulence to the teleportation. . ."
"I'm sure Fang Xian Daoist won't mind this, as long as it gets him out of the encirclement, it's enough. . ."
"With the nodes established, remotely controlling the All-Heavens Precious Mirror for teleportation isn't a big problem."
He sat cross-legged, his form instantly swapping with his External Avatar.
His main body directly stayed in Little Night Peak to watch the show, while the External Avatar guarded the Super Teleportation Array.
Several days later.
Fang Xian Daoist arrived gracefully. . .
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