Chapter 705: Empowerment
Chapter 705: Empowerment
Black Rock City.
East of the city.
The block where Fang Xi resided now had over a dozen scattered rogue cultivators.
Most of them had opened up small spirit fields at their doorsteps, growing spirit rice, fruits, and vegetables.
Over the past twenty years, Black Rock City's population had not decreased; on the contrary, it had grown considerably.
This was likely due to the continuous return of the wilderness inhabitants, as well as the reproduction among the cultivators within the city.
One day.
A nimble-featured young man, carrying a few pieces of demon beast meat, arrived before Fang Xi's cave dwelling: "Uncle. . . Little Bug has come to see you again."
Seeing the demon beast meat in Little Bug's hands, he couldn't help but smile: "Just come when you like, why be so polite?"
"My master said, Uncle, that you are truly profound and told me to learn well from you!"
Little Bug said earnestly: "If not for Uncle's guidance on my swordsmanship before, perhaps I would have fallen in the wilderness this time. . ."
"With your current Early Foundation Establishment cultivation and a low-grade spirit artifact flying sword, the wilderness is still very dangerous. You could die at any moment. . . After all, those powerful Primal Beasts and evil entities won't reason with you. If your mother, in the heavens, knew, she certainly wouldn't rest easy. . ."
Fang Xi pulled out his wine gourd and took a gulp of Green Bamboo Wine.
Back then, Widow Liang had risked her life to bring back some supplies, after which her health deteriorated, and she passed away ten years later.
Fortunately, by then, Little Bug was already an adult, and with his master Zhou Jun's guidance, he had overcome many Qi Refinement hurdles and successfully achieved Foundation Establishment!
After reaching Foundation Establishment, Little Bug joined a "demon hunting squad" formed by a small circle of rogue cultivators nearby. He frequently ventured out to hunt demons and acquire demon beast meat.
The resources in the wilderness were, in fact, incredibly abundant; it simply depended on whether cultivators were willing to risk their lives for them.
Many rogue cultivators in Black Rock City, by continuously risking their lives, had indeed discovered several relatively safe hunting grounds.
Of course, even if they were called safe, a Foundation Establishment cultivator could still perish directly with a single misstep.
Even Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators would face certain death if they encountered a Primal Beast.
Strangely, for over twenty years, Black Rock City had not been attacked by Primal Beasts or evil entities.
Fang Xi knew full well the reason: it was most likely the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros' doing!
With the Ancient Primal Beast having left its aura here, wouldn't all other beasts naturally retreat?
As for why it did this, it was probably just raising livestock.
Gazing at Black Rock City, which was now flourishing and on the verge of forming a new cultivator civilization and ecosystem, Fang Xi knew that the day of reckoning was not far off!
"I'm going to see my master. . ."
After chatting for a while, Little Bug rose to take his leave and went to visit Zhou Jun again.
According to Fang Xi's perception, Zhou Jun's injuries were continuously worsening. If he couldn't save himself, he probably only had a few years left.
"How interesting!"
He murmured, returning to his own cave dwelling.
A silver flash in the void, and a small green bird flew out, clutching a letter in its beak.
Fang Xi took it and saw that it was indeed a letter from Yunxi and Liu Xu.
This time, in the letter, the two women, besides sharing intelligence about Heavenly Brahma City becoming increasingly dire, also spoke of a dilemma they faced.
Although Yunxi and Liu Xu's cultivation had advanced rapidly after entering the Earthly Immortal World, they were still some distance from attempting the great Return to Void bottleneck.
At this moment, among their fellow disciples, a senior sister had already cultivated to the Perfected Divine Transformation realm and even completed auxiliary cultivation in Five Elements techniques.
She now wished to attempt the Return to Void bottleneck but suffered from a lack of spiritual items, and was borrowing from various junior and senior sisters. . .
'Can Return to Void spiritual items be purchased in Heavenly Brahma City? Or through the Heaven's Charm Sect's channels? '
'Could it be some kind of trick? '
Fang Xi blinked.
Yunxi Xianzi and Liu Xu were now in a difficult position. After all, their fellow sect members' affection was there; if they didn't help, they would certainly lose goodwill and might even offend a future Return to Void Uncle-Master!
Fang Xi never offered advice on such matters, leaving it to the two women to decide for themselves.
"Master, master, when are we going out to play? It's so boring here. . ."
Little Green landed, transforming into a bright-eyed and graceful young girl, tugging at Fang Xi's sleeve.
"Going out to play? Don't you know how dangerous it is outside now?"
Fang Xi chuckled, shaking his head: "You should be secretly pleased to have this temporary respite and twenty years of leisure. . ."
What's more, for a Return to Void cultivator, delaying twenty years to hunt an Ancient Primal Beast was nothing.
Some would even pursue a hunt for fifty or a hundred years without stopping.
Of course, such situations were highly specific; eighty percent of the time, the materials from the hunted Ancient Primal Beast were incredibly rare, and directly related to their cultivation breakthrough or even saving their lives.
"True. . . staying here, I can also watch a good show."
Little Green looked towards Zhou Jun's cave dwelling: "That old man is close to death; is he preparing to body-snatch?"
Zhou Jun was, after all, a Nascent Soul cultivator. When his physical body truly reached the brink of collapse, he could still attempt Nascent Soul body snatching!
In doing so, he could quickly recover from his injuries, and if the snatched body was highly suitable – ideally with the same spiritual roots and cultivating the same technique – he could swiftly regain his cultivation.
After all, a Nascent Soul cultivator who body-snatched no longer needed to undergo tribulation to condense a Nascent Soul; they only needed to restore their magic power.
"Perhaps. . ."
Fang Xi looked towards Zhou Jun's cave dwelling, his expression unreadable.
...
Half a month later.
The heavens and earth shook violently, and spiritual energy from a hundred-mile radius surged towards a certain spot west of the city.
A spiritual pressure far exceeding that of Core Formation appeared, continuously spreading outwards, alarming everyone within a hundred miles.
"That is. . ."
"A Nascent Soul heavenly phenomenon?"
"From the direction of the Thunderfire Hall, could it be that True Man Thunderfire is about to condense his Nascent Soul?"
Many cultivators stopped their work, their faces revealing expressions of shock and envy.
"Darn it, this market town just started to get better, and now a great chaos is about to erupt. . ."
Several other old cultivators, however, were heartbroken, almost cursing aloud: "How could the Heavenly Brahma Gang allow a Nascent Soul True Monarch to emerge from the Thunderfire Hall? I'm afraid they'll immediately provoke a great war. . ."
Fang Xi had to admit that their words made a lot of sense.
But the one truly anxious should be Zhou Jun.
This person had hidden his cultivation; originally, a group of Core Formation cultivators would not have been able to detect him.
But with a Nascent Soul cultivator, it would be different.
Therefore, whatever his plan, he should immediately begin to execute it.
"True Man Thunderfire. . . escaped a great disaster, established a gang, collected resources. . . and in mere twenty years, is attempting the Nascent Soul bottleneck?"
Fang Xi rubbed his chin, looking at the direction where the spiritual clouds gathered: "He truly has some protagonist's destiny. . ."
Above his head, a strange light flickered, and a peculiar Gu worm resembling an eight-legged spider emerged. It seemed eager, looking towards the spiritual clouds, or more accurately, towards the person of great destiny beneath them.
Since he acquired this Fifth-stage Qi Luck Gu, it had always been quite helpful.
Even now, it was still concealing heavenly secrets for Fang Xi.
However, as his realm continuously broke through, the effect of this Gu worm would only worsen, unless. . . he re-refined it to advance its rank!
Fang Xi had already found the method for advancement in the Valley God Mystic Realm, but refining this Fifth-stage Gu worm to the Sixth-stage was exceptionally difficult.
"Nascent Soul. . . A Perfected Core Formation cultivator, advancing to Nascent Soul? !"
Inside Zhou Jun's cave dwelling, Little Bug looked at this scene, equally astonished.
"Alas. . . I originally thought I could hold on for a bit longer."
Zhou Jun looked at the strange heavenly phenomenon, sighed, and flicked his sleeve.
A black ray of light appeared, coiling around Little Bug.
Little Bug was instantly startled, and with a snort, he expelled two streaks of sword qi from his nostrils.
The sword art he practiced was merely average, but he possessed a 'Lung Metal Sword Qi,' which he could cultivate by breathing and absorbing the essence of the five metals, storing it within his lung meridians. When used, a cold snort would unleash it through his nasal cavity, harming people invisibly—a trump card for saving his life!
Unfortunately, the sword qi struck the dark ray of light and vanished without a trace.
"Master. . . why?"
Little Bug's face was filled with disbelief.
Immediately after, he saw a black, cauldron-shaped magical treasure floating above Zhou Jun's head. The fluctuations it emitted made Little Bug's expression change drastically: "A Core Formation magical treasure. . . Master, you're actually a Core Formation cultivator. . ."
"Not so!"
Zhou Jun smiled faintly, leading Little Bug into a secret chamber.
He sat cross-legged, and from the flickering light above his head, a Nascent Soul emerged.
This Nascent Soul appeared somewhat thin, and its face was not entirely like Zhou Jun's.
After all, Zhou Jun had changed his appearance while living in seclusion here.
Now, staring at Little Bug, he let out a cold laugh: "Disciple. . . you've helped your master greatly before. Today, help your master one more time!"
After saying this, the Nascent Soul formed a hand seal.
Accompanied by mysterious incantations, it instantly teleported, vanishing from its spot.
The next instant, Zhou Jun's Nascent Soul appeared within Little Bug's Sea of Consciousness!
'Oh no. . . '
Tears streamed from Little Bug's eyes as he recalled the many legends of old Nascent Soul monsters snatching bodies for rebirth. . .
...
"Has it begun?"
Fang Xi held his wine gourd, taking a sip of Green Bamboo Wine, watching as streaks of lightning crashed down in the distance.
Although for him now, a mere Nascent Soul lightning tribulation could be shattered with a flick of a finger.
But for a Nascent Soul cultivator who had just shattered their core to form a Nascent Soul, it was a life-and-death trial!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One lightning bolt after another struck, and in the blink of an eye, nine layers of lightning had passed!
"This True Man Thunderfire, no, True Monarch Thunderfire, truly has some luck. . . he actually succeeded."
Little Green commented blandly.
"What seems a misfortune may turn out to be a blessing, and what seems a blessing may turn out to be a misfortune!"
Fang Xi's lips curved into a strange arc.
No one understood the true nature of Black Rock City better than him.
He wondered if the breakthrough of a single Nascent Soul cultivator would attract that Ancient Primal Beast?
Even without using the Qi Luck Gu now, Fang Xi knew that True Monarch Thunderfire's luck was absolutely at its lowest ebb, already at the point of a shroud of blood-red clouds hanging over his head, with a bloodshed calamity potentially striking at any moment!
...
True Monarch Thunderfire passed his tribulation and achieved Nascent Soul!
The Heavenly Brahma Gang immediately expressed their submission!
Just as everyone in Black Rock City was celebrating wildly, believing that good days were about to arrive.
That night. . .
"Nine moons, truly magnificent. . ."
Fang Xi brought out a rattan chair, gazing at the moonlight, muttering to himself.
At this moment, his Divine Consciousness had long been released, and with numerous puppets and Qi-essence beasts created by his Secret Art of Transforming into Myriad Things, he monitored every movement in Black Rock City.
'The advancement of a Nascent Soul cultivator. . . can it attract the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros? '
Fang Xi held some doubts about this. After all, for a Sixth-stage Ancient Primal Beast, an ordinary Nascent Soul seemed to hold little attraction.
Soon, his Divine Consciousness detected a trace of movement.
Thump! Thump!
In the darkness, heavy footsteps approached from a distance.
Countless mists dissipated, revealing a colossal Primal Beast resembling a rhinoceros.
It had three pale golden horns arranged in parallel on its head.
At this moment, it let out a roar that shook Black Rock City.
Terrifying Primal Beast aura emanated, reminding all the cultivators in the city of the fear they faced that night over twenty years ago!
"Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros!"
"No, why is it so much smaller, and its aura is only Fifth-stage. . . the color of its horns isn't right either."
Fang Xi swept his Divine Consciousness, and instantly understood: "Could this be the offspring of those two Ancient Primal Beasts from back then?"
"Indeed, an ordinary Nascent Soul might just be a 'taste' for an Ancient Primal Beast, but for a young one, it's a decent supplement."
This Black Rock City, in fact, was a 'breeding ground' designated by the Ancient Primal Beasts!
Return to Void cultivators harvesting Divine Transformation, Divine Transformation harvesting Nascent Soul – it's all very reasonable!
'Now, those two Ancient Primal Beasts don't value this place, but this Fifth-stage Primal Beast is just right for it. Not only are the cultivators' flesh and blood greatly nourishing, but it can also familiarize itself with human cultivators' spells. . . '
Fang Xi felt a slight surge of emotion.
The so-called love of parents for their children is to plan far ahead for them.
Those two Ancient Primal Beasts had specially created such a low-tier human cultivator 'breeding ground,' and now it seemed it was to satisfy the needs of their offspring. . .
The Primal Beast roared, shaking the entire city.
From a certain cave dwelling, a furious response suddenly erupted.
Boom!
A cloud of lightning, several acres in size, appeared, with spiritual flames rising within it.
"Primal Beast. . . I'll fight you to the death!"
True Monarch Thunderfire's voice boomed. The cloud, imbued with lightning and fire, enveloped the Primal Beast.
"Hmm?"
Fang Xi's eyes lit up. He saw that within the lightning-fire cloud, a burly man around forty, with purple hair and beard, was forming hand seals, waving a somewhat tattered thunder-fire banner.
'This Communicating Spirit Treasure. . . I seem to have seen it before. . . it was the life-bound treasure of a Divine Transformation captain. It seems he has already perished, and his magical treasure was picked up by someone else. . . '
Fang Xi sighed inwardly.
At this moment, he saw that True Monarch Thunderfire had no intention of entangling with the Primal Beast or displaying any righteousness to buy time for his subordinates and rogue cultivators to escape.
Instead, he continuously chanted incantations, taking the opportunity to throw that Communicating Spirit Treasure banner away.
The sky full of lightning and fire transformed into a cage, temporarily trapping the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros.
With a long howl, the lightning and fire responded, immediately transforming into a streak of light and fleeing for his life!
Whoosh!
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth shook, and countless specks of light converged, breaking open the lightning-fire cage.
If this Communicating Spirit Treasure had been wielded by a Divine Transformation cultivator, it would certainly have trapped the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros for much longer.
Alas, its master was merely a Nascent Soul, and the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros was most skilled at breaking formations!
The Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros roared, a pale golden horn on its head rumbling, and a golden radiance shot out, illuminating the night.
True Monarch Thunderfire's relief at his escape was still on his face when his aura instantly vanished, and he tumbled from mid-air.
In his Dantian Sea of Qi, the newly condensed Nascent Soul, filled with shock and rage, was pierced through the chest by a golden ray of light, which then coiled back.
If True Monarch Thunderfire had possessed the will to fight to the death, Fang Xi might have lent a hand.
But seeing his utterly spineless display, he merely watched from the sidelines.
At this moment, Fang Xi saw that Nascent Soul, enveloped in the golden light, disappear into the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros's mouth.
It chewed twice, and its small eyes suddenly lit up!
A Fourth-stage Nascent Soul might just be a 'taste' for an Ancient Primal Beast, but for a Fifth-stage Primal Beast, it was still a considerable supplement.
The Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros let out a long howl and then swallowed True Monarch Thunderfire's physical body.
Cultivators' physical bodies were rich in heaven and earth vital energy, and tasted equally delicious to Primal Beasts and demon beasts!
After eating True Monarch Thunderfire, the golden hue on one of the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros's pale golden horns seemed to deepen slightly, and a pattern emerged.
Hum!
A strange golden light burst forth. Wherever it passed, the formations later set up by the rogue cultivators disintegrated. . .
Boom!
Boom!
The Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros stepped into the market town. With one stomp, a stone building turned into dust.
Whether it was the magical tools or spirit artifacts of Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators, or the magical treasures of Core Formation cultivators, they struck the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros without even leaving a white mark.
Clearly, these attacks weren't even enough to tickle the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros.
It glanced around, chose a few Core Formation True Men, and opened its gaping maw. . .
"Disaster! Disaster!"
"Oh heavens. . . a Primal Beast breached the city! Why must this old man encounter such a terrible tragedy twice in a row?"
East of the city.
Because the cultivators were sparsely populated here, the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros's attention had not yet been drawn to this area.
But all the cultivators were in a panic, scattering like startled birds and beasts to flee for their lives.
Among them, a white-haired old Qi Refinement cultivator, staring at the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros, actually began to curse loudly.
Clearly, he had gone mad!
Fang Xi listened for a few sentences and roughly understood that most of this person's descendants had died in the previous Primal Beast city breach.
He had barely escaped with one grandson, endured hardships in the wilderness, and finally returned to the market town to settle down.
He had just enjoyed a few peaceful days, and today he even witnessed a Nascent Soul True Monarch undergoing tribulation.
He had originally thought the peaceful days would continue, but then the Primal Beasts came again!
Such a stark contrast was indeed enough to drive one to despair!
"This is the Wilderness!"
"Were the human ancestors always so arduous when opening up new lands?"
Fang Xi sighed with emotion and said to Little Green beside him: "Go. . . capture that Primal Beast alive!"
"Does it have to be alive?"
Little Green pouted: "That's a bit troublesome. . ."
Though she said this, she still transformed into a streak of green light and flew out.
Chirp!
The Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros lowered its head, about to devour a group of Qi Refinement cultivators, when it was suddenly struck by a ball of green flame.
Accompanied by a clear phoenix cry, the Green Luan Fire violently erupted.
This spiritual flame immediately scorched off the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros's thick hide, and strands of green fiery fringe continuously seeped towards its bones, internal organs, and other vital areas. . .
The Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros was violently flung back, letting out a pained scream.
Above its head, the three sharp horns glowed brightly, suddenly soaring into the void.
Three golden lights merged, forming a golden mist, within which countless runes flickered erratically.
A silver flash in the void revealed a supremely majestic Green Fire Luan.
This Green Fire Luan spread its wings, and every feather seemed to burn with green flames, while streaks of silver Phoenix Seal Script shuttled between them.
With a gentle flap, Green Luan Fire mixed with silver light flew out, and the wind, fueling the fire, easily evaporated the golden mist!
Not only that, the massive Green Fire Luan swooped down, and a green fiery giant claw appeared, leaving three parallel, ghastly wounds on the Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros's back, with green flames searing the flesh near the wounds. . .
The Tri-horn Primal Rhinoceros roared in anger, engaging in battle with the Green Fire Luan.
The rogue cultivators below seized the opportunity to flee, their hearts filled with confusion: "That's. . . a Fifth-stage Divine Transformation demon beast? Why is it fighting with the Primal Beast and saving us. . . Could it be someone's spiritual pet?"
Most cultivators were quick-witted, and some immediately guessed the truth, their faces showing a trace of wild joy.
In the wilderness, only Divine Transformation cultivators possessed the basic conditions for migration!
If they wanted to leave this godforsaken place, they would at least need the protection of a Divine Transformation cultivator!
Unfortunately, no matter how they searched, they couldn't find any trace of that 'senior'. . .
...
"Truly magnificent. . ."
Fang Xi stood at the entrance of his cave dwelling, watching the terrifying struggle between the two colossal beasts, and sighed faintly.
At this moment, he saw the gate of Zhou Jun's cave dwelling open nearby, and a young man walked out, looking utterly distraught.
"Little Bug, want to have a drink?"
Fang Xi raised the gourd in his hand.
Little Bug's vacant eyes shifted, now seeming as if they had weathered countless storms.
He came before Fang Xi, took the gourd, and gulped down the contents.
The Green Bamboo Wine slid down his throat, leaving only a faint bitter taste.
Little Bug suddenly felt a pang of sorrow: "My master. . . has passed away. . ."
Earlier, when Zhou Jun suddenly erupted with Nascent Soul power, even attempting to body-snatch him, Little Bug had almost thought he was doomed.
But unexpectedly, for some unknown reason, the body-snatching process failed.
Instead, he gained many experiences and memories of a Nascent Soul cultivator, which could be considered the most precious treasure on his cultivation path!
Little Bug had virtually experienced a Nascent Soul cultivator's life from another perspective. From then on, let alone Nascent Soul, cultivating to the Core Formation realm would be absolutely no problem!
"Oh? Why is that? " Fang Xi asked, feigning surprise.
"Master. . . he already had old injuries, and today his injuries worsened, so he passed away peacefully. . . " Little Bug had originally wanted to tell the truth, but when the words reached his lips, he immediately changed them.
"Haha, Little Bug, you've truly come into your own through experience."
Upon hearing this, Fang Xi couldn't help but nod: "For you to be like this, your master's painstaking efforts were not in vain. . ."
"What?"
Little Bug was struck as if by lightning, leaping back a few steps. In the hand clasped behind his back, a lightning pearl had already appeared.
"No need to show off the life-saving treasure your Nascent Soul master left you. . ."
Fang Xi took out another wine gourd and casually took a sip of Green Bamboo Wine: "Your master didn't body-snatch you, but performed an empowerment!"
If it were soul possession, a mere early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would be utterly unable to resist.
The secret art that Zhou Jun employed was a 'Profound Imbuement Art' passed down from the Buddhist sects, equivalent to abandoning everything of oneself to transfer a portion of one's experience, insights, and even cultivation base to the successor.
Of course, if one were to inherit the magical power, it could potentially hinder future breakthroughs, with the drawbacks outweighing the benefits.
Therefore, many cultivators, when performing the Profound Imbuement Art, only preserve the memories, allowing the magical power to dissipate automatically. . .
Fang Xi now looked again and knew that within this 'Little Worm' were surges of vital life energy, usually lying dormant, but appearing at crucial moments when he broke through major realms, to lend him a hand.
“Not soul possession? But profound imbuement? ! ”
Little Worm murmured a few words, his eyes suddenly reddening, “Why didn't Master tell me? ”
“Perhaps because. . . he wanted you to know the treachery of the cultivation world's heart. This was also his last lesson for you! ” Fang Xi replied with emotion.
“Then who are you, Uncle? ”
Little Worm did not drop his guard, asking seriously.
To know that his Master was a Nascent Soul cultivator, yet his Master knew nothing of this person, unless. . .
Chirp!
Just then, the distant battle of the giant beasts finally reached its conclusion. The Green Fire Luan, clutching the immobilized Triangle-Horned Rhino, flew towards their location.
Fang Xi lightly tapped his foot and landed atop Little Green's head, standing with his hands behind his back, gazing at Little Worm.
Little Worm felt his entire body tremble: “Soul Transformation. . . a Soul Transformation Venerable? ! ”
He was, after all, a cultivator from the Earthly Immortal World, his knowledge far surpassing that of cultivators from the lower realms.
He also knew that before Black Rock Market declined, it had been guarded by Void Amalgamation Grand Cultivators and Soul Transformation Venerables!
It was said that at that time, Soul Transformation Venerables had swept away all evil, making the area around the market town incredibly safe, a veritable paradise for human cultivators. . .
“Little Worm. . . no, Liang Rulong, with this parting today, may we meet again if fate allows. ”
Fang Xi transmitted his divine consciousness and casually imbued the 'Gu Art' he had gleaned from studying the Mixed-Brand Serpent over these days into the man's sea of consciousness, then stomped his foot.
The Green Fire Luan transformed into a streak of green flame and vanished into the distance. . .
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