Chapter 76: Return Leaf Divine Sect (Please Subscribe)
Chapter 76: Return Leaf Divine Sect (Please Subscribe)
Treasure Ship Market.
Cave Abode Gamma-37.
This was the cave abode Fang Xi had rented directly from the market after leaving the tea house.
It only cost one low-grade Spirit Stone per month, yet the cave abode was quite spacious, including a cultivation room, kitchen, study. . . truly, though a sparrow may be small, it possesses all five vital organs.
Furthermore, the spiritual energy was quite abundant.
At the very least, it was much denser than the place Fang Xi resided when he was still a Spirit Farmer, already meeting the standard of a first-order spirit vein.
Splash, splash!
Fang Xi once again thoroughly washed himself, ensuring not a trace of his aura remained.
Feeling as if he had scrubbed off a layer of skin, he changed into clean clothes and sat cross-legged in the cultivation room.
Upon the meditation mat, Fang Xi circulated his 'Evergreen Art' cultivation method, and a faint green spiritual light suddenly erupted from his body.
Feeling the spiritual energy enter his body at a faster rate than usual under the powerful spiritual pressure of the outside world, then circulate through his meridians, and finally return to his Dantian Qi Sea, transforming into misty magical power in a cyclical process, a hint of joy couldn't help but appear on Fang Xi's face.
Under the circulation of the Evergreen Art, his entire body seemed to burst with vitality; every inch of his muscles, tendons, and bones felt like thirsty travelers, bathing in the sweet dew descending from the heavens.
Even though the Evergreen Art had hit a bottleneck and was difficult to break through, this wood-attribute magical power nurturing his body was still excellent.
"Indeed. . . the higher the spiritual vein's concentration, the better the cultivation effect."
"If possible, in the future, it would be best to acquire a first-order spiritual vein location. . . unfortunately, it's highly unlikely. Even an unranked one would suffice. . ."
Fang Xi planned to stay at the Treasure Ship Market for several months, exploring various avenues, and then planning for a spiritual land.
Even with a spiritual land, he would still need to meticulously survey the terrain, even thoroughly understanding the surrounding forces, getting well-acquainted with his neighbors, and making thorough preparations before he could plant the tree seed and begin cultivating the 'Longevity Art'.
All of this might take several years.
Such a long period, of course, could not be wasted.
That was why he rented a cave abode; it was also to focus his energy more on the cultivation of the Evergreen Art.
'I need to prepare for the worst. . . '
'Even if, in the end, the Longevity Art fails, as long as my Evergreen Art cultivation improves through persistent practice in a spiritual land, it would still be a gain. '
After Fang Xi completed a major circulation of his energy, he began to ponder the choice of a spiritual land.
"The Dragon Fish Zhong Clan's long-term spiritual island leases are indeed very appealing. . . as long as I rent one, I can leverage their prestige, gain protection, and ensure my safety. . . unfortunately, the price is bound to be very high. For a mere fourth-level Qi Refinement cultivator like me to suddenly produce a large sum of Spirit Stones and rent for decades, it would be too eye-catching. . . and if I gain the Zhong family's protection, what if they summon me for battle later? Should I obey or refuse?"
"Joining a small Qi Refinement force would easily lead to internal strife and scheming, but it would also offer much greater freedom. . ."
"Ideally, I'd find a particularly weak one, then incite a rebellion and kill them all. . . grandly occupying an island, provided I'm not then besieged as a Demonic Cultivator. . ."
Fang Xi considered the situation and felt somewhat speechless himself.
"Forget it. . . I'll just see what opportunities arise. . . One must remain low-key, low-key."
Although the spiritual vein resources here at Myriad Islands Lake seemed richer than those at Green Bamboo Mountain, opportunities weren't always available.
Moreover. . . even if there were opportunities, they weren't prepared for a mere fourth-level Qi Refinement Rogue Cultivator.
Fang Xi pondered for a moment, then slapped his storage pouch.
A roll of snakeskin and a bundle of colossal snake bones abruptly appeared on the ground.
The snakeskin was mottled with faint patterns, still bearing scales.
The snake bones were grotesque, emitting a faint, heart-palpitating aura.
These were the skin and bones of a serpent dragon!
"The items are good, but they're a bit too conspicuous. Without a trustworthy channel, they're not easy to sell. . ."
Fang Xi stroked his chin, feeling a slight regret.
In fact, he didn't really want to sell these precious resources.
After all, as Miao Dong's reaction showed, this serpent dragon was entirely a top-grade first-order material. Selling it would be a bit of a loss, and the crucial point was that he wasn't particularly short on Spirit Stones at the moment.
"Fortunately, the serpent dragon is large enough. . . a little waste doesn't matter."
Fang Xi spread out the snakeskin, which still bore scales. It had already undergone preliminary treatment and had no fishy smell whatsoever.
Moreover, it was extremely tough. He pulled at the snakeskin with both hands, exerting continuous force, but found it difficult to tear apart.
He thought for a moment, then gripped the 'Golden Flood Dragon Shears' in his right hand, pressing the tip against the snakeskin. Circulating his True Gang Qi, he finally managed to cut the snakeskin with difficulty, boring small holes one by one.
Then, using serpent tendons to thread through the holes, he fashioned a rudimentary inner armor.
After putting it on, he covered it with an outer robe, and no anomaly could be discerned at all.
"This isn't a magical artifact. . . but it can still block most attacks. It's just difficult to evade auxiliary attacks like shock and penetration. Fortunately, I am a Body Cultivator, with a powerful physical body, so I don't fear these secondary injuries. . . "Fang Xi then looked at the snake bones; he truly was powerless to do anything with them himself. He still needed to find a trustworthy artifact refiner.
Fortunately, he could now be considered settled. He could first go and purchase some pills to aid his cultivation and see if he could break through to the fifth level of Qi Refinement.
Moreover, he could take his time to search for an artifact refiner with excellent craftsmanship and decent reputation.
...
The next day.
Inside the teahouse.
Fang Xi ordered another pot of 'Five Carp Playing with Pearl' spiritual tea. As he sipped, he listened to the idle chatter of the surrounding tea guests, feeling a distinct sense of leisure, as if watching flowers bloom and wither, and clouds lazily roll and unfurl.
However, this time there was no significant news. Most of it consisted of minor affairs, such as a certain Rogue Cultivator achieving another breakthrough in cultivation, advancing to the late Qi Refinement stage, or someone having good luck and catching a spiritual fish in the lake, and so on.
After three infusions of tea, Old Daoist Kuxiu specifically sought him out, a hint of joy on his face: "Fellow Daoist, congratulations!"
"Oh? What is there to be joyful about?"
Fang Xi retorted, but his heart suddenly stirred.
Could it be that a spiritual land had been found?
"Well. . . of course. . . hehe! " Old Daoist Kuxiu chuckled, pointing towards the private room.
A moment later, inside the private room.
Fang Xi didn't even glance at the mundane tea, simply waiting for Old Daoist Kuxiu to speak.
"This old Daoist has been entrusted by fellow Daoist to inquire about relevant information, and I finally have definitive news!"
Old Daoist Kuxiu said with a hint of satisfaction: "The Dragon Fish Zhong Clan is expected to release two unranked spiritual island contracts this year! This is a great opportunity to become an island master!"
"Oh? What are the requirements? " Fang Xi asked calmly, continuing his inquiry.
"Requirements? First, to protect the mortals on the island from natural disasters and potential monster beast incursions. . . Second, to become a guest elder of the Zhong family, and assist the Zhong family when necessary. Of course, the Zhong family will also provide compensation based on the situation. . . " Old Daoist Kuxiu said with a smile.
"How many years for the lease? And what's the price?"
Fang Xi sighed inwardly. As expected, benefits from major powers weren't easy to obtain. Although he had already largely rejected the idea in his heart, he still wanted to hear the price.
"A hundred Spirit Stones a year, with a minimum ten-year lease! " Old Daoist Kuxiu stared fixedly at Fang Xi.
'A thousand Spirit Stones for ten years? If I were to produce that much, I'm afraid Old Daoist Kuxiu would start having ill intentions! '
Fang Xi rolled his eyes inwardly, a bitter smile appearing on his face: "So expensive? Fine, fine. . . I won't be this island master then. Are there any other methods?"
"Sigh. . . it is a bit expensive, but once you become an island master, the entire island is yours to develop. This is the foundation for many small families and minor sects. . . However, for a lone fellow Daoist, it truly doesn't seem suitable."
Old Daoist Kuxiu sighed: "Apart from that. . . Guiye Shangren, the island master of 'Small Leaf Island' in the Thirty-Six Islands Alliance, wishes to recruit a guest elder for his sect. I informed him of your situation, and he is quite interested, promising to allocate ten mu of spiritual fields for fellow Daoist to cultivate."
"Thirty-Six Islands Alliance?"
Fang Xi had heard of this force. It was said to be a coalition of Qi Refinement forces, confronting the Dragon Fish Zhong Clan. Not knowing the specific details, he simply asked.
"The 'Thirty-Six Islands,' as they're called, are indeed one of the two major Foundation Establishment forces on Myriad Islands Lake. . . however, they are a coalition of various Qi Refinement forces. These Qi Refinement forces even hold grudges and attack each other. . . it's only when facing pressure from the Zhong family that they unite against outsiders. . ."
Old Daoist Kuxiu stroked his beard and chuckled: "The Thirty-Six Islands Alliance originally had no Foundation Establishment cultivators, but they pooled resources to invite a Rogue Cultivator Foundation Establishment expert as a venerated figure, essentially leveraging his name. . . The Zhong family has also shown no intention of expanding in recent years, so both sides have been at peace."
"So that's how it is. What is Guiye Shangren's cultivation level? What is his character like? Does he have any enemy forces?"
Since he had paid Spirit Stones for the private room, Fang Xi naturally wanted to inquire thoroughly.
"Guiye Shangren was originally a fisherman. He later fell into the water and luckily stumbled into a predecessor's cave abode, acquiring a cultivation method inheritance. He himself possesses a mid-grade spiritual root. . . Later, he cultivated to the mid Qi Refinement stage, slaughtered the Ye family who originally occupied Small Leaf Island, and established the 'Return Leaf Divine Sect' as its first sect master. . . As for enemies? I haven't heard much, but within his sect, the number of Qi Refinement cultivators probably doesn't exceed ten."
Old Daoist Kuxiu seemed to be suppressing a laugh.
'A sect with fewer than ten Qi Refinement cultivators? And the sect master is only at the mid Qi Refinement stage? '
Upon hearing this, Fang Xi felt an uncontrollable itch in his hands.
However, after some thought, he realized he was here to cultivate his tree for decades; it was better not to make enemies if possible.
Even if he killed all his enemies, a bad reputation would easily lead to siege by the righteous path. That would be very bad!
Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth!
He chanted it several times in his heart, finally calming down: "May I ask, what is the grade of this Small Leaf Island?"
"It barely has an unranked spiritual vein, and its spiritual energy concentration is far inferior to that of the Treasure Ship Market! " Old Daoist Kuxiu shook his head.
"This. . ."
Fang Xi deliberated for a moment, then spoke: "I am indeed somewhat moved. May I know how to contact Guiye Shangren?"
Old Daoist Kuxiu nodded. In his estimation, this Spirit Farmer would likely choose to join a Qi Refinement force: "In half a month, Guiye Shangren himself will personally escort a batch of spiritual rice to the Treasure Ship Market for sale. If fellow Daoist is interested, you may speak with him in detail here; this old Daoist will act as an intermediary for both of you. . ."
This was originally one of his services, and he could also conveniently collect another commission!
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