Chapter 762: Perfection
Chapter 762: Perfection
Within the Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm.
In a medicine garden.
A flash of verdant light shimmered in the void, and roots plunged into the earth.
A Ginseng Fruit Tree, entirely emerald green, materialized out of thin air. Its branches were gnarled like dragons, and its leaves resembled jade, standing silently upon the spiritual land.
Strands of Myriad Wood Mother Qi emerged, burrowing into the roots of the Ginseng Fruit Tree, beginning to assist the spirit plant in solidifying and growing. . .
With Fang Xi's current skill as a Spirit Plant Master, coupled with the Myriad Wood Mother Qi, theoretically, even seventh or eighth-rank spiritual roots could be transplanted.
However, this particular 'Ginseng Fruit Tree' was different.
Fang Xi faintly sensed that it had already surpassed the Earthly Immortal World by a level.
Fortunately, this spiritual root was not particular about its environment.
Using his experience as a Spirit Plant Master, Fang Xi sensed the vitality of the Ginseng Fruit Tree, then crushed a large amount of Immortal Jade, scattering the jade powder around the tree's roots.
As wisps of immortal qi ascended, the roots of the Ginseng Fruit Tree and the surrounding earthly qi gradually stabilized.
Immediately after. . .
He felt the Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm rumble!
For some time now, Fang Xi had been collecting various spiritual roots from Trapped Sky Island and transplanting them into the Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm.
But the commotion caused by all those spiritual roots combined was not as great as that of the Ginseng Fruit Tree!
After all, as the master of the spiritual realm, he was one with it, and his senses were incredibly precise and subtle.
At this moment, Fang Xi's Divine Consciousness was boundless, spreading throughout every corner of the spiritual realm.
He could "see" strands of "Myriad Wood Mother Qi" generating from all parts of the spiritual realm, gathering like verdant clouds.
"The daily production of Myriad Wood Mother Qi has increased rapidly. . ."
"Now, deducting consumption, at least a hundred acres of Myriad Wood Mother Qi can be added in a year. . ."
Fang Xi calculated briefly, his eyes lighting up.
Currently, the Myriad Wood Mother Qi in the Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm was around five thousand acres.
If this rate of increase continued, it would certainly surpass ten thousand acres within a cycle of sixty years!
By then, he would be at the perfected Return to Void stage, ready to assault the great Void Amalgamation bottleneck.
And he was still under three thousand years old!
"This progress. . . is not slow at all compared to Fang Xian Daoist, is it?"
"In terms of innate talent, it shouldn't be far off from his either."
"The only difference is that I'm more cautious. I don't have much fame in the Earthly Immortal World. . . but fame is useless to me anyway. . ."
Fang Xi mused to himself.
He stared blankly at the Ginseng Fruit Tree, lost in thought for a moment.
'Now the Dao Monarch has proven through his own experience that the human race's environment is perilous. My previous path was correct; I still need to remain cautious. . . Long Qingzi doesn't even know who I am, let alone that I'm already in the Earthly Immortal World, which gives me a huge advantage. '
'Fang Xian Daoist was incredibly brilliant, leaving a profound mark even in the history of the Earthly Immortal World, but so what? Once dead, everything is gone. . . '
Fang Xi secretly warned himself. The slight urge he had to indulge after breaking through to Void Amalgamation was now completely suppressed.
As something occurred to him, his expression suddenly shifted: "Given Fang Xian Daoist's divination abilities, he might not have fallen so easily. . . Could it be. . ."
Fang Xi waved his hand, and layers of Myriad Wood Mother Qi gathered like clouds, enveloping the Ginseng Fruit Tree and beginning to ripen it.
A moment later.
The Ginseng Fruit Tree became even more lush, yet showed no signs of bearing fruit.
"This Ginseng Fruit Tree. . . doesn't bear fruit?"
Fang Xi took a look and immediately froze, faintly feeling that he had been tricked by Fang Xian Daoist. . .
...
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, sixty years had passed.
For cultivators of the Earthly Immortal World, no matter how stunningly brilliant Fang Xian Daoist was, if he later failed in his challenge against the Five Elements Child and was rumored to have perished, there was little value in mentioning him again.
A dead genius is no longer a genius. For instance, the Dao Child of the Yan Yu Sect has now fallen into dust, and even the forces that relied on him have been severely crippled.
They would only speak with relish of living geniuses, such as Sword Child.
Trapped Sky Island.
The island had long grown accustomed to the influx of foreign alien cultivators every few centuries or millennia.
This time, it was merely that the human race had increased in number.
Within the Black Market, Fang Xi stepped out of a shop and suddenly felt that the number of passing aliens was several times greater than usual!
"The Black Market Grand Auction is finally about to begin!"
An invitation in the form of a Black Iron Token appeared in Fang Xi's hand, and he muttered to himself.
Over these past sixty-odd years, he had already swept up all kinds of common and uncommon spiritual items and inherited secret arts in the Black Market.
In addition, his own cultivation had naturally progressed, reaching the perfected Return to Void realm.
Even in terms of Body Cultivation Arts, with the aid of the 'Myriad Life Soup,' he had cultivated his 'Heavenly Demon True Body' to its peak; his physique was now no weaker than a seventh-rank demon beast!
'After attending this Grand Auction and taking a stroll through the Seven Treasures Secret Realm, I'll head to the Earthly Immortal World and advance to Void Amalgamation! '
A thought arose in Fang Xi's mind.
By now, his every move was unhurried, possessing an air of composure, quietly waiting for things to unfold.
For Fang Xi, there truly was no urgent matter at hand.
He entered a secret passage, and when he emerged again, he had transformed into the appearance of a black-clothed large man, his magical power fluctuations reduced to roughly the early Return to Void stage, arriving at a certain part of the Black Market.
This place was a ruined palace. For unknown reasons, the Black Market Master had not developed it, but had left it to remain desolate.
It was only now, guided by the instructions appearing on the Black Iron Token, that Fang Xi learned there was actually a secret passage beneath these ruins!
'So it's indeed an underground grand auction? '
He was slightly speechless. Arriving at a corner of the ruins, he saw a dark, cavernous hole emerge from beneath several crumbling walls.
A layer of faint black restriction appeared, shrouding the entire entrance.
Fang Xi took out the Black Iron Token and infused it with a stream of magical power.
The restriction at the entrance opened, revealing a passage.
He sent his Divine Consciousness inside, then chuckled softly and walked in.
The underground passage was long. After walking for a while, he arrived before a Black Iron Door.
Beside the door stood a Divine Transformation cultivator, who cupped his hands and said, "Welcome, senior, to this Grand Auction!"
Fang Xi glanced around: "Are there so few people attending this Grand Auction?"
"Senior must be joking,"
the early Divine Transformation elder chuckled. "Senior holds a Black Iron VIP Token. Other ordinary guests, holding gold arrows and silver talismans, will enter through other entrances. . ."
In the Black Market, black was supreme.
However, for the Black Iron Token to be more distinguished than gold and silver tokens was somewhat challenging to the human race's worldview.
This made Fang Xi realize that the Black Market Master was most likely an alien, which would explain such divergent views.
"Enough, lead the way!"
he snorted.
"Yes, please accept this, senior. . ."
The Divine Transformation elder handed over a Black Iron Mask: "Activating the forbidden art within the mask, combined with the unique grand array restrictions here, can conceal one's identity and aura. . . even a seventh-rank entity would find it difficult to probe."
'But. . . the Black Market Master definitely can. '
Fang Xi inwardly grumbled, but didn't expose it. He put on the Black Iron Mask and entered through the door.
Upon entering the door, what greeted his eyes was a corridor.
Along the corridor, there were different doors.
On some doors, bright lamps were lit, indicating that they were already occupied.
Fang Xi naturally chose an empty room, walked in, and activated the restriction.
The room's furnishings were extremely simple, consisting only of stone stools and stone chairs.
However, the view ahead was expansive, allowing him to see the auction platform and plaza below.
He could see Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation level cultivators entering the venue one after another.
'Sword Child, Stone Fairy, and Bai Yu Sheng should all come. . . After all, this is a rare grand event. '
'Besides that, where exactly is Shen Suanzi? '
Fang Xi sat on a stone stool, resting his chin in one hand, lost in thought.
Shen Suanzi was a late Void Amalgamation grand cultivator, proficient in Innate Divination, possessing formidable strength to contend for a spot among the Human Race Five Sons.
Such a cultivator, upon entering Trapped Sky Island, would have a certain degree of confidence even in seizing a territory or attempting to take control of the entire island.
Yet, he remained unknown, making Fang Xi suspect that Shen Suanzi was hiding in the dark, plotting some grand scheme.
Such individuals, skilled in Innate Divination, always acted subtly and were never simple.
Little did he know, Shen Suanzi had entered Trapped Sky Island purely for the Immortal Abode Rare Treasure.
He had no time for schemes or plots now, and was currently searching all over Trapped Sky Island for clues to the Immortal Abode Rare Treasure. . .
...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As he mused, Fang Xi felt the underground auction hall rumble.
Then, the auction platform opened a gaping maw, the ground cracked, revealing two eyes and a mouth.
A terrifying magical power fluctuation overflowed.
"An Earth Clan member, and a seventh-rank one at that!"
Fang Xi's eyes flickered.
According to the plan still brewing in his mind, if he wanted to build Trapped Sky Island into a 'New Kyushu World,' the high-rank alien races on the island would all be trouble.
'It seems. . . the number of high-rank alien races on Trapped Sky Island is even higher than I anticipated. . . '
Fang Xi's expression remained unchanged as he pondered.
At this moment, he saw the high-rank Earth Clan cultivator open its large mouth, and yellowish-brown platforms flew out from within.
Upon each earthen platform, a peculiar flower bloomed.
One of the flowers resembled a peony, its surface adorned with gold and silver patterns, and it was as large as an Eight Immortals Table.
Swoosh!
This colossal peony bloomed petal by petal, and with an enchanting fragrance, it diffused throughout the entire auction hall.
Especially within the private rooms, the scent was even more intense.
Fang Xi rubbed his nose.
Possessing the 'Eternal Evergreen Body,' he naturally wasn't overly afraid of sedatives or poisons.
At this moment, with a gentle sniff, his nose seemed to perceive the fragrance of a hundred flowers.
This fragrance cleansed the physique, and even had the effect of purifying the pill toxins within the body!
One must know that cultivators faced difficulties in cultivation and often consumed pills to aid their practice.
And as long as it was a pill, it basically contained pill toxins, deeply rooted within a cultivator's body.
While it couldn't be said to completely obstruct the Great Dao, it was highly probable that it would add several degrees of difficulty when breaking through major realms.
Many cultivators might find themselves without hope for the Great Dao simply because of these added bottlenecks!
In the main hall, many low-rank cultivators groaned, feeling utterly refreshed as dark, pill-toxin-laden sweat oozed from their pores.
At this point, they looked towards the stage, their faces filled with gratitude.
This was the benefit the auction house bestowed upon them!
At this moment, masses of water currents appeared out of thin air, sweeping through the auction hall like a flood.
This water current did not impact any decorations or furniture; wherever it passed, not even clothes were dampened, yet the impurities on the cultivators present were completely washed away.
"Water Clan member. . ."
Inside the private rooms, however, there was no water current.
Seeing this scene, Fang Xi chuckled disdainfully in his heart.
Throughout his journey, ever since he cultivated a wood-attribute spiritual physique, he had ceased to fear pill toxins much.
And after refining the Eternal Evergreen Body, he was even less afraid of pill toxin intrusions.
What's more. . .
'After cultivating the Earth Immortal heritage, how long has it been since I've consumed any pills? '
'As high-rank cultivators, they basically all have a way to resolve pill toxins, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to break through major bottlenecks. . . '
'Such small favors can only be sold to those low-rank cultivators. . . and arranging for the Water Clan to 'cleanse the area' actually has the underlying meaning of probing. . . '
'For cultivators like us in the private rooms, if a Water Clan member dared to approach, they would be immediately beaten to death. . . '
All these thoughts occurred in but an instant.
Then, Fang Xi saw a fairy gracefully step out from within the giant peony.
Her appearance was identical to a human, and she wore a dharma robe adorned with a riot of flowers, her natural body fragrance seemingly born of the heavens.
Fang Xi had also experienced the Myriad Beings' Fragrance of the Heavenly Charm Sect, but compared to this woman's heavenly scent, it naturally fell short.
"A Flower Clan member. . . a seventh-rank Flower Clan member!"
Inside a private room, several cultivators murmured, their faces showing extreme apprehension.
"This humble one is Peony Fairy. Many thanks to all fellow Daoists for your esteemed presence at this Grand Auction!"
Peony Fairy's voice was delicate and moving. She bowed gracefully in all directions, parting her red lips as she spoke.
"Haha. . . It's been many years, Peony Fairy's heavenly fragrance is even more captivating."
An aged voice resounded from one of the private rooms.
One who could converse with Peony Fairy was naturally also a seventh-rank existence.
'Two Void Amalgamation cultivators overseeing the auction. . . The standard is indeed very high. '
Fang Xi couldn't be bothered to listen to these alien exchanges; he merely watched the seventh-rank Earth Clan member with considerable interest.
This auction, in terms of its standard, was likely the highest he had ever participated in.
Furthermore, the auction items should all be stored within the Earth Clan member's body.
Earth Clan members possessed innate divine abilities; they formed a self-contained cave-heaven within their bodies, and a high-rank Earth Clan member's body was a complete ecosystem.
Given the talent of a seventh-rank Earth Clan member, it would indeed be extremely difficult to snatch auction items from within its body.
These two Void Amalgamation level beings were merely the surface guardians.
And the hidden Black Market Master, who knew what realm they were in?
"This humble one also does not wish to keep you all waiting. First up is today's first auction item."
Peony Fairy smiled charmingly and clapped her hands.
The flower on one of the earthen platforms suddenly bloomed, revealing a pitch-black beast egg, lifted by countless stamens.
The surface of this beast egg was covered in countless lightning patterns, subtly forming a certain symbol, appearing extremely mysterious.
A strange aura circulated, making Fang Xi's eyes flicker, knowing this beast egg was of extremely high grade.
"A Kui Niu beast egg. . . Kui Niu are naturally adept at manipulating lightning power, making them an excellent choice for beast taming!"
Peony Fairy introduced with a smile: "The parents of this beast egg have quite high bloodline grades; both are seventh-rank demon beasts. It inherits excellent bloodline and has a high chance of growing to seventh-rank in the future. . ."
"So it's a Kui Niu egg!"
Fang Xi revealed a hint of surprise: "Truly rare indeed. . ."
The Kui Niu clan's status among the Yao Race was second only to royal races.
After all, the Kui Niu clan had ancestors who attempted to break through to the True Spirit realm, only to suffer dismal failure later on.
If the Kui Niu clan members knew that their excellent bloodline descendants were being sold, even an auction house of the human or demon races would likely suffer retaliation and sabotage.
But on Trapped Sky Island. . .
Fang Xi even suspected that this Kui Niu egg was sold by a Yao Race member. . .
'So Kui Niu are oviparous? I thought they were viviparous. . . '
"This Kui Niu egg, with a starting price of seven thousand Immortal Jade!"
Peony Fairy concluded.
"What? A mere beast egg, with only seventh-rank potential, requires seven thousand Immortal Jade? Isn't that too much?"
A cultivator frowned and spoke.
Fang Xi also fell into thought.
If it were outside, this price seemed reasonable enough.
But on Trapped Sky Island, Immortal Jade was even rarer, so this starting price already had the flavor of an astronomical price.
"Oh, this humble one forgot to mention."
Peony Fairy lightly covered her red lips, chuckling prettily: "After our inspection, this little Kui Niu should have undergone a bloodline mutation. Beyond the Kui Niu clan's innate thunder manipulation divine ability, it has also awakened the ability of 'Lightning-Averting. ' When it grows to a certain extent in the future, it might provide some assistance for our tribulations. . ."
"What?"
"It's actually a tribulation-averting treasure? !"
The high-rank existences in the private rooms immediately became restless.
After Return to Void, the most terrifying and feared aspect for cultivators was undoubtedly the Heavenly Tribulation!
There were simply far too many high-rank cultivators who perished under heavenly tribulations!
Some cultivators would even prefer to drag on until their lifespan was exhausted rather than face the might of heaven and earth!
Cultivators feared heavenly tribulations to such an extent!
However, after overcoming a heavenly tribulation, one often gained immense benefits.
Not only did cultivation methods progress and strength increase, but one's lifespan could also be extended, leading numerous cultivators to eagerly seek ways to avert tribulations.
Treasures like the Hunyuan Heavenly Luo Umbrella, which could neutralize lightning, saw their prices skyrocket.
Furthermore, secret arts, cultivation methods, and spirit beasts that could aid in enduring tribulations were also fanatically sought after.
'If this little Kui Niu truly awakens the 'Lightning-Averting' divine ability, it can indeed help others pass their tribulations, sharing some of the Heavenly Tribulation's power. . . '
'Its ability to grow to seventh-rank means. . . it can even provide some help to Void Amalgamation cultivators. '
Fang Xi secretly nodded, thinking that this price was indeed not expensive.
Of course, this Kui Niu was utterly useless for Mahayana lightning tribulations.
If it were used by a Mahayana cultivator, even if it grew to seventh-rank, its fate would be to be directly struck dead by a wisp of Heavenly Tribulation drawn to it, while the Mahayana cultivator's tribulation would remain unchanged. . .
Unless this Kui Niu could grow to the True Spirit level, perhaps then it could provide some assistance for Mahayana lightning tribulations. . .
But that was simply impossible.
"Peony Fairy, can you guarantee that this Kui Niu has definitely awakened the Lightning-Averting ability? !"
A deep voice resonated from a certain private room.
Peony Fairy, however, replied with a slight frown: "Our side can only guarantee that this little Kui Niu's bloodline can reach seventh-rank and has undergone a certain mutation, making it highly probable to possess the Lightning-Averting ability. . . However, it has not yet been born, so it cannot be fully confirmed, and the hatching of a Kui Niu also presents some difficulty. . . Otherwise, why wouldn't this pavilion keep it for itself?"
"Alright, let the bidding begin!"
She smiled faintly, leaving the floor to the cultivators.
Not long after, a bid came from one of the private rooms: "Seven thousand one hundred Immortal Jade. . ."
"Seven thousand two hundred. . ."
Evidently, both Return to Void and Void Amalgamation cultivators were extremely eager for tribulation-averting treasures.
And this Kui Niu indeed had a high chance of awakening relevant abilities; even at an inflated price, at the very least, one would gain a spirit pet with extraordinary bloodline potential, which was still worth the value.
Fang Xi silently watched the bidding price steadily rise, then touched his spirit beast pouch.
"Little Black Tortoise, you're no good. You've been completely outshone. . ."
The richness of that little Kui Niu's bloodline was almost comparable to that of the Little Black Tortoise.
Moreover, it had the potential to develop Lightning-Averting abilities, so its value was naturally far beyond that of the original Black Tortoise egg.
It was just that Fang Xi's Body Cultivation had already reached a level comparable to a seventh-rank demon beast, and he possessed lightning-neutralizing treasures like the Myriad Demon Armor and the Hunyuan Heavenly Luo Umbrella.
Combined with the ultimate Immortal Abode Rare Treasure as a fallback, he was not particularly afraid of the great Heavenly Tribulation for Void Amalgamation.
Otherwise, he might actually have bid for this little Kui Niu and cultivated it properly.
'Wait, to cultivate a little Kui Niu to seventh-rank, who knows how many resources and how much time it would take? For me, it would undoubtedly be too long. . . '
Ordinary Return to Void and Void Amalgamation cultivators might be stuck at a bottleneck for thousands of years, thus having ample time to prepare methods to overcome tribulations.
However, for Fang Xi, time was indeed somewhat insufficient.
'Now, as I approach the great Void Amalgamation bottleneck. . . there are absolutely no problems with my magical power, Divine Consciousness, or physique. With the Earth Immortal Way, breaking through the bottleneck will also be easy, requiring no aid from pills. . . '
'But as for the remaining Inner Demon Tribulation and Heavenly Lightning Tribulation. . . the Heavenly Lightning Tribulation is nothing to fear. For the Inner Demon Tribulation, with my current state of mind. . . it should also be fine. '
Fang Xi pondered for a moment.
In reality, it was precisely due to some doubts regarding the Inner Demon Tribulation that he did not immediately assault the Void Amalgamation bottleneck after reaching perfected Return to Void.
However, over these years, he had intermittently collected some items beneficial for assisting in overcoming the Inner Demon Tribulation.
And perhaps he could find some gains at this Grand Auction.
If all else failed, there was still the Seven Treasures Secret Realm as a last resort.
'According to Bai Yu Sheng's description, among the Seven Treasures Gourds, there should be a 'Mundane World Refining Heart Gourd,' which contains a 'Mundane World Refining Heart Qi' within, and should be of great assistance for a cultivator's Inner Demon Tribulation. . . '
If he could acquire that red gourd, coupled with his temperament cultivated over years with Buddhist Beads and Golden Bells, and adding a large amount of auxiliary items.
Overcoming the Void Amalgamation Inner Demon Tribulation could be said to be a sure thing.
"Ten thousand four hundred pieces!"
"Congratulations to the fellow Daoist in this private room, for acquiring this rare Kui Niu egg!"
Ultimately, the Kui Niu egg sold for an astronomical price.
Fang Xi watched as the earthen platform and the giant flower slowly receded into the body of the seventh-rank Earth Clan member, and his heart stirred.
'This should be direct teleportation to the private room for transaction with the buyer, ensuring absolute privacy. . . '
'It seems that this underground grand auction's venue might not actually exist in the Black Market, but rather within the Earth Clan member's inner cave-heaven? '
A hint of vigilance arose in his heart. He then watched as Peony Fairy caused another spiritual flower to bloom, revealing a piece of metal within, as scorching as a blazing sun:
"Great Sun True Gold, starting price. . ."
In the subsequent spiritual item auctions, although seventh-rank items occasionally appeared, the shock they brought to Fang Xi was far less than that of the initial Kui Niu egg.
What made him sigh, however, was that until the end of the auction, no pills that could aid in breaking through the Void Amalgamation Inner Demon Tribulation appeared. . .
Today's two updates will be a bit late this afternoon.
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