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Chapter 77: Patience (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Chapter 77: Patience (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Half a month later.

Longmen Pavilion.

Fang Xi emerged from within, feeling somewhat vexed.

He had come to attempt purchasing pills for breakthrough.

Currently, his cultivation in the Perennial Spring Art had long since reached the peak of the fourth level of Qi Refinement, yet he had been unable to break through.

Even the Wood Essence Pill, which he had used before, had lost its effect in stimulating a breakthrough at his bottleneck.

Naturally, Fang Xi thought of buying other breakthrough pills.

At Longmen Pavilion, the one who received him was still Zhong Wangu.

After all, pills capable of assisting cultivators in breaking through bottlenecks were inherently extremely scarce.

Especially when even the Wood Essence Pill was ineffective.

At such a juncture, Zhong Wangu offered two methods: the first was for the cultivator to rely on their own strength, achieving a breakthrough through meditation, cultivation, or epiphany during combat.

The second method was to purchase a 'Purple Wood Pill'!

This kind of pill could assist cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refinement to break through to the late-stage bottleneck, and was said to have a considerably high success rate.

Using it for a breakthrough at the fourth level of Qi Refinement would be overkill, a waste of precious resources.

Furthermore, after consuming one, the effect would be significantly reduced if the pill were taken again in the future.

Fang Xi, secretly wealthy, feigned ignorance and audacity as he inquired about the price.

Zhong Wangu, however, informed him that such breakthrough pills were exceedingly rare, extraordinarily precious even within the Zhong family.

Longmen Pavilion itself held no stock.

However, one or two would appear at the annual auctions held in the Treasure Ship Market, but as for the price. . .

"Two to three hundred Spirit Stones at a whim. . ."

"Even if I had the Spirit Stones, I couldn't pull them out with my current identity. . . and besides, I couldn't even buy it anyway. . ."

Fang Xi, feeling helpless, could only slink out of Longmen Pavilion.

Even with Spirit Stones, sometimes one couldn't buy what one desired; such a situation was the worst.

"Never mind. . . I'll go check on Old Daoist Rotten Wood."

With a sigh, he made his way to a teahouse.

"Fellow Daoist Fang, this old Daoist has been waiting for you for quite some time!"

Upon seeing Fang Xi, Old Daoist Rotten Wood immediately rose with a grin, welcoming him: "The usual?"

"Indeed!"

Fang Xi rented a private room and watched Old Daoist Rotten Wood send out a transmission talisman.

After the two had sat for about half an hour, the private room door opened, and an old Daoist, dressed in a green Daoist robe, wearing an ebony crown, looking about fifty years old, with quite a dignified appearance, walked in: "Guiye greets both fellow Daoists!"

"Come, let me introduce you, this is Fellow Daoist Fang Xi, whose spirit plant cultivation arts are truly remarkable. . ."

Daoist Rotten Wood rose, his face wreathed in smiles: "And this is Guiye Shangren, the master of the Return Leaf Divine Sect!"

'Divine Sect? '

Fang Xi looked at Guiye Shangren, who was only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, feeling a little speechless inwardly. Nevertheless, he rose and politely said, "Guiye Shangren's esteemed name echoes like thunder in my ears!"

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Fang, you're too kind!"

Guiye Shangren sat down nonchalantly, and without distinguishing between mortal tea and spirit tea, he gulped it down in one go: "Recently, the price of spirit rice in the Treasure Ship Market has dropped. . . This time, it really hit me hard. For a few Spirit Stones, I've almost talked myself hoarse. . ."

He then looked at Fang Xi: "Fellow Daoist, you are at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement, quite formidable. . . If you were to join my Return Leaf Divine Sect, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. . . This old Daoist guarantees that as long as you join, you will be promised the high position of Head of the Spirit Plant Department!"

"I wonder, Fellow Daoist Guiye, how many personnel does your esteemed sect's Spirit Plant Department have?"

Fang Xi, after all, was not a greenhorn, and he asked a question.

"Haha. . . " Guiye Shangren chuckled: "Although this Spirit Plant Department is newly established, its potential is immense. . . All personnel appointments can be decided by a single word from Fellow Daoist, and the future is exceptionally bright!"

'Why do I feel like he's just a commander with no troops? '

'This Guiye Shangren appears forthright, but in reality, he's full of hot air. . . He just doesn't seem very reliable. '

Fang Xi, holding onto a slim hope, asked another question: "I wonder, what is the treatment for cultivators within this Return Leaf Divine Sect? How many Spirit Stones are issued per year, and are there any mandatory tasks normally?"

At the mention of this, Guiye Shangren's expression subtly shifted: "This. . . our sect is newly established, everything is still in its nascent stage, and has not yet been thoroughly divided. But with Fellow Daoist's talent, you will surely distinguish yourself. . . Moreover, this sect is willing to grant Fellow Daoist ten acres of spirit field, that's ten whole acres!"

Fang Xi's smile slowly stiffened, yet he maintained his last shred of courtesy: "I am grateful for Shangren's kindness. . . but this matter is of great importance, and I need to consider it carefully."

"Very well. . . " Guiye Shangren stood up: "Fellow Daoist, please consider it thoroughly. . . In the Myriad Islands Lake, my terms are already extremely generous."

Watching the man's departing back, Fang Xi looked at Old Daoist Rotten Wood.

Old Daoist Rotten Wood knew what Fang Xi wanted to ask and nodded: "While Guiye Shangren might be a bit too fond of fame and fortune, these conditions are genuinely not bad. If word got out, countless people would be tempted. . ."

"By 'countless people,' Fellow Daoist isn't referring to just the spirit farmers outside the Treasure Ship Market, are you?"

Fang Xi cast a sidelong glance at the old man.

"Precisely. . ."

Old Daoist Rotten Wood replied without a hint of embarrassment: "For other Qi Refinement factions, if Fellow Daoist wishes to join and obtain favorable conditions, most would require first gaining their trust, such as by jointly eliminating an enemy, or venturing into dangerous territories. . ."

"So that means. . . a show of allegiance?"

Fang Xi nodded.

It seemed that while the Myriad Islands Lake cultivation world was stable, it was by no means devoid of schemes, deceptions, and vendettas.

"But I'm only twenty years old, no need to rush. . . I can take several years to slowly investigate further and await the best opportunity."

Thinking this, Fang Xi's demeanor instantly became light and carefree. After entrusting Old Daoist Rotten Wood to continue keeping an eye on the matter for him, he rose and left the teahouse.

...

Great Liang World.

Cloud-Connected Mountain.

"Awooo!"

A wolf's howl echoed through the mountains and wilderness, reverberating back and forth within the valley.

Numerous wild beasts were terrified, scattering in a frenzy, fleeing for their lives.

This was 'Old One-Eye,' one of the eight great demon kings of Dingzhou, who occupied Cloud-Connected Mountain and possessed a cunning nature.

Whenever it encountered a large army's encirclement and suppression, it would immediately retreat into the depths of the mountains and old forests, hiding without emerging.

And once the suppression passed, it would brazenly descend the mountain to devour people in villages, with a particular fondness for children.

Its howl could deter a hundred beasts; even lions and tigers, upon encountering it, would tremble and lie prostrate, allowing themselves to be gnawed upon.

But this time, Old One-Eye's cry was filled with a sense of panic!

"No matter how slippery and cunning you are, you'll still have to drink my bathwater. . ."

Fang Xi laughed heartily, his fist covered in a layer of astral qi, striking fiercely at the wolf's waist.

A distinct sound of bone cracking emanated from Old One-Eye's body as it was sent flying sideways.

It was a gigantic white wolf over three meters tall, its fur gleaming like pure silver, and its single eye was now filled with pain and malevolence.

Although it was skilled at hiding, it still had no recourse against a flying enemy.

Especially when this enemy possessed the power to slay it single-handedly!

"Go!"

Yet Fang Xi did not relax in the slightest. He poured his magic power into the Golden Flood Dragon Sword, causing it to hum loudly, like a golden stream of light, slashing across the wolf's head.

Crack!

The massive wolf head fell to the ground, its emerald eyes still open, remaining chilling to behold.

"Another demon beast slain!"

Fang Xi immediately stepped forward to collect various materials.

"This wolf demon's fur is warm in winter and cool in summer, impervious to water and fire, and incredibly soft and smooth—it truly is a top-grade material. . ."

Fang Xi stroked the wolf's bristles, specifically setting aside a tuft of the most brilliant and lustrous wolf fur.

Each strand of this tuft of wolf fur glowed faintly, being of moderate softness and hardness, making it excellent material for crafting talisman brushes, and quite valuable!

"Although this wolf demon is a first-order superior-grade, its value is far lower than that of a serpent-dragon. I'll just find an opportunity to disguise myself and sell it to supplement my household expenses. . ."

A hint of joy appeared on Fang Xi's face.

Although he still possessed a 'Blood Contract Document,' he had never considered forming a contract with this Old One-Eye.

This demon was cruel and malicious, having devoured countless humans.

Furthermore. . . its nature was cunning, and even with a contract's suppression, it was extremely prone to backfiring on its master!

'The Southern Barrens are not Da Liang. What if I expose a weakness. . . or even if this wolf demon breaks through to the second order once it gets there, what then? '

Beyond a major realm, the blood contract would not be very reliable.

Thus, Fang Xi still preferred to use the blood contract on Taisui.

Although this lump of flesh was only a first-order inferior-grade, it was a plant demon with almost no self-awareness; it wouldn't even resist being cut.

And. . . having a low grade also had its benefits.

Even if brought to the Southern Barrens Cultivation World, a breakthrough would only make it a first-order mid-grade. . . still well within control.

"Hmm, Taisui is actually quite useful. . . At least I haven't seen a demon beast that grows flesh faster than it!"

"The demonic tree needs to absorb blood food, and Taisui is quite a suitable match for it. . ."

Fang Xi rubbed his chin.

Just then, figures flashed repeatedly through the jungle, and Zhou Tong, Linghu Shan, and Yan Sun finally arrived in a hurry.

Staring at the wolf's corpse on the ground, their expressions became numb.

It seemed that when Grandmaster Fang made a move, there was no demon he couldn't kill.

Crucially, they had received the signal and rushed over, the travel time certainly not long.

Within such a short span, he had actually slain a demon king?

Such strength was likely among the very best even within the Grandmaster Society!

"Zhou Tong, Yan Sun. . . why have you two come?"

Fang Xi was slightly surprised to see the two of them.

After all, he was merely hunting demons in Dingzhou with Linghu Shan and the Wind Thunder Camp; Linghu Shan's presence was understandable.

But these two were quite a rarity.

Yan Sun's expression was somewhat unpleasant, and he didn't speak much. Zhou Tong gave a wry smile and explained, "There's a mission from the Society!"

"Oh? " Fang Xi's eyes lit up: "How many contribution points?"

"This mission is quite difficult; the two of us might not be able to handle it alone, so we came to invite Grandmaster Fang to join us."

Zhou Tong, not having lost face to Fang Xi, remained at ease, chatting and laughing: "The gains from your participation this time. . . will definitely be enough to exchange for a set of secret arts from the Society!"

"Oh? That's truly excellent!"

Thinking of the 'Return Origin Secret Art' Zhou Tong had demonstrated last time, Fang Xi's eyes gleamed: "What kind of mission is it?"

"There's a mad Grandmaster in the Society who hasn't been heard from. The Society wants us to go check on the situation!"

Zhou Tong began to explain.

"Oh? Who is it?"

Fang Xi grew interested. The Grandmaster Society itself was a bunch of madmen; just how mad must someone be to make even madmen call them mad?

He feared it might be someone from the 'Demon Seed Infusion' faction, a lineage renowned for its bloody madness, even among those who advocated learning demonic arts!