Chapter 935: Time
Chapter 935: Time
"Oh? Tell me more! "
Fang Xi became interested and asked casually.
"Yes. . ."
Qi Hou sighed: "Since the Ascetic Monk who fished for dragons from the Western Paradise Profound World crossed eastward, the destiny here has favored the Buddhist faith, and Golden Bamboo Sea thus became the vanguard for Buddhist cultivators to enter the North Star Immortal Domain. . . My 'Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce' is one of the major powers in the North Star Immortal Domain, so expanding here is inevitably somewhat difficult. . ."
"Destiny favors them—that's an interesting description. It seems there's a hidden truth behind the story of that old monk and the Dragon King back then. . . but that doesn't concern us. Is it true that the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce struggled to develop here due to power struggles?"
Fang Xi understood a little.
If it were a force like Divine Wood Palace, with only one or two Immortals, it would be fine. But for the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce to do business with the Buddhist faith, they would indeed need to be careful of the implications.
After all, the biggest power in the North Star Immortal Domain was still the North Star Immortal Palace!
"Therefore, our branch here operates on a small scale, merely serving as a foothold."
Qi Hou forced a bitter smile, then lowered his voice: "Even if there's genuinely large-scale business between the two domains, the big figures above handle it personally; it doesn't concern us. And those bald donkeys are exceedingly good at business, their various goods are refined to perfection, so we've had a lot of business snatched away and have gradually fallen into decline. . ."
Fang Xi nodded.
Monks were naturally adept at business; for instance, the eminent monks of Daxiangguo Temple in the Song Dynasty of his previous life were experts at roasting pork, lending money at high interest, and even renting out properties.
"So that's how it is. . ."
He finally understood why this Golden Bamboo Sea mission wasn't highly dangerous, yet no one wanted to come.
Little merit, little profit, and the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce's higher-ups occasionally visited, making it impossible to even claim 'the mountains are high and the emperor is far away'—it was simply exasperating.
But Fang Xi didn't care at all!
As long as he could have ten thousand years of stable peace, that would be enough.
For Golden Bamboo Sea, this was easily achievable.
Because the tranquility of Golden Bamboo Sea had persisted for at least five million years!
Fang Xi didn't believe his arrival would break this peace, unless the North Star Immortal Domain suddenly went mad and started a war with the Western Paradise Profound World. . .
"Send up the account books. I need to inspect the storeroom. . ."
He smiled faintly, letting Qi Hou send up the account books, and turned to the first page: "Hmm? According to the records, there should be another cultivator here—Gong Jiu Jin. Where is this person?"
"Reporting, my lord, Fellow Daoist Gong, he. . . he. . ."
Qi Hou seemed to have some unspeakable difficulty.
Just then, a cultivator in a long gray robe, with a long, narrow face and green eyes, suddenly entered the shop. Seeing Fang Xi, his body trembled, and he quickly bowed: "Your subordinate Gong Jiu Jin greets my lord!"
"Back quickly, weren't you?"
Fang Xi gazed at the man's narrow face and green eyes, smiling faintly: "You're a demon cultivator?"
"Indeed. Your subordinate has refined the bloodline of 'Seven Kill Greed Wolf. ' Every few months, my killing intent surges uncontrollably, and I am forced to seal my body with chains forged from meteor cold iron. My late arrival is due to this; please forgive me, my lord. . ."
Gong Jiu Jin explained.
Fang Xi remained noncommittal, then said: "Let's begin the inventory. . ."
...
A few months later.
Inside the cave-dwelling specially prepared for guest elders of the 'Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce'.
Though called a cave-dwelling, it was actually only about one hundred square meters, with all the rooms quite cramped.
Even so, such a compact yet fully equipped cave-dwelling, brimming with immortal qi, would make countless cultivators' eyes red with envy if word got out.
Fang Xi strolled through, array flags and array plates being driven into the surrounding walls.
A multi-colored light barrier immediately rose, with golden and silver forbidden runes flickering within.
"Though this cave-dwelling is small, its original restrictions are quite good. . . At least Return to Void and Void Amalgamation cultivators would find it hard to break through."
Fang Xi held the control token and, after some adjustments, was quite satisfied.
With his current mastery as a ninth-rank immortal array master, setting up this layered array would prevent even ordinary Mahayana cultivators from forcing their way in.
Even if an Immortal swept it with their divine sense, he would be able to detect it!
Even so, he had no intention of setting up a cave-heaven inside his own cave-dwelling.
One hundred square meters was already sufficient for him; as long as a cultivator's cave-dwelling was private enough, nothing else mattered.
Recalling the previous events, a smile appeared on his lips: "Qi Hou, Gong Jiu Jin. . ."
"Qi Hou is one thing, but this Gong Jiu Jin is truly as greedy and vicious as a wolf. . ."
Fang Xi muttered to himself.
That day, when he inspected the storeroom, he found that the previous manager and these two cultivators had been quite clean in their dealings, so he let it be.
Fang Xi came to Golden Bamboo Sea not to revive this shop, but for his own cultivation.
Therefore, he directly chose the simplest path of maintaining the status quo, announcing that everything would continue as before, and telling the two cultivators not to bother him.
At the same time, he occupied the best cave-dwelling under the Fengyuan Chamber of Commerce's name.
This dwelling was originally meant for the person of highest status there; with him moving in, the two had nothing to say.
And after a period of covert observation, especially through stealthy divine sense peeping and dispatching puppets for reconnaissance, Fang Xi had also discovered the true nature of these two 'gems' under his command.
Gong Jiu Jin loved money more than life itself, even indulging in gambling dens and beast fights, accumulating a massive debt of Immortal Jade to the great monks. The interest alone was terrifyingly high, sometimes forcing him to personally enter deadly combat, performing for other cultivators to watch, just to extend his debt repayment.
According to Fang Xi's observations, this person's blood qi and resentment were extremely dense, suggesting he might have secretly killed others to seize their treasures.
For most cultivators, as long as they weren't caught, they weren't considered 'bandit cultivators'.
And Qi Hou was no simple character either. If Gong Jiu Jin was as greedy and vicious as a wolf, this person was as cunning as a fox.
If he hadn't sent out miniature puppets to follow him, Fang Xi wouldn't have known that this person actually owned many other businesses outside, holding positions as a grand elder in at least three different sects!
"Both of them are truly talented individuals. . ."
Fang Xi sighed with emotion: "However, as long as they don't bother me, it's none of my business. . ."
He exhaled slowly and walked into the alchemy room.
The alchemy room was not large. Inside, a pitch-black cauldron sat, with Mahayana True Fire burning beneath it.
Fang Xi's expression was solemn as he pulled out an Item-Storing Talisman.
Amidst a flicker of silver light, jade boxes flew out, then opened, revealing various spiritual materials within.
Among them were ores, and strange spiritual plants. . .
And even three blood-colored cicada shells!
"Go!"
After a brief observation of the flame's intensity, Fang Xi pointed his finger.
The three blood-colored cicada shells transformed into three crimson streams of light, disappearing into the black cauldron.
These blood-colored cicada shells came from the Cicada race of the Earthly Immortal World, requiring at least a Void Amalgamation level Golden Cicada to refine.
Fang Xi had directly raided the demon race's lair to collect this many.
Now, as the furnace flames licked, the blood-colored cicada shells began to melt. The void outside the cauldron rippled, carrying an indescribable halo, subtly conveying a sense of time passing.
Upon seeing this, Fang Xi nodded inwardly and began processing another spiritual material. . .
Time passed without notice.
His expression grew incredibly solemn as he unleashed one incantation after another, like a swiftly turning wheel.
"Open!"
A moment later, Fang Xi formed a hand seal.
The pill furnace automatically opened, and the surrounding light and shadows shifted, imbued with the essence of the Law of Time. . .
A viscous liquid flew out from the pill furnace. Its form was unpredictable and appeared extremely illusory, as if it would vanish at any moment.
Upon seeing this, Fang Xi's face showed not surprise, but delight. He slightly raised his hand.
Strands of the Law of Time manifested in the void, crisscrossing like a large net.
With a gentle sweep, the net fished the solution out from the void.
"Time Jade Liquid, it's done."
He raised an eyebrow: "Fortunately, this spirit liquid doesn't overly test alchemy skills. . . I can still manage to refine it."
This 'Time Jade Liquid' was naturally what was needed for the secret art in the 'Longevity Art' that hastened the arrival of the Mahayana Immortal Lightning Tribulation!
This secret art from the Earth Immortal inheritance required certain spirit liquids rich in the power of time to be used in conjunction.
'Time Jade Liquid' was the simplest spirit liquid Fang Xi chose based on his own reserves.
Holding this mass of 'Time Jade Liquid', Fang Xi came to his cultivation room, sat down cross-legged, and formed a strange hand seal with both hands.
The mass of 'Time Jade Liquid' poured onto him, seemingly alive, spreading across his skin and completely enveloping Fang Xi.
He murmured obscure, convoluted incantations, and his hand seal changed.
In an instant, the River of Time subtly stirred.
Inside the cultivation room, light and shadow became blurred and illusory. Fang Xi seemed to have three heads and six arms, stretching out numerous limbs, each hand forming a different hand seal.
This, of course, wasn't him manifesting a divine ability of three heads and six arms, but rather time itself seeming to overlap at this moment.
Several 'Fang Xis' from moments earlier overlapped, each performing different hand seals.
"Go!"
Fang Xi suddenly opened his eyes. All his overlapping selves retracted, and then his arms stretched out, imprinting a circular mark on his chest.
If one looked closely, they would discover that this mark was composed of countless dragon script characters, or perhaps more accurately, Time Seal script, densely packed and far surpassing the complexity and profoundness of the dragon script comprehended by the Ancestral Dragon!
"A strange feeling. . ."
Fang Xi's brows furrowed slightly, then smoothed out.
This secret art, which hastened the Mahayana Immortal Lightning Tribulation, didn't make his lifespan flow ten times faster.
Instead, it was a more peculiar state.
His lifespan was flowing at the usual rate, but Fang Xi could sense that his tribulation had inexplicably been brought forward.
The Immortal Lightning Tribulation, which originally occurred every ten thousand years, was now due in a thousand years!
"This kind of secret art. . . if one isn't quite confident, it's tantamount to suicide!"
"Fortunately, I don't care. . . At worst, I still have my ultimate trump card, the 'All-Heavens Precious Mirror'."
The rank of the All-Heavens Precious Mirror undoubtedly far surpassed that of an Immortal Abode Rare Treasure.
What was even more terrifying was that directly dispelling a lightning tribulation wouldn't cause the Immortal Lightning Tribulation to go berserk. . .
This made Fang Xi vaguely guess the rank of the All-Heavens Precious Mirror.
After all, from True Immortal to Dao Monarch, they were merely extensions of the power of laws.
Only a 'Dao Fruit' could defy laws and achieve all sorts of inconceivable feats!
"Dao Fruit. . . indeed?"
Recalling the information within the All-Heavens Precious Mirror, Fang Xi couldn't help but show a hint of anticipation: "I wonder how many steps it takes from a Dao Seed to a Dao Fruit?"
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