Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 1067 - 921 - Making Friends (Congratulations to Alliance Leader Liè Shānzé)

Chapter 1067: Chapter 921 - Making Friends (Congratulations to Alliance Leader Liè Shānzé)

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, another dozen years have passed.

"1.37 million Immortal Jade, congratulations to this esteemed guest for winning the ’Primordial Soul Pill’!"

In the auction hall, the atmosphere soared to its peak.

Fang Xi, eating a spirit melon, calmly watched the scene unfold.

He naturally attended the grand auction in Fiery Sun Immortal City, but not as a VIP; he was seated in the ordinary spectator’s area.

Moreover, he witnessed a series of treasures being auctioned. Aside from purchasing a few bottles of pills beneficial for Integration cultivation, he did not bid on anything else.

When the final auction item—the Primordial Soul Pill—was presented, there indeed was a fierce Dragon Fight Tiger Battle.

For a Mahayana monk, the significance of Thunder Transformation secret skills and treasures was undeniable.

And the ’Primordial Soul Pill’ was not only the most top-tier of the Thunder Transformation treasures but could also enhance Taoist cultivation and accelerate the transformation of the Nascent Soul into the Origin Soul!

This drove all of the Mahayana mad.

Although instances where a single ’Primordial Soul Pill’ completely transformed a Nascent Soul were rare, they were indeed not unheard of!

Once successful, one would become a True Immortal of immortality!

Under the temptation of immortality, many Mahayana monks would not hold back at all. If there were not a True Immortal presiding, it was likely that a fight would break out on the spot.

’With such fervor... Elder Ge probably only bid two or three times before immediately dropping out, right?’ Fang Xi thought.

’This is thanks to the fact that he’s a Mahayana Talisman Master engaged in mass producing Storage Talismans. If it were an ordinary Mahayana monk, they wouldn’t even have the chance to bid.’

Fang Xi smiled faintly, exited the venue, and headed to complete the transaction.

"It turns out to be Mr. Fang."

The person overseeing the transaction, he recognized quite well—it was Huang Jing, the manager from Abundant Karma House!

Seeing Fang Xi, Huang Jing was the first to greet him with a fist salute, "Congratulations Sir, on winning the pills that enhance cultivation. The amount of Immortal Jade needed is... "

Fang Xi nodded his head, then with a wave of his arm, a ripple of Void Force passed over his Storage Talisman, making a small pile of Immortal Jade and the Great Sun Pure Yang Pills appear on the desk.

After counting them, Huang Jing completed the transaction and said with a smile, "The deal is done, take your time leaving, I won’t see you out!"

In the midst of light-hearted chat, he discreetly nodded his head.

Fang Xi understood; it was a message to have a detailed discussion later at Hundred Flower Pavilion. He subtly pocketed the pill bottles and walked away with long strides.

People are strange creatures.

If previously he had fawned over and tried to please Huang Jing... Huang Jing might have ignored him completely.

But because Fang Xi treated him like an ordinary stranger and didn’t make a fuss, as time passed, they developed some rapport in the Hundred Flower Pavilion.

It was indeed because Huang Jing had learned that Fang Xi excelled in the esoteric Body Refining arts, he specially came to ask for guidance.

Fang Xi was non-committal, letting him buy a few rounds of floral wine before finally imparting the esoteric Joyful Dharma, giving Huang Jing what he considered a treasure.

’At this point, our relationship is purely that of fair-weather friends...’ Fang Xi mused.

’Don’t even think about asking for help with introductions or such. Let alone expecting him to cut me some slack in the auction, he doesn’t have the guts to do that, being just a manager.’

On this point, Fang Xi was very clear.

After leaving the auction, he touched the pill bottles in his pocket, deep in thought.

He naturally had no use for the Integration pills right now, but in the future, when "ascending to Mahayana," there would be clues to follow.

Moreover, these pills wouldn’t go to waste. The effects of Immortal Realm pills were excellent and could be completely utilized by his subordinates.

If all else failed, they could even be tossed into the Heavenly Monument.

...

Two days later.

Hundred Flower Pavilion.

"So you’re saying the ’Primordial Soul Pill’ ultimately went to Divine Wood Palace?"

Fang Xi poured himself a cup of Spirit Wine and asked leisurely.

"Indeed... That palace has a Mahayana monk who is a direct descendant of a True Immortal ancestor. He has cultivated up to the sixth Mahayana calamity, but unfortunately, he cannot overcome the seventh... He has used too many Thunder Transformation treasures and secret skills before, so now ordinary calamity-avoiding secret skills are hardly effective, forcing him to spend a large sum." Huang Jing drank a cup of Immortal Wine, his cheeks flushed slightly, and sighed, "If you, Brother Fang, were like me..... Even if you cultivated to the Mahayana realm and amassed a million Immortal Jade, in the end, I fear it would all be for naught... Without the support of a True Immortal, even if you won the Primordial Soul Pill, you’d probably not be blessed to use it."

Fang Xi remained silent.

Fiery Sun Immortal City claimed to be fair, but only to an extent.

He had long since grown accustomed to such things.

"Ha, I don’t even entertain the hope for a Primordial Soul Pill; if I could cultivate up to Mahayana in this life, I would already be more than satisfied... I must ask you to keep an eye out for the ’Six Immortals Turn Flying Pill’ for me..."

Fang Xi toasted Huang Jing once more.

The Six Immortals Turn Flying Pill was key for breaking through the Mahayana bottleneck, increasing the chances by thirty percent.

Although not the best among such pills, it undoubtedly suited Fang Xi’s identity the best.

Hearing this, Huang Jing didn’t take it lightly, "I’ll be sure to keep a lookout for you..."

After all, isn’t making connections with people all about drawing lines in the sand for benefits? He was long since used to it.

Fang Xi’s approach actually made him feel that Fang Xi was genuine and unpretentious.

Far better than those monks who would bring lavish gifts, seeking to have him open the back door for them.

Did they think he, a mere manager, had a death wish?

"Thank you."

Fang Xi raised his glass again.

"Sure, I await the day you become a Mahayana Talisman Master, Mr. Fang. Then, perhaps I could introduce you to Abundant Karma House. Later on, I might even need to rely on you, ha ha..." Huang Jing drank to his heart’s content, then feigning drunkenness, he asked, "About that Joyful Dharma, I still have some confusions... What exactly is meant by ’the depression on the golden peak’ and the ’impure red lotus’?"

"The answers are easy, come closer and listen..."

Fang Xi lowered his voice.

...

Yongyun Small Shop.

"How’s business been lately, Yong Shopkeeper?"

Fang Xi stepped in and greeted.

"You know very well."

Yong Yunmian gave Fang Xi a cold look.

Ever since the last misunderstanding, this was the nature of their relationship.

But for the occasional barbed comments from Yong Yunmian, Fang Xi turned a deaf ear.

Even if the other party opened a door for business, interactions with him were inevitable.

"Alas... It seems Elder Ge won’t get his wish after all."

Fang Xi sighed.

"Hmph... You Talisman Masters, with hearts darker than night, just waiting for Elder Ge to die in the Immortal Thunder Calamity so you can inherit his fortune... Now that those surnamed Zhao and Qiu have jumped out, which one are you with?"

Yong Yunmian said with a sneer.

"Master Zhao and Master Qiu?" Fang Xi was taken aback, then he appeared contemplative.

As the saying goes, small temples attract big demons, shallow waters are crowded with turtles.

Even in Elder Ge’s small circle of Talisman Masters, the scramble for fame and profit was inevitable.

Now that Elder Ge’s attempt to concoct the Primordial Soul Pill had failed, rumors abounded that the elder, having previously used some Secret Skill to reduce the intensity of the last Immortal Thunder Calamity, faced a much more formidable Immortal Thunder Calamity this time, beyond what ordinary Secret Skills and Treasures of Thunder Transformation could withstand.

As a result, the market held a pessimistic view about his chances of surviving the Thunder Calamity.

Under this influence, the price of Storage Talismans within Fiery Sun Immortal City began to rise...

In their original circle, Master Zhao and Master Qiu stepped forward to vie for authority.

These two were the only Mahayana Period monks in the small circle, aside from Elder Ge, with quite exquisite talisman crafting skills.

It seems now that Yong Yunmian had bet on the wrong side and was suffering collateral damage, with her small shop’s business becoming dismal.

This, however, was not the main concern; more critical was whether she would be able to continue operating smoothly in the Immortal City if her backer, Elder Ge, fell.

"Please rest assured, Yong Shopkeeper, regardless of what other Talisman Masters do, I will continue to do business with Yongyun Small Shop,"

Fang Xi said while clasping his fists: "Give me fifty count of Ten Thousand Stars Talisman Paper, and also ten sheets of ’Void Jade Talisman Paper’!"

Upon hearing this, Yong Yunmian’s already clouded expression froze, then she scolded, "You’re out of your depth, thinking to grasp the ’Storage Talisman’... Wait until you reach the Mahayana Realm, then dream of such good fortune."

Void Jade Talisman Paper was considered the best material for crafting void-related talismans, and even rumors suggested that the finest Void Jade Talisman Paper could carry immortal techniques, becoming the vessel for ’Immortal Mansion True Talismans’.

Many talisman masters in the Immortal City had bought it, hoping to fathom the crafting methods of the Storage Talisman.

Of course, they all failed!

Upon hearing this, Fang Xi couldn’t help but reveal an awkward smile: "It’s for crafting other void talismans, Shopkeeper, do not unjustly tarnish my reputation."

"Hmph!" Yong Yunmian snorted, yet she felt a weight lifted off her heart.

...

Inside the cave dwelling on Vermilion Bird Lane.

With Fang Xi’s mastery over Arrays, he could hear the daily wails of Ma Jing and Li Dao from next door through their protective arrays.

He laughed and entered the Talisman-making Room.

A sheet of ’Void Jade Talisman Paper’ was taken out and laid open on the desk.

This talisman paper, derived from a beast known as the jade mouse Monster beast, was naturally imbued with a trace of Void Force and had been specially refined, making the paper translucent like jade, resembling a jade talisman more than a beast skin talisman.

Fang Xi picked up a talisman brush, gathering strands of silvery lines at its tip, and began to depict an ancient character in each corner of the paper.

His brushstroke was divinely inspired, completed in one go.

Then...

Snap!

Countless silver threads flashed, engulfing the talisman paper.

Fang Xi’s expression remained unchanged as a surge of Void Force appeared before him, quieting the minor Void Storm that had erupted.

"So it falls apart only at the last step? It seems the completion rate has reached ninety-five or ninety-six percent..."

Elder Ge had never openly crafted ’Storage Talismans’ in front of the two Mahayana Talisman Masters, clearly fearing Zhao and Qiu considerably.

However, in the presence of a group of Integration and Returning to Emptiness Talisman Masters, he did not have such reservations.

Fang Xi had witnessed Elder Ge crafting ’Storage Talismans’ a few times and had overheard much intelligence from Yong Shopkeeper — most wasn’t intentionally sought, but rather was carelessly mentioned by others.

For instance, the raw materials for this ’Void Jade Talisman Paper’...

For a Talisman Master, the quality of the talisman paper is crucial, affecting numerous aspects of writing techniques and finer skills.

This knowledge alone saved him from many detours.

Of course, Fang Xi’s greatest advantage lay in his profound understanding of the Void Laws, far surpassing the likes of Elder Ge...

Therefore, his research progressed at a breakneck pace.

By now, he was confident that within a few years, he could truly craft a ’Storage Talisman’!

After several failed attempts, Fang Xi moved to another secret chamber.

Rustle!

A gigantic serpent’s head loomed in the chamber, its ferocious aura potent enough to startle any intruder.

He took out a ’Storage Talisman’, retrieved various Puppet Materials, and began to try his hand at creating Puppets...

Many of the Puppet Materials required for the ’Mysterious Jade Reference’ had long disappeared from the Lower Realm.

Fortunately, they were still available in the True Immortal Realm!

Lost in his work, Fang Xi was utterly unaware of the passage of time outside.

Suddenly.

Crack!

A sharp sound came, and as he looked down at a broken Puppet component in his hands, he let out a sigh.

Every art in Immortal Cultivation is learned through repeated failures to gain experience, and then it is refined.

Just when Fang Xi was gearing up to craft another Puppet...

Suddenly, he furrowed his brows and stepped out of the Puppet Room.

After reciting an incantation, ample clear water appeared out of thin air, cleansing him thoroughly.

Fang Xi waved a token around, and silver chains around him stirred, apparently the Prohibition guarding his Dongfu.

"It’s actually them who’ve come, quite interesting indeed."

He murmured to himself and walked towards the living room.