Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 1191 - 1045: Cheater (Extra update, please subscribe)

Chapter 1191: Chapter 1045: Cheater (Extra update, please subscribe)

"However... the True Spirit has eventually departed,"

Fang Xi sighed and saw the true spirit of the Ninth-rank Noble Family faintly heading toward the Reincarnation Disk.

Although he could directly harness the power of the Reincarnation Taoist Seed to completely annihilate this wisp of True Spirit, he forcibly held back.

After all, the reincarnation of this world was not solely for his own use.

The experts from the Buddhism Sect and the Immortal Path both had the ability to interfere with reincarnation; otherwise, how could there be reincarnation and rebirth at any moment?

But now, after achieving the status of Lord Reincarnation, Fang Xi also had the power to interfere with reincarnation.

And it is always easier to destroy than to build!

So if he wanted to stir things up, it would still be very easy, but it would be somewhat counterproductive to reveal his identity just for this worthless individual.

Moreover, if the Prime Taoists and Taoist Masters of the Buddhism Sect noticed something amiss and pursued the matter, it would be even less worth it.

’At the very least, I should seize a few Gold Immortal True Spirits before showing my hand... For now, I must be patient.’

Fang Xi sneered to himself.

Back then, one of his incarnations was besieged by Gold Immortals descended from the Heavenly World, with even some Prime Taoists acting in secret, seeking to use the karma of that external incarnation to completely obliterate his true self.

But his true self had the Treasures of All Heavens to suppress the attack, and being in another Big Thousand World, naturally, there was no issue.

Instead, he used the opportunity of his incarnation facing a Deadly Tribulation to overcome the decline of his Tao Heart.

After that battle, some Gold Immortals returned to the True Immortal Realm, but there were a few whose future was bleak and were stuck at their current stage; they took an interest in the Mortal Skills, planning to personally reincarnate and use this method to achieve the status of Prime Taoist Master!

Before these Gold Immortals reincarnated, some established sects and others set up families, leaving behind foundations at the Origin Soul level.

’Therefore, the power of Noble Families far exceeds that of non-noble families and poor families... Ranging from Transcendent Gods to Mahayana practitioners, and even Immortals might exist...’

’Such unequal distribution of power is also deliberate... With such a big gap, it is possible to completely cut off the hopes of noble and poor families from becoming Noble Families.’

If a Noble Family of the Upper Third-rank merely had a Transcendent God, then there might be a chance that they could be exhausted to death, fall into traps, or even be besieged and retaliatorily attacked by armies of Nascent Souls.

But what if the Noble Family of the Upper Third-rank possessed Integration practitioners or Mahayana Cultivators, even foundations at the Origin Soul level?

This is also the art of ruling; they would not wait until the lower classes approached their own strength to suppress them but would use all means and resources to monopolize first.

Moreover, Gold Immortals had already transcended everything and had exceptional vision; of course, they understood the essence of Mortal Skills.

So, by going through centralized monopolization, they were also to some extent acting in accordance with heaven.

Fang Xi was certain that those Gold Immortals must have already reincarnated and started re-cultivating ’Mortal Skills.’

According to the progress, it was improbable that they had become true immortals now, but achieving Integration or Mahayana was highly possible.

’After all, they are only deducing from the basic cultivation techniques I spread... To deduce Mortal Skills to the level of Integration or Mahayana is already quite an achievement; perhaps they have not reached the level of an Immortal... But such reincarnations of Gold Immortals must have arranged countless trump cards for themselves early on, and there might even be Taoist Protectors... So their strength cannot be underestimated.’

’Moreover, the Heavenly World is also watching over this place...’

Fang Xi fell into thought, ’When those individuals appear together, that will be the best time to make a move, and when I do, I must calculate even the True Spirit... and then flee after striking! Otherwise, I will definitely continue to be besieged!’

This world poses some dangers, so after disguising himself, he casually took his seat at the position of Ninth-rank Noble Family.

Layers of illusionary ripples emerged.

Fang Xi’s figure shook, and then he transformed into an external incarnation.

This was one of the incarnations that he had reclaimed from the Heavenly Immortal Secret Realm, now redeployed.

After all, the causal entanglements in this world were too severe, and there was a certain chance that this identity could be discovered and face another attack.

By arranging just one external incarnation to act in critical moments while the true self intervenes, it would be much safer.

’It’s just a pity... the Secret Skill of ’One Becomes Three Clears’ ultimately came from Abundant Karma House, which is of a lower grade...’

’I am only a Prime Taoist Master as the true self; the reincarnated external incarnation can only reach the level of a Gold Immortal at most... To cultivate an external incarnation of a Prime Taoist Master level, I must first find or create a Prime Taoist-grade external incarnation technique...’

’However, a Gold Immortal incarnation is sufficient for now.’

Fang Xi sat in the main seat and casually pulled out a file, beginning to browse through it.

As for Fang Xian? Naturally, he was still within the treasure of my Cave Heaven.

Traversing thousands of worlds is utterly confidential; he had to be inconvenienced for now.

After all, once the situation blows over, the true self will return to the True Immortal Realm, and then I can release him.

The disguise provided by the ’Mirror of Illusion World,’ as long as one does not have the misfortune to run into a Taoist Master himself, even ordinary Prime Taoists would find it difficult to see through.

Walking in the True Immortal Realm is already sufficient.

In the vast True Immortal Realm, there are very few Taoist Masters; it is unlikely to encounter them face to face.

Fang Xi read swiftly, scanning through the file.

As the Ninth-rank Noble Family, he had the responsibility to scout the Kingdom for talented individuals.

In reality, it was difficult for individuals below the Seventh Rank from poor families to even send a petition to his desk.

This file spoke of the tale of a promising and virtuous individual.

It happened in Central Shu, within a Fifth-rank noble family called the Zhang Family by the Qinghe River, where a son of the Zhang family named ’Zhang Xuanling,’ seventeen years old, intelligent and studious, served his stepmother with exceptional filial piety.

When he was thirteen, his stepmother experienced deviations during her practice and urgently needed the Blood of Spiritual Fish from under the Cold Pond to save her life.

Zhang Xuanling immediately went to the Cold Pond, recklessly using a fire-attributed cultivation technique to melt the Xuan Bing.

At that moment, his filial piety moved heaven and earth, and he even awakened the ’Body of Fire God,’ melting all of the Xuan Bing and successfully retrieving the Blood of Spiritual Fish, saving his stepmother...

Reading a few lines, Fang Xi’s expression grew somewhat strange.

He silently operated his Origin Soul, calculating with his fingers, and realized that Zhang Xuanling, besides his age and talents as well as the ’Body of Fire God,’ everything else was false.

Apart from the Upper Third-rank Noble Families and their allies, it was extremely difficult for children of the Middle Third-rank noble families to be admitted to the Imperial Academy!

Because the Imperial Academy had already found several substitute materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill, which allowed for stable cultivation, thus enabling the continuous production of Foundation Establishment Pills!

Naturally, Qi Refining Cultivators were clambering over each other for this opportunity.

Lower Third-rank Poor Families hardly expect anything, whereas Middle Third-rank Clans would utilize every tactic in the book, exemplifying the metaphor of "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea."

This public show of ambition and reputation is just the very basic.

Yet, there are thresholds, and unless one has spokesmen across all the states and counties, and can establish the right connections,

This appraisal report would never land on one’s own desk!

Fang Xi tapped on his glabella.

While deploying the Illusory Destruction Rule, he had long scrutinized everything related to the Great Central Official of the Horse Family.

’Oh, so the Zhang Family has spent ten thousand catties of Spirit Rice, ten he’s of Spirit Pearls, twenty bolts of Spirit Silkworm Silk... and they’ve also sent several beautiful cauldrons to the Great Central Official’s mansion?’

’That surname Horse owns eighteen mansions in Xindu, each luxurious enough to rival the imperial palace... filled with treasures and beauties I have never even seen.’

’This person is far too negligent. I should take his place and thoroughly inspect, to critique...’

Fang Xi nodded his head, then drew a circle at the end of the document, signifying its selection.

With that circle drawn, the fate of a clan’s scion was determined.

The magic power essence attached to it was an undeniable guarantee. There could be no mistake.

He had come here to impersonate the Great Central Official of the Horse Family, also utilizing the Secret Skill of "Stealing the Sky and Replacing the Day." Not even a Gold Immortal could discern otherwise; he was truly the Horse Family’s Great Central Official.

’...I also need to set a trap to capture all the realm’s Gold Immortals in one swoop.’

’If I simply kill one or two outright, it could draw interference from the Heavenly World, which would be less than ideal...’

Fang Xi contemplated for a moment, his gaze becoming distant.

In his eyes, it seemed as though Reincarnation and Void were fleeting by.

This was after becoming a Taoist Master, starting to assist the true self, and beginning to understand the integration of Reincarnation Taoist Seed with the Void Taoist Seed...

...

"Lower Grade has no Lord, Upper Grade has no Poor Door... I refuse to accept this!"

Inside a cramped dormitory building,

A young boy was sitting in meditation, refining Qi.

He was thin and gaunt, his cheeks wan, but his eyes were bright and spirited, radiating charisma.

"Why? Just because I am not from a noble family, I can’t even get into the Imperial Academy?"

"We as individual cultivators, only the rare few with a Heaven Grade Spiritual Root get the chance to join noble families through marriage... Otherwise, we must bank on the one in ten thousand chance at Foundation Establishment, with immediate death upon failure. And even if successful, one would only become a lowly Ninth-rank from a Poor Family, serving as a dog for the clans."

Since Great New established the Nine-Ranks System, the ranks of the Upper Third-rank Noble Families have remained unchanged, with clans not altering for hundreds of years.

However, the Lower Third-rank Poor Families frequently see their names stricken due to the sitting and transforming or combat demise of their Foundation Establishment ancestors, replaced by individual cultivators who have staked their lives to succeed in Foundation Establishment, hence undergoing rapid change, attracting the derision of clansmen, seen as lower-class commoners.

In Great New, there was another saying — only those above Sixth-rank are truly noble families!

The so-called ’Poor Families’ are but a game tossed out by the Noble Families, to be fought over by those below them.

However, Fang Xi knew the truth was far more cruel.

Even the clans were but playthings of the Noble Families, nominally giving those below a glimmer of hope, so as not to stir up widespread revolt.

"I want to achieve Foundation Establishment!"

The lean young man clenched his fists.

Though he was only at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, his heart was full of hope.

Still, that hope remained exceedingly faint.

As a member of the common populace, he lacked proper cultivation methods and a knowledgeable mentor to guide him.

Crucial above all... was a lack of resources!

In the world of Shu Mountain, the success rate of Qi Refining cultivators independently attempting Foundation Establishment was so low it was alarming!

And all Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects were virtually monopolized by the clans.

For example, those evil Qi-producing sites were property of the clans, and any individual who dared to take them without permission would be arrested and severely sentenced!

As for the Foundation Establishment Pill, developed after experimenting with various Spirit Plants, it was something that could only be exchanged with credits by students of the Imperial Academy.

Nowadays, even the children of Seventh-rank Poor Families struggle to gain entry into the Imperial Academy to continue their studies.

The so-called Foundation Establishment Pill was but an unattainable dream.

Snap!

At that moment, the young man suddenly looked at the palm of his hand.

A ring on his index finger suddenly split open.

A terrifying presence rushed into his mind, causing him to faint.

"Where... where am I?"

The boy felt as though he was dreaming. In the dream, he found himself in a majestic jade palace, surrounded by immortal birds and beasts, and by wondrous fruits and flowers...

At the center of the palace stood the figure of an old man, full of immortal grace and wisdom.

"I am the Old Ancestor of Shu Mountain!"

"Evil demons from beyond the heavens have harmed my Shu Mountain using mortal wicked means... I led my disciples to fight back, but ultimately our sect was lost, leaving nothing but a wisp of my soul housed within this ring."

The old man stroked his beard.

"This..."

The young man’s first reaction was disbelief, but then he smiled wryly, "It seems no one would go to such lengths to deceive me, as it wouldn’t be worth the effort..."

"Indeed."

The old man replied with a smile, "Though your talent for Mortal Skills is mediocre, your character stands out, making you a genius for cultivating the ancient way... With Shu Mountain’s methods, if one has sufficient character and perseverance, one can become a Swordsman in a year, a Sword Immortal in ten, and craft an Origin Soul in a hundred years. It is upon you to restore order and reshape the firmament..."