Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 126 - 125: Top-Rank Array Master (Congratulations in Silver!)_1

Chapter 126: Chapter 125: Top-Rank Array Master (Congratulations in Silver!)_1

"It’s a pity..."

Fang Xi couldn’t help feeling sorry for Ruan Xingling.

After Foundation Establishment, one could enjoy a lifespan of two hundred years, and only then could they be considered to have truly stepped through the door of the Immortal Path!

This woman had considerable talent, temperament, and opportunity, and was not without hope for Foundation Establishment.

Having been interrupted this time could be considered as having missed a significant opportunity.

"Had it not been for this incident, I wouldn’t have known that the alliance had degenerated to such an extent..."

Ruan Xingling, however, scoffed coldly, "If we announced Peach Blossom Island’s secession from the Thirty Six Island Alliance, I fear Yu Lingzi and another Foundation Establishment member of the alliance could brazenly come and exterminate us!"

"This matter may be related to the ’Three Upper Families’."

Fang Xi pondered for a moment before making a conclusion.

The Three Upper Families of the Thirty Six Islands, namely the Taishu, Yuchi, and Xiahou families, had more than one Qi Refining late-stage Cultivator, as well as ancestors at the Great Perfection stage of Qi Refining, and perhaps even secretly held Foundation Establishment family members!

The establishment of the Ling Kong market, for the most part, was also a resolution of the Three Upper Families.

"Fortunately, they have achieved their objective and will next provide us with compensation..."

Ruan Xingling’s smile was tinged with bitterness.

"It’s still uncertain what the Island Master gained this time..."

Fang Xi’s eyes flashed as he asked about the key issue.

"This time, I got an opportunity in Baize Immortal City and collected several precious century-old Spirit Medicines, intending to collaborate with someone to invite a master alchemist to concoct a ’Foundation Establishment Pill’!"

Ruan Xingling gathered her hair and revealed the truth.

Baize Immortal City, located at the junction of Yue Country, Martial Kingdom, and Wood Kingdom, backed by the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, has abundant resources. It also has Core Formation ancestors stationed there, is protected by third-rank Great Arrays, and forbids combat and killing within the city.

Moreover, it is the only channel other than Golden Core Sects like Mysterious Heaven Sect where Foundation Establishment Pills might flow out!

"It’s actually a Foundation Establishment Pill!"

Fang Xi couldn’t help but feel moved, Ruan Xingling truly had good fortune.

He had originally thought that the other party had just obtained one Base-building Spiritual Object. Little did he expect that she would have a chance to acquire a Foundation Establishment Pill!

No wonder other powers were so anxious.

Other Base-building Spiritual Objects, such as those that assist in body tempering with streams of Evil Qi, not only have a success rate far lower than that of Foundation Establishment Pills but mostly do not protect the meridians during Foundation Establishment, ensuring that one does not die if the process fails.

With this effect, Cultivators have a better mindset when breaking through, which in reality also provides a certain boost to the success of Foundation Establishment.

Through further inquiry, Fang Xi learned that there were several master alchemists within Baize Immortal City who accepted tasks to concoct Foundation Establishment Pills externally, as long as one provided the raw materials themselves.

And the success rate of pill concoction seemed quite good, which could be said to be the greatest hope for Individual Cultivators in the neighboring three countries looking to achieve Foundation Establishment.

"However, this time the Spirit Medicines I planned to provide in collaboration were few; if the pills produced are less than two, the actual hope is still not great..."

Ruan Xingling shared the reality, "Knowing the annihilation of Black Sand Island, I realized something was wrong and exchanged the few century-old Spirit Medicines for the Exotic Treasure ’Bronze Ancient Sword’, and hurried back..."

"Alas... the difficulty of an Individual Cultivator achieving Foundation Establishment is as challenging as ascending to the heavens!"

Fang Xi did not inquire why Ruan Xingling did not take back the Spirit Medicines to collaborate with someone else next time.

Within Baize Immortal City, there might not be powers targeting her or, to be precise, the Spirit Medicines in her possession!

An opportunity to possibly obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill was enough to tempt any power at the Foundation Establishment level.

If not for trading for an immediate combat power enhancing magical tool, Ruan Xingling might not have been able to return!

"Without the support of Foundation Establishment, achieving it indeed requires opportunity; perhaps Xingling’s destiny is lacking..."

Ruan Xingling expressed her regrets.

However, Fang Xi secretly took Ruan Xingling’s lesson to heart: within Baize Immortal City, it wasn’t trouble-free just because Core Formation ancestors were present.

Those Foundation Establishment powers were just finicky about appearances; in reality, they were still after consuming others!

Even though combat was prohibited in Baize Immortal City, exposing one’s wealth could still lead to robbery and plunder.

’It seems, seeking someone to concoct pills is simply unreliable.’

’Winning an auction draws even more attention.’

’In the future, what should my plans be?’

...

After Ruan Xingling left, Fang Xi continued to take stock of his assets.

The ’Qingyuan Shield’ from the second in command was a fine-quality defensive magical tool and could just serve as a replacement for the ’Green Turtle Shield’ that was now defunct.

After all, Fang Xi was now an expert in the latter stages of Qi Refining, and his magical tools also needed to be upgraded.

Besides that, the eldest son of the Kou family’s Storage Bag was not claimed by Ruan Xingling, and she gave it directly to Fang Xi.

As for the massive Spirit Boat, Fang Xi had no use for it, so he handed it over to Ruan Xingling.

Altogether, the resources in the eldest son of Kou family’s Storage Bag were roughly worth a thousand Spirit Stones, which Fang Xi and Ruan Xingling divided equally.

Combined with the ’contributions’ of other cultivation-robbers, his openly declared wealth was immensely abundant.

These were Spirit Stones that could be spent openly and honorably.

As for those acquired previously, they were considered stolen goods and needed a channel for laundering...

...

One year later.

Fang Xi was forty-four years old.

"Not bad, not bad, four successful pills, the ’Qingzhi Pill’ also doesn’t pose a challenge to me..."

Since learning of Ruan Xingling’s encounter, he had quietly increased the usual time spent on concocting pills.

By now, he had even managed to concoct the ’Qingzhi Pill’, which was one of the more challenging first-grade superior pills.

"After all, I’ve invested so many years into studying Alchemy Skill akin to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator..."

"Next, perhaps it’s time to attempt concocting second-grade pills?"

Regrettably, there were two major issues in this regard.

The first problem was the absence of second-order Pill Recipes!

After all, what Fang Xi had initially acquired was only the first-order inheritance of Alchemy Skill.

The second was the lack of Innate True Fire for pill refinement!

Such flames were only possessed by Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage.

However, Fang Xi, after poring over ancient books, found an alternative solution, which was to use Earth Flames!

Alas, there were no Earth Flame veins on Peach Blossom Island.

Even if there were, they could not possibly be made available for his daily use in pill refinement.

"The reason why first-order spiritual charcoal fire isn’t as good as second-order Earth Flames is firstly due to insufficient heat, and secondly, instability..."

"These two issues could actually be solved through the use of arrays... Designing a ’Fire-gathering Array’, and then burning a large amount of spiritual charcoal to maintain a long-lasting stability..."

Fang Xi thought about it and sketched out a few rough drafts on the jade slip.

The next moment, his eyes lit up: "I understand now..."

In that instant, by drawing analogies from other areas, the problems he had been struggling to understand within the first-order Array finally solved itself!

"The Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation do share connections in many aspects..."

He seemed to fall into a realm of enlightenment as he started designing a set of arrays on his own.

Half a day later...

Fang Xi gazed at the Array in his hands, his face filled with some sentiment: "Although this array consumes a lot, and nearly costs several times more than renting an Earth Flame chamber, its advantage lies in its concealment, and moreover... it can be set up even in places without Earth Flame veins, producing flames that surpass ordinary first-order Spirit Fire, and even bordering on second-order..."

"Based on my current Array Taoist cultivation, I should be considered to have broken through to the upper realm of the first-order, right?"

The purpose of an Array is to complete tasks that a Cultivator at the present stage of cultivation cannot achieve, by consuming Spirit Stones and enhancing with Prohibitions!

For instance, a first-order top-quality Fire-gathering Array could theoretically elevate the power of first-order Spirit Fire to a degree comparable to second-order Spirit Fire, albeit at a great cost...

"Then, there’s the issue of the second-order Pill Recipes... I really don’t have any."

Looking at the completed Array, Fang Xi felt somewhat frustrated.

It was completely unrealistic for him to design a second-order Pill Recipe from scratch, far beyond his own abilities.

Even if he could, the materials required for second-order Pill Recipes were extremely daunting, not something that could be utilized with just a few years or even a decade’s worth of Spirit Medicine.

’Even for someone at the Foundation Establishment stage who wants to elevate their skills in pill refinement to the second-order, it’s extremely difficult...’

Fang Xi sighed, put aside his thoughts, and returned to the outside world to start sipping tea.

Under the Peach Blossom Tree, he brought out a jade slip, immersing his Divine Consciousness in it.

This jade slip, which he had taken from the Storage Bag of a second-in-command with an eighth-level Qi Refining cultivation, contained a cultivation technique called the "Dragon Chant Spell."

Indeed, Fang Xi was not attracted by the Way of Upkeep discussed in it, but rather interested in a certain technique that emphasized calming the mind.

After all, this Way of Upkeep demanded quite a lot from male Cultivators, requiring them to maintain a state of mind as still as water while casting the spell.

Fang Xi felt that he could use it to try refining his mind, preventing himself from being disturbed by the innate urges from the Monster Tree.

Perhaps due to having refined his Divine Consciousness, his talent in this type of mind-calming technique was surprisingly high.

After a bit of contemplation, he was able to grasp the basics.

Just as he was attaining a state of peaceful mindfulness, a Voice Transmission Talisman flew in from the outside world.

Fang Xi received it and sighed, fetched the Black Feather Boat, and flew towards Gemini West Peak.

"Wuu wuu wuu... Uncle, my mother, she..."

Wei Yixi ran out crying, her face stained with tears.

"I will take a look..."

Fang Xi comforted her and walked into the house, where he smelled a strong medicinal scent.

Hua Chanjuan lay on the bed, frail and withered, her life force flickering like a candle in the wind, ready to pass away at any moment.

Fang Xi was not surprised by this.

The woman, having exhausted herself through hard work and having depleted her Primordial Energy casting desperate spells during the Kou family’s eldest son island assault, had significantly reduced her lifespan.

At this point, she was completely spent, beyond the aid of medicine or stone!

"Fang... Sir..."

Hua Chanjuan barely opened her eyes, unable to show the beauty she possessed in her youth.

Looking at Fang Xi, who still appeared as a youth, she seemed confused, as if returning to the past.

After a moment, she whispered, "Yixi... I can’t let her go... There are too many bad people out there... She’s too naïve... Sir, you are a worthy person to entrust with one’s child... Please, please..."

"Mother!"

Wei Yixi hurriedly got closer, her face streaked with tears.

"Please take my daughter as your disciple! I don’t ask for her to have a smooth Immortal Path ahead; all I want is for her to be safe..."

Hua Chanjuan seemed to use her last bit of strength to make a request before closing her eyes.

"Mother!!"

Wei Yixi sobbed profusely.

Fang Xi sighed and walked out, looking over the newly rebuilt flower garden.

A short while later, Wei Yixi came out from the house, "Uncle..."

"Xixi, your mother wishes for me to take you as my disciple. What are your thoughts?" Fang Xi said, standing with his hands behind his back, casually asking.

Looking at the tall and upright figure, akin to a pine or cypress, Wei Yixi knelt down: "Disciple greets Master!"

"I am merely at the seventh layer of Qi Refining; how am I qualified to take any disciples?"

Fang Xi shook his head and looked at Wei Yixi, who remained kneeling and would not rise, sighing deeply, "So be it... Whatever I have learned, I will teach you, but you need not call me Master..."