Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 195 - 194: Breaking Through the Mid-term (Request for Subscription)_1

Chapter 195: Chapter 194: Breaking Through the Mid-term (Request for Subscription)_1

Southern Wilderness Cultivation Realm.

Dragon Fish Island.

"Damn... Danya’s mastery of talismans is so powerful?"

After returning from the Da Liang World, Fang Xi took another look at the Fragment World, and then received a piece of news that astonished him immensely.

With Chen Ping’s almost third-rank talisman heritage, Danya made rapid progress in the art of talismans.

She even began to try to craft the "Vertical Ground Golden Light Talisman".

Although she failed many times, with the abundant resources of the Fragment World, Fang Xi felt that it was entirely possible for her to succeed!

"And... she has traces of practicing demon skills, which certainly means she has already gotten the hang of the Five Extremities Primordial Demon Skill."

Fang Xi reflected thoughtfully.

The body structure of the Shaman Race is different from the humans of Great Liang and even the Southern Wilderness, enabling them to open Spirit Apertures.

Fang Xi has known this for a long time and has done many experiments.

But he never expected that they could actually cultivate the magic power of the Cultivation World!

"Now, Danya doesn’t need me to issue tasks, she is frantically searching for treasure patterns on her own... aiming to craft them into third-rank talismans. By then, truly, there won’t be many Witch Kings who could stand as her opponents."

"It’s just a pity that the Eastern Tribe is too powerful, and I temporarily cannot obtain the Five Elements Treasure Pattern... My Green Barley Sword can’t be upgraded..."

"I am really envious of Danya, she can cut down third-rank Spiritual Trees and strip them to make talisman paper without batting an eye. The resources inside that Secret Realm are indeed rich..."

"Unlike me, I have to now collect materials again to craft the ’Earth-shaking Array’ in secret..."

Of course, Fang Xi now definitely does not dare to strut about under the identity of Prime Taoist Mu and then go to the market controlled by Mysterious Heaven Sect.

Over these years, the internal story of the Song Family’s downfall has also gradually become known...

Subsequently, the "Prime Taoist Mu" that Fang Xi incarnated became famous in three countries, touted as a suspected third-rank Array Master!

His creation of the "Earth-shaking Array", which can disrupt the spiritual veins and render the third-rank Prohibition-breaking Talisman helpless against the greatly diminished power source of a third-rank Array, is deemed extremely sly and malicious — with Song Family’s Moon Viewing Mountain now crumbling and even the spiritual energy falling back to the second-rank level, serving as the best proof!

Of course, regardless of the public stance, all the major Golden Core forces are secretly searching for this treasure capable of disrupting third-rank Arrays, hoping that one day it might deliver a fatal blow to their enemies!

For instance, Baize Immortal City has opened up the position of vice city lord, claiming that the position awaits Prime Taoist Mu if he is willing to come.

Unfortunately... Fang Xi took all these offers as a joke.

Unless he had his head smashed by a door, he would not expose his identity to those Golden Core powers.

"Now, I have to sneak around to buy materials for forging Array Flags and Array Disks. It’s best to change a few identities, stretch out the time, and spend more effort preparing..."

As for the lifesaving treasure — the "Vertical Ground Golden Light Treasure Pattern", Fang Xi, even if he picked up talisman skills immediately, might not be able to quickly advance to a second-rank high-grade Talisman Master, so he can only list it as a backup plan...

...

Time flies like water.

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

Inside the closed-door cultivation room of the Evergreen Pavilion.

Fang Xi operated the "Green Wood Longevity Skill", his body surrounded by green light rippling like waves, each surpassing the last.

Today, with the aid of the second-rank high-grade Spiritual Vein, even though he hadn’t consumed much elixir these past few years, he expanded the liquid Magic Power in his Dantian Qi Ocean to the limit of the Foundation Establishment early stage of the Green Wood Longevity Skill!

Then, quite naturally, he started his breakthrough!

Feeling the process of vast amounts of Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi converging in his Dantian under the strong external Spiritual Pressure after passing a certain barrier, being refined into liquid Magic Power, a slight smile emerged on Fang Xi’s lips.

In this moment, he successfully broke through, advancing to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment!

"This closed-door breakthrough had a taste of things falling into place... If I had forcibly broken through with only forty drops of liquid Magic Power, it would have certainly been incredibly difficult, at which point I would need the assistance of a breakthrough pill."

"But without pride or impetuousness, I honed the Magic Power of the early stage of Foundation Establishment to the ultimate perfection. Although my Spiritual Root is mediocre, with the enhancement of the Green Wood Spiritual Body, I didn’t face any bottlenecks... and thus I naturally broke through."

Fang Xi released his Divine Consciousness, discovering that the limit of his Divine Consciousness astonishingly reached a hundred and fifty zhang, comparable to that of a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Moreover, his lifespan also increased, reaching around four hundred and fifty years!

"An increase of thirty years to my lifespan? Ordinary cultivators do not see such a substantial increase when breaking through minor realms. It’s probably because of my Green Wood Spiritual Body, coupled with cultivating the Wooden Element Skill, right?"

Not only that, when he looked inward at his Sea of Consciousness, he found the Dantian Qi Ocean had expanded once more, and inside, there were seventy-five drops of liquid Magic Power, condensing into a tranquil pool.

"At the peak of my early stage of Foundation Establishment, I had fifty drops of liquid Magic Power. Then, breaking through to mid-stage Foundation Establishment, my Magic Power surged by half, adding another twenty-five drops of liquid Magic Power... No wonder Immortal Cultivators advocate for overcoming others with higher realms; with my Green Wood Longevity Magic Power, I can even crush those Sect geniuses cultivating top-grade skills at the early stage, right?"

"Although the Green Wood Longevity Skill is inferior to top-grade skills, it’s also a fine work of its own, and there’s no problem crushing those Sect geniuses across realms!"

"And my Divine Consciousness has also increased by so much?"

Fang Xi pondered for a while and did not immediately leave seclusion, but seized the moment to press on, cultivating the third layer of the "Thousand Thread Puppet Controlling Skills!"

The mantra of the third layer, he had long since memorized it thoroughly, only failing to cultivate it because his Divine Consciousness had not met the requirement.

Now that his realm had broken through and his Divine Consciousness surged, it didn’t take him long to successfully cultivate it with great fluidity!

"With the third layer mastered, I can split my Divine Consciousness into eight strands..."

"However, this is also the limit of this puppet skill."

Fang Xi took stock of his combat abilities and once again crafted several second-order puppets, a hint of satisfaction appearing on his face: "With my current Foundation Establishment mid-stage magic power, a Divine Consciousness comparable to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, the Green Barley Sword, and seven second-order puppets... Even without using the Vermilion Bird Ring—a trump card—I should be able to contend with those at the late stage of Foundation Establishment..."

The reason there were only seven second-order puppets was that one of his streams of Divine Consciousness was constantly lurking deep within his Sea of Consciousness, connecting with the ’Treasures of All Heavens’.

"After over thirty years of Foundation Establishment, now at the age of ninety, I’ve finally broken through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment!"

"A day of great joy, it should be celebrated!"

Fang Xi flicked a ’Cleaning Skill’ over himself, removing the slight impurities brought on by the breakthrough of his cultivation techniques and the cleansing of his marrow, feeling refreshed as he exited his closed-door cultivation.

Before leaving, he thought for a moment and quietly executed a magic spell.

This was the ’Concealment Skill’ recorded in the ’Green Wood Longevity Skills’—a technique he had been cultivating all along!

The next moment, Fang Xi’s aura diminished significantly, maintaining the level of an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

’With my current level of cultivation, even those at the late or even the pinnacle stages of Foundation Establishment would hardly see through my disguise...’

Fang Xi drifted out of the training room, and upon sight, the maidservants immediately paid their respects and hurried off to inform Xiahou Ying.

"Congratulations to the Island Master on concluding his retreat!"

Now at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, Xiahou Ying had shed much of her shyness and approached him with a smile to pay her respects.

"Hmm, during this period of retreating hermit-like, has anything happened on the island?"

While being served by Xiahou Ying as he changed into a new robe, Fang Xi asked casually.

"Nothing..."

Xiahou Ying, looking at Fang Xi’s face that hadn’t aged a single day, still as handsome as a young master, felt a flush spread across her cheeks: "It’s actually about the slave’s clansman, who has successfully planted the second-order Dragon Scale Fine Rice and wishes to share the good news with the Island Master..."

"Oh? That’s good news indeed."

Fang Xi laughed: "I must reward you well for this..."

...

After some playful banter, Fang Xi changed into another set of robes and went to Spirit Medicine Valley.

"Greetings, Island Master!"

Xiahou Zun hurriedly came forward with a few old farmers to greet him.

"Never mind that, take me to see the second-order Spiritual Field..."

Fang Xi swept his sleeve and arrived at the Spirit Field Area, where he saw lush and vibrant Green Grains.

The grains of the Dragon Scale Fine Rice each resembled dragon teeth, as large as fists, and each one was white as jade with dragon scale-like patterns on them.

Although not yet fully matured, a refreshing fragrance was already pervading the air.

"Reporting to the Island Master, this Dragon Scale Fine Rice indeed requires the water from the dwelling of the Lord to grow..."

Xiahou Zun reported with a face full of joy, having grown into an excellent Spirit Plant Farmer.

"Good job, keep up the hard work!"

Fang Xi then inspected the growth of the medicinal herbs in the Spiritual Fields, encouraged Xiahou Zun with a few words, and then leisurely returned to the Evergreen Pavilion.

At the highest point of Evergreen Pavilion.

Fang Xi stood with his hands behind his back, at the window looking out at the scenery of the fish farm and the Spirit Medicine Valley, contemplating inwardly: ’Now that my cultivation has greatly advanced, and I’ve been occasionally disguising myself to go out for material purchases these recent years, I only lack five-hundred-year-old Heavenly Silkworm Silk to reforge the ’Earth-shaking Array.’ Then I will be able to probe into the Demon Tree Demon Realm.’

The Monster Tree didn’t simply root itself to the spot and remain stationary.

According to reports from the Martial God Sect’s martial gods who were left as guardians, the tree had departed from the lifeless Sanhe City a year ago and occupied a mortal city, turning it into a purgatory.

This pressed on Fang Xi with urgency, as the Demonic Tree was clearly growing, and whatever it was swallowing or doing, the pace was accelerating!

’The five-hundred-year-old Heavenly Silkworm Silk has already been located... there’s some for sale in the market near the Gloomy Moon Sect.’

In Yue Country, aside from the Mysterious Heaven Sect, there were previously seven major clans and five great sects, all renowned and revered.

The Gloomy Moon Sect was one of these five sects, accepting only females and famous for raising various spirit silkworms.

As things stood, with the Song family destroyed and the Foundation Establishment families’ powers greatly diminished, the five sects expanded their territories, eagerly consuming all the resources left exposed by the Song family’s downfall.

As Fang Xi pondered, a pink Escape Light flew towards Dragon Fish Island from outside, moving incredibly fast—it was a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Fang Xi swept his Divine Consciousness over it, revealing a smile, and voluntarily opened the array.

The Escape Light went straight to the top of Evergreen Pavilion, revealing a female cultivator with a face both delicate and fierce—it was Ruan Xingling!

"It’s quite rare for Fairy Ruan to grace us with her presence..."

Fang Xi said with a smile: "Would you like to sit down for a cup of Spiritual Tea?"

Ruan Xingling, however, stared at Fang Xi, her expression somewhat dazed.

Years had passed, yet Fang Xi looked the same. That wasn’t surprising; many Immortal Cultivators could achieve that.

But that tranquil and detached demeanor, brimming with vitality, was something no one could replicate.

Her expression turned serious, and she spoke in a grave tone, "Mr. Fang, Thousand Island Lake has not been tranquil recently; I fear that there might be hidden undercurrents at play!"