Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 236 - 235: Wither and Flourish (Please Subscribe)_1

Chapter 236: Chapter 235: Wither and Flourish (Please Subscribe)_1

Whoosh whoosh!

Sword light pierced the sky as the Foundation Establishment cultivators from Yiling Valley proceeded on their sword flight.

"Senior Brother You..."

A Foundation Establishment junior with a hint of confusion drew his sword light closer and curiously asked a question.

"I know what you want to ask. I’ll say only this... Dragon Fish Island is no ordinary place. If we mount a strong attack, I might be alright, but all of you would die!"

With a cold expression, You Chong replied indifferently.

"How is that possible? That Dragon Fish Island’s Lord struggled against Li Rujian for a hundred moves, barely overcoming him in the end with a Sword Array. But Senior Brother You, you defeated Li Rujian with just three moves..."

The junior disciple simply couldn’t believe it.

"I defeated Li Rujian with three sword strikes because I had an advantage. That man had been gravely injured by Fang Xi long ago and hadn’t fully recovered from his injuries when he battled me..."

You Chong sighed softly, revealing a truth.

’Moreover...’ he mused to himself, ’I practice the "Purple Dazzling Heavenly Eye", which can break all illusions and see through arrays and prohibitions, yet I couldn’t see through that second-level Profound Wood Formation. That array is not simple either...’

’Besides, I was born with a "Sword Bone" and have been practicing some of the most profound sword techniques of our sect, having cultivated to the "Sword Heart Clear and Bright" stage. When I was about to make my move earlier, my life-bound spiritual sword unexpectedly emitted a long warning cry, indicating that I was facing the peril of a broken sword... Dragon Fish Island truly harbors hidden dragons and crouching tigers!’

Sword cultivators might champion charging ahead fearlessly, but they are not fools who would deliberately walk into a certain death trap!

Therefore, You Chong chose to retreat on his own accord, as the unknown is the most terrifying.

"Shall we just let those two off so easily?... That Dragon Fish Island’s Lord makes a fortune from the Ling Kong Market every day... Why not make a move against Ling Kong Island instead?"

Another junior proposed as he stepped forward.

"Inside the Ling Kong Market, various forces are entangled, making it difficult to take action... After all, Yiling Valley cannot suppress the other three major Core Formation forces..."

You Chong sighed.

In truth, seeing the huge profits of Ling Kong Island had tempted many cultivators.

However, mutual constraints made it difficult for any of them to act. Ling Kong Island belonged to the local Foundation Establishment forces, holding the advantage of both location and a certain moral high ground with fairly reasonable prices, not excessively gouging customers.

With the four major Core Formation forces and numerous Foundation Establishment forces restraining each other, they had tacitly accepted this status quo, maintaining a fragile balance.

In particular, the head of the Yan Family, Yan Dongqing, adept at political maneuvering and following Fang Xi’s instructions, had distributed many benefits to the four major Core Formation forces, so despite appearing dangerous, Ling Kong Island was actually quite stable.

Even You Chong did not wish to take the initiative to disturb this balance.

"However... Dragon Fish Island has a hidden depth that is indeed worth probing..."

A trace of coldness flickered in You Chong’s eyes as he called out, "Junior Brother Lin..."

"Senior Brother?"

A Foundation Establishment disciple immediately approached.

"I heard... you’re acquainted with that ’Old Ling Demon’?"

You Chong remarked lightly.

The disciple surnamed Lin’s face changed while the other Foundation Establishment disciples around him reacted with shocked expressions, looking at their fellow with incredulous eyes.

Old Ling Demon was a notorious devil within the bounds of Martial Kingdom, rumored to have cultivated his Demon Skills to the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment, just one step shy of Core Formation!

His Demon Skills were mysterious, and his aptitude for various escape secret skills made him a slippery target that even Yiling Valley struggled to apprehend. He had long been listed as wanted but still roamed free to this day.

Known for his eccentric and aloof nature, he once annihilated an entire Foundation Establishment sect over a verbal dispute, making him a figure feared even by children to silent their crying at night within Martial Kingdom.

Such a brutal individual, could he have also come to Thousand Island Lake?

Not only that, but it seemed he also had some connection with this Junior Brother Lin?

"This... Senior Brother You, you mustn’t believe all the rumors you hear..." Lin’s expression drastically changed, and under the pressing gaze of You Chong as sharp as a sword, he finally conceded, "That Old Ling Demon originally had the surname ’Lin,’ claiming to be from the same lineage as me. Indeed, we’ve made contact a couple of times, but I swear on my Dao Heart, I have never betrayed our sect..."

"Hmph, if you were selling out our sect, my sword would have already beheaded you..."

You Chong snorted coldly. In truth, Yiling Valley’s higher-ups were well aware of Old Ling Demon’s background and had even used him as a covert operative before.

Old Ling Demon had committed numerous acts of family annihilation, and it was unclear how many of those were done to remove thorns for Yiling Valley.

Although You Chong was core to Yiling Valley, he wasn’t at a level where he could mobilize such individuals.

However, using Junior Brother Lin to make contact and strike a deal seemed like a feasible option.

’He is but a pawn, just right for testing the waters of Dragon Fish Island...’

You Chong gazed in the direction of Dragon Fish Island, ultimately not content with the situation.

Retreating without a fight, even though it wasn’t a great shame, was still a knot in his heart.

As a sword cultivator, it is best to have a heart free of entanglements!

...

"Please, Sirs! It was startling this time..."

Fang Xi sat at the main seat of the top floor of Evergreen Pavilion, with Yan Ying and Xiahou Xin standing by his side, raising their cups to comfort the two cultivators as well as to inquire about the current situation.

"Alas..."

Liu Sanqi drained his cup of Spirit Wine in one gulp, his face revealing a bitter smile, "This time, we’ve truly offended Yiling Valley... I fear I might have to ask the Island Master for refuge."

After offending You Chong, he didn’t dare to return to Golden Turtle Island and could only brazenly request Fang Xi’s refuge.

"Naturally, you are my friend, and you may stay on Dragon Fish Island for as long as you wish..."

Fang Xi laughed heartily, his interest piqued by Liu Sanqi’s Spirit Body.

Ruan Xingling took a sip of Spirit Wine, seemingly restoring some of her Magic Power, and began to recount calmly:

"This time... The Array Master of Baize Immortal City used a third-rank Array Talisman to successfully breach a part of the prohibitions at the core, opening a pathway into the Spiritual Medicine Garden... The Nine Leaves Sect is clearly very adept at cultivating spirit herbs. I saw plenty of precious Spirit Medicines in the garden. It’s regrettable that the cultivators who entered were blinded by greed and acted on impulse... Fortunately, Hong Yu was overseeing the marketplace this time, or there might be no good fortune... With Liu Sanqi’s talent for locating Spirit Medicine, we managed to break through an obscure prohibition in the Spiritual Medicine Garden and obtained several Golden Jade Ganoderma and Pill Cloud Vine. Unfortunately, we encountered a Foundation Establishment cultivator from Yiling Valley contesting our find, and we were forced to fight and injured the opposing party... The rest, as you know."

In fact, she and Liu Sanqi had used various methods and strategies to delay You Chong along the way, ultimately finding themselves outmatched by the sharpness of You Chong’s Spiritual Sword and had no choice but to flee to Dragon Fish Island.

"So it seems that the exploration of the ancient ruins on Jade Island has barely scratched the inner area?"

Fang Xi zeroed in on the most crucial point of their account.

Liu Sanqi and Ruan Xingling looked at each other: "That’s exactly right... Just the inner circle alone contains Spirit Medicines that can aid in the breakthrough to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. Inside the main structure at the core, there might indeed be Core Formation-level spiritual objects. I estimate this time the four major powers will increase their efforts... And it looks like Baize Immortal City’s faction is the most desperate."

"This is really..."

Thinking back to Yuan Feihong’s hesitation, Fang Xi could only sigh.

However, Baize Immortal City had been glorious for hundreds of years, and its decline was simply the natural order of things; a brief reflection sufficed.

"Since the two of you have been injured this time, why not recuperate here on Dragon Fish Island? I just happened to have refined the ’Rushing Essence Pills’..."

Fang Xi casually mentioned his idea of hosting a private exchange event, and Ruan Xingling and Liu Sanqi were highly supportive.

Fang Xi himself had no use for ’Rushing Essence Pills’, but offering them at the exchange event would be highly attractive.

"Oh, this is from Hong Yu for you," said Ruan Xingling smilingly as she handed over a jade slip.

Fang Xi took it, his Divine Consciousness probing inside. He found it to be a cultivation method of the Wooden Element, and he couldn’t help but feel moved: "Hong Yu is thoughtful..."

In fact, in recent years, Ling Kong marketplace on several occasions transferred acquired treasures, the earned Spirit Stones, and items of unverified origin to Dragon Fish Island’s storage for safety reasons.

This time, the jade slip Zhong Hongyu had Ruan Xingling deliver was a cultivation technique obtained by an individual cultivator from the Ancient ruins on Jade Island called ’Kuyong Skills,’ an ultimate-level cultivation method that could be practiced all the way to the mid-stage of Core Formation!

Furthermore, from the final Chapters, it was apparent that there was more to the technique, indicating that ’Kuyong Skills’ certainly had further progression and might even be the Nine Leaves Sect’s heritage technique!

Fang Xi had high hopes for this and planned to write a letter urging Zhong Hongyu to continue following this clue.

If fortune favored him, his own Core Formation cultivation method could very well be decided!

After the banquet, Liu Sanqi and Ruan Xingling hurried away to enter seclusion and heal their wounds.

Fang Xi likewise entered seclusion, focusing first on comprehending the ’Kuyong Skills’.

...

Several months later.

"In ancient times, there was the Great Chun Tree. Eight thousand years for spring, eight thousand years for autumn, between one spring and one autumn, this is the cycle of decay and prosperity..."

Fang Xi, who was contemplating the ’Kuyong Skills’, opened his eyes: "The ’Kuyong Skills’ truly deserve to be a top-tier technique! Both in its philosophy and the secret skills it includes, far surpass the ’Green Wood Longevity Skills’!"

"If I could find the subsequent part about how to condense the Nascent Soul, that would be extraordinary..."

"And I wonder if my ’Yi Wood Magic Body’ could refine the ’Kuyong Skills’ to an even higher level?"

After some thought, Fang Xi regretfully shook his head:

"It’s unlikely, as the lower the grade of the technique, the more it can be improved, which is the so-called greater room for growth in the deficient. But with such a top-tier technique, the room for improvement is much smaller."

"All things considered, it’s still best to first locate the subsequent parts of ’Kuyong Skills’ to be fully prepared before considering refining the cultivation technique..."

"Though that being said, some of the secret skills within this technique are worth practicing right away..."

’Kuyong Skills’ is a Wooden Element top-tier cultivation method, and Fang Xi practiced a Wooden Element technique and possessed the ’Yi Wood Magic Body’. After some contemplation, he felt that he should be able to practice several Wooden Element secret skills without too much trouble.

After all, Wooden Element secret techniques that caught Fang Xi’s eye were exceedingly rare.

One of them was called ’Wood Escape Skill’, a form of the Five Elements escape skills that was very uncommon, relying on plant life as a medium for casting spells. If used in forests, grasslands, and similar terrains, it would give him a considerable advantage.

Another was an exceedingly mysterious secret technique; it was said that even practitioners of ’Kuyong Skills’ must wait until after achieving Core Formation to attempt it. Its name was—’Kuyong Mysterious Light’!