Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 277 - 276: Exploring the Nine Leaves (Seeking Subscription)_1

Chapter 277: Chapter 276: Exploring the Nine Leaves (Seeking Subscription)_1

With Fang Xi’s current level of cultivation, should he wish to remain hidden, none in Thousand Island Lake would be able to detect him.

He first visited Peach Blossom Island to reminisce, then took the opportunity to stop by Maple Leaf Island en route.

Several days later, an Escape Light left Maple Leaf Island.

"With a second-rank array guarding this island and Ruan Xiuxiu being a fine Immortal Seedling... the Foundation Establishment cultivators at Thousand Island Lake will give me face and not trouble Maple Leaf Island... There shouldn’t be any significant issues for a few decades."

"If Maple Leaf Island can’t produce a Foundation Establishment cultivator within these few decades, then that’s just their fate..."

"It’s just a pity for Xingling... one can only say that there are many mishaps in this world."

If Ruan Xingling had waited a few more years, the current Fang Xi would have had the ability to secure Core Formation spiritual objects for her.

The Five Elements Spirit Fruit required waiting a hundred years due to the prohibition, but Mysterious Water Crystal Ying and Heavenly Fire Liuli were manageable problems, especially since Danya had once acquired them.

If all else failed, he could also slay a third-rank Monster King and take its Inner Core.

It could only be said that after Core Formation, both magic power and breadth of vision had greatly differed from before.

For a Core Formation old ancestor, the Core Formation spiritual objects that were nearly impossible for Foundation Establishment cultivators to obtain were not so unattainable after all.

For Fang Xi, who had access to various channels, this was even more so the case.

It was just regrettable that the woman had not long to live and was wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao, unwilling to place all her hopes on another person.

Perhaps also stimulated by Fang Xi’s impending Core Formation, she directly travelled to another country in search of a Core Formation opportunity.

It was a small regret.

The azure Escape Light flickered several times, heading northward.

Before long, it reached an area marked ’No Entry for the Living.’

Since the outbreak of a Ghost Cultivator disaster on ’Jade Island,’ the area near the island had been permeated with Ghost Mist all year round, and the closer one got to the island, the more likely they were to encounter Ghost Creatures, including those at the Foundation Establishment level.

The cultivators of Thousand Island Lake naturally went to great lengths to avoid it.

In the skies above, Fang Xi no longer concealed himself; an azure rainbow surged by, with a layer of pitch-black light swirling around him, covering a radius of dozens of yards.

Within the black halo, the phantom of a pitch-black Monster Tree seemed to appear and disappear intermittently, as countless Qi Roots spread out like innumerable arms reaching forth...

Wherever it passed, the Ghost Cultivators in the Ghost Mist all vanished without a trace...

"This Core Formation domain is unbeatable for bullying the weak, but it’s not much use against cultivators of the same rank," Fang Xi murmured to himself as he stopped his Escape Light.

In his field of view, a small island resembling jade was already in sight!

Ever since learning that the ’Nine Leaves Sect’ was out of the ordinary, with an Ancestral Founder who was not only at the Nascent Soul stage but also a disciple of the Transcendent God Sect from Green Emperor Mountain, Fang Xi had been meaning to take a look.

Now unburdened by other matters, he naturally wouldn’t miss the chance.

As he approached, the strands of pure spiritual energy mixed in with the Ghost Mist caused Fang Xi’s expression to shift subtly: "This Spiritual Vein... is at least third-rank and higher... Occupied by a group of Ghost Cultivators, it truly is a pity."

"Rumor has it that at the core of the island, there is an Underworld Earth Vein, as well as several Ghost Cultivators... Not even the old ghost would speak of why it came to be this way..."

Fang Xi looked over Jade Island but chose not to force his way through.

Even though he had completed Core Formation, he still acted with considerable caution.

Above in the high skies, the fierce Gang wind blew, fluttering Fang Xi’s bamboo Spiritual Robe, revealing the golden patterns on the ’Gold Light Vertical Boots.’

Fang Xi slapped his Spirit Beast Bag and released a Puppet—it was You Kun!

Heading into Jade Island alone was too dangerous; better to let You Kun go ahead!

Roar roar!

You Kun, expressionless, formed hand seals with both hands, and a series of Fire Dragons appeared.

The ’Nine Dragon Balls’ acted as an External Pill, avidly absorbing the Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi around it, transforming it into magic power at the Core Formation level!

The intense Fire Spiritual Power was drawn in, transforming into a series of Fire Dragons that coiled around You Kun, making him seem like a fire god from the nine heavens!

You Kun, still unsatisfied, opened his mouth and spat out a magical artifact.

This artifact looked like a semi-transparent cover that, once met with the wind, expanded into a cover burning with Three-Yang True Fire, enveloping his entire body within it.

Three-Yang True Fire Cover!

This magical artifact, after being refined by Fang Xi and then given to his own Puppet for use, proved to be quite fitting.

After all, it was originally You Kun’s own magical artifact!

Roar roar!

The next moment, nine Fire Dragons pounced onto the Divine Fire Cover, merging with the Three-Yang True Fire in a very peculiar fashion.

"Hm?"

Even Fang Xi found this combination a bit strange.

"This magical artifact... is it somewhat similar to a fabled spiritual object—the Nine Dragon Sacred Fire Cover?"

"It seems You Kun was emulating the ’Nine Dragon Sacred Fire Cover’ when he forged this artifact..."

Spiritual Treasures!

Magical artifacts that have been cultivated by Core Formation cultivators over a long period, birthing a hint of spirit, or even a spirit artifact, thereby dramatically increasing their power, are known as ’spiritual treasures’!

They are typically of the fourth rank and wielded by Nascent Soul old monsters.

The Nine Dragon Sacred Fire Cover is a well-known spiritual treasure from the Mixed Origin Sect, belonging to an Ancestral Founder at the Nascent Soul stage who had passed away while seated!

According to Fang Xi’s conjecture, You Kun must have also obtained the method for crafting it but could only make an inferior version of the ’Three-Yang True Fire Cover’!

Even so, You Kun took an alternative approach by complementing it with the ’Nine Dragon Balls,’ achieving power close to that of the ’Nine Dragon Sacred Fire Cover’ when it was still a top-tier magical artifact!

"Three-Yang True Fire is a Yang-attribute True Fire; combined with this artifact, it’s indeed a good choice against Ghost Cultivators."

Fang Xi chuckled softly and his figure disappeared, entering into the Void.

You Kun, the expressionless Puppet, entered Jade Island.

Hiss hiss!

Massive waves of Ghost Mist surged forward, but they were rapidly evaporated by layers of Fire Spiritual Power a few dozen feet away from him.

From a distance, it looked like a swath of crimson twilight stirring up the entire overcast sky.

Whoo-whoo!

Within the mist, a skull as large as a carriage wheel emerged, its eye sockets burning with green phosphorous fire. It opened its bony maw wide, aiming to bite at You Kun.

Grr-grr!

Its cultivation had astonishingly reached the late stages of Foundation Establishment. It broke through the layers of crimson twilight that blocked its path, arriving right in front of You Kun and spitting out several ghostly white bone beads from its mouth.

Clink-clink-clatter.

The ghastly white bone beads, seemingly ground from the skeletons of cultivators and still wrapped in Blood Qi and resentment, possessed immense power.

Yet when they struck the Three Yang True Fire Cover, they could only produce a crisp sound, like rain hitting banana leaves.

Grr-grr!

A Fire Dragon coiled around the Divine Fire Cover seemed to extend its claw disdainfully, and three crimson light blades flashed by, tearing the skull into pieces.

Fang Xi’s Divine Thought controlled You Kun, venturing deeper. Along the way, the corpses of many lower-level cultivators could be seen.

Many of them had already turned to skeletons, with only their broken magical artifacts and tattered robes carelessly discarded on the side.

As he ventured deeper, he could also see some Broken prohibitions still clinging to the ruined walls, still flickering with a faint spiritual glow, seemingly still serving their purpose.

The Spirit Field Area.

In Fang Xi’s hand was, of course, a map previously explored by Individual Cultivators.

Wandering around, he soon arrived at the location that used to be the Spiritual Medicine Garden.

This place was already very close to the Core area.

And inside the Spiritual Medicine Garden, the only remaining Spirit Herbs were also tainted by the ghostly Qi and had long since withered away.

Fang Xi shook his head and came before a cluster of Spiritual Trees.

Most of these Spiritual Trees were of the second-order, with several cultivator corpses nearby.

Even judging from their states, they were not killed by Ghost Creatures but died from killing each other.

"What a pity... these Spiritual Trees are also tainted and no longer of much use."

Fang Xi shook his head again, about to leave, but suddenly, he manipulated You Kun to move forward a few more steps.

Rustle!

A cluster of Spirit Fire emerged, instantly turning a great number of Spiritual Trees to ash, leaving only one behind.

This Spiritual Tree had already become unrecognizable as to what species it once was, but it seemed to have endured a mutation, stubbornly surviving in the ghost Qi-infused environment, going through some sort of change.

Even, it had advanced into a third-order Spiritual Tree!

’A third-order Spiritual Tree mixed with ghost Qi...that’s indeed quite rare, excellent material for refining certain Yin attribute magical artifacts and talismans...’

Since he had seen it, Fang Xi naturally wouldn’t miss out on it.

You Kun took a step forward, and with a mere swipe of its desiccated finger, he severed the Spiritual Tree from its roots and grabbed it.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a shadow flashed in the void, piercing through dozens of feet of the red spiritual halo defense surrounding You Kun in an instant, a green ghostly claw reaching for his head!

Grr-grr!

A Fire Dragon sprang out from the sky, approaching the enemy with fierce fangs and claws, only to be trapped by a large green net that swooped down from above, holding it firmly in place!

Despite the Fire Dragon spewing flames that could melt metal and dissolve iron, it was utterly unable to affect the large green net in the slightest!

"Hee-hee!"

A strange laugh echoed from the void. Behind You Kun, a Little White Bone Sword appeared, its spiritual light shimmering, emitting runes. It was a third-order magical artifact that had previously remained invisible. Now suddenly emerging, it stabbed at the Three Yang True Fire Cover, causing it to buzz loudly!

Crack!

The green claw also clutched the True Fire Cover, entangled by two Fire Dragons, yet oozing strands of black Qi, resisting the refinement of the True Fire.

"A Core Formation Ghost Cultivator!"

Fang Xi’s Divine Thought shivered, already spotting a figure within the Ghost Mist.

"No... there are two!"

With this realization, he no longer hesitated. Pointing at the Fire Dragon entangled within the green net, he commanded, "Explode!"

The Fire Dragon let out a mournful cry, turning into a ball of crimson flames and exploding violently.

The fierce Core Formation level Fire Attribute Spiritual Power spread outwards, shattering the green net into pieces.

Within the Ghost Mist, a figure uttered a muffled groan, clearly at a disadvantage under this move.

"Explode! Explode!"

Seeing this, Fang Xi didn’t hesitate a moment longer, pointing again at the two Fire Dragons.

Two masses of crimson Fire Spiritual Power exploded outside the Three Yang True Fire Cover immediately, engulfing both the ghostly claw and the Little White Bone Sword.

Seizing the opportunity, Fang Xi manipulated the You Kun puppet to retreat, escaping from Jade Island.

In the Ghost Mist, six Fire Dragons encircled a person, turning into a crimson Escape Light, fleeing from Jade Island in a sorry state.

Meanwhile, two Ghost Cultivators stopped hiding and, allowing their Core Formation level energies to surge wildly, controlled the Ghost Mist, giving direct pursuit.

Even though Core Formation Ghost Cultivators would not leave the Underworld Earth Vein lightly, they had been bested by You Kun previously and their ferocity was now aroused!

The two Ghost Cultivators, one ahead and the other behind, left Jade Island.

Yet behind them, another streak of cyan light flashed into being.

Fang Xi, dressed in a cyan robe and wearing a slight smile, formed a hand seal, "Yi Wood Divine Thunder...fall!"

Boom!

A cyan thunderbolt as thick as a water barrel smashed into the Ghost Mist, instantly dispersing much of it and revealing the figures of the two Ghost Cultivators!