Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 343 - 341: Cultivation (Double Monthly Ticket Voting Plus More Activity 3)_1

Chapter 343: Chapter 341: Cultivation (Double Monthly Ticket Voting Plus More Activity 3)_1

Six years later.

In the Refining Chamber.

Fang Xi exhaled a wisp of Core Fire, continuing the sacrificial refining of a verdant Talisman Jade.

Granules of Spirit Sand seeped into the Talisman Jade, transforming into mysterious runes all around it.

"Divine Thought as the brush, Spirit Sand as the ink... sealed with insect wax, the Jade Talisman is complete!"

Recalling the production mantra from the jade slip, Fang Xi’s powerful Divine Consciousness burst forth, causing rune after rune to rapidly take shape and stabilize around the Jade Talisman before being sealed with a layer of spirit wax.

By this time, the jade plaque differed little from the ’Thousand Miles Communique Talisman’ that Fang Xi previously acquired.

"The final step... divide into two, united as one, go!"

Seizing a mysterious opportunity, Fang Xi made a slicing motion with his finger.

Whoosh!

A green Sword Light flashed by, evenly slicing the Jade Talisman in two.

Clang!

Both pieces fell, caught by an enormous hand formed from gathered Magic Power.

"I have become quite skilled at forging these Talismans... It hasn’t been easy."

Holding the two freshly created communication talismans, Fang Xi let out a sigh.

The effort he had poured into Jade Talisman crafting over the years was second only to his alchemy efforts.

After consuming vast resources, he had finally made a difficult breakthrough in the beginner’s level, successfully forging his first Jade Talisman.

Through personal contemplation and the foundation of Talisman knowledge, without relying on the Nine-Eyed Bodhi, he had identified several minor issues in the forging process and made improvements.

Now, he was able to produce them steadily.

In terms of investment, it naturally seemed like a loss.

But when considering the advancement of his Taoist of Talisman skills, it was completely worth it.

With that thought, Fang Xi took out another Jade Talisman.

After the same Core Fire refining, his expression mysteriously shifted, and he blew a heap of silver sand.

The sand melted into filaments of silver in mid-air due to the Core Fire, integrating into the Jade Talisman and forming a somewhat incomplete Seal Script.

"Seal!"

Upon seeing the Seal Script take shape, Fang Xi immediately clasped his hands together with Magic Power surging forth at the peak of Core Formation’s middle stage.

Enveloped in a cyan radiance, the Jade Talisman immediately solidified, embedding that incomplete silver Seal Script at the core of the talisman!

"It’s done..."

Grasping the Jade Talisman, Fang Xi couldn’t help but feel deeply moved.

Ever since he had been able to observe the ’Treasures of All Heavens’ with his Divine Consciousness, he had been attempting to imitate the patterns inscribed upon it.

Later, as his Taoist of Talisman skills rapidly improved, and with the opportunity provided by Zhong Hongyu’s ’Void Spirit Root’ Foundation Establishment, he had barely managed to remember a few incomplete symbols.

However, these incomplete symbols could not even remain on ordinary talisman paper.

Even third-tier talisman paper could not withstand them; it would spontaneously combust!

But now...

The Jade Talisman, engraved with an incomplete silver Seal Script, was relatively stable!

"I finally found a way to utilize those Seal Scripts... This silver Seal Script clearly involves Void Force, and it has great applications in the research of teleportation arrays..."

This particular Seal Script was named ’Void Seal Script’ by Fang Xi, as it was the least incomplete one he had divined.

Even so, nearly half of it was still missing.

Yet when sealed within the Jade Talisman, it possessed a certain remarkable power.

"The art of Jade Talismans was originally invented by cultivators... even after the methods of the ancient cultivators became lost, today’s cultivators are still capable of replicating and improving them..."

"My Jade Talisman can be considered a sort of semi-original creation, though... only half-completed."

"I purchased the Jade Talisman crafting methods, mostly to imitate these silver Seal Scripts..."

Fang Xi’s lips curved slightly upwards.

Master Qingyang had ended up making a very unprofitable deal.

Over the years, Master Qingyang kept trying to make contact, peddling Jade Talismans and inviting Fang Xi to join him on ventures, all of which Fang Xi completely ignored.

He had witnessed the shift in the other’s tone from initial arrogance, to gradual leveling, and finally to subtle begging for complete cooperation... like a youth who had gone through various traps and taken a beating from society.

"This new Jade Talisman... its effects must be related to the Void."

Fang Xi held the Jade Talisman, pondered for a moment, but refrained from injecting it with Magic Power to activate it.

After all, he only partially understood the effects of the incomplete Seal Script.

If he accidentally collapsed the Little Cold Cave, that would be quite unfortunate.

He put away the Jade Talisman and moved to the Training Room, where he sat down on a cushion and began his unwavering daily practice.

On his body, shades of cyan and yellow alternated flickering, while within, his Kuyong Golden Core vaguely surged with Purple Qi...

Several hours later.

Fang Xi opened his eyes: "I have finally completely mastered the fifteenth layer of the cultivation technique... Now, meditating will only replenish Magic Power without any effect on advancement."

In truth, he had already approached this state a year ago, but he had been patient and focused on purifying his Magic Power.

Now, he believed he had a fair chance to break through to the later stages of Core Formation without the aid of any pills, based solely on the quality of his own Spirit Body.

The characteristic of the ’Yi Wood Magic Body’ lies in its unending vitality. Even if the breakthrough failed, he would not suffer backlash like other Core Formation cultivators, whose dantians and meridians would be injured, requiring a long period of recuperation.

Fang Xi would be able to recover in a matter of months and then proceed with another breakthrough attempt...

After several repeats of this process, advancing past the latter stage of Core Formation was almost a certainty.

After all, even with only a twenty to thirty percent chance of success, if one has enough attempts, they are bound to succeed!

This is what makes the ’Yi Wood Magic Body’ so valuable!

Not to mention, the lifespan extension it provides cultivators with many more opportunities to make their attempts!

Previously, during his core formation, Fang Xi had the same mentality.

"However... it’s always better to succeed in one try, if possible," he murmured.

"That’s why I need to prepare various elixirs and secret skills to break through bottlenecks..."

After thinking for a moment, Fang Xi stood up and walked out of the Little Cold Cave.

...

Profound Ice Palace.

Main Hall.

Feng Bingxian sat elegantly on a crystal-like throne, looking down at the clamoring Foundation Establishment elders with a somewhat helpless expression.

As a guest elder, she had managed to recruit to free the Profound Ice Palace from a great disaster. Many cultivators in the Taoist system had united in their weakened state, but now that the crisis had passed, they had begun to struggle for power and profit in the dark, mingling with a myriad of personal grudges, love, hate, and affection... as well as the messy affairs of the surrounding cultivator families, truly a tangled mess.

"The head of the General Affairs Hall... I’ve decided to appoint Lan as its master," Feng Bingxian decreed after the discussion, firmly setting the decision.

"Thank you, Palace Master, I will manage the General Affairs Hall well," Lan responded.

This Sister Lan was stunningly beautiful, exuding charm with every smile and frown. Her beauty faintly surpassed that of Feng Bingxian—she was the female cultivator from the pair of Taoist companions.

"Very good... As for the Qi Family, just another Foundation Establishment family dares to test the Upper Sect, it can simply be exterminated..."

Rocking the life and death of the Qi Family’s Foundation Establishment cultivators with just a sentence, Feng Bingxian’s eyes shimmered with killing intent.

The present cultivators reacted quite naturally to this, considering that aside from the Icefiend Sect, the Profound Ice Palace was a top-tier power in the area!

And to put it bluntly, after annihilating a group of Foundation Establishment families, among the individual cultivators, there would always be geniuses who by some fortuitous coincidence obtained Foundation Establishment Pills or even managed to establish their foundation on their own, filling the vacancies. Unless there was a great war in the cultivation world, they never had to worry about a shortage of people.

With a Perfect Foundation Establishment cultivation level, Feng Bingxian had long wielded substantial authority as the Palace Master, handling sect affairs efficiently and decisively.

At this moment, a black-robed, stern-looking young Foundation Establishment cultivator stood up and spoke, "Palace Master... I have an urgent matter to report from the External Affairs Hall!"

This person was Hong Changsheng from the External Affairs Hall, who specialized in external intelligence gathering.

With his words, he immediately drew the attention of all the elders.

"Speak!" Feng Bingxian said with a premonition of bad news, sweeping her sleeve to indicate for him to proceed.

"...Palace Master, do you still remember ’Xuan Yin’?" Hong Changsheng asked.

"He was a Core Formation elder of the Blood Sect, notorious and powerful, yet he perished mysteriously," Feng Bingxian answered without revealing any emotion.

"Could there be... some sort of inside story regarding his death?" Lan inquired.

"To die a Core Formation elder, how could the Blood Sect possibly rest content? They must have been investigating secretly... Oddly enough, in the time surrounding Xuan Yin’s death, several other Core Formation elders of the Blood Sect also passed away mysteriously... Clearly, they were targeted," Hong Changsheng elaborated.

"This concealed power has been very secretive, but recently they slipped up... The Blood Sect started clashing with the Green Leaf Commerce Association, pillaging many of their large trade caravans..."

"To think it’s the Green Leaf Commerce Association?" The other Foundation Establishment elders were shocked, then found it logical, "To scheme against a Nascent Soul power, naturally only another Nascent Soul power would dare... But what about the evidence?"

"How could such a matter leave behind evidence? The Blood Sect has issued a statement, claiming that at the time of Xuan Yin’s death, Old Man Tian Sha of the Green Leaf Commerce Association also happened to pass away... This is clearly more than a coincidence!" Hong Changsheng continued, "Although the Green Leaf Commerce Association has offered explanations, another Core Formation elder was ambushed by a Demon Sect cultivator, narrowly escaping death... The two sides are now at an impasse, and another great war in the cultivation world looms. We, the Profound Ice Palace, must be prepared."

"Regarding this matter..." Feng Bingxian bit her red lip, "I’m afraid this should be reported to the Supreme Elder..."

This matter was too important, and she didn’t dare make the decision on her own.

"There’s no need to report, I am already here," a robust voice announced.

Fang Xi strode into the hall from outside, "I just happened to leave my training, and I’ve come across such interesting news..."

He made his way to the main seat, and Feng Bingxian immediately stepped aside, leading the other Foundation Establishment cultivators in a bow, "We greet the Supreme Elder."

"Enough," Fang Xi gruffly sat down and stroked his chin, finding the situation somewhat amusing, ’The Heaven Alliance has certainly been busy.’

’The Green Leaf Commerce Association is just unlucky to have a mole. They got wind of the timing of Old Man Tian Sha’s demise and then went to assassinate Xuan Yin...’

’I didn’t expect that the Perfect Golden Core I met long ago would have passed away... and they managed to keep it a secret for so long.’

Since in this realm high-level cultivators are often the lifeblood of a sect, the level of one’s cultivation, health, and even their passing away are all top secrets, usually concealed for many years.

Fang Xi wasn’t surprised that Old Man Tian Sha’s death was kept secret for so long.

Instead, Master Qingyang’s repeated invitations to him to take action recently were very close in timing to the troubles of the Blood Sect, leading Fang Xi to suspect a deeper connection.

"This matter, I shall discuss with the Palace Master personally. The rest of you may leave," Fang Xi gestured for the many Foundation Establishment cultivators to depart.

Feng Bingxian looked bewilderedly at Fang Xi, hearing his robust voice speaking to her:

"Palace Master... I want you to help me with my cultivation!"