Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 400 - 398: Spiritual Treasure (Seeking Subscription)_1

Chapter 400: Chapter 398: Spiritual Treasure (Seeking Subscription)_1

"Ouch... this cultivator died a most miserable death."

The sky was clear and the air was fresh, Jade Island was lush and once again brimming with life.

By accident, Hai Danaiu stepped on and shattered the arm bone of a cultivator, and after seeing the horrific injuries on the skeleton, he couldn’t help but lament.

"Alas... this must have been a fellow daoist who died here when the ruins first appeared. Why don’t... we bury him?"

Zong Linghu arrived riding on an Escape Light and, seeing this scene, couldn’t help but suggest.

"Bury him, huh? Sure!"

Hai Danaiu nodded and started digging a pit.

Seeing this scene, a slight smile appeared on Zong Linghu’s face.

All the vast wealth of this Jade Island naturally belonged to Dragon Fish Island’s Lord Master; she dared not touch a thing.

But the Storage Bags of foreign cultivators—if she helped bury them, perhaps she could...

Hai Danaiu worked swiftly, after all, he cultivated Earth Attribute techniques. In no time, he buried the remains and even erected a marker.

Following that, he skillfully stashed the remaining Storage Bag of the cultivator into his bosom.

This action made Zong Linghu’s eyes turn red, and her hand landed on the talisman armor she wore.

"Big sister, don’t be upset... Everything on this island belongs to the master, I’m just holding onto them for him," Hai Danaiu said with an air of righteous indignation.

’Yeah right! Also... who’s your sister?’

Zong Linghu was full of disbelief, when suddenly she heard a voice: "Everyone, come to Evergreen Hall to meet me!"

Not long after, several beams of Escape Light converged at Evergreen Hall.

"Congratulations, Island Master, on completely taking over this place."

Zong Linghu saw the majestic Evergreen Hall and the lushly growing Demon Tree behind the hall, and was stunned by its luxury and the tree’s eeriness. Then she saw Fang Xi seated at the principal seat of the main hall and quickly composed herself, presenting her felicitations with a deep bow.

"Congratulations to the lord for taking over the island. There are still plenty of spirit materials as well as cultivators’ Storage Bags and Spiritual Instruments... I’ve collected them all for the lord," Hai Danaiu said while simultaneously taking out several damaged Spiritual Instruments and Storage Bags.

This scene caused Zong Linghu’s eyelid to twitch, and she originally intended to subtly incriminate this simpleton, but she had not expected the other party to be so... cunning?!

"Indeed... And there’s also the task of cleaning up the ruins across the island; that requires manpower," Fang Xi said, disdainfully glancing at the rubbish on the ground and musing, "You all clean up Jade Island once more, and any Spiritual Objects and opportunities you find in the process will belong to you, as compensation for your hard work in this matter!"

"Thank you, lord! Thank you, lord!" Hai Danaiu quickly expressed his gratitude, briskly reclaiming the Storage Bags he had put aside.

This scene made Zong Linghu feel stifled in her chest, realizing that this person was doing it on purpose.

"Thank you, young master!"

Zhong Hongyu’s eyes shone brightly; there were many ruins on Jade Island, particularly a few Spiritual Medicine Gardens that would stir the hearts of Core Formation cultivators.

Regrettably, to Fang Xi, who had recently emerged from the Evergreen Garden Secret Land, they were rather mundane.

With a Core Formation cultivator leading several Foundation Establishment cultivators to handle the hard labor, Jade Island soon shone anew.

The remains of the cultivators were gathered and burned; broken walls and ruins were cleaned up.

Hai Danaiu even proposed to dig up large plots of Spiritual Fields where the Spiritual Medicine Gardens once stood, and offered himself as Fang Xi’s Spirit Farmer, promising to manage these Spiritual Fields excellently. Fang Xi dismissed the idea without hesitation.

What a joke!

Spiritual Fields cultivated on top of a fourth-grade Spiritual Vein could ensure a bountiful harvest every year with just any Spirit Farmer.

This simpleton likely just wanted to find an excuse to stay on Jade Island.

After all, this was a low-grade fourth-order Spiritual Vein, considered one of the top in the cultivation world of the three nations.

But, of course, Fang Xi would not agree. It wouldn’t be too much to deal with in the future, but for at least the next decade or so, he definitely wouldn’t allow a cultivator onto the island, as it was the strategic location where he planned to advance to Nascent Soul.

So, after using them, he unceremoniously sent Zhong Hongyu and the others away.

Cheep cheep!

The Green Fire Luan danced above Jade Island, its tail feathers formed beautiful tassels, appearing very cheerful.

Daqing also found a Spirit Pool and carried many rocks over; it seemed like it wanted to build its own little nest.

Fang Xi wasn’t as leisurely as his spiritual pets, instead, he measured Jade Island once again, setting up Array Flags and planting array artifacts he had refined at the predetermined Array Eyes.

"Nowadays, I really can’t arrange a fourth-order array... but there’s no problem with a high-grade third-order one... combined with the Monster Tree’s Demon Realm... my newly deduced ’Nine Nether Profound Wood Array’ should reach something close to fourth-order power..."

After ingesting the ’Bodhi Enlightenment Pill’ to enhance his perception, and finally comprehending the ’Transformative God Wood Array’ Map, Fang Xi’s skill in Array Taoist arts improved significantly.

At the very least, he could now incorporate some of the basics he understood from the ’Transformative God Wood Array’ into his ’Nine Nether Profound Wood Array’.

"With the power of the near-fourth-order array, in conjunction with the Green Fire Luan, Daqing, and the Mysterious Fire Zombie... when I condense my Nascent Soul, I should be safe by a larger margin... Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator attacks, they’ll find it tough to handle..."

"Of course, the most crucial thing is the Heterodox Nascent Soul!"

Fang Xi planted a large Array Flag, deep in thought.

The Heterodox Nascent Soul not only aided cultivators in passing through their tribulations but was also an unparalleled choice for a protective guardian!

The Cultivation World is full of devious hearts; even Dual-Cultivation companions and loved ones can’t be trusted as much as oneself!

During this period, the cultivators of both Thousand Island Lake and Yue Country finally learned about Dragon Fish Island’s Lord Master taking over Jade Island. Alas, though occasionally a few bold cultivators approached, they were effortlessly dispatched by Green Fire Luan and Daqing.

Fang Xi was by no means courteous when it came to his place of cultivation, incinerating any daring to spy with Xiao Qing’s flames.

After several tens of days, the newly arranged ’Nine Nether Profound Wood Array’ was complete; a layer of mysterious black fog lingered, enveloping the whole Jade Island and completely isolating it from the outside world...

Evergreen Hall.

After a bit of tidying, it was barely fit for habitation.

Fang Xi entered the specially constructed Cultivation Room, feeling the abundant spiritual pressure and energy in the void, a satisfied expression emerged on his face: "A fourth-grade inferior Spiritual Vein... it’s a bit beyond my current level."

Even with the ’Yi Wood Magic Body,’ cultivating above a fourth-grade Spiritual Vein seemed a bit extravagant for a Core Formation cultivator.

Naturally, the Dongfu Fang Xi chose was at the location where spiritual energy from the entire Spiritual Vein was most abundant.

The furnishings in the Cultivation Room were quite simple, with just one meditation cushion.

However, at the edge of the cushion, there was a green Spirit Stone, releasing a circle of dream-like blue radiance.

Countless streams of spiritual energy swirled toward it, forming a thin mist around the stone.

"This top-grade Spirit Stone I got from the old ghost’s Storage Bag is finally of the Wood attribute. It’s considered a Spirit Eye item; when placed in the cultivation space, it can slightly increase the spiritual energy... Even if it’s just a little, which cultivator would complain about too much energy?"

Fang Xi sat cross-legged on the cushion, his hands resting on the position of his dantian.

Within the Dantian Qi Ocean, the Kuyong Golden Core shimmered brilliantly with an abundance of Purple Qi.

The Heterodox Nascent Soul sat cross-legged, clutching a Star Chess Board, a seemingly mocking smile on his face, suddenly casting a Magic Spell.

A small seal that had been circling above the Golden Core abruptly flew out, traversed through his meridians, and then arrived in Fang Xi’s palm.

With a flash of black light, the ’Life-Death Seal’ appeared.

Fang Xi gazed at the seal, a smile gradually spreading across his face.

This ’Life-Death Seal’ magical artifact was refined primarily from a branch of the Ancestral Demon Tree, further cultivated with ’Treasure Planting Jue’ sealed within the progeny of two generations of Demon Trees.

It could be said that, ever since its creation, it had not missed a single day of Fang Xi’s cultivation, yet its power kept growing.

Now, merely by keeping it within his dantian and nurturing it a bit with the essence of his Golden Core, he could sense a vague ’sentience’ gestating within the small seal.

"The ’Life-Death Seal’, having been refined over the years with ’Treasure Planting Jue’ and coupled with the terrifying growth rate of the Demon Tree, has been cultivated by a Golden Core cultivator with Golden Core True Origin for hundreds of years, if not more..."

"The reason it hasn’t advanced to a Spiritual Treasure is simply because it has yet to be tempered by my own master’s breath..."

"Given that its foundation is already sufficient, just a bit more nurturing by me, it will surely ascend to a fourth-grade Spiritual Treasure!"

"By then, when crossing the Nascent Soul Lightning Tribulation, I’ll have even greater confidence!"

A smile hooked on Fang Xi’s mouth as he placed the Life-Death Seal back into his dantian and began to sit in meditation, practicing his cultivation techniques.

With a fourth-grade Spiritual Vein, numerous pills to enhance his magic power, and his ’Kuyong Skills’ making progress despite possibly being slowed down by his life-bound magical artifact, he would not be disappointed.

"Around three hundred or so, I should be able to cultivate to Perfect Core Formation and even Nascent Soul... A Nascent Soul cultivator at three hundred years old would be considered quite the young talent..."

"Who would’ve thought... I almost believed that I might have to struggle until nearly five hundred years old, at the very brink of the Core Formation’s deadline, to barely achieve Nascent Soul..."

"Thinking back... it’s all thanks to the old ghost’s hundred-year agreement! Though I gained many benefits from this pact... I also took quite a few risks, which was quite unstable."

...

In cultivation, time is immaterial.

After setting up the ’Nine Nether Profound Wood Array’, with everything peaceful on Jade Island, Fang Xi entered a deep level of secluded meditation.

Even the task of repairing and studying the ancient teleportation array was completely cast out of mind.

After all, compared to one’s own cultivation level, everything else is insignificant.

Time flies, with seasons changing, summer to winter and back again...

Before long, several years had passed.

On this day.

In the Cultivation Room.

The Wood attribute top-grade Spirit Stone emitted a hazy blue glow, casting an uncertain light on Fang Xi’s face.

Flashes of green then yellow flickered across his cheeks, alternating nine times before coming to a gentle stop.

Suddently, he opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of impure Qi.

Within this breath, there seemed to be a somewhat fishy smell, impurities extracted from his internal organs and limbs.

Fang Xi’s somewhat dazed gaze gradually returned to focus, and then a smile appeared: "Finally... I’ve reached Perfect Core Formation."

There is no bottleneck from Core Formation’s late stage to Perfect Core Formation; with sufficient magic power, one can continue to advance.

With a large batch of self-made pills, a fourth-grade Spiritual Vein, and a Spirit Stone, his cultivation progress was naturally gratifying.

Furthermore, a year ago, the Life-Death Seal was completely awakened to sentience after being tempered by Fang Xi’s breath, becoming a Spiritual Treasure!

Since it was a life-bound magical artifact that he had nurtured himself, its newly born sentience naturally became very reliant on Fang Xi, already regarding him as its only master.