Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 411 - 409: Four Seas (in honor of the Silver Alliance!)_1

Chapter 411: Chapter 409: Four Seas (in honor of the Silver Alliance!)_1

"Nascent Soul exchange meeting?"

Fang Xi was actually quite tempted by this, since after reaching Nascent Soul, it had become extremely difficult to purchase the necessary items for cultivation with Spirit Stones.

The Lords primarily relied on private bartering of goods.

With his wealth, he could easily take out some items that should suffice to fulfill his wishes.

However... Jiang Country’s Cultivation World was far stronger than Yuan Country’s, and there even was a late-stage Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator that made Fang Xi somewhat hesitant.

After all... he still carried the ’Resented Spirit Trace’ curse from the Primitive Devil Door on his back!

Although it wasn’t the same sect, one could imagine that if he encountered an old demon who could see this trace, they would surely not give him a good reception, and might even harbor some hostility.

’Early-stage old demons are not a big deal, and even if I can’t beat those in the middle stage, I can still run away... The only real concern is that ’Demon Lord Tian Du’, right?’

Fang Xi took another sip of his Spiritual Tea and said reflectively, "A great cultivator? I wonder how many years it’s been since that Supreme Elder from the Departure Demon Palace became famous?"

"This..."

Huang Yungong clearly didn’t expect Fang Xi to ask this question, but it wasn’t any secretive information.

After thinking for a bit, he replied, "That Demon Lord is extremely talented, forming his Nascent Soul before he was two hundred years old and making a name for himself in the world. It’s been six or seven hundred years since then, I reckon..."

"I see, it seems that this ’Demon Lord Tian Du’ leading Jiang Country through the hardships of a Higher Realm invasion shouldn’t be a problem... After all, such invasions usually pass within several decades."

Fang Xi appeared quite pensive.

In reality, his heart relaxed slightly: ’Always overestimate your opponents, even if he is now eight hundred years old... Nascent Soul cultivators in the later stage tend to live longer than those in the early stage, and there may also be some life-extending methods and pills, but one thousand three to four hundred years old is probably the limit. Five to six hundred years of lifespan exerts no pressure on me...’

"So, it’s this matter that Sir is concerned about..."

Huang Yungong furrowed his brows, "It’s hard to say... although normal realm descensions last a few years or decades, encountering a ’Great Higher Realm’ that lasts a hundred or several hundred years is also possible... And according to what some have said, this time the Void Sign seems to be quite significant..."

"No wonder... even the Seven Deadly Sins Hall has started to prepare for what lies ahead, recently Yuan Country is also in great disarray." Fang Xi sighed, voicing his doubt, "With such actions... Demon Lord Tian Du doesn’t care?"

"The Demon Path has always been selfish and cunning, and at the Nascent Soul rank, they are even more crafty and shrewd..." Huang Yungong seemed to disdain this, "Moreover... that great elder of the Seven Deadly Sins Hall—Demon Lord Qi Sha, is the second strongest in Jiang Country’s Demon Path, and it seems there have been some promises made. Only a part of the Sect’s disciples will relocate to Yuan Country; the Nascent Soul old demons will still remain behind, joining forces with the cultivators of Jiang Country to resist the Higher Realm invasion... With his mid-stage Nascent Soul Divine Skill, unless he falls into a situation of certain death, the dangers in the realm invasion aren’t too great."

"I see... May I ask where this meeting will be held?" Fang Xi repeated key information like ’Demon Lord Qi Sha’ and ’mid-stage Nascent Soul’ mentally, and then asked again.

"In three years and five months, Icefiend Lake!"

Huang Yungong said, "Sir can cultivate at Yellow Cloud Stream for some time, then we can go there together..."

"Haha... It’s my first time visiting Jiang Country, and I would like to tour around more and collect some unique materials."

Fang Xi declined with a smile.

Gathering resources was only part of it; the key was to find the resolution to the ’Resented Spirit Trace’ curse.

Otherwise, going to a meeting filled with Nascent Soul old demons while carrying a glaring red flag over one’s head would be a bit too thrilling.

"Since that’s the case... well, I won’t hold you back. In three years’ time, I will wait for Sir near Icefiend Lake."

Huang Yungong said.

"Thank you!"

Fang Xi bowed in gratitude and then discussed some minor tricks and taboos of Nascent Soul cultivation with Huang Yungong, which proved quite beneficial.

Advancement at the Nascent Soul stage became even more difficult for cultivators, depending on experience sharing between each other.

He may have just formed his Nascent Soul, but having achieved a Heterodox Nascent soul long ago and practicing the ancient Cultivation method, some of his views also enlightened Huang Yungong.

Huang Yungong, having advanced to the early stage of Nascent Soul many years ago, had quite a few insights on the initial nurturing and consolidating of a Nascent Soul, which was greatly beneficial to Fang Xi.

...

After leaving Yellow Cloud Stream, Fang Xi began to wander casually within Jiang Country, collecting some special local Spiritual Objects at will.

’Speaking of Jiang Country... with a strong hold by the Demon Path, the Righteous Path can barely survive, and the only Nascent Soul Sect seems to be the ’Void Sect’... Earlier they carelessly went to Yuan Country to cause trouble, only for me to kill one of their Heaven Grade Spiritual Root Nascent Soul seeds...’

’That’s another one for the books, but sadly, the sect’s literature only introduces the ’Resented Spirit Trace’, with no method to break the curse.’

Fang Xi wielded a streak of demon light to conceal his appearance, maintaining an aura around the Core Formation Stage, and landed in front of a market.

"Welcome, celestial master, to the Four Sea Market!"

A stunningly beautiful young girl immediately approached with a clever and charming smile, as if every move she made was specifically trained: "Would Sir like a guide? It’s only one Spirit Stone a day."

"Oh? Are you a mortal?"

Fang Xi glanced at her and was somewhat surprised.

"My name is Yan Yan, and indeed, I am a mortal,"

A hint of sadness appeared on Yan Yan’s face, but she lifted her chest confidently: "However, I know every grass and tree in this market like the back of my hand; I will surely not disappoint your excellency..."

"How is it that I hear... within Jiang Country, mortals live as if in hell?"

Seeing the many mortals soliciting business around him, Fang Xi couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised.

"It seems the Senior comes from another country?"

Yan Yan didn’t take it seriously and laughed as she explained, "That rumor is mistaken. The celestial masters are high above, how could they deliberately slaughter us mortals? It’s just that among the common folk, each household must deliver their number of people on time, known as the ’Blood Tax’... Other than that, mortals and the Cultivation World are quite separate; the celestial masters above don’t usually interfere with us..."

After Yan Yan’s explanation, Fang Xi also understood.

The Demon Path also cultivates by absorbing spiritual energy and needs to select those with Spiritual Roots from amongst the mortals as new blood.

Massacring mortals would be foolish self-sabotage.

As for the ’expendable materials’ needed for practicing various Demon Skills?

Those are naturally provided by the ’Blood Tax’ offered up by secular dynasties.

Some dynasties even deliberately encourage childbirth, especially on auspicious days like those that are yin in the year, month, and day... Often, children born during such times, once offered up, could receive even more generous rewards from the Sects.

"As for this bit of Blood Tax... Bluntly put, even without it, with the changing of dynasties, natural and man-made disasters, famine, wars... many would still die... Considering the vast population base, it’s really nothing noteworthy."

Fang Xi thought to himself and then looked towards Yan Yan again.

This Yan Yan was also part of the ’Blood Tax,’ offered to a nearby Golden Core Sect—the Blood Sea Sect!

Among these ’Blood Tax’ contributors, those with the best luck and Spiritual Roots could become errand disciples... The rest of the mortals, the physically strong became slave miners, the good-looking became attendants or playthings.

The more unfortunate ones became materials for the cultivation of Demon Skills...

However, the Demon Sect treated everyone the same in this respect, even the outer disciples, inner disciples... there were numerous instances of someone being used for practice by the elders of their Sect for not serving satisfactorily.

Yan Yan, who had both astuteness and looks, unfortunately lacked a Spiritual Root and was assigned to serve as a maidservant in the market; naturally, all the Spirit Stones she earned daily had to be submitted to the Blood Sea Sect.

"If we fail to submit the required Spirit Stones each day, we will be..."

Yan Yan’s face was full of pitiable sorrow as she gazed longingly at Fang Xi, hinting that she could do other things as well.

"Enough... lead the way. Let’s first buy some high-grade spiritual objects before heading to the best place in the market for pleasure-seeking."

Fang Xi waved his hand, tossing her a low-grade Spirit Stone. Yan Yan was overjoyed yet felt somewhat disappointed.

For maidservants like her, the best they could hope for was to catch the eye of a passing cultivator who would then buy their freedom and take them away as attendants or maidservants. Otherwise, once they were past their prime... they feared...

However, Fang Xi simply did not fancy this woman.

He was already tired of celestial women; he found demonesses, on the other hand, quite novel and was eager to experience it...

"The best place for pleasure-seeking within the market should be the ’Tower of Soul Melting’..."

Yan Yan seemed to know it well: "’Tower of Soul Melting’ is the business of the Ruyi Gate... Ruyi Gate has a formidable reputation in our Jiang Country, a Nascent Soul great faction known for its dual cultivation and rejuvenating practices... It’s said the ’Soul-Melting Courtesans’ within specialize in a type of reverse dual cultivation technique that can enhance a cultivator’s cultivation in reverse, once performed it’s no less effective than consuming a pill that increases Magic Power, plus it comes with supreme pleasure. It is highly praised among nearby cultivators, although it’s quite expensive..."

"First, let’s visit a few material shops... and also pill shops."

Fang Xi spoke.

Although it was unlikely, what if they happened to sell Tier 4 Pill Recipes here?

A moment later.

Within the Four Sea Market.

Fang Xi walked out of a Spirit Material Shop, followed by the shopkeeper who bowed deeply in respect.

’This cultivator... could command such respect from a Foundation Establishment expert, could he possibly be a Gold Core elder?’

Yan Yan led the way respectfully, no longer showing the coquetry from before.

If Fang Xi had still been a Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivator, she would have been bold enough to flirt in the hopes of being bought for freedom.

But upon realizing that Fang Xi might be a Gold Core elder, she instantly abandoned such thoughts.

With such elders having long lifespans, what haven’t they seen? There’s no need to humiliate oneself and invite disaster.

"Sigh... there really is nothing too high-grade in this market... or rather, things useful to Nascent Soul cultivators hardly appear."

Fang Xi lamented inwardly and then said, "To the Tower of Soul Melting!"

Such places for pleasure were bound to be the most well-informed, and he wanted to go there to gather some intelligence...

"Senior, the Tower of Soul Melting is just ahead."

Yan Yan guided Fang Xi to a pavilion that emitted an exotic fragrance from its wood, her face slightly flushed, obviously unable to withstand the tempting aroma.

"Hmm?"

As Fang Xi was about to step in, he glanced around and saw someone, prompting him to exclaim in slight surprise, "Is it him?!"