Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 537 - 535: Live Five Hundred (Cannot Bear the Leader of HW Alliance’s Congratulations)_1

Chapter 537: Chapter 535: Live Five Hundred (Cannot Bear the Leader of HW Alliance’s Congratulations)_1

"Don’t talk about top-grade Spiritual Roots, even a cultivator with a Heaven Grade Spiritual Root needs a fortuitous opportunity to form their Nascent Soul..."

"A single opportunity, even with some Spirit Objects for Nascent Soul formation I might fund, the probability is indeed low... It would be better to bestow a few Longevity Elixirs. To live out this life happily is also quite nice..."

"In the Nine States, the Spirit Root Optimizing Liquid goes up to only the top-grade Spiritual Roots. The luxury version for Earth Grade requires spending strategic reserves... Back then, it was only after the Fang Immortal Taoist Master personally approved it that I got the opportunity... Yet, even for Earth Grade Spiritual Roots, there isn’t much help in forming the Nascent Soul."

Fang Xi calculated among his followers and felt that only Liu Xu and Ling Shu had hopes of forming the Nascent Soul.

Others, like Hai Danaiu, would eventually be left behind as time passed.

This is the sadness of those with Long Life!

However, Fang Xi’s Dao Heart was firm, and such slight sentimentality couldn’t bother him at all.

’Sects in the Cultivation World cling to the Taoist system in hopes that one day, some disciple with fortune and opportunity will defy the heavens, reach above the True Immortal realm, and pull them back onto the Cultivation Path...’

’If I reach that level, wanting to bring them back will only be a thought away...’

’What I fear the most is that by that time, I myself may no longer wish to bring them back...’

’After all, the human heart is prone to change!’

...

Several days later.

Fang Xi officially ended his seclusion and held a small banquet.

He specifically instructed that there was no need for a lavish celebration, so even the Core Formation cultivators from Yuan Country were not notified.

Fang Xi knew well that if he insisted on a grand affair, all the Nascent Soul old monsters from the Southern Wilderness Cultivation Realm would obediently come to pay their respects in succession.

"It’s only been about sixty years recently... The pigs aren’t fat yet, let’s fatten them up first."

In the matter of treating his followers, Fang Xi considered himself quite benevolent.

Inside the Evergreen Hall.

All sorts of Spirit Fruits and Spirit Wine were served like flowing water.

Now that Fang Xi had a big family and business, all kinds of Spirit Food had reached the fourth-grade level.

And there weren’t many who qualified to take a seat, basically just a few Core Formation cultivators from Thousand Island Lake.

"I wish the young master an unending lifespan!"

Zhong Hongyu was the first to offer a toast, followed by the other Core Formation cultivators.

Fang Xi, with a smile on his face, drank a cup of Green Bamboo Wine and mused inwardly: ’Just ten thousand years... That sounds like a curse, right? It must be a curse.’

"Ruan Zhanjun from the Ruan Family of Maple Leaf Island congratulates the Island Master on the great fortune of his longevity!"

At this moment, an outside attendant came to report.

"People from the Ruan family?"

Fang Xi chuckled: "Bring them in to see!"

The attendant bowed and left the Great Hall, and before long, he brought a cultivator from the Ruan Family inside.

This cultivator from the Ruan Family had striking features and an extraordinary demeanor, and surprisingly, his cultivation had also reached the complete stage of Foundation Establishment. He held a redwood tray in both hands with various gifts of longevity on it: "Ruan Zhanjun pays respects to the Island Master. May the Island Master’s life be as enduring as the heavens!"

"Not bad, not bad... Judging by your age, you should be no more than one hundred years old, yet you’ve cultivated to the complete stage of Foundation Establishment; you must have an Earth Grade Spiritual Root."

Fang Xi’s eyes flashed as he said: "You may take a seat and have a cup of Water Wine."

"Thank you, Island Master."

Ruan Zhanjun quickly bowed deeply, taking his place at the end of the table.

At the end of the banquet, a sentence of Divine Consciousness Transmission reached his ear. His face revealed a hint of excitement and nervousness as he came under the Demon Tree.

"Paying respects to the Island Master!"

As he stood before the infamous Demon Tree that had killed many Monster Beasts and cultivators, he felt its profoundly deep aura and his legs began to tremble.

Seeing Fang Xi leaning against the Demon Tree, casual with a jade gourd in hand, pouring wine leisurely into his mouth, allowed Ruan Zhanjun to relax slightly before kneeling down.

"You’re quite thoughtful. The ’Golden Core Order’ I issued back then is on you, isn’t it?"

Fang Xi took another sip of Green Bamboo Wine and asked casually.

Ruan Zhanjun didn’t dare say a word more, and took a peach wood talisman out of his Storage Bag.

Fang Xi received it, and without looking closely, flicked his hand and the talisman was reduced to a cloud of wooden dust and powder, with a flash of blue light.

"A good Spiritual Root and decent character..."

Fang Xi smiled.

Over the past decades, due to the Monster Clan’s rampage, a lot of Demon Pills had been released at once.

Particularly on Jade Island, his offhand rewards to his followers were often a third-grade Demon Pill, which is why Jade Island remains the top choice for many talented cultivators. They aspire to have a Cave House on the island and to be noticed by ’Sir Fang’, becoming his disciple and soaring in the Cultivation World.

With the current strength of the Ruan Family, it was not too difficult to obtain a Demon Pill.

Ruan Zhanjun came seeking for Core Formation Spirit Objects, clearly intent on the Taoist Path and unwilling to waste hundreds of years as a Jia Dan cultivator.

"Oh well..."

He sighed, and with a flash of light in his hand, a jade box appeared.

The jade box landed in Ruan Zhanjun’s hands. His palms trembled slightly with excitement as he opened it and saw a fist-sized fruit inside, its surface etched with golden lines, radiating multicolored halos. He couldn’t help but be astounded: "Is this... the Five Elements Spirit Fruit?"

"Correct, the very Five Elements Spirit Fruit, also known as the fruit for ’Gold Core Pill’ formation."

Fang Xi nodded with a smile.

He originally didn’t have the Five Elements Fruit Tree. Such high-level Spirit Roots, even regarded as extremely precious within Nascent Soul Sects, ensured generation after generation of Core Formation cultivators and were highly valuable!

Exactly because of this, when those Nascent Soul cultivators fled back then, they couldn’t bring themselves to leave or destroy the trees, but instead enlisted fourth-grade Spirit Plant Farmers to use transplantation methods to pack the trees along.

And then... they all fell into Fang Xi’s hands at a bargain.

Recently, in the Spiritual Medicine Garden of the Mountain Sea Pearl Cave House, there are a few Five Elements Spirit Fruit trees planted, and several of them have fruits hanging on them.

"Thank you, Sir Fang, for your generous gift!"

Ruan Zhanjun hurriedly kowtowed, his voice choked with emotion.

Originally, he felt that obtaining a Five Elements Core Formation Pill was enough to make his journey worthwhile.

If he could get his hands on the Mysterious Water Crystal Ying and the Heavenly Fire Liuli, it would be an even greater profit.

He had not expected to receive the best ’Five Elements Spirit Fruit’!

"From now on, I will no longer favor the Ruan family, but will treat all equally..."

As Ruan Zhanjun bade farewell, Fang Xi solemnly admonished him.

This made Ruan Zhanjun feel a sense of loss, yet he was helpless and could only clutch the Storage Bag in his bosom tightly as he turned into a streak of Escape Light and flew away...

’This man... is indeed decisive in nature.’

Fang Xi watched him leave and muttered to himself.

With the current strength of the Ruan family, even if they were to lease out Spiritual Veins... well, the entire Yuan Country lacks Nascent Soul Cultivators, so there would be no takers for a lease.

But due to Fang Xi’s generosity, basically all Core Formation Cultivators from the three countries enjoy access to fourth-grade Spiritual Veins... it seems there would also be no demand for leasing Cave Houses.

However, by relying on the Spiritual Veins, even if only for cultivating a Spiritual Field and farming, given enough time, they will surely accumulate a million Spirit Stones.

Another opportunity to head to Yuan Country or even Jiang Country might present itself, and they could possibly purchase a Five Elements Core Formation Pill.

’Cultivators value privacy...’

Seeing Ruan Zhanjun’s actions, Fang Xi couldn’t help but gain many insights.

His Golden Core Order from those days, even now, is a rare object for Nascent Soul sects, and it could even be considered the Ruan family’s Protection Talisman!

After all, no matter how much the Ruan family declines, as long as he remains, even Nascent Soul Cultivators wouldn’t dare to harm them.

Otherwise, if any member of the Ruan family brought the Golden Core Order to their doorstep, crying about their plight... even the Death Demon Palace couldn’t withstand Fang Xi’s thunderous fury.

But without this Golden Core Order, in the future, the people of the Ruan family might not even be able to see Fang Xi’s face.

This is what it means for fate to end!

’Forget it, after all, it’s their own affair...’

Fang Xi reflected upon the recent events and even felt enlightened, with his Divine Consciousness subtly benefiting.

’Seven Emotions and Sorrows Script’ requires the step of refining the heart in the mortal world at a certain stage, precisely because these insights are indispensable.

The so-called ’Mortal World Refining Heart’ doesn’t mean to seal one’s cultivation and suffer as a mortal.

It’s about experiencing and feeling more... not sitting in a Cultivation Room for decades on end.

...

Several days later.

Fang Xi took the Ancestral Demon Tree into the Mountain Sea Pearl, and with the current size of the Ancestral Demon Tree, it was quite cramped inside the Mountain Sea Pearl.

Fortunately, this Demon Tree had mastered the Divine Skill of altering its size at will; it was just a matter of making an adjustment.

He arrived at the Evergreen Back Palace, in front of one of the ancient teleportation arrays.

At that time, there were two people waiting for him by the teleportation array that led to the Western Desert.

One of them was naturally Zhong Hongyu.

The other was a woman with a refined aura, who turned out to be Ling Shu!

"Young Master!"

Zhong Hongyu looked at Fang Xi with reluctance.

"After I leave, you will decide on all matters concerning the island."

Fang Xi waved his hand, and with another wave, a silver light flashed, and a human-faced eagle-bodied Puppet appeared: "This fourth-grade Puppet is now bestowed upon you... You don’t need to use it on a regular basis, let that Land Mountain Turtle take action instead."

He was now so rich in resources that even fourth-grade mediocre Puppets didn’t catch his eye.

After giving his instructions to Zhong Hongyu, Fang Xi turned to Ling Shu, his eyes brightening: "You are diligent in your cultivation... You have now achieved full mastery of your cultivation level, only waiting for the Nascent Soul; do you really want to travel to the Western Desert?"

"Of course!"

Ling Shu spoke solemnly: "Master once said that my Spiritual Root is superior, lacking the setbacks before Core Formation might hinder my ability to form a Nascent Soul... I must temper myself thoroughly, otherwise, I may miss the opportunity to form it!"

Fang Xi nodded at her words.

Even Nascent Soul sects cannot guarantee that every generation will produce a Nascent Soul.

Once successful, they could even be called great Divine Skill Cultivators in ancient times, which speaks to the difficulty of the feat.

Cultivators with Heaven Grade Spiritual Roots had such smooth sailing up until this point that it was not unheard of for some to fail at this crucial juncture and make no further progress.

"I declare in advance... for the safety of Jade Island, we will destroy the teleportation array after we leave, and even if you get the chance to form your Nascent Soul, if I don’t return, you can’t come back either."

Fang Xi spelled out the worst-case scenario first.

"Of course."

Ling Shu bit her lip and agreed.

After all, Core Formation Cultivators have long lifespans, and she can even attempt to form her Nascent Soul in the Western Desert.

"Then, let’s go together."

Fang Xi didn’t mind helping a fellow in need when it came to her wish to hitch a ride.

He stood with Ling Shu on the ancient teleportation array, and Spirit Stones instantly flew out, filling the grooves.

With a flash of silver light, both he and Ling Shu vanished.

Zhong Hongyu silently watched the empty ancient teleportation array, and after a long while, she sighed, sealed the Evergreen Hall, and left with the Puppet...