Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 540 - 538: Making Friends (Cannot Bear the Leader of HW Alliance’s Congratulations)_1

Chapter 540: Chapter 538: Making Friends (Cannot Bear the Leader of HW Alliance’s Congratulations)_1

"Lady Snake... is no longer young, is she?"

Gazing at Lady Snake’s somewhat weathered brow, Fang Xi sighed inwardly as he recalled this woman from two hundred years ago.

Even for Core Formation Cultivators with a lifespan of five hundred years, two hundred years is indeed a long period of time.

It’s understandable that this woman’s appearance has aged somewhat.

At this moment, the whispers of the surrounding Cultivators also reached his ears:

"Is that Lord Jue Yan? The Sacred Fire Sect truly lives up to its reputation as the premier sect in the Western Desert—Nascent Souls abound... How wonderful it would be if I were a disciple of the Sacred Fire Sect!"

"And those being restrained, could they be the ’Demon Liberator Five Thieves’? It is said that these sand thieves are all Core Formation Cultivators, indeed... Rumor has it that they’ve unearthed a Nascent Soul treasure trove, gaining numerous Secret Skills, magical treasures, and Divine Skills. Even later-stage Core Formation Cultivators are no match for them. Even ’Master Jin Yuan’ fell victim to their clutches..."

...

Fang Xi cast a few more glances before turning away to leave.

As far as he was concerned, the transaction with ’Lady Snake’ had been completed years ago, and they owed each other nothing.

’My main goal now is the ancient teleportation array, while also trying to purchase Secret Skills that can aid in Transcendent God cultivation and fifth-order Kylin Blood... These are not simple matters, I can take it slow...’ he thought.

Considering that it had been around sixty years since the descent from the Higher Realm, if ’Ancestor Huo’ needed the Kylin Blood, he would have likely used it long ago.

If not used, there is a high probability that it is still being kept, so Fang Xi was not particularly in a hurry.

He went to the best spiritual vein location in Shao Yang City and found the person in charge of structure renting.

This person was also a disciple of the Sacred Fire Sect. Seeing Fang Xi, he immediately dared not to neglect him: "Jiang Bai, at your service. I’ve seen this senior before; may I ask why the senior has come?"

"I wish to rent a fourth-order Dongfu."

Fang Xi replied with a calm expression.

Jiang Bai’s expression instantly became even more respectful: "Might I ask the esteemed name of this senior for our registration...?"

"I am Qing He, an Individual Cultivator..."

Fang Xi responded.

This ’Lord Qing He’ naturally was a new identity he had crafted, portraying a rough image of an Individual Cultivator who’d just achieved his Nascent Soul, and could even pass as a sword path genius.

With the descent of the Monster Clan, countless Cultivators met death, numerous Sects were destroyed, legacies became scattered... This was to the advantage of Individual Cultivators.

Although most Individual Cultivators died even more miserably than those from the Sects, the outflow of rare resources and the various covert blockades of Sects were also significantly weakened, resulting in quite a few strong new contenders among the Individual Cultivators, including those who succeeded in forming Core and even achieving Nascent Soul!

"So it is Lord Qing He. The rental price for a fourth-order Dongfu is..."

Jiang Bai hurriedly bowed deeper and reported a sum of Spirit Stones.

Fang Xi’s expression did not change, as he casually threw over a Storage Bag: "The Spirit Stones in this bag should cover fifty years of rent... The token?"

After receiving the Dongfu token and map, Fang Xi arrived at his Dongfu, an isolated mountaintop called ’Drifting Clouds Peak’.

He walked into the Dongfu with the Prohibition token in hand, immediately checking for any hidden prohibitions, then replaced all the prohibitions guarding the Dongfu entirely.

"This place is sufficient for a temporary stay. After all, I can cultivate within the Mountain Sea Pearl..." Fang Xi muttered to himself.

With his current Cultivation level, and by using Secret Skills to change his appearance and conceal his aura, unless a Transcendent God Cultivator faced him directly, it would be nearly impossible to see through his disguise...

With this in place, it seemed he could live in Shao Yang City for a few years, gathering the items he wanted.

Recently his lifespan was plentiful, and the calamities of the Higher Realm descent passed, Fang Xi was really not in a hurry at all.

...

In the following years,

Fang Xi frequently emerged from seclusion to make connections with Nascent Soul Cultivators and then buy many rare materials. He occasionally sold some high-level Talismans, pretending to replenish his Spirit Stones while secretly paying attention to the news of top-level resources, attending various auctions and private exchange meetings.

The batch of Western Desert specialties he acquired wasn’t all that useful to him, but they could also be exchanged with the Nine States, sharing in the research results...

Occasionally, Fang Xi would also visit the largest ’Snake Lady Pavilion’ in Shao Yang City, enjoying the graceful and enchanting dance of the snake ladies before returning contentedly.

To the outside, he appeared no different from the typical early-stage Nascent Soul Old Monster fond of indulgence.

And all this information was constantly gathered by the various managers and shopkeepers and reported to the hands of the Nascent Soul of the Sacred Fire Sect stationed in Shao Yang City.

"Lord Qing He... I have met this person at an exchange meeting before."

Lord Jue Yan held a jade slip, a smile appearing on his face: "His Magic Power is mediocre... And as an Individual Cultivator, having his potential nearly depleted after a major breakthrough is normal. It’s not unusual to indulge in enjoyment a bit."

Compared to those real ’Nascent Soul Old Monsters’ whose lifespans were nearing their end, often erratic and moody, Lord Qing He’s temper was relatively good.

"Though the background of an Individual Cultivator is dubious, the Monster Clan upheaval destroyed the order, making it difficult to investigate..."

"He could be a fine guest candidate."

Lord Jue Yan smiled slightly, shaking a jade bell in his hand.

A female disciple immediately entered the Dongfu, bowing deeply: "Master... What do you need of your disciple?"

"Deliver a visiting card to Lord Qing He on my behalf, saying that I will visit three days from now!"

Lord Jue Yan smiled as he spoke.

He thoroughly enjoyed the current lifestyle, having cultivated a Nascent Soul, overseeing a territory, backed by a large sect, and even getting respect from Nascent Soul Old Monsters...

...

Three days later.

Lord Jue Yan arrived at Drifting Clouds Peak and saw that Fang Xi had already opened the array, "Daoist Friend Jue Yan, please!"

"Daoist Friend Qing He is too courteous..."

Lord Jue Yan made some polite refusals before entering the Dongfu, behaving with composure and the grace of an esteemed family.

’Sigh... That Cultivator who stood before Lord Tiankui with the utmost respect has ultimately never returned...’

Fang Xi sighed inwardly, his expression as normal as ever, and first served the Spiritual Tea and Spirit Fruits.

The two of them chatted about Cultivation-related issues, and he deliberately played dumb, asking Lord Jue Yan about problems with early-stage Nascent Soul cultivation.

Lord Jue Yan occasionally gave a few pointers, each striking the nail on the head.

Fang Xi couldn’t help but reflect, ’The Sacred Fire Sect truly deserves to be the number one great sect in the Western Desert, with Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect able to see the path ahead, even having a higher chance of breaking through to the middle phase compared to other Nascent Soul seniors...’

As for Lord Jue Yan’s intention to win him over, how could he not see it?

But becoming a guest of the Sacred Fire Sect came with rather ordinary treatment.

After all, the Sacred Fire Sect already had several esteemed Cultivators, along with a Transcendent God ancestor, so they naturally didn’t fear how a foreign guest would act.

But precisely because of this, there were more constraints. It wasn’t as comfortable as a sect like the Three Immortals Sect, which only had a few individuals.

Still, there were always some old Nascent Soul monsters who joined the Sacred Fire Sect as guests, seeking protection and blessings for their family and disciples...

Therefore, when Lord Jue Yan hinted again, Fang Xi sighed softly, "Ever since I advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, I have felt my potential exhausted... I fear I have no hope of breaking through to the middle phase in this lifetime... With a lifespan of a thousand years, apart from enjoying myself, I should also have some aspirations..."

Any cultivator who could reach the status of an old Nascent Soul monster must have an unwavering belief; otherwise, they wouldn’t even be able to overcome the Heart Demon Tribulation.

Lord Jue Yan immediately asked with a serious tone, "May I know what are Sir’s ambitions?"

"I no longer have any intentions for the Cultivation path, I only wish to face the azure sea at dawn and the yellow sand at dusk, behold the blue sky and reach for the white sun... to travel the five regions of the Mortal World! To write another travelogue and publish it far and wide!"

Fang Xi answered with a look of sincere devotion.

’He is just a fame seeker!’ Lord Jue Yan sneered inwardly. He was focused on the Taoist Path and now thinking about achieving more merit so he could break through the middle phase and late phase of Nascent Soul... and even harbor the extravagant hope of transcending into a Transcendent God!

He disdained Cultivators who sought fame, for whether one was remembered in history or left an eternal stench, once a person died, they had nothing...

On the surface, however, he showed a look of admiration: "Sir has a noble ambition! But traveling through the various regions, even for Nascent Soul Cultivators like us, is extremely difficult... Not to mention the Central Region that is already broken, filled with danger everywhere, and with Spatial Rifts scattered all over the Void, they’re too numerous to defend against!"

"The South Wilderness has already lost contact with the remaining three regions for a long time. Without the ancient teleportation arrays... to cross that endless danger, I fear only the Transcendent God ancestors of our sect would have such ability... Though this is also a very arduous task."

"Alas..."

Fang Xi also sighed fittingly: "I too am aware that going to the Central Region and South Wilderness is wishful thinking, but the Eastern Sea and North Border are within my reach, I hope Daoist Friend can facilitate this!"

"You wish to use our sect’s ancient teleportation array?!"

Lord Jue Yan blurted out, feeling somewhat sullen.

Why had his efforts to recruit a guest turned into this situation?

"I have heard that in your esteemed sect, there is an ancient teleportation array that can directly connect to the Eastern Sea and the icy plains of the North Border..."

Fang Xi looked at Lord Jue Yan with a face full of expectation.

"This... Maintaining the ancient teleportation array is not easy; each use consumes a lot... And it requires someone to vouch for you."

Lord Jue Yan instinctively wanted to refuse.

This troublesome and thankless job, why should he do it?

But Fang Xi knew that this man was inclined towards adventure, otherwise he wouldn’t have made a deal with him in the past.

He was not agreeing now simply because the benefits were not sufficient!

He smiled faintly, reached into the Storage Bag, and a red box appeared on the table: "If Daoist Friend is willing to help, this item will be gifted to you..."

Opening the fiery red jade box revealed a dark Ganoderma within.

Lord Jue Yan examined it for a moment, and his face suddenly showed a mix of surprise and joy: "Could this be the ’Nine Flames Ganoderma’?"

"Exactly, and it should have been nurtured for over four thousand years. If refined into a pill, it would greatly benefit the advancement of Cultivators practicing Fire Attribute cultivation techniques!"

Fang Xi smiled and said, "This item is indeed a treasure I’ve kept as a reserve. If it weren’t that my personal Cultivation technique clashed with it, I would never have taken it out."

Lord Jue Yan’s Divine Consciousness swept over it repeatedly, making sure it was genuine. He was just about to reach for it when the jade box vanished in a flash.

"This item will certainly be handed over to you before I leave through the teleportation," Fang Xi confidently declared. "With the reputation of the Sacred Fire Sect, you surely need not worry that I’ll play any tricks..."

’This is a deal!’ Lord Jue Yan thought to himself.

Indeed, the ancient teleportation array had always been available, not only allowing Sacred Fire Sect Cultivators who had mastered Nascent Soul to choose to travel to the Eastern Sea and North Border but also accepting any regular Nascent Soul Cultivator as long as someone vouched for them. After all, they would harshly extract a considerable amount of Spirit Stones and resources, so why not?

And as for ’Lord Qing He’ with his mere early-stage Nascent Soul Cultivation, could he possibly turn the world upside down under Ancestor Huo’s watchful eye?