Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 777 - 702 Situation (Extra, Please Subscribe)_1

Chapter 777: Chapter 702 Situation (Extra, Please Subscribe)_1

Time flows like water.

In the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

Fang Xi watched as Xiao Chong broke through his realm, becoming a Qi Refining third-level novice Immortal Cultivator.

This made him sigh with emotion. The Earth Immortal Realm really was conducive to breakthroughs.

And during this period, he had only just managed to become acquainted with Zhou Jun and Widow Liang.

A light breeze blew.

By the riverbank, several newly tilled mu of Spiritual Field revealed tender green seedlings.

These fields were naturally cleared by Widow Liang, who had argued, could the living really be killed by holding their pee?

Since it was dangerous outside the market town, it was better to open up a Spiritual Field inside it.

For this reason, she’d even toppled several original stone Dongfu, laboriously cleared the rubble, and stubbornly carved out these mu of land from the ruins, even scrimping on Spirit Stones from her daily expenses to purchase seeds of Spirit Rice for cultivation.

Now it seemed that the Spirit Rice was growing quite well.

After all, Black Rock Market Town had once been a major Spiritual Vein. Even now, somewhat broken, it was still much better than other places.

Fang Xi would practice Secret Skills and make Talismans daily...

During his routine morning stroll, he particularly liked to visit the Spiritual Field.

After all, he had come from a Spirit Farmer background and now, as an Earth Immortal, he had a fondness for this.

"Oh, Mr. Liang, cultivating the fields again?"

Fang Xi greeted her with a smile.

In the midst of the Spiritual Field, Widow Liang held hand seals, and the aura of her Magic Power gradually dissipated, clearly having just performed the Spirit Farmer’s weeding spell.

Xiao Chong was on the side, picking up the bodies of pests that had been pierced through by streaks of Metal Sword Qi.

These bugs grew by feeding on Spirit Rice and tasted not bad; roasted, they also made for a meaty meal.

——With time passing, the food shortage within the market town grew more acute.

Not to mention... Cultivators were also human.

Lower-level Cultivators often formed bonds with Taoist Companions and the probability of having offspring was quite high.

Only at the higher levels did bearing children become a challenge.

"Uncle!"

Xiao Chong called out obediently.

"Mm, good..."

Fang Xi smiled in response.

"Look how much the child likes Sir... Although Sir can abstain from grains and doesn’t need much food, why not join us... I can leave five fen of land for Sir," Widow Liang proposed again, tucking her hair behind her ear.

This woman was also clever. Upon seeing the rising prices of food in the market town, she devised a plan to till a Spiritual Field.

Unfortunately, the endeavor couldn’t bypass the Sky Brahman Gang’s management. Thus, she came to woo Fang Xi and the neighboring Zhou Jun.

Fang Xi was well aware of her previous attitude towards him; it was certainly one of distant respect and avoidance.

Clearly, in Widow Liang’s eyes, it took a villain to grind another villain. Compared to the risk of starvation, reluctantly dealing with him was a necessity.

Without a few backers, she wouldn’t dare claim land to cultivate in the market town.

But Fang Xi’s interest lay elsewhere, so he declined straightaway.

But Zhou Jun, for reasons unknown, had actually agreed and took a small share.

It was also he who had dealt with the Sky Brahman Gang’s management, reluctantly convincing them to turn a blind eye to the matter.

From Fang Xi’s observations, Zhou Jun had never recovered from a serious injury and seemed to be deteriorating, likely set to significantly reduce his lifespan. Now residing here in seclusion, he was either waiting for death or perhaps seeking a rightful successor.

"It’s a pity I don’t like eating Spirit Rice," Fang Xi still smilingly refused.

Widow Liang said no more, aware that this advanced Foundation Establishment stage tough character must be concealing an abundance of Wild Beast meat.

If stored properly, and combined with the technique of fasting, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could persist for many years, she couldn’t help feeling envious.

If she didn’t have the burden of Xiao Chong, why would she need to toil so tirelessly?

Fortunately, once the Spirit Rice harvest came in, they would be over the hardest part, and maybe next year they could relax a bit.

"Mother... I’m going to help Grandpa Zhou with the herbs."

After capturing all the pests, Xiao Chong came up to Widow Liang and said.

These days, whenever he was free, he ran to Zhou Jun’s place, mainly because Zhou Jun often gave him some berries and licorice from the medicines to eat, which tasted quite good and easily captivated the boy’s appetite.

"Go on then..."

Widow Liang was rather pleased with this development.

Zhou Jun was a pill-concocting master! Even if he couldn’t take Xiao Chong as his disciple, being taught some knowledge about herbs was excellent.

Moreover, she now needed Zhou Jun’s support to steadily cultivate the land, so she actually encouraged Xiao Chong to show extra diligence.

"Xiao Chong is a good child, with a superior Wooden Spirit Root and an inferior Fire Spiritual Root... He’s quite suited to becoming a pill-concocting master," Fang Xi remarked as he watched Xiao Chong’s retreating figure.

He was quite certain that Zhou Jun intended to take a disciple.

"Indeed, if Xiao Chong could become a pill-concocting master, I would rest easy," Widow Liang patted her quivering chest, about to add more when she saw a green bird land on Fang Xi’s shoulder.

"Mr. Liang, I have matters to attend to. I shall take my leave first."

Fang Xi’s smile remained as he returned to his dongfu.

Widow Liang waited until Fang Xi had left before a hint of suspicion appeared on her face.

She still couldn’t see through this ’Fang Yuan’.

Clearly at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, why did he choose to mingle in the slums, keeping company with the likes of her, instead of joining the Sky Brahman Gang or Thunderfire Hall and living a life of satisfaction and vendetta, becoming a bigwig of Black Rock Market Town?

It was common knowledge that the conflict between the two big gangs was escalating, and they were very eager to recruit high-level cultivators.

Of course, for the lower-class Individual Cultivators, although there was also oppression, they would spare those who seemed troublesome to provoke.

This was entirely a historical problem, after all, this place was once a dwelling place for high-level cultivators—who knew if there were any pretending to be weak while actually being strong?

Or if one were lucky, find powerful talismans or one-time treasures from the corpses of high-level cultivators.

There are indeed examples in Black Rock Market Town of low-profile Qi Refining cultivators taking gang members down with them in a desperate resistance!

Mutual wariness and mutual concessions formed the current ecology of Black Rock Market Town.

Though chaotic, there was some order...

...

Inside the dongfu.

Fang Xi closed the door, and a layer of prohibition automatically emerged.

"Master..."

On his shoulder, Xiao Qing finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up, "I haven’t been lazy at all. I flew to that dongfu, met those two, and then immediately came back with a reply..."

Even for Transcendent God cultivators, visiting a friend’s dongfu and back would take a year!

And who knows how long it would take to go to Sky Brahman City?

This was also a limitation on these low-level cultivators, who could only passively wait.

"You didn’t cause any trouble along the way, did you?"

Fang Xi asked cautiously.

"Wuwuwu... Master, the wilderness is so dangerous, Xiao Qing encountered formidable Wild Beasts several times, almost couldn’t make it back..."

Xiao Qing chirped incessantly as if to convey her hardships.

Fang Xi rolled his eyes, "All you’re thinking about is my little fortune... Later, I will reward you with a Spirit Communicating Treasure. Where’s the reply?"

After all, Spirit Communicating Treasures were of little use to him at the moment, as they needed to be upgraded.

It was quite normal to award the downgraded ones to Spiritual Pets and subordinates.

Xiao Qing nodded satisfactorily, opened her beak, and emitted a stream of rosy light.

Within the light, the silhouette of a jade slip faintly appeared.

Fang Xi grasped it in his hand and scanned it with his Divine Thought.

The letter was written by Liu Xu, who stated that after they left, they sought refuge with ’Master Qianhua’, who provided protection.

This master was a Returning to Emptiness cultivator who occupied a tier-five Spiritual Vein to establish her dongfu. With few people and not drawing attention, the biggest threat she faced was attacks by several Wild Beasts, which were easily resolved...

In the letter, Liu Xu also expressed her concern for Fang Xi. When she heard about the Primordial Chaos Beast attacking Black Rock Market Town, she was genuinely worried for him.

Unfortunately, Fang Xi didn’t tell her that he had returned to the market town to continue lying low.

He was in the habit of keeping a card up his sleeve with everyone.

Skipping the pleasantries at the beginning of the letter, Fang Xi finally turned to the information about Sky Brahman City he was most eager to see.

If Sky Brahman City was safe and sound, with reinforcements arriving or even the Super Teleportation Array repaired.

Then he would simply abandon waiting for the Tri-Horned Yuan Rhinoceros and head straight to Sky Brahman City, perhaps redeem himself, and then use the Super Teleportation Array to return to the human race.

In this way, his identity would indeed be clean, and even if he later joined any Integration or Mahayana Sect, he would withstand scrutiny.

However, as he read on, Fang Xi’s expression gradually turned grim.

In the end, he heaved a sigh of disappointment.

"Sky Brahman City endured several waves of Primordial Chaos Beast sieges and held on, but suffered heavy losses?"

"That injured Integration cultivator hasn’t shown up yet. Could he have sneaked away?"

"Liu Xu and Fairy Yunxi don’t recommend going to Sky Brahman City at this time, after all, going there means being drafted into being cannon fodder!"

After some thought, Fang Xi naturally dismissed the idea of heading to Sky Brahman City.

Although he was now at the early stage of Returning to Emptiness, Sky Brahman City was the core of the Sky Brahman Domain, with no fewer than a dozen Returning to Emptiness cultivators, even including those in the later stages.

Even if he went, he would still have no real power and could easily become a target for calculations.

It was better to be outside, where the sky was high and the birds flew freely.

That Returning to Emptiness cultivator from the Heavenly Charm Sect probably thought the same.

’Given the power of the Heavenly Charm Sect, the information should be true!’

’In this case, it’s better to continue cultivating in hiding here for a while... After all, practicing Secret Skill and Divine Skill doesn’t require a Spiritual Vein Land.’

Fang Xi continued reading, and his expression shifted once again.

Liu Xu and Fairy Yunxi were Transcendent God cultivators, ranking in the middle to high echelons within the Heavenly Charm Sect, and this time they had won ’Master Qianhua’s’ favor, who shared many upper-level secrets with them!

"So the original reason for starting to tame the wilderness... was mainly driven by Jin Gangzi, one of the Five Sons of the Human Race."

"And his basis... was that he had a friend who divinated that rapid development during this period would bring more benefit than harm?!"

Fang Xi was somewhat speechless.

But many cultivators believed in the studies of fate and divination, and there was no way around that.

As he kept reading, he grew a bit stirred: "Jin Gangzi’s friend... is extremely adept at deducing the Heavenly Secret and has a reputation as the number one fortune-telling master of the human race. No wonder once the prophecy was made, Jin Gangzi indeed started to take action..."