“Where is the Island Lord?”
Fang Xi sheathed his Qinghe Sword and unexpectedly asked.
Given his relationship with Ruan Xingling, she would typically attend his birthday celebration herself rather than sending a junior disciple as a representative.
“My master is currently entertaining an important guest,” Ruan Dan explained with a slight bow, expressing Ruan Xingling’s apologies. “She instructed to inform you that she will join shortly…”
“I see…” Fang Xi responded nonchalantly, showing no signs of concern. With a smile, he said, “Since the crown princess is here, we must toast a few more tis together…”
“Agreed…”
Ruan Dan, observing Fang Xi’s graceful deanor, couldn’t help but feel regretful. In her youthful arrogance, she had indeed offended many people, paying a painful price later on. Now seeking reconciliation, she wondered if it was too late?
The twenty-year-aged peach blossom wine was rich and aromatic, its aftertaste lingering long; one could easily beco intoxicated without noticing.
Notably, Wei Yixi, the young maiden, gradually blushed, eventually slumping over the table, clearly overwheld by the alcohol, yet still mumbling incessantly.
Ruan Dan, having consud several cups, also displayed flushed cheeks, her eyes sparkling.
“Haha, let’s all enjoy ourselves today…” Fang Xi echoed, feeling a resurgence of youthful exuberance after drinking multiple cups. “I’ll go invite the Island Lord to join us for so drinks…”
With that, he swiftly mounted the Black Feather Boat and flew towards Mirror Moon Lake.
As the astral winds howled around him, his eyes remained clear, showing no hint of intoxication.
Fang Xi was genuinely intrigued by Ruan Xingling’s important guest.
Within the villa grounds:
“Fellow Daoist Fang…”
Two cultivators spotted Fang Xi and hurried to greet him.
“Where is the Island Lord? Today being his grand birthday celebration, I’ve co specially to invite him for a toast,” Fang Xi said with a warm smile.
Unwilling to show any disrespect towards the island’s second strongest cultivator, one of them promptly replied, “The Island Lord is entertaining a guest at the Warm Intoxication Pavilion. Fellow Daoist Fang, please feel free to wait nearby.”
“Hmm, then I’ll head to the Rain Listening Pavilion just next door.”
Casually, Fang Xi allowed one of the cultivators to accompany him to the Rain Listening Pavilion.
He was extrely familiar with the layout here; the Rain Listening Pavilion bordered the Warm Intoxication Pavilion, located only tens of ters away!
Having achieved great perfection, his divine sense now extended up to thirty ters, approximately ten Zhangs!
Upon reaching the Rain Listening Pavilion, Fang Xi sipped spirit tea while discreetly releasing his divine sense. Concerned about potential restrictions within the Warm Intoxication Pavilion, such as protective charms, he dared not recklessly extend his senses inside.
However, even from outside, he could faintly hear snippets of conversation:
“…my Zhong Family patriarch…”
“The fall of the Thirty-Six Islands may be imminent…”
“Yu Lingzi is dead… Consider your options carefully…”
After the ti it takes for an incense stick to burn, a middle-aged cultivator erges from the Warm Intoxication Pavilion.
His temples are graying, yet his face seems vaguely familiar to Fang Xi.
“It’s that forr greeter from Dragon Gate Pavilion - Zhong Wangu!”
“So, a mber of the Zhong Family has indeed co to sway Peach Blossom Island?”
“If what he said is true, then Yu Lingzi, the Foundation Establishnt cultivator at Spirit Hollow Market, is dead?”
“The Alliance of Thirty-Six Islands ticulously planned to outshine the Zhong Family, only to suffer a severe blow right at the start!”
After Zhong Wangu departed with a grim expression, Ruan Xingling arrived at Rain Listening Pavilion.
“Island Lord, I’ve opened three jars of twenty-year-aged wine from my collection. Care to join for a drink?” Fang Xi cheerfully extended the invitation.
“Perfect timing!” Ruan Xingling gently waved her hand, enveloping herself in a swirl of petals. Their escaping glows rged, and together they soared into the sky.
Facing the piercing astral winds, Ruan Xingling gazed at Fang Xi with an enigmatic smile. “Fellow Daoist Fang, is there sothing you wish to ask?”
“Now that the Qinghe Sword has been reforged, I understand your intentions, Island Lord. However…” A hint of hesitation crossed Fang Xi’s face. “My lifelong aspiration is to turn swords into ploughshares; I have no desire for further conflict…”
“Unfortunately, in the cultivation world, if you don’t kill, others will seek to kill you. The three great sects covetously watch over us, aiming to fully integrate the Alliance into their own sect, perhaps even dominating Wan Island Lake…” Ruan Xingling spoke bitterly. “To achieve this, they were willing to collude with outsiders and sabotage my Foundation Establishnt ceremony…”
‘Does she intend to reveal her true thoughts now?’
Fang Xi cautiously asked, “So does the Island Lord favor the Zhong Family?”
“The Zhong Family is no less ferocious than beasts!” Ruan Xingling shook her head more vigorously. “Don’t you know that behind the Silver-armored Demon incident seven years ago, there was undoubtedly support from the Zhong Family! How could I align with them…?”
Fang Xi fell silent.
Just earlier, he had witnessed Zhong Wangu acting as their envoy! Moreover, Zhong Wangu revealed crucial information, suggesting that the Zhong Family held significant advantages. Yet despite this, Ruan Xingling seed unwilling to choose them.
Could it be…that a third party has intervened at Wan Island Lake?
It wasn’t entirely implausible!
‘I just wonder…which faction is involved? And how did Ruan Xingling establish contact and trust with them?’
Fang Xi suppressed his curiosity.
In truth, he didn’t care who ruled Wan Island Lake, as long as they didn’t interfere with his tree cultivation. For now, he accompanied Ruan Xingling to Jade Cliff, where they shared fine wine together, enjoying the hospitality fully…
As night fell, the gathering at Jade Cliff dispersed, leaving only Fang Xi sitting quietly beneath the peach tree.
The Great Azure Fish huddled at the bottom of the pond, too afraid to surface even slightly. Despite having achieved the status of Fish King and acting as a traitor among its kind, it remained genuinely terrified each ti facing its inscrutable master.
“The death of Yu Lingzi cannot be concealed forever, no matter how much the Three Upper Families try…”
“Initiating conflict this recklessly was unwise for the Alliance of Thirty-Six Islands!”
“The Zhong Family’s aggressive stance is risky; it remains to be seen how it will ultimately end… However, one can foresee that Foundation Establishnt cultivators will inevitably intervene.”
“When they do, the intensity of war will drastically escalate!”
Fang Xi had reached Peak Qi Refining in both Qi Refinent and Body Tempering, confident that few could match him within the Qi Refinent stage.
Standing under the Demon Tree, he felt virtually invincible, daring to challenge even Foundation Establishnt cultivators… though just barely…
He always valued overpowering opponents with his realm rather than being overmatched by theirs!
Even possessing Foundation Establishnt-level combat prowess, engaging in direct battles against similarly ranked foes required utmost caution, let alone not yet being at that stage himself!
Entering such a formidable conflict solely for Ruan Xingling would indeed be foolish.
‘If faced with a true formidable enemy, such as a Foundation Establishnt cultivator attacking Peach Blossom Island… I would abandon the Demon Tree and flee without hesitation!’
‘After all, I still have over a hundred years of longevity left. It’s entirely possible to find another Demon Tree seed in Great Liang and continue cultivating elsewhere!’
‘Battling at Foundation Establishnt while only in Qi Refinent may sound thrilling, but it’s not my style!’
‘For enduring immortality, caution is paramount - it ensures longevity!’
Life is irreplaceable; once lost, there truly remains nothing.
Apart from that, nothing else is indispensable!
Fang Xi has always been unwaveringly firm in this belief.
‘However, enhancing my strength further should be my top priority for now!’
As he thought about the Demon Tree, Fang Xi gazed at his clenched fist.
Currently, Fang Xi could deeply sense the terrifying reserves of blood qi hidden within his physique!
This was the result of nearly thirty years of consistent cultivation through tree planting, steadily increasing his blood qi each day!
It had effectively equaled consuming one or even multiple tier-2 blood qi precious pills!
‘Soon… No, perhaps I can temporarily set aside daily life extension vital energy absorption and Second Wood Dharma Idol training, focusing instead on amplifying my own blood qi, aiming for the ‘True Astral Manifestation’ realm!’
In Great Liang’s legends, this martial arts boundary roughly corresponds to the fourth layer of cultivation in techniques like the Myriad Beasts Body, equivalent to the initial stages of Foundation Establishnt for body cultivators!
Even if his abilities might still fall short compared to Foundation Establishnt cultivators, he would at least possess so self-defense capabilities.
With this thought, Fang Xi ventured into the underground cave and saw the Demon Tree, now over eighteen ters tall with its roots extending downward. He couldn’t help but take a deep breath, calling out, “A-1!”
The wooden puppet wearing a vine mask imdiately erged from the shadows and approached Fang Xi.
“Go near Mirror Moon Lake and monitor Ruan Xingling’s every move. As soon as she leaves the manor, report back to imdiately!”
Following Fang Xi’s instruction, A-1 promptly set off towards Mirror Moon Lake.
Shortly after,
At the lakeside, within a grove of peach trees.
A-1 reached the edge of an ordinary peach tree, extended his palm, and countless tendrils sprouted from it, rging seamlessly with the tree. In the next mont, his entire body mysteriously vanished into the trunk, leaving only his face hidden inside a hollow, eyes vacant yet fixed on the direction of the manor.
This was one of Fang Xi’s minor discoveries - these wooden puppets possessed a peculiar Wood Escape spell, allowing them to blend with trees while nearly eliminating their presence entirely. They were perfect for reconnaissance tasks!
Fang Xi’s decision wasn’t driven by suspicion towards Ruan Xingling; rather, he was simply curious about the third-party faction involved. After all, any force daring to intervene in Wan Island Lake must be at least a Foundation Establishnt level entity!
By being vigilant, he could prepare himself should unforeseen dangers arise!
One year later.
In the Pill Room, Fang Xi flipped through a pill manual while beginning his concoction process.
He was currently working on a recently acquired pill formula from an exchange eting - the Qi Supplent Pill!
This pill was quite intriguing, divided into three grades: low, middle, and high.
The low-grade Qi Supplent Pill could only restore approximately sixty to seventy percent of magical energy for Initial Stage Qi Refinent cultivators within a short period.
On the other hand, a tier-1 high-grade Qi Supplent Pill could swiftly recover around forty to fifty percent of magical energy, even after depletion, for Peak Qi Refinent cultivators!
‘Once reaching tier-1 high-grade, both acquiring pill formulas and sourcing ingredients beco significantly more challenging…’
Fang Xi extended his divine sense, closely monitoring the dicinal properties’ changes within the translucent pill liquid inside the pill furnace. He felt remarkably confident and adept at this task.
In the next mont, he gently tapped the pill furnace, unleashing a series of cultivation techniques.
Buzzing sounds filled the air!
The pill furnace opened wide, releasing a fragrant aroma throughout the room.
A condensed mass of liquid erged, shedding nurous impurities that actively detached and reabsorbed back into the furnace.
Five flawless dicinal pills, resembling pure pearls, appeared in Fang Xi’s hand - all of them were high-grade Qi Supplent Pills!
“Next!”
Fang Xi carefully stored the pills and continued to execute more extraction techniques on the pill furnace.
Instantly, a rich herbal aroma filled the air.
Smaller pills erged one by one, landing on the jade plate. Astonishingly, there were eight mid-grade Qi Supplent Pills!
Remarkably, the flas beneath the pill furnace had not yet extinguished!
As Fang Xi perford the extraction technique for the third ti, sixteen low-grade Qi Supplent Pills flew out!
“The impurities from high-grade spiritual pills can serve as primary ingredients for mid-grade dicinal pills… With this ‘Threefold Wave’ extraction technique, I can reuse the remnants of high-grade pills for further concoction. As a result, nearly ninety percent of the dicinal materials in a single batch can be utilized…”
Fang Xi cast a slightly regretful glance at the violet copper pill furnace: “If only the quality of this pill furnace were better, we could have produced even more mid and low-grade pills…”
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