Chuying Star.
In the bedroom.
Fang Xing lay in bed, feeling an innate sense of tranquility welling up within him.
Rembering the second-rank avian demon beast he had just encountered, his eyes narrowed slightly, "Second-rank demon beasts differ from one another... The sense of oppression from this avian beast is even stronger than the one I t last ti... Perhaps it’s a mid-grade or even top-grade second-rank demon beast?"
Originally, he had seen cultivators from Qinglin Square at the Foundation Establishnt Stage easily kill second-rank demon beasts.
But Fang Xing believed that, were it this particular beast, the Qingxuan Sect elder stationed in Qinglin Square might only have the option of fleeing in panic!
Even because of the beast’s flying speed, escape might not be possible!
"As for myself now, I’m probably still not qualified to confront a second-rank demon beast... even a low-grade one..."
Regarding his own strength, Fang Xing had a very clear understanding.
Among Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators, he was certainly quite formidable, capable of sweeping through them unless he encountered an anomalously powerful Qi cultivator.
But when facing Foundation Establishnt cultivators or being besieged by late-stage or Perfect Qi cultivators, it would be very dangerous.
Foundation Establishnt Stage cultivators had already awakened their Divine Sense, which greatly increased their premonition of danger. Even if he used his laser gun, he might not be able to take them down.
Once the initial shot from the laser gun missed, losing the advantage of stealth, it would be even less likely for Fang Xing to hit his target afterward—the opponent could not dodge a laser, but they could certainly dodge the aim of a gun!
With demon beasts’ thick hides and robust vitality, it was an even more difficult matter.
For these reasons, Fang Xing had stayed on Chuying Star for several days before daring to return to Qinglin Square.
Top-end cave mansion.
Everything was as usual in the basent.
"Oh? It seems the demon beasts with exceptional Divine Sense haven’t discovered any signs of life here, so they don’t co around..."
Not having to move, Fang Xing was very satisfied.
In the following days, he practiced his martial arts as usual, consuming Spirit Rice and popping elixirs.
Although consuming too many elixirs could lead to elixir toxicity, during his advancent to the Rough Jade Realm, he had undergone a process of tendon transformation and marrow cleansing, expelling most of the impurities that had accumulated in his body.
Moreover, the Inner Breath in the Rough Jade Realm was endless, tempering his five internal organs and six organs, making his endurance to elixir toxicity far exceed the previous two realms.
Additionally, Fang Xing intentionally controlled his dosage of dicine well within the limits of what his body could handle, ensuring that his martial arts progressed rapidly while his foundations remained incredibly solid...
...
"Hidden Tiger Stance is improving rapidly... But my Dragon Elephant Skill is stagnating sowhat due to the lack of Whale-Elephant Ointnt..."
Several days later, Fang Xing glanced at his attribute bar with a bit of regret, "The task of finding a substitute for Whale-Elephant Ointnt needs to be moved up on the agenda."
In Chuying Star, even if there were substitutes, he lacked the channels, connections, and sufficient Star Coins.
But here, that was obviously not a problem.
Early morning.
Fang Xing, as usual, donned a black robe and covered his face, blending into the dense fog.
Occasionally, a few solitary figures erged from the ruins and basents, dressed just as tightly as he was, holding magic artifacts and talismans in their hands, their eyes filled with wariness as they watched every passerby.
’The cultivators of this world are really quite unfriendly...’ he mused to himself as he arrived at the Ghost Market.
This place was actually the forr stall area. However, after becoming derelict, only a few scattered cultivators took advantage of the heavy morning fog, which provided cover from demon beasts, to trade.
Today’s fog was particularly thick, making it nearly impossible to see anyone beyond three ters away.
’This seems quite peculiar; could it be the special effect of so array? Or could an Array Master be taking advantage of the situation?’
Fang Xing ca to a stall and was surprised to see that it was stocked with normal rice.
"How about it? This rice is cheap; I’ll give you twenty pounds for one Spirit Stone..."
The stall owner was a Qi Cultivator, likely only at the early stages of Qi Cultivation, his face full of smiles.
"Before in Qinglin Square, twenty pounds of Spirit Rice cost only one Spirit Stone..."
Fang Xing was sowhat speechless.
Although Qi Cultivators couldn’t fast for long periods, looking at this, what had they been pushed to?
"Ah, those were the days. What was it like before, and what has it beco now?"
The stall owner sighed deeply, "Having sothing to eat is already good... Just wait until the supplies in the ruins of Qinglin Square are exhausted, and you’ll see!"
Fang Xing was keenly aware that the Spirit Fields outside Qinglin Square had been entirely abandoned, and the situation would only be worse next year.
The reason these Loose Cultivators hunkered down rather than leave, willing to risk the occasional hunting by second-rank demon beasts, was firstly that the wilderness outside was in an even more dire state, with the sa probability of encountering high-rank demon beasts.
Secondly, there were still so resources to scavenge in the ruins of the square, which could sotis yield so finds.
Even if demon beasts ca, with so many people around, it was unlikely to be one’s own turn—everyone harbored a hope against hope!
The third reason was probably the elusive hope that the major sects outside might co back to reclaim the area!
He shook his head and walked towards another area.
"Big brother, fancy a ga?"
At one corner of the street stood several divinely graceful female cultivators, each one dolled up, and upon seeing Fang Xing’s burly and robust appearance showing no sign of weakness, their eyes lit up, "This humble one used to have a legitimate business in Rain Listening Tower, skilled in seventy-two forms of Dong Xuanzi, the Fish-Dragon Nine Transformations, the Spring Crying Technique... I’ll make sure Big Brother will linger and forget to leave, just a few pounds of Spirit Rice or a Fasting Pill will do..."
’Well, the prices have dropped a lot compared to before...’
Fang Xing nodded silently to himself and walked away without a sideward glance.
He was here to stroll through the marketplace to unwind and incidentally to seek a substitute for the ’Whale-Elephant Ointnt,’ not to be distracted by these trinkets.
’Sure enough, this Ghost Market is no good; next ti, I’ll go straight to the underground black market in the caves...’
Just when Fang Xing thought he would again walk away empty-handed today, he paused mid-step and stopped in front of a stall.
The stall had a few bottles of elixirs scattered on it, surprisingly a rare elixir stall in the Ghost Market.
Although all that was being sold were common Spirit Pills, under the current circumstances, it was decent enough.
The stall owner was an elderly cultivator with a somber face, a broken blackwood hairpin in his hair, and his spiritual robe tattered and torn, a pitiful sight to behold.
Despite this, he still carried a proud deanor, with a faint scent of elixirs lingering around him, signaling his identity as an alchemist.
’Is that him? Wan Fenglin... This old coot is still alive?’
Fang Xing watched in surprise at the apparently destitute Master Wan of Wan Fenglin.
This man had miscalculated during the first conflict in Five Scorpion Valley, forcing him to use a life-saving talisman to escape, and was amongst the first to be ousted from the ga.
Afterward, Chen Yi and Fu Qing from the Black Tiger Gang had internal conflicts, which were none of his business.
But Fang Xing thought the Black Tiger Gang would not let this man off; he didn’t expect him to still be alive.
Naturally, he didn’t know that back then, Master Wan had indeed been driven to a dead end and even beca a prisoner under the Black Tiger Gang, but fortunately, with Qingxuan Sect stepping in to suppress the Black Tiger Gang and their chief being killed by a Core Formation cultivator, the vast Black Tiger Gang disbanded, giving him a chance to escape with his skin.
But with his cultivation greatly damaged, now fallen back to the third level of Qi Cultivation, and with the large-scale disaster at the marketplace, he was truly living a hard life and had nearly run out of possessions.
"Fellow Daoist, would you like to purchase so elixirs... This ’Replenishing Gold Pill’ can rapidly heal any injury you sustain, and this ’Spring Flower Pill,’ if taken regularly, will keep one forever youthful..."
Not recognizing the changed and masked Fang Xing, Master Wan eagerly introduced him to the elixirs on his stall.
Fang Xing glanced over them, only to find them worthless.
No wonder he was spiraling downwards.
After deliberation, he took out the box that previously contained ’Whale-Elephant Ointnt.’ Naturally, the ointnt inside was gone, but so of the scent was still there, enough for any alchemist or pharmacist to confirm its properties: "I used this kind of body-refining ointnt before; do you have anything that could replace it?"
Master Wan took it, sniffed slightly, and his expression changed, "This dicine is quite domineering... I didn’t see that coming, fellow Daoist appears not to be a Martial Artist, but a Body Cultivator, even a Qi Cultivator at the late stage, truly a masterful technique to conceal one’s energy."
"It’s good that you know!"
Fang Xing crossed his arms and said coldly, "And your point is?"
"This dicine is domineering, it likely contains Second Rank spiritual dicines and the flesh and blood of Second Rank Demon Beasts... I can’t think of a replacent, even the Green Pill Workshop might not have it..."
Master Wan sighed and returned the empty box to Fang Xing.
"I see, well then..."
Fang Xing shook his head, having known that cultivating the Dragon Elephant Skill was difficult, he hadn’t realized quite how hard.
The accompanying ointnt actually involved Second Rank items!
’Am I supposed to go and kill Second Rank Demon Beasts? My Blood Refining Magical Artifacts are quite handy in slaying people, but against Second Rank Demon Beasts, they can hardly break the defenses...’
’However, this Master Wan’s character isn’t really up to snuff... next ti, I’d better ask Miss Xiao Rui instead.’
Turning to leave, he suddenly stopped again.
To be honest, he still rembered the grudge from when Master Wan had tried to plot against him.
But seeing the other party in such a pitiful state, it seed like living was a greater punishnt.
"Do you have anything else, fellow Daoist?"
Master Wan, seeing Fang Xing stop in his tracks, couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Imdiately after, he saw a Low-Grade Spirit Stone in Fang Xing’s hand, and his eyes grew sowhat fixed.
"I’m quite interested in that secret realm; Master Wan, since you’ve been there before, you must know so information. Spill everything, and if it pleases enough, these Spirit Stones are all yours..."
Fang Xing took out a few more Low-Grade Spirit Stones, flicking them playfully in his hand.
Master Wan’s expression drastically changed, caught between wanting to run and not daring to, finally lting into bitterness: "That Five Scorpion Valley, I really don’t know what happened; afterward, I was lucky to escape... When I got back, I was targeted by the Black Tiger Gang, ending up captured..."
In truth, the Black Tiger Gang thought Master Wan knew so secrets about the secret realm and, being an alchemical talent, they spared his life.
"But while in the Black Tiger Gang, I heard a few pieces of news..."
Seeing the Spirit Stones being tossed by Fang Xing, Master Wan swallowed: "Regarding that secret realm, so say it’s the legacy left by ’Master Wanfa,’ extrely precious, hence attracting the Core Formation Real Man from Qingxuan Sect..."
"Master Wanfa?"
Fang Xing was sowhat puzzled, but still tossed a Low-Grade Spirit Stone over, "Continue talking..."
"Yes, yes..." Master Wan’s eyes sparkled, after all, that secret realm was now surely overrun by demon beasts, essentially ruined, so selling off this hearsay for a few Spirit Stones was excellent: "Speaking of ’Master Wanfa,’ he was an extraordinary genius known far and wide a thousand years ago... Rumored to possess poor Spirit Roots but still broke through the various stages of cultivation, obtaining Perfect Core Formation..."
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