"Foundation Establishment Pills!"
Longing surfaced on Fang Xi's face as well. Yet as he watched the crowd gradually descend into madness, purchasing talismans and magic tools before surging out of the market district, his heart was as cold as ice.
Seeking opportunities in a secret realm meant facing far more than the dangers of the secret realm itself. There were also the cultivators traveling alongside you—and the rogue cultivators who preyed on others.
Before the temptation of Foundation Establishment, family affection, friendship, and even the bond between master and disciple might not withstand the test!
Thus, he avoided the bustling, clamorous crowd and slowly walked back to his Spirit Field.
At the same time, he began pondering the matter of Foundation Establishment Pills!
Foundation Establishment was difficult. Before the age of sixty, cultivating a basic cultivation method to perfection was merely the most fundamental requirement.
Beyond that, there were three major gates.
The first was the Blood Qi Gate! During Foundation Establishment, a cultivator's physique had to be robust, with vigorous blood qi and no hidden injuries. The Cultivation World generally believed that cultivators over sixty would find it difficult to establish their foundation even if they cultivated to Qi Refining Perfection. This was related to the decline of their blood qi.
The second gate was the Magical Power Gate. One's magical power had to be sufficiently profound; falling even slightly short made it difficult to complete the requirement of liquefying one's magical power.
The final gate required the birth of Spiritual Awareness!
Qi Refining Cultivators possessed only Spiritual Awareness, which they could use for internal observation and browsing jade slips, but it was difficult to release it externally.
Foundation Establishment Cultivators possessed Spiritual Awareness and could scan across dozens of yards, gaining tremendous convenience in spell battles and cultivation.
Any pill or item that was useful for these three major gates could be called a Foundation Establishment Spirit Item!
"Ancient cultivators dealt with Foundation Establishment by seeking Spirit Items suited to breaking through each of the three gates. For example, Heaven and Earth Sha Qi could temper a cultivator's physique, while pills that strengthened blood qi could be used to break through the Blood Qi Gate... The Magical Power Gate was the same. As for the Spiritual Awareness Gate, it was said that Natural Treasures such as Pure Heart Lotus and Warm Jade Heart were also highly effective..."
"But Heaven and Earth Spiritual Goods are ultimately exceedingly rare, and many of them are effective even for Core Formation Cultivators. Using them on Foundation Establishment Cultivators is simply too wasteful..."
"Fortunately, a thousand years ago, Grandmaster of Alchemy True Lord Shutong researched the formula for the 'Foundation Establishment Pill.' This pill could stabilize the blood qi and meridians, greatly increase magical power, and catalyze Spiritual Awareness. With one pill, the odds of Foundation Establishment increased by thirty percent, and even if Foundation Establishment failed, one would not die from ruptured meridians..."
"One had to understand that even for ancient cultivators, Foundation Establishment was a narrow escape from death. Aside from those heaven-defying Spirit Items, ordinary Spirit Items increased the odds of Foundation Establishment by only twenty or thirty percent at most..."
"Master Shutong could be said to have benefited the Cultivation World for ten thousand years. He was also a model of how modern people surpassed the ancients... It's just a little absurd to count someone from a thousand years ago as a modern person..."
The corner of Fang Xi's mouth twitched slightly. But when he thought of the rumor that Nascent Soul True Lords could live for over a thousand years, it suddenly seemed quite reasonable.
The man might not even be dead yet. How could he not count as a modern person?
Within the bamboo forest.
Leaves that looked like pieces of jade fell one after another, and Fang Xi carefully gathered them up.
The leaves of Jade Green Bamboo were of no great use. They merely looked quite beautiful, rather like gemstones, so Spirit Farmers usually discarded them directly.
Fang Xi, however, could take them to the Great Liang World. They were even more useful than gold leaves.
After all, exchanging them for mortal gold and silver in the market district still required Spirit Crystals!
He inspected the Spirit Field once more before arriving before a green Jade Green Bamboo and chopping down with one palm.
Smack!
A bamboo branch fell at the sound. Fang Xi rubbed it between both hands, peeled away the bamboo skin, and saw the crisp thing inside—spirit rice!
This Jade Bamboo Rice grew inside the bamboo sections. It was stored through winter and harvested in spring, and was still extremely tender now.
Fang Xi picked up a few grains of spirit rice and stuffed them into his mouth. He chewed like an old farmer, nodding from time to time. "Sweet on the tongue, rich in spiritual power, and free of insect damage. When spring comes next year, it should deserve the rating of 'good.'"
This was the foundation of his livelihood. He could not afford to be careless.
After inspecting the Spirit Field, Fang Xi suddenly felt interested. He drew a deep breath and struck out with both palms in succession.
Bang bang!
The next moment, crisp sounds rang out in the air.
Amid the snow, only palm shadows danced and flew.
Suddenly, Fang Xi changed his palms into legs. His figure was like a ghost as he slithered and darted across the thick white snow, arriving before a pine.
Smack!
He raised his right foot high, then brought it down fiercely, as pliable as a boneless snake.
The bark on the pine's surface split like a tortoiseshell. Wood chips flew, and a whip mark suddenly appeared!
"This is... Blood Qi Power?"
After a long while, Fang Xi stopped and exhaled a great cloud of white vapor.
Seized by the mood, he had practiced Martial Arts in the heavy snow and had somehow grasped the flow of blood qi within his body.
This was the entry level of Great Liang's Blood Qi Martial Arts!
So long as he persevered, he would certainly be able to completely master it and enter the realm of Blood Qi Transformation One!
"I'm not some martial arts prodigy, yet I grasped blood qi so easily just now..."
Fang Xi murmured, his eyes faintly brightening. "It seems that... in a world with dense spiritual energy, martial arts progress faster!"
He gazed at his fists. Recalling the sensation of grasping blood qi, he fell into a daze again.
'According to Master Mu... above Three Changes of Qi and Blood, there are even stronger realms. That's the level of the various Martial Hall Masters... And once one reaches the Martial Hall Master realm, one can completely condense their blood qi. They remain unmoving as a mountain, seeming like ordinary people in daily life, yet moving like demons. Their strength can be released and withdrawn at will. Even upon reaching an advanced age, their blood qi will not decline in the slightest, and only scatter when they are about to die...'
'Doesn't that mean...'
Fang Xi's eyes gradually brightened. "As long as I cultivate to the Martial Hall Master realm, my blood qi will be locked in place. It won't change at all before my death... Wouldn't that mean I wouldn't fear the requirement of reaching Qi Refining Perfection before the age of sixty?"
"In other words, even if I attempt Foundation Establishment at seventy, eighty, or even ninety, I won't be dragged down by insufficient blood qi. At least, the Blood Qi Gate won't be a problem."
"This Blood Qi Martial Arts is at least equivalent to one-third of a Foundation Establishment Pill!"
"As expected, mastering the resources of two worlds, exchanging what one has for what one lacks, and complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses... So long as I lie low and secretly develop, I'll eventually grow stronger!"
A faint smile curved Fang Xi's lips.
Since transmigrating, he had never been as confident in his future as he was now!
The shack district.
Fang Xi was astonished to find that this place was also in a chaotic uproar.
Even Old Mai Tou solemnly took out a slightly damaged Low-grade Magic Tool flying sword and walked out of his home.
"Old Mai Tou, where are you going?"
Fang Xi could not help asking.
"Of course, to Purple Nether Mountain!" Old Mai Tou opened his mouth, revealing a smile with several missing yellow teeth. There was a hint of ferocity in it. "I've cultivated for my whole life. I have to take a gamble at least once... Did you know that when I was young, I also had an opportunity, but I retreated. Now, every night, regret claws at my heart like a hundred claws..."
Hearing this, Fang Xi knew there was no need to persuade him. The old man had long since thought everything through and would not listen.
Even so, he could not help adding, "Then I wish you success in Foundation Establishment..."
Given the state of the other man's weak kidneys, Fang Xi truly did not think highly of Old Mai Tou.
"Haha... This old man gave up on Foundation Establishment long ago. But I still have a little grandson in the mortal world. He's clever, unlike me..."
Old Mai Tou waved his hand and left with carefree composure.
At the moment of parting, he seemed to want to form a good karmic bond for his little grandson.
"Old Mai Tou..."
Fang Xi exhaled a cloud of white vapor and watched the snowflakes cover the other man's footprints.
He did not know what opportunity the other man had lost in his youth, but it seemed that he had been regretting it all these years.
And now, if he did not fight for it, he truly would rather be dead.
'If I hadn't obtained the Golden Finger, would I go?'
Fang Xi stood at the entrance like a statue, silently asking himself.
A mundane life at the bottom of the Cultivation World—or fighting for that sliver of an opportunity to establish his foundation and then lording it over the Cultivation World. The choice did not seem difficult?
'Forget it. I'll stay home and practice for the next few days.'
He sighed, returned home, and closed the door.
Three days later.
The Great Liang World.
Fang Manor.
"Ha!"
Fang Xi wore a short, snug martial outfit. His arms were bare, and the muscles bulged one after another, veins writhing like earthworms.
"White Cloud Palm!"
All at once, he gave a soft shout and struck out with both palms in succession, hitting the wooden post before him.
Bang bang!
After a series of muffled impacts, shallow marks were left on the wooden post.
Mu Piaomiao stood to the side, watching this scene with a trace of astonishment in her beautiful eyes. "This progress... is incredibly fast!"
"Master Mu, how was my palm technique?"
After finishing a set of Martial Arts, Yue Gui immediately came over to wipe away his sweat. Fang Xi tossed aside the handkerchief and asked casually.
Mu Piaomiao took a deep breath. "Young Master Fang, your aptitude exceeds even my expectations. By now, you can occasionally sense your blood qi, right? Within roughly a month, you should have no trouble completely mastering your blood qi and entering the Blood Qi Transformation One realm."
"That's good."
Fang Xi smiled.
He had already confirmed that cultivating Blood Qi Martial Arts in the Southern Barrens Cultivation World seemed to bring special benefits. His cultivation speed was at least three or four times faster than here!
"Is it probably because of the difference in the density of spiritual energy?"
Fang Xi had already formed a vague idea in his heart.
"Once you achieve Blood Qi Transformation One, Young Master Fang, you can become an official disciple of our White Cloud Martial Arts School, obtain cultivation techniques for the second and third transformations, and receive support in the form of secret medicines."
Mu Piaomiao spoke solemnly.
"Thank you, Master Mu."
Fang Xi nodded and had Yue Gui present a gift.
"This is... far too valuable, isn't it?"
Mu Piaomiao stared at the jade-green piece shaped like a bamboo leaf in her hand, the corner of her eye twitching.
Such beautiful jade was worth at least dozens of taels of silver. Even a middling household in Black Stone City might not use so much in an entire year!
Even Mu Piaomiao could not help thinking that this disciple was worth keeping around—when something happened, he really did give money.
"Please don't dislike it, Master."
Fang Xi smiled brightly.
It was only a leaf he had picked up casually. Using it to build some goodwill was not bad.
That afternoon, when She Lei came over, Fang Xi did the same thing.
However, when She Lei received the emerald-green bamboo leaf, Fang Xi still caught a trace of greed and malice in his eyes.
As a cultivator, Fang Xi's five senses were different from those of ordinary people. Everything this Martial Artist believed he had hidden so well was completely exposed before Fang Xi.
Before you continue