Three months later.
Cold Spring Peak.
"Rise!"
With Elder Tianding's soft cry, specks of blue light emerged from the bottom of the cold spring at the highest peak, dazzling like gemstones.
"Fuse!"
With a change of his hand seals, nine water dragons suddenly appeared at the bottom of the cold pool. Spouting icy mist, they froze the specks of blue light into fist-sized blocks of ice that floated to the surface.
"Foundation Establishment Pills... finally refined."
At the foot of the mountain, the Mid Qi Refinement disciples were utterly exhausted, even though they could occasionally meditate to recover their vitality. They were gaunt, little more than skin draped over bones.
Only Xu Wusu forced himself to stay alert and sent out a voice transmission talisman.
Not long after, the voice transmission talisman returned. After hearing a few words, a smile appeared on his face. "This time, Elder Tianding refined twenty Prime Quality Foundation Establishment Pills..."
"Mm, compared to last time, Elder Tianding's pill-refining skills have improved considerably."
"This pill refinement was truly exhausting. We should return and rest properly for a few days..."
The disciples took their leave one after another.
Fang Qing was likewise preparing to depart, but Xu Wusu stopped him and spoke a few words to him.
This man... probably wants to win me over?
Inside his cave abode, Fang Qing recalled his dealings with Xu Wusu, and a thought stirred in his heart.
Is my pill-refining skill really that valuable?
Or is he an enemy of Clouddrift Adept's faction?
Forget it. There's no use thinking about this. Tomorrow, I should go to the Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs and prepare Golden Blade Talismans, Firecloud Talismans, and various spirit materials early. That's the proper business...
After reaching Mid Qi Refinement, my cultivation speed has slowed considerably. I'll need medicinal pills to help me as well.
The next day, Fang Qing summoned the Green Leaf Boat. He first went to the Pill Hall on the nearest Pill Island and accepted several assignments to refine Jadeflower Spirit Water.
This spirit water was more suitable for cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refinement. After reaching Mid Qi Refinement, he needed the higher First-Order Mid Grade Ginseng Green Spirit Water.
The main ingredient of this spirit water was Jade Qi Ginseng. Not only were the raw materials more expensive, but the refining techniques were also more difficult. The current Fang Qing could not yet take on such a challenge.
Therefore, he could only refine Jadeflower Spirit Water first, exchange it for Contribution Points, then redeem Ginseng Green Spirit Water—needlessly suffering another layer of exploitation.
"I'll endure it for now. Once I make a few more trips to Ancient Shu, I'll definitely buy a large amount of Jade Qi Ginseng and raise my proficiency with Ginseng Green Spirit Water."
Having made up his mind, Fang Qing went to the Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs on Myriad Treasures Island, only to see misery stretching as far as the eye could see.
"Oh? It seems the sect's compulsory assignments have been issued. Everyone's now scrambling to buy life-saving artifacts, spirit pills, and talismans?"
Fang Qing wandered among them with a fair bit of leisure, even taking the opportunity to pick up a bargain or two.
Of course, they could not really be called bargains. These disciples of the immortal sect were each more shrewd than the last. The items Fang Qing could not see through were each priced higher than the last, their sellers boasting more fiercely than the last. They even dared claim they were Nascent Soul relics.
Fang Qing's bargain hunting merely meant stocking up while several raw materials had dropped in price.
"In the Land of Ancient Shu, metal and fire are the manifest paths of this age, so there are more Metal Virtue and Fire Virtue spirit materials... though naturally, there still aren't as many as around Jade Island..."
"If I want to trade spirit materials between the two worlds, I should sell earth, wood, water, and other elemental spirit materials there, then exchange them for metal and fire spirit materials to bring back... I can earn quite a bit from the price difference."
"Of course, there are also high-value goods. For instance, Great Sun Violet Qi—if I gathered a strand here, it might sell for an astronomical price over there! But I'm afraid I'd have the life to take it and not the life to spend it... Besides, I don't possess a cultivation method for Great Sun Violet Qi..."
Moreover, although Great Sun Violet Qi was easy to gather—one merely had to face east before sunrise each day and gather Great Sun yuan qi to merge it—it would take at least several years to collect one complete strand.
"Isn't this Junior Brother Fang Qing?"
As Fang Qing strolled about and occasionally made purchases, a voice reached him.
He turned around and saw Hua Lian.
Hua Lian of Flying Fish Island was a native disciple of Myriad Treasures Island. He held a post in the Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs, which counted as a lucrative assignment.
Moreover, he knew many confidential details about missions and was quite adept in dealing with people. He had never lost contact with Fang Qing.
"Recently, I heard that Junior Brother Fang successfully advanced to become a First-Order Low Grade pill refiner. Have you come to purchase medicinal ingredients this time? I know several stalls where the ingredients for Jadeflower Spirit Water are both cheap and excellent..."
Hua Lian wore a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Hua. I also wish to purchase some metal- and fire-attributed talismans for protection. Do you happen to know of any channels?"
Fang Qing did not let this local guide slip away and stated his request.
"Metal- and fire-attributed talismans? Metal talismans are one thing, but fire talismans are naturally three parts weaker at sea. Against cultivators who practice water-attributed techniques, they become another three parts weaker... Very few cultivators in our sect use them."
Hua Lian frowned, then thought for a moment. "I recall an inner sect disciple who happens to possess a mid-grade Fire Spirit Root, as well as a physique suited to talisman drawing. He had no choice but to delve deeply into this path. His stall is nearby. Since his goods have been somewhat difficult to sell, the prices are rather cheap."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Cheap fire-attributed talismans were exactly what Fang Qing wanted.
Though fire talismans suffered setbacks in the Lesser Vast Sea, they would become ferocious in another environment.
He still remembered vividly the Golden Blade Talisman that had displayed such tremendous might last time.
"I see that Senior Brother's spiritual power is robust. You are likely about to break through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, aren't you? In the True Disciple duels ten years from now, you may not be unable to contend for a place."
Fang Qing chose pleasant words to say. Lies cost nothing, after all.
"I have no confidence at all in the True Disciple Grand Competition ten years from now... But twenty years from now, my cultivation should break through to Late Qi Refinement. Perhaps then I can give it a try."
Hua Lian knew exactly how capable he was and answered with a bitter smile.
"Are there not also True Disciple positions for the Hundred Arts of Immortality?"
Fang Qing asked what he most wanted to know.
This Senior Brother Hua Lian came from Foundation Establishment Immortal Island and was also a disciple of Myriad Treasures Island. He was well-informed and might have more intelligence.
"Disciples of the Hundred Arts of Immortality? I'm afraid that is even harder than dueling..."
Hua Lian shook his head. "Whether formations, pill refinement, or talisman drawing... all require hundreds or thousands of failures before one can improve. If one's family resources are not substantial, how many attempts can one afford? Thus, anyone able to devote themselves to the Hundred Arts of Immortality must have a power supporting them from behind... To put it plainly, they are still private preserves for those great figures. Outsiders like us should just fight it out through duels."
"This suppression is actually so severe? Even Hua Lian, a disciple of a Foundation Establishment lineage, thinks his household can only compete for True Disciple positions through duels?"
Fang Qing was startled and hurriedly asked for the details.
"The Hundred Arts of Immortality also have ranks. Can a spirit planter be compared with a pill refiner?" Hua Lian sneered. "For formation masters, Quasi-Second-Order is enough to pass the assessment. Pill refiners need Second-Order standards. Even Second-Order Low Grade talisman masters are in some danger... Spirit planters? At the very least, they must reach Second-Order High Grade to have any chance of passing the examination. And the examiners are this sect's elders—the standards are all in their hands. Unless your skill crushes the masses and leaves no room for dispute, otherwise..."
"Then for disciples like us without any background or power, the only positions we can truly compete for are the ten dueling slots?"
Fang Qing murmured.
"Hehe... Though there are also descendants of this sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators who study dueling arts, when it comes to risking their lives, they still fall short of us..."
Hua Lian spoke casually. "We're here."
"This Senior Brother Hua is also a disciple of a Foundation Establishment lineage. Why does he have the air of a desperado? He's even more like a Rogue Cultivator than Rogue Cultivators..."
Fang Qing silently mocked in his heart as he looked toward a stall ahead.
The stall owner was a red-browed young man. More than a dozen fire-attributed talismans were displayed there, and judging from the lack of people around him, business was not going well.
"First-Order Low Grade Fireball Talismans, mid-grade Raging Fire Talismans, high-grade Firecloud Talismans?"
Fang Qing looked them over and was immediately tempted.
"This Senior Brother Huo Tianhuo is an inner sect disciple. He possesses the Bone Talisman Spirit Body, and even Foundation Establishment elders have heaped praise upon his talisman-drawing skill."
Hua Lian introduced him.
"Senior Brother Huo, this junior wishes to buy a few talismans."
Fang Qing hurriedly saluted, then began sweeping up the goods. "Give me one Firecloud Talisman. I'll take several Raging Fire Talismans and Fireball Talismans as well..."
"A major customer..."
Delight appeared on Senior Brother Huo's face. "I'll give Junior Brother a cheaper price..."
After chatting for a few more moments, Fang Qing began making inquiries. "May I ask whether you have any Second-Order talismans for sale?"
That ruined place, Ancient Shu, was far too dangerous. Without a powerful life-saving trump card, he could not rest easy.
"Second-Order talismans?" Huo Tianhuo laughed. "Those are equivalent to a strike from a Foundation Establishment elder... How powerful are Foundation Establishment elders? A single drop of their spiritual power is equivalent to all the spiritual power of a Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator like us. Thus, the power of one strike is terrifying beyond measure. Even if you had a Second-Order talisman, as someone at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement, you could not activate it even if it drained you dry... If you were in Late Qi Refinement, you could still attempt it. But if you have not cultivated Spiritual Sense, it could easily injure both others and yourself, even ending in mutual destruction..."
"Spiritual Sense? Isn't Spiritual Sense exclusive to Foundation Establishment cultivators?"
Fang Qing did not mind displaying his ignorance, so long as he could hear more useful information.
Moreover, he possessed the talent of a silver tongue. His words were sincere, making others more willing to tell him intelligence.
"Spiritual Sense is naturally exclusive to Foundation Establishment cultivators, but certain exceptionally gifted Qi Refinement cultivators, or those who encounter fortunate opportunities, can likewise condense Spiritual Sense during the Qi Refinement stage... Otherwise, where do those True Disciples who master Second-Order arts while still in Qi Refinement come from?"
Huo Tianhuo smiled. "If one can cultivate Spiritual Sense during Qi Refinement, the benefits are many. Not only can it help one master the Hundred Arts of Immortality more quickly, it can also increase one's chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment by ten or twenty percent... Alas, this method is far too difficult, and there is no fixed path. To prevent the majority of ordinary Qi Refinement disciples from pointlessly exhausting themselves, the sect generally does not speak of it."
"So... to master Second-Order arts in advance, I must possess Spiritual Sense?"
Fang Qing immediately abandoned the idea of buying Second-Order talismans. Based on what Huo Tianhuo had said, even if such talismans existed, Fang Qing could not afford them at present.
"First-Order High Grade talismans... should be enough as well."
After leaving the Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs, Fang Qing let out a long breath. "Next... I must accumulate continuously and strive to break through to Late Qi Refinement, while cultivating Spiritual Sense! And Body Refinement as well..."
Before you continue