Time flew by.
Half a month later, Fang Qing looked at the Spirit Pool before him with satisfaction.
Making pills in his own cave abode was truly satisfying. Over this period, he had already tried refining several pools of "Jadeflower Spirit Water" to nourish the Spirit Pool. A few days ago, he had attempted to refine "Ginseng Green Spirit Water" once, and it had succeeded as well.
"My condition is good. I can try the Spirit-Concentrating Powder."
Fang Qing took out the jade box containing the "Seven-Star Grass."
Qi Refinement Way spirit medicines were divided into four categories: "waters, powders, pellets, and pills." Spirit-Concentrating Powder belonged to the second category. It was a powdered medicinal pill and ranked among First-Order high-grade pills.
Furthermore, it was an ancient formula. Even with prior research, Five Dragons Child might not necessarily succeed in refining it in one attempt.
Fang Qing merely held to the idea that failure was the mother of success and intended to accumulate more experience.
Gurgle!
As the "Seven-Star Grass" fell into the Spirit Pool, Fang Qing circulated the Water Control Art. A wave of bone-chilling cold emerged, instantly crushing the Seven-Star Grass into pieces...
Then, the Spirit Pool began to ripple, its surface forming a vortex.
Within the vortex, specks of medicinal potency were flung out, forming layers of various colors.
"Gather!"
Fang Qing's expression turned grave as he formed a hand seal...
Before he knew it, dawn had arrived.
Pfft!
Looking at the pool of spring water before him that emitted a foul stench, Fang Qing sighed and cast a hand seal.
Whoosh!
The valve to the underground water vein opened, and the failed batch of spring water immediately flowed away.
"Failure on my first attempt was expected... The problem still lies in processing the Seven-Star Grass. Next time, I'll try several other extraction methods."
He sighed, took out some research materials from the Five Dragons Society, and added his own insights.
"I'll rest and meditate for a day, then give it another try..."
In a daze, another half month passed.
Fang Qing attempted to refine "Spirit-Concentrating Powder" several times. Without exception, every attempt failed.
Then, all the Seven-Star Grass in his possession was exhausted.
"Perfect... Senior Brother Ming Lingzhen should have finished refining the artifact by now. Once I pick it up, I'll head to Ancient Shu to restock..."
Artifact Refining Peak.
"Junior Brother, you're here. Perfect... that sea pearl of yours has been successfully refined."
Ming Lingzhen held a wine gourd and took a large swig before taking out a box.
After opening it, Fang Qing saw an azure pearl the size of a fist inside, with a spirit-sealing talisman attached to its surface.
"It is completely new, with not a trace of foreign dharma power inside. Once you refine it, Junior Brother, you will be able to wield it as easily as an arm or finger..."
Ming Lingzhen's cheeks were faintly flushed, and he seemed somewhat drunk. "This spirit pearl artifact is a First-Order high-grade artifact. Not only can it store a hundred thousand jin of seawater, its body has also been reinforced. You can launch it through the air to smash people... Among offensive artifacts, it is quite good."
Having completed a work he was proud of, he was clearly in an excellent mood. "Junior Brother Fang... you may give it a name."
"I'll call it the Sea-Transforming Pearl."
Fang Qing took the Sea-Transforming Pearl into his hand. Strands of Black Water Dharma Power immediately poured into it, refining it...
The reason he named it the "Sea-Transforming Pearl" was naturally because he hoped this pearl would continuously advance alongside him in the future, until it could truly transform into an entire sea!
After thanking Senior Brother Ming once more, Fang Qing took out the spirit stones he had earned from selling Golden Spearfish at the Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs, paid off the remaining balance, accepted another mission, and left the Azure Sea Sect.
"The Azure Sea Sect truly deserves to be one of the three great powers of the Lesser Vast Sea. With a Core Formation ancestor overseeing it, disciples are at least very safe on Jade Island. There are no Cultivator Bandits and such..."
"Even if disciples bear blood feuds against one another, they wait until they have gone out to sea to settle them in secret. They will not leave clues or evidence on the island..."
After arriving in the wilderness, Fang Qing casually opened up a cave abode. With a flash of light, he arrived in Ancient Shu.
Ba Commandery.
A great lake.
"What is going on? Where is Jade Heaven Market's great ship?"
Fang Qing, who had come to purchase Seven-Star Grass, looked at the rippling blue lake, and his expression changed.
Although Jade Heaven Market was a mobile market, he had long since inquired about the time and location. By all reason, a market like this lived on its reputation and would not change its plans lightly.
He stepped upon the water as though walking on level ground and went to inspect the center of the lake.
Gurgle, gurgle!
A string of bubbles rose up. Fang Qing's expression immediately shifted. A crimson talisman appeared in one hand, while his other hand secretly gripped the Sea-Transforming Pearl as he retreated several steps.
Splash!
The lake water parted, revealing a river clam.
The river clam carried a trace of demonic aura, as well as peculiar artifact fluctuations. It seemed to be a refined "living artifact."
"Fellow Daoist... due to unrest in the cultivation world, Jade Heaven Market has suspended trade in Ba Commandery."
A pleasant female voice came from within the river clam. "We apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your understanding."
I don't want to understand, but what can I do about it?
Fang Qing inwardly complained, then said aloud, "What unrest has occurred?"
One had to know that Ba Commandery had previously been plagued by natural disasters and human calamities, yet cultivators had still visited the markets as usual.
Who would have thought that this river clam only knew how to repeat those two sentences?
"I overestimated its artifact-refining quality. I thought it was a voice transmission device, but it turns out to be just a phonograph... Was it set to activate whenever it sensed a cultivator's dharma power?"
"And it did not even say when the market would reopen?"
Fang Qing felt that things had become troublesome.
The "Seven-Star Grass" was also a spirit herb in Ancient Shu. If he relied solely on gathering it himself, who knew what year of the monkey or month of the horse it would take?
"Jade Heaven Market is out, and it is not yet time for Floating Boat Market..."
"Do I have to trade with those cultivation Aristocratic Clans? I do know several nearby Qi Ingestion Aristocratic Clans. None of them have a Dao Foundation Great Cultivator overseeing them..."
After thinking it over, he ultimately needed a large quantity of Spirit-Concentrating Powder for practice. He immediately chose a direction and rode the Green Leaf Boat away.
Red Maple Valley.
This was the cultivation grounds of the Ye Family. Several dozen mortal villages surrounded the valley, clustered around it.
The Ye Family was merely an ordinary Qi Ingestion Aristocratic Clan, established less than a century ago. Their Lineage had only one Late Qi Ingestion ancestor.
This was all intelligence Fang Qing had obtained through scraping and struggling in the markets.
If he wanted to trade with cultivators, he certainly would not seek out anyone too strong.
The Ye Family was just right for the area.
Whoosh!
A streak of green light flew over, revealing the Green Leaf Boat within.
Fang Qing suddenly halted his artifact when he heard the sound of a sword ringing by his ear.
"This is..."
He focused his gaze, and was immediately somewhat surprised.
Around the valley, a mortal army had appeared at some unknown time and was massacring those villages and mountain folk.
Even more astonishingly, cultivators were fighting above Red Maple Valley.
One of them was clearly a sword cultivator, and the aura he gave off felt somewhat familiar to Fang Qing.
"Mid Qi Ingestion!"
He murmured, his heart filled with astonishment.
The one fighting that streak of sword light was actually a Late Qi Ingestion cultivator. Unfortunately, he cultivated Wood Virtue. Every move he made carried the feeling of spring returning to the earth and grass and trees returning to life, yet all of it was shattered by a wave of Neck Metal energy!
"That person... could he be the Ye Family ancestor of Red Maple Valley? He is far too weak, isn't he? He is probably only newly entered into Late Qi Ingestion. Perhaps even the first mouthful of True Qi he refined back then was not of a high grade, merely among the lower three orders..."
After watching for a few moments, Fang Qing shook his head.
Although metal and fire were the manifest Dao of this world, the disparity between minor realms was enough to smooth over much of that difference.
If Fang Qing established his Dao Foundation, he was confident he could blow quite a few Late Qi Ingestion cultivators of metal and fire lineages to death in a single breath.
If he reached Late Qi Ingestion himself, he would also be fairly confident in fighting Mid Qi Ingestion cultivators of metal and fire lineages.
Yet the Ye Family ancestor was so disappointing. Aside from his wood-element cultivation technique being completely restrained by the metal element, his dharma power was impure, and his realm was not particularly high either.
"Probably Qi Ingestion Seventh Layer at most, no higher."
As Fang Qing sighed inwardly, he saw a sword light that merged man and sword slash down, striking the Ye Family ancestor until he spat blood and fell from the sky.
Meanwhile, the army around the valley, flying banners marked with the character "Li," completed its encirclement of the valley.
"My elder brother is destined by Heaven. Your Ye Family must not resist stubbornly... Join the Rebel Army at once and fight the demonic cultivators together. That is the righteous path."
Several more cultivators flew out from the army, and the one leading them was none other than Guo Tianhong!
"Ancestor?"
"Grandfather?"
Several cultivators ran out from Maple Leaf Valley. Their dharma power was even weaker; they were all actually in Early Qi Ingestion.
Seeing their own ancestor vomit blood and collapse, their eyes reddened as they wanted to risk their lives.
Yet one of them had eyes darting wildly about, seemingly tempted to kneel or seize an opportunity to flee.
"Wait... wait!"
The Ye Family ancestor hurriedly stopped his clansmen. The Ye Family only had this many cultivators thus far. If they all died, would not the Ye Family of Red Maple Valley be left without descendants?
He barely managed to bow toward Li Rulong, who was descending from the sky. "General Li, my Ye Family is willing to submit."
"Excellent."
Li Rulong stepped forward and personally helped the Ye Family ancestor up. "I have a medicinal pill here. Take it to heal your injuries... Since you have joined my Rebel Army, you must strictly observe military discipline. Otherwise, my Army-Settling Sword was made for people like you!"
"We understand."
Seeing that their own ancestor had surrendered, the Ye Family cultivators naturally did not resist. One after another, they followed suit and surrendered.
Only then did Li Rulong look toward the high sky elsewhere. "Who is there?"
"Haha... Brother Li, long time no see. How did you become a general?"
Fang Qing's heart tightened. Knowing he had been discovered, he waved his hand to disperse the surrounding water vapor and guided the Green Leaf Boat down.
When he saw Li Rulong again, he found that the man wore gleaming silver armor, and his appearance had become even more imposing and dignified.
Even more startling was that his dharma power had actually reached around the Fifth Layer of Qi Ingestion!
"I had medicinal pills assisting me, and my Winnowing Basket Water dharma power has only reached the Qi Ingestion Fourth Layer... Could this man's aptitude be better than mine? Does he also have abundant resources?"
Fang Qing was puzzled.
"So it is Brother Fang."
Li Rulong nodded, an earnest smile appearing on his face. "Could it be that you heard I had raised the banner of rebellion and came specifically to join me? Let me introduce several like-minded fellow Daoists to you..."
Fang Qing looked over and saw Guo Tianhong leading several cultivators over. Their cultivation ranged from Early Qi Ingestion to Mid Qi Ingestion.
Are these weaklings pecking at one another?
He was speechless inwardly, though a puzzled expression still appeared on his face. "Join you? I was merely planning to find the Ye Family and exchange some spirit materials. I never expected to run into this..."
"I see. Still, seeing a friend today makes me happy... Pass down the order. We shall hold a banquet in Red Maple Valley."
Li Rulong gave instructions to the Ye Family ancestor, and with every word, he treated Red Maple Valley as his own territory.
Seeing this, the Ye Family ancestor could only force a smile and agree...
Before you continue