The Five Dragons Society Disbands (Please Bookmark)

"Is this... Core Formation?"

As a standard ant of the cultivation world, after watching the grand spectacles of the Core Formation battle and the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent's tribulation from beneath the protection of the formation, Fang Qing's heart burned hot. He wished he could immediately return to seclusion and cultivate until he achieved Foundation Establishment and Core Formation before emerging!

But he knew this was only a beautiful fantasy.

Without a Foundation Establishment Pill, what was he supposed to use to charge into Foundation Establishment—his head?

After returning to his cave abode, Fang Qing began studying "Plum Blossom Divination" and could not resist casting a few more hexagrams.

"Hmm? The Azure Sea Sect's fortune is hidden? It bears the signs of great prosperity..."

Following the hexagram signs to calculate cause and effect, he received an omen: "Outer Core... Tide-Birth Pearl? No, I can't calculate any further. This involves Core Formation, which is Third-Order... Even with the status of the Dao-Born Pearl, the gap between major realms is simply too great..."

Ever since his previous experience, he had understood that divination required reverence for fate.

After resting briefly, Fang Qing could not help himself again and began calculating opportunities for Foundation Establishment, especially the whereabouts of Foundation Establishment Pills. Best of all, an ownerless one.

Then, his calculations landed on Elder Tianding...

"This Plum Blossom Divination first calculates those who are bound to me by karmic ties... I am a Pill Island disciple, so being connected to Elder Tianding is perfectly reasonable..."

Fang Qing then calculated the whereabouts of Core Formation Spirit Herbs, only to find a blank void!

"The cultivation world is unimaginably vast. Even if there are no Core Formation Spirit Herbs in the Lesser Vast Sea, the Eastern Sea Cultivation Realm must have them! I cannot calculate them... Is it because my realm is insufficient, firstly, and because there is no karmic connection, secondly?"

He rubbed his nose and found, at some unknown point, another patch of vivid red.

"Sure enough... even here, I cannot act without restraint."

Fang Qing swallowed a healing pill and silently regulated his breathing. Then his thoughts stirred, and he recalled that streak of red.

He silently calculated Zha Zhu's karmic fate. "High-Grade Water Spirit Root, Origin Pearl Physique? If the Sea-Mixing Flood Serpent devoured her, perhaps it could have endured all nine Heavenly Tribulations..."

"What a pity... a fragrance fading and jade shattering."

"Hua Lian... he actually knew nothing of the secret behind this. He merely contacted the Zhong Family people to pull off a job... yet he accidentally shattered the flood serpent's hope of advancement. Was it fate?"

Myriad Treasures Island, Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs.

The hall, once neglected, was especially lively today.

Many disciples stared at the rankings on the battle merit board, shouting in excitement. Others looked at the exchange board, practically drooling. "Foundation Establishment Pills! They can actually be exchanged directly for Foundation Establishment Pills?!"

Fang Qing swept his gaze over it as well and nodded inwardly. "So many disciples died. They have to make some token gesture. Releasing a few Foundation Establishment Pills is only proper."

He glanced at the battle merit board. It did not rank cultivators above Foundation Establishment, so the first place belonged to Death-Seeking Sword, Cui Zhe.

With his battle merits, he should have been able to exchange for one Foundation Establishment Pill.

If he seized the position of True Disciple a few years later, he would have two chances at Foundation Establishment. He could practically be treated as a Foundation Establishment cultivator already.

"Senior Brother, are you here to check your Contribution Points?"

When Fang Qing arrived at the Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs and found an administrative disciple, he immediately received an enthusiastic welcome.

After all, he was now a Late Qi Refinement cultivator. Even among the sect's many Qi Refinement cultivators, he was undoubtedly an expert.

Not to mention that after a great battle, Late Qi Refinement cultivators had suffered grievous casualties. Every one of those left standing was a ruthless character.

"That's right."

Fang Qing handed over his disciple token.

"Senior Brother killed a powerful Late Qi Refinement enemy?"

After checking the records, the disciple gave Fang Qing a somewhat admiring glance. "This counts as a great merit. According to the sect's newly issued regulations, you are awarded one thousand Contribution Points. In addition, there was your previous garrison mission. Although it failed, you still receive one hundred basic Contribution Points... Finally, now that the battle has ended, the sect is issuing rewards to every disciple. Late Qi Refinement cultivators receive five hundred Contribution Points... If Senior Brother wishes to exchange for items, now is the perfect opportunity."

Fang Qing nodded slightly and looked toward the exchange board.

"The Zhong Family has retreated and the battle is over... the prices of magical artifacts have immediately plunged!"

"But according to my calculations, another battle will likely come within a few years. Could I stockpile a batch now, then sell them after prices soar and reap enormous profits?"

"Wait... if I am still relying on hoarding magical artifacts to earn spirit stones a few years from now, wouldn't these past few years have been wasted?"

While such random thoughts swirled through his mind, his Spiritual Sense remained exceptionally useful. He selected the main ingredients for many batches of Qi Refining Powder. "I'll exchange for these first."

"Yes, Senior Brother!"

Seeing Fang Qing exchange for medicinal ingredients, the Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs disciple became even more respectful.

After all, this was an alchemist! And one who was suspected of being able to refine First-Order High Grade pills!

On Pill Island, he could have been like Five Dragons Child, gathering a group of mid- and low-level disciples to establish a small faction.

One could only say that Fang Qing's ambitions lay elsewhere.

"Wait... I wonder how that group from the Five Dragons Society is doing, especially Five Dragons Child and Xu Wusu?"

As Fang Qing pondered this, the duty disciple had already handed him a storage bag stuffed full of medicinal ingredients. "Senior Brother, all the items you exchanged for are here. Since the expenditure is substantial, please leave your mark as proof."

"Mm."

Fang Qing responded, then looked at the disciple carrying over the account book. Suddenly, he smiled. "Senior Brother Hua..."

"Junior Brother Fang?"

Hua Lian was equally astonished to see Fang Qing. "You... broke through to Late Qi Refinement?"

"Yes. At the brink of life and death, one always makes some progress."

Fang Qing answered politely.

Though he had already decided to get rid of this smiling tiger, he became even more courteous on the surface.

"Then I must congratulate Junior Brother. It is only a pity that we broke through too late. Otherwise, riding this favorable wind, we might have had hope of Foundation Establishment..."

Hua Lian sighed somewhat. Although he had used the previous credit-raising scheme to secretly cheat a batch of elite disciples and made a massive profit, those gains had been spirit stones and supplies...

They could not be converted into Contribution Points, much less exchanged for a Foundation Establishment Pill!

Still, given the Hua Family of Flying Fish Island's contribution this time, the Zhong Family would surely not begrudge them a few Foundation Establishment pills.

Perhaps in a few years, he would become a great Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Since there was an acquaintance here, and although Hua Lian harbored ill intent, he had always maintained a decent attitude before, Fang Qing casually asked about the Five Dragons Society.

"The Five Dragons Society... it truly is rather regrettable." Hua Lian sighed first, then continued, "I heard that this time, many Five Dragons Society members on the front lines worked together and handed all their Contribution Points to Five Dragons Child. They almost gathered enough to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill... Unfortunately, the earlier defeat at sea was disastrous. Several Five-Tusk Warships were sunk, and the Five Dragons Society suffered devastating casualties. Five Dragons Child, however, should have returned to the sect safely..."

Fang Qing fell silent for a moment before asking, "How is Xu Wusu?"

"He returned safely as well, but his Dantian Qi Sea was damaged, and his cultivation fell to the Early Qi Refinement realm... Without a Second-Order miraculous pill, I fear he will find it difficult to recover his cultivation for the rest of his life."

Hua Lian had clearly seen many such cases. "Perhaps before long, Junior Brother Xu will retire to his hometown and begin branching out his family line... Many Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment lineages under the sect's rule came about this way."

"His qi sea and dantian were injured?"

Fang Qing was startled. This was an injury even more damaging to one's path than losing a limb. "Sigh... it seems Junior Brother Xu was fated to suffer this calamity. I wonder whether Senior Brother Five Dragons Child can exchange for a miraculous pill for him?"

"I doubt it..."

A flash of mockery passed over Hua Lian's face. "The Contribution Points in Five Dragons Child's hands are enough to exchange for a Second-Order miraculous pill that repairs Xu Wusu's dantian, but the price would be nearly emptying all the merits from this battle... He was only a little short of being able to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill. If it were you, would you be willing?"

Fang Qing fell silent. Only after a long while did he speak. "Naturally, I would not..."

"Exactly."

Hua Lian waved a hand.

Fang Qing walked out of the Palace of Miscellaneous Affairs and gazed at the gloomy sky.

The disciples around him were either beaming with joy over the war's end or thrilled by the rare treasures listed on the exchange board.

As for the dead and crippled, no one had cared about them for a long time!

This was what cultivators were!

Cultivation was heartless!

Lakeside Manor.

It had to be said that the Azure Sea Sect was exceedingly realistic.

When Xu Wusu's cultivation became Early Qi Refinement and could no longer improve, he personally requested to be demoted to an outer sect disciple and moved his cave abode to Lakeside Manor.

Fang Qing asked around all the way before arriving outside Xu Wusu's courtyard.

The only advantage of Lakeside Manor was that its cave abodes were spacious enough. Xu Wusu had even enclosed a patch of land before his wooden house with a fence, where he grew some worthless spirit grass.

"Junior Brother... Xu."

When Fang Qing arrived, Xu Wusu was watering the spirit grass.

But the Xu Wusu before Fang Qing's eyes no longer resembled his former self. Not only had his hair turned gray-white, he looked considerably older overall.

"So it is Senior Brother... Fang."

Xu Wusu stopped what he was doing and sensed the powerful spiritual pressure emanating from Fang Qing. "I have yet to congratulate you on advancing to Late Qi Refinement..."

"Junior Brother, do not lose heart. The Five Dragons Society will still need you to manage it in the future..." Fang Qing consoled him.

"Ha... the Five Dragons Society? There is no Five Dragons Society anymore."

Xu Wusu gave a bitter smile. "After the war, the Five Dragons Society suffered dreadful losses. Many survivors saw what became of me and directly withdrew from the society... I suppose Senior Brother has come for the same reason today? But I no longer have spirit stones in hand. If you want your membership fee back, I fear I cannot provide it..."

When life and death were on the line, everything became clear.

Five Dragons Child was unwilling even to treat him. Any future talk of helping him achieve Foundation Establishment could only be a joke!

Thus, many Five Dragons Society members demanded the return of the spirit stones and supplies they had previously contributed... Who told Xu Wusu to run himself ragged before, proudly calling himself the Five Dragons Society's chief steward?

They bullied the weak and feared the strong, so naturally they could only come after him.

"Junior Brother misunderstands."

Fang Qing shook his head. "I do not care about such trifling Spirit Assets. It is only... did Senior Brother Five Dragons Child not say anything?"

At this, Xu Wusu's eyes dimmed. "Right now, he has only Foundation Establishment on his mind. If he succeeds, perhaps he may still share a little sweetness with us. If he fails... heh..."