Miaoyin

A red cloud descended into an ancient forest deep in the mountains, revealing Fang Yu.

His face solemn, he counted on his fingers as the Yuanchen Pearl spun rapidly in his sea of consciousness. After expending roughly a tenth of his Primordial Qi, he obtained only a name: "Zhang Hu."

Half an hour ago, he had seen the man's fortune at a glance and calculated the judgment on his fate. Now, he could only calculate his name, and even that required Primordial Qi.

The secrets of this man's fate had already begun to grow muddled. Or perhaps Fang Yu's glance had alerted the person behind him, who had begun concealing those secrets, making it difficult for others to calculate anything about his fortune.

Judging by the fate judgment Fang Yu had obtained, someone had already determined the man's destiny. Any interference would bring unpredictable consequences. The farther away he stayed from a child of fortune like this, the better.

He had intended to stay at the grand gathering a few more days and wait for the other cultivators coming to the market, to see whether any fortuitous opportunities awaited him.

But having run into a child of fortune, no matter how strong his own fortune was, it would probably be sucked dry.

Whatever fortuitous opportunities there might be, even if they existed, they would ultimately fall into the other man's hands.

So he had better leave quickly. In any case, he was in no great hurry now; it would not be too late to return in a few years. Besides, Jingzhou was vast, and most prefectures held gatherings. If he visited enough grand markets, he would eventually find a cultivation method suited to him.

Now that Anping Prefecture's child of fortune had appeared, the whole place was bound to be thrown into chaos. He had better not stay here any longer. He would go hide in the Dao of Qi Refining for a few years first and raise his cultivation realm there.

Lost in thought, he walked behind a great tree so wide it would take three people to encircle it, and his figure vanished.

The Dao of Qi Refining.

Autumn Moon Mountain Market.

Fang Yu strolled through the market, rubbing a newly purchased long-term residence ring on his finger.

He had already changed to a new face, and his presence and even his scent were entirely different. Even if the Three Heroes of the Wang Household came back to life, they would not recognize him.

But he could no longer sell pickaxes, or changing to this new identity would have been for nothing.

Fortunately, he was not too short of Spirit Stones at the moment. Those he had obtained from the Three Heroes of the Wang Household were enough to support his cultivation for a long time.

Although he had not been here for some time, the market was still much the same as before. It looked even more prosperous, though, and there were more cultivators inside. The proportion of middle- and late-stage cultivators had also risen noticeably. In the short time he had been here, he had already run into several great cultivators at Qi Refining Late Stage.

I wonder if my Spiritual Pivot Resonance Chapter still works here in the Dao of Qi Refining?

With a thought, Fang Yu raised his fingers and calculated his own fortune in Autumn Moon Mountain Market. The next moment, an understanding came to him:

Fortunate.

Fang Yu paused in surprise. The result had come far too easily, without any interference, and the Yuanchen Pearl had not consumed the slightest bit of Primordial Qi.

It seems the heavenly secrets of the Great Scarlet Heaven are very clear, and no one here is scheming against him. Or perhaps the separation between the two realms has cut him off from the fortune and karmic ties he acquired in the Dao of Qi Ingestion.

"Good, good, good!"

Fang Yu laughed, his eyes lighting up as he looked at the passersby around him. Fortunes of every color appeared before his eyes: upright, peaceful white Qi, death Qi like black clouds looming overhead, and the blessed fortune of yellow clouds, among others representing all manner of good and ill.

As he watched, a powerful presence suddenly erupted nearby. A cultivator not far ahead unleashed the terrifying presence of Qi Refining Great Perfection, his eyes blazing like torches as he swept his gaze in every direction. The cultivators around him cried out in alarm and hurriedly retreated, leaving a great empty space around him.

The spiritual light in Fang Yu's eyes dimmed, and he moved away with the crowd, thinking to himself:

I really can't go looking at people's Qi whenever I please. Someone with cultivation close to mine will sense it. Still, he probably couldn't tell it was me secretly looking at his fortune.

And that was only someone at Qi Refining Great Perfection. If it were someone at Foundation Establishment or even Golden Core, their senses would probably be sharper, and they might even be able to find me!

A short while later, he arrived at a new cave abode he had obtained for free.

Fang Yu glanced around the unfinished cave abode, but he had no mind to decorate it. He took out a meditation cushion and a tea table, arranged them simply, and began cultivating.

Time flew, and two years passed in the blink of an eye.

An invisible wind suddenly swept through the cave abode, whipping Fang Yu's robes.

As he opened his eyes, the presence of Qi Refining Eighth Layer spread out.

"I've finally reached Qi Refining Eighth Layer!"

Fang Yu murmured, a trace of joy appearing on his face. But when his spiritual sense swept over the few Spirit Stones left in his Storage Bag, it gradually faded.

His Low-Grade Spirit Root really was terrible. Even with ample Spirit Stones and Qi Gathering Pills, it had taken him five years to break through from Qi Refining Seventh Layer to Qi Refining Eighth Layer.

Next, he still needed to break through to the ninth layer, then to Great Perfection. He reckoned it would take at least another ten years.

After taking Qi Gathering Pills for so many years, their effects were gradually weakening. Though the Yuanchen Pearl's purification meant he need not fear an accumulation of pill toxins, he still needed to find some other spiritual items to assist him. Otherwise, he certainly would not be able to maintain this cultivation speed.

"I still need to earn Spirit Stones!"

Fang Yu sighed and left the cave abode for the market, hoping to see whether there were any low-key ways to earn Spirit Stones besides selling pickaxes. Or should he sell a Profound Grade flying sword?

The next moment, Fang Yu dismissed the idea.

A Profound Grade flying sword was equivalent to a Spirit Artifact here, something only those at Qi Refining Great Perfection and Foundation Establishment Ancestors could use. If one appeared, it would surely draw the attention of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Though he was not afraid, it was best to avoid that kind of trouble whenever possible.

Autumn Moon Mountain Market was as lively as ever, with people streaming through it in an endless weave. Fang Yu wandered for a while before suddenly stopping to look at a newly opened establishment ahead.

"Wondrous Sound House!"

"I haven't been out for two years. When did another brothel open in the market?"

Murmuring to himself, Fang Yu stepped inside. After two years of arduous cultivation, he had advanced to Qi Refining Eighth Layer, and it was only right to celebrate properly.

As he entered, strains of music reached his ears. In the middle of the building stood an eight-sided lotus platform, where a female cultivator in celestial dancer's robes, her face covered by a white veil, was playing the pipa. Judging by her cultivation, she was actually at the fourth layer of Qi Refining.

Have the female cultivators in Autumn Moon Mountain Market all reached this level of cultivation?

Fang Yu wondered, his interest growing.

"Fellow Daoist, you look unfamiliar. Is there a sister here you know?"

A female cultivator, who was also at Qi Refining Third Layer, came up to greet him. Her voice was as sweet as an oriole's and especially pleasant to hear.

Fang Yu reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist. "What's your name? You have such a lovely voice!"

"Hehehe..." The female cultivator immediately leaned against Fang Yu's chest. "I'm Liu Ershiliujie. How should I address you, Fellow Daoist?"

Fang Yu was momentarily taken aback. "Who is the mistress of this Wondrous Sound House?"

Ershiliujie smiled. "Why, Ancestor Miaoyin, of course."

"Ancestor!"

Fang Yu counted on his fingers, and the image of Liu Sanjie, the female cultivator who had once lived next door to him in East Spirit Mountain Market, appeared in his mind.

He had never imagined that, in so few years, she would have become a Foundation Establishment Ancestor.