Cultivating Immortality in a World of Chaos

At the Dragon Gate Pavilion.

The pavilion was octagonal, with entrances facing each direction.

Above the eaves, intricately carved were ‘Chiwen’ figures - creatures possessing dragon heads and fish bodies.

“Welcome, Daoist friends!”

As Fang Xi and Mo Qingyi entered the pavilion, they were greeted by a young man in Mid Qi Refining stage.

Dressed in a deep black mage robe, it featured embroidered flying fish patches. These flying fish had an exceptionally majestic appearance, complete with two sets of dragon whiskers.

“Flying fish mage robes?” Having listened to Mo Qingyi’s explanations along the way, Fang Xi recognized this as the standard attire for Zhong Clan members. His expression turned serious. “Are you from the Zhong Clan?”

“Yes, I am Zhong Wangu. May I inquire what items the Daoist friend is interested in purchasing? Our pavilion just received a fresh batch of turquoise jade carp; perhaps you would like to take a look…” Zhong Wangu enthusiastically suggested, “These spirit fish have exquisite flavor, especially when paired with our local specialty, Heavenly Stem Water Spirit Rice - it’s truly unmatched!”

“Eating rice and enjoying fish soup indeed sounds delightful,” Fang Xi smiled. “However, I’m primarily looking to purchase a Body Tempering cultivation technique, preferably for at least the fourth layer!”

“A Foundation Establishment technique? Daoist friend, you’re a body cultivator?” Zhong Wangu appeared slightly taken aback. “My apologies, truly did not expect…”

“Besides Body Tempering techniques, if your esteemed pavilion has legacies of Puppetry or Beast Control Techniques, I would also be interested to see them,” Fang Xi confidently stated, now comparable to Late Stage Qi Refinement without fearing much due to the absence of great Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Hearing this request, Zhong Wangu smiled wryly. “Such legacies, even at first rank, are extremely rare. Unfortunately, we do not have any… However, our pavilion does offer first-rank legacies in paper talisman creation, equipment forging, and spirit plant cultivation. Would these interest you?”

The four arts of cultivation - arrays, pills, weapons, and talismans - form the basis for most cultivators’ training.

Puppetry and Beast Control Techniques, on the other hand, are more niche and uncommon.

Finding such skills casually browsing through a shop indeed relies heavily on luck.

“Well then, bring all those options for me to review.” Fang Xi waved his hand assertively, displaying his wealth.

As Zhong Wangu stepped behind the counter, Fang Xi soon felt a prickling sensation, as if under scrutiny. Clearly, the expert overseeing the pavilion had turned their attention towards him.

“Please take a look, Daoist friend!”

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhong Wangu returned with a wooden tray holding several jade slips sealed with protective talismans.

He picked up a blue jade slip first and began, “The ‘Lightning-tempered Golden Body’, an incomplete technique but still containing four levels. It harnesses the power of nine heavens’ purple lightning to temper your body, resulting in formidable combat strength, particularly effective against demonic entities! Price: three hundred fifty spirit stones…”

Seeing Fang Xi’s expressionless face, he quickly switched to another blood-red jade slip. “The ‘Myriad Beasts Body’, requires refining mythical beasts’ essence blood during cultivation. This secret art allows temporary transformation into a mythical beast, greatly enhancing battle capabilities… priced at four hundred spirit stones! However, this technique is prone to qi deviation for those without strong willpower. Additionally, reaching the fourth level is extremely challenging, necessitating tier-2 mythical beast essence blood as a catalyst.”

‘Even then, it’s more expensive than the Lightning-tempered Golden Body. Clearly, the flaws in the first technique must be even worse than the second… Harnessing heavenly lightning to temper one’s body? You could easily get struck dead…’ Fang Xi mentally criticized, noticing that Zhong Wangu had stopped speaking, likely gauging his financial capability.

Smiling, Fang Xi handed over his bag of holding.

Zhong Wangu accepted it, noticing that the owner’s magical energy imprint had already been removed. With his spiritual sense, he scanned its contents and drew a sharp breath, “This Daoist…are you selling mythical beast materials?”

“Yes, please dispose of them accordingly.”

Fang Xi remained composed.

The bag of holding he offered was the smallest one on him, containing not snake-dragon materials but rather treasures unearthed from the Beast Hunt Society’s storeroom.

Snake-dragons possessed traces of dragon bloodline and were high-grade first-tier beasts, making their components exceedingly valuable. Moreover, considering the Zhong Family of Dragonfish could cultivate and awaken dragon bloodlines in little Azure Dragons, they might have extensive research and specific needs related to Dragonfish lineage. Revealing snake-dragon materials impulsively could potentially invite unwanted complications.

Therefore, Fang Xi chose to present a bag filled with ordinary low- and mid-grade first-tier mythical beast materials instead.

“Please wait, Daoist friend…”

Zhong Wangu promptly summoned another member of the Zhong clan to verify and tally the items in front of them while he continued introducing other jade slips.

“The Myriad Swords Manual - a Qi Refinement cultivation technique with integrated Body Tempering, priced at four hundred fifty spirit stones.”

“A high-rank first-tier equipment forging legacy - ‘Clearbrook’s Artisanal Forging Notes,’ selling for three hundred spirit stones.”

“A high-rank first-tier paper talisman crafting legacy, two hundred fifty spirit stones.”

“And finally, this one is a spirit farming legacy, obtained from an elderly farmer named Jia Feicai!” Zhong Wangu touched the last jade slip, his expression somewhat nostalgic. “He was a cultivator from our island, possessing spiritual roots albeit of the lowest quality. Throughout his life as a spirit farmer, he remained stuck at the second layer of Qi Refinement. After his death, his family discovered this spirit farming legacy among his belongings… It summarizes his lifetime of experience, primarily focused on caring for spirit rice, but also including knowledge about cultivating various spirit medicines. The price is just twenty spirit stones.”

As Zhong Wangu spoke, his demeanor appeared somber, likely reflecting his own mediocre aptitude.

In the cultivation world, practitioners like him and Jia Feicai were the norm. They spent their entire lives hovering in the Qi Refinement stage, quietly contributing to their families and children, only to pass away without any fanfare.

Upon hearing the price, Fang Xi’s lips twitched.

Being a spirit farmer was essentially an advanced version of a spirit farmer role - considered one of the lowest-ranked crafts among the hundred skills of cultivation. Even then, it seemed remarkably affordable!

However, with his plans to cultivate trees soon, this spirit farming legacy would be highly useful. Therefore, he said, “I’ll buy it…”

“Excellent.” Zhong Wangu smiled slightly and proceeded to discuss further with the nearby clan disciple, “The materials from your mythical beast sale include: one mid-grade mutated first-tier hide, a pair of unknown mythical beast tusks, one low-grade first-tier mouse skin, and a set of mouse bones… totaling to 172 spirit stones!”

“That works for me; let’s make the trade,” Fang Xi nodded.

Under Zhong Wangu’s disappointed gaze, Fang Xi only purchased the spirit farming legacy and reclaimed his bag of holding containing 152 assorted low-grade spirit stones.

“Let’s go!” Fang Xi gathered his belongings and turned to Mo Qingyi beside him.

Despite feeling tempted, he wouldn’t hastily buy a Foundation Establishment level Body Tempering technique due to its exorbitant cost…

To purchase the complete manual, he would likely have to reveal the snake-dragon materials, increasing unnecessary risks.

As they exited the Dragon Gate Pavilion, Mo Qingyi seemed to snap out of his earlier astonishment and expressed some regret, “Xian Shi, if you wish to sell mythical beast materials, I know better channels that could fetch at least half more…”

“No need, I dislike complications,” Fang Xi shook his head. While rogue cultivators might offer higher acquisition prices, dealing with their constant nitpicking and haggling was exhausting. It was far simpler to handle everything swiftly without such hassles. “Now… let’s find Daoist Friend Miao who raises spirit pets!”

“Indeed, please follow me, Daoist Friend!”

Mo Qingyi led the way, sharing information as they walked, “Senior Miao Dong is an expert at the sixth level of Qi Refinement and cares for three spirit pets. One of them is a ‘water crow,’ which frequently catches spirit fish, making many of us quite envious…”

The Treasure Ship Market also offered immortal’s caves for rent. Miao Dong’s cave was located on the outskirts, boasting pleasant scenery and a small courtyard.

Mo Qingyi stepped forward to knock on the door, but after waiting for some time, there was no response.

Fang Xi pondered briefly before flicking out a ‘communication talisman’. The talisman transformed into a burst of fiery light and flew into the courtyard.

Soon, the gate opened, revealing an elderly man dressed in vibrant robes with an unusual appearance, marked by three fleshy growths on his forehead.

Miao Dong completely ignored Mo Qingyi and looked directly at Fang Xi. “Daoist friend, what brings you here?”

His gaze held caution, a common trait among rogue cultivators.

Fang Xi bowed respectfully, “I’ve heard that Daoist Miao is skilled in controlling mythical beasts. I wished to inquire if it’s possible to purchase your Beast Control legacy?”

“Hmph! My livelihood skills? How could I possibly sell them?” Miao Dong glared at Mo Qingyi. “I recognize you; next time you dare bring someone here, beware, or I’ll feed you to my precious pets!”

Seeing Mo Qingyi’s face pale, Miao Dong moved to close the gate.

Hssss!

Suddenly, a snake-like hissing emerged from within his sleeve.

Miao Dong’s expression shifted, turning towards Fang Xi, and unexpectedly, a smile appeared on his face. “Daoist friend, may I ask for your esteemed name?”

“Fang Leng,” Fang Xi replied, using his customary alias.

“In that case… please come inside for a detailed discussion.” Miao Dong stepped aside, allowing Fang Xi to enter.

This man’s temperament is peculiar; he seems quite difficult to deal with.

Fang Xi silently grumbled to himself as he walked into the courtyard.

Mo Qingyi, however, forced a smile and indicated that he would wait outside, suggesting his preference not to enter. As just an ordinary mortal, offending a cultivator left him uneasy and fearful of venturing further.

Miao Dong’s courtyard was not large, yet nearly half its area was occupied by a pond. At the edge of the pond, a water crow rested, meticulously grooming its feathers with its long beak. Its bright, glossy eyes displayed remarkable intelligence.

Within the pond itself, a dark shadow lurked beneath the muddy depths, unclear to discern.

“Please take a seat, Daoist friend…”

Miao Dong gestured for Fang Xi to sit on a meditation cushion, his expression turning solemn. “May I inquire why Fellow Daoist Fang seeks the legacy of Beastmasters?”

“I encountered a mythical beast I truly adore and wish to tame it as my spirit pet, nothing more!” Fang Xi promptly offered this excuse.

In reality, what he wanted to explore more deeply was puppetry, as a complement to his future endeavors where he couldn’t stray too far from planting trees.

But isn’t finding a legacy in puppetry virtually impossible?

Considering the abundance of mythical beasts in the Great Liang World, this might serve as a temporary solution.

“It’s quite simple…”

Upon hearing this, Miao Dong’s face immediately lit up with delight. “In truth, there are many ways for cultivators to form contracts with mythical beasts without needing to specialize in Beast Control Techniques. However, if one wishes to control multiple beasts and arrange them in formations… Have you heard of the ‘Blood Pact Document’, Fellow Daoist?”

“Please enlighten me further?” Fang Xi responded, feigning interest while adapting flexibly to the situation.

“As commonly known, the best method to contract a mythical beast involves using divine sense to penetrate its mental landscape. This allows instant control over the beast’s life or death. Unfortunately, only great Foundation Establishment cultivators possess such divine sense…” Miao Dong shook his head, continuing, “Alternatively, there is the blood pact technique, which involves setting up an array consuming a cultivator’s vital essence to create a binding mark. After forming the pact, if the mythical beast dies, the cultivator remains unharmed; however, should the cultivator perish, the beast will inevitably explode and die… The ‘Blood Pact Document’ is a convenient method devised by skilled Beastmasters. As long as the spirit pet’s cultivation base does not exceed your own realm by more than one major level, it can be effectively controlled upon signing the pact.”