Cultivating Immortality in a World of Chaos

Chapter 25: Rescue

Inside the room, dimly lit.

Mu Canglong lay unconscious on the bed, his face pale and weary.

Upon his cheeks, dark, tadpole-like runes writhed as if alive, evoking a deeply unsettling sensation.

Standing by the bedside, Mu Piaomiao looked anxious. “Shidi… how is he?”

Fang Xi had just placed his right hand on Mu Canglong’s wrist, seemingly checking his pulse.

In reality, he was subtly infusing pure strands of Everlasting Spring Art magical energy into Mu Canglong’s body.

Based on experiments within the cultivation realm, cultivators’ magical energy should have a significant effect in dispelling curse-related energies.

After approximately thirty breaths,

“Ughh…” Mu Canglong’s eyelids twitched violently before suddenly opening. “I…”

“Daddy!” Mu Piaomiao exclaimed, tears of joy streaming down her face.

“How do you feel now, Master Mu?” Fang Xi asked calmly, retracting his fingers.

The rescue effort had drained him significantly, but he maintained a composed demeanor.

“Much better…” Confused, Mu Canglong turned to look at his daughter.

Demonstrating tactful understanding, Fang Xi discreetly stepped out, allowing father and daughter some private time to converse.

Upon stepping out of the room, Fang Xi was immediately greeted by a slender figure. “Gongzi… I’m so relieved you’re safe,” Lily said with reddened eyes and a tearful voice.

A few days ago, Gongzi had mentioned going out to search for supplies but failed to return, nearly scaring her to death. With monsters now roaming the city at any given moment, Lily feared that Gongzi might fall victim to them.

Thankfully, their pillar of support had finally come back.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine…” Fang Xi glanced at the coarse grain steamed bun in Lily’s hand and smiled. “What’s this? Did you prepare something for me to eat?”

“Sister Piaomiao said we must be frugal and avoid waste… Gongzi, please bear with it for now.” Lily looked at the rough steamed bun in her hands, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

In the past, Fang Xi always enjoyed only the finest delicacies, even influencing the maids’ palates accordingly. Their current situation was indeed bleak.

However, humans are remarkably adaptable creatures, and Lily had swiftly adjusted to these circumstances. Before being sold to Fang Manor, she had endured a difficult life herself.

“Hmm.”

Fang Xi acknowledged Lily’s concern but refrained from biting into the coarse grain steamed bun. He casually asked her a few more questions and discovered that near the city walls of Blackstone City, monster sightings were extremely rare.

Conversely, as one moved closer to the city center, more monsters appeared, and their behavior didn’t strictly adhere to the typical nocturnal pattern.

‘It seems the Demonic Giant Tree at the city center is indeed this demon’s weak point…’

‘And those knowledgeable enough to hide near Blackstone City’s outskirts from the start could indeed survive for some time.’

Fang Xi pondered silently upon receiving this crucial information.

At that moment, he noticed Tang Xuan carrying several steamed buns into Wu Ji’s room. Inside, it seemed Wu Ji’s wife, a remarkably beautiful woman, also resided there.

“Elder Brother Tang is bringing food to Miss Bai… Poor Miss Bai, not only did her entire family perish in the demonic disaster, but she was also forcibly taken by that Wu fellow who falsely claims her as his wife…” Seeing Fang Xi’s gaze, Lily hastily explained.

“I wouldn’t have expected Wu Ji to be such a person,” Fang Xi remarked with a sigh, though he didn’t dwell on it much. In present-day Blackstone City, countless others suffered worse fates than Miss Bai.

Just then, the door behind them opened, and Mu Piaomiao stepped out. “Da… Da-shixiong… My father requests your presence inside!”

“Of course!” Nodding towards Lily, Fang Xi entered the room.

Inside the room, Mu Canglong was half-reclining on his bed, staring at Fang Xi with astonishment as he entered. “You’ve already broken through to the Black Cloud realm?!”

Despite his daughter briefly explaining recent events, Mu Canglong still found it hard to believe.

Not only had Fang Xi achieved breakthroughs at an astonishing speed, but immediately afterward, he could even slay enemies of equal rank! Moreover, Fang Xi claimed to be able to treat demonic curse-induced poisons!

This disciple’s talent was truly extraordinary and somewhat mysterious.

“Indeed!” Fang Xi nodded confidently.

In this world, he didn’t need to be overly cautious with his actions. After all, as the dojo master in Blackstone City, he held a position among the absolute elite.

“Wonderful, wonderful! Finally, our Baiyun Dojo has a worthy successor. I am prepared to entrust both the dojo leadership and my daughter to…” Mu Canglong’s face flushed with excitement.

“Hold on!” Fang Xi hastily waved his hand, having no desire to accept these burdens. “Master Mu, would you still like your own severe poison treated?”

“Sigh…” Mu Canglong let out a deep breath. “One knows their own circumstances well; this curse originates from a demon… My blood qi cannot dissipate it, and I’ve come to terms with my fate. Seeing a disciple carry on my legacy before death brings me solace…”

“Cough… Master Mu, there’s no need for such despair,” Fang Xi interjected, clearing his throat. “I possess a potent spirit pill that can neutralize numerous poisons… It cost me exactly one thousand taels of gold, purchased from a traveling merchant some time ago. Would you like to give it a try?”

Previously, to aid in digesting demonic flesh, he had specifically acquired a ‘Pure Spirit Pill’. Zhuo Luting, his Daoist friend, had praised it as unparalleled.

Now, Fang Xi felt compelled to experiment with its effects. After all, he harbored concerns about the magical energy from demons, needing a willing dojo master to test if cultivation realm pills would be effective against it.

Moreover, having established some rapport with Mu Canglong, Fang Xi didn’t wish to see him perish right before his eyes.

“One thousand taels?”

Mu Canglong’s lips twitched slightly.

Even his entire fortune might not amount to a thousand taels of gold. However, considering Fang Xi’s notorious reputation, he genuinely believed it. This wastrel could indeed spend exorbitantly on mysterious pills with unknown origins!

Seeing the medicine bottle in Fang Xi’s hand further reinforced this belief. The bottle was intricately carved from a single piece of exquisite jade, which would be considered an unparalleled treasure in the secular world, likely found only within the Great Liang Imperial Palace.

Such a fine jade bottle undoubtedly suggested that the medicinal pill inside must be exceptional.

The Pure Spirit Pill appeared entirely emerald green, emitting a faintly pleasant aroma. Just one whiff invigorated Mu Canglong, causing him to exclaim, “It seems you’ve encountered a true eccentric, well-versed in worldly affairs!”

“Please take the medication, Master Mu.”

Fang Xi moved behind Mu Canglong and placed a palm against his back.

As the test subject, constant monitoring was necessary; otherwise, how could it be called experimentation?

“Haha… let’s do this!” Mu Canglong, unconcerned, had already resigned himself to death, making him indifferent to any outcome.

Mu Canglong promptly swallowed the Pure Spirit Pill and silently focused on sensing its effects.

“Hmm?!”

Fang Xi observed closely, his expression subtly shifting.

After enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn:

Mu Canglong’s face suddenly contorted with extreme pain. He opened his mouth and expelled a glob of black blood.

Sizzle! Sizzle!

The limestone beside the bed instantly showed signs of corrosion.

However, Mu Canglong’s pained expression quickly turned serene, as the curse marks on his face began to gradually fade away.

“Sigh…”

Fang Xi withdrew his hand, gazing out the window towards the city center, his demeanor becoming exceptionally grave.

“Ah… Master feels remarkably better now. There’s warmth spreading from my lower abdomen, and the previous numbness has significantly diminished.”

Mu Canglong swiftly threw off the blankets, stood up, and beamed with joy.

“It’s unfortunate that this medicinal pill can only suppress the curse, not eliminate the residual toxins… In a few months or years, they may resurface, rendering this spirit pill largely ineffective at that time.”

Fang Xi shook his head regretfully.

The grade of the Pure Spirit Pill was still too low; if it were a high-tier first-rank ‘Myriad Spirits Pill’, perhaps complete recovery could have been achieved.

At the same time, Fang Xi felt an immense sense of caution stirring within him.

This wasn’t even the direct poison from the Demon Tree itself, but merely residual magical energy from one of its puppets, and yet it proved to be so tenacious.

Undoubtedly, this realm harbored far greater dangers!

He needed to remain exceedingly cautious.

“Years, you say? That’s still sufficient,” Mu Canglong chuckled bitterly. “Considering we’ve been trapped in the Demonic Domain, surviving even till tomorrow is uncertain.”

It was clear that he fully understood their precarious situation.

The notion of ‘waiting for the demons to retreat on their own’ was merely a desperate hope against all odds.

More likely, everyone would perish, trapped within Blackstone City!

In comparison, facing death only after several months or years seemed insignificant.

“Well… as long as Master Mu remains resilient, it’s not too concerning,” Fang Xi smiled. “I have some questions about martial arts development I’d like to discuss with you, master.”

“You wish to ask how to progress beyond true force?” Mu Canglong closed his eyes. “Unfortunately… once true force is attained, there’s no turning back. Even if you abandoned your current cultivation method and focused on another, blood qi chaos would still arise. Moreover, our sect’s White Cloud Palm reaches its peak at the true force realm, with no further path…”

“So, am I already on a dead-end road?” Fang Xi extended his right leg forward.

Bang!

A layer of floor tiles instantly shattered into pieces.

“Red Snake Leg?” Mu Canglong nodded initially, then shook his head, “So you’ve also embarked on the path of mixed martial techniques.”

“It seems many independent cultivators before me have similarly practiced multiple martial arts and reached the true force realm,” Fang Xi’s eyes lit up.

Mu Canglong pondered for a moment before cautiously responding, “As martial practitioners, we naturally strive to advance further… Practicing martial arts with minimal conflict is one approach… Rumor has it that someone once cultivated seven or eight different martial arts, achieving enough prowess to challenge a True Vigor martial artist, but they soon met a violent demise…”

“After true force, comes true vigor?” Fang Xi seized the opportunity to inquire about martial arts progression.

“Once true force is attained, it is used to temper the internal organs, transforming muscles and marrow, strengthening the entire body until true vigor spontaneously emerges…” Mu Canglong sighed, “Unfortunately… true vigor martial arts belong to the sect’s secret teachings, beyond the reach of dojo masters like myself.”

“I see. I wonder if cultivating true vigor martial arts could resolve the conflicts arising from multiple true forces?” Fang Xi asked curiously.

“It’s likely not possible, but there’s no doubt that mastering true vigor martial arts would make a practitioner stronger… As for whether it allows breaking through realms, even I do not know.” Mu Canglong’s gaze appeared somewhat uncertain, clearly indicating this question exceeded his expertise.

After all, he was just a dojo master…