Cultivating Immortality in a World of Chaos

Chapter 8: Qinghe Sword

“Divine Illustration Diagram?!” Lu She exclaimed angrily. “How audacious! You dare to covet the secret teachings of my Red Snake Dojo?”

His leg muscles bulged, and his skin took on an abnormal deep red hue, as if ready to strike at any moment.

“It’s just a Divine Illustration Diagram. Numerous inner disciples in your dojo have already seen it,” Mu Canglong countered slowly. “So what if a few achieved three transformations in their blood qi? How many actually succeeded in mastering the technique?”

Mu Canglong shook his head.

For dojos, martial arts could be sold as long as one paid enough. In his view, Lu She was merely trying to artificially inflate its value.

“Master Lu.”

At that moment, Fang Xi spoke up, “I only need half a day with the Divine Illustration Diagram. To show sincerity, I am willing to offer a thousand taels of fine silver!”

Lu She hesitated momentarily.

In that instant, the Red Snake Master seemed to finally understand why even She Lei had turned desperate, attempting to exploit his own dojo apprentices. This Fang-gongzi truly lived up to the rumors - he was indeed a massive, juicy target for exploitation!

Finally, Lu She spoke, his voice strained, “Deal!”

It wasn’t that he wanted to prolong negotiations; rather, the offered sum was simply too enticing.

“Red Snake Leg Divine Illustration Diagram!”

In a quiet room, Fang Xi examined a piece of animal hide with a furrowed brow.

Upon the hide, there were chaotic patterns resembling splashed ink landscapes. With just a few strokes, they depicted a strangely vivid scene of mountains and forests. Within this landscape, on the grassy terrain, twisted lines evoked snake-like movements, sending chills down one’s spine.

“As rumored, only by mastering the Eight Techniques of the Snake to the third transformation of blood qi can one truly comprehend this Divine Illustration Diagram. It indeed holds some profound secrets.”

Fang Xi nodded slightly, deep in thought.

The Divine Illustration Diagram was highly peculiar; ordinary copying would never capture its essence.

Only genuine core disciples of the Red Snake Dojo, practicing day and night, could hope to grasp its true power!

“However, that applies merely to conventional artists.”

In the next moment, Fang Xi flipped his hand, revealing a blank jade slip.

He placed the jade slip against his forehead, extended his spiritual sense, and meticulously imprinted the Red Snake Divine Illustration onto it, stroke by stroke.

This was a method used by cultivators to record secret manuals! Whether ancient texts or diagrams…this technique ensured a near-perfect replication, preserving even the subtlest nuances with remarkable fidelity!

‘Since this Red Snake Divine Illustration was originally created by someone, it implies that it can be replicated. Mundane individuals cannot imitate it due to insufficient power and cultivation realm… Using my spiritual sense as a cultivator is indeed a clever workaround…’

Moments later, Fang Xi gazed at the Divine Illustration within his jade slip, feeling deeply impressed.

In this Great Liang world, likely only martial artists with exceptionally high mastery of the Red Snake Leg technique could attempt to recreate such a Divine Illustration.

Yet he accomplished it effortlessly.

‘Lu She probably agreed thinking I wouldn’t be able to memorize or replicate it quickly?’

‘Now, he’s in for quite a surprise.’

With these thoughts, Fang Xi couldn’t help but feel highly satisfied. He went out to return the Divine Illustration, allowing Lu She to inspect it thoroughly and even offered a token of gratitude.

Lu She examined the Divine Illustration from all angles, confirming it was indeed his original, then clasped his fists and said, “May our paths cross again amidst distant mountains and long roads!”

“Until we meet again!”

Fang Xi knew well that this encounter would surely leave a mark on their relationship, but he remained undeterred. With the true teachings of the Red Snake Leg now in his possession, there would be no future need to rely on Lu She.

It must be noted that since arriving in Great Liang, Fang Xi had indeed become far less cautious.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

Within the southern wilderness’s cultivation world:

Fang Xi observed the melting snow outside his window, reaching out from beneath the eaves to catch a drop of meltwater. “As winter fades and spring arrives, brewing tea with fresh snow water is truly one of life’s great pleasures.”

It had been two weeks since the incident at Zi You Mountain. Fang Xi officially abandoned the Red Snake Dojo and joined Baiyun Dojo, undergoing daily training under Mu Piaomiao. Consequently, he began making progress with the Baiyun Palm technique.

Meanwhile, in the southern wilderness, the fervor surrounding Violet Serenity Mountain showed no signs of abating, causing prices for various paper talismans and magical artifacts to skyrocket.

Interestingly, the paper talisman Fang Xi purchased earlier turned out to be quite profitable due to the subsequent price surge.

“No, until it’s sold, it doesn’t count as actual gain, but I won’t sell it either…”

With a sigh, Fang Xi headed towards the market.

To his surprise, the crowd was significantly larger than half a month ago, swarming with cultivators who filled every stall.

However, contrary to expectations, the prices for immediate combat-enhancing items like talismans and magical artifacts were plummeting rapidly.

Instead, numerous stalls now featured materials supposedly sourced from the Zi You Mountain secret realm, which made Fang Xi’s lips twitch upon seeing them.

Those so-called fragments of mystical treasures from the secret realm… weren’t they just similar to what Old Man Huang had previously sold in the market, labeled as items specifically meant to rip off novices?

Moreover, there was an abundance of counterfeit goods mixed among them, as if overnight every vendor claimed to be a winner from the arcane realm.

It was clear that nearly all these items were fakes! Even if some were genuine, Fang Xi couldn’t afford them.

Undeterred, he maintained a positive mindset, simply observing and occasionally mingling with the crowd to gather information.

“Infuriating!”

“The Zi You Mountain secret realm is a divine opportunity bestowed by heaven. How dare the Situ Clan and Red Leaf Valley prevent us independent cultivators from entering?”

Many outraged cultivators echoed this sentiment, and Fang Xi understood their frustration.

Apparently, the Situ Clan had taken action, not only themselves but also in alliance with a nearby Foundation Establishment-level faction, Red Leaf Valley. They jointly sealed off Violet Serenity Mountain, leaving the independent cultivators with no chance to partake.

Rumors even suggested that they deployed great Foundation Establishment cultivators, leaving Qi Refinement practitioners powerless against such might.

“Wondering when Old Man Mai will return… The spring harvest is almost here…”

Fang Xi sighed while browsing through the stalls.

This presented an opportunity for him to fulfill his long-held wish—acquiring a low-grade magical artifact at a bargain price!

He inspected each stall one by one. Many artifacts showed signs of damage, some stained with blood, indicating either dubious origins or having endured fierce battles.

However… the prices were still too high for him.

Unfazed, Fang Xi continued casually scanning the offerings.

Suddenly, Fang Xi stopped before a particular stall, captivated by a flying sword-like magical artifact displayed there.

This artifact was merely low-tier, first-rank quality, resembling a blade of green barley and measuring thirteen inches long. Its surface bore several deep gashes, indicating severe damage.

Most crucially, Fang Xi recognized this flying sword—it belonged to Old Man Mai!

Seeing it here left no doubt about Old Man Mai’s fate.

With a heavy heart, Fang Xi glanced at the stall owner, a burly man clad in black attire with his face veiled, exuding a menacing aura.

‘Perhaps Old Man Mai met his end at this fellow’s hands.’

As Fang Xi pondered, the black-clothed man seemed to sense something and turned towards him, “Young lad…are you interested in any of my wares?”

His voice was deep, carrying an undertone of danger.

“Yes, I’m curious about the pricing for this low-grade flying sword,” Fang Xi cautiously inquired, testing the waters.

“Typically, low-grade artifacts range from five to ten spirit stones. For this flying sword, I’ll give you a discount—four spirit stones,” replied the burly man.

“Don’t tease me, fellow cultivator.” A hint of urgency surfaced on Fang Xi’s face as he countered, “This artifact is nearly damaged beyond repair, and considering the current decline in artifact prices, four spirit stones is indeed too high…”

“Then how much are you willing to offer?” The burly man’s tone shifted abruptly, realizing his initial price was merely a random attempt to fleece an unsuspecting buyer. Upon hearing Fang Xi’s response, he quickly adjusted his stance.

At four spirit stones, this magical artifact would likely never sell, even if it remained unsold until its eventual demise.

“One spirit stone!” After a moment of thought, Fang Xi held up a single finger.

“You’re mocking me?” The black-clothed man bristled with displeasure. “The minimum is three spirit stones!”

“Look at this artifact; the formation patterns are already cracked. Its magic flow might be unreliable, and there’s a notch on the blade too - it could easily snap during combat…” Emboldened by being in the market, Fang Xi dared to haggle aggressively.

After some negotiation, they finally agreed on two spirit stones plus three spirit crystals.

Fang Xi’s face showed clear discomfort as he painstakingly gathered various small spirit crystals from all over his person, just managing to meet the price for the Qinghe Sword.

In truth, purchasing this flying sword depleted all his savings. For the next few days, he couldn’t afford even spirit rice and had to settle for ordinary rice instead.

However, Fang Xi felt it was entirely worth it. If not for the chaotic market conditions causing magical artifact prices to plummet, acquiring a low-grade magical artifact would have been far more challenging.

Back at his dwelling in the shanty town, Fang Xi closed the door and retrieved the Qinghe Sword.

Staring at the flying sword, his expression shifted between contemplation and excitement. The cold gleam from its blade illuminated Fang Xi’s face, evoking a unique sense of anticipation.

After a long moment, Fang Xi set down the sword, murmuring, “I never imagined…my first magical artifact would come from Old Man Mai.”

Recalling how Old Man Mai had drawn his flying sword for a desperate last stand, Fang Xi couldn’t help but feel both admiration and caution. He vowed to himself, Absolutely must not follow Old Man Mai’s path!

With his golden finger advantage, he resolved always to leave room for safety in future endeavors. Under no circumstances should he risk his life for mere trivial gains!

“Fortunately, the alliance between the Situ Clan and Red Leaf Valley managed to quell the unrest.”

Fang Xi stored away the Qinghe Sword, planning to head to the Great Liang World the next day to learn proper techniques for controlling magical artifacts.

At the same time, he felt somewhat relieved.

The chaotic environment and agitated atmosphere earlier were truly unsettling for Fang Xi.

If the disturbances had continued, he was prepared to temporarily leave the market to avoid any potential dangers.

“Even now, it’s still not entirely safe.”

Scanning his surroundings, Fang Xi made a decision!

He would dig a pit, create an underground shelter, ideally with an escape route included!

This would be a major undertaking, but he could work on it gradually.

Furthermore, in the future, he could choose the shelter as a location for inter-world travel!

It would also serve as an additional layer of concealment.