Cultivating Immortality in Two Realms

Chapter 147 Shocking Changes in the Market

"Time to get ready to run away..."

On Taibai Island, Fang Qing pondered to himself, "Within the next ten years, Xituo County is relatively safe. I can use this time to gather as many resources as possible, and then try to cross the territory of the Hehuan Sect to reach the Eastern Taiyi Xuanmen..."

"I possess external alchemy power, which barely qualifies me as a junior cultivator in combat..."

"According to information gathered from the ancient Shu region, only cultivators at the Purple Mansion level can easily travel the world..."

"Compared to a cultivator in the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm, Du Zi is ultimately still a notch below."

If possible, Fang Qing would naturally prefer to wait until his cultivation level breaks through to the Foundation Establishment stage or even the Core Formation stage before attempting a long journey.

But at this point, they were almost driven to a dead end.

"Xu Hei's situation is simple. Just pack up and head to Xituo County to await orders..."

"As for the Fang family... just leave them be. Anyway, nobody knows about my relationship with them..."

Fang Qing transformed his entire body with the power of the [Ji Shui] magic.

Once he reached the mid-stage of the Dao Foundation realm, if he didn't restrain himself, a gentle breeze and mist would always accompany him, refracting colorful light and making him appear like a celestial being. Holding the Myriad Spring Purification Bottle, he arrived at the edge of that icy, cold spring.

Fang Qing chanted the Six-Syllable Mantra, activating the bottle's power. Instantly, a suction force formed, drawing a large amount of Ice Soul Spring water into the bottle. "The interior of this bottle can be divided into multiple layers to store various kinds of spiritual water... quite convenient."

A thought struck him, and the vast power of his [Water-Controlling Basket] magic surged forth. He immediately sensed something mysterious beneath the ground being stirred, about to be thrown into the jade bottle. "It really can draw water veins... it can even take away a third-tier spiritual spring?"

Fang Qing severed his magical power but did not actually make a move.

This icy spring ultimately belongs to the Azure Sea Sect; he is merely the guardian of Taibai Island.

When outsiders address the disciples as "Island Master," it's merely a form of flattery.

Normally, one can simply soak up some of the spiritual energy from the Ice Soul Cold Spring to refine some pills, and no one will say a word.

However, if this spiritual spring were taken away completely, Master Ruan and Sect Leader Shi would not agree to it.

"Anyway, I'm stationed here, so this sacred spring is still mine."

"Let's think about the portable spiritual spring when it's time to leave..."

However, when Fang Qing was collecting the water vein just now, he discovered that with his own [Ji Shui] magic power and cultivation, he could divide the water vein of this third-order spiritual spring.

"Perhaps... we could first create a second-tier Ice Soul Cold Spring water vein?"

"Even if we scrape together what we have in the future, we can still manage to gather a third-tier spiritual spring."

Having made up his mind, Fang Qing, holding the Wonderful Spring Pure Bottle, walked out of the cave.

A female cultivator walked towards them; it was Bei Lingshu.

In her daze, the woman seemed to see a spring, but upon closer inspection, she saw a young man in blue robes, surrounded by mist and a gentle breeze, holding a jade bottle, like a celestial being descended to earth. For a moment, her heart trembled, and she was awestruck: "Island Lord... could it be that you have advanced to the late Foundation Establishment stage?"

"It's the Ling Shu? What is it?"

Fang Qing knew that he was doing very well on Taibai Island, so he couldn't help but act unrestrainedly and sometimes even perform supernatural feats, but he didn't care at all.

If a local tyrant were to restrain himself, wouldn't he have been wasting his time enjoying his freedom?

"The patch of Cold Moon Grass under my jurisdiction has matured, and the sect has sent people to harvest it; it's nothing major..."

Bei Lingxu thought for a moment, then said, "As for the Sancai Market... it's said to be raking in money every day, attracting the covetous eyes of some Foundation Establishment forces. The Green Water Hermit is struggling to cope and has asked my Taibai Island for help..."

"What kind of relationship could there be in a transaction where money and goods are exchanged? Are you asking for help?"

Fang Qing wore a half-smile, but thought to himself, "As expected... the place where the chosen one resides can't always be peaceful. Zhan Hongxiu is probably about to encounter another calamity, after which her strength will greatly increase, right?"

Sanyuan Island.

With a flick of her nostrils, Zhan Hongxiu exhaled two long, white breaths, resembling tortoises and cranes, swirling around her body.

Beside her, a giant, greenish-blue tortoise the size of a millstone lay there, greedily absorbing the magical energy.

After a long while, she opened her eyes: "Finally... I've reached the ninth level of Qi Refining."

The "Turtle and Crane Longevity Technique" is a health-preserving exercise, and its cultivation speed is relatively slow. Her progress is already extremely fast, not inferior to the sect's prodigies.

The longevity tortoise beside it seemed to have had some extraordinary encounter, and it faintly exuded the aura of a high-grade first-tier demon beast.

"After reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining, all that remains is the accumulation of magical power. It's time to consider Foundation Establishment."

Zhan Hongxiu pondered slowly.

When it comes to Foundation Establishment, the first choice is naturally Foundation Establishment Pill!

Unfortunately, most independent cultivators are poor, and only a few can cultivate to the ninth level of Qi Refining. They can barely smell the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Most of them would spend their entire life savings to obtain a foundation-building spiritual item, which might be either malevolent energy or a spiritual liquid beneficial to the divine consciousness.

If things were even better, perhaps one could obtain a miraculous elixir like the "Ice Heart Protecting Pulse Pill".

As for the Foundation Establishment Pill?

Even if it occasionally appears at auctions, it is fiercely contested by major Foundation Establishment forces, leaving no room for independent cultivators.

Some even risked their lives to build their own foundation despite having nothing, but these almost always ended in sudden death.

Therefore, Zhan Hongxiu was not even considered.

With her substantial wealth and a powerful master as a backer, she's considered a direct descendant of a Foundation Establishment sect, so she could consider auctioning off a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill. "If there's no Foundation Establishment Pill to auction... then I'll have to risk killing a second-tier demonic beast to obtain its core, and then ask a master alchemist for help..."

Zhan Hongxiu frowned slightly as she thought of this.

Second-tier monsters are rare in the deep sea, especially after the Overturning Turtle launched its beast tide, their whereabouts have become even more scarce.

Even if one occasionally appears, it may not necessarily give birth to a second-tier demon core!

With her strength, hunting second-tier monsters would be extremely dangerous.

"If only that talisman were still here..."

"Or... should we ask Master to intervene? But the market is coveted by others, and Master probably can't easily get away..."

Thinking about the recent changes in the market, Zhan Hongxiu felt inexplicably uneasy.

Sanyuan Island boasts a superior geographical location, with no other spiritual vein islands nearby. For cultivators traveling from afar who wish to find a cave dwelling to rest, this is their only option. In the past, the Jiang and Lu families could make a fortune simply by renting out cave dwellings.

After their master took over, the place became more popular due to his fair treatment of people, and it gradually became known as a "holy land for rogue cultivators".

Green Water Hermit naturally understood that this was a powerful force jealous of her and trying to ruin her by praising her too much.

Before reaching the late Foundation Establishment stage and becoming a major cultivator of the same realm, he was unable to suppress the so-called "holy land of rogue cultivators," so he declined the offer and secretly ordered people to investigate the source of the rumors.

In recent months, a group of thieves has appeared outside the market. It is said that the bandit leader has reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, and his magic weapons are all of the highest quality. He also has two first-grade high-quality corpses to help him. Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators are no match for him. He has committed many major crimes, causing panic among the people.

As the crowds thinned in the market, the disciples of Green Water Sect grew increasingly anxious. One of their junior brothers had rashly attacked, only to be killed instead, his head lying on the market's main gate. Enraged, Green Water Sect Master immediately emerged from seclusion to search for the group of cultivators who had robbed them.

"I am now at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and with those magic artifacts and exquisite talismans, I am not weak in combat... I can lend Master a hand." Zhan Hongxiu was preparing to leave seclusion when suddenly the earth shook violently.

Her expression changed drastically. She took out a token, and the light on it vanished in an instant.

"The second-tier protective array for the market... has stopped?"

If the great formation were breached, this token should shatter into countless small pieces.

Now it is just dim and without light, which means that the great formation has been stopped from the inside!

"Senior Sister!"

A streak of light landed outside the cave, revealing the young scholar, his face filled with terror: "Senior Brother... Senior Brother has gone mad... He colluded with the tribulation cultivators and shut down the market array."

"What?"

Zhan Hongxiu put away the Longevity Turtle and stepped onto a red silk magic artifact. Seeing that the market was already in chaos, her face was full of confusion: "How dare he? Isn't he afraid of Master..."

"Haha, so you were here?"

Before he finished speaking, several streaks of light came after him, and the leader was none other than "Lu Lingfeng"!

"Senior Brother...you have betrayed our sect!"

Zhan Hongxiu's expression changed drastically. She then looked at the several unfamiliar cultivators beside Lu Lingfeng and vaguely felt that they looked familiar: "Jiang family cultivators?" "Haha, not bad... My ancestor has just completed the Foundation Establishment stage and has already gone to take the head of that Green Water Hermit... We're just waiting for you."

The Jiang family cultivators laughed heartily, and the information they revealed was even more shocking.

"That's right, since Senior Brother has become a traitor... then Master must have deliberately been lured out of the formation, and perhaps even set an ambush..."

"Lu Lingfeng rebelled... because another Foundation Establishment ancestor emerged from the remnants of the Jiang family?"

Zhan Hongxiu's mind raced, and she guessed the truth.

This is actually Fang Qing's fault. Back then, he only wiped out his own family and missed a large number of remaining members.

The Jiang family already had several direct descendants who did not cultivate on the island, and they also had several secret vaults outside, among which they treasured a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill as the foundation for the family's resurgence.

It just so happens that a Jiang family cultivator with extraordinary talent recently reached the peak of Qi Refining and successfully broke through by taking the Foundation Establishment Pill. He then thought about reclaiming his ancestral property... and he and Lu Lingfeng hit it off immediately.

After all, the Jiang and Lu families had been cooperating for many years and were related by marriage.

Green Water Hermit only took him in as his eldest disciple out of politeness, and they didn't get close to him afterward. However, the Jiang family promised to return the Lu family's island and 30% of the market revenue!

"Senior sister... watch out!"

Just as Zhan Hongxiu was wavering, a loud shout rang in her ears.

She was pushed several feet away by a beam of light; it was her junior brother, who looked like a scholar.

The junior brother pushed her away, gave her a bright smile, and suddenly several blood spots appeared on his body.

"Flying needle magic weapon? A sneak attack?"

As Zhan Hongxiu gazed at her junior brother's corpse, she seemed to see her grandfather in a daze.

"The Jiang family, the Lu family..."

She murmured something and touched the hairpin in her hair.

The two talismans were activated, transforming into azure lightning that swept across the surroundings.

"A second-tier, low-grade, Jia Wood Yang Thunder Talisman?"

Lu Lingfeng let out a strange cry, took out a pitch-black shield to protect his entire body, and kept retreating: "This woman has quite a treasure on her. Where is your ancestor?" "Still dealing with that Green Water Hermit... That woman is quite powerful, but the ancestor called a few helpers."

"That's what the Jiang family cultivator replied."

Just then, a Foundation Establishment-level escape light was rapidly approaching, emitting the magical power fluctuations of the early Foundation Establishment stage.

Sensing the magical energy fluctuations that were so different from her master's, Zhan Hongxiu finally gave up hope and took out a high-quality, low-grade second-tier escape talisman: "You just wait!"

The escape talisman activated, transforming her into a streak of light that flew out of the market with unparalleled speed, even surpassing the escape light of a Foundation Establishment cultivator...