Ba Commandery.
Due to the previous chaotic wars in the cultivation world, Dao Foundation clans and Purple Mansion Immortal Sects went into seclusion one after another, using Qi Refinement cultivators as chess pieces and making the entire cultivation world a murky mess.
Many bazaars closed outright, and logistics ground to a halt.
Only after Li Rulong stabilized half the realm did the cultivation world settle down, but the bazaars Fang Qing was familiar with—such as Biluo Bazaar and Fuzhou Bazaar—had mostly fallen into ruin and closed.
Over the past few years, Fang Qing had constantly sought information and developed his own network… thereby gaining qualification for several irregularly held loose cultivator exchange meetings.
……
A bright moon hung high in the desolate outskirts, the atmosphere cold and clear.
By the roadside stood a half-collapsed temple. The divine statue inside had long since become too blurry to recognize, leaving only a barely discernible terracotta figurine with a strip of half-blackened red cloth around its neck.
“Stove?”
Fang Qing stared at the broken plaque for a long time before barely making out the character “Stove.”
“What kind of temple is this? The Stove God?”
He blew out a breath, igniting a candle.
“Hehe… not the Stove God, but the Stove Lord! A Stove Lord Temple!”
A dark figure walked out from behind the statue, emitting a hoarse voice, its figure appearing extremely uncoordinated.
Drawing closer, he realized it was a fox standing upright on its hind legs, with a skull perched atop its head.
“The Stove Lord?”
Fang Qing nodded. “It seems he does not belong to the Twelve Zhi Sui. I wonder what kind of great power he is?”
“Rustic folk worshipping indiscriminately, utterly improper… Very well, this old one is An Zhuzi. Fellow Daoist, are you also here to attend the exchange meeting?”
The old fox continued speaking.
“Precisely.”
Fang Qing, wearing a bamboo hat that concealed most of his face, nodded.
“That’s wonderful. This old one is attending a human exchange meeting for the first time. Are there any matters requiring attention?”
The old fox appeared quite humble.
“Well…”
Before Fang Qing could speak, another cultivator appeared at the temple entrance. “Hmph! With Ba Commandery in chaos, all manner of demons and ghosts have emerged. You monsters actually dare come here—aren’t you afraid of being slain by cultivators?”
“Tsk tsk… This old one observes that Fellow Daoist bears the aura of [Tail Fire] throughout your body. Could you be from the Yulin Pu Family?”
The old fox was unconcerned. “Purple Mansion immortal clans are so remarkable, but this old one isn’t in Yulin Commandery… The Black Worm Sect over there is a close friend of our demon race. Perhaps if we pay some additional price, we demons might just help the Black Worm Sect come fight your Pu Family.”
“What gall!”
The Pu Family cultivator sneered, flames emerging from his nose and mouth, seemingly about to strike at any moment.
“Everyone… give this old Daoist some face.”
Just as Fang Qing thought the man and demon were about to fight, a voice suddenly interjected.
Fang Qing looked over and saw the slovenly Daoist he had once glimpsed outside Fuzhou Bazaar walking in. He showed no concealment whatsoever—his cultivation was clearly at the peak of Qi Refinement.
“Hehe… This old Daoist is the convener of this exchange meeting. During the transactions, everyone’s safety is guaranteed by this old Daoist. If Fellow Daoist wishes to act, I’m afraid this old Daoist will have to suppress you first.”
The slovenly Daoist looked at the cultivator surnamed Pu.
Under the Purple Mansion prohibition, peak Qi Refinement was currently the apex of Ba Commandery’s cultivation world.
“Since it is so, I’ll give Fellow Daoist face.”
The cultivator surnamed Pu immediately backed down, and the flames on his face vanished.
Everyone entered the small temple and found places to sit.
After half an hour, Fang Qing swept his gaze around and discovered that more than ten cultivators had gathered inside.
Among them were an old farmer holding a tobacco pipe with a pair of grandchildren beside him, as well as a gorgeously dressed noblewoman.
Of course, the majority of cultivators were like Fang Qing, hiding themselves in robes.
Even though the slovenly Daoist’s previous warning to Li Rulong had given Fang Qing a rather upright impression, one could never be without caution against others.
As for demons, there seemed to be only the old fox.
“Very well, I thank you all for coming to this small gathering… We can first exchange items we each need, then have some discussion.”
The slovenly Daoist explained some rules. “Let’s start with this Fellow Daoist.”
He pointed at the old farmer.
“This old one is surnamed Tian. You Fellow Daoists may call me Old Tian.”
Old Tian revealed a mouthful of yellow and black intermingled teeth. “My family entered the Dao by accident, cultivating [Lou Metal]… Unfortunately, the cultivation method is mediocre and only allows cultivation to late-stage Qi Refinement. Do any Fellow Daoists have clues to a follow-up method? At minimum, it must reach Dao Foundation.”
Hearing this, someone let out a derisive laugh. It was the cultivator surnamed Pu.
He sneered. “You rustic mixed cultivators actually want a Dao Foundation method? Nowadays, with bazaars declining throughout the Ancient Shu lands, if you want a Dao Foundation method, you must seek it from Dao Foundation clans. If you want a Purple Mansion method, you can only look to Purple Mansion forces.”
“It is actually so?”
Old Tian’s eyes lost focus, and he murmured, “This old one thought I could trade spirit grain for it…”
Fang Qing found it rather difficult not to smile.
He then thought of himself. Although he had always paid attention to collecting cultivation methods, he indeed didn’t have many Dao Foundation methods. Added to that, gathering qi was troublesome, and he himself was more suited to walking the path of [Ji Water]. Thus, he had never started on a second Ancient Shu cultivation method.
‘If it were a [Great Sun Purple Qi] cultivation method, then I could sacrifice some training time… I haven’t encountered anything else particularly appealing.’
Having too many cultivation methods didn’t actually increase combat strength by much, though adaptability was quite good.
At this moment, that old fox An Zhuzi spoke up. “If Fellow Daoist’s family is not insistent on [Lou Metal], this old one happens to have a cultivation method here. It belongs to the Lunar lineage, under [Bi Moon], cultivating a Dao Foundation of ‘harmonizing softness and hardness’… at least reaching Dao Foundation would be no problem.”
“What?”
Old Tian was simply overjoyed. “Fellow Daoist… you are willing to trade a method for spirit grain?”
“Ahem!”
The slovenly Daoist spoke up. “An Zhuzi, since you want to sell that [Bi Moon] lineage method, you must clearly state the hidden drawbacks in advance.”
“Hidden drawbacks?”
Fang Qing was startled and looked at An Zhuzi.
The old fox remained unmoved. “This old one speaks slowly and hadn’t made it clear yet… This method originates from [Bi Moon]. After cultivating it, one will transform into a half-demon and grow close to our demon race.”
“What? You can’t even remain human? Th-this… forget it then.”
Old Tian hurriedly shook his head.
“Why would this method demonize the cultivator? Are there perhaps some hidden drawbacks?”
Fang Qing’s eyes turned, and he asked.
“Hehe, it’s not that this old fox’s method has problems, but rather all methods of the [Bi Moon] lineage are only suitable for the demon race… After all, during the Ancient Era, the demon race’s great sage ‘Bi Moon Crow’ emerged and threw the world into chaos. From then on, [Bi Moon] only circulated among the demon race, and all methods were contaminated…”
The cultivator surnamed Pu hadn’t originally wanted to speak of these cultivation secrets, but since the slovenly Daoist had spoken, harboring thoughts of disgusting the old fox, he also spoke.
“This…”
Fang Qing was speechless inwardly. ‘What a lousy place. You can cultivate into a demon without even realizing it?’
“Hehe… that great sage ‘Bi Moon Crow’ excelled at devouring metal and consuming fire—how majestic… but those were also events from over eight thousand years ago. Rather, in recent years, the demon race has constantly colluded with the demonic path and supported the destiny of the Hu peoples. Otherwise, how could the world be in such chaos?”
The cultivator surnamed Pu pressed his advantage without letting up.
Fang Qing listened and faintly gained some enlightenment inwardly. “This world divides history into three stages: the Primordial Era, the Ancient Era, and Recent Antiquity… According to the Immortal Calendar, the present should be the eight thousand five hundred twenty-ninth year of Recent Antiquity… The positions of the Twelve [Zhi Sui] were established in the Primordial Era, but… the Great Sun lineage and the metal and fire lineages were content. What of the other lineages? Could there be enmity and bloodshed between them? Setbacks? The demon race’s great sage ‘Bi Moon Crow’ devouring metal and consuming fire—could that represent the Lunar lineage’s counterattack? Even one as powerful as the [Zhi Sui]… can still perish?”
The old fox no longer spoke, and Old Tian also retreated sheepishly.
Next, that noblewoman stepped forward. “This concubine has a piece of Innate Geng Metal in hand, an excellent material for refining flying swords… I wish to ask about the whereabouts of a flying sword.”
“I wonder which flying sword?”
A cultivator asked.
“’Xu Jin Huan’!” the noblewoman answered.
“Ha… although this sword doesn’t rank among the ten most renowned flying swords in the world, it is extremely famous in the Ancient Shu region, enough to rank among the Ancient Shu Forty-Nine Famous Swords… a mere piece of Innate Geng Metal, and not even a proper flying sword at that, is insufficient! Insufficient!!” That cultivator shook his head.
“Oh? Then what if this concubine offers a flying sword?” The noblewoman’s eyes rippled as she asked softly.
“This… I also don’t know where that ‘Xu Jin Huan’ is? This sword is famously renowned. It was the personal sword of the Purple Mansion sword cultivator—Venerable Yanbo back in the day. Supposedly, its sword light was brilliant as brocade, proud as a wandering dragon…”
That cultivator’s voice carried longing.
“Then you are jesting with this concubine?” The noblewoman’s tone suddenly became extremely dangerous.
“Very well, Madame Qi, please wait…” The slovenly Daoist helplessly stepped forward again. “This Fellow Daoist is also straightforward and outspoken… please spare him.”
“Hmph!”
Madame Qi let out a cold snort and quietly returned to her place.
After her, it was Fang Qing’s turn.
Fang Qing touched his bamboo hat, his voice clear and resonant. “This one… wishes to seek a Great Sun lineage cultivation method. The remuneration can be paid in medicinal pills that enhance magic power.”
“A Great Sun lineage method? Since the ‘Great Sun Purple Qi’ was severed, what use is such a method?”
The cultivator surnamed Pu sneered, his tone extremely disdainful.
“Hehe… although the Great Sun Purple Qi has been severed for thousands of years, those ancient ruins and secret realms may not be without remnants…”
An Zhuzi was clearly butting heads with this cultivator surnamed Pu. “You are shallow in knowledge, so don’t speak nonsense and degrade yourself… Oh, right, your Pu Family’s ancestor ‘Pu Shanjun’—was it not by serendipity that he obtained a cave abode left behind by a predecessor, and relying on the methods and True Qi obtained there, soared to the heavens? If your family’s ancestor could do so, why can’t others be allowed to find such things?”
“You?!”
Flames spouted from the cultivator surnamed Pu’s nostrils again.
The cultivators present were as silent as cicadas in winter.
That was the Pu Family’s ancestor! A Purple Mansion cultivator! A great power!
It was said that in his youth, he fell into an ancient cultivator’s cave abode, cultivating assiduously until the Dao Foundation stage before emerging, establishing a glorious reputation in Yulin Commandery.
Even more, when in the late stage of Dao Foundation, he found a type of Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire—“Ember Tribulation Fire”! Risking life and death, he forcibly absorbed and devoured it, mastering this spirit flame.
This “Ember Tribulation Fire” ranked ninety-eighth on the Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire Rankings. It was a rare treasure coveted even by Purple Mansion cultivators. After refining it, its power was boundless, making one invincible in magical combat.
He subsequently broke through to Purple Mansion, established the Pu Family, and it had been over two hundred years since then.