Ba Commandery.
Because of the previous chaotic wars within the cultivation world, Dao Foundation families and Purple Palace immortal sects each withdrew into seclusion, using Qi Ingestion cultivators as chess pieces, plunging the entire cultivation world into utter turmoil.
Many marketplaces shut down directly, and the flow of goods beca obstructed.
Only after Li Rulong secured half the realm did the cultivation world finally stabilize.
Even so, markets familiar to Fang Qing such as Azure Fall Market and Floating Boat Market had largely fallen into ruin and closed.
Over the past few years, Fang Qing had continuously probed and developed his own network of contacts… and in the end, he only managed to obtain qualifications to attend a few irregularly held loose cultivator exchange gatherings.
…
The bright moon hung high in the sky.
In the desolate countryside, the atmosphere was cold and bleak.
By the roadside stood a half-collapsed small temple.
The deity statue inside had long since blurred beyond recognition, barely retaining the shape of a crude clay humanoid figurine, with a half-black red cloth looped around its neck.
“Stove?”
Fang Qing stared at the shattered plaque for quite so ti, barely managing to make out the character “stove.”
“What kind of temple is this? A Stove God temple?”
He blew out a breath and lit a candle.
“Hehehe… not the Stove God, but the Stove Lord! A Stove Lord Temple!”
A black shadow walked out from behind the statue, emitting a hoarse voice.
Its figure looked extrely incongruous.
Only when it drew closer did it beco clear—it was a fox standing upright like a human, with a skull perched atop its head.
“Stove Lord?”
Fang Qing inclined his head.
“It does not seem to belong to the Twelve Wardens of the Year. I wonder what kind of great power it is?”
“Rustic villagers making random sacrifices—utterly improper… very well then. This old one is ‘Dark Candle Child.’ Daoist friend, are you also here to attend the exchange gathering?”
The old fox continued.
“Indeed.”
Fang Qing nodded beneath his bamboo hat, which concealed most of his face.
“That is excellent.
This old one is attending a human exchange gathering for the first ti and does not know what needs attention.”
The old fox looked rather humble.
“About that—”
Before Fang Qing could speak, another cultivator appeared at the temple entrance.
“Hmph! Once Ba Commandery fell into chaos, all sorts of freaks and monsters ca crawling out. You demons actually dare to co here—are you not afraid of cultivators slaying demons and eradicating evil?”
“Tsk tsk… observing the aura of Tail Fire upon your body, could it be that you hail from the Pu Family of Yulin?”
The old fox was unconcerned.
“Purple Palace Immortal Clans are indeed impressive, but this old one did not go to Yulin Commandery. The Black Miasma Sect, however, is a close friend of our demon race. If we pay a bit more, perhaps we demons will help the Black Miasma Sect attack your Pu Family.”
“What audacity!”
The Pu Family cultivator sneered coldly, flas spurting from his nose and mouth, as if he was about to strike in the next instant.
“Everyone… please give this old Daoist so face.”
Just as Fang Qing thought the human and demon were about to fight, a voice suddenly cut in.
Fang Qing looked over and saw the ragged old Daoist he had once encountered outside Floating Boat Market walking in.
He showed no attempt at concealnt—his cultivation had clearly reached peak Qi Ingestion.
“Hehe… this old Daoist is the convener of this exchange gathering. During the trading period, everyone’s safety is guaranteed by . If any Daoist insists on making a move, I fear I will have no choice but to suppress you first.”
The ragged old Daoist looked at the Pu Family cultivator.
Under the Purple Palace prohibition, peak Qi Ingestion was already the pinnacle of Ba Commandery’s cultivation world.
“Since that is the case, I will give Daoist friend so face.”
The Pu Family cultivator imdiately backed down, the flas on his face dissipating.
Everyone entered the small temple and found places to sit.
After half an hour, Fang Qing glanced around and saw that more than ten cultivators had gathered inside the temple.
Among them were those dressed like old farrs, holding smoking pipes, with a pair of grandchildren beside them, as well as gorgeously dressed noblewon.
Of course, most cultivators were like Fang Qing, hiding themselves within hooded cloaks.
Even though the ragged Daoist’s earlier reminder to Li Rulong had left Fang Qing with a rather upright impression, one could never be too cautious.
As for demons, there seed to be only the old fox.
“Alright.
Thank you all for coming to this small gathering… we may first exchange items according to our needs, then engage in discussion.”
The ragged Daoist explained the rules.
“We shall begin with this Daoist.”
He pointed at the old farr-like cultivator.
“This old one’s surna is Tian. Daoist friends may simply call ‘Old Tian.’”
Old Tian revealed a mouth of yellow-black teeth.
“My family accidentally entered the Dao, cultivating the Lou tal path… but alas, the cultivation thod is diocre. I can only reach late-stage Qi Ingestion. I wonder if any Daoist friends have clues to follow-up thods? At the very least, one that reaches the Dao Foundation.”
At this, soone let out a snort of laughter—it was the Pu Family cultivator.
He sneered coldly.
“You rustic stray cultivators want Dao Foundation thods? Now that the markets of the Land of Ancient Shu are desolate, if you want Dao Foundation techniques, you must seek Dao Foundation families. As for Purple Palace thods, only Purple Palace powers possess them.”
“So that is how it is?”
Old Tian’s eyes went blank as he muttered, “This old one thought… spiritual grain could be exchanged for it…”
Even Fang Qing could not help but feel amused.
Thinking of himself, although he had always been mindful of collecting cultivation thods, he indeed possessed few Dao Foundation techniques.
Coupled with the trouble of Qi gathering and the fact that he himself was more suited to the Ji Water path, he had never taken up a second Ancient Shu cultivation thod.
‘If it were a Great Sun Purple Qi thod, it might be worth sacrificing so cultivation ti… but aside from that, I have yet to encounter anything truly tempting.’
Exchanging too many thods did not significantly increase combat power, though it did provide excellent adaptability.
At this mont, the old fox Dark Candle Child spoke up.
“If Daoist friend’s family is not fixated on Lou tal, this old one does have a cultivation thod here. It belongs to the Taiyin lineage, under Bi Moon, cultivating the Dao Foundation of ‘Softening and Regulating the Hard.’ At the very least, reaching Dao Foundation should pose no issue.”
“What?”
Old Tian was overjoyed.
“Daoist… you are willing to exchange a cultivation thod for spiritual grain?”
“Ahem!”
At this point, the ragged Daoist spoke.
“Dark Candle Child, since you intend to sell a Bi Moon lineage cultivation thod, you must explain the hidden drawbacks in advance.”
“Drawbacks?”
Fang Qing was startled and looked toward Dark Candle Child.
The old fox remained unmoved.
“This old one simply spoke slowly and had not finished yet… this thod originates from Bi Moon. After cultivating it, one will transform into a half-demon and beco close to our demon race.”
“What? Unable to even remain human? T-this… forget it.”
Old Tian hurriedly shook his head.
“Why does this thod cause demon transformation? Does it possess so hidden flaw?”
Fang Qing’s eyes shifted as he asked.
“Hehe. It is not that the old fox’s thod has issues, but that all Bi Moon lineage thods are only suited for the demon race. After all, in ancient tis, the demon race great sage ‘Bi Moon Crow’ erged, throwing the world into chaos. From then on, Bi Moon was transmitted only among demons—every thod beca tainted…”
The Pu Family cultivator had not intended to reveal such cultivation secrets, but since the ragged Daoist had spoken, he opened his mouth as well, partly to disgust the old fox.
“This…”
Fang Qing felt speechless inwardly.
‘What kind of place is this? Cultivating into a demon without even realizing it?’
“Hehe… that Great Sage Bi Moon Crow excelled at devouring tal and swallowing fire, truly awe-inspiring… but that was already more than eight thousand years ago. Instead, the demon race has in recent years colluded with the demonic path and even subsidized barbarian fate. Otherwise, how would the world have fallen into such chaos?”
The Pu Family cultivator pressed his advantage relentlessly.
Listening, Fang Qing felt a faint realization forming in his heart.
“This world divides history into the Primordial, Ancient, and Near Ancient eras… by the Immortal Calendar, it should now be Near Ancient Year 8,529… the positions of the Twelve Wardens of the Year were established in the Primordial era, but… the Great Sun lineage and tal and Fire lineages were satisfied—what about the other lineages? Could there have been vendettas? Turmoil? The demon great sage Bi Moon Crow devouring tal and swallowing fire—could this represent a counterattack of the Taiyin lineage? Even beings as powerful as the Wardens of the Year… could they still fall?”
The old fox said nothing more, and Old Tian withdrew awkwardly.
Next, the noblewoman stepped forward.
“I possess a piece of ‘Innate Geng tal,’ an excellent material for refining flying swords… I seek news of a flying sword.”
“Which flying sword?”
A cultivator asked.
“‘Must Enjoy to the Full’!” the noblewoman replied.
“Heh… although this sword does not rank among the ten most renowned flying swords under heaven, it is still highly famous in the Land of Ancient Shu, sufficient to be listed among the forty-nine famous swords of Ancient Shu. A re piece of Innate Geng tal—not even a proper flying sword—is insufficient! Insufficient!!”
That cultivator shook his head.
“Oh? Then what if I offer a flying sword in exchange?”
The noblewoman’s eyes shimred as she quietly asked.
“T-this… I also do not know where that ‘Must Enjoy to the Full’ sword lies. This sword is imnsely famous. It was the personal sword of the Purple Palace sword cultivator—Misty Wave Superior. It is said its sword light was brilliant as brocade clouds, proud as a roaming dragon…”
Longing filled the cultivator’s voice.
“Then are you making a joke of ?”
The noblewoman’s tone instantly beca dangerous.
“Alright, Madam Qi, please calm down…”
The ragged Daoist helplessly stepped in again.
“This Daoist speaks bluntly… please spare him.”
“Hmph!”
Madam Qi snorted coldly and quietly returned to the group.
After her, it was Fang Qing’s turn.
Fang Qing touched his bamboo hat, his voice clear.
“I… seek a cultivation thod of the Great Sun lineage. The reward may be compensated with pills that enhance true power.”
“Great Sun lineage thods? Ever since Great Sun Purple Qi was severed, what use are such thods?”
The Pu Family cultivator sneered with clear disdain.
“Hehe… although Great Sun Purple Qi has been severed for several thousand years, within ancient ruins and secret realms, there may not be no remnants…”
Dark Candle Child was clearly butting heads with the Pu Family cultivator.
“Your knowledge is shallow—do not speak recklessly and embarrass yourself. Oh, right—your Pu Family Ancestor, Lord Pu Mountain, did he not rise in a single leap after fortuitously obtaining a predecessor’s cave dwelling, relying on the thods and true qi gained there? Since your ancestor could do so, why can others not stumble upon such fortune?”
“You?!”
Flas once again spurted from the Pu Family cultivator’s nostrils.
The cultivators present all fell silent in fear.
That was the Pu Family Ancestor! A Purple Palace cultivator! A great figure of imnse divine power!
It was said that in his youth, he fell into an ancient cultivator’s cave dwelling, remaining in bitter cultivation until the Dao Foundation stage before erging, establishing trendous renown in Yulin Commandery.
Later, in the late Dao Foundation stage, he discovered a kind of heaven-and-earth spiritual fla—‘Ashen Calamity Fire’! Risking life and death, he forcibly absorbed and subdued it, gaining mastery over this fla.
This Ashen Calamity Fire ranked ninety-eighth on the Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Fla List.
It was a rare treasure coveted even by Purple Palace cultivators.
Once refined, its might was boundless, rendering one invincible in battle.
Afterward, he broke through to the Purple Palace realm and founded the Pu Family, which had endured for more than two hundred years to this day.
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