Half a month later.
Rumble!
On Small White Island, in the direction of Fang Qing’s Cave Dwelling, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered, forming a vortex.
“This is...a sign of Foundation Establishnt?”
“A cultivator is attempting Foundation Establishnt? And actually chose this island?”
“Judging by the direction, it’s Elder Fang’s Cave Dwelling...it should be that Senior Sister Qin...”
At this mont, most of the Qi Refining cultivators nearby stopped what they were doing and gazed toward the spiritual energy vortex, their eyes filled with envy.
“Senior Sister Qin? Didn’t the rumors say she failed Foundation Establishnt twice and even wasted two Foundation Establishnt Pills from the sect? How could she still have another chance?”
“This is warti. Senior Sister Qin personally slew several Second-Tier Demonic Beasts. Based on rit alone, she rivals so Foundation Establishnt martial uncles and martial aunts. The sect naturally had to reward her heavily...I heard she even went through the Sect Master’s faction.”
When the junior brother spoke the latter half of that sentence, he lowered his voice considerably. The other cultivators who heard him all wore knowing expressions.
“Three attempts at Foundation Establishnt...and all with Foundation Establishnt Pills...”
Five Dragons Child watched the scene, feeling nothing but bitterness in his heart. There truly was no comparing one person to another.
If he had just a single Foundation Establishnt Pill, he would probably have beco a Foundation Establishnt cultivator long ago. Unfortunately...
Boom!
Under the envious and jealous gazes of the many cultivators, the spiritual energy vortex rapidly condensed and surged into the Cave Dwelling.
Before long, a Foundation Establishnt pressure spread outward, brimming with vigorous vitality.
“She...succeeded?”
“So fast...so cultivators drag out the Foundation Establishnt process for a hundred days, calling it ‘Hundred-Day Foundation Establishnt’...but Senior Sister Qin accomplished it in just a few days. That shows how solid her foundation is.”
“Heh...no matter how solid the foundation, how can it compare to having a solid backing?”
“Having a Second-Tier Pill-Refining Grandmaster backing you really is good...”
***
“Thank you, Young Master, for helping achieve Foundation Establishnt!”
Qin Ruxue’s face was flushed. She had just expressed her gratitude to Fang Qing in her own way.
“Mm. After Foundation Establishnt, everything becos different.”
Fang Qing was also very satisfied with her performance. She had not grown arrogant after her breakthrough.
Of course, as a Bright Consort who had already been subdued, even if she ford a Core in the future, she would not escape his grasp.
“Young Master...after this Foundation Establishnt, my Essence–Qi–Spirit Three Gates have reached completion. I have gained considerable insight. Before long, I should truly beco a Low-Grade Second-Tier Formation Master.”
Qin Ruxue delivered another piece of good news.
“Haha, good!”
Fang Qing was overjoyed. “Focus on cultivation for a period of ti. Consolidate your realm, and refine several genuine Second-Tier formations along the way...this beast tide is rare. We still need to hunt more Second-Tier Demonic Beasts.”
Watching Qin Ruxue leave to enter seclusion, he smiled faintly.
High-level cultivators of the Qi Refining path often raised spirit beasts and the like to enhance their combat power.
Moreover, every one of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation was profound and expansive, each requiring enormous expenditure of essence and blood. When encountering problems one could not solve alone, one inevitably had to seek others’ help.
Thus there were sects, exchange gatherings, immortal cities...
“But I am different. I can directly cultivate the Five Bright Sons...covering pill refinent, formations, talismans, and artifacts...in the future, perhaps I can achieve self-sufficiency and form my own cycle.”
What a pity there were only five positions. Why not make more?
Wait. The positions were limited to five, but disciples could be accepted without limit...unless soone’s craft was truly outstanding yet restricted by spiritual root aptitude and insufficient cultivation. Only then would a position be granted...
After dismissing Qin Ruxue, Fang Qing cald his mind and reflected on the problems exposed during his recent demon hunts.
“At present, I lack a decisive combat thod against those of the sa realm...during demon hunts, formation power can substitute for that. But in cultivator combat, no one will foolishly walk into a formation.”
He took stock of his thods. Whether it was the Demon-Subduing Vajra Pestle or his Second-Tier body-refining technique, during Qi Refining he could kill with a single strike. But after Foundation Establishnt, they had beco ordinary ans.
After all, Foundation Establishnt cultivators generally possessed Divine Sense and could fly. They would not foolishly allow soone to approach and calmly deploy body-refining techniques.
Beyond that, although the Sea-Transforming Pearl had improved, it was still only a low-grade spiritual artifact. Combined with the Azure Spirit Inner Armor, it rely placed him slightly above average among early-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivators.
“But I do not intend to fight only early-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivators...even against mid- or late-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivators, I must at least possess threatening power before I can retreat calmly.”
“As for the Foundation Establishnt spells attached to the Azure Sea Art, they lean toward survival and are difficult to use decisively.”
This was also a common flaw of water-aspected cultivators. They excelled at defense and healing...but as for decisive offensive thods, those were rare.
“If it is already difficult here, then if I go to the World of Ancient Shu and encounter Dao Foundation cultivators, it will be even harder...”
Fang Qing pursed his lips.
After Foundation Establishnt, he had originally planned to go to the World of Ancient Shu to show off—no, to disguise himself as a Dao Foundation cultivator and conduct more trade.
Unfortunately, lacking sufficient thods, he had not dared to go.
The Dao arts over there were exquisite. Although Dao Foundation cultivators were fewer in number, they were generally stronger than Foundation Establishnt cultivators.
“The best approach would be to find the continuation of the Horse-Headed Vajra Guardian Divine Art and cultivate body refinent to Mid-Grade or even Top-Grade Second Tier...that would still be an extrely powerful trump card.”
“Unfortunately, Xu Hei has been unreliable, and esoteric monks are forbidden from crossing eastward. Techniques from the Secret Treasury Domain in the World of Ancient Shu are extrely rare...and sending Xu Hei there would be tantamount to suicide.”
“Rather than seeking a continuation technique, it would be better to use Observing Black Ridge to forge a Dao Foundation...a Dao Foundation cultivator’s own immortal foundation possesses all kinds of unfathomable abilities. According to the Dao Text, it is almost equivalent to a ‘Pseudo–Divine Ability.’”
A Natal Divine Ability was a talent possessed only by Third-Tier Demonic Beasts. Among Foundation Establishnt cultivators, a Pseudo–Divine Ability was enough to dominate!
This was the terrifying aspect of cultivators from the World of Ancient Shu.
Unfortunately...he still could not find a spiritual item of Ji Water.
Given the tight control exercised by the upper echelons in the World of Ancient Shu, it was exceedingly difficult for Loose Cultivators to forge a Dao Foundation. Fang Qing still needed to wait for an opportunity.
“For now, there is no way in the World of Ancient Shu. I should focus on the Azure Sea Sect side. Resources are abundant here, and there are other thods...if I had a Tide-Birth Pearl External Pill...forget it. I would rather hope to obtain a talisman treasure.”
Fang Qing had read descriptions of talisman treasures in the classics. They were Third-Tier precious talismans, crafted only by Core Formation cultivators and requiring the expenditure of the power of one’s natal magical treasure.
In the hands of a Foundation Establishnt cultivator, even a late-stage one, such an item would be a trump card.
“Such treasures likely exist only in the hands of the direct lineage of a Core Formation Ancestor...no amount of spirit stones could buy them. Or rather, there is no channel to purchase them.”
Yet with this line of thought opened, many ideas suddenly erged.
“Cultivating Foundation Establishnt spells takes a long ti; it cannot be done overnight. But if I acquire a large quantity of Second-Tier talismans and bombard the enemy relentlessly...or obtain a mid- or top-grade spiritual artifact, that would likewise greatly enhance a Foundation Establishnt cultivator’s strength.”
However, it was warti. Items that could rapidly increase combat power had skyrocketed in price, becoming even more sought-after than cultivation-enhancing pills.
“If I cannot buy them, then I will refine them myself! I rember that in the Heavenly Book Pavilion of the sect, there is a secret art called Ten Thousand Souls Banner...it allows the refinent of a special soul banner spiritual artifact. It is simple to refine, and its power depends entirely on the souls sealed within. If only First-Tier Demonic Beast souls are sealed, it is rely an ordinary magical artifact. But if a Second-Tier Demonic Beast essence soul is refined in as commander, it gains the power of a spiritual artifact. If ten or eight Second-Tier essence souls are included, it rivals a mid-grade spiritual artifact...and if one day it reaches the level of a ‘Hundred Souls Banner,’ even a top-grade spiritual artifact would not compare.”
Once Fang Qing thought of it, he acted.
Although Small White Island was not the sect itself, within the Ancient Bronze Hall most exchange items were available.
Especially this soul banner secret art...it was surprisingly popular!
“Haha...Junior Brother, you also want to refine a soul banner?”
Elder Wanbao took out a pale jade slip and laughed. “This item is simple to refine. Use the bones of a Second-Tier Demonic Beast as the pole, and beast hide as the banner. Then employ the Soul-Guiding Art to draw in demon souls and seal them within, and it is complete. Most of our sect’s demon-hunting cultivators like to refine one, making full use of materials. Just rember—never seal the souls of cultivators, or you will fall into the demonic path.”
“Many thanks for the reminder, Senior Brother. I understand the consequences.”
After leaving the Ancient Bronze Hall, Fang Qing imrsed his Divine Sense into the pale jade slip and indeed found hundreds of thousands of characters detailing the secret art.
“This technique carries a demonic undertone. These soul-guiding and soul-refining thods do not look like orthodox ans at all. It should be the legacy of so demonic cultivator.”
In the cultivation world of the Small Huan Sea, there was no strict division between orthodox and demonic. Cultivators practiced whatever spells were beneficial.
Yet sealing the living souls of cultivators or harvesting the blood and qi of the masses for cultivation was still taboo.
Indeed, the folkways here were simple—much better than in the World of Ancient Shu. If this secret art were placed there, those Dao Foundation forces might select commoners in their territories to beco cultivators, only to ultimately have them cultivate themselves into souls for the Ten Thousand Souls Banner—perhaps even giving it a grandiose na, like Human Emperor Banner.
Fang Qing mocked inwardly. But upon seeing the refinent thod, his eyes lit up.
“Indeed, using demonic beast materials to refine it is like using the original broth to cook the original ingredients...and the thod is extrely simple. Even I can give it a try.”
He had never studied artifact refinent. Even with Divine Sense, he could not advance to Second Tier in a short ti.
But the refinent thod for this soul banner was truly simple.
“The banner pole is best made from an entire spinal column. If that cannot be found, use the Bone-Fusion technique to piece together several powerful bones.”
Fang Qing happened to have so Second-Tier demonic beast materials in storage. He took out a few sections to practice.
“Wait...”
Turning to the latter portion of the jade slip, he discovered a thod for devouring and fusing similar soul banners. His heart stirred.
“If I have a cheat and do not use it, refining artifacts foolishly, would I not be an idiot?”
With a thought, Fang Qing activated Plum Blossom Divination and saw a hexagram: “The benefit of Water and Marsh lies in the southwest...”
“In other words, in the southwest direction of the Tai Bai Sea Region, there will be a good person who helps achieve great completion in my soul banner?”
“Haha...having absorbed the essence of many divination manuals from the World of Ancient Shu, my divination skills have indeed advanced again.”
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