Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists-Chapter 71 - 70 Geography of Yue Country (Congratulations
Chapter 71 -70: Geography of Yue Country (Congratulations to the Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Emperor and Taoist Master!)_1
Chapter 71 -70: Geography of Yue Country (Congratulations to the Alliance Leader of the Heavenly Emperor and Taoist Master!)_1
Southern Wilderness Cultivation Realm.
Heavenly Immortal Building.
The purple sand teapot on the small stove was puffing out steam.
Dressed in a long-sleeved, wide robe with his hair knotted on top of his head and secured with a black wood hairpin, Ge Hongdan looked quite at ease, as if he were relaxing at home.
He reached for the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Fang Xi, “For making tea, snow water is best, followed by mountain spring water and then rainwater… This is snow water I stored from last year. Last year, the weather was fair, and the first snow came right on time. Sir, please taste and see how you find its flavor?”
“It doesn’t compare to Spirit Spring Water!”
Fang Xi told the truth.
Instantly, Ge Hongdan was left speechless, and a hint of an inferiority complex even showed on his face.
After all, for a Cultivator like him who had completely given up the Cultivation Path, obtaining gold, silver, and jewels or secular power was easy, but anything related to the Cultivation World was but a distant fantasy…
Just that to all Immortal Cultivators, even a bowl of Spirit Rice is considered far superior to any gourmet delicacy from the mountains or seas!
Even a patchy, worn-out magical robe is more prestigious than a princely fur worth a fortune!
In the Cultivation World, any item unrelated to cultivation is at the bottom of the disdain chain.
“Haha… but the tea is not bad.”
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Fang Xi laughed, easing the awkwardness, and asked, “Ge Sir, about the items I require?”
“They’re all prepared, please have a look!”
Ge Hongdan composed himself and spread out a scroll on the table, upon which was a map featuring mountains, rivers, indeed a geographic map of Yue Country!
For ancient people, maps were precious items.
Even to Immortal Cultivators, it was largely the same.
“Sir, please look, Jiahe City is located here!”
Ge Hongdan pointed to a very small place on the map.
Fang Xi looked closely and found the location of Jiahe City. Not far from it, the Green Bamboo Mountain Market was marked prominently.
The entire Green Bamboo Mountain Market, in turn, was situated in the northeastern part of what was labeled as ‘Yue Country’.
The map was grand, not only depicting Yue Country but also the adjacent Wood Kingdom and Martial Kingdom… It could be seen that the three kingdoms formed a tripartite balance of power, with Yue Country at the farthest north.
At the border where the three countries met, there was a huge mountain range, shaped like a ‘Y’, dividing the three kingdoms.
This was the ‘Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range’ where it was rumored that Monster beasts of Core Formation level roamed deep within.
And each passable mountain pass had a Cultivation market and fortress.
These market fortresses were like a string of pearls, with the largest one located at the junction of the three kingdoms, marked with the bold characters ‘Baize Immortal City’!
“This is the Sanctum of Individual Cultivators—Baize Immortal City?”
Fang Xi stared at the position of the fairy city, his words also filled with endless longing.
Within the three countries of Yue, Wood, and Martial, each had Core Formation Sects suppressing everything. Even the source of Foundation Establishment Pills was monopolized by them. Only a few Cultivating Immortal Families could expend great cost to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills from within the Sects.
Individual Cultivators could be said to live in the cracks, existing in extreme hardship.
Only ‘Baize Immortal City’ was different. This place was originally just a Cultivation market. Because it was located in a land not governed by the three countries, it quickly became the center of activity for Individual Cultivators. Depending on the abundant resources of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, it kept developing and eventually, after the Individual Cultivator ‘Master Bai Feng’ reached Core Formation, a Cultivation city was founded!
Recently, it can even be claimed to be the only place in the three countries where Individual Cultivators might obtain Foundation Establishment Pills, regarded as a holy land.
“Yes… If Ge were thirty years younger, perhaps I would also go to Baize Immortal City to seek a chance at fortune,” Ge Hongdan likewise lamented.
Fang Xi’s gaze, however, shifted away from Baize Immortal City. That place was a mix of dragons and snakes, definitely not a good place to cultivate the ‘Longevity Skills.’
His principle in cultivation was not to compete or vie for more, to calmly cultivate by planting trees and developing quietly, never to venture into the perilous lands marked by great contention.
Fang Xi turned his gaze up to the northern part of Yue Country.
On the northern border of Yue Country, there was a vast body of water named ‘Thousand Island Lake.’ This lake was incredibly large, and once you went north, it connected to ‘Great Dream Marsh.’
This marsh was enveloped in mist all year round, blocking even the Divine Consciousness of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, spanning a vast area. It was said that even Core Formation Masters who entered would disappear without a trace.
Legend had it that if one could cross ‘Great Dream Marsh,’ one would reach a region north of the Southern Wilderness, a Cultivation World even more powerful and prosperous.
In ‘Thousand Island Lake,’ countless islands were scattered like stars, among which not a few possessed Spiritual Veins and were occupied by minor sects and families.
Among these, the Dragon Fish Zhong Family, one of Yue Country’s seven major Cultivating Immortal Families, was located.
Hmm, the so-called seven major Cultivating Immortal Families of Yue Country were headed by the Song Family as Foundation Establishment families, each generation having Foundation Establishment Cultivators. They stood alongside Core Formation Sects like Red Leaf Valley as one of Yue Country’s thirteen major powers, in fealty to Mysterious Heaven Sect.
However, recently, the Heaven Talisman Shen Family, Black Water Situ Family, and Red Leaf Valley were destroyed, leaving only five of Yue Country’s seven major Cultivating Immortal Families.
It was rumored that the Song Family had lifted another Cultivating Immortal Family ‘Tu Family’ and helped the Tu Family’s patriarch reach Foundation Establishment, with strong intentions to replace one of the original families.
‘In Yue Country, the Mysterious Heaven Sect with their Core Formation Masters sitting in power is the sky! Having a powerful Foundation Establishment Cultivator marks a noble family, whereas countless Qi Refining families and sects, and even the lowest Individual Cultivators can only struggle bitterly…’
Fang Xi sighed inwardly and his eyes lingered on Thousand Island Lake.
In this large lake, islands rich in spiritual energy were few, comprising only dozens. Among these, a few were occupied by minor Qi Refining sects, Qi Refining families, and Individual Cultivators. One such alliance named ‘Thirty Six Islands’ stood in opposition to the Dragon Fish Zhong Family.
Recently, the Green Bamboo Mountain Market was still in chaos and had even become a black market, extremely unsafe. Naturally, Fang Xi wouldn’t dream of heading there to cultivate.
And to cultivate the ‘Longevity Skills,’ it would be best to possess a land with a Spiritual Vein.
Thus, Fang Xi set his sights on the Thousand Island Lake region.
Here, Qi Refining Cultivators were the main population, and the powers were stable, merely in a standoff without major battles occurring in the last few decades. It was relatively safe.
The islands are plentiful, with spiritual veins scattered randomly, most of which are of the first order or don’t even make the cut, and resources are not particularly abundant.
Overall, they don’t catch the eyes of the big powers, but they’re quite suitable for laying low and developing.
“With Thousand Island Lake being so vast, perhaps I can still find new spiritual veins… even first order ones would do, let alone those that don’t make the cut…”
“At that time, I can set up arrays, practice Longevity Skills, and at the same time, meditate to advance my cultivation…”
“Once the Spirit Body is cultivated, then I can go to Baize Immortal City to make plans for Foundation Establishment!”
Fang Xi’s baseline goal was to cultivate into a ‘Green Wood Spiritual Body’!
Otherwise, with his low-grade Spiritual Root, he might not be able to successfully establish his foundation.
Even though he could continuously trade between the two realms to obtain a large amount of Spirit Stones, and didn’t mind the toxicity from massively consuming pills for cultivation, trade and purchasing pills both required channels. Too many purchases could easily attract the attention of Foundation Establishment cultivators!
Once he achieved the Spirit Body, the need for pills would be greatly reduced.
“I still have to plant the trees first; this is akin to sharpening the axe before cutting the wood.”
“The growth of the Monster Tree is indeed fast… If it doesn’t meet expectations, I can also cut my losses in time.”
“Let’s set twenty years! I’m only twenty now, in twenty years I’ll be just forty! If by then I find Longevity Skills too difficult to practice, I can still turn back.”
Fang Xi secretly set a deadline for himself in his heart.
“However, I still need to acquire the necessary items…”
His gaze swept over the areas surrounding Thousand Island Lake, and upon spotting the mark for ‘Baochuan Market,’ he felt even more satisfied.
Although there were plenty of good stuff in Green Bamboo Mountain Market, the stores there bullied their customers, which was quite problematic. Fang Xi did not want to go there a second time.
He had plenty of good stuff on him now, enough to sell at another market, and then purchase inheritances, arrays…
“Indeed, these really are good stuff!”
After making mental preparations, Fang Xi looked up and said to Ge Hongdan, “Thank you, Sir!”
As he spoke, he took out ten Spirit Stones and handed them to Ge Hongdan.
“Haha, no need for thanks.”
Ge Hongdan, with Spirit Stones in hand, smiled from ear to ear.
For an Immortal Cultivator, this is what truly mattered.
Even with great power in the secular world, getting them was not easy.
He accepted the Spirit Stones and began to drink tea, his curiosity returning: “Sir, are you perhaps considering going to Baize Immortal City?”
“That’s exactly my intention!”
Although he had no such intention at all, since the Fairy City housed even Core Formation ancestors and numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators. Fang Xi wouldn’t dare to wander under their watchful eyes.
But necessary concealment was still appropriate.
“I do have a few friends in Baize Immortal City. If you go there, you might consider paying them a visit…”
Ge Hongdan offered a few ways to get in touch, smiling as he spoke.
Fang Xi noted them one by one and expressed his thanks.
Once the transaction was complete, he took his leave from the Heavenly Immortal Building.
…
Thousand Island Lake was a good six or seven thousand li from Green Bamboo Mountain Market!
And that was just the straight-line distance.
The road was fraught with mountains and rivers, bandits and thieves… Therefore, ordinary people from ancient times might not even leave their hometowns in their whole lives. To make it to the county town considered a person quite capable.
Fang Xi traveled by light body technique, maintaining the lowest consumption of energy, effortlessly covering a day’s distance akin to a galloping horse, up to five or six hundred li.
Even with the Black Cloud Cap flying tool, a Qi Refining cultivator’s magic power is limited. Constant use for travel is too extravagant, and would also leave him vulnerable to sudden dangers.
So he primarily traveled by light body technique or by riding a horse to rest, only taking to the Black Cloud Cap for a swift glide when the path was obstructed by large rivers or insurmountable cliffs.
In this way, he took several detours, but he estimated that he could reach Thousand Island Lake in about twenty days.
More than ten days later.
Fang Xi had been sleeping under the stars, only occasionally indulging himself in the big cities.
Today, seeing that it was getting late, he found a cave to rest for the night.
“If not for the convenience of Avoiding Grain Pills and Purity Talismans for an Immortal Cultivator… long-distance travel would be even more deadly.”
After swallowing an Avoiding Grain Pill, Fang Xi also sighed for the difficulty of ancient transportation.
“It is said that… between some large markets, there are regular caravans that provide a much more convenient and safer travel on pack animals.”
There used to be such caravans in Green Bamboo Mountain Market, but now… it’s literally a black market!
So the supposed regular caravans were non-existent.
Fang Xi had no choice but to travel alone.
Fortunately, he kept a low profile and stayed out of trouble, so aside from the fatigue of the journey, nothing particularly eventful happened on the way.
There were no cultivation-robbers leaping out to kill and plunder, nor distressed female cultivators for him to play the hero.
After resting for the night, Fang Xi, refreshed, continued on his way and reached the vicinity of Yu County in the northern part of Yue Country.
