Chapter 24: Practicing Stalls
Chapter 24: Practicing Stalls
"Old Deng, time to loot!"
Fang Xing approached the body, his hands covered with nano-gloves, and began to search.
Just then, a drone warning sounded, alerting him to the presence of approaching cultivators.
He dared not linger and quickly gathered his spoils before hurrying away in the opposite direction.
In the temporary camp, Fang Xing examined Old Deng's possessions. He poured out the contents of a pouch, revealing five lower-grade spirit stones and eight spirit sands, his eyes lighting up with delight. "Killing and robbing sure is more profitable than selling herbs!"
The old man didn't have many possessions, but each item was exquisite. Aside from the pouch, there was a tobacco pipe made from an unknown heavy metal and intricately crafted to shoot poison needles—a true masterpiece of ancient craftsmanship.
Lastly, there was an ancient book.
"Greenwood Art?"
Fang Xing read the title, his breath catching at the sight of the words. "A cultivation technique?"
He flipped through the pages with interest, learning that it taught how to calm one's mind, sense the earth's spiritual energy, and absorb and refine it into one's own power.
The book bore the marks of frequent reading, its pages worn.
According to the Greenwood Art, the technique was divided into nine layers: the first three layers for the early Qi Refining stage, the next three for the middle Qi Refining stage, and the final three for the late Qi Refining stage.
Upon reaching the pinnacle of the ninth layer, one would attain the moniker of a 'perfected Qi Refining' cultivator and be ready to breakthrough to the higher 'Foundation Establishment' stage.
"This Greenwood Art is a wood-attribute technique that can be cultivated up to the ninth layer of the Qi Refining stage..."
"It's just a pity that for someone without spiritual roots, it's as useless as trash."
Turning to the last page, Fang Xing found a note—'Lacking spiritual roots, unable to cultivate immortality, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate!'
The seven characters, each imbued with intense emotion, revealed the writer's profound frustration.
Fang Xing couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy.
"So, not having spiritual roots means one can't cultivate immortality...seems like an unbreakable rule."
He sighed and carefully put away the book, then pasted a 'Spirit-Sensing Talisman' on himself.
Moments later, the talisman turned to ashes, signifying that no miracle had occurred.
The next talisman he tried yielded the same result.
"As I thought, I have no spiritual roots, so I can't cultivate immortality..."
Fang Xing shook his head. "Fortunately...I can still practice martial arts! The Federal Martial Way, when cultivated to a profound level, can also lead to longevity!"
...
Several days later, in a cave, Fang Xing sat cross-legged, his mind calm and serene.
He had maintained this posture for over three hours, his body still upright and unshaking.
Before him lay the open Greenwood Art, revealing the content of the first layer, 'Drawing Energy into the Body'.
"It's still no use..."
After a long while, he opened his eyes, his expression neutral.
Fang Xing was naturally still very interested in this cultivation technique and could understand every word, comprehending their meaning.
However...no matter what he tried, he couldn't sense the earth's spiritual energy, not even a bit!
"As expected, without spiritual roots, one can't cultivate immortality...not even enough to register on the attribute panel..."
If only he could get a foothold, even a minuscule chance, Fang Xing would work tirelessly to improve!
But what could he do when the health bar didn't even light up for this enemy?
"If I could cultivate immortality, this world would be even more valuable...As it is, it's not bad."
Fang Xing stood up, dusted himself off, and walked into an adjacent cave.
There, a small electric rice cooker kept a pot of rice warm. The base camp's power came from a 'nuclear fusion' battery, enough to power the entire camp for thousands of years.
After all, for the Blue Star Federation, controlled nuclear fusion was a solved problem.
"Spirit Fragrance Rice, it does smell wonderful..."
As the rice steamed, a delicate fragrance of lotus leaves filled the cave.
Fang Xing inhaled deeply, his stomach rumbling in response.
"My body...it craves this rice?"
He opened the rice cooker, and as the steam rose, the aroma intensified tenfold.
Inside was a pot of rice glowing with a faint light, each grain plump and fragrant.
Fang Xing served himself a bowl, eating a mouthful of the plain rice.
The rice melted in his mouth, bursting with a strong, sweet fragrance that seemed even more delicious than the Blood Tooth Rice.
"More importantly...it's so nutritious."
Even without any side dishes, Fang Xing was content, continuously filling his bowl until he had devoured the entire pot of rice.
"Mmm...truly satisfying."
Full and content, Fang Xing rubbed his stomach, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Unlike taking the 'Vitality Pill,' there's no surge of violent qi and blood, but rather, it's like a clear stream flowing gently throughout my body..."
"As expected of spirit rice, there's not a hint of pill toxicity, and it feels so comfortable...If I eat this for a long time, it will definitely have a subtle transformative effect and improve my constitution!"
He felt that if he continued eating this spirit rice, even without the 'Innate Pill,' his foundation for breaking through to the Pure Jade and Nascent Soul realms, and even higher, would become more solid, making it easier to break through bottlenecks.
"Spirit Fragrance Rice is truly amazing... I should buy more next time."
The thought of Spirit Fragrance Rice reminded Fang Xing of the seller, the young girl Ding Hongxiu.
Although she seemed naive, her grandfather was well-versed and knowledgeable, making her worth befriending to gather information.
...
After a night of diligent cultivation, Fang Xing confirmed that while the effects of Spirit Fragrance Rice were not as immediate as pills, its subtle and gradual influence was more enduring.
Furthermore, the potential for pill toxicity was a concern, making the rice a safer option.
The only downside was its price.
"With my current appetite, I need at least three pounds of Spirit Fragrance Rice per day... Ten pounds would only last a little over three days, and that costs one spirit stone..."
"This isn't something ordinary commoners can afford... Indeed, those dressed in silk are not the silk farmers."
However, for Fang Xing, since Spirit Fragrance Rice was more effective and had no side effects, it was worth considering despite its higher price.
"With Spirit Fragrance Rice, I can also hasten the tempering of my muscles and bones and then break through to the Pure Jade realm!"
The Muscle and Bone realm was more troublesome than the Fleshly Body realm.
Aside from other challenges, there were hundreds of bones in the body that needed to be tempered one by one.
Moreover, there were extremely vital parts like the skull that required utmost caution during cultivation, making it a time-consuming process.
"Let's go!"
With a thought, Fang Xing gathered some wildflowers, fruits, and herbs, filling half a basket, and set out for Qinglin Market to set up a stall.
Selling at a stall offered higher prices, and it was also a convenient way to gather information.
He had already found out that setting up a stall at Qinglin Market did not incur any fees.
Only fixed stalls or shops needed to pay rent monthly.
...
Qinglin Market.
It was still bustling with people.
"Damn, the Luo brothers bit off more than they could chew..."
"Apparently, some beasts appeared nearby, and a cultivator met with misfortune... Sigh, they shouldn't have ventured into uncharted lands."
"This desolate land may be barren, but it also holds opportunities... Take the example of Zheng, the elderly cultivator from the market. He stumbled upon the cave of a predecessor by chance while exploring, gaining the opportunity to build his foundation. He successfully advanced to the great cultivation stage and has been living the high life ever since. Now, the Zheng family controls the auction business in the market, raking in huge profits. I heard that Elder Zheng is preparing to take his thirty-seventh concubine soon..."
Passersby discussed the news, seemingly talking about beast migrations.
Fang Xing wasn't particularly interested in this topic, as he had already avoided several dangerous places thanks to his drone explorations.
After strolling around, he arrived at a stall and greeted, "Miss Hongxiu, we meet again."
This stall had several baskets filled with Spirit Fragrance Rice, and the seller was none other than Ding Hongxiu.
"It's you..."
Ding Hongxiu recognized Fang Xing's disguised face and nodded, "I haven't asked your name yet..."
"I'm Fang..."
Fang Xing smiled and spread out a coarse cloth, displaying his goods and starting his business.
Seeing Fang Xing set up his stall next to hers, Ding Hongxiu's face turned slightly red, and she felt a bit awkward. She glanced at Fang Xing's goods and asked, "Are you in the business of selling medicinal ingredients, Fellow Fang?"
"Indeed. Your family's Spirit Fragrance Rice is excellent. If you can offer a lower price, I'd like to buy a few more pounds..."
Fang Xing's cheerful smile made the young girl hesitate to continue.
He chuckled to himself, picked up a book, and started reading, occasionally negotiating with customers who inquired about the prices. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.
"Heavenly Canopy Qigong?"
Ding Hongxiu's curiosity was piqued as she read the title, "Is this a martial arts secret manual?"
"Yeah, there's a stall selling them at the corner ahead. Each manual only costs one spirit sand, it's a bargain..."
Fang Xing sighed.
It was challenging for martial artists to make a living in the cultivation market. Many were forced to sell their most prized martial arts secrets just to earn a few spirit sands for their livelihood.
Unfortunately, these secret manuals, which would undoubtedly stir up turmoil in the martial arts world, were considered cheap and common goods in the cultivation market, especially the hand-copied versions. One manual typically fetched the price of one spirit sand.
Fang Xing bought a few manuals to gain a better understanding of this world's martial artists. He considered it a minor expense for entertainment.
The Heavenly Canopy Qigong he held was of the highest quality among them, allowing cultivation up to the innate realm, and it also included a secret martial art called 'Innate Canopy Qi'.
In Fang Xing's opinion, this 'Innate Canopy Qi' could potentially reach the strength of a Federal B-grade martial art, which was quite impressive.
As for A-grade martial arts?
They were of an even higher caliber, capable of allowing martial artists to defy the heavens and reverse their innate limitations. Such arts were rarely seen.
'This world lacks the fertile soil for martial arts to truly flourish...'
'Martial artists who reach their innate limits are only fit to be servants of cultivators...'
Fang Xing sighed inwardly.
Perhaps due to the suppression from cultivators, the martial path had not progressed, and no realm beyond the innate stage, comparable to the "Audacious Realm", had emerged.
'Given the closed-mindedness and stagnation of the cultivation world, even if a martial artist breaks through to the innate realm, they might not receive much attention. Who knows, the secret to breaking through might be gathering dust in some cultivation sect's library...'
(End of Chapter)
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