Chapter 484: Exploration
Chapter 484: Exploration
Fang Xing's gaze shifted, and he looked at his profession once more:
"My profession has changed again... I wonder what special traits this 'Master of Esotericism' has?"
The traits of the previous 'Immortal Martial Artist' profession had been quite helpful to him in the early stages.
And as for the 'Master of Esotericism', it was undoubtedly a profession well-suited to this world, and he wouldn't face the kind of sealing that a 'Stellar Martial Artist' would.
As Fang Xing's gaze fell upon the 'Master of Esotericism', annotations automatically appeared in his mind:
'Master of Esotericism: You are the founder of the Esoteric Sect and the highest achiever in Esoteric cultivation! You imprint unique information on all Esoteric martial arts, and through empowerment and discipline, you control all Esoteric disciples... The progress of all Esoteric disciples will deepen your foundation, and you hold the power of life and death over them. With a single thought, you can take away their lifelong cultivation of Esoteric martial arts and bestow it upon other Esoteric disciples...'
...
"Hmm... The constraints are a bit too strong, and there are too many pitfalls."
"However, as long as the Esoteric disciples don't have any thoughts of betraying me, there shouldn't be any major issues."
Fang Xing focused his attention on the 'Master of Esotericism' profession, glanced at it a few times, and then dismissed it.
If one were to discuss pitfalls in the extraordinary, there were too many. He sat cross-legged, continuing to play with the 'Gear Hand', a holy relic through which he could sense a specific coordinate in the Ether Realm.
"To be able to create such a wondrous artifact, even though this world's technology is backward, with the extraordinary power of the Ether, there might be some localized breakthroughs..."
"But, the Ether Realm region associated with this mechanical hand is most likely related to 'Machinery', and I'm not that interested."
Fang Xing sat cross-legged, immediately entering a state of meditation.
Through the 'Dream Entry Technique', he could instantly enter the Ether Realm.
For ordinary Esoteric disciples, meditation was equally important.
After all, martial artists cultivated not only their bodies but also their Martial Dao Will!
Without a strong Martial Dao Will, how could one face the harshness of life and the countless terrors lurking in the Ether Realm?
"It's time to take a look and quickly gather some secret transmissions from the other four divisions. My Esoteric martial arts are still empty..."
With a thought, Fang Xing once again entered the Ether Realm.
...
The sky above was filled with towering stone pillars.
As far as the eye could see, it seemed like a forest of stalagmites.
The gray-white stone covered the earth, appearing fragile yet eternal.
Fang Xing walked through the stalagmite forest, his expression changing as he punched out.
Boom!
A stalagmite shattered, revealing a peculiar multi-sided irregular white stone.
On the white stone, there were several crimson symbols.
He picked up the white stone, and his thoughts seemed to scatter, his body becoming sluggish, not wanting to move, as if he had turned into a stone statue.
In that instant, Fang Xing's body immediately sprouted gray-white stone skin, as if trying to envelop him within.
Woosh!
Fang Xing's heart beat, pumping out a massive amount of steam. His pores opened like valves, and pieces of stone skin fell away.
He looked at the irregular stone in his hand and found that it had transformed into a stone statue technique.
"I turn into a stone statue, but I don't understand its meaning..."
"A 'Stone Secret Transmission'? The Stone Division martial arts are settled, perhaps it can be named 'Stone Statue Technique'?"
Fang Xing nodded and shook his head, understanding how the initial Mystic had come to be.
In the Ether Realm, there were various 'opportunities' or 'pitfalls'. Mortals who ventured there and survived always gained some fragmented insights.
This stone forest, for example, was extremely dangerous, as it could potentially petrify those who entered.
But with a little search, a 'Stone' Secret Transmission appeared.
He walked a long way out of the forest, leaving the stone forest and entering a starry grassland.
On the ground, reed grass grew waist-high, and starry points like fireflies danced between the blades, creating a dreamlike, surreal beauty.
"In the mortal world, it's rare to see such a beautiful sight."
Fang Xing stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly appreciating the scenery.
Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound, and he listened to the mysterious moth again.
Whoosh!
His figure moved, and he chased after the source of the sound.
For Fang Xing, in the Ether Realm, he was the true danger!
After crossing a hill, he saw two groups of Mystics chasing and killing each other...
In front, a girl in a black dress was running away. She wore a black dress and had a mysterious moth tattoo on her back, making her look lively and vivid.
With the help of the moth wings, the girl could fly and glide after running a certain distance, preventing her from being caught by the giant cocoon-like insects behind her.
The giant cocoon-like insects had a human-like upper body and a cocoon-like lower body. They moved quickly, alternating their six belly feet.
Just as Fang Xing saw them, they also noticed him.
The girl with moth wings watched as the man clenched his fist and aimed it at her from a distance.
"Steam Emission!"
Fang Xing unleashed a ball of steam, demonstrating his expertise in Steam Martial Arts.
The scorching steam, like a cannonball, hit the girl with pinpoint accuracy, causing her to scream and fall from mid-air.
Squeak!
The three cocoon insects behind her, with their sharp abdominal limbs, were thrilled and pursued the girl, ready to strike.
Plop!
Suddenly, the three insects let out a painful cry and flew backward at an even faster speed. Their cocoon shells cracked open in mid-air, revealing three Deep Ones, who frantically shed their cocoon skins.
In the blink of an eye, the three cocoon monsters transformed into three Profound Ones.
"He's not just hostile towards me; he's taking on both sides?"
The girl, now standing, looked at the approaching Fang Xing with a hint of suspicion on her face.
"You all managed to reach this place, so you must be Profound Ones...Very good."
Fang Xing had just fired a steam cannon and followed up with a Steam Press Palm, intending to capture all four of them.
It was common knowledge that questioning someone alone might lead to hidden information.
But when both sides are interrogating each other, it becomes much harder to conceal anything.
"Your...Your Excellency...Why are you ruining our Heart Research Society's plans?"
Among the three mysterious individuals, a leader asked with trepidation.
He suspected that he might be facing an Enlightened One, or perhaps even an Immortal.
Otherwise, how could they have been subdued so effortlessly?
"Now, it's my turn to question you, not the other way around."
Fang Xing chuckled, "The construction of these cocoon skins and moth wings is quite intriguing..."
"This gentleman...I am the one from the Heart Research Society. These are rebels..."
The doll-like girl's eyes darted around, assessing the situation. She took the initiative to introduce herself, "As for these cocoon clothes and moth wings...it's a ritual of our Heart Path called 'Cocooned Person.' We are Extraordinary Beings of the Heart Path, specializing in exploring the Ether Realm and engaging in combat within it..."
As she spoke, she glanced at Fang Xing with surprise.
It was clear that this influential figure was not from the Heart Path, as he had never heard of the 'Cocooned Person' ritual.
However, the fact that he could capture four Profound Ones of the Heart Path in the Ether Realm indicated an astonishing level of strength.
At the very least, he could be an advanced Enlightened One or even an Immortal!
"I see."
Fang Xing nodded, understanding that ordinary Extraordinary Beings often faced challenges in the Ether Realm.
Even Profound Ones had physical qualities similar to mortals.
They could succumb to the extreme cold of the Ether Realm, possibly freezing to death!
If an Extraordinary Being's main consciousness suffered damage in the Ether Realm, their physical body would reflect the same injuries, potentially leading to death!
Of course, this did not apply to Esoteric Martial Artists.
Additionally, Extraordinary Beings of the Heart Path could enhance their bodies in the Ether Realm through various rituals, charms, and other means, making them incredibly powerful in that realm.
Unfortunately, this 'power' seemed rather pitiful to Fang Xing.
It was like having a group of ants, with one ant suddenly mutating and growing an extra pair of wings, making it stronger than the others.
But to him, it was still weak!
Fang Xing was always fair and impartial in his judgment, equally looking down on every Extraordinary Being in this world.
"Heart Research Society? That sounds like a Heart Path-related faction...Alright, now I'll ask, and you'll answer. If you can't, you'll die immediately."
Fang Xing smiled and noticed that one of the Extraordinary Beings' bodies was slightly transparent. He leaped forward, and his Steam Press Palm descended from above.
Boom!
The man screamed as his body exploded into a shower of stardust that rained down on the grassland.
"Don't even think of running...With my strength, I can wipe out your consciousness in an instant as you try to escape..."
Fang Xing made an example of the others.
"Respected sir...Please feel free to ask whatever you need."
The leader silently cursed his companion's foolishness and forced a smile.
"I know where to find some Secret Transmissions. In the real world, there aren't many good options, but here..."
Fang Xing inquired.
"I know about this. We Extraordinary Beings have some outposts in the Ether Realm, including a large trading market...The coordinates are here."
The doll-like girl quickly took out a small white flower from her pocket.
The Ether Realm and the Illusory Realm had some similarities, lacking a stable spatial concept, making 'directions' impossible. The best they could do was provide coordinates.
These coordinates would generate a pulling force, drawing anyone from any direction towards the bazaar.
"Very good."
Fang Xing took the flower coordinates with a smile, "Now...Hand over a Secret Transmission from the Heart Path, and you can leave..."
'So, I've encountered a bandit.'
The girl secretly lamented in her heart, 'Thankfully...I sent out a signal when these bug people attacked me, and my father should be arriving soon...'
(End of Chapter)
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