ALL NOVEL Chapter 100: Tai Sui's Advancement
“How formidable!”
On the command platform,
a towering figure with crimson eyes and skin pale as if devoid of blood abruptly stood up.
“He’s at the pinnacle of Zongshi mastery, clad in precious armor impervious to blades, swords, and even astral energy!”
“Have everyone stand aside; I’ll confront him personally!”
This man was none other than Pang Fei, the leader of the Nascent Fate Society!
With a soft exclamation, his body surged with astral energy, displaying remarkable power!
Moreover, as his demonic-like form moved, his spirit melded seamlessly with the might of the entire army. This fusion manifested a faintly visible pitch-black Dragonfish hovering in mid-air, exerting immense pressure on Fang Xi!
Suppressing force through spiritual secret arts!
Pang Fei’s strength unequivocally placed him at the absolute summit of Great Liang!Pffft!
Fang Xi swung his sword downward, only to find no one daring to obstruct him anymore. Even the relentless barrage of arrows and hidden weapons ceased.
In their place, he felt an even more terrifying pressure descending upon him!
The surroundings suddenly darkened, revealing a mutilated black Dragonfish with exposed skeletal parts, menacingly lunging towards Fang Xi!
For an ordinary cultivator or even a Zongshi, under such overwhelming force, their movements would likely slow by half, leaving them vulnerable to slaughter!
“Dragon Fist of the Emperor?!”
“A single punch encompassing immense momentum and spiritual secret techniques - truly a pinnacle martial art of our time!” Fang Xi marveled, his spiritual sense sharp as a blade, instantly piercing through the oppressive aura. Ahead, he glimpsed a figure resembling both deity and demon, delivering a powerful strike directly at him!
This punch carried the weight of a mountain, seemingly imbued with the strength of countless raging soldiers!
One man embodying an entire army!
“Secret Technique: Primordial Limitless!”
Fang Xi unleashed the Primordial Secret Technique with his sword, foregoing any defense as he struck forth!
It was a clear strategy aiming for mutual destruction!
Pang Fei’s eyebrows furrowed, forcing him to swiftly transform his punch into a series of rapid palm strikes. His hands moved like ghostly shadows, striking the sword eighteen times in quick succession, barely managing to halt its advance.
“Pang Fei!” Fang Xi roared, “Borrowed momentum is never truly yours!”
Abruptly releasing his sword, he clenched his right hand into an overpowering fist.
“Secret Technique - Heir Apparent Dragon Command!”
Pang Fei countered with his own fist, each move executed flawlessly. Amidst their exchange, a fragmented dragon shape coalesced around him - this was his highly concentrated astral energy!
Indeed, Pang Fei had taken the first step towards ‘True Astral Manifestation’!
Clash!
Their astral fists collided, and surprisingly, the dragon-shaped astral energy seemed to possess its own intelligence, swiftly circling around Fang Xi to strike at his back.
Bang!
Buzz!
With a thunderous roar akin to a dragon’s, Fang Xi’s astral energy cloak was torn apart, exposing his rear.
But it was Pang Fei who felt astonished next!
He sensed that most of his dragon-shaped astral energy’s destructive force was absorbed by Fang Xi’s spirit snake armor.
The remaining impact could easily be endured by a Zongshi’s physique.
As they clashed relentlessly, astral energies surged around them.
“No!”
Soldiers caught too slow within their vicinity were instantly shredded to pieces amidst the chaos.
Even Pang Fei’s weapons, forged from hundred-refined steel, were left battered and twisted as if by immense unseen forces…
The ground churned violently, resembling the writhing of colossal earthworms beneath the surface.
As their battle intensified, the two combatants moved faster, akin to scarlet Dragonfish sweeping through the chaotic battlefield…
After nearly an hour, amidst the ruins and debris:
Pang Fei’s upper garments hung torn, revealing multiple fist imprints on his body.
“I…I’ve been defeated!” His dragon-shaped Astral Energy had long dissipated, leaving him with the aura of a frail old man.
“Fate can be borrowed but must also be repaid…” Fang Xi whispered to Pang Fei across from him. “Our fierce battle forced the rebels to scatter… Once they disperse, their collective momentum dissipates, depriving you of the military force’s momentum!”
“Alas… If only I could have ascended to the throne, my Dragon Fist of the Emperor would never have faltered!” Pang Fei laughed heartily before coughing up blood mixed with pieces of internal organs.
“The Dragon Fist of the Emperor is indeed a remarkable secret art,” Fang Xi said with a smile. “Would it be possible for you to pass it on to me? Let me continue your journey and witness the scenery beyond Zongshi status in your stead…”
The annals of Great Liang history record:
In the first year of Ming Emperor’s reign, March, rebel forces attacked Three Origins City.
Zongshi ‘Fang Xi’ intervened, defeating three Nascent Fate Society Zongshis and ultimately engaging Pang Fei in a fierce battle on the battlefield.
Their clash left a trail of bloodshed in its wake!
With Pang Fei defeated, the rebel forces scattered!
Zongshi Fang Xi then vanished mysteriously, akin to glimpsing only the head of an elusive divine dragon, earning him the revered title of ‘Supreme Grandmaster’!
In the southern wilderness of the cultivation realm, on Wanhu Island, beneath the lake surface…
The “Supreme Grandmaster” Fang Xi emerged cautiously, holding his Green Turtle Shield in one hand and wielding the Golden Flood Dragon Blade with the other. After ensuring no one was nearby, he swiftly mounted the Black Feather Boat and vanished without a trace.
“It’s as expected… after months have passed, everyone would assume the culprit has fled.”
Fang Xi circled once more with the Black Feather Boat before returning to the vicinity of Peach Blossom Island, a thoughtful expression on his face:
“The Treasure Ship Market issue is resolved, but Peach Blossom Island still remains…”
Previously, Wei Yixin had ventured out seeking opportunities only to meet his demise.
While the prevailing theory blamed the Kou Clan leader, Fang Xi felt something wasn’t quite right.
Theoretically, to protect their interests at Peach Blossom Island, either the Feng or Mo Clans could also be potential culprits!
Or even Old Monster Goldtooth from Golden Flame Island!
“No matter who it is, anyone obstructing my tree planting must die!”
“Regardless of grand ambitions or clan conspiracies… once you’re dead, all those plans come to naught!”
Although Fang Xi didn’t directly retaliate against the families of the five Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivators who tried to ambush him, losing such elite members inevitably dealt them heavy blows and made them vulnerable to rivals’ covetous eyes, possibly leading to their downfall…
This applied equally to the Feng and Mo Clans!
“Others might need evidence, but I don’t require proof, just plausible suspicion!”
Fang Xi’s expression grew stern.
With his possession of powerful magical artifacts like the spirit snake armor and Black Iron Sword, not publicly known yet, combined with his own strength, even facing Old Monster Goldtooth seemed feasible!
One month later.
Peach Blossom Island.
Jade Cliff.
Fang Xi landed outside the Little Cloudrain Array, waved his token gently, and instantly opened a passageway.
Within the channel, several voice-transmission talismans awaited him.
“Finally returned…”
“Even missed the spring planting; replanting now will definitely decrease this year’s spirit rice yield…”
Sighing, Fang Xi picked up one of the talismans and recognized it as from Hua Chanjuan.
The female cultivator had given birth to a daughter named ‘Wei Yixi’ during winter and invited him for celebratory drinks.
However, Fang Xi was already away at that time, inevitably missing the occasion.
Apart from Hua Chanjuan, there were more voice-transmission talismans from Ruan Xingling, Mu Wen, and others…
Their messages ranged from important matters to simple greetings. Not receiving any response, they assumed Fang Xi was either in seclusion or out of town.
‘I can just use being in seclusion as an excuse when needed…’
Upon entering his four-sided courtyard house, Fang Xi inspected thoroughly and noted with satisfaction that there were no signs of intrusion into the protective formation.
He lifted the prayer mat, revealing a hidden path leading down to the underground cave.
Swiftly, Fang Xi traversed through the tunnel and once again crossed over to Great Liang.
Moments later.
In the deserted underground cave, Fang Xi suddenly appeared, accompanied by a mythical beast!
It was Tai Sui!
Upon entering the southern wilderness cultivation realm, the white, gelatinous mass of Tai Sui seemed to tremble all over.
Standing nearby, Fang Xi held his Golden Flood Dragon Blade with an icy gaze.
If Tai Sui showed any signs of breaking free from the blood pact, he was ready to strike instantly and slay the mythical beast!
Buzzing sounds filled the air as surrounding world’s spiritual energy surged towards them, forming a small whirlpool!
Tai Sui’s flesh expanded rapidly, devouring the spiritual energy like a parched land receiving its first rain after a long drought!
Its demonic aura swiftly intensified, quickly surpassing the low-tier first-rank limit to reach mid-tier first rank!
“As expected, the Great Liang World is spiritually impoverished; these mythical beasts are akin to underdeveloped newborns…”
“Once they reach the southern wilderness, they immediately absorb vast amounts of spiritual energy, greatly increasing their chances of advancing!”
The Golden Flood Dragon Blade hummed in Fang Xi’s hand.
However, when he noticed that Tai Sui’s demonic aura stabilized after reaching mid-tier first rank, maintaining the blood pact intact, he couldn’t help but sigh in relief.
His choice of a low-tier first-rank Tai Sui proved to be remarkably wise! Had he selected one of those exceptionally gifted high-rank first-tier beasts, it might have directly ascended to tier-2, causing significant chaos!
Now, Fang Xi examined Tai Sui again and observed that its body had significantly swollen. Originally the size of a water vat, it now resembled a small room, adorned with swirling cloud-like patterns on its surface.
With a slicing sound, Fang Xi cut off a large chunk of Tai Sui flesh.
The Tai Sui wriggled momentarily, swiftly healing its wound.
“Hmm… still behaves like a vegetative plant monster!”
Fang Xi gazed at the massive piece of Beefwood, easily weighing several dozen pounds, and couldn’t help but swallow nervously.
After advancing in rank, this Beefwood seemed… even more appetizing?!
“Mid-tier first rank mythical beast meat, continuously replenishing… This bodes well for cultivating trees and progressing my spiritual body aspirations!”
A hint of satisfaction appeared on Fang Xi’s face.
In the next moment, he tapped his bag of holding, producing a sack filled with Scarlet Blood Spirit Rice.
The Tai Sui unconsciously consumed it, enveloping and dissolving the spirit rice…
Once its wounds healed, new flesh visibly began to grow rapidly.
“Excellent… Using ordinary food, it takes roughly ten pounds to gain one pound of Tai Sui flesh… With Scarlet Blood Spirit Rice, the ratio is approximately one-to-one…”
Fang Xi mentally noted these proportions.
“Once I cultivate more acres of spirit fields in the future, there will be an endless supply of mythical beast meat…”
“However, planting trees can wait for now… Let some time pass before proceeding. The measures I set up earlier should have taken effect by now.”
Fang Xi then visited Great Liang once more, meticulously checking and categorizing the collected spirit materials and supplies without any oversight.
After completing these tasks, he finally sighed with relief, returned to his courtyard, and prepared to send a voice-transmission talisman to Ruan Xingling, assuring her of his safe arrival.
Splash!
At that moment, a sudden burst of waves erupted from the pond.
A large green fish leaped onto the shore with a thud, its lifeless eyes fixed on Fang Xi, seemingly conveying a hint of grievance.
“Oh?”
Fang Xi smacked his forehead, realizing what he had forgotten.
In his long absence, he neglected to feed the fish…
Fortunately, this big green fish was a spirit beast, sustained by the spiritual energy from the Little Cloudrain Array; otherwise, it likely would have starved to death…
“You even know how to beg for food now? Are you getting smarter?”
Fang Xi rubbed his chin, kicked the large green fish back into the pond, and simultaneously scattered a handful of Scarlet Blood Spirit Rice over it.
The rice tasted unpleasant, suitable only for brewing wine or feeding mythical beasts - not something he himself would consume.
Earlier at the Treasure Ship Market, he had already procured high-quality spirit rice seeds, eagerly awaiting the chance to plant them.