Cultivating Immortality in a World of Chaos

“Fellow Daoist Xiu Mu…”

Fang Xi turned to glance at the uninvited guests and then looked towards Old Daoist Xiu Mu.

“Sigh…” Xiu Mu let out a breath, stepping forward to greet them, “Fellow Daoists Mo and Feng… What brings you here today?”

“Haha, well, since we’ve joined as law enforcement cultivators for Mirror Moon Lake, it’s our responsibility to ensure the safety of Peach Blossom Island. With such a diverse crowd gathered here today, we must verify everyone’s identity to prevent any demonic cultivators from infiltrating,” Feng Manlou declared with righteous conviction as he descended from the flying boat.

These clan cultivators naturally had little in common with the rogue cultivators occupying Twin Peaks. Whenever they encountered each other, there was always some snide banter involved.

Fang Xi decided to step aside, choosing not to engage. After all, his Jade Cliff was far away, allowing him to avoid the conflict altogether.

Soon after, Wei Yixin and his wife arrived from West Peak. Notably, Hua Chanjuan was visibly pregnant, carrying six months along.

Fang Xi hurriedly approached to offer his congratulations, secretly calculating how much he would need to contribute once the child is born.

For this gathering hosted by Old Daoist Xiu Mu, Fang Xi had already gifted a low-grade spirit stone, which wasn’t insignificant!

“Fang Xi, perfect timing! Help me reason with this stubborn bull!”

Since becoming pregnant, Hua Chanjuan’s temper had grown even more fiery. She jabbed her finger at Wei Yixin’s forehead, scolding, “I told him to focus on tending flowers and bees, but he wouldn’t listen! A few words from others, and he’s off adventuring again… How many peaceful days have we even had?”

“Isn’t it all for our child?” Wei Yixin replied softly, his face unusually tender. “I need to find spirit objects to nourish your pregnancy… And later, when the baby is born, there will be a need for foundational cultivation essentials. If they possess spiritual roots, we’ll also require resources for their future practice…”

Watching this exchange, Fang Xi didn’t want another serving of their affectionate display and turned his attention elsewhere.

He noticed that after speaking briefly with Mu Wen, Mo Qingyu glanced his way with a challenging gleam in his eyes. In a loud voice, Mo Qingyu declared, “I heard you single-handedly cut through an entire cultivation clan with just one sword… Ha, who considers the Lu Clan a significant family anyway? Fellow Daoist Fang, your low-grade magical artifact, the Qinghe Sword, seems quite renowned on Peach Blossom Island. Would you care to demonstrate its prowess?”

With a cultivation base clearly at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, just a step away from the seventh, Mo Qingyu naturally looked down upon Fang Xi, who was merely at the fourth layer initially and now barely reaching the fifth.

Hearing the deliberate emphasis on ‘low-grade magical artifact’, Fang Xi smiled wryly and responded, “Fellow Daoist Mo must jest; what sword techniques could a spirit farmer like me know? It’s just some haphazard training, relying solely on determination and bravery…”

As he spoke, Fang Xi produced the Qinghe Sword.

The blade resembled a verdant leaf and was indeed a low-grade magical item, showing signs of wear and damage.

Feng Manlou and Mo Qingyu couldn’t help but display expressions of disdain upon seeing it.

Despite being at Mid-Stage Qi Refinement, his sword was still merely low-grade.

Not only that, but it appeared significantly worn out.

Even Mu Wen felt her own magical artifacts were far superior to Fang Xi’s…

“This sword was gifted to me by a dear friend; we’ve been companions for many years. Alas, alas…” Holding the Qinghe Sword, Fang Xi seemed to envision Old Man Mai’s warm smile and voice as if by fate’s design.

With this very sword in hand, he had carved a bloody path, achieving what other spirit farmers spent their entire lives striving for yet could never attain.

His gaze turned icy, and with two fingers gripping the blade, he lamented, “Truly unfortunate…”

A sharp cracking sound echoed!

Applying force with his fingers, Fang Xi snapped the Qinghe Sword in half.

Clunk!

The broken halves of the blade and hilt fell to the ground, leaving Mo Qingyu momentarily stunned.

“Such a pity that this sword, possessing its own spirit, refused to be dishonored and chose to shatter itself!” Fang Xi glanced at Mo Qingyu, his chilling stare making the latter involuntarily stiffen.

With a cold laugh, Fang Xi ignored Xiu Mu and the others, turning to depart.

---

Stunned, Mo Qingyu recalled Fang Xi’s earlier words - ‘What sword techniques could we spirit farmers possibly know? Just improvised training and relying on sheer courage to fight…’

Gazing at the broken halves of the sword, he suddenly realized that if anyone dared to threaten his foundation as a rogue cultivator, Fang Xi would indeed risk everything!

“Ah… Mo brother, were you unaware that Fang Xi is already at the second stage of Body Tempering, a true body cultivator?” Feng Manlou casually remarked beside Mo Qingyu.

Despite having connections with the Mo Clan, Feng Manlou was a rival to Mo Qingyu. Seizing the opportunity, he aimed to undermine him further, “Offending such a person, Mo brother, means you must always be vigilant; he won’t hesitate to draw blood…”

“You…” Mo Qingyu glared at Feng Manlou, then shot a look at Mu Wen before angrily storming off, shaking his hand in frustration.

Seeing this, a hint of satisfaction curved Feng Manlou’s lips as he too departed.

The banquet ended on a sour note.

After Wei Yixin and his wife departed, Mu Wen approached Xiu Mu, “Patriarch, I…”

Slap!

Xiu Mu swiftly delivered a loud backhand across Mu Wen’s face, leaving him stunned.

“Do you know where you went wrong?” Xiu Mu’s eyes reddened visibly. “The old Daoist never imagined that despite your exceptional minor spiritual root aptitude, which led us to tirelessly support you alongside your father and uncles—ensuring you had every opportunity others enjoyed…we inadvertently fostered such arrogance within you! You lack discernment between right and wrong, unable to distinguish friend from foe!”

“Did you think you were a noble clan’s young master, destined to align with the Feng and Mo Clans? No, you’re just a rogue cultivator! When our family was displaced, barely able to stay together, your father and uncles worked day and night on others’ spirit fields, squeezing out scarce moments for cultivation… Your mother spent each day refining silk fibers for merchants, her hands nearly worn raw! All this hardship was merely to save a few spirit crystals for your training.”

“Old Daoist Xiu Mu had initially planned to personally guide you, but with countless responsibilities, I could only let you train independently. And this is what you’ve learned?” He seethed with anger.

Jade Cliff and West Peak were allies; maintaining friendship was crucial, not animosity. Respect towards Mirror Moon Lake was necessary, yet vigilance against other family cultivators must never be neglected.

Despite his earnest teachings and guidance before the boy even ascended the mountain, he couldn’t have anticipated such a disastrous outcome.

“Patriarch… our family already possesses spiritual land as its foundation. Why can’t we aspire to become a renowned cultivator clan someday?” Mu Wen still seemed unconvinced.

“You…” Xiu Mu’s fury flared, prompting him once again to lunge for another strike, only to be firmly restrained by several elderly farmers. “Wen just made a momentary lapse in judgment,” they pleaded. “With more guidance, it’ll be fine.”

“Fine? What future is there now?” Xiu Mu angrily kicked over the redwood table in rage. “Originally, this old Daoist intended to plead with Fellow Daoist Fang, hoping to secure work for you all in his spirit fields, which would earn us additional spirit stones each year. Now, everything is ruined!”

The elderly farmers exchanged glances, their spirits visibly dampened.

---

“After this public fallout, both sides should leave me alone from now on, right?”

Fang Xi crossed his arms, steering the Black Cloud Pocket as he flew towards Jade Cliff.

The Qinghe Sword held significant sentimental value to him; it was his first magical artifact, after all, and had cost over two spirit stones!

Alright, truth be told, it was just average…

But seeing Mo Qingyu’s provocation today, he casually used it as a symbol for severing ties, feeling that its worth exceeded expectations.

‘From this day forward, my unpredictable temper will lead me to draw or break my sword at any moment. The reputation of my erratic nature and solitary disposition is bound to spread throughout Peach Blossom Island, ensuring few dare to befriend me…’

‘Return home, back to farming!’

Upon arriving at Jade Cliff, Fang Xi first examined the growth of the Scarlet Blood Spirit Sprout before meticulously surveying the terrain, preparing for the future installation of the Little Cloudrain Array.

This process also served as practice in cultivating the Dao of arrays.

---

As the sun set, casting golden light across the sky, Fang Xi held a compass while walking around his four-sided courtyard house.

“The formation has its life gate, death gate, and eye… The eye must be placed within my home, utilizing this area’s spiritual vein to minimize the energy consumption for maintaining the Little Cloudrain Array should not be an issue. When activated, it could even enhance the Gathering Spirit effect… If limited only to the cultivation room, boosting the spiritual energy inside to low-rank first-tier should be manageable…”

Fang Xi meticulously recorded the measurements into a jade slip, deciding promptly that after the autumn harvest, he would begin work on this project.

Just as he was about to fetch a fish from the lake for dinner, he suddenly felt a presence and looked up.

Amidst the fading evening glow, a flower basket gracefully descended, accompanied by tinkling silver bells.

“Greetings, Island Lord!”

Upon seeing Ruan Xingling, Fang Xi hastily bowed in respect.

“I’ve heard about today’s incident…” Ruan Xingling’s expression remained composed. “I have already reclaimed the Qinghe Sword and can forge you a new one…”

Although her governance relied on maintaining internal and external balance, it also necessitated resolving conflicts and continually winning over hearts.

“Many thanks, Island Lord. However, my lifelong aspiration is to transform swords into ploughs; I no longer wish for violence…” Fang Xi bowed respectfully and continued earnestly, “But if you’re willing to assist me, there is indeed one matter I’d like to trouble you with.”

“Speak!” Ruan Xingling’s interest was immediately piqued.

“I’m in need of a mobility magical artifact, and coincidentally, I’ve acquired these materials. Would you be willing to craft them for me, Island Lord?” Fang Xi slapped his bag of holding, revealing a massive set of demon bird wing skeletons along with numerous feathers.

“These are… tier-1 high-grade demon bird wing bones and plumage?” Ruan Xingling examined them, her eyes brightening. “You trust me with this?”

“Absolutely!”

Fang Xi naturally wouldn’t hand over the more valuable snake-dragon materials to Ruan Xingling just yet. After all, she was only a mid-grade first-tier artificer; what if something went wrong during the crafting process? It made sense to test the waters with these demon bird materials first, as he had long been wanting to upgrade from the Black Cloud Pocket anyway.

“Did you also obtain these from your encounter at Qingzhu Mountain Market?” Ruan Xingling pondered as she accepted the materials.

“The Island Lord?”

Fang Xi abruptly looked up to see Ruan Xingling expressionless, saying, “As our guest senior, it’s natural for me to conduct some investigation. The individuals sent to Qingzhu Mountain Market have recently returned with their findings. Your appearance, background, and origins all appear quite clean. Regarding your disappearance for two years and subsequent significant advancement in cultivation, I assume it was largely due to benefiting greatly from the chaos at Qingzhu Mountain Market, correct?”

‘She actually thinks I would rob the market? Am I that kind of person?’ Fang Xi mentally rolled his eyes, but on his face, a wry smile emerged, conveying the message ‘I see, Island Lord knows.’

“We’ve faced hardships together, though not enough to be completely open with each other. Nevertheless, let me assure you, Daoist friend - if you remain true to me, I will undoubtedly reciprocate!” With those words, Ruan Xingling gracefully ascended using her floral basket. As she soared, she added one last sentence for Fang Xi’s ears alone, “To be honest… I am already a tier-one high-grade artificer!”