Cultivating Immortality in Two Realms

Chapter 89 Old Friends (Celebrating Yu Sheng's Descendance as Alliance Leader Xiang Luan)

"This fellow Daoist looks unfamiliar—"

Upon seeing Fang Qing enter, an elderly man in a golden robe rose to greet him.

He had a dignified bearing and a handsome face, and must have been a rare beauty in his youth. He carried an ancient sword with a sheath on his back, and his every move exuded a sharp aura, clearly indicating that he was a sword cultivator: "I am Zhao Gongming—I can barely be considered the host of this place. The juniors have disturbed me in the past, please forgive me, fellow Daoist."

"So it was Fellow Daoist Zhao—Fellow Daoist, please accept my condolences."

Fang Qing bowed, knowing that this person was probably the Zhao family patriarch who cultivated the [Kang Jin] realm.

After he took his seat, he casually looked around and found that the only Dao Foundation cultivator he knew was Pi Xiuyuan, who was sitting in the corner with a solemn expression.

"Um?"

Just then, Fang Qing felt another gaze fall upon him.

He looked up and saw a Dao Foundation cultivator wearing a bamboo hat and completely shrouded in a black robe.

This person's aura was obscure and unclear, suggesting they were using some kind of concealing artifact. Upon seeing Fang Qing looking over, they immediately averted their gaze.

Fang Qing felt a chill run down his spine and secretly increased his vigilance.

"Gentlemen—we have gathered here only to exchange information and share what we have—the ancient Shu is now in turmoil, and the fall of the Purple Mansion is no ordinary event—"

Zhao Gongming gave an opening speech.

"The Purple Mansion has fallen? I only know that the Purple Mansion of the Black Paralysis Sect fell in the Blessed Land of Misty Waves, but I don't know the details?"

Fang Qing asked.

"This—I've only heard rumors. It's said that Lord Teng died at the hands of the Three Perfections Immortal, and some say that the Purple Mansion of the Demon Clan was involved—in short, the Black Gate has already declined, and I think it's only a matter of time before Ba County falls into the hands of the Pu family."

When Zhao Gongming talked about this matter, he couldn't help but feel a little proud, after all, he was considered a subordinate of the Pu family.

The Pu family takes the lion's share of the profits from Ba County, leaving some scraps for those of them from established Daoist families.

"I see----"

Fang Qing nodded, said no more, and listened quietly to the other information and the cultivation insights of the other cultivators.

Several hours later, it was time for the exchange.

"Fellow practitioners, I'll start by offering a humble offering: a piece of Yin Bi Chen Shui (a type of herb), which I wish to exchange for youth-preserving treasures, such as 'A Thousand Flesh in an Instant' or 'Youth-Preserving Pills,' etc."

A female cultivator in a purple gauze dress, with her hair tied in a snake-shaped bun and adorned with a jade hairpin, spoke, holding a jade bowl in her hand.

Inside this bowl, there was a pool of gray water, and quite a lot of it.

"Yinbi Sinking Water? It must be a spiritual object belonging to the [Wall Water] category—but is it just a youth-preserving elixir?"

I've read the recipe for this elixir; it's a specialty of ancient Shu, capable of keeping female cultivators youthful forever—though the effect only lasts for about a hundred years.

On the alchemical texts of the Azure Sea Sect, there is a similar formula, but it is called the "Youth-Preserving Pill," which is ranked third and its effects can last for five hundred years.

After waiting for a while and seeing no one respond, the female cultivator immediately sat back down with regret.

Immediately, another Foundation Establishment cultivator stood up, clasped his hands in greeting to the four directions, and said, "I have a Heavenly Bright Stone in my possession. I would like to find a fellow cultivator skilled in weapon crafting to forge a Foundation Establishment spiritual weapon."

Soon, it was Fang Qing's turn.

Fang Qing chuckled softly, his magic supporting several jade boxes as he slowly opened them: "I possess several pills suitable for water-element cultivators to enhance their magical power, and a few items of materials produced by the [Zhenshui] demon beast—I wish to exchange them for a few days of Heavenly Star Sand!"

-

This "Heavenly Star Sand" can not only be used to refine flying swords, but also to refine other Dao Foundation Treasures, so there's no fear of being discovered.

Zhao Gongming, however, glanced at Fang Qing with some surprise.

If his memory serves him right, that rogue cultivator also seems to be searching for the "Heavenly Pivot Star Sand" spiritual object.

However, one of them is a Qi-cultivating swordsman, and the other is a Daoist foundation cultivator of the [Ji Shui] sect; they are clearly not the same person.

"This person—perhaps has clues about that rogue cultivator? Or maybe he's even his elder?"

Zhao Gongming's eyes were deep and thoughtful.

Little did they know, Fang Qing was secretly touching the firebird talisman and other items in his sleeve, feeling a little expectant.

The mutual killing between Dao Foundation Sword Cultivators — I wonder how effective it will be?

Before I left home, I consulted a divination, and it was said that this trip would be very auspicious—perhaps this person still possesses the Tianxuan Star Sand that I need?

He waited for a moment, but no cultivator responded. He sighed in disappointment and put the spiritual item away.

Just then, a voice transmission quietly sounded in Fang Qing's ear. His heart stirred, but his face remained expressionless. After the exchange meeting ended, he stepped on a wave and left Yuanqing Workshop.

Yuanqingfang is a hundred miles away.

"Fellow Daoist, please come out and meet me."

Fang Qing arrived at the edge of a stream and shouted in a deep voice.

The light and shadow distorted, and a figure shrouded in a black robe appeared. It was the cultivator who had been sizing up Fang Qing at the exchange meeting!

"Fellow Daoist, you previously mentioned in your telepathic message that you had clues about 'Tianxuan Star Sand'?"

Fang Qing looked at this person, somewhat surprised.

If the divination hadn't shown such auspiciousness, he might not have come here.

"I have just a few days' worth of Xuanxing Sand on hand!"

The man in black robes spoke, his voice hoarse and unpleasant.

"Three or four ounces? That should be enough. What do you need, fellow Daoist? I possess the Long-Cultivated Sweet Dew. If you don't like those few spiritual items, my Sweet Dew is an excellent healing remedy."

Fang Qing smiled.

"I don't want any of that—I just need you to do me a favor."

The man in black robes let out a grating laugh like that of a night owl: "That Zhao family patriarch, Zhao Gongming, clearly harbors ill intentions towards you—cooperate with me to lure this man out and kill him, and I'll immediately offer you the Star Sand in a few days!"

Fang Qing listened in silence for a long time before suddenly speaking, "Brother Li?"

The man in black robes trembled, then tore open his clothes, revealing a body covered in golden scales and horns on his head. Who else could it be but Li Rulong, who had already transformed into a half-demon?

How did you recognize me?

Li Rulong narrowed his eyes slightly, and images of the moon reflected in the cold pool, as well as wind, frost, rain, and snow appeared all around him.

Fang Qing sighed, "Among the Dao Foundation cultivators who give me a sense of familiarity, I only know you, Brother Li—moreover, you have a grudge against the Zhao family, so it was easy to guess."

Back then, he and Li Rulong had a pretty good relationship.

Even if Li Rulong didn't know that Luo Dacheng was ultimately a pawn he had set up, the situation would still be the same.

"Back when we entered Fuzhou Market, I never imagined that so many things would happen afterward—and I never imagined that you would be able to establish your Dao foundation."

Li Rulong stared at Fang Qing, unsure whether it was envy, jealousy, or regret.

"Alas—it's nothing more than struggling in a sea of ​​suffering. You should know that every gift comes with a price tag."

Fang Qing sighed deeply, as if he truly had no choice but to submit to the Buddha in order to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Li Rulong gave Fang Qing a deep look, and he began to believe it!

After all, he knew all too well the difficulty for rogue cultivators to forge their Dao foundation, and this person, like him, had probably paid an unimaginable price.

"Enough—now that things are out in the open, fellow Daoist, are you willing to join me in making Zhao Gongming what he is?"

Li Rulong extended the invitation.

"My Dao foundation is profound but I am not good at combat —"

Fang Qing shook his head: "But Brother Li—you're already wanted by the Purple Mansion forces, how dare you swagger into Ancient Shu?"

"Hmph, that Black Gate Purple Mansion has long since perished. As for the Pu family patriarch, Pu Shanjun? I'll wait and see his fate!"

Li Rulong snorted coldly, exuding an air of dominance: "As for me? Naturally, I have my Purple Mansion to cover for me. As long as I don't expose too many clues, I can still hide my tracks for the time being."

Li Rulong has joined forces with the demon clan's Luofeng Mountain—looks like he's up to no good again?

"This person seems to have a particularly low opinion of Prince Pousan? Or perhaps they already have a grudge against him—"

Fang Qing thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Is the Pu family patriarch a Purple Mansion cultivator—"

"Hehe—this person had good fortune in the first half of his life, but he violated the taboo of Moyun Cliff, which set him on fire." —Now his path to immortality has long been severed, and he is only at the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm.

Li Rulong chuckled coldly.

"Was Prince Pagoda betrayed by the cliff dwellers?"

Fang Qing wasn't surprised that Pushan Jun had been tricked, after all, he wasn't a cultivator from Moyun Cliff, and strictly speaking, he was a rogue cultivator.

What puzzled him was that when a Fire-element cultivator ingested a strange fire, it was clearly a matter of greatly benefiting his cultivation and magical power, so how did it become a matter of severing his path to enlightenment?

"The fire cultivated by Pushan-jun is called 'Tail Fire,' which, though named 'Tail,' is also known as 'Rising Fire' or 'Branch Fire'—meaning the initial spark of a flame."

Li Rulong laughed, this was obviously what he was relaying: "If one consumes a different kind of fire, any other kind of spiritual fire will do, but only a few kinds of [room fire] belong to and correspond to its image. If one rashly refines them, one will cut off the path of cultivation and find it difficult to sense other [tail fire] supernatural powers."

"These embers of calamity are the very essence of [Chamber Fire] —"

"A brilliant plan!"

Fang Qing remembered that when he first heard about the deeds of the Pu family patriarch, he felt that this person had the demeanor of a novel protagonist.

He encountered many extraordinary events in his youth and by chance obtained the Purple Mansion inheritance. After cultivating the Dao Foundation, he was reborn into the world. He has never been defeated since his debut. He also found the Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire, swallowed and refined it successfully. In the late stage of the Dao Foundation, he dominated the ancient Shu and could be called invincible below the Purple Mansion.

Who could have imagined that this person's path to enlightenment had actually been severed?

Or perhaps, it was merely a scheme, a plaything, of those on the cliff.

This cultivation of Qi is truly full of pitfalls at every stage—I wonder what other huge pitfalls await me when I advance to the Purple Mansion realm—Oh? I have the Dao-Generating Pearl? Then it's alright.

This is also why Fang Qing started learning other Daoist traditions.

As long as I step into enough pits, they can't catch me!

"How about it, Fellow Daoist Fang? For the sake of our past friendship, I'll tell you everything I know—will you agree to join me in dealing with Zhao Gongming?"

Li Rulong waited for a moment, a hint of impatience flashing across his face, and a dangerous aura emanating from him.

Fang Qing felt a chill run down his spine; things were indeed different after the demon transformation—did the transformation into a half-demon also affect his temperament?

The half-demon Li Rulong of today is no longer the upright and courageous hero who once stood up for the people.

On the contrary, it is quite bloody, brutal, and cunning.

Just as he was about to refuse, his divine sense suddenly stirred, sensing someone rapidly approaching.

Li Rulong laughed heartily: "It seems—fellow Daoist, you have no choice but to help."