Fang Xi had crossed over, but not completely.
Or rather, this was his second migration!
Recalling the circumstances of his first experience of this kind, Fang Xi still felt a lingering fear.
It had happened half a year ago on a dark night. Having already been transported to this world for several months, Fang Xi looked like a wary little animal, cautiously stretching his senses to explore the market area of Qingzhou Mountain.
Unfortunately… with his low cultivation base and imperfect mastery of the original host's abilities, he probably didn't even stand a chance against Old Man Mai, a mere second-tier Qi Repeater.
On that fateful night, invaders attacked the slum area.
The haphazard city lacked the protection of the mountain's great defensive system, and most of the spirit cultivators there had weak cultivation bases.
Despite their poverty, some of the damned invaders were robbing even the poorest souls.
After all, the bodies of the cultivators, including
Their flesh, bones, and souls, all of them precious.
When Fang Xi heard the battle cries outside and saw the black-robed farmers systematically slaughtering house after house, he shuddered with horror and felt like helpless meat on a chopping board. This horrifying sensation shocked him so deeply that it awakened his Golden Finger ability.
This Golden Finger appeared without any visible signs or marks, but he discovered that he could teleport to another world!
Without hesitation, Fang Xi chose to cross over immediately.
And so he found himself teleported to this world known as "Great Liang."
Facing the sun, Fang Xi slowly stretched out his arms, silently vowing never to experience such closeness to death again.
But now it was time to fully enjoy this new world.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Fang Xi's lips.
Based on his investigations during previous crossings, this "Great Liang" had no farmers' existence
Moreover, the flow of time between the two worlds seemed almost synchronized, with only slight differences in the cycles of night and day.
In other words, when it was night in his home world, it would be day in Great Liang.
Here, everything was ruled by the realm of a human emperor.
However, amidst the wilderness, creatures known as "Demon Beasts" flourished!
From Fang Xi's perspective, these were most likely impure-blooded demons or perhaps some hidden monstrous entity.
Being cautious by nature, he refrained from hunting the Demon Beasts directly. Instead, he chose to hide within a human city—Blackstone City.
To him, the gold and silver so prized by humans were merely common materials in the Southern Cultivation Realm, easily replaceable with Spirit Crystals. However, in Great Liang, they proved surprisingly useful.
Soon after, the prosperous district of Blackstone City welcomed the wealthy newcomer, "Young Master Fang," who quickly gained fame
The Master has awakened. Congratulations on completing your seclusion!"
Suddenly, we heard a melodious sound like a lark's call.
Several brightly dressed maids, led by a young girl in a yellow skirt, approached Fang Xi and bowed gracefully.
A fragrant breeze enveloped him, causing Fang Xi to unconsciously rub his fingers together in anticipation.
In Blackstone City, he had purchased a large mansion as well as a large number of servants.
Among them were twelve elderly maids named Water Lily, Orchid, Plum Blossom, Honeysuckle Rose, Lotus Magnolia, Yu Gui (Sweet Olive), Chrysanthemum Bamboo Peony, and Lily.
The woman in the yellow dress was Yu Gui, the head maid, known for her delicate, porcelain-like skin—a truly petite beauty.
"Hmm, announce preparations for the banquet," Fang Xi gave the casual instruction, under the admiring and respectful glances of the women around him
He had no moral reservations about affirming hierarchy, unlike some who might preach
Equality and discouraged bowing among servants.
Conversely, influenced by the original host's memories in this ancient framework, he strictly adhered to the principle of survival of the fittest.
As a servant, not bowing was considered disrespectful to authority and disobedience, warranting severe punishment and even death.
Fortunately, these servants were well-trained by slave traders, ensuring that no such anomalies existed.
Or perhaps it could be said that for Yue Gui and the others, this treatment from their master was considered normal, as if dictated by nature itself.
Half an hour later, in the side hall of Fang Palace.
Fang Xi was reclining in a soft chair, surrounded by an array of exquisite dishes before him.
Bear feet, shark fins, bird's nest soup, roast duck, stewed chicken...
These natural ingredients, skillfully seasoned by master chefs, emitted enticing, mouth-watering aromas.
Fang Xi lived a life of luxury as a prince
Feudalism, and he didn't need to lift his chopsticks himself. With just a glance, a maid would immediately bring him a delicious meal.
He gestured for Peony to come closer and leaned against her broad bosom, while Hu Nisakul placed another portion of venison on his plate.
Ah, such excessive comfort could indeed be a burden; after all, men must regularly replenish themselves...
Fang Xi took another sip from the cup offered by the beautiful woman beside him and sighed with relief.
After all, these charming maids were constantly vying with each other, using various tactics, to share his bed, making it very difficult for him to resist.
The meal lasted almost two hours.
For Fang Xi, although it couldn't match the nutritional value of Spirit Rice in the Cultivation Realm, it certainly satisfied his culinary desires greatly.
He enjoyed such an indulgence about once every ten days to two weeks, and it served as a small respite from the arduous life of farming
After the servants cleared away the dishes, Fang Xi moved into the living room. He drank the high-quality tea Yu Gui had prepared and listened attentively to Afu's report.
Sir, this old servant has thoroughly investigated. Materials related to demons and beasts are strictly controlled by the Great Liang government, with private trade strictly prohibited. However, there are always some channels available, such as the dojo.
A-Fu appeared as a white-bearded old man, giving an appearance reminiscent of a reclusive sage.
But Fang Xi knew very well that Afu had been just an ordinary old man in the past, who had nearly starved to death by the roadside with his grandson and had ultimately chosen to voluntarily sell himself into slavery.
"Oh, the dojo, you say?"
Fang Xi rubbed his chin deeply upon hearing this information.
The Great Liang was also a scholar with superhuman powers. Apart from demonic entities, even among humans, such extraordinary abilities manifested themselves through martial arts.
Skilled warriors were able to shatter rocks
With their fists or breaking stone slabs with a single kick, as easily as eating or drinking.
Even within Blackstone City, there were a great many such warriors.
Fang Xi had a keen interest in the unusual cultivation paths of this world.
Although the spiritual energy here was extremely thin, making cultivation difficult, it still allowed him to maintain his cultivation base to some extent.
The Warrior Path of the Great Liang might offer some valuable insights... Surely, if one could access advanced cultivation techniques and spells from the cultivation world of the Southern Wilderness, who would bother delving into martial arts?
But what choice did he have?
His current practice, the Eternal Spring Art, was merely a common technique. In contrast, the slightly better methods available on the market required several to dozens of spirit stones...
A deep gleam flashed in Fang Xi's eyes:
Based on the information I gathered during this
Days, warriors in this world train in Blood and Energy Martial Arts... Their destructive power should not be underestimated, especially for early-stage cultivators. It seems reminiscent of Body Enhancement Techniques.... 11
Body cultivation is a specialized discipline among cultivators, requiring a long time and consuming enormous resources.
However, Fang Xi didn't care; with resources from two worlds at his disposal, he considered these expenses insignificant.
Moreover... what choice did he have?!
Even low-level Body Enhancement techniques, Qi Enhancement Stage, cost more than five Spirit Stones in the Qingzhou Mountain Market, which I couldn't afford... But here, there must be ways to cultivate Qi and Blood Martial Arts. It's also convenient for me to obtain some Demonic Materials for research purposes..."
The convergence of these goals greatly interested Fang Xi.
"Dugu? Tell me more about it..."
Afu steadily followed the dojo. Naturally, you would find teachings on Blood and Qi martial arts. According to local rumors, once Blood and Qi martial arts masters reach advanced levels, ordinary food fails to meet their physical needs. Thus, they need to be nourished by various natural treasures or demonic meat. As a result, every major martial force in the city has its own channels for obtaining demonic meat...
In Blackstone City, apart from the influential noble clans, the only places that accept disciples for military training are Yuanhe Mountain and the Dojo Alliance!
"Yuanhe Mountain?" Fang Xi's expression changed with curiosity.
"Yes, Yuanhe Mountain is one of the best martial sects within a hundred miles of Blackstone City. Even the local government shows them great respect..." When Afu mentioned Yuanhe Mountain, his tone unconsciously became more serious.
It was clear that Yuanhe Mountain enjoyed a prestigious position among the residents of Blackstone City
"There's no doubt a martial arts sect like this teaches advanced techniques," Fang Xi reflected. "I wonder how..."
"Advanced techniques," Fang Xi pondered. "I wonder how rigorous their disciple selection process is? Could money facilitate communication?"
Since arriving in Blackstone City, Fang Xi, as a wealthy landowner, had relied heavily on gold and silver to pave his way and never hesitated to spend lavishly.
Inevitably, he attracted attention as a potential target for exploitation, but being a third-tier cultivator of Qi Improvement, although unable to afford even the lowest-quality magical artifacts, his heightened senses combined with expensive amulets provided him with sufficient self-defense.
A-Fu thought briefly before replying, "Yuanhe Mountain often accepts disciples from prominent city families, so this shouldn't be a problem."
"Then there's no time to waste; let's finalize this arrangement quickly." Fang Xi made his decision
Although the flow of time was consistent between the two worlds, in the agricultural world of the southern wilderness, he could only justify seclusion for a few days with the pretext of training before needing to reappear. Otherwise, people might assume he was dead, leading to
Dividing his lands and possessions—essentially another form of profiting from someone's death.
Mount Yuanhe.
The sect's headquarters were in Ding County, while its presence in Blackstone City was merely a branch.
Despite being a branch, it remained grand and luxurious, occupying a vast complex of buildings that exuded an extraordinary aura.
Deep within this architectural ensemble lay a large, emerald-green lake, adorned with lotus blossoms blooming on its surface.
A small boat nestled among the lotus blossoms drifted gently with the waves.
On board, someone appeared to be lounging leisurely.
Suddenly, the boat reached the shore, and a serene woman in a white dress approached. "Greetings,...Xishu
"What's up?" The person on the boat opened his eyes, yawned, and spoke with a hint of impatience
A prominent family from the city offered two hundred taels of silver to secure the acceptance of one individual as a disciple. The woman in white bowed respectfully and reported.
Who could this be? The young individual's appearance suggested they were around twenty years old. They picked up the notice and immediately sneered. Fang Xi? A conceited unknown? Do they think Mount Yuanhe is a martial arts dojo where we accept anyone with money?
As the dominant power within a hundred-mile radius, Mount Yuanhe wielded extraordinary influence.
In accepting disciples, they valued competence above wealth. The occasional recruitment of noble heirs was primarily intended to strengthen ties.
However, Fang Xi... had nothing but money to spare.
"So what does Xishu propose?" the woman in white asked, her indifference evident at first. She had only agreed to carry this message because of a personal request and someone's influence.
"What are his abilities?"
"I saw him once, and he was very ordinary," she repliedNoticed, they immediately scoffed, "Fang Xi? An unknown snob? Do they think Mount Yuanhe is a martial arts dojo where we accept anyone with money?"
As the dominant power within a hundred-mile radius, Mount Yuanhe wielded extraordinary influence.
In accepting disciples, they valued competence above wealth. The occasional recruitment of noble heirs was primarily for the purpose of strengthening ties.
However, Fang Xi... had nothing but money to spare.
"So what does Xishu propose?" asked the woman in white, her indifference evident at first. She had only agreed to carry this message because of a personal request and someone's influence.
"What are his abilities?"
"I saw him once, and he was quite ordinary," she replied.
Then reject his offer. The small boat moved gently away.
The woman bowed respectfully, without further persuasion