Chapter 553: Immortality

Fang Xing recalled the druid knowledge he had acquired.

A Level 2 Druid can gain the 'Wild Shape' ability, allowing them to transform into a small animal!

Of course, this is limited to small animals; insects or giant creatures are not allowed.

To transform into an insect or a giant, according to the heritage Fang Xing obtained, one must hold a special natural ritual and acquire the 'Tiny Shape' or 'Huge Shape' feat.

But small animals are already enough.

Whether it be birds, mice, or fish... any of them could allow him to successfully escape the valley!

"And beyond the valley lies a wild, dense forest... The forest is the druid's home turf... My unique natural affinity allows me to 'pass through the forest without a trace,' leaving not the slightest mark behind..."

"But can I reach Level 2 as a druid within a month?"

This was the only thing to worry about.

With a heavy heart, Fang Xing slowly fell asleep.

The next day, it was the same routine: breakfast, then off to the paper mill...

This level of desperation even surprised Taohong.

After all, they only needed to hand in ten sheets of blood paper a month; many paper slaves worked one day and rested two to nourish their bodies.

But Fang Xing only responded with a bitter smile, and Taohong assumed she had guessed the answer: he was terrified of the managing disciples, which was why he wanted to finish his quota as early as possible.

Several days passed in a flash.

Fang Xing found Taohong and handed over two sheets of blood paper.

Taohong took them, stunned: "You wouldn't be working this hard just for me, would you? Take my advice: your life is your own. If you work yourself to death, it's truly gone..."

"No... I just want to stroll through the market and stock up a bit early..."

Fang Xing waved his hand, subconsciously glancing at his attribute panel:

【Age: 16/20】

'I can't keep making paper, or I'll really die young...'

Hearing this explanation, Taohong seemed to relax instead, patting her chest: "Going to the market is fine..."

She looked left and right, lowering her voice: "Remember to hide your blood paper well. Xing San's gang loves to steal from those who haven't finished their quota yet..."

Fang Xing frowned, recalling some unpleasant memories: "Don't the managing disciples do anything about them..."

"Heh... Xing San and his lot surely hand over the lion's share to the managing disciples, so who would care?"

Taohong sneered: "I've seen through it. The blood paper we hand in belongs to the sect... what Xing San offers is his own. If it were you, what would you choose?"

Hearing this, Fang Xing fell silent.

He looked closely at Taohong again. Although only a few days had passed, his druid perception clearly made him feel the woman's frailty; a strand of gray-white was already visible at her hairline: "We can hide from the first day of the month, but not the fifteenth... We don't know how many more months we can hold on..."

"This world..." Taohong sighed faintly, then gritted her teeth, her eyes shifting: "You delicate little young master, you wouldn't still be a virgin before you die, would you?"

"Of course not."

Fang Xing answered decisively, clearly seeing a trace of disappointment on Taohong's face.

The valley market was said to be run by traveling merchants, but in reality, the backers were all disciples of the Blood Shadow Sect.

By evening, a layer of mist suddenly rose on an open space, transforming into walls of fog.

At the entrance, there were two paper figures.

These two paper figures were crudely made, looking very much like the burial dolls burned in ancient times.

They were in the likeness of a young boy and girl; the boy was cute and naive, the girl was adorable, both wore double buns, and their faces were painted with bright rouge.

Standing left and right like door gods at the market entrance, each held a mourning staff in their hands.

On the mourning staves, one side read 'Cash and Goods Cleared,' and the other read 'No Credit Given.'

'There's an inexplicable sense of bad luck... It's as if I'm not walking into a market, but into a graveyard.'

Fang Xing walked past the two paper figures, but his expression tightened.

His high-level perception told him these two paper figures were by no means simple; their seemingly fragile bodies were actually likely harder than steel.

If they went berserk, killing all the paper slaves in the valley wouldn't be much of a problem.

'Is this the strength of the valley gate guards?'

He walked into the market and saw stalls set up here and there, the displays very crude.

There were even paper slaves setting up stalls to trade with each other.

Most of the transactions used blood paper, though barter was also common.

"Come take a look! Peerless divine martial arts of the mortal world, only one sheet of blood paper per book!"

"Blood-Nourishing Powder, can strengthen blood Qi..."

"Divine weapons, blades, axes, hooks, forks, needles, and thread... everything you could want..."

Fang Xing didn't look sideways, walking straight past.

'Buying mortal martial arts here is a huge pit. Everyone is already suffering from blood and Qi deficiency; why practice martial arts? Are they in a hurry to die?'

'Some health-nourishing pills, at least, can replenish some essence...'

He walked and stopped, finally pausing in front of a stall.

"Little brother, interested in Qi-sensing techniques?" The stall owner saw Fang Xing and immediately became interested: "The introductory techniques we were given at the start can only sense eighteen types of blood Qi. If you can't cultivate successfully, little brother, it might just be that you lack talent for this sect's techniques, but you might not lack talent for others... I've collected all the introductory techniques from the ten great sects outside the region, all-encompassing, high quality and low price..."

"Once you cultivate successfully, you'll definitely be promoted to an outer sect disciple and shed this slave identity..."

He spoke eloquently, not knowing how many paper slaves he had already swindled.

"Look, this is the 'Golden Body Qi-Sensing Method' of the Corpse-Driving Sect..."

"And the 'Imperial Sword Art' of the Flying Sword Sect..."

"All-encompassing, there's bound to be one that suits you, little brother."

Fang Xing looked through them one by one, picking up a paper-bound book with a cyan cover.

"Oh? Little brother truly has a discerning eye! This is the secret of Elder Qingmu Ridge—'Elder Qingmu Art'!"

The stall owner was a youth in his thirties with great eloquence, insisting on describing an ordinary wood-attribute introductory technique as something peerless.

"How much?"

Please... collect... the book...!

Fang Xing could only flip through the first two pages, and after scanning them carefully, he asked.

"Six sheets of blood paper!"

The stall owner smiled: "It's not expensive at all..."

"This isn't expensive?"

Fang Xing glared: "And... it's only the first level of the Qi-sensing technique."

"Heh!"

The stall owner youth suddenly sneered, his expression turning cold: "Nine levels of Qi-sensing, each level is a heaven. Qi-sensing, Qi-refining, Qi-transformation... each is a major hurdle. For you paper slaves, being able to break through the first level and sense the true 'Qi' is already incredible. What more do you want to covet?"

Fang Xing's expression remained unchanged.

If it were an ordinary paper slave, they would have timidly agreed by now.

But he clearly wouldn't be scared off, and besides... he was somewhat of an old hand; he knew there were rules in the market.

And this stall owner clearly only had a slightly higher status than him in the Blood Shadow Sect; he didn't have the strength or qualification to flip the board.

"But I only have four sheets of blood paper."

"I don't believe it. Fine, I'll take a step back... five sheets of blood paper, no less." Sure enough, the stall-owning youth broke his facade in the next second, turning from a high-and-mighty evil path expert into a mercenary merchant, haggling with Fang Xing.

A moment later.

A trace of helplessness appeared on his face: "Fine, fine... five sheets of blood paper, deal. I'll even give you a 'Paper-Folding Secret Technique.' This is a real spell! As long as you can make the most basic 'paper crane,' I'll buy it from you for two sheets of blood paper, how about that?"

Fang Xing nodded, took out five sheets of blood paper, exchanged them for two secret manuals, tucked them carefully into his bosom, and left quickly.

"Heh heh..."

The youth watched his back and sneered, whispering to himself: 'This Paper-Folding Secret Technique is one of the few techniques mortals can practice, but if a mortal wants to practice Daoist magic, they naturally have to pay a price... I'm afraid I won't see this guy next time. If I do, wouldn't that be even better? I can make a big profit again...'

As for the other party breaking through the first level of Qi-sensing?

That was almost impossible. After all, the Daoist arts of the world are one family; those who can't enter the Blood Shadow Sect's techniques probably have similar talent in other areas.

Even if they really succeeded in cultivation, such a non-lineage cultivator would only become a slave of higher value...

Late at night.

Fang Xing fed a few sparrows and mice as usual... letting them keep watch outside.

He sat cross-legged in the wooden hut, with the 'Elder Qingmu Art' and 'Paper-Folding Secret Technique' books placed in front of him.

He put the Paper-Folding Secret Technique aside first and opened the 'Elder Qingmu Art.'

"Nine levels of Qi-sensing, the first level 'Qi-sensing' is the top priority!"

"There are 129,600 types of Qi in the world, but very few are suitable for cultivators to sense, absorb, and cultivate..."

"The Elder Qingmu Art mainly senses nine types of 'Qi.' The highest is 'Green Splendor Qi,' followed by 'Nine Heavens Qi,' then 'Clear Spirit Qi'... The ninth grade is 'Vegetation Essence Qi'..."

Fang Xing looked at the introductory visualization and hand seals... these were actually just auxiliary means to enhance one's own sensing ability.

If one's talent was sufficient, they could actually be omitted.

He closed his eyes slightly and could feel green light spots lingering around his body, seemingly inexhaustible and continuous.

"It's Vegetation Essence Qi... After all, I am a druid with natural affinity... equivalent to directly increasing my wood-type talent."

He identified them carefully, dividing these green light spots into nine categories.

"I can sense all nine types of Qi... This should count as pretty good talent, right?"

"Then the second step is absorption... When the cultivation is perfect, one can break through to the second level 'Qi-refining' and enter the second level of Qi-sensing. Unfortunately, I don't have the technique..."

Fang Xing carefully sensed the nine different green light spots: "Although I can sense Green Splendor Qi, in terms of affinity, Vegetation Essence Qi seems best... Qi-sensing, Qi-sensing, the most important thing is actually finding the Qi with the best affinity. It seems I am extremely compatible with Vegetation Essence Qi. Is this because druids possess the plant domain?"

Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated and absorbed the Vegetation Essence Qi from the void.

Boom!

Countless Vegetation Essence Qi, carrying a sense of closeness and reliance, crowded around him and were continuously absorbed by his skin.

【You performed a cultivation session and gained 'Natural Baptism'! You gained some 'Natural Knowledge'! 】

A prompt appeared on the attribute bar.

Fang Xing knew his druid experience had increased...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 554 =====