Chapter 568: Yunlai Market

"That's not quite true… but I believe good wine needs no bush; if it's truly good, people will find it."

Fang Xing said calmly.

"Hmm, that makes sense."

Old Lv took another sip of monkey wine: "Good, I'm going to duel tomorrow—perfect chance to stock up three or five pills… Young man, where will you set up your stall from now on?"

"If nothing changes, it'll be Yunlai Market."

Fang Xing thought for a moment and replied.

"That's excellent."

Old Lv nodded and handed over five talisman coins.

After that first income, more buyers came in gradually.

By evening, Fang Xing counted the coins in his hand—thirty-seven talisman coins—and nodded, packing up his stall to begin shopping.

He had thoroughly researched Yunlai Market before coming.

The market was jointly built by several Dao Foundation families, and order was maintained by their own disciples—roughly safe enough.

And the variety of goods was quite complete.

Fang Xing entered a bookshop; these fixed stores had slightly better reputations.

"Sir, what kind of book are you looking for?"

A middle-aged man in Confucian robes stepped forward.

"The Qingmu Gong manual, and the 'Compendium of Great Zhou's Geography'…"

Fang Xing scanned the shelves and named his choices.

"Qingmu Gong manual—a basic wood-element cultivation method, detailed from level one to nine… priced at twenty talisman coins."

"The 'Compendium of Great Zhou's Geography' comes in detailed and simplified editions. I can give you the simplified version as a bonus; the detailed edition costs ten talisman coins."

The middle-aged scholar smiled.

"I'll take the detailed edition…"

Fang Xing raised his hand and tossed out thirty talisman coins.

He had long known that beginner cultivation manuals were cheap; comparing the two, he realized how badly the previous stall owner had cheated him.

But back then, it was a pure seller's market—he had no choice.

"Alright, sir, wait a moment—I'll fetch the books."

The scholar retreated behind the counter and warned: "Authentic originals are kept hidden in our shop. What's displayed here either has only a few pages, or contains hidden traps and errors… if you're bored, feel free to flip through them."

Fang Xing: "..."

Moments later, the man returned with a tray: "Here are the Qingmu Gong manual and the detailed edition of the 'Compendium of Great Zhou's Geography'… Also, Qingmu Gong is the introductory method of Qingmu Ridge. If you use it to forge your Dao Foundation, you must join this sect to obtain later techniques."

He added: "This is how major sects screen disciples."

"I see."

Fang Xing nodded. No wonder the manual was so cheap—there were indeed many traps inside.

But he'd inquired about Qingmu Ridge before—it was a righteous sect, with better conduct than Blood Shadow Gate.

And most manuals on the market were like this; nothing worth picking over.

Compared to the multi-volume 'Compendium of Great Zhou's Geography,' the manual for Qingmu Gong was only a thin booklet.

He opened the first page and compared it with the portion he'd obtained earlier, silently nodding.

Then he turned to the next few levels.

"In this world, cultivators in the early stages are divided into two phases: 'Nine Levels of Sensing Qi' and 'Three Tiers of Dao Foundation'…"

"Most hermits are at the Sensing Qi stage; those who reach Dao Foundation are local heavyweights, capable of founding small sects or families, even protecting markets…"

"Nine Levels of Sensing Qi… Sensing Qi, Refining Qi, Transforming Qi, Gathering Qi, Merging Qi, Nourishing Qi, Toxic Qi, Vajra Qi, Primordial Qi. The first three focus on 'sensing and refining,' the middle three on 'condensing,' and the last three on enhancing Qi quality… At the end, 'One Primordial Qi establishes my supreme foundation'… forging Dao Foundation with 'Primordial Qi'?"

"Each step in the Nine Levels of Sensing Qi determines the quality of your future Dao Foundation… and the major sects don't control spiritual veins—they control 'Toxic Pits' suited to their cultivation methods…"

Fang Xing even suspected Blood Shadow Gate possessed some secret technique to use corpses to fill and enhance Toxic Pits; otherwise, he couldn't explain why they treated paper slaves so cruelly, as if hoping they'd die.

"For me, the best cultivation site is naturally a place rich in plant essence… just plant more trees near my dwelling."

After skimming Qingmu Gong and confirming no errors, Fang Xing flipped through the 'Compendium of Great Zhou's Geography' briefly.

In theory, the Outer Lands also fell under Great Zhou's jurisdiction.

Thus, the 'Compendium of Great Zhou's Geography' included a rough map of the Outer Lands and introductions to its many factions.

Fang Xing bought this book precisely to plan his future refuge.

If the Outer Lands proved unsuitable, he could always slip back into the Zhou Shenchao.

This confidence came from the never-before-seen 【Wild Shape】 ability.

Perfectly transforming into ordinary animals should let him pass the Three Forbidden Passes without issue—if the Zhou Shenchao was truly that good, Fang Xing wouldn't mind immigrating.

He turned to the section on Zhou Shenchao, his expression shifting slightly:

"Zhou Shenchao was founded by divine descendants, enduring over five thousand years…"

"In this dynasty, ancestral worship thrives—house spirits, land gods, city gods form the backbone of its legal network; temple priests, shamans, yin soldiers and yin generals serve as its claws and wings… A single decree bans folk cultivation; all cultivators must register with the authorities and perform labor… Hermit and wild cultivators are treated as serious criminals—executed on sight."

"Looks a bit like a Divine Dynasty… no wonder they call it 'Shenchao'…"

"But I'm certain such a tightly woven system despises those who gain power independently… no wonder both righteous and evil alike are all driven into the Outer Lands."

"If I were an ordinary person, I could live well in Zhou Shenchao—at least the baseline is high… but to pursue free cultivation? Forget it."

Fang Xing silently shook his head, rejecting one of his original plans.

To completely avoid Blood Shadow Gate's troubles, Zhou Shenchao was the best option.

But if he couldn't go, it didn't matter.

After all, he'd merely lost one mortal slave—even if that slave had killed a few others, it wasn't significant.

Fang Xing estimated Blood Shadow Gate's interest in him barely reached the level of the Paper Slave Valley's managing disciples.

Far from meeting the standard for a major faction's wanted notice.

Thus, as long as he kept sufficient distance, there was no real need to worry—even keeping the name 'Fang Xing' was fine!

After all, countless people in the world shared the same name.

By the time he became famous, years or decades would have passed—perhaps even the managing disciples who knew of this incident were already dead…

After leaving the bookshop, Fang Xing wandered the market further.

As a Druid, he naturally had great interest in spiritual plants, but they were extremely rare in the market.

In the end, he bought only a few mulberry and hemp seeds, planning to plant trees himself.

Preparing to strip bark, pulp them… to make 'Blood Paper.'

Hmm, making Blood Paper might require Blood Shadow Gate's secret methods—but at least producing paper of similar quality to talisman coins should be feasible.

This was preparation for future cultivation of the Paper Crafting Art.

After all, the best time to plant trees was ten years ago; the second-best is now.

As for actual cultivation?

Until he fully unlocked the 【Ageless Body】 talent, Fang Xing wouldn't invest too much effort.

At most, he'd occasionally practice 'Wan Quan Hand'—just preparing for future paper folding.

Night fell.

Fang Xing left Yunlai Market and returned to nature, feeling deeply at ease.

The journey was utterly peaceful—no bandits appeared, dashing his hope of doubling or tripling his profits.

"Then again… it was only dozens of talisman coins."

"If someone robbed you over that, Yunlai Market wouldn't even be worth reopening… the behind-the-scenes Dao Foundation families could just drink wind and eat dust."

He reached the cave where he'd rested briefly, quietly lit an oil lamp, and began reading late into the night.

First, he memorized the Qingmu Gong incantation until it was etched into his mind.

Then he read the 'Compendium of Great Zhou's Geography,' focusing on the Outer Lands section.

"From the map, the Outer Lands lie in the southwest of Zhou Shenchao—merely a corner of the realm…"

"Within the Outer Lands, factions of all kinds mix, led by the Ten Great Sects of Righteous and Evil…"

"The Yunlai Market where I am now lies in the northeast of the Outer Lands—already relatively close to the Three Forbidden Passes and Zhou Shenchao's territory…"

"Similarly, Feijian Gate, closest to the Three Forbidden Passes, is the strongest among the Ten Great Sects—but it can't fully deploy its power inward… according to the alliance pact, the other nine sects must also send personnel and resources to assist Feijian Gate in confronting the Passes—and must rush to aid if trouble arises!"

"The Corpse Manipulation Sect and Qingmu Ridge are roughly equal in strength…"

"As I originally planned, if I can't enter Zhou Shenchao, perhaps I could seek protection under one of these factions?"

"Of these two, I naturally lean toward Qingmu Ridge…"

Yet Fang Xing still felt some resistance to becoming a formal disciple of Qingmu Ridge.

After all, his Druid cultivation required constant closeness to nature, and many of his actions seemed strange to outsiders.

"Perhaps I should stay within Qingmu Ridge's territory as a hermit—or affiliate with one of its subordinate factions?"

Fang Xing had little desire for cultivation resources.

The key plant essence, he could obtain himself by planting trees.

Beyond that, only the post-Dao Foundation techniques mattered.

Planning for them now wasn't urgent.

Even without relying on this world's cultivation system, merely following the Druid's path of nature could make one an ultimate powerhouse!

This is the confidence that comes from holding a transcendence legacy.

"Still, practicing the cultivation methods here can accelerate Druid experience gain—it's worth studying alongside…"

Fang Xing gazed beyond the cave entrance and silently made his decision: "I'll settle first within the territory of the Greenwood Ridge faction… then begin strengthening myself. But above all, I must find my original body… yet where exactly has my original body gone? I can barely sense its condition, yet I can never pinpoint its location?"