Chapter 580: Dao Foundation

"Today is suitable for forging the foundation..."

After sending the little ginseng spirit Xiao Qing away, Fang Xing returned to his wooden house, arranged for the four paper people to stand guard, and set up traps with the black snake and cold white ants.

Only then did he sit cross-legged in a leisurely manner, silently circulating the Elder Qingmu Art, searching for the glimmer of spiritual insight that had just emerged.

"Coincidence of opportunity, creation by nature... This is the state described in the cultivation manual as most suitable for forging a Dao Foundation..."

"Even without any preparation beforehand, it can add thirty percent to the chance of a breakthrough."

"Not to mention, I have refined the 'Primordial Dragon-Snake Qi', which can increase the chance by another ten or twenty percent..."

"Plus this Dao Foundation spiritual object, it is already a sure thing."

The crimson ginseng seed, the size of a longan, appeared in Fang Xing's hand, and he swallowed it in one gulp.

Gulp!

The ginseng seed entered his abdomen and was refined by his Elder Qingmu Art mana. It was as if a ladle of cold water had been thrown into boiling oil, and it began to vibrate violently.

"Qi Condensation Level 9, each level refines the essence of vegetation... By the time of the Primordial Qi stage, this breath of Qi is already refined to the limit, and there is no room for further progress!"

"One breath of Primordial Qi, forging my supreme foundation... Condense!"

In Fang Xing's dantian, strands of bright green essence gathered, transforming into a faint, shimmering bamboo forest.

Outside.

The bamboo shadows danced, and one could faintly see clusters of vegetation essence the size of fists lingering around Fang Xing.

In an instant.

The bamboo shadows in his dantian became somewhat similar to the ten-thousand-acre bamboo sea outside.

The Elder Qingmu Art mana also began to transform, continuous and dense, inexhaustible and unfathomable, the endless treasure of nature...

The entire process was like flowing water, truly a natural success, without the slightest difficulty or obstacle.

"That's it... done?"

"It really is quite simple. I wonder why people die forging a Dao Foundation?"

Fang Xing silently contemplated and discovered that even if he had failed the breakthrough just now, it seemed he would not have suffered any injuries.

Even if he had been injured, he could have used Natural Healing to treat himself and recover instantly. He was speechless.

"The Elder Qingmu Art circulating in the outside world is a dead end here... If I want to practice the subsequent cultivation techniques, I must go to Elder Qingmu Ridge, not to mention... there are also the co-cultivation techniques..."

"Although it wouldn't be impossible for me to create my own, it would consume too much time... And one must sing the song of the mountain one is on. If I stubbornly focus on self-creation, I might lose the charm of this system... If it involves some transcendent inheritance later, I would miss it."

Two beams of green light flashed in Fang Xing's pupils as he felt his own Dao Foundation.

"Superior Dao Foundation — Lush and Verdant!"

"It is more like an auxiliary divine ability, capable of catalyzing the growth of vegetation..."

He walked out of the wooden house and saw that in the circle of Green Spirit Bamboo outside, more than a dozen had unknowingly advanced to a thousand-year age.

"Its effect seems to be additive with my 'Plant Growth' talent?"

"It seems useless, but it's actually quite useful. I can continue to be the logistics support in a logical manner..."

Fang Xing glanced at the attribute panel:

【Name: Fang Xing】

【Age: 44/520】

【Profession: Druid Level 13】

【Realm: Early Dao Foundation (Lush and Verdant)】

"My lifespan only increased by two hundred years? This is a superior Dao Foundation! Not to mention the 【Eternal Youth】 talent, which means it only actually increased by a little over a hundred years?"

"But that's right, my lifespan was already over three hundred years before. Extending life on this basis naturally becomes harder and harder..."

"This lifespan, for an ordinary Yin Spirit True Monarch, is about the same, right?"

Fang Xing nodded: "Next, I will try my best to obtain the 'Elder Qingmu Art' Dao Foundation technique, which can be practiced to the Middle Dao Foundation stage... And this is the limit of the 'Elder Qingmu Art'. Afterwards, I must obtain a co-cultivation technique to practice another pseudo-divine ability before I can break through to the Late Dao Foundation stage!"

"This is also the path to becoming a Yin Spirit True Monarch..."

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, another year passed.

Compared to Song Yunqian's ignorance, Song Yunyun and Fei Yong, knowing that Fang Xing intended to send Fei Yong to Elder Qingmu Ridge, specifically came to thank him.

Fang Xing gave Fei Yong a few pointers, then presented a batch of gifts, and let the other party go to Elder Qingmu Ridge to report.

In his view, that child was quite clever.

Moreover, what he wanted the other party to scout was not some sect secret; as long as there was patience, there would be no difficulty.

And after planting the seed, all that remained was to wait silently.

On this day.

The Qiao family caravan arrived on schedule once again.

Qiao Wuyong had a few more wrinkles on his face, but he did not look particularly old.

He controlled his Heavenly Gang Qi and traveled with the wind; his cultivation had actually reached the Ninth Level of Qi Condensation!

He looked at the ten-thousand-acre bamboo sea in front of him, and a trace of anticipation flashed across his face.

As Fang Xing's bamboo forest continued to expand, the bamboo paper, bamboo strips, and bamboo rice produced became more and more abundant, making it one of the indispensable sources of goods for the Qiao family merchant guild.

Moreover, Fang Xing's cultivation had also become increasingly unfathomable to him.

Compared to this, thinking of the Lv family's previous performance, Qiao Wuyong couldn't help but smile inwardly.

Outsiders thought that after a hundred years, Poison Dragon Slope would inevitably be dominated by the Lv family, but that was a completely wrong judgment.

And in this, there was an opportunity for a merchant to invest. Hiss! Hiss!

Just as he was thinking, he saw a black snake controlling its Heavenly Gang Qi and rushing into mid-air.

"This is... that black snake, has it already refined its Heavenly Gang Qi?"

Qiao Wuyong was startled.

Such wild spirit creatures had always found it quite difficult to advance; it would be good if they could break through to the Seventh Level of Qi Condensation.

He had even originally thought that the Seventh Level of Qi Condensation was the black snake's limit, never expecting it could still advance upward.

"So it is Manager Qiao who has arrived. Please enter the bamboo forest for tea..."

A voice entered Qiao Wuyong's ears, causing his expression to change slightly. He lowered his cloud energy and came into the bamboo forest.

He saw a young man in a green robe cooking tea by the stove, with a few roasted preserved fruits placed to the side.

On the other party, neither Heavenly Gang Qi nor Sha Qi could be seen, only a sense of Primordial Unity, like a deep ocean, which made one's heart surrender.

(Note: Garbled text again.)

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, for advancing to the Ninth Level of Qi Condensation!"

Qiao Wuyong bowed solemnly, but thought to himself: "Is this Fellow Daoist Fang finally not pretending anymore?"

He knew that this person had broken through to the Seventh Level of Qi Condensation long before it was announced. Although it was rumored that he was obsessed with the art of paper folding, it was impossible for him to have made no progress at all.

Looking at him now, he couldn't help but feel very moved.

"My cultivation was higher than this person's in my early years, and I had the resources of the Qiao family... and yet I've been caught up?"

"No, looking at the other party's cultivation, it is even deeper than mine..."

Qiao Wuyong sat down, picked up the teacup, and his attitude became several degrees more respectful.

"Haha... I just happened to have some gains recently."

Fang Xing picked up a date, a smile on his lips.

In reality, he felt that when he broke through to the Dao Foundation in the future, he shouldn't be too shocking.

Having Qiao Wuyong as a mouthpiece was not bad.

In this way, in the eyes of outsiders, he was a genius cultivator whose realm breakthroughs were traceable, and he had just been hiding it with Qi Concealment techniques all along.

Although this was not very important, it would have some effect if he prepared to join Elder Qingmu Ridge in the future.

"I have quite a lot of bamboo paper in stock now. Fellow Daoist, you must give me an honest price."

"Haha, that goes without saying..."

After the two sides traded a few more times, Fang Xing generously inquired about news of Dao Foundation techniques.

After all, he was already at the Ninth Level of Qi Condensation; looking forward to the Dao Foundation was very normal.

Alas, the results he obtained were much the same.

"This..." A trace of embarrassment appeared on Qiao Wuyong's face: "Basic techniques can be purchased at will from the ten major righteous and evil sects... but Dao Foundation techniques are extremely difficult to obtain. Unless it is among those Dao Foundation families, it is unlikely they have any collections..."

"Moreover..." he continued: "Such Dao Foundation techniques only go up to the Middle Dao Foundation stage. If you want co-cultivation techniques, you must still go to the ten major righteous and evil sects..."

"This is the means by which the ten major righteous and evil sects control the appearance of Yin Spirit True Monarchs, right?" Fang Xing sipped his tea and sighed.

"Exactly. Yin Spirit True Monarchs live for five hundred years and possess great divine abilities; their destructive power is unparalleled... They are the ones who can truly pose a threat to the ten major righteous and evil sects, so they naturally need to be controlled."

Qiao Wuyong said: "The Yin Spirit True Monarchs that appear in our outer lands, one and all, have deep connections with the ten major righteous and evil sects, without exception."

"Forget it, I will focus on the Dao Foundation first... I wonder about this Dao Foundation spiritual object?"

Fang Xing stared at Qiao Wuyong.

"You are making things too difficult for me... How precious are Dao Foundation spiritual objects? My Qiao family is just a small merchant guild; we don't have that channel..."

Qiao Wuyong shook his head: "The Fei family, as a Dao Foundation family, can exchange for a Dao Foundation spiritual object from the superior sect every sixty years..."

He seemed to be hinting at something.

"I am not a member of the Fei family, so there is no hope there..." Fang Xing shook his head, looking very disappointed.

"Oh? I thought Poison Dragon Slope and the Fei family supported each other and were inseparable..." Qiao Wuyong looked somewhat surprised, then continued: "Then do you know that the Fei family head, Fei Shentong, may not have many years left to live?"

"Is that so?"

Fang Xing was noncommittal, his gaze somewhat drifting, thinking of many things.

The Fei family had been in a precarious situation before, and even if they intended to shrink back, they could not avoid fighting.

As the Fei family head, Fei Shentong had fought north and south, turning the tide many times, so he must have been injured and damaged his fundamental vitality.

Coupled with practicing the secret art of paper folding, the higher the rank, the more it shortened one's life.

His lifespan had been continuously shortened, and the lifespan of a Qi Condensation cultivator was only about 120 or 130 years.

Now, at the end of his rope, it seemed to be within expectations, yet reasonable?

"Alas... Fei Shentong was a hero of his generation, but it's a pity he was born at the wrong time. When he ascended to the position of family head, he encountered a great disaster for the Fei family..."

Fang Xing shook his head, looking quite regretful.

"Now the Fei family is about to change family heads, and Fei Wu has a high reputation."

Qiao Wuyong did not think of Fei Yong at all. After all, the head of such a Dao Foundation family, even if it was a declining family, could not hold the fort at all without the cultivation of the Late Qi Condensation Realm.

"Fei Wu?"

Fang Xing nodded: "Indeed very suitable..."

He thought back to the year when the Fei family put forward candidates for the new family head; Fei Cai, Fei Shentong, and Fei Wu were all among them. Now, unexpectedly, each of them had become a family head.

The changes in the world truly made one feel dazzled and overwhelmed.

(End of chapter)