"Chaos in the market?"
Mentioning this, the expression on Situ Qingqing's face was extremely complex.
There was hatred, anger... as well as helplessness, bitterness, and even a hint of fear.
"I'm sure you've heard about it too. Baiqiao Qijia, Qingye Xujia, Tianfu Shenjia, and Songjia all attacked my family together... It's actually just coveting the gains my family made in the secret realm of Ziyoushan."
After a long time, Situ Qingqing replied indifferently.
'This woman is hiding something. I remember... someone shouted 'there is an order from the sect' back then... There is only one sect in Yueguo, that is—Xuantian Sect! With dozens of foundation-building experts inside the sect, and even a Nascent Soul ancestor presiding over it, it can be said to be the undisputed overlord of the cultivation world in Yueguo!'
'However... did the Situ family and the Hongye Valley really suffer because of the gains in the secret realm of Ziyoushan?'
Fang Xi pondered silently, then casually asked the question he most wanted to ask: "By the way... today, the formation in the market seems to have been broken by a second-grade forbidden symbol. Is this related to the Yunmeng Fairy and the symbol master Chen Ping?"
"Hmm? Fellow Daoist actually knows Chen Ping?" Situ Qingqing was quite surprised.
"Hehe... I naturally know some things." Fang Xi replied mysteriously.
Situ Qingqing bit her red lips, then sighed, "Since things have come to this, there is nothing that can't be said... indeed, the market was breached today because my Situ family miscalculated, not expecting that Chen Ping would awaken the 'Blood Symbol Spirit Body'!"
"I see..." Fang Xi nodded, "But can the fairy tell me a bit about the details of the 'Blood Symbol Spirit Body'?"
He did know that in the cultivation world, there were cultivators who not only had spiritual roots but also had certain innate spiritual body talents.
For example, 'Sword Bone' was very suitable for sword cultivators.
And if the 'Mysterious Water Spirit Body' was paired with a water spiritual root cultivator, it could greatly increase the speed of their cultivation progress. For example, a mid-grade water spiritual root cultivator with this spiritual body could cultivate almost as fast as a genius with a high-grade water spiritual root.
There was once such a spiritual body cultivator who appeared in the world, causing a stir in Yueguo.
However, this spiritual body was even rarer than spiritual roots, with almost one in ten thousand cultivators possessing it.
As for the effects of the Blood Symbol Spirit Body, Fang Xi really had no idea, as this was the first time he had heard of it.
"The Blood Symbol Spirit Body is a type of symbol body constitution, naturally compatible with the Dao of symbols, allowing cultivators to make rapid progress in the field of symbols. It can actively consume essence blood to increase the success rate of symbol-making, break through limits more easily, create high-level symbols... and even in critical moments, consume one's own lifespan to elevate a specific symbol by a major grade!" Situ Qingqing explained.
"Symbol body constitution?" Fang Xi was somewhat surprised. There was actually a spiritual body that was particularly suitable for the Dao of symbols?
This was simply unbelievable.
However, there were countless miraculous techniques in the cultivation world, so the existence of another type of spiritual body like the Blood Symbol Spirit Body was not surprising.
Soon, he thought of Chen Ping's rapid progress and the crucial second-grade forbidden symbol in the market. "So... was that forbidden symbol made by Chen Ping, originally a first-grade superior... but by consuming essence blood and lifespan, forcibly pushed it into the second-grade level? This Blood Symbol Spirit Body is truly terrifying!"
"Hmph, it's just fishing in troubled waters. That Chen Ping is only in the Foundation Establishment stage... for the sake of this symbol, he must have consumed at least half a century of lifespan." Situ Qingqing mentioned this person with some indignation, "My Situ family had already traced some clues through tracking that Minqing Pavilion's Yunmeng woman, and was about to go and arrest her, but unexpectedly, the other party became desperate..."
'Wait a minute, something's not right... If Chen Ping is a Blood Symbol Spirit Body, how could he have been so destitute and even a spiritual farmer before?'
Fang Xi had a thought in his mind and asked directly.
Situ Qingqing answered calmly, "The Blood Symbol Spirit Body is a latent constitution that is not usually apparent, and it mainly needs to be activated postnatally..."
"Could it be that the so-called activation requires some kind of symbol inheritance?" Fang Xi thought of Chen Ping's transformation after obtaining the notes of the symbol master, and speculated.
"Not exactly..." Situ Qingqing sneered, "Although my Situ family has little research on spiritual bodies, based on my speculation, the activation of this spiritual body probably requires some kind of blood sacrifice!"
"Blood sacrifice?!" Fang Xi suddenly thought of the 'Kou Family's Three Villains' who killed the sect symbol master!
The person who had chased Situ Qingqing just now was the third of the 'Kou Family's Three Villains! They were clearly in cahoots with these rebellious forces!
Of course, the 'Kou Family's Three Villains' was an outsider's title; the three brothers usually referred to themselves as the Three Heroes...
Connecting these dots was truly terrifying!
'I've been a bit puzzled. Chen Ping's circle of acquaintances has become quite high... It must be that before the Blood Symbol Spirit Body was awakened, there were some clues and hints that were discovered, and then deliberately compromised...'
'There must have been some clues and traces before the Blood Symbol Spirit Body was activated, which could be confirmed through some means...'
'Then, it's about researching how to activate it... Yunmeng Fairy and the others contacted the Kou Family's Three Villains, I don't know how much blood sacrifice materials they provided for Chen Ping, even the sect symbol master...'
'Thank goodness I'm clever and hardly ever leave Qingzhu Mountain, otherwise... I might have fallen into a trap...'
'Tsk tsk... Friend Lu really walked into the lion's den, I wonder if Chen Ping himself is aware of it? This is like killing the husband and taking the wife, truly despicable! Even the sect symbol master's children have recognized the villains as their fathers...'
'And then, Chen Ping successfully activates the Blood Symbol Spirit Body and rises to prominence...'
Some of these key changes, Fang Xi had even experienced firsthand.
Now, looking back, he felt that everything was clear.
'Because of the abundant gains of the Situ family and the Hongye Valley in the secret realm of Ziyoushan, the strength of the two families increased significantly, causing unease in the Xuantian Sect, which led to the arrangement of nearby forces to suppress them...'
'As for Chen Ping? Perhaps at first, Yunmeng Fairy just wanted to win over this potential genius who might awaken the Blood Symbol Spirit Body... But as the situation changed, she arranged for his blood sacrifice, intending to exploit his power crazily... ultimately consuming his lifespan, making a second-grade forbidden symbol to help break through the Qingzhu Mountain market!'
People are shortsighted.
Even cultivators are the same.
Behind Yunmeng Fairy was the Qingye Xujia, just a foundation-building family.
This kind of top-tier talent like the Blood Symbol Spirit Body might not be able to hold on, and it was more likely that an order from the Xuantian Sect would come, and they would have to obediently enter the sect as disciples.
In this way, although they could also receive some rewards from the sect, it was not much.
Far from the benefits of breaking into the Qingzhu Mountain market!
'Fishing in troubled waters is the first choice for casual cultivators and small sects... There are examples of cultivating peerless geniuses who rise to the top and then return the favor to the sect, but they are very rare... Why? Because the resources of small forces are simply not enough to cultivate the peerless geniuses they need, and may even provoke the premature extermination of hostile forces! This is called unworthy of virtue, and there will be consequences!'
'On the contrary, although this method of killing the chicken to get the eggs seems wasteful, it can gain more immediate benefits... The choice is self-evident!'
Fang Xi sighed.
This was both a lament and a pity for Chen Ping.
If this person had been born in a more resource-rich cultivation world with powerful sects, perhaps his path of cultivation would have been much smoother, and he wouldn't have ended up on a dead end.
"Friend, do you happen to know Chen Ping?" Situ Qingqing's bright eyes seemed to see through something.
"No, I'm just lamenting the fall of a top-tier symbol genius..." Fang Xi's heart skipped a beat, his tone still calm.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator's lifespan was around a hundred years, and suddenly losing half a century, which was thirty years!
This was by no means a small number.
Situ Qingqing did not pursue further, but instead made a sincere gesture, "Friend, your strength is extraordinary. I wonder if you would be willing to join my Situ family as a guest? Although my Situ family is currently in a precarious situation, it is in times of trouble that true character is revealed. At this time, we will definitely treat external casual cultivators equally. As long as you perform meritorious deeds, there will be rewards, including elixirs to enhance your cultivation, powerful artifacts and symbols, even the foundation-building insights of our family ancestors... all can be taught!"
'This Situ Qingqing's identity is not simple... she even dares to casually promise foundation-building insights.'
Although Fang Xi was somewhat tempted, it was only a little bit.
Perhaps Situ Qingqing was right. The Situ family on the brink of destruction could do anything desperate, but how could he be willing to bury himself with the Situ family?
Therefore, he decisively refused, "I am used to being free and unrestrained, unwilling to join any forces... Fairy, take care, we will meet again in the future!"
With a cupped hand gesture, he displayed his body technique, swiftly darting out like a dragon and snake, disappearing after a few turns...
'Who is this person?' Watching Fang Xi's departing figure, Situ Qingqing's gaze slightly narrowed, 'A body cultivator at the Second Layer of Body Refining... using a movement technique that is even more similar to worldly martial artists, but also surpassing it... such a person is not unknown, if the family's Four Seas Hall were still around, they might be able to find some clues...'
But soon, a bitter smile appeared on her face.
The Qingzhu Mountain market was suddenly breached, and the life and death of a Foundation Establishment ancestor was unknown.
The future of the Situ family was uncertain, and she really didn't have the energy to investigate a mere mid-level body cultivator.
'Xuantian Sect, as well as the Xujia and Songjia... this enmity, Situ Qingqing will remember.'
Situ Qingqing took one last look in the direction of the market, changed a flower basket artifact, and quickly flew away...
On the other side.
Fang Xi ran far away, arriving in a mountain forest.
The stream was gurgling, with the fallen leaves of dead trees floating on top.
He chose a huge green stone, dug a cellar underneath, and made it secure.
After everything was done, he immediately chose to cross over!
'Things are going to get chaotic near Qingzhu Mountain, and the downfall of major powers is a feast for small fry. The area within a few hundred miles will not be too peaceful... I don't want to get involved, it's better to hide.'
This time, Fang Xi was prepared to hide in Daliang for a few years.
Even if it meant delaying the progress of the Longevity Art... he hadn't made much progress in this cultivation method anyway, and besides... he had the Primordial True Art as a replacement!
If he could advance to the True Origin Martial Saint in Daliang, which was equivalent to a master at the Third Layer of Body Refining, he might even come back and have a feast.
'Forget it... it's best not to have a feast, as long as I control the trade between the two realms, do I need to worry about resources?'
Daliang.
A desolate mountain outside the city of Sanyuan.
Fang Xi's figure appeared, followed by a hint of excitement as he looked at the two storage bags in his hand, "It's finally time to check the spoils of war..."
(End of this chapter)