Cultivating Immortality: Starting from Ferrying Passengers

Chapter 174 Planning the Foundation
Of the five intelligence reports, two concerned obtaining Foundation Establishment Pills, while the remaining three concerned obtaining 'Mysterious Spirit Fruits'.

Generally, items above the top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill are not for sale. Basically, each faction's treasures are already enough to keep for their own Qi Refining geniuses, so why would they sell them?

The Foundation Establishment Pills sold to the public are of low quality, which Fang Jingxuan doesn't value. So even though he doesn't lack spirit stones, he doesn't want to waste money on these low-quality Foundation Establishment Pills.

Fang Jingxuan would rather clash with a Foundation Establishment cultivator than obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill of superior quality. After cultivating the "Cangming Nine Revolutions Technique" and "Xuanyuan True Explanation," he found Foundation Establishment quite difficult. If he were to use ordinary Foundation Establishment Pills, the chances of success would indeed be low.

Moreover, taking a top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill to establish one's foundation will likely awaken a higher-grade divine ability. Fang Jingxuan's current three divine abilities can also be greatly nourished during foundation establishment, thus advancing in rank.

This matter concerns his future foundation and his very survival; Fang Jingxuan has no choice but to take a gamble now.

Intelligence indicates that the Zhang family within the Dan Ding Sect possesses a top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, which was accidentally produced during their previous attempt to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.

However, over the years, the Zhang family has not had any geniuses worthy of using this top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, so they have remained.

The Zhang family is currently in a bad situation. According to intelligence analysis, they will probably use this pill as a reward to recruit skilled guards.

This intelligence report thoroughly analyzed the Zhang family's personnel composition, situation, and thoughts, which greatly satisfied Fang Jingxuan.

Moreover, the intelligence also included information about the middleman, so if Fang Jingxuan was willing, he would have a great chance of gaining the Zhang family's trust.

Another intelligence report states that in Bomu City within the White Mountain Spirit Wood Alliance, there is a mid-Foundation Establishment alchemy master who possesses a top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill.

However, the alchemist did not intend to sell this elixir; he wanted to keep it for his grandson.

However, although the alchemist's grandson has high aptitude, possessing a single innate spiritual root, his innate spiritual root is extremely rare. Currently, the alchemist is seeking a way to resolve this matter.

The intelligence provided a clue, pointing out that in Baishan Qifu City, there is a female cultivator surnamed Chu who has recently comprehended a technique called "Wisdom Heart Substitution Technique". This technique allows cultivators in the Qi Refining stage to substitute another innate destiny, thus enabling them to embark on the path of cultivation.

This demonstrates Black Hand's intelligence-gathering capabilities. Bomu City and Qifu City are far apart, but Black Hand manages to connect these two seemingly unrelated individuals.

Upon reading this intelligence report, Fang Jingxuan could only marvel at the incredible power of the Black Hand.

Both pieces of information regarding the top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill are highly valuable, and if Fang Jingxuan takes them seriously, he has a great chance of success.

The other three pieces of information, concerning the 500-year-old 'Mysterious Spirit Fruit,' are also very useful, but they are just options, and Fang Jingxuan doesn't have the energy to plan them all at the moment.

Fang Jingxuan would only take this path if the first two options failed. Right now, he should focus on getting the Foundation Establishment Pill.

After analyzing the intelligence, Fang Jingxuan only pondered for a moment before preparing to head to Bomu City to meet this alchemy master.

Without hesitation, Fang Jingxuan left Black Toad Island with Tuoyuan and headed towards the territory of the White Mountain Spirit Wood Alliance without even saying goodbye to the others.

Five days later, at the Bomu City dock, Fang Jingxuan stared in shock at the towering city walls that seemed to reach into the clouds.

Every brick and stone used in the city of this cultivation world is a magical artifact. The current giant wall, which is hundreds of feet high and stretches for dozens of miles, must have required tens of thousands of magical bricks.

Bomu City is a fourth-tier immortal city, one of only three fourth-tier immortal cities in the Spirit Wood Alliance.

Among them, Bomu City is located in the central area of ​​the Spiritwood Alliance, Bolin City is located at the border of the Wilderness, Bosen City is close to Qifu City, and further ahead it borders the Qiyun territory.

Within Bomu City lies a fourth-tier spiritual land, a place suitable for Nascent Soul cultivators to cultivate. However, no Nascent Soul cultivator resides within the city. Not only is there no Nascent Soul cultivator in the Spirit Wood Alliance, but the other Five Elements Alliances also lack one. This is because these Nascent Soul cultivators are all cultivating on White Mountain and rarely come down from there.

However, these things were too far removed from Fang Jingxuan's mind. He merely marveled at the city's imposing grandeur before obediently joining the queue to enter the city with the shrunken Tuoyuan.

Bomu City has twenty-seven city gates. Fang Jingxuan entered through the western Guanghong Gate, which has five gate openings, including a special gate for cultivators.

When they reached Fang Jingxuan, the guard simply held up a magic mirror, glanced at Fang Jingxuan and Tuoyuan, and then let them in.

Clearly, as long as they are not demonic or ghostly cultivators, Bo Mucheng doesn't care about their origins.

Moreover, Fang Jingxuan discovered that a Foundation Establishment cultivator was sitting in the guard post next to him. So, out of all the gates in Bomu City, there were more than twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators checking people.

In addition, this number needs to be increased further for those who take turns rotating.

As expected of the hidden overlord of the Baishan region, the strength of the Dan Ding Sect is truly pathetic in comparison.

With Tuoyuan by his side, Fang Jingxuan first visited the branches of various merchants. Because it was a fourth-tier immortal city, the scale of these merchants here was far greater than that in Guixufang.

Even so, these merchants do not sell top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, and even high-grade Foundation Establishment Pills require customization and, crucially, specific qualifications.

Having figured this out, Fang Jingxuan vaguely sensed that these sects were tacitly controlling and suppressing rogue cultivators.

They don't lack top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, but if rogue cultivators want to obtain them, they must risk their lives for them and choose to be obedient dogs.

Otherwise, if top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills could be bought and sold at will, why would rogue cultivators fawn over these sects?
There are deeper reasons that Fang Jingxuan cannot see now, but he knows that good things, no cost, and rogue cultivators can never coexist.

As a de facto rogue cultivator, Fang Jingxuan could only accept the status quo. After remaining silent for a moment, he followed the address in the Black Hand's intelligence and arrived at the residence of the female cultivator surnamed Chu.

Looking at the gate of the small courtyard in front of him, Fang Jingxuan hesitated. Was this really the residence of that Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Chu?
It looks rather shabby.

"Clang clang clang!"

Fang Jingxuan stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a moment, an elderly female cultivator with crow's feet around her eyes, but with a peaceful demeanor, came out.

"May I ask if you are Senior Chu Huixin?"

Chu Huixin looked at Fang Jingxuan with a puzzled expression. She had been living in seclusion here for a long time and did not remember having such an old friend.

"I am [the speaker's name]. May I ask who you are, young friend?"

"I am a cultivator from the Red Leaf Pavilion within the territory of the Chu family of the White Mountain Pill Cauldron Sect. I have come here today to ask for your help."

When Fang Jingxuan mentioned the Chu Family Red Leaf Workshop, he clearly sensed a change in Chu Huixin's expression.

Sure enough, all the cultivators with the surname Chu in the world are inextricably linked to the Qi Yun Chu family.

(End of this chapter)