Cultivating Immortality: Starting from Ferrying Passengers

Chapter 195 Summoning Ghosts and Invoking Gods
The sea, shrouded in twilight, gleamed with an eerie light, when suddenly a wave burst open.

A five-zhang-long black tortoise emerged from the waves, its dark brown shell clearly patterned and engraved with array patterns. Each plate on its shell was the size of a millstone.

Its limbs, thick as pillars, are muscular and covered with bluish-black scales. When it moves, the muscles bulge high, exuding a powerful aura.

Each time it slaps the water's surface, it splashes waves several meters high, creating whirlpools that send small fish scattering in all directions.

On the turtle's back, the two figures were clearly distinguishable. The Foundation Establishment cultivator, dressed in a black Taoist robe, sat in the center. The hem of the robe was embroidered with golden cloud patterns, and the jade pendant at his waist shimmered with light. His spiritual energy was faintly visible around him.

The other one was a Qi Refining cultivator, sitting cross-legged behind Fang Jingxuan, silent and looking somewhat nervous.

With a low, hoarse hiss, the black tortoise vigorously paddled its limbs, stirring up swirling eddies.

Its speed suddenly increased, leaving a trail of water more than ten feet long behind it.

In a short time, the two people and the tortoise traveled over a hundred nautical miles forward.

It was already the second day since Fang Jingxuan had promised Huang Fengxian to handle the matter for him. The two of them left the Holy Infant Gate and headed west, heading towards the island that Huang Fengxian had mentioned that day.

Throughout the journey, Fang Jingxuan cautiously used his "Spur of the Moment" supernatural power to perform divination, confirming that the trip would not pose a fatal danger to him.

As Fang Jingxuan had expected, the divination result, which was a "whim," did not make him want to turn around and leave.

Although the opposing cultivator was at the fourth level of Foundation Establishment and had a higher cultivation level than himself, their actual combat strength was probably the opposite.

All those trump cards and supernatural abilities I had in mind were meant to be used at this moment, weren't they?

"Uncle-Master Xuanming, I think I can vaguely feel the palpitation of death."

At this moment, Huang Fengxian suddenly spoke in a low voice, his tone revealing a hint of unease. It seemed that even under the threat of death, his senses were still very sharp.

Upon hearing this, Fang Jingxuan signaled Tuo Yuan to slow down.

Sure enough, a moment later, a figure flew quickly from a distance, but stopped a long way from Fang Jingxuan.

"is it him?"

Fang Jingxuan did not turn around, his tone somewhat cautious. Huang Fengxian strained to observe ahead before finally nodding in confirmation.

Fang Jingxuan patted Tuoyuan, then quickly swam towards the cultivator. A dozen breaths later, the two made contact.

At this moment, Fang Jingxuan finally saw the other party's appearance clearly. He was a middle-aged Taoist priest in his forties, with an ordinary face and an unremarkable appearance.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Xuanming Daoist of the Holy Infant Sect. May I ask if you have come here for him?"

Fang Jingxuan's voice carried to the ears of the person several hundred feet away, and after waiting a few breaths, he heard a response.

"Xuanming Daoist? You're going to stand up for this person?"

Fang Jingxuan smiled slightly, which was taken as tacit agreement. At this moment, his divine sense had already preliminarily detected the other party's cultivation level. Although it was only the fourth level of Foundation Establishment, the total amount of magical power was almost the same as his own.

Moreover, Fang Jingxuan also had Tuoyuan by his side, so the sudden appearance of two Foundation Establishment warriors was enough to make the opponent hesitate.

“Fellow Daoist, I’m here to mediate between you two and resolve this feud. That person also sensed an opportunity that day, but simply seized it ahead of time. Although you are a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you’ve already lost the initiative, so it’s not appropriate for you to continue pushing him, is it?”

Fang Jingxuan decided to first be courteous to the other party before resorting to force, and he was prepared to fight back if necessary.

Although battles are risky and contests of wits require caution, if you always act cowardly, no one will respect you.

Fang Jingxuan asked himself if his smooth sailing over the past few years, along with the large amount of high-grade spirit stones he had been able to use, was entirely due to the battle he had fought against the Thousand Sun Sect back then.

In this place, you should fight when necessary, show your fangs, and let others feel your power. Only then will more resources come into your hands.

"Hmph, I discovered that opportunity five years ago, but I thought it was too young and I was going to wait a few more years. Who would have thought that just when it was about to mature, this kid beat me to it? Fine, since you are so eager to resolve our grudges, why don't you convert this opportunity into spirit stones for me?"

After pondering for a few breaths, the cultivator opposite him gradually became hostile. He must have figured out Fang Jingxuan's cultivation level and believed he had a great chance of winning.

What else could Fang Jingxuan say? So he stood up and said coldly:

"In that case, let's see who's the real deal. If I win, you must never mention this matter again. If you win, I'll turn around and leave, and never bother with it again."

"Alright, it's settled then. In this chaotic star sea, whoever is stronger will prevail. So, please make your move, fellow Daoist."

Huang Fengxian listened silently to these words, feeling extremely uneasy. Although he trusted his own judgment and was certain that Fang Jingxuan's strength was extraordinary, it was ultimately a matter of his own life and fortune. If Fang Jingxuan really lost, then what would happen to him?
Just as Huang Fengxian was considering whether to go first, Fang Jingxuan's voice echoed in her mind.

"You find a place to hide first. If I really lose, I won't be able to take care of you when I'm running for my life. We came here to settle things, we can't just throw our lives away here like fools."

Upon hearing this, Huang Fengxian breathed a huge sigh of relief. It turned out that Fang Jingxuan was just as cunning. He had really thought that Fang Jingxuan wanted to use him as a bargaining chip to keep him here.

So, Huang Fengxian glanced gratefully at Fang Jingxuan's retreating figure, and then quietly flew away into the distance.

Upon seeing this, the Foundation Establishment cultivator opposite him asked:
Why did you let him leave?

"Fellow Daoist, do not worry. Our battle is unpredictable, so to avoid affecting him, I think you will understand. By the way, I still don't know your name, fellow Daoist?"

After a few more moments of silence, the Foundation Establishment cultivator finally spoke:
"This humble Daoist is Jueyunzi, a native of the Western Sea. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Xuanming!"

After this brief conversation, Fang Jingxuan had already grasped the other party's general personality.

They are relatively traditional cultivators who prefer ascetic and solitary cultivation, dislike fighting, and are taciturn. However, their magical power is pure, which they have cultivated little by little on their own. Their combat strength is also very strong, and their foundation is much more solid than those Foundation Establishment cultivators who rely on external forces.

Perhaps the lineage still exists, but the sect has declined.

This matches the Qingxuan Sect identity he had fabricated before very well.

After Jueyunzi finished his greeting, he took out a second-tier magic sword and held it in his hand. After Fang Jingxuan sensed it with his divine soul, he confirmed that it was just a second-tier high-grade wooden magic weapon, nothing amazing about it.

However, after taking out the Jueyunzi magic sword, he did not use it to attack Fang Jingxuan. Instead, he waved his hand again and took out other items from his storage bag out of thin air.

They consist of a basalt stone platform with an altar on top, upon which are placed memorial tablets, command arrows, talismans, and other ritual items.

"Huh, the Shangqing School?" Fang Jingxuan is now quite knowledgeable. He has collected a great many books from various schools within the Holy Infant Sect. Fang Jingxuan naturally takes a look at them from time to time for some pastime after his daily cultivation.

This Shangqing method involves summoning ghosts and gods, sealing away spirits and capturing monsters. One doesn't need to engage in close combat; everything depends on how powerful the summoned ghosts and gods are.

"A pardon has been issued, summoning the spirits and gods!"

Jue Yunzi was seen walking in mid-air, his magic sword waving, and the incense on the altar burning rapidly. The large amount of smoke he produced was sucked into a mysterious space.

Just a moment later, a ferocious ghost general leaped out of this space.

After greedily absorbing the incense smoke from the altar, it nodded to Jueyunzi and then turned its cold, ruthless eyes toward Fang Jingxuan.

After this ghost appeared, it was ten feet tall, its entire body covered in black armor, which was engraved with mysterious runes and shimmered with a ghostly green light.

Its helmet had two long horns, like bull horns, and its face was hidden in the shadows, with only a pair of eerie green, ghostly eyes showing.

Damn it, it's actually a late-stage Foundation Establishment Ghost General, with a cultivation level of about seven layers.

Fang Jingxuan's eyes narrowed, and a bad feeling welled up in his heart. Didn't Huang Fengxian say that the other party was only good at water-based techniques?
Immediately, Fang Jingxuan began to suspect that everything before him might be a trap set for him.

But [On a whim] said that there was no huge risk involved in this trip. How did it make that judgment?
Before Fang Jingxuan could think further, the ghost general had already wielded a huge mountain-splitting axe, leaping three to five hundred feet in a single bound, and cleaved down in their direction.

"Xiaoyuan!"

Fang Jingxuan dared not take the blow head-on and signaled Tuoyuan to dodge quickly. However, faced with the speed of this ghost general, Tuoyuan, a man of enormous size, was unable to dodge in time and took the blow squarely.

With a creaking sound of impending shattering, Tuoyuan's Sea-Suppressing Divine Power, whose protective spiritual shield had been amplified threefold, was almost shattered by a single blow.

Fortunately, they were currently on the sea, Tuoyuan's home turf. The protective spirit shield was rapidly absorbing the spiritual energy from the sea surface, desperately trying to repair the protective spirit shield that was about to break.

This ghost general was also very intelligent. Seeing that his first attack had failed, he quietly hid and then flashed out on the other side, bringing down his axe again.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Jueyunzi continued to cast spells, whether he felt that one ghost general was not enough or he was using his own magic power to support the ghost general's consumption.

Right now, Fang Jingxuan couldn't care less about anything else. This ghost general was too powerful, and the ghost energy emanating from its body was almost solidifying.

Faced with this situation, Fang Jingxuan's mind raced as he considered what methods he could use to effectively control the current situation.

A moment later, Fang Jingxuan realized that he actually had two methods to deal with this ghost general.

One of them is Tuoyuan's [Suppressing Evil] divine power. As a different kind of spirit beast with a trace of Xuanwu divine beast bloodline, Tuoyuan also has the power of [Suppressing Evil].

However, it has never actually been used before, so the specific level of restraint is still unknown.

The second is Fang Jingxuan's newly refined Yellow Spring Domain, which, as a divine power of the same Yin attribute, can definitely restrain this ghost general.

Thinking of this, Fang Jingxuan didn't care about hiding his strength anymore. He directly patted the Spirit Control Bag and released Liu Gu.

After the six bones appeared, the Heaven and Earth Network unfolded, and Fang Jingxuan's divine sense range instantly increased by two hundred feet, directly reaching a range of seven hundred feet.

Within this seven hundred feet, Fang Jingxuan could sense the ghost general's appearance in advance every time.

Then, Fang Jingxuan waved his hand again, and the area within a hundred meters of him instantly turned gray, as if under the setting sun, everything was about to pass away.
At the same time, cries of agony suddenly arose. These cries carried a hallucinatory power, and any cultivator with a weak will would feel hopeless upon hearing them, believing that living was just suffering and that it was better to end it all.

Moreover, wisps of ghostly energy were being torn from the ghost general's body and merged into this domain.

Unfortunately, this ghost general no longer possessed the five senses of a human cultivator, so the other supernatural power in this domain did not have the intended effect on it.

The various mysteries within these domains are the three supernatural powers of the Yellow Springs Gangsha Domain: [Abyss of Ghostly Howls], [Soul Extraction and Soul Stealing], and [Loss of All Five Senses].

Within this domain, the strength of Fang Jingxuan and his opponent was in a state of ebb and flow.

The ghost general, who was just moments ago incredibly fierce, had his strength reduced by about 30% within this domain.

Moreover, as the battle continues, the opponent's strength will continue to decline, while Fang Jingxuan's strength will slowly increase.

This is only the Yellow Springs Domain empowered by three supernatural powers. If it were empowered by dozens of supernatural powers, this ghost general would probably have been crushed when Fang Jingxuan first opened the domain.

However, that level can only be reached at the Golden Core stage, which is the real reason why Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot fight against Golden Core cultivators.

Once the Law Domain is opened, the numerical advantage of Foundation Establishment cultivators becomes a joke; on the contrary, the more people come, the stronger the Golden Core cultivators will become in battle.

In the distance, Jueyunzi, who was continuing to cast spells and incantations, also sensed something was amiss through the perspective of the ghost general he had summoned.

Jurisdiction?

Is this something a Foundation Establishment cultivator should have?

For a moment, Jue Yunzi was extremely shocked. As soon as Fang Jingxuan opened his domain, his fighting spirit immediately dropped from nine points to five points.

That's not all. When he observed that the originally simple-minded Xuan Turtle suddenly emitted bursts of dark yellow spiritual light and launched an attack on his ghost general, the emotionless ghost general actually showed fear.

This situation immediately extinguished Jue Yunzi's will to fight. He had truly encountered something strange today. It was one thing for this cultivator to practice evil cultivation techniques, but how could he also possess a spirit beast with the supernatural power of "suppressing evil"?
What was this spirit beast thinking, that it would submit to an evil cultivator?
Jue Yunzi had no idea that Fang Jingxuan was cultivating the most orthodox "Xuanyuan Zhenjie," and that the current domain of magic was only one-seventh of the characteristics of this technique.

Seeing that the ghost general had been entangled for over a hundred breaths without making any progress, Jue Yunzi glanced at the incense on the altar, which was almost burned out, and immediately spoke up:

"I'm done fighting. I admit defeat. The Ghost General is hereby recalled!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ghost general quickly fled Fang Jingxuan's domain, but its originally solid ghost body was now somewhat loose.

At this moment, Fang Jingxuan was still somewhat reluctant. He had never truly fought against such ghosts before, so he couldn't yet perceive the benefits involved.

However, after the battle just now, Fang Jingxuan discovered that his Yellow Spring Domain, even without the replenishment of new Yellow Spring True Water, had changed considerably compared to when he first arrived.

It seems that this Netherworld Domain can also use the [Soul Extraction and Spirit Stealing] technique during battle to continuously plunder the essence, energy, and spirit of the opposing cultivator, completely integrating them into the domain.

Therefore, when Jueyunzi retrieved the Ghost General, one person felt very heartbroken, while the other person was even more reluctant to part with him.

(End of this chapter)