Cultivating Immortality: Starting from Ferrying Passengers

Chapter 210 The Fall of the Golden Core
"You look troubled?"

Before the sword vine, the vine-bearing woman was carefully observing the growth of this green gourd sword vine.

Fang Jingxuan stood about ten feet away from her, his hands clasped in his pockets, and spoke in a light tone, as if it were a casual chat between friends.

As Si Teng counted the sword vine leaves, she didn't turn around when Fang Jingxuan asked her question.
"This is none of your business, don't ask any more questions."

Fang Jingxuan smiled gently, clearly she wasn't truly angry at Fang Jingxuan's question.

Seeing that Si Teng was unwilling to talk, Fang Jingxuan changed the subject to the sword vine.

“Recently, I have been able to sense that this sword vine is craving something from me. It’s not for the Yin Moon Essence Dew, but for something else. As I understand it, it seems to be craving a sword.”

Si Teng stopped, looked back at Fang Jingxuan, and then explained:

"The sword intent it embodies in the Demand Sword was already absorbed by eighteen second-tier magic swords five years ago, which we did not expect to be digested so quickly."

Fang Jingxuan's heart skipped a beat; he had been unaware of this matter beforehand.

"Eighteen magic swords? Are there any requirements or restrictions on these magic swords?"

The Vine Master was willing to elaborate on cultivating the Green Gourd Sword Vine, so she continued to explain to Fang Jingxuan:

“Every magic sword needs to have a basic understanding of spirituality and also needs its own master, so that it can be imbued with the sword intent cultivated by its master during the long battle.”

"This sword vine needs various kinds of sword intent to grow properly. Currently, its need for sword intent isn't too high; a second-tier magic sword is sufficient. However, once it bears fruit and produces the Xuan Tian Qing Hu sword fruit, the magic sword it needs will likely be of third-tier quality."

Upon hearing this, Fang Jingxuan finally understood that cultivating a mid-grade fourth-order spiritual plant required so many resources. Not only was the growth time extremely long, often measured in centuries, but it also required something like a magic sword and sword intent.

"Is it easy to obtain this second-tier magic sword?"

"That's not difficult. Right now, the White Mountain Sword Sect and the Sharp Gold Alliance are locked in a fierce battle, and a lot of excellent magic swords have been lost. We can buy them for only one-third of the original price."

"Perfect timing, it's time to replenish its magic swords. This time, I estimate we'll need twenty."

Si Teng Nu answered somewhat absentmindedly. Seeing this, Fang Jingxuan remained silent for a few moments before saying:

"I've been here for almost four years now, and I've accumulated more than three merit points. I'm planning to exchange them for something, and I would appreciate your help, young lady."

Si Teng, regaining her senses, asked curiously:

"what?"

Fang Jingxuan's mind flashed with Wang Xuan's confident face. His eyelids drooped slightly as he muttered:

"I want the formula for the 'Imperial Jade Dew Pill'."

Five days later, Si Teng Nu reappeared in front of Fang Jingxuan and tossed him a jade slip.

"The pill formula you requested will now completely wipe out all the merit points you've accumulated."

Fang Jingxuan didn't care about Si Teng Nu's words. Let it be reset, as long as he got the pill formula.

Previously, Wang Xuan wouldn't even give him the secret technique for refining the Extreme Yin Moon Essence Dew, but now, he's even got his hands on the pill formula. Thinking of this, Fang Jingxuan's resentment towards Wang Xuan for selling him out dissipated somewhat. "For the next few days, you should stay in your room and not come out. We need to arrange magic swords for the Green Gourd Sword Vine, and it's not appropriate for you to watch."

Si Teng Nu made a request, and Fang Jingxuan nodded in agreement. Changing the magic sword would definitely require activating the formation. Although Fang Jingxuan had not personally experienced this formation in the past few years, he could sense that it was a complex third-order formation. Relying on his own abilities, he could not even understand it very well at present.

"I understand. I'll be studying the formulas these next few days, Si Teng. Thank you."

Upon hearing Fang Jingxuan's gratitude, Si Tengnu's expression froze. She opened her mouth slightly, but ultimately said nothing.

In the following days, Fang Jingxuan stayed peacefully in his room, focusing on studying the formula for the 'Emperor's Jade Dew Pill'.

However, his current skill in alchemy is only at the level of a mid-grade first-level alchemist, so studying this pill formula, which is clearly a high-grade second-level pill, is quite difficult for him.

However, the process of exploring this elixir formula is also a process of continuously improving one's alchemy skills. Fang Jingxuan is very confident in himself. After all, he still has more than two hundred years to live. If he can't figure it out in one year, then he'll do it in ten. If ten years isn't enough, then he'll do it in thirty. Eventually, he will definitely be able to refine this elixir.

The outside world has been quiet these past few days, and it's unknown whether the magic sword under the roots of that sword vine has been replaced.

Ten days later, Fang Jingxuan decided it was time to water the sword vine with Moon Essence Dew, so he went out and came to the sword vine.

At this moment, the sword vine seemed to have changed from its previous state. It gave the impression of being drunk, becoming languid and lethargic.

However, upon sensing Fang Jingxuan's arrival, the sword vine subtly conveyed its desire, clearly indicating its genuine liking for the Moon Dew.

Fang Jingxuan continued to send a drop of refined Moon Essence Dew through the array to its roots, and then suddenly felt a mysterious sword intent being transmitted to him from afar.

"This is?"

Fang Jingxuan was startled. He immediately understood that this was the Green Gourd Sword Vine's feedback. After all, the Green Gourd Sword Vine was not very intelligent and only had instinctive feelings. It did not know who it belonged to. It only felt that it was willing to give back to whoever was good to it or whoever helped it the most.

Fang Jingxuan's constant feeding over the past four years has clearly led the sword vine to believe that this is the best creature for it in its naive consciousness.

Fang Jingxuan accepted the feedback from the Green Gourd Sword Vine without batting an eye. However, his prolonged silence aroused suspicion from the person closely monitoring him.

"What is he doing? Is he talking to the Green Gourd Sword Vine?"

Inside a secret chamber, two Foundation Establishment cultivators were watching Fang Jingxuan's every move through an array. One of the younger cultivators spoke up and asked a question.

The older Foundation Establishment cultivator, not wanting to cause trouble, advised:
"As long as he doesn't attack the magic circle, we don't need to intervene. We're only responsible for keeping the sword vine intact. What happens to him is not our concern."

Hearing the elder's advice, the young Foundation Establishment cultivator was no longer nervous. After a few breaths, the older cultivator spoke again:
“The outside world is unstable right now, and the Luo family is in chaos. It’s a good thing that the two of us can stay here safely and guard this sword vine. Otherwise, if we were transferred to quell the rebellion, there would be no mercy in the face of war. If we were to be killed, all our hundreds of years of hard work would be completely wasted.”

The young cultivator nodded in agreement and sighed as well:
"How could the Luo family patriarch have suddenly perished? She was a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. Who could have taken her life so silently?"

"Who knows? Forget it, such things are too far removed from us. Don't overthink it or talk about it. After all, Ancestor Luo was an ally of Ancestor Kuai. Her fall is a major headache for Ancestor Kuai. The whole city is under martial law for now, and we don't know how long this turmoil will last."

"Alas, the Luo family is finished now. It was one of the five great families before, but in the blink of an eye, it has fallen apart. The direct and indirect branches of the Luo family are fighting each other for the relics of the Luo ancestor. There are also many treacherous cultivators in the territory. It looks like they are about to be defeated."

"Quiet down, quiet down, let's not talk anymore, that woman is here."

(End of this chapter)