Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 208 Lost Territory, Nine Bulls and Two Tigers (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
Fang Shu's thoughts paused, and he remained stunned for a long while before finally speaking: "Is this really true?"

He could never have imagined that the words "earth immortal" and "slave" could be put together.

It should be known that the so-called Earth Immortals are actually Foundation Establishment Immortals!
Tian Jinmao shrugged and nodded smugly, "Really!"

This guy reached out, wanting to put his arm around Fang Shu's shoulder and continue walking towards the auction hall, but Fang Shu still moved his foot slightly, causing the other guy's hand to miss.

Tian Jinmao reluctantly withdrew his claws and beckoned Fang Shu to continue following.

After walking around in the crowd for a while, Fang Shu composed himself and spoke again: "Could it be that there is an auction of 'Earth Immortal Slaves' at this venue today?"

"What a coincidence!" Tian Jinmao quickly said.
"That's not it. The person presiding over the auction was a slave of a celestial being."

After another pause, he added, "If you're lucky, you might also be able to see other slaves being auctioned at today's meeting, both human and transvestite."

After asking carefully, Fang Shu realized that the so-called "earth immortal slaves" were actually just a gimmick.

In the past century, although there have been auctions of immortals in the floating market, it has only happened three or four times.

Furthermore, those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage should not be humiliated. Immortals below the Qi Refining stage are not even qualified to participate in the auction; they can only watch. Only those at the Foundation Establishment stage and above can participate.

At the very least, if someone truly wants to purchase a Qi Refining cultivator, they would have to hire a Foundation Establishment Immortal as a front to bid for Earth Immortal slaves.

And most importantly, the Earth Immortal slaves that can be sent to the auction are not actually complete Earth Immortals. To be more precise, they can only be called "pseudo-Earth Immortals" or "Foundation-Building Lost".

Tian Jinmao found a spot, plopped down, and continued his eloquent speech:

"Earth Immortal, Earth Immortal, only those living in blessed lands can be called Earth Immortals!"
If even the blessed land is lost, what kind of Earth Immortal are they? Their magical power and cultivation will all plummet. Some might lose their Foundation Establishment after seven tribulations, and their cultivation level might even become unstable, falling directly below the Foundation Establishment stage.

It added, "Even so, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who has lost his land is still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, which is incomparable to us Qi Refining Immortals. His divine sense and aura are still at the Foundation Establishment level."

Tian Jinmao whispered a warning to Fang Shu: "When that Earth Immortal slave comes out later, you have to be careful, brother. Even though he is a slave, we still have to call him Immortal Master."

Fang Shu nodded and bowed in thanks.

His turbulent mind gradually calmed down, and he immediately understood why the auction house had to use that Earth Immortal slave to preside over the auction.

Its intention should be to demonstrate its strength, especially to impress newcomers like Fang Shu, who are immortals from other places who have just arrived at Fudang Mountain.

After all, a venue that can even auction off Earth Immortals must be incredibly powerful! Consequently, the market town of Fudang Mountain must also be remarkable, no wonder it can be considered on par with the Five Sects of Lushan.

While Fang Shu was amazed, he also thought of something: "Foundation Establishment Immortals rely on the earth's veins to nurture and shape their spiritual veins. Once they 'lose their land,' they become so lowly?"

As he pondered this carefully, his brow furrowed slightly.

If that's the case, while the blessed land of the earth veins is quite helpful to foundation-building immortals, it seems to bind them to one place.

In particular, according to Tian Jinmao, once the blessed land is lost, the strength of the Foundation Establishment Immortals will plummet. Doesn't that mean that once the blessed land is taken away, the plunderer can easily take over the blessed land's resources?
Fang Shu thought to himself:
"In such a situation, if it were a king or noble in the mortal world, it would not be a problem. How can one be called a ruler if one does not rely on the territory?"

However, this is quite inconvenient for immortals who possess great power within themselves.

One of the most obvious points is that if a Foundation Establishment Immortal cultivates a blessed land, how will they travel the world, seek opportunities, and observe the heavens and earth? Wouldn't they be trapped in a small plot of land like an old farmer?

Fang Shu pondered silently, his mind filled with all sorts of thoughts.

But soon, his thoughts were drawn to the auction venue.

Moreover, he thought that he was still just a cultivator at the Refining Demon stage, and there were at least two more stages to go before Foundation Establishment. He also had no clue about the various ley lines related to Foundation Establishment, so there was no need to think about it so much in advance.

Fang Shu chuckled to himself for a moment, then composed himself and focused on the auction.

A powerful aura appeared in the venue, instantly silencing the previously restless guests.

Immediately afterwards, a man of ordinary appearance, in his forties or fifties, who looked like a friendly and prosperous shopkeeper, appeared at the venue.

The person was none other than the Foundation Establishment Immortal who exuded an aura, but on his forehead was a brightly branded character for "slave," and upon closer inspection, there were also two small characters for "floating" on his temples, indicating that he was a slave on Floating Mountain.

The shopkeeper, an immortal, bowed respectfully to everyone present.
"Today is the day of our once-every-ten-day gathering in the Floating Market. All immortals are welcome to come and support us."

In a few days, there will be a monthly mid-term meeting. And in a few days after that, there will be an annual general meeting.

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "At that time, we would also like to invite all of you immortals to come and support us. Whether you buy anything or not is not important. Your presence will be a blessing to our shop."

Amidst the pleasantries, the immortals in the hall gradually returned to their lively state, with even a bull demon stirring things up:
"Don't worry, shopkeeper, there's plenty of spiritual tea in this place. I'll definitely come!"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper clapped his hands, and immediately various singers, dancers, and demons came forward, some slender and some strong, to serve spiritual tea and pastries to the guests.

Seeing this, Tian Jinmao quickly started chewing with both hands again.

As it chewed, it muttered, "The things here are the best. They're genuine spiritual grains and teas, unlike other shops that call anything with a little spiritual energy 'spiritual tea' or 'spiritual fruit.'"

"Sigh, it's a pity it only opens three times a month."

Fang Shu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this.

It turns out that the reason Tian Jinmao sneaked into this place was also to freeload.

Meanwhile, Fang Shu overheard the conversations of the people and monsters around him and found that there were several others like Tian Jinmao, but none of them were as frank as Tian Jinmao.

They all said, more or less, that they were "just here to show their support," but they kept to themselves that they hadn't come for the fruit.

The waiters in the venue maintained a smiling demeanor and showed no disrespect towards Tian Jinmao, a celestial being.

Even when the freeloading immortals had finished eating and drinking, and then asked for more, they would always comply.

Seeing this scene, Fang Shu understood why the market business in Fudang Mountain was so large, far exceeding that of other places.

Not only is there no entry fee to participate in this kind of auction, but the participants are also treated so well.

Of course, there are certain requirements to be able to come to this auction. Only those who have cultivated to the Qi Refining stage can get in, and the higher their cultivation level, the better the position they can get.

Inside the hall, the shopkeeper, an immortal master, had already arranged the order and immediately clapped his hands again:
"The first item to be auctioned today is a type of elixir or miraculous medicine."

As soon as he finished speaking, he opened a bronze stove the size of a baby on the table, revealing colorful pastries inside, as if he were selling cakes.

The pastries were also shaped into various forms, including oxen and tigers.

"This was made by a celestial chef; consuming it will increase your strength."

The shopkeeper explained, "This furnace contains nine oxen and two tigers. If you eat them separately, each of you will possess the strength of the corresponding animal."

If consumed entirely, it would grant immortals of the sixth tribulation or below a combined strength of nine oxen and two tigers, imbuing their every movement with the aura of tigers and oxen, and even greatly strengthening their true energy.

These wondrous pastries immediately caught Fang Shu's attention. Although he had read books about "spiritual cooking" while in the Five Internal Organs Temple and knew that this immortal skill was similar to alchemy, it also had its own mysteries.

But this was the first time he had ever seen such an extraordinary creation of a spiritual chef.

"Simply consuming these ingredients can increase one's strength. Even if those nine oxen and two tigers are just ordinary oxen and tigers, the combined strength is still quite considerable. If they were demonic oxen or demonic tigers, they would be even more formidable."

Fang Shu thought to himself, and immediately felt a longing in his heart.

But the next moment, his longing vanished without a trace.

Because of these "Nine Oxen and Two Tigers" pastries, the starting bid was 300 low-grade spirit stones, and in the blink of an eye, it rose to 800, and it didn't stop there. It soon broke 1,000 and continued to rise.

Not only did he find this object miraculous, but the immortals present also felt the same way, especially those immortals who were quite old and had descendants in their families, who were extremely enthusiastic.

There seemed to be some immortals in the arena who had received advance notice and came specifically to compete for this item.

"This kind of treasure is different from elixirs. It is extremely nourishing and is a top-grade treasure for strengthening one's foundation."

"Taking this will grant you instant enlightenment; you cannot afford to miss it!"

The venue was filled with a constant buzzing sound; some people were communicating verbally, while others were communicating through their spiritual senses—it was quite a lively scene.

Fang Shu sat obediently in his seat, watching others bid.

Suddenly, he turned to look at Tian Jinmao beside him and found that Tian Jinmao had been subtly watching him ever since the goods appeared, and even swallowed the spirit fruit in his hand a little slower.

Cough cough! Tian Jinmao suddenly coughed a few times, quickly swallowing the spirit fruit in his mouth. His face was a little swollen; it turned out he had choked a bit.

Noticing Fang Shu looking at him, Tian Jinmao quickly gulped down some tea and asked, "Brother, is there anything else you'd like to ask?"

Fang Shu shook his head and continued to observe the meeting.

One after another, top-quality goods were taken out from the sleeves of the Foundation Establishment Immortal, causing shouts and cheers from the people and demons in the venue.

Sure enough, there were also fairy slaves brought from other places, both male and female, displayed on the stage and priced for sale.

Aside from treasures like the Nine Oxen and Two Tigers Pastry, there were also ordinary but rare items in the market, with starting prices that weren't too high, some even starting at just ten spirit stones.

Throughout the auction, several items appeared that caught Fang Shu's eye and that he could acquire.

However, after some consideration, Fang Shu did not immediately make a bid.

He couldn't possibly reveal his wealth so soon after arriving, and then spend almost all of it. If even rarer items came along later, he would be filled with regret.

Meanwhile, Tian Jinmao, who had eaten and drunk for free, was rubbing his belly and feeling quite lazy.

The human and the demon watched the lively auction from the sidelines and began chatting again:

"See that over there? Yes, that's the private room, the one with the red boots. That's the famous wealthy demon from Floating Mountain. He lost three wives in a row, and went from being a poor wretch to a rich demon family."

"And over there, there's no one in that private room, but the owner of the room is surnamed Bai, and he is a protector of the mountains."

"He's in charge of keeping watch here; anyone else can mess with him, but this Protector Bai is someone you can't mess with," Tian Jinmao muttered.

"After all, we demons are lowly and don't dare to argue with the local bullies."

As Fang Shu listened to this fellow's introduction, he gained a deeper understanding of Fudang Mountain.

He glanced at the empty private room and had a feeling that it wasn't empty, but rather that the owner of the room had simply not shown up.

With his head tilted back, Fang Shu memorized the title "White Protector" and then secretly looked around.

Tian Jinmao, having spent three or four years mingling on the streets of Fudang Mountain, not only knew the situation in the mountain, but also had some knowledge of the situation within the Five Sects of Lushan.

This fellow secretly transmitted his voice:

"Brother, can you give me a heads-up? Has something big happened at the temple recently?"

Fang Shu raised an eyebrow and transmitted his voice: "Brother Tian, ​​what do you mean by that?"

Tian Jinmao said with a bitter face:

"After all, we come from the temple. Half a year ago, I noticed that the disciples of the temple rarely came to Fudang Mountain anymore, which made it difficult for me to find someone to freeload a meal. The guide business has plummeted."

Seeing that the other party indeed knew something, and even more than he did, Fang Shu pondered for a few moments and then stopped hiding it, directly revealing the matter of the Five Internal Organs Temple being sealed off.

However, he only hinted in his words that the closure of the mountain was related to a certain force, without directly saying that it was the Kugu Temple.

Furthermore, he did not reveal that he was an inner disciple who had escaped, but instead implied that he had only received some information and had spent all his wealth to escape.

In this way, he might avoid appearing too conspicuous.

Unexpectedly, after Fang Shu finished speaking, Tian Jinmao sighed and transmitted his voice:
"It's good that you received the news in advance, Brother Fang. Although you can't compare to those scions of prominent families in the temple who came several months in advance and took over the temple's properties in Fudang Mountain."

But you've come to the right place by coming to Floating Market.

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu raised his eyelids slightly.

He thought he was quite lucky to have managed to escape his stomach in time, since many of the inner disciples in the temple had not yet made a move and prices had not risen when he left.

In Tian Jinmao's words, his situation was nothing more than that?

Subconsciously, Fang Shu was somewhat skeptical.

However, Tian Jinmao quickly counted on his fingers that many of his businesses outside the mountains had already changed hands within six months.

Moreover, those who were replaced were all inner disciples with names and titles within the temple; there wasn't a single ordinary person among them.

The Jiang and Jin disciples, who entered the inner sect in the same year as Fang Shu, were among them, and the latest one to arrive at Fudang Mountain was half a month ago.

This made Fang Shu realize that although he had the protection of the Dragon Maiden, in the vast world of the Five Internal Organs Temple, he only had a foothold, not a solid one.

Those who truly have a solid foundation are far less likely to flee in such a panic than he is.

However, Fang Shu thought to himself, "Master Long Gu is only one of the eighteen heads in the temple. It's already good that she took care of me and let me go down the mountain."

Secretly, he felt a little relieved again. Judging from the fact that they let him down the mountain, the Dragon Maiden Immortal Family indeed did not treat him as a commodity, nor as a bad person.

　Please vote for me with your monthly tickets! It's almost the end of the month, so I'll do a little extra chapter tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)