Daliang.
Outside Blackstone City.
In a remote, deserted grove, a streak of green light zipped through the air, executing a series of intricate maneuvers under Fang Xi's mental command.
Swish! Swish!
Within a radius of dozens of feet, sword energy permeated the air. If one looked closely, they could glimpse a sword shadow like a green leaf darting back and forth through the woods. Wherever it passed, branches were sliced cleanly, leaving behind smooth cross-sections as if the trees were made of tofu.
Pfft!
The sword even easily pierced a boulder, sinking three inches into the solid stone, its sharpness beyond question.
A moment later, the Green Millet Sword floated before Fang Xi, gliding through the air like a nimble green fish.
He reached out and grasped the hilt, murmuring to himself, "As expected, there are a few sticking points when channeling qi, the issue isn't with the Art of Controlling Objects, but flaws in the artifact's formation patterns."
Every cultivator would learn a basic spell like the Art of Controlling Objects to master the use of artifacts.
As for high-end flying swords, they often required specialized sword arts to truly unleash their potential.
Fang Xi, however, naturally didn't have access to such luxuries.
Even mastering the Art of Controlling Objects alone had cost him immense effort and dedication.
In the past, without a proper artifact, he wouldn't even have had the means to train in it.
Now, with the Green Millet Sword in hand, Fang Xi truly felt that within Blackstone City, he was nearly unmatched.
"Wielding a flying sword feels just like piloting a model aircraft in my previous life. Even if it cost me all my spirit stones, it's still worth it."
Comforting himself with that thought, Fang Xi set the sword aside and began practicing his martial arts.
"White Cloud Palm!"
After cultivating in Southern Wilderness for some time, he had grown increasingly adept at controlling the Blood Qi within his body. Tonight, he felt himself on the verge of a breakthrough!
Bang! Bang!
He unleashed a flurry of strikes against an ancient cypress tree.
Smack!
Bark flew in all directions, revealing a clear palm-shaped imprint on the trunk.
Fang Xi retracted his hands and stood tall, feeling the blood qi within his body pulse under his complete control.
Huff, huff!
He panted heavily, sweat pouring from his body and evaporating into mist almost immediately.
"I finally broke through, Blood Qi First Transformation!"
Fang Xi's eyes gleamed brightly.
He could feel his blood flow quicken, and in every bone, muscle, and organ, a subtle but profound force was awakening.
It wasn't merely blood, it was something even more refined, the power of Vital Qi!
With this vital qi coursing through him, every part of his body, skin, bones, tendons, was noticeably strengthened.
"Full-body enhancement... but the most critical change is in my hands!"
Fang Xi gazed at his own palms and was confident that even ordinary blades would now struggle to cut his skin.
"Indeed, the strengthening from martial cultivation is fundamentally different from that of the cultivation world."
He was very satisfied. If the First Transformation was already so powerful, the Second and Third would be even more impressive.
At the Martial Hall Master level, he would be able to rival body cultivators at the Qi Refining stage.
And he would save a fortune in body-tempering resources!
The next day.
Fang Xi followed behind Mu Piaomiao, heading toward the White Cloud Martial Hall.
The Hall was tucked away in a quiet residential area on the west side of Blackstone City.
Despite its grand name, it was essentially a large courtyard, with the front yard serving as a training ground for fee-paying apprentices and the rear reserved for Mu Canglong's family residence.
"Senior Sister!"
"Senior Sister!"
It was clear that Mu Piaomiao was very popular here. Many disciples greeted her warmly as they passed.
Fang Xi kept a polite smile as he followed Mu Piaomiao into the rear courtyard.
"This time, my father has decided to officially take you on as a disciple because of your outstanding talent!" she said, turning around. Her gaze carried a hint of admiration. "I must have underestimated you before. To break through to the First Transformation in under a month... You truly have a gift for martial arts."
She paused, frowning slightly as she muttered to herself, "Has the entry standard for Yuanhe Mountain really risen so much?"
In her view, Fang Xi's aptitude was that of a young prodigy.
Fang Xi offered no explanation and continued following Mu Piaomiao until they reached Mu Canglong.
The Martial Hall Master was seated in a grand armchair, sipping tea directly from a purple clay teapot, surrounded by a few sturdy, vigilant disciples.
"Greetings, Master!" Fang Xi stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and presented the formal gifts prepared by Old Steward Ah Fu.
"Hmm."
Mu Canglong took a leisurely sip of tea and said, "Breaking through to the First Transformation in just a month... perhaps your body is particularly suited to the White Cloud Palm. You must cultivate diligently and not waste your talents."
"Thank you, Master."
Fang Xi bowed again before straightening up.
"At the 'White Cloud' level, training mainly focuses on strengthening the palms through sandbag conditioning. Now that you've broken through, additional training methods can be introduced," Mu Canglong explained.
At a glance from him, a hulking disciple stepped onto the field and plunged his hands into a cauldron filled with burning iron sand.
"This is the 'Tempering Method,' the next stage after Blood Qi First Transformation. It must be practiced alongside the Hall's special medicinal concoctions."
Mu Canglong began explaining a few essentials.
As he spoke, the gathered disciples listened with utmost seriousness.
Watching this, Fang Xi couldn't help but feel a little amused.
Clearly, these lessons weren't usually delivered in person, most disciples likely learned piecemeal from their seniors.
Only thanks to his status as a "rich patron" was he fortunate enough to attend a proper class.
Mu Canglong had many matters to handle and soon left Fang Xi to his own training.
Mu Piaomiao, meanwhile, took it upon herself to introduce Fang Xi to the other formal disciples.
The White Cloud Martial Hall had quite a few formal disciples. Mu Piaomiao was the Senior Sister, followed by Second Brother Wu Ji, Third Brother Tang Xuan, and Fourth Sister Liu Taotao...
Tang Xuan, it turned out, was the one who had demonstrated the Tempering Method earlier.
Wu Ji, the Second Brother, was an exceptionally handsome young man with a warm smile.
Fourth Sister Liu Taotao wasn't particularly striking, but she had a pair of very alluring long legs.
Fang Xi took note of everyone he met, committing them to memory.
"Junior Brother," Mu Piaomiao said, "to temper your palms, it's best to add medicinal solutions to the iron sand."
Her gaze practically glued to Fang Xi, as if seeing a walking pile of gold.
Without hesitation, Fang Xi declared boldly, "I'll take a hundred portions to start!"
Hisss!
A chorus of gasps echoed through the courtyard.
"Junior Brother Fang is truly wealthy," Liu Taotao said, her eyes sparkling. If Mu Piaomiao weren't present, she might have thrown herself at him on the spot.
"With enough resources, Junior Brother might break through to the Second Transformation within three months," Mu Piaomiao said neutrally, then continued giving Fang Xi a tour of the Martial Hall.
After one lap, Fang Xi seemed a little dissatisfied. "Is there a faster way to train the White Cloud Palm? I heard the Hall has access to demonic beast meat?"
"You're well-informed," Mu Piaomiao said, casting a surprised look at him before shaking her head. "But you mustn't rush. Demonic beast meat is too dangerous for you right now."
After a pause, she added, "The Martial Hall only obtains it occasionally through black market channels. Father usually keeps it for his own cultivation, using it sparingly when breaking through major barriers at the Third Transformation or beyond..."
Hearing this, Fang Xi glanced at Mu Piaomiao.
This Senior Sister, who had already reached the Third Transformation, clearly had access to such resources.
He couldn't help wondering, were the demonic beasts of Daliang the same as the spirit beasts of the cultivation world?
His finances in the cultivation world were already stretched thin, but he had no intention of smuggling demonic beast meat over.
After all, here in Daliang, with just one flying sword, he could even fight someone like Mu Canglong.
Whereas in the Southern Wilderness Cultivation World, he was still a mere fledgling who needed to keep a low profile.
Thus, his strategies in the two worlds were vastly different.
'Senior Sister still underestimates me,' Fang Xi thought.
In his estimation, if he continued his cultivation in the spiritual energy-rich Souther Wilderness, he would soon achieve the Second and Third Transformations at lightning speed.
Once that happened, he would naturally gain access to demonic beast meat, no scheming required.
It would just take a little time.
And as a young cultivator, he had plenty of patience to spare.
Southern Wilderness Cultivation World.
Winter turned to spring.
Around Green Bamboo Mountain, the snow had fully melted, giving way to lush, vibrant greenery.
Within the bamboo groves, Fang Xi wore nothing but coarse short sleeves, showing no concern for the lingering chill of early spring.
Muscles rippled across his body, giving him a rugged, powerful appearance. His vitality surged, making him a completely different man from the frail youth of a year ago.
"A year of hard work, and it's finally time to harvest the Jade Bamboo Rice."
Looking over his six plots of spirit bamboo, Fang Xi was filled with the satisfaction of a farmer at harvest time.
These spirit grains were sown in the summer, fertilized in autumn, endured the trials of winter, and were finally ready to be harvested in spring, a cycle very different from mundane crops.
Thanks to his diligent care over the year, he estimated he would reap two to three stones of spirit rice, a decent haul.
And that wasn't all!
Through tireless training, and perhaps thanks to the dense spiritual energy of the Southern Wilderness, his progress in martial cultivation had been astonishingly fast.
By now, he had already broken through to the Second Transformation and was only a step away from the Third!
'Once I reach the Third Transformation, I can finally access demonic beast resources too.'
Gazing at the bamboo forest, Fang Xi couldn't help but drift into thought,
"In the cultivation world, I'll also need to find a way to join certain circles to eventually establish channels for selling demonic beast meat..."