Fang Residence.
"They refused?"
Fang Xi's face darkened as he glared at Old Fu.
Old Fu lowered his head, full of anxiety. "This old servant spent a fortune, found the right people, even promised additional payment, but alas..."
Fang Xi took a deep breath.
As a cultivator, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? …Alright, to be honest, he suffered this kind of humiliation all the time at the Green Bamboo Mountain market. He was almost used to it.
Well, getting used to it is a kind of skill too.
"Forget it. I suppose it's just that my talent is too ordinary for them to take notice."
He shrugged.
Even at the lowest levels, cultivators possessed enhanced senses and photographic memory.
During his previous attempts to find a connection, he'd clearly felt a probing gaze sizing him up.
But clearly, martial artists in this world had their own methods of assessing talent, and didn't give him a chance to demonstrate his exceptional memory or comprehension abilities.
'In other words, martial artists in this world value physical constitution over mental aptitude? No wonder they view spiritual body cultivators as inferior...'
Fang Xi comforted himself with some good old-fashioned self-deception—and it worked surprisingly well.
He then chuckled. "Well then, since Yuanhe Mountain won't accept me, I'll go to a martial arts hall instead. Surely they won't turn someone away because of talent."
Hearing this, Old Fu also smiled. "Young Master is right. Martial arts hall… pride themselves on accepting all students. So long as one can pay, one can learn."
A satisfied smile appeared at the corners of Fang Xi's lips. "And wouldn't you know it—I'm quite wealthy!"
Afternoon.
The sun hung high in the sky. In the Fang Residence's rear courtyard, a training ground had been hastily cleared.
Fang Xi lounged in a reclining chair, a glass of homemade fruit ice slush by his side. It worked on the same principle as the air-conditioning array he'd installed—a small perk made possible through his cultivation abilities to keep life more comfortable.
On a scorching summer day, sipping a fruity ice drink like this was pure bliss.
In the middle of the training yard stood several martial artists. Most were middle-aged, with a few elderly figures among them, all looking at Fang Xi with somewhat ingratiating expressions.
Fang Xi turned his head, took a spoonful of the ice slush from the hand of his maid, Laurel, and clapped his hands.
Old Fu stepped forward and cleared his throat. "My Young Master wishes to learn martial arts. All of you are experts from respected schools. Please demonstrate your signature techniques. If my Young Master is impressed, there will be a generous reward. Even if not selected, each of you will still receive a token of appreciation."
Naturally, as a man of wealth, he wouldn't stoop to training alongside the common crowd in some public dojo—private tutors were the way to go!
Upon hearing this, the burly martial artists' eyes lit up.
After all, opening a martial arts hall was ultimately about making money—and who would say no to money?
This wealthy scion of the Fang family was infamous in the area… as a prime, juicy mark!
The group exchanged glances. One old man in black robes stepped forward eagerly and cupped his fists. "I am She Lei from the Red Serpent Martial Hall. I specialize in the 'Red Serpent Leg' technique!"
He moved in front of a thick wooden stake and raised his right leg high. The muscles bulged and knotted, straining against the fabric of his pants, almost threatening to tear them apart.
Whoosh!
In the next moment, his leg lashed out like a whip. Though thick and muscular, it moved with a serpentine flexibility, unleashing a powerful gust as it struck the wooden stake.
Bang!
The thick stake instantly shattered into splinters.
As wood chips rained down, She Lei declared with satisfaction, "The Red Serpent Leg focuses on strengthening the legs. Once mastered, it delivers devastating force and greatly enhances movement speed. Superior footwork ensures one never loses in a fight…"
"Not bad, not bad." Fang Xi's eyes sparkled.
Although the Red Serpent Leg wasn't as deadly as his Goldsteel Grass-Cutting Sword—a minor spell—he was only at the early stage of Qi Refining, with limited spiritual power that barely allowed for a few castings.
But judging by the old man's stamina, he could probably unleash dozens of those kicks—definitely worth something.
Just as I thought—this so-called Blood Qi Martial Path can be seen as a kind of body cultivation at the Qi Refining level. It's quite valuable… And who's to say there aren't advanced techniques rivaling even the Foundation Establishment stage for body cultivators?
Fang Xi's heart blazed with excitement!
Foundation Establishment!
The dream of every low-tier cultivator.
But the road was arduous.
Even reaching the minimum requirement—Qi Refining Great Perfection before the age of sixty—was enough to stump most rogue cultivators.
And if you failed to establish your foundation on your own, you'd die.
The Foundation Establishment pills and other key resources were hoarded by powerful sects and families. Even the influential Situ Clan had to pay a heavy price for a single Foundation Pill.
Ordinary rogue cultivators didn't even have the chance to smell one.
But now—Fang Xi saw a shortcut.
If I raise my physical strength to the equivalent of a late-stage Qi Refiner, and gather some pills and techniques to assist with breakthroughs into mid- and late-stage Qi Refining, the road becomes much smoother.
And if I can become a Foundation-level body cultivator first, then acquire a Foundation Pill afterward, the odds of success and safety will be significantly improved.
A path opens—a real path!
Though he had access to the resources of two worlds, Fang Xi never forgot his position at the very bottom of the food chain in the Southern Wilderness cultivation world. Right now, he didn't even dare smuggle Daliang's resources into Southern Wilderness.
Unless… he gained greater power.
And now—hope was in sight.
"Master She, that was impressive—here's your reward!"
In high spirits, Fang Xi clapped and spoke.
She Lei had initially felt a bit slighted. Sure, he was here for money, but he still had more pride than some street performer.
However, the moment he saw Old Fu bring out a tray of shining silver, all his dissatisfaction vanished. His wrinkled old face bloomed into a smile.
This fat sheep… was the real deal!
Seeing this, the other martial arts instructors were all green with envy. A tall, graceful woman stepped forward. "I am Mu Piaomiao from the White Cloud Martial Hall. Our school specializes in the 'White Cloud Palm'—a technique that allows the weak to overcome the strong, and is exceptionally easy to learn…"
Clearly, this woman had done her homework. She'd heard that Fang Xi's martial aptitude wasn't great—otherwise, he wouldn't have been rejected by Yuanhe Mountain—and so she hit the nail on the head.
As she demonstrated the palm technique, she displayed her well-toned figure, full curves, and exuded a hint of seductive charm.
The other martial artists cursed her as a flirt—but couldn't tear their eyes away.
After Mu Piaomiao, more stepped forward.
"I am Yuan Tiangang, and I specialize in the 'Limitless Staff'…"
"I am Yi Qiujué, master of the 'Iron Thread Fist'…"
"My school offers the 'Blue Robe Sword'…"
…
Once the final instructor had finished, Fang Xi pondered for a moment and asked, "Your techniques are all excellent. Would it be possible for me to learn all of them?"
After all, he was loaded. Why not learn everything?
"This…"
The martial artists exchanged glances. In the end, it was Mu Piaomiao who stepped forward and explained, "Young Master Fang, the Blood Qi Martial Path is extremely taxing. Just one style can exhaust one's vitality and must be supplemented with potent tonic medicines. As the saying goes—too much, and nothing gets digested. Furthermore, some techniques conflict in how they circulate blood qi…"
"Oh."
Fang Xi nodded thoughtfully.
As expected, this Blood Qi path had its own complexities.
And judging by her words, there was more she wasn't saying—probably things one could only learn after formally joining a school.
He thought for a moment before concluding, "In that case, I'll start by learning one leg technique and one palm technique… Master She, Master Mu—please remain."
The other instructors all felt a stab of resentment.
She Lei was one thing—he had stepped forward first, clearly among the strongest.
But Mu Piaomiao? Was it just because of her long legs and ample… assets?
Is this the honest preference of rich men? So simple and unpretentious?!
Once the others had left—some grumbling inwardly—Fang Xi finally gave She Lei and Mu Piaomiao a proper once-over.
"Master She, Master Mu… your fees will start from today. You'll each come by every three days to provide instruction. How does that sound?"
Now he took the time to observe the two more closely.
She Lei, when not using his techniques, looked like an unremarkable little old man.
Mu Piaomiao, on the other hand, had a curvy, athletic build and a heroic grace. Her features were quite attractive, though her skin was a bit rough.
"That works…" she nodded, then added, "The Red Serpent Leg primarily channels qi through the legs, while my White Cloud Palm focuses on the arms. There's no conflict between the two. But you must be careful not to take on too many disciplines—once your blood qi becomes muddled, your progress will suffer…"
Hearing that, Fang Xi frowned. "So, all these techniques only strengthen either the legs or arms? Isn't there one that tempers the entire body's blood qi?"
These body-training methods seemed to have serious drawbacks—especially when it came to defending against spell attacks.
Mu Piaomiao and She Lei exchanged glances. It was the old man who answered with a cough: "Ahem… In truth, most Blood Qi techniques, even if they focus on one area, provide some peripheral benefits to the whole body. But for true, full-body training—you'd need a top-tier secret art, not the third-rate techniques we teach in our schools. Perhaps… only the core secret martial techniques of Yuanhe Mountain could achieve that."
"I see…"
Fang Xi sighed, but a glint flashed in his eyes.
A true secret art?
He might not have it now—but who's to say he couldn't get his hands on one eventually?
After all… martial artists in this world might not be able to withstand a cultivator's methods.
Of course, that was something to test slowly, carefully.
There was no rush.
He was still young—this body only seventeen. And cultivators lived long lives. Even at the Qi Refining stage, one could easily live eighty to ninety years.