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Dressed in elegant brocade robes and adorned with a jade crown, despite his slightly frail appearance, he exuded an ethereal aura that impressed Mu Piaomiao greatly, prompting her to eagerly raise her cup.

“To your health!”

As the refreshing wine flowed down her throat, Mu Piaomiao couldn’t help but exclaim, “Excellent wine…”

Even more astonished, She Lei exclaimed joyously, “Could this be ‘Qiu Lu Bai’ from Hundred Miles Winery? It’s said their proprietor brews only eighteen jars per year, each aged for three years before bottling, valued at a hundred taels…”

“Ah, indeed! I have a penchant for fine wines, exquisite cuisines, beautiful servants, antique collectibles, luxurious residences, and intriguing gadgets…” Fang Xi poured himself another cup, sighing wistfully. “I once heard a saying: A man should climb the highest mountains, drink the strongest wines, wield the swiftest swords, ride the finest horses, enjoy the most beautiful women, and face the fiercest opponents…”

In the cultivation world, such words were unthinkable, but here, they could serve as modest life goals, adding some spice to existence.

“Hahaha… youth truly is invigorating.”

Taking a deep sip of Qiu Lu Bai, She Lei suddenly felt a fleeting illusion of his youth returning.

Once upon a time, he too was a dream-filled young man in the jianghu, until fate struck him with a knife to the knee…

“Play with the most beautiful women…”

Mu Piaomiao blushed and instinctively adjusted her collar, silently cursing him as a little lecher, yet feeling somewhat intrigued.

After all, she had heard tales of female martial artists ending up destitute, forced to sell their charms just to survive.

This Young Master Fang, on the other hand, truly embodied youthful charm, being both wealthy and gentle - indeed, not a bad match…

“Ignore the rest for now, but even amidst this scorching summer, there’s no trace of heat within this hall… Truly remarkable, remarkably impressive.”

She Lei’s gaze shifted towards the wooden box in the room and smiled, “This must be one of your ingenious, albeit slightly unorthodox, inventions, Young Master Fang?”

“Certainly, it’s a rudimentary air conditioning system, simply keeping the house warm in winter and cool in summer. It’s quite crude, really…” Fang Xi waved dismissively, though combining cultivation techniques with knowledge from his past life to create this air conditioner was a point of pride for him.

However, he had no interest in promoting or profiting from it; everything was solely for his own comfort and enjoyment.

Why bother being a merchant in a world with supernatural powers? It seemed like asking for trouble.

The next day.

At the training grounds.

Mu Piaomiao was absent, leaving only She Lei present.

Although martial arts were taught for payment at the dojo, it was still important to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

She Lei’s expression turned much more serious. “Our Redsnake Dojo specializes in leg techniques, starting with footwork practice on wooden stakes. You’ll need to train by balancing on them… Later stages will also involve adding weights… Let me first demonstrate for you, Gongzi.”

In the training area, several rows of unevenly spaced melaleuca poles had already been set up.

With a gentle leap, She Lei landed atop one of the wooden stakes and moved swiftly, almost flying. “Body steady as a pine, legs fluid like a snake, step with movement yet maintain inner stillness…”

After demonstrating briefly, he descended from the pole, smiling. “Martial training is highly demanding; it’s best complemented with medicinal diets… Initially, you should consult a physician for prescriptions that nourish blood and qi. Once you grasp the secrets of blood qi, you’ll require our dojo’s specialized secret medicines.”

“Secret medicines?” Fang Xi’s heart stirred, recalling his second objective. “What exactly are these secrets of blood qi?”

By following this routine, he would inevitably gain access to the dojo’s secret medicinal channel, so there was no need for haste.

“Blood qi, as we understand it, forms the basis for ranking warriors,” She Lei began his explanation. “For instance, at our Redsnake Dojo, new disciples start by practicing the ‘Eight Techniques of the Snake.’ Once they grasp control over their blood qi, after its transformation, they can become Inner Sect disciples… After one blood qi transformation, leg strength greatly increases, and bones become significantly more robust. Breaking a wooden post with a single kick becomes effortless. Achieving two transformations makes one a formidable practitioner even within the dojo. As for three transformations… that signifies a successor-level disciple.”

“I see,” Fang Xi nodded, stepping back onto the wooden platform to practice the Eight Techniques of the Snake.

Although his physical aptitude was lacking, his cultivator’s keen senses remained intact. He could memorize texts effortlessly after just a few readings.

To She Lei’s astonishment, despite the young noble’s average physical attributes, he grasped everything quickly upon instruction and executed it proficiently on the first try.

Although his movements were slow, he completed the entire sequence flawlessly on his first attempt. By the third repetition, there were no errors at all.

“Yuanhe Mountain might have truly misjudged this one,” She Lei murmured to himself, his expression becoming significantly more serious.

“Gongzi, how long do you think it will take for me to master my blood qi and reach the first stage of Qi and Blood transformation?”

After several repetitions, Fang Xi’s forehead glistened with sweat, prompting a nearby maid to promptly hand him a towel.

As he wiped away the perspiration, he sighed thoughtfully.

These Qi and Blood martial arts were indeed different from other so-called martial techniques. In the southern wilderness cultivation realm, he had encountered a few mundane martial arts books, but they paled in comparison to these Qi and Blood practices.

“Generally speaking, ordinary disciples can sense their blood qi within three months…” Considering this was just the beginning, She Lei smiled reassuringly. “Gongzi, your talent is quite exceptional; it may even take less time for you.”

“Three months?” Fang Xi nodded, stepping back onto the wooden post to continue practicing his footwork.

In the afternoon, the instructor changed to Mu Piaomiao, clad in white robes.

“Our dojo’s secret technique, the Baiyun Palm, has three levels: White Cloud, Dark Cloud, and Black Cloud!”

Mu Piaomiao lightly pressed her palm against a wooden post.

Snap!

A deep palm imprint immediately appeared on the post, with distinct black traces visible along its edges.

Fang Xi’s nose twitched, detecting a faintly foul odor, and his expression changed. “Poison?”

“Correct, your reflexes are sharp,” Mu Piaomiao smiled. “The Baiyun Palm inherently involves poison! In later stages, you must infuse toxins within each strike, capable of killing both humans and animals with a single blow! Of course, at the beginning, there’s no need for poison; just focus on practicing strikes against these posts. I’ll demonstrate once.”

The introductory training for Baiyun Palm involved daily practice by striking one’s palms against specially prepared sandbags infused with medicinal compounds, a secret recipe from the Baiyun Dojo.

Fang Xi never hesitated when it came to investing in his training. He promptly purchased ten high-quality sandbags and began relentless practice.

As he continued striking the sandbags, he could feel his skin becoming increasingly resilient, and the strength in his palms gradually increased…

Unbeknownst to him, time slowly slipped by.

At Qingzhu Mountain.

Fang Xi opened the door, gazing at the sky filled with drifting snow and his sparsely furnished abode resembling a dog’s den. He couldn’t help but exhale a large cloud of white breath, murmuring, “Feels like another lifetime…”

In the Great Liang realm, he was Fang Xi, the wealthy young master, enjoying opulent mansions and beautiful servants in Blackstone City. Although occasionally facing setbacks, money could resolve nearly every issue for him.

But in the southern wilderness cultivation world, he was merely a small fry.

Stuck at the very bottom, struggling just to meet basic needs.

How utterly miserable!

‘I must continue caring for the Jade Emerald Bamboo Forest. Being a spirit farmer on Qingzhu Mountain may be grim, but it’s still better than being a scattered cultivator. Plus, I can leverage connections through the market…’

Fang Xi reached into his robes and found that the stonedrake insect pest was still there.

‘First priority is to handle this creature, then purchase some paper talismans. Ideally, acquire a low-grade magical artifact for self-defense!’

He never forgot upon what his true reliance rested!

Even Great Liang wasn’t a paradise by any means.

Without sufficient power, one could not truly enjoy its benefits!

However, armed with a cultivator’s heightened senses and a few life-saving talismans saved for emergencies, he felt confident enough to counter-attack even against She Lei or Mu Piaomiao if confronted.

Moreover, occasionally disappearing for periods would keep his potential adversaries guessing, thus maintaining the facade of Fang Manor’s influence.

However, Fang Xi knew these good days wouldn’t last forever. The lurking hyenas and vultures would eventually find their restraint wearing thin.

Therefore, he needed to enhance his strength further!

For a cultivator, the most straightforward way to increase power was by breaking through to higher realms. Beyond that, utilizing external aids to boost one’s capabilities offered numerous possibilities compared to what Great Liang typically provided.

Such aids included potent paper talismans, puppets, spirit beasts…and even magical artifacts!

“With my current magic power, I can at most control a low-grade magical artifact, but that should be sufficient… After all, most of Great Liang’s martial artists struggle to dodge crossbow bolts, let alone defy the government.”

Magical Artifacts!

These were standard equipment for Qi Refinement stage cultivators, categorized into four tiers: low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and finally top-tier.

Even the lowest-quality low-grade magical artifacts often cost around ten spirit stones.

As for true top-tier magical artifacts, they were commonly used by those who had achieved perfection in Qi Refinement or some early Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Rumors suggested there existed even higher-level Spirit Devices above magical artifacts, and beyond them, the legendary Divine Treasures…but such items were far beyond Fang Xi’s reach at present.

Fang Xi donned his padded jacket and draped a straw cloak over it before venturing into the heavy snow.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t use magic for warmth, but as a minor Qi Refinement cultivator with limited magic power, he needed to conserve…

As he walked, someone approached from the opposite direction - it was Old Man Mai.

“Fang lad…”

His face flushed red, he greeted Fang Xi warmly.

“Ah, Old Man Mai, your cheeks are radiant; must be some joyful news,” Fang Xi smiled, well aware of where Mai had been these past few days.

“Sigh, just passing time during winter, enjoying tea by the fire… finding some amusement…” Old Man Mai replied pretentiously.

However, noticing Mai’s slightly trembling legs and the appearance of a fleeting resurgence, Fang Xi inwardly rolled his eyes. While cultivators generally have enduring vitality, excessive indulgence can still lead to consequences…

Yet, it wasn’t his place to lecture him.

Apparently, those hidden arts at the brothel were quite impressive indeed.

“On the other hand, Fang lad, you seem even more spirited after these few days apart…” Old Man Mai observed, noting a newfound robustness in Fang Xi, unlike his usual cautious demeanor. He couldn’t help but inquire with a smile.

“Just gained some insights during my brief seclusion, nothing significant.”

Fang Xi bowed slightly in response and continued towards the market district.