Green Bamboo Mountain Market took its name from the "Green Bamboo," with most of its stilted buildings crafted from this spiritual material.
Although called a market town, in truth, there were only a few dozen permanent buildings, just enough to line a single street. Combined with the scattered street stalls wedged between alleys and open plazas, they formed the most bustling hub for cultivators within several hundred miles.
When Fang Xi arrived at the market's entrance, he was met with a faint layer of white mist — the manifestation of a protective formation. Rumor had it this array could withstand sustained attacks from Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Not daring to be careless, he pulled out a token carved from bamboo. It bore his registered identity as a spiritual farmer.
With a flash of spiritual light, the mist parted, revealing the once-hazy buildings within.
"Drunken Immortal Pavilion," "Hundred Refinements Workshop," "Pill Cauldron Hall," "House of a Hundred Crafts," "Hall of Thousand Mechanisms"...
The largest and most prominent establishments instantly came into view -- the heart of the market, where spiritual stones changed hands by the hundreds or thousands each day.
Fang Xi glanced briefly at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, subtly straightening his back, then turned away expressionlessly, as if the intoxicating melodies wafting through the air were of no concern.
"Mere charms and seductions — you think that can shake this young master's Dao heart?"
"If only my wallet weren't so thin…"
To be fair, female cultivators gave off an entirely different air compared to ordinary maidservants.
It was like comparing a basic smartphone to the premium Pro Max version from his past life.
On the main road, a few scattered cultivators passed by.
Scholars, monks, Taoist priests...
Old folks, women, children...
Swordsmen, drunks with large crimson gourds, those accompanied by spiritual birds, and even those riding beasts...
A dazzling variety — all shapes and colors.
In the past, Fang Xi had been so awestruck by this scene that he stood dumbfounded for half a day, earning himself the mockery of being a "country bumpkin."
But now, his way of seeing things had grown much deeper.
"Mid-stage Qi Refining… mid-stage Qi Refining… late-stage…"
"As expected… any early-stage Qi Refining cultivators are either servants or young juniors brought along to gain experience."
"Strength reigns supreme in this world of cultivation — it's not an easy life."
Fang Xi curled his lip.
If given the choice, he'd much rather lay low in the Daliang world.
But unfortunately… Daliang didn't offer longevity.
With the pitifully thin spiritual energy of that world, any progress in cultivation was laughably slow — breaking into higher realms was virtually impossible.
Even its native blood qi martial arts didn't seem to offer long life…
If he hadn't been backed into a corner, Fang Xi would never consider hiding out in a small world like that.
Sweeping his gaze over the nearby stalls, he began offloading Stone Dragon Lizard and other materials he'd accumulated recently.
These modest wares would be laughed out of the big-name shops — only here could they be sold quietly.
"Brother Liu, I'm telling you, this Stone Dragon Lizard is pristine — real bargain here… and this spirit herb? I almost broke my legs finding it…"
After a long round of haggling, his throat nearly parched, Fang Xi finally walked away with three spirit crystals in hand.
He got his bearings and made his way to a familiar plaza, approaching a well-known stall.
It was a husband-and-wife operation, no more than half a 10-feet wide, their cloth-covered table filled with an array of spirit talismans.
Low-grade Tier-1 talismans like Bodyguard Talisman, Ice Charm, Fire Charm…
And there -- nestled in the center like a gem among stones -- was the coveted Little Thunder Talisman!
"Master Zong, congratulations on successfully crafting a mid-grade Tier-1 talisman."
Fang Xi smiled, offering his congratulations to the stall owner.
Master Zong looked around thirty, tall and plump with a kindly smile and a thin mustache, a spitting image of a worldly merchant.
Fang Xi had also met his partner, a fellow cultivator surnamed Lu, responsible for preparing talisman papers. Her figure had left quite an impression…
The two of them made a comfortable living, she handled the prep, he drew the symbols, offering quality products at fair prices. Lately, though, they seemed under pressure, likely due to a financial pinch.
"Oh, it's Little Fang…"
Master Zong chuckled, "How'd that Ice Charm I recommended last time work on those spirit insects?"
"Excellent. In this harsh winter, the charm's power even seemed enhanced. The Stone Dragon Lizard didn't stand a chance…"
Fang Xi nodded. "I'll take a few more Bodyguard Talismans, then."
These charms are probably just for personal retreat use… one charm, one crystal. What's this kid planning, buying so many? Master Zong thought to himself, but cultivators valued privacy — he didn't pry.
After completing the transaction, Master Zong asked, "Want some more Ice Charms? I'll cut you a deal — just three crystals each."
"Lowering the price again?" Fang Xi's eyes lit up like a discount-hunting aunt from his past life.
"Alas… my wife's pregnant again."
Master Zong sighed.
Though cultivators could do wondrous things by drawing in spiritual energy, fertility wasn't one of their strengths. Even if children were born, they might be mere mortals without any spiritual root.
Yet Master Zong was an exception — already the father of three, with two showing spiritual potential.
Now the fourth was on the way.
Rumor had it that even the powerful Situ Clan had approached him for seed, but he turned them down…
Fang Xi nodded knowingly. Raising two spiritual children, maybe even three, that was a mountain of pressure.
The struggles of a middle-aged man from his past life were now perfectly embodied in Master Zong, and he couldn't help but notice how the man's shiny black hair already looked like it was planning an early retirement.
Still, that wasn't Fang Xi's problem.
"My Ice Charms, Fire Talismans — whether for self-defense or pest control, they're all excellent choices…"
Master Zong was clearly wracking his brains to feed his little spiritual beasts when Fang Xi suddenly asked,
"That 'Little Thunder Talisman' — how much?"
If low-grade Tier-1 talismans equated to early Qi Refining spells, then a mid-grade was clearly at the level of mid-stage Qi Refining!
Master Zong was stunned, then his face twisted into a grimace of pain and reluctance, "That mid-grade took me ages… wasted so many papers. But if you really want it… one and a half spirit stones."
"One and a half?"
Fang Xi looked a bit embarrassed. "Could you bring the price down?"
"Still want a discount?" Master Zong raised an eyebrow, but quickly relented under life's burdens. "Fine, if you buy a few more low-grade talismans."
"In that case… toss in a Golden Light Shield Talisman."
Fang Xi answered with a pained smile of his own.
By the end of it, he had secured the Little Thunder Talisman, powerful enough to rival a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator's strike, along with several lower-grade charms.
The proceeds from selling his materials were gone, and he'd dipped into his savings besides.
Still, clutching that Golden Light Shield Talisman, Fang Xi felt far safer.
In the Southern Wilderness cultivation world, it might only block a couple early-stage spells. But in Daliang, that was a different story.
"Time to go… No point torturing myself further…"
Standing before a stall that sold pills, Fang Xi's feet felt like they were rooted to the ground.
He was currently progressing swiftly, if he had some pills to assist, he might break into the fourth level of Qi Refining, entering the mid-stage!
Unfortunately… pills were far more expensive than talismans.
"Other transmigrators make a fortune trading between worlds, living large. Why am I scraping by like this?"
Fang Xi had always been cautious in his interworld trade.
Only after confirming he could barely protect himself in Daliang did he dare show a few minor cultivator goods.
But in the cultivation world, he dared not reveal anything unusual.
Too many cultivators possessed strange and mystical detection abilities.
"I'll have to wait at least until mid-stage… no, late-stage Qi Refining."
Fang Xi was always prudent, even more so after obtaining a heaven-defying chance.
Peaceful cultivation, smooth breakthroughs to Foundation Establishment and Core Formation — who wanted to risk their neck in life-and-death battles?
Just as he was preparing to leave Green Bamboo Mountain Market, a sudden commotion broke out in the street.
The chaos spread like wildfire.
Whispers filled the air, "Secret realm, ancient treasure, cultivation technique…"
Fang Xi paused, catching words from a nearby cultivator.
"What? A minor secret realm was discovered in Purple Mist Mountain? Suspected ancient cultivator ruins? Some people already brought out a lost technique and a Foundation Establishment Artifact?!"
The news hit like a spark to dry tinder, igniting the desires of every cultivator present.
Ancient techniques! Foundation Establishment treasures!
These were things many sought their entire lives without success.
In the world of cultivation, most wandering cultivators would live and die without even brushing against Foundation Establishment.
But with a stroke of fortune, the right treasure, the right pill, one could rise like a great roc soaring ninety thousand miles in a day, and ascend to the heavens!
Take Fang Xi for example.
His spiritual root was mediocre, a lower-grade wood attribute, training with a common Evergreen Art. Even after sixty years, he might not reach full Qi Refining, let alone attempt Foundation Establishment.
And it was well known, after the age of sixty, a cultivator's odds of success fell sharply.
But with a supreme technique and the aid of pills, one might ascend to Foundation in just five or ten years!
That was the miracle every cultivator longed for.
"What kind of Foundation treasure?"
A female cultivator, eyes red with envy, grabbed the nearby man and asked.
"A vial of Earthfire Fiend Qi — it's great for breaking the bottleneck," the man murmured, eyes gleaming.
"Too bad it's not a Foundation Pill…" an old cultivator sighed.
"Ancients didn't have Foundation Pills," a scholarly man nearby chuckled. "Modern minds aren't necessarily inferior, that pill was developed by Master Shu Tong, the greatest alchemist of the past millennium. It harmonizes all three bottlenecks into one and boosts success rates by thirty percent!"