Cultivating Immortality in a World of Chaos - Chapter 136: Great Chaos

In the southern wilderness’s cultivation world:

Dragonfish Island.

Fang Xi, dressed in a conical hat and straw cloak like any ordinary fisherman, stood on a small wooden boat, gazing from afar as a massive army of cultivators assaulted the island.

After establishing the Martial Divine Gate in the Great Liang World, he found himself somewhat idle.

Reuniting with old acquaintances only highlighted their fading youth…

Witnessing heroes grow weary with age further strengthened his resolve. He returned to the cultivation world, determined to prepare for Foundation Establishment.

Just then, the Thirty-Six Islands Alliance launched a full-scale attack on Dragonfish Island, which Fang Xi naturally wouldn’t miss.

After years of fierce battles, even a Foundation Establishment patriarch of the Zhong Family perished. Now, they’ve retreated deep within the island, relying heavily on the high-grade tier-2 Watershield Magnificence Formation to defend!

The Dragonfish Zhong Clan is resource-rich; before heading to Baize Immortal City, I must ‘borrow’ some…

Prior to his Body Tempering breakthrough, Fang Xi might not have dared to involve himself in such chaos. But now, across the vast Wan Island Lake, aside from Scattered Cultivator Ye, the Foundation Establishment members of the Zhong Clan, and a few others, there were few who posed a threat to him.

Moreover, Fang Xi knew his limits well. If the situation became too perilous, he would promptly withdraw without hesitation.

As he observed, enormous spirit boats carrying the cultivator army bombarded the blue water barrier enveloping Dragonfish Island relentlessly.

This standoff had persisted for nearly a year, depleting both the earth vein spiritual energy and the Zhong Family’s spirit stone reserves at a frantic pace. The power of the Watershield Magnificence Formation had weakened by almost forty to fifty percent, exposing more vulnerabilities.

Under the guidance of an array master, the cultivator army targeted these weak spots aggressively.

By this day, the large formation was teetering on the brink of collapse!

“Target coordinates at Jia Si position, element Wood – Fire!” Ruan Dan’s firm voice echoed nearby.

Daring not to hesitate, Lu Guo channeled his magical energy, unleashing streams of dark green spell light that descended like raindrops.

Beside him stood Hai Dagui and Wang Xiaohu.

Since joining the allied forces, aside from participating in several major battles earlier, their daily routine now consisted of targeting specific locations with magic spells to gradually weaken the large array’s potency.

After each round of attacks, the trio appeared pale-faced, their internal magical energy depleted. They would promptly sit cross-legged, grasping spirit stones to replenish their reserves.

“Wah… I don’t want to fight anymore, I miss home, I miss my mother…” Wang Xiaohu, having the weakest cultivation base, recovered first but spoke with a tearful tone.

During the previous battles, although Ruan Dan had looked out for them, she wasn’t there to babysit continuously. The young cultivators had faced numerous close calls, leaving them shaken and fearful.

“Cough cough…”

Hai Dagui occasionally coughed, as his lungs had been pierced by a flying sword during the earlier battles, leaving him with lingering respiratory issues. With a bitter smile, he said, “If we leave now, wouldn’t it be all for naught? We’ve been attacking this formation day and night, barely finding time to cultivate, just so that once it breaks, we can rush in and claim our share of treasures. I’ve heard the Zhong Family is like royalty around Wan Island Lake, their clan treasury filled with valuable goods… And rumor has it, deep within their spiritual veins lies an ‘Earthly Fiend Lake’, which every fifty years yields a strand of ‘Blackwind Fiendish Qi’. This rare essence aids cultivators in tempering their bodies, facilitating breakthroughs in blood qi cultivation – it’s truly a Foundation Establishment spirit item!”

Although such fiendish qi could only marginally increase one’s chances at reaching Foundation Establishment by one or half a percent, it was still a coveted treasure among many rogue cultivators.

Lu Guo remained silent, opting instead to consume another medicinal pill to swiftly replenish his magical energy. The battlefield situation changed rapidly; running out of magical energy would be fatal.

His goal, however, did not lie solely with Foundation Establishment spirit items.

Having navigated the outside world for many years, Lu Guo knew well that despite the presence of ‘Blackwind Fiendish Qi’, this treasure was highly coveted by elite cultivators like the crown princess and others at Late Stage Qi Refinement or even great perfection stages. Rushing headlong as mere small fry would be akin to seeking death.

Finding any spirit object beneficial for breaking through the bottleneck to Late Stage Qi Refinement would already be cause for immense gratitude.

Suddenly, the spirit boat he was on jolted violently!

“That’s…”

Ignoring Wang Xiaohu and his companion who had stumbled, Lu Guo rushed to the railing and witnessed an extraordinary sight.

The azure water barrier, which had obstructed them for over a year, shattered instantly, transforming into a cascade of spiritual light that sprinkled around like stardust.

It seemed as if heaven and earth were showered with a brilliant blue rain of light.

Ahead, the mist dispersed, revealing a bustling island in full view to all the gathered cultivators.

“Dragonfish Island!”

“It’s Dragonfish Island!”

“The Watershield Magnificence Formation has been broken!”

“Charge! Attack!”

Countless cultivators went berserk, riding their magical artifacts like a swarm of locusts, surging towards the heart of the Dragonfish Zhong Clan stronghold.

“A tier-2 Barrier Breaking Talisman?”

Just moments ago, Fang Xi had observed Scattered Cultivator Ye targeting the weakest point of the formation and deploying a tier-2 Barrier Breaking Talisman.

The Watershield Magnificence Formation, although a high-grade tier-2 array, had already been worn down for over a year by the attacking forces, reducing its power by nearly half!

By identifying the vulnerable spot and using a tier-2 Barrier Breaking Talisman, breaching it was inevitable.

This situation differed from Qingzhu Mountain Market, where the large array was destroyed from within; here, it was breached externally.

Normally, a tier-2 Barrier Breaking Talisman alone would not effortlessly dismantle such a formidable array from outside. However, with the formation’s strength halved, it became significantly easier.

“Hmm? Something seems off…” Fang Xi noticed an issue – the Thirty-Six Islands’ joint forces appeared caught completely unprepared.

“Did Scattered Cultivator Ye fail to inform the Mikami Clan about this plan?”

“Moreover, considering our progress today, we could have broken the Watershield Magnificence Formation in just a few more months. Why waste a precious tier-2 Barrier Breaking Talisman now?”

“Unless there was intelligence suggesting that reinforcements for the Zhong Family were imminent…”

“Or perhaps…was it intentionally done to create chaos? To inflict greater casualties on the Thirty-Six Islands while taking advantage amidst the turmoil?”

“Well, no matter. This actually plays right into my hands.”

“The large array is broken?”

“Brothers, let’s charge!”

As soon as the Island Protection Array collapsed, rogue cultivators who were initially just spectators turned like sharks sensing blood. With a sudden frenzy, they easily breached the Thirty-Six Islands’ warning line and rushed onto the battlefield.

On Dragonfish Island,

Within a cultivated spirit field, an old spirit farmer from the Zhong Family wielded his sickle-like magical artifact, grimly severing the head of a young cultivator.

Before he could catch his breath or replenish his magical energy, several more rogue cultivators approached with sinister grins, engulfing him with their magic spells…

This chaotic scene unfolded across various locations on Dragonfish Island.

The Zhong Family, the Alliance forces, and opportunistic tribulation cultivators descended into utter pandemonium!

“Senior Ye, what is the meaning of this?” On the largest spirit boat, Tai Shuhe, the patriarch of the Tai Shu Clan, stared at the standing cultivator with hands clasped behind his back, his face filled with shock and anger.

The battlefield had descended into utter chaos.

“Well?” Scattered Cultivator Ye turned around, revealing a face that appeared to be in his thirties, strikingly pale as if it might emit light itself. He chuckled lightly, “I learned that the Zhong Family risked everything to seek external aid, and reinforcements are already en route. Isn’t it logical to resolve Dragonfish Island first? For this purpose, I even used a precious ‘Barrier Breaking Talisman’, remember to repay me for it later!”

“Even so, couldn’t you have informed us beforehand? This suddenness allowed those rogue cultivators to gain unexpected advantages…” The Yuchi Family’s patriarch, a burly man with a dark complexion, expressed his discontentment clearly.

“Haha, Senior Ye focuses on the big picture, overlooking minor details – it’s only natural…”

The Xiahou Clan patriarch, with a smile plastered across his face, subtly signaled to the other two family heads and said, “Since the Watershield Magnificence Formation is breached, it’s time for Senior Ye to confront the Zhong Family Patriarch…”

“Hmph, naturally!”

Scattered Cultivator Ye produced a disc-shaped azure spirit artifact, transforming into a streak of light that swiftly reached the Zhong Family ancestral hall on Dragonfish Island. He called out, “Zhong Tianjun! Come forth for battle…”

Whoosh!

A beam of light emerged, its magical energy fluctuations causing countless Qi Refinement cultivators to pale.

These were unmistakably the energy ripples of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Even a casual spell from such a being could severely injure or potentially kill Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivators!

However, this Zhong Family patriarch did not linger for combat; after feinting briefly, he attempted to flee towards the horizon.

“Hmph, you won’t escape!” Scattered Cultivator Ye glanced at Dragonfish Island, snorted coldly, and immediately pursued the fleeing figure.

“Kill!”

With the Foundation Establishment cultivators gone, the remaining battles intensified on Dragonfish Island. Qi Refinement cultivators fell incessantly, and even Late Stage experts often succumbed under overwhelming assaults. The sight of Peak Qi Refinement masters perishing was no longer surprising.

With a splash, the small wooden boat approached Dragonfish Island amidst turbulent waters.

Dressed as a fisherman, Fang Xi concealed his spirit snake armor beneath his straw rain cape. He aimed to avoid revealing his Body Tempering cultivation base and relied on this armor for protection.

Confidently, Fang Xi strode onto Dragonfish Island, hands clasped behind his back.

Whoosh!

Beside him, frenzied cultivators noticed his arrival and immediately directed several flying daggers towards him.

Fang Xi flicked his fingers, sending the daggers hurtling back at even greater speed, piercing their original owners effortlessly.

“That guy is formidable; best not to engage. Let’s move!”

“Your strength is impressive, sir. We’ll leave this area to you…”

The nearby cultivators, startled, hastily fled like avoiding venomous creatures.

Unhurriedly, Fang Xi searched the fallen bodies, collecting their bags of holding along the way.

“There are three key locations on Dragonfish Island: First, the Zhong Family ancestral residence, now transformed into a hell on earth – it’s the primary battleground… Second, Spirit Medicine Valley, containing numerous aged spirit medicines and possibly an alchemist… Lastly, the Fish Breeding Lake, where turquoise jade carp are raised. It may hold a legacy of Beast Control Technique, alongside abundant resources of spirit fish…”

Fang Xi hadn’t forgotten the auction item showcased by the Zhong Family—an armor crafted from scales of the azure jade carp king.

Therefore, if a cultivator’s luck holds, they could potentially gather a vast amount of resources from the fishery alone!

“As for me? Naturally, I’m heading to…”

He made his way towards Spirit Medicine Valley.

After all, the Zhong Family ancestral residence likely held the most valuable items but would also be the site of intense battles. The true treasures were probably already secured by Foundation Establishment patriarchs.

It seemed more practical to focus on gathering some spirit medicines instead!

Fang Xi was always cautious by nature.

Throughout his journey, any cultivator daring to attack him met their swift demise, while he gleefully claimed their bags of holding.

“This is merely self-defense, not murder for loot…” Fang Xi muttered as he entered Spirit Medicine Valley.

Upon stepping inside, a surge of pure spiritual energy greeted him, causing him to nod slightly. “As expected from a high-grade tier-2 spiritual vein, this truly piques my interest…”

The valley naturally had protective formations, but they had long been breached. Several corpses lay scattered on the ground, including those wearing flying fish mage robes from the Zhong Family and tribulation cultivators alike.

Clearly, many cultivators shared Fang Xi’s thoughts and had already acted upon them.

“Haha… This high-grade pill furnace shall now belong to yours truly.”

As Fang Xi ventured deeper into the valley, he heard a boastful laughter emanating from within the cluster of buildings. Moments later, a flash of light revealed a short-statured, grotesque-looking Peak Qi Refinement cultivator emerging.

“Old Monster Goldtooth?!”