Fang Xi had transmigrated—but not completely.
More accurately, he had transmigrated twice!
Even now, the memory of that second transmigration still made Fang Xi's heart race with lingering fear.
It happened half a year ago, on a night like any other. At the time, Fang Xi had already been transmigrated for several months. Like a wary beast, he was carefully extending his feelers, cautiously investigating the situation around Green Bamboo Mountain Market.
Unfortunately, his cultivation was pitifully low, and he hadn't fully inherited the previous owner's cultivation legacy. He probably couldn't even beat that old farmer Maitou from the second layer of Qi Refining!
That night, disaster struck—the shantytown was attacked by rogue cultivators!
Since the area wasn't protected by the mountain's great formation, and most of the spirit farmers were weak cultivators, it was an easy target.
Sure, everyone there was poor, but some goddamn robbers even preyed on the poor!
After all, a cultivator's corpse—even their flesh, bones, and soul—was worth a lot.
Listening to the screams outside and watching as several black-robed, masked cultivators went from house to house slaughtering, Fang Xi trembled in fear, like meat laid out on the butcher's block. That intense brush with death awakened his golden finger—his cheat!
This "golden finger" didn't come with any fanfare or flashy display, but he soon discovered that he could travel to another world!
Fang Xi didn't hesitate. He triggered his ability and vanished.
That was how he came to this world—Daliang.
Under the warm sunlight, he stretched lazily and silently vowed never to experience that kind of helpless fear again.
But for now… it was time to enjoy life.
A faint smile curved his lips.
From what he had discovered through his trips back and forth, this world called "Daliang" had no cultivators whatsoever!
Time flowed at the same rate in both worlds, though their day-night cycles differed. Night in one was day in the other.
In other words, when it was night in the cultivation world, it was daytime in Daliang.
Here, everything was ruled by a mortal emperor.
Beyond the empire's reach, however, wild lands teemed with strange creatures known as demons and monsters!
In Fang Xi's eyes, they were basically impure-blooded beastkin—or perhaps even stranger beings hiding in the dark.
Being the cautious type, he didn't go out hunting demons. Instead, he found a mortal city—Blackstone City—and settled in.
Gold and silver, mere raw materials in the cultivation world, were highly valuable here. A single spirit crystal could be exchanged for a small fortune!
Soon, the wealthy quarter of Blackstone City had a new resident—Young Master Fang, a nouveau riche with seemingly endless wealth.
"Master is awake! Congratulations on completing your closed-door training!"
A pleasant voice, as sweet as an oriole's song, rang out.
Several gorgeously dressed servant girls entered, led by a lovely young woman in a yellow dress. They all bowed respectfully to Fang Xi.
A waft of fragrance hit him as he rubbed his fingers in amusement.
He had purchased a large estate in Blackstone City, along with a small army of servants and maidens.
Among them, twelve were handpicked to serve him directly. He named them after flowers: Narcissus, Orchid, Winter Plum, Rose, Camellia, Lotus, Magnolia, Laurel, Chrysanthemum, Bamboo, Peony, and Lily.
The one in yellow, Laurel, was the head maid—a delicate beauty with skin like cream.
"Very good. Tell the kitchen to prepare a banquet."
Fang Xi waved lazily. The admiration and reverence in the eyes of these girls amused him.
He had no modern notions about equality. He wasn't about to tell these servants they didn't need to kneel or act subservient.
Quite the opposite—he had fully embraced the old ways, shaped both by the local customs and the memories of his body's original owner. In a world where strength ruled, a servant who dared to defy their master could be beaten to death without consequence.
Fortunately, these girls had all been well-trained by human traffickers—none would dare to defy their role.
In fact, to Laurel and the others, such treatment was perfectly normal, almost as natural as breathing.
Half an hour later, in the side hall of the Fang estate.
Fang Xi reclined in a soft chair, surrounded by lavish dishes.
Bear paws, shark fin, bird's nest, roast duck, stewed chicken…
Every ingredient was natural and rare, expertly cooked by master chefs to produce an aroma that made the mouth water.
Enjoying the life of a corrupt landlord, Fang Xi didn't even need to lift his chopsticks. With a glance, a beautiful maid would bring a morsel to his lips.
He beckoned Peony forward and reclined in her ample embrace, while Rose fed him a slice of venison.
Ah… such indulgence could almost be a burden. A man had to eat well, after all.
Taking a sip of fine wine from a beauty's hand, Fang Xi let out a satisfied sigh.
All these charming maids were constantly scheming to share his bed—what could he do?
The meal lasted nearly an hour.
Though the food lacked the nourishment of spirit rice from the cultivation world, Fang Xi's appetite was thoroughly sated.
He treated himself to such a feast every ten days or so—a small comfort amidst the hardships of cultivation.
Once the servants cleared the table, Fang Xi moved to the main hall, sipping top-grade tea brewed by Laurel while listening to a report from his steward, Old Fu.
"Master, I've looked into it. Demon materials are strictly controlled by the Daliang government and are not allowed to circulate privately. However… there are channels. Namely—martial arts schools!"
Old Fu was a white-bearded elder with a scholarly demeanor. He looked like a hidden master, but Fang Xi knew the truth—just a normal old man who had sold himself into servitude to feed his starving grandson.
"Martial arts schools?" Fang Xi mused.
"In this world, aside from demons, humans also possess extraordinary power—martial arts!"
Some top martial artists could shatter rocks with a punch, crack the ground with a stomp—it was as effortless as breathing.
Even in Blackstone City, such warriors were not rare.
Fang Xi was very curious about this world's path to power.
Though Daliang lacked spiritual energy, making cultivation difficult, it could still sustain his current Qi Refining level.
And the martial arts here… they bore a resemblance to body cultivation techniques from his world.
Body cultivators were rare among immortals. The path was slow and costly.
But Fang Xi didn't care. With two worlds' worth of resources, he could afford it!
Besides, what choice did he have?
His current technique, Evergreen Art, was a basic cultivation method. Anything better cost five to ten spirit stones—far more than he could afford right now.
A thoughtful gleam passed through Fang Xi's eyes:
"From what I've gathered, this world's martial artists cultivate blood qi. Their destructive power is considerable—enough to threaten a low-level cultivator. It's quite similar to body cultivation techniques..."
Even a low-tier body cultivation method would cost five spirit stones or more in Green Bamboo market. He couldn't afford that. But here? Martial arts could be learned more easily—plus, it might give him access to demon materials, which he wanted to study.
Two goals aligned. Fang Xi's interest deepened.
"Tell me more about the martial arts schools."
Old Fu continued in a calm voice, "Martial arts schools pass down blood qi cultivation. According to rumors, at higher levels, martial artists can no longer sustain themselves on ordinary meat—they require spiritual herbs and demon meat. That's why every martial sect in the city has its own channel for demon materials…"
"In Blackstone City, beyond the noble clans, there are two major martial institutions that take in disciples, Yuanhe Mountain and the Martial Hall."
"Yuanhe Mountain?" Fang Xi raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Yuanhe Mountain is one of the most prestigious sects within a hundred miles. Even the government treats them with respect," Old Fu said with reverence.
Clearly, the name held considerable weight in local hearts.
"A true martial sect will teach superior techniques…" Fang Xi pondered. "Do they have strict admission standards? Can silver smooth the way?"
Ever since arriving in Blackstone City, he'd relied on wealth to open doors. He had no qualms about spending big.
Sure, he'd been targeted as a fat sheep more than once, but as a Qi Refining third-layer cultivator—armed with sharp senses and a pile of expensive talismans—he could protect himself.
Old Fu thought for a moment. "Yuanhe Mountain often accepts children from noble families. It should be possible."
"Then let's not delay. Make it happen."
Even though time moved at the same rate in both worlds, Fang Xi could only vanish from the cultivation world for a few days before others might think him dead—and start dividing his land and property like vultures.
Yuanhe Mountain.
Though this was only a branch sect in Blackstone City, it was still majestic and sprawling—its grand halls declared its dominance.
Deep within the compound, a green lake shimmered, surrounded by blooming lotus flowers.
A tiny boat floated among the blooms, gently drifting.
A figure lay upon the boat, seemingly at rest.
Suddenly, the boat reached the shore, and a white-robed woman with a cool, elegant demeanor arrived.
"Greetings, Martial Uncle…"
"What is it?" The man on the boat opened his eyes with a yawn, sounding mildly annoyed.
"A wealthy man in the city offers two hundred silver taels in exchange for accepting someone as a disciple."
The young man, who looked no older than twenty, took the document and sneered:"Fang Xi? A nameless upstart? Does he think Yuanhe Mountain is some street-side dojo? Just throw money and get in?"
As one of the region's dominant forces, Yuanhe Mountain didn't lack wealth. They prioritized talent above all.
Accepting sons of noble families was about building influence, not getting rich.
Fang Xi… he had nothing but money.
"What's his aptitude?"
"I saw him once—nothing special," the woman replied calmly.
"Then reject him." The boat slowly drifted back into the lake.
The woman bowed, offering no further argument.