Free Web NovelChapter 334: Chapter 269: Qi-Seeing Golden Eye
Tuoba Ye approached Fang Qingyuan, stepped forward, and bowed.
"Captain, I have not failed my mission. I have successfully reached Foundation Establishment."
After his Foundation Establishment, Tuoba Ye radiated an air of soaring confidence. The leap from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment was a transcendence of one’s very level of existence—an all-encompassing improvement, especially to his lifespan.
Tuoba Ye was still considered young at just over sixty years old. He now had at least one hundred and fifty years left to live—a long life, fully three times the length he had already lived.
"I wasn’t wrong about you. You really did it."
Fang Qingyuan offered words of encouragement. ’What I originally thought is no longer important. Only the result matters now.’
"You have a gold-attribute. This is a set of Magical Artifacts and a Daoist Robe I prepared for you. Go ahead and change into them."
Fang Qingyuan took out several Second Order Middle and Upper Grade Magical Artifacts and one Tier Two Middle-Grade Daoist Robe from his storage bag, personally handing them to Tuoba Ye. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
These items came from the Foundation Establishment Cultivators he had killed over the past few months. Fang Qingyuan hadn’t had time to sell them, and it felt wasteful to just tuck them away in the Immortal Mansion. He decided to give them to Tuoba Ye. ’Might as well use them to win his loyalty.’
Just as he expected, Tuoba Ye was deeply moved as he accepted the items. Fang Qingyuan’s generosity made him instantly more loyal.
Fang Qingyuan’s casual gift was worth fifty to sixty Top-grade Spirit Stones in total. Even as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it would have taken Tuoba Ye ten to twenty years of saving to acquire such a complete set.
At this moment, Tuoba Ye was still wearing the robes from his Qi Refining days. Although it was a Tier One Magic Robe, it was far inferior to the one Fang Qingyuan had just given him.
When Tuoba Ye changed into the new Daoist Robe and equipped the Magical Artifacts, the bearing of a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator immediately emerged.
"What a fine and impressive figure. We shouldn’t linger here. Let’s go to the Spring Breeze Building. I’ve already told Wan Sancai to prepare a celebratory banquet for you."
Fang Qingyuan led Tuoba Ye toward the main city. Along the way, Fang Qingyuan asked about Tuoba Ye’s experience during his Foundation Establishment, and Tuoba Ye held nothing back:
"I spent the first month mainly adjusting my state of mind. Then I began to assail the Foundation Establishment stage. After entering meditation, at some point, I felt the opportune moment had arrived. I broke through the realm and finally became a Foundation Establishment Cultivator."
Listening to Tuoba Ye’s account, Fang Qingyuan felt a little bored. ’Such a plain and ordinary Foundation Establishment process,’ he thought. ’Nothing like the thrilling peril of my own.’
"And your eye? Did you awaken some kind of Innate Divine Technique?"
Fang Qingyuan pressed on. In truth, a Cultivator’s Innate Divine Technique was the foundation of their power, not something to be easily revealed to outsiders.
But Fang Qingyuan currently held a very high position in Tuoba Ye’s heart. It could be said that without Fang Qingyuan, he, Tuoba Ye, would still be scrambling somewhere, struggling to scrape together the resources needed for Foundation Establishment.
So, Tuoba Ye answered straightforwardly:
"It is an Innate Divine Technique. It turns out this eye of mine wasn’t a congenital defect, but an Innate Divine Technique. It sealed itself automatically because I didn’t have enough Spiritual Power. Damn that Cultivator who inspected my Spirit Root! He did a shoddy job, so ignorant that he didn’t even recognize it."
Recalling the discrimination he had suffered since childhood, Tuoba Ye was clearly filled with resentment. Because of this eye, he had been bullied endlessly by the other Cultivating Children when he was young.
The situation only improved somewhat after he reached adulthood. The overt bullying stopped, but the secret slander still deeply hurt the young Tuoba Ye.
This was the main reason he felt no sense of belonging to the Tuoba Clan, why he had left the clan early on to make his own way as a Loose Cultivator.
After hearing Tuoba Ye’s story, Fang Qingyuan felt a sense of déjà vu. ’Why does Tuoba Ye sound like a protagonist?’
’Shunned and suppressed from childhood, his supposed defect turned out to be a powerful hidden advantage. Now, with a benefactor’s aid, it’s a case of ’a golden carp is no mere pond dweller; it will become a dragon when the storm arrives’.’
’And the role I’m playing is that of the discerning benefactor who recognized a hidden gem?’
Fang Qingyuan shook his head inwardly. ’I don’t believe in that stuff. When it comes to lucky encounters and opportunities, who could possibly be luckier than me, the one with an Immortal Mansion?’
Still, it was normal for talent like Tuoba Ye to be lost. In a clan where all the resources were monopolized by the Clan Leader, it was natural for other clan members to feel no sense of belonging. As a result, they would just go through the motions when performing their duties.
Otherwise, a young cultivating sapling like Tuoba Ye, with such an innate phenomenon, would surely have been thoroughly examined by higher-level Cultivators if he were in a major sect. He might have even been made a True Disciple directly.
’Dwelling on this is pointless. A talent like this has fallen into my lap. This is my good fortune.’
After venting a little, Tuoba Ye continued:
"My left eye was sealed for sixty years. Now that it has opened, it has accumulated the most potent Golden Spirit Killing Power. If I unleash it, any Cultivator at the same level as me will die without a doubt."
Hearing Tuoba Ye’s confident words, Fang Qingyuan chose to believe him. The Golden Spirit element governed slaughter. If Tuoba Ye’s eye had truly been accumulating the Golden Spiritual Power it absorbed daily from birth until now, its might would indeed be unstoppable once unleashed.
’It would just be a real pity if this eye is a one-time use ability.’
"Can you only use it once? After using it, can you nurture it for a while to use it again later?"
Tuoba Ye nodded, confirming that he could. Of course, there was one thing he didn’t mention: his eye could also see the colors of fortune.
For instance, in Tuoba Ye’s eyes, Fang Qingyuan beside him was a blinding golden-red. The Cultivator pedestrians on the road—Qi Refining Cultivators were merely white, Early-stage Foundation Establishment were light red, and the occasional one or two Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators who passed by were only deep red. He had yet to see another person with a golden-red aura like Fang Qingyuan’s.
Even though Tuoba Ye deeply respected Fang Qingyuan, after so many years as a Loose Cultivator, he was no longer the naive boy who would spill every secret he had.
He selectively revealed a part of his Golden Pupil’s Divine Techniques to give an accounting of it. He decided to keep its other function hidden.
After discussing Tuoba Ye’s Talent, the two arrived at the Spring Flower Building. Here, Wan Sancai and Mo Youqian had been waiting for some time.
After a few cups of Spirit Wine, Fang Qingyuan got straight to the point:
"Tuoba Ye, I had originally wanted to let you enjoy a period of peace, but I have too many matters to attend to and cannot afford to let you rest. Now that you have reached Foundation Establishment, you are qualified to handle a few things for me."
Seeing Fang Qingyuan’s serious expression, Tuoba Ye stood up, bowed, and pledged his loyalty:
"My success in reaching Foundation Establishment is all thanks to you, Captain. Whatever your orders are, just say the word. I guarantee I will handle them properly."
Fang Qingyuan placed a hand on his shoulder, motioning for him to sit down, before speaking:
"There are three tasks in total. First, I’ll give you half a month to investigate the environments of these Spiritual Lands and see if they match the descriptions in this jade slip.
Second, use your name to recruit a few skilled Foundation Establishment experts. Go with Old Mo to a certain location on Fire Melt Island and sweep the area one more time.
Third, I want you to go to the bottom of the Little Demon Abyss, take this token, and conduct a transaction for me."
After listing the three tasks, Fang Qingyuan stared intently at Tuoba Ye, who replied without hesitation:
"I accept my orders."
These three tasks were progressively more dangerous, especially the one to go to the bottom of the Little Demon Abyss to trade for a Blood Life Pill with Xiqi Leopard.
As far as Fang Qingyuan knew, the Little Demon Abyss was a chaotic place. Hidden within were many major criminals wanted by the Great Zhou Academy.
All sorts of Demonic Cultivators and Ghostly Fiends were hidden in the Little Demon Abyss. These people carved out territories according to their strength, all concealed within the hundreds of miles of sea in and around the abyss.
The Little Demon Abyss was originally an oceanic chasm. Why was it called the Demon Abyss? Simply because there were too many Demonic Cultivators inside.
Heretical and demonic paths revere the strong. Their interactions are governed by martial might, and fatal conflicts can erupt at the slightest disagreement.
Some conflicts could easily harm innocent bystanders. Even if one wasn’t caught in the aftershocks, some Demonic Cultivators couldn’t resist preying on newcomer Cultivators.
That was why Fang Qingyuan had no intention of going himself. However, he had promised Xiqi Leopard that day. If he broke his promise for no reason, Fang Qingyuan didn’t know if Xiqi Leopard would fly into a rage out of humiliation, hunt him down, and pursue him relentlessly until one of them was dead.
In this situation, sending a Cultivator to scout the path would allow Fang Qingyuan to be mentally prepared.
’Subordinates were cultivated to share one’s burdens. Tuoba Ye, you’d better stay alive.’
With these thoughts in mind, Fang Qingyuan took out a jade slip and handed it to him.
This contained the cultivation locations that the Qi Refining Cultivators had found for him. ’Let’s have Tuoba Ye handle these small matters first.’
