Vessel of Worlds

The pill formulas that still existed in the Golden Flame Kingdom's cultivation world had nearly all been modified versions of ancient originals. Long-extinct spirit herbs had been substituted with alternatives of similar medicinal properties, and only after extensive trial and error could a new formula be produced. Naturally, alchemists guarded these formulas like priceless treasures and would never reveal them lightly. Once made public, the replacement herbs would be stripped bare within a short time as well.

Because of this, the efficacy of modern formulas fell far short of their ancient predecessors, and the success rates were often considerably lower too.

"So the beasts of the Star Sea can never be hunted to extinction? Cultivators here have used beast cores as their primary pill ingredient since ancient times?" Andy asked.

The youth laughed. "Of course! The Inner Star Sea alone is unimaginably vast, and the Outer Star Sea is even more boundless. The beasts living in these waters are beyond counting—far outnumbering the cultivators of the Star Sea. And beasts reproduce even faster than humans, so there have always been more beasts than anyone could ever hunt!"

"That said, to protect human cultivators, most of the high-level beasts in the Inner Star Sea have been culled by Nascent Soul cultivators—beings of almost inconceivable power. The Outer Star Sea, however, has an inexhaustible supply of high-level beasts. I've heard that Nascent Soul cultivators are actually forbidden from hunting freely in the Outer Star Sea. As for why, that's beyond what someone of my station would know."

"Nascent Soul cultivators!" Andy was privately startled. Legendary beings who had lived for centuries, even a millennium—such matters were far beyond what he could afford to inquire about right now.

Andy continued asking questions on various topics of concern, and the youth answered each one to his satisfaction.

Half a day later, Andy paid the youth five low-grade spirit stones. The boy thanked him profusely and departed in high spirits.

Andy then sought out a second Qi Condensation guide and posed the same questions all over again. The answers he received were virtually identical—even the list of a dozen or so reputable Foundation Establishment cultivators who regularly led beast-hunting teams was nearly the same.

It seemed these individuals had built quite a reputation among the sub-Foundation Establishment cultivators of West Star Island.

With that done, Andy left the West Star Island market and flew south to Farview Peak.

From the air, he realized the island was far larger than he had imagined. Mountain peaks stretched endlessly across more than half of West Star Island, with over a hundred peaks rising above a thousand zhang. At their base lay a basin spanning several thousand kilometers, dotted with dozens of lakes of various sizes. The bustling market, the mortal towns and villages—all of it sat within this basin.

After a full day and night of flight over the island, Andy finally reached Farview Peak at the island's southern tip. Atop the peak stood a gleaming golden pavilion, visible from a great distance.

No restriction formations guarded the peak, and Andy landed easily before the pavilion.

The building was as magnificent inside as out. The ground floor was supported by seven or eight enormous white jade pillars, each twenty zhang tall and so thick that over a dozen people couldn't have encircled one. Golden dragons and jade phoenixes were carved into each pillar in exquisite detail.

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"Leaping Dragon Pavilion"—the three characters inscribed above the entrance carried an air of deep antiquity.

Andy gave the imposing exterior a single glance and strode inside.

Compared to the grandeur without, the interior decorations were refined and intricate. The ceiling was inlaid with moonlight stones of various colors arranged into elaborate patterns, and the screens, tables, and chairs throughout the hall were carved with complex, beautiful designs. The hall wasn't enormous, but it could comfortably hold a hundred people.

An old man was lounging in a rattan chair. He cracked one eyelid at Andy's entrance but showed no inclination to stand.

Andy's guard went up at once. The man's appearance was unremarkable, but the spiritual energy he radiated placed him unequivocally at late-stage Foundation Establishment. Andy stopped five or six zhang away, bowed with clasped fists, and said: "I've just arrived on West Star Island and am looking for a suitable location for a cave dwelling. I'd appreciate any guidance." He set a mid-grade spirit stone on the purple wooden table before the elder.

A gleam sparked in the old man's eyes. His languid air vanished, replaced by a warm, enthusiastic smile. "Too kind, fellow cultivator! As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you may select any small peak on this island as your dwelling site. Our West Star Island mountain range sits on a first-rate superior spirit vein—the spiritual energy is exceptional. If you're willing to take on some duties for the island, you can use a peak free of charge and receive an annual spirit stone stipend besides. If you'd rather not be burdened with duties, you can pay a fee to rent a peak long-term instead."

Andy wasn't the least bit surprised by the change in attitude. In the cultivation world, nobody lifted a finger without something to gain. Offer nothing, and no one would bother. Offer a modest benefit, and people came running. Offer enough, and cultivators would risk their lives. Money moved mountains—the cultivation world was no different.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator could claim an entire mountain peak as a dwelling—this matched what Xiao Ye had told him. But Andy wasn't tempted.

According to Xiao Ye, more than twenty Core Formation seniors had their dwellings in this very mountain range. The island lord himself—a Nascent Soul cultivator—resided on the main peak. Andy, carrying the secrets he did, had no desire to live alongside such towering figures.

Beyond the main island, West Star Island administered nearly a hundred mid-sized islands and several thousand small ones, all containing spirit veins suitable for cave dwellings.

Generally, a mid-sized island's lord was a Core Formation cultivator. A Foundation Establishment cultivator could manage a small island.

Andy's plan was to find an isolated small island, establish his dwelling there, and stay well clear of the powers he couldn't afford to provoke.

"Thank you for the guidance," Andy said. "However, I'm something of a recluse by nature. I have no interest in taking on duties, nor do I wish to cultivate on an island this crowded. Are there any small islands without a current lord? I'd like to find somewhere quiet and secluded."

"That's easily arranged!" The elder produced a scroll and tossed it to Andy. "This is the island chart administered by West Star Island. Every small white dot of light represents a peak available to Foundation Establishment cultivators. If a white dot also has a red dot on it, the location is already claimed. Choose any unoccupied spot you like."

Andy caught the scroll and sent a pulse of spiritual power into it. The scroll floated into the air, slowly unfurling and expanding into an enormous canvas more than a dozen zhang long and two or three zhang high.

Depicted on it were thousands of islands of varying sizes. At the center sat the largest—labeled "West Star Island."

Flickers of grey and white spiritual light dotted the islands, with several dozen points glowing brilliant gold. Andy guessed these were reserved for Core Formation seniors. The most numerous grey dots were likely for Qi Condensation cultivators. Each point of light marked a spirit vein; islands without veins, no matter how large, didn't appear on the chart at all.

West Star Island itself, having far too many viable cultivation sites to display, was left unmarked in detail. Presumably a separate chart existed specifically for the main island's terrain and cultivation locations.

Nearly half the dots bore small red marks, indicating they were already claimed. Andy began searching through the islands that had only a single white dot and no red mark—one spirit vein, unclaimed.

Focusing his spiritual sense on any given island caused the canvas to display additional information: the spirit vein's size, spiritual energy density, the number of mortals living on the island, and the annual spirit stone fee.