Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 112 Planting Spiritual Roots

In a quiet room.

Fang Shu's eyes shone brightly. He bowed to Xiao Lili and pointed unceremoniously to the bed beside him:

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, please lie down here."

Xiao Lili blushed, her body trembling slightly, but she let out a soft moan, then calmly got up and lay down on the bed, her eyes becoming somewhat hazy, her mind wandering.

Immediately afterwards, she felt Fang Shu reach out and grope her body, checking something as if he were an expert, but he didn't get to the point for a long time.

Suddenly, Fang Shu abruptly withdrew his hand, took a robe from the side, and placed it on her bedside table.

“I have already checked it for you. All the roots of that ginseng are gone, so there is no further risk.”

This startled Xiao Lili, making her realize that she had misunderstood something, and she felt a little empty.

In reality, the woman had indeed misunderstood.

Fang Shu made her lie down simply to examine the condition of the roots within her body. He wanted to see if the innate secret text, after it dissipated, would still condense within this woman's body and undergo further changes.

Unfortunately, Xiao Lili no longer possessed that innate secret script within her body. At least, Fang Shu couldn't see it with his current perspective. Perhaps it was hidden deeper, requiring divine sense to explore.

Fang Shu was disappointed, but his expression remained unchanged.

He didn't reveal anything or offer any explanation. He simply gestured for Xiao Lili to quickly change her clothes so she could go out with him to pay her respects to the owner of the Du family.

"Yes, yes," Xiao Lili quickly replied.

She made no attempt to hide from Fang Shu, dressing herself neatly in front of him and even twirling around him briefly.

Fang Shu ignored Xiao Lili's little action and just watched calmly.

This woman's intentions were utterly blatant and extremely obvious. Fang Shu wasn't stupid; he knew that he only needed to utter one word to make this woman his slave, willing to give herself to him.

The reason he didn't do so was twofold: firstly, he hadn't yet cultivated his Qi, so how could he damage his vital energy for the sake of beauty; secondly, he had learned from the master of the Du Pavilion that one should not follow the other's lead.

By not avoiding or responding in this way, one can avoid falling into clichés and taking on burdens. Furthermore, it would be too hypocritical to completely refuse such an opportunity that comes knocking on one's door.

Fang Shu turned around and said, "Come with me."

As she was about to leave the quiet room, Xiao Lili suddenly whispered, "Master, may I still address you like this in front of outsiders?"

Fang Shu paused, and without turning his head, gave the following instruction:
"Suit yourself. We'll each talk our own way. You can call me Master, and I'll call you Fellow Daoist."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lili's face lit up with joy, and she obediently replied, "Yes, Master."

Then she thought to herself, "My master saved me from danger and trusts me so much. I can't cause him any trouble. In front of outsiders, I'll just be my master's fellow Daoist."

Not long after.

The two had already arrived at the inner courtyard council hall, waiting for the arrival of the master of the pavilion.

Du Yu'er, who was in the museum, arrived before her grandmother.

As soon as the other person entered the lobby, their face lit up with a mixture of surprise and joy: "Lili, you did it!"

Facing this friend, Xiao Lili's expression remained calm. Although she responded with a slight smile, her eyes were still fixed on Fang Shu.

She replied politely, "Thank you for your concern, Yu'er. I am truly grateful to your esteemed friend, Fellow Daoist Fang, for this treatment."

Du Yu'er didn't notice anything unusual. She immediately turned to Fang Shu and bowed, saying, "Fang Shu, thank you for your hard work in helping Lili recover."

"You're too kind, Senior Sister Yu'er," Fang Shu replied with a smile.

The three chatted idly in the hall, with Du Yu'er mainly initiating the conversation:
"Lili, you look quite well. It seems you've retained your cultivation level, so you should be able to continue cultivating?"

Just then, a soft laugh came from deep within the council chamber:
"Tsk! Not only does she look good, she's practically struck gold."

Upon hearing the voice, the three quickly greeted the speaker:
"Master." "Grandma Du."

The person who entered the hall was none other than the owner of the Du Pavilion. He had white hair, but his movements were as swift as the wind, and he strode up to Xiao Lili.

The old woman looked them over with a strange gaze, occasionally pinching their bones, and even using her divine sense to examine them, causing the three of them to gasp.

The owner of the guesthouse sighed, "You managed to seize such a life-or-death opportunity. It's not surprising that you had such a stroke of luck."

"Opportunity?"

The three people in the hall looked somewhat bewildered upon hearing this, except for Fang Shuxin, who had a vague guess in his heart. Then, the owner of the hall looked at his granddaughter.

Upon seeing this, Du Yu'er obediently cupped her hands in greeting.

"Fang Shu, Li Li, you two chat slowly, I'll go prepare some tea." Then, Du Yu'er left under the watchful eyes of the others.

Once everyone else was gone, the owner of the guesthouse said directly:
"Xiao Lili, you have passed this test. From now on, there will be no more barriers to cultivating the Three Tribulations. Even the Qi Refining stage will be very promising!"

Would you be willing to become my disciple?

These words surprised both Xiao Lili and Fang Shu.

A hint of disbelief flickered across Xiao Lili's usually calm face, as if she had misheard. Had she really gone from someone on the verge of death to someone capable of Qi Refining overnight?
The owner of the private club seemed to have guessed Xiao Lili's thoughts and said slowly:
“Ni’er, you have been bedridden for half a year, receiving countless precious medicines. Now you have survived and become one with the spiritual ginseng, inseparable from it. The spiritual medicine has taken deep root and is already well-developed. This opportunity is what you deserve.”

Fang Shu overheard this from the side. He heard the words "innate talent" and a thought flashed through his mind. He immediately spoke up:
"May I ask, Master, is the 'root talent' you speak of... the spiritual root?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lili's expression changed even more. She looked at the owner of the Duguan Pavilion with trepidation and disbelief.

Under their gazes, the owner of the private residence slowly nodded:

"Indeed, this root is indeed a spiritual root."

The old woman explained further: "The key and crucial link in refining essence into refining qi is planting a spiritual root. This link involves drawing blood into the body, reconnecting limbs, sacrificing oneself to the sword, and planting spiritual plants, among other things."

Anything possessing a spirit, which can be implanted within the body to increase its sensitivity to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, can be considered a spiritual root.

She paused, then glanced at Xiao Lili:
"The spiritual roots planted in this way are all pseudo-spiritual roots, and their effect on cultivation is far inferior to that of innate spiritual roots. They belong to the lowest grade."

However, even those with pseudo-spiritual roots have their own unique uses. Because they utilize different spiritual objects, each often possesses its own strengths, and they can even seek out corresponding spiritual roots based on their own circumstances, which is quite convenient. I won't list them all here; you will understand once you enter the Immortal Sect.”

Fang Shu and Xiao Lili both looked enlightened upon hearing the words of the Pavilion Master.

"So this is how planting spiritual roots works." Fang Shu's mind was filled with thoughts, and he once again recalled the secret characters on Xiao Lili's body.

He thought to himself that he had already helped Xiao Lili plant her spiritual root and had gained experience.

Wouldn't he be even more adept at cultivating spiritual roots in the future, and be able to obtain even more remarkable spiritual roots?
Xiao Lili, standing to the side, was also breathing heavily, and her eyes seemed to be burning with fire.

Thinking of something, the woman didn't hesitate and immediately knelt down and kowtowed:

"Disciple Xiao Lili greets Master."

Seeing that this woman was decisive and immediately acknowledged him as her master, the other old men's faces showed a hint of surprise, which quickly turned into joy, and they laughed loudly:

"Very good, very good! I have gained another precious disciple today. I was so sorry to have missed out."

Following that, the innkeeper explained the matter of spiritual roots to the two of them, and she also gave them a warning:

“Lili, although you have obtained an opportunity and planted a spiritual root, and this spiritual root is planted in your body and nurtured by your flesh and blood, and is quite compatible with you, its quality is actually only average.”

Furthermore, your cultivation has been severely damaged, leaving you only one tribulation remaining. Don't think that just because you've turned your life around, you're any different from others.

Xiao Lili lowered her head: "This disciple dares not."

After giving his instructions, the master of the pavilion sent Xiao Lili away to recuperate in the pavilion.

Fang Shu remained standing to the side without moving.

He planned to consult the owner of the pavilion again, and ask Xiao Lili if the innate secret patterns on her body were closely related to the cultivation of spiritual roots.

At that moment, the owner of the guesthouse also spoke up: "Fang Shu, stay."

"Yes, Master."

When only the master and apprentice remained in the hall, a strange expression flashed across the Master's face. She scrutinized Fang Shu, as if flowers were blooming on his face.

Fang Shu was puzzled. He suppressed his thoughts and looked at the other person with a questioning gaze.

The next moment, the owner of the private club clicked his tongue:

"You little rascal, you've got some pretty good tricks up your sleeve. You can even bring the dead back to life."

"Don't worry, that girl did get a stroke of luck, but she also has some flaws. On the other hand, you definitely won't lose out."

"What do you mean by that, Master?!"

(End of this chapter)