Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 156 Seated in the Clouds, Instructing on the Nine Disciplines

After studying the jade slip, Fang Shu sat cross-legged in the main hall for a whole day.

The next day at dawn, he put away the jade slip and left the main hall.

He then rushed to Senior Sister Fang's place and personally led her around, letting her familiarize herself with the Gu Hall. As for the specifics of how to navigate the Gu Hall, he didn't need to worry about that; Senior Sister Fang was far more knowledgeable than he was.

Moreover, my senior sister has been cultivating in the temple for ten years, so she is not without connections. Even if she doesn't know anyone in the Gu Hall, she can still find someone to introduce her and get her way up through various channels.

Having dealt with this trivial matter, Fang Shu immediately returned to his cave to carefully study the methods of true qi cultivation.

During this time, his waist tag kept making noises, reminding him that someone was looking for him and had left letters in the main hall for him to retrieve. But none of them were important, so he ignored them all.

This period of seclusion lasted for half a month.

This day.

He took a few deep breaths, opened his eyes, and exhaled a long, deep breath from his chest and abdomen.

Two streams of air, one black and one white, emerged from his two nostrils. They moved like snakes or worms in front of Fang Shu, swirling and circling before merging with his mouth and swallowing.

Fang Shu pondered to himself, "This method is truly difficult to grasp. I have been studying it for over ten days, and even with the analysis and assistance of the Daoist talisman, I have only just managed to refine a strand of Yin-Yang True Qi of Life and Death. If it were someone else, it would probably take more than a month to even begin to understand it."

He estimated that the life-and-death true energy he had cultivated was enough to catch about half a toad. In other words, it would take him about half a year to completely convert all the true energy in his body.

"Not necessarily. I'm just learning and practicing at the same time. Once the 'Minor Joy of Life and Death Yin and Yang' is fully analyzed and mastered, my Qi cultivation speed will be even faster... It might be feasible to complete the conversion in about three months."

Fang Shu couldn't help but think of what his senior brother Hao Junliang had said about "good things happening at the end of the year." Although he didn't know what Hao Junliang meant or whether it was true or not, he still had some expectations.

After practicing his Qi cultivation, Fang Shu stopped sitting idly on the high platform. He stood up and began to move around in his spacious cave dwelling. He picked up a book and a fishing rod, and went to the underground river flowing through the cave.

His fishing method was unusual; there was no bait, no hook, and not even a fishing line on his rod. But after a short while, there was a splashing sound, and a fish actually took the bait and was pulled ashore.

Fang Shu imitated the toad fishing technique, using his true energy to create a silk thread that dangled into the waterway. He was both fishing for fun and honing his ability to control his true energy.

The fish had barely been caught when he called it a "stupid fish" and kicked it back into the water.

Aside from plants, he didn't keep many other living things in his cave, just for variety. So this fish was a familiar one, having been caught no less than twenty times.

Suddenly.

During his leisure time, Fang Shu suddenly felt his waist token twitching. He glanced at it with his divine sense, immediately sat up straight, and a look of joy appeared on his face: "The temple's lectures on immortality are finally about to begin again."

On his waist tag, the words "Jingtang" appeared, proving that the message came from Jingtang. Below that, there was a line of smaller characters indicating the time, which was tomorrow.

According to the rules of the Five Internal Organs Temple, anyone who successfully cultivates Qi will be granted the status of an outer disciple.

Every month, there is the privilege of listening to teachings and having one's questions answered. The specific courses that can be listened to are arranged by the temple's scripture hall, which will announce them to all disciples from time to time via waist tokens.

Occasionally, the prayer hall will give notice half a month or even a month in advance, but this is very rare, and it rarely happens more than once a year.

Such rare opportunities are usually given by someone at least at the level of a hall master, and occasionally by a deity at the level of a third or fifth master.

Fang Shu had just missed a sermon when he received the waist token, so he hadn't gone to join the festivities until now. Now that he learned there would be another sermon at the temple, he was naturally delighted.

After all, the immortals who preach the Dao are all Foundation Establishment Immortals!

His cheap master, Dragon Girl, had also specifically instructed him that even if he were to study the art of Gu, it would be best if he were to dabble in all nine disciplines of immortal studies. Even if he was not proficient in any of them, he should at least have some understanding of them, so that he could go further in the art of Gu.

After confirming the time several times, Fang Shu suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind.

The sermon is for tomorrow, not today. His spiritual practice still needs to be done, and thinking about it further will not be of much benefit.

Soon, it was noon the next day.

Fang Shu staggered out of the cave and headed to the scripture hall.

This temple is built on a small hill, with its flying eaves and brackets arranged in rows, and pine and cypress trees planted everywhere. As soon as you walk here, you can hear the sound of the wind blowing through the pines and cypresses, and it also brings a refreshing fragrance.

Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, a person standing atop the mountain can still part the clouds to see the sun, instantly feeling the vastness of the surroundings, as if immersed in a sea of ​​clouds, and most of the features of Mount Lu suddenly appear before their eyes.

Such a beautiful sight is a rare sight in the midst of one's stomach. Whether it was a coincidence or because of a sermon, or because the spirits in the temple deliberately used their magic to change the weather, it is unclear.

In contrast to the tranquil mountain scenery, the mountainside was already crowded with Qi Refining Immortals, numbering at least two or three hundred, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

Fang Shu walked over alone, looking around as he pondered where to sit. Suddenly, a voice called out to him, "Over here, over here, Fellow Daoist Fang!"

Fang Shu turned his head and saw that it was Lu Renjia, a talisman master who had entered the sect in the same batch. The bag of phoenix peaches was standing next to him. The two were quite close and greeted him with smiles, inviting him to come over.

"See? I told you Brother Fang Shu would come. I didn't make a mistake in reserving this seat."

As Fang Shu approached, he heard the two chatting.

"Thank you, Brother Lu and Fellow Daoist Bao." He bowed and, without any hesitation, sat down in the empty seat.

After taking his seat, Fang Shu calmly observed the scene and found that most of the immortals who came to listen to the Dao were at the fourth tribulation stage, few were at the fifth tribulation stage, and almost none were at the sixth tribulation stage. Even if there were six tribulations, he estimated that with his current eyesight, even if he had a Dao talisman, he would have difficulty seeing them.

Time passed slowly, and more and more people arrived at the prayer hall.

Fang Shu ran into several familiar faces here, including his former roommates, Ling Bailang and Erdaiyuan.

When they saw him, they were slightly surprised, and then nodded to each other across the distance as a greeting.

What surprised Fang Shu the most was that just before the lecture was about to begin, a slender figure appeared at the foot of the mountain. The person hesitated, looking at the disciples all over the mountain with a somewhat troubled expression. It was obvious that she wanted to find a suitable place to sit in the front, but she didn't know where to sit.

This person was his other roommate, Mai Sheng'er.

"This person has also broken through the Qi Refining stage," Fang Shu thought to himself.

Then, seeing that there was still room to squeeze in, he said something to Lu and Bao, and then greeted Mai Sheng'er.

Mai Sheng'er's eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over, bowing gracefully.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Fang, and greetings to both of you."

Compared to before, Mai Sheng'er's figure is even more delicate and boneless. Every move she makes is graceful and charming, and she is alluring without realizing it. She is no longer a girl, and it is unknown what she has gone through.

But after taking her seat, she still acted like a little girl, her eyes wide open, her face filled with joy and anticipation, constantly looking around at the Qi Refining Immortals.

The woman finally stared blankly at the preaching platform, muttering to herself:

"How fortunate I am to finally be able to sit here with my fellow Daoists and listen to their teachings and learn the Dharma."

These words resonated with Fang Shu and his companions, evoking a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex feeling of mixed emotions, often including nostalgia or reflection).

Indeed, those who come here to listen to the teachings are not limited to the wealthy and influential.

The rest had all exhausted all their resources and risked their lives to reach this hill and sit with others.

The four of them waited in silence.

Not long after.

A sea of ​​clouds stretched across the mountains, and a Taoist priest in black robes descended from the sky, landing on a stone platform. He claimed to be skilled in the art of awe-inspiring blessings and said that today he would teach the methods of wind, rain, clouds, and mist, instructing everyone on how to observe the sun and moon, perceive the wind and clouds, and sense the energy of heaven and earth.

After the lecture was finished, everyone kept talking about it and no one left.

That night, another being, resembling a ghost, drifted in.

In an instant, the moonlight in the sky turned pale, and the mountain wind was cold, making everyone sway like candlelight in the wind.

This Taoist priest claimed to be skilled in the art of communicating with the spirits of the underworld. Today, he had sent his spirit aboard his body to teach everyone the principles of entering dreams to spy on others and seizing souls.

For four or five consecutive days and nights, Taoist priests would come to the altar to preach.

The content they taught was either profound and obscure, concise and to the point, or simple and plain, rambling and verbose, like a foot-binding cloth.

Fang Shu and the others listened, completely absorbed and unable to extricate themselves. Even if they didn't understand, they forced themselves to memorize it.

During this tightly scheduled sermon, Fang Shu felt genuine joy, finally experiencing the profound heritage and atmosphere of the Five Digestives Temple as a celestial sect.

If one could listen to this for nine years and put in a little effort, one would not only be able to learn about all nine disciplines of immortal studies, but would also have a good grasp of them.

To his even greater surprise, after the Foundation Establishment instructor finished his lecture on the fifth day, he did not leave, but instead began to teach a specific spell.

This immediately made the Qi Refining disciples, who were already somewhat exhausted and listless, light up with excitement and stare intently at the person.

(End of this chapter)