Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 157 Golden Smoke and Fire Clouds, Wall-Penetrating, Object Manipulation, Invisibility
"My Daoist name is Jin Yan. The spell I will teach you today is a cloud-riding technique that I have developed. With this technique, even if you are only at the Qi Refining stage, you will be able to soar into the sky and travel between the heavens and the earth."

A short immortal dressed in an apricot-yellow Taoist robe was sitting cross-legged on a stone platform, pointing to the sky and the earth as he spoke, which stirred the hearts of everyone present.

"This immortal master is actually going to teach the art of cloud soaring. Such a technique is rare. In the Scripture Hall, it would take at least ten Dao merits to exchange for it."

"If you learn this skill, you will no longer need to walk to and from this prayer hall."

Fang Shu and Lu Renjia, along with the others, also looked expectant, though one of them whispered:

"I've heard that the more skilled one is at levitation, the more difficult it is to master. I wonder if I can truly learn it now that I've bought it?"

Not only did they mention the difficulty of cultivation, but some of the other Qi Refining cultivators around them also snapped out of their excitement and muttered:
"Is this immortal master going to teach us for free? If not, we might as well buy flying swords, flying leaves, or other magical techniques to refine. Tangible things are much simpler than intangible things."

Jin Yanxian seemed to have heard the discussion. With a smile on his face, he spoke:
"Besides its many wonderful uses, my cloud-riding technique is also very simple to cultivate. You only need to be able to absorb the clouds you ride into your lungs, and you can use them whenever you want. You can even fly by sneezing."

These words once again drew the attention of the Qi Refining disciples who were listening to the sermon.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. I'll just give you a demonstration."

Pfft!

Jin Yanxian flicked her sleeves, then faced the crowd and sneezed violently.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, yellow smoke, resembling snakes and insects, immediately emerged from his nostrils and rapidly expanded, eventually transforming into a canopy above his head with a whooshing sound.

Compared to the smoke above him, he was like a chicken or a duck compared to a cartwheel.

Furthermore, sparks and muffled thunder could be seen frequently within the yellow smoke, creating quite a commotion.

To Fang Shu and the others' surprise, they saw the Golden Smoke Immortal point at them, and amidst the billowing smoke above his head, he suddenly pounced on them, landing on the ground and quickly spreading outwards.

In the blink of an eye, all the hundreds of Qi Refining disciples present were enveloped in yellow smoke.

The Golden Smoke Immortal suddenly shouted, "Rise!"

Whoohoo!
The Qi Refining disciples, who were originally of different heights and sitting in a staggered manner, all slumped down, as if they were sitting in cotton, except that the cotton was filled with the smell of saltpeter and sulfur.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of people were already airborne, separated from the mountains, and floating in mid-air.

"Hey!"

"Am I flying?!"

Many people exclaimed in surprise, while others, like monkeys, couldn't sit still any longer and stood up, turning left and right, pacing back and forth on the yellow cloud of smoke.

Fang Shu landed among them, and he was also filled with curiosity. He tentatively stood up and stepped on the clouds beneath his feet. The feeling under his feet was very strange, as if it were there but not there.

At the same time, he secretly used his divine sense, aided by the Daoist talisman, to scan the yellow cloud, but due to his limited knowledge, he obtained very little information, only knowing that the yellow cloud did indeed contain saltpeter and sulfur.

As expected, the Golden Smoke Immortal, standing on yellow clouds, descended step by step, landing above everyone. Looking down at them, she smiled serenely:

"This substance is made by my own craftsmanship of the Outer Alchemy and the Yellow and White Alchemy, using cinnabar, mirabilite, sulfur, lead, mercury and other substances to create the Golden Salt Cloud, whose full name is 'Golden Smoke and Fire Salt Cloud'."

Riding this cloud, you can travel a thousand miles a day without getting dusty. If you encounter danger, you can also spray this cloud, making thieves and monsters dizzy and tearful, leaving them no time to care about you.

After giving another introduction, the man suddenly flicked his sleeve, and many small medicine bottles floated out in front of him.

He said, "By the way, I have already prepared the Golden Nitrogen Cloud beneath your feet for you. If you want to learn, you only need to master the incantation for cloud soaring in the early stages. There is no need to store it in your lungs. Instead, you can put it in a snuff bottle first. When you need to use it, just sneeze and release it from the bottle."

"Once the spell is mastered, you can internalize it later. So... are you all willing to learn this cloud-riding technique?"

Jin Yanxian stood with her hands behind her back, awaiting everyone's decision.

"Traveling a thousand miles a day... that's not fast at all. Even some low-level monsters can do that."

"Hey! This is soaring through the clouds, traveling a thousand miles a day, unhindered by mountains and rivers. How can the two be compared?"

“What this fellow Daoist says is true. Besides, the spells taught by Foundation Establishment Immortals are not limited to this speed; they must be able to go even faster. It’s just that our magical power is limited, so we can only support a thousand miles a day.”

"Hmm! So that's how it is. Oh, how do you know so much, fellow Daoist? Have you practiced it?"

The scene was quiet for several breaths, and seeing that there were no Qi Refining Immortals, they immediately stepped forward.

The Golden Smoke Immortal added casually, "The magic I transmit is my own researched technique, not from the temple. There's no need to exchange it for Taoist cultivation points; ten taels of spirit stones or something of equivalent value will suffice."

These words immediately stirred up many Qi Refining disciples present.

Fang Shu, standing in the middle of it, was also startled, thinking he had misheard.

At just ten spirit stones, the price is truly inexpensive.

Is this Foundation Establishment Immortal here to do good deeds and accumulate merit?

But he quickly realized that he must not have misheard; the spirit stones the other party was referring to were not inferior ones, but rather low-grade ones.

Spirit stones are classified into four grades: "superior," "medium," and "inferior," based on their quality and the amount of spiritual energy they contain.

Second-grade spirit stones are mainly used by cultivators who refine essence, while low-grade spirit stones are mainly used by cultivators who refine qi.

Fang Shu and Lu Renjia exchanged glances, and after listening to the idle chatter of the others, they found that it was indeed the case.

With a wry smile, Lu Renjia sighed enviously:

"Ten taels of low-grade spirit stones is still too expensive. The exchange rate between second-grade and low-grade spirit stones in the temple is between thirty and one hundred. I heard that it was over one hundred a few days ago, but it has fallen back down."

Fang Shu nodded secretly upon hearing this.

Ten taels of low-grade spirit stones are at least equivalent to three hundred and two-grade spirit stones, and may even be equivalent to one thousand taels.

This price is indeed a considerable sum for these newly ascended Qi Refining Immortals.

Just because a few people are poor doesn't mean everyone else is. After a few breaths, Qi Refining disciples kept coming forward to buy spells.

Jin Yanxian gave a few instructions, then presented each of them with a snuff bottle, pointing to the snuff bottles and saying:

"The incantation for controlling clouds is on this pot. You can dig out some gold salt cloud and put it in."

Immediately, those Qi Refining disciples who had purchased snuff bottles, amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, began to pluck strands of snuff from the yellow clouds beneath their feet and stuff them into their snuff bottles, as if picking cotton.

Some people were so impatient that they used magic to scoop out a huge lump, held it in both hands, and stuffed it into the snuff bottle.

Fang Shu watched from the sidelines, his gaze shifting slightly.

He spotted a familiar face among the crowd buying spells. It was none other than Erdaiyuan, the roommate who seemed to have the most connections.

The woman had acquired the magic and was repeatedly playing with the snuff bottle, muttering to herself as if she were familiarizing herself with the incantation.

Soon after, yellow smoke swirled around Erdaiyuan, lifting her up a bit.

Suddenly, a soft exclamation rang out beside Fang Shu, drawing his attention back.

It was Lu Renjia's voice.

But Fang Shu turned his head and looked at Mai Sheng'er.

After taking a few steps, the woman noticed the gazes of Fang Shu and the others. She bowed respectfully, then excitedly stepped forward to ask the Golden Smoke Immortal for a Golden Salt Cloud.

Upon returning, Mai Sheng'er stroked her snuff bottle. Sure enough, she sneezed, and clouds appeared beneath her feet, lifting her up to a great height above Fang Shu and the others.

At the sermon, the immortals who had purchased the spells were all having a great time, stumbling and falling, going up and down.

Fang Shu and the others looked up with envy, when suddenly their bodies lurched and they plummeted downwards.

"Oh my goodness!" A chorus of exclamations erupted from the crowd.

The yellow smoke that had been supporting all the disciples suddenly dissipated, leaving only the disciples who had purchased the spells standing in the air.

Fortunately, Fang Shu and the others only fell by one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters). Apart from a few unlucky individuals who accidentally tumbled down the mountain, the others were only hurt from the fall.

At this moment, the voice of the Golden Smoke Immortal came faintly from mid-air:

"Buy now while supplies last. I've only made this much in one batch. If you're too slow, it'll all be snatched up by others."

In an instant, more Qi Refining disciples whispered among themselves and then stepped forward. Fang Shu also heard that some people around him had pooled their money to buy the spell.

Poof!
Mai Sheng'er rode on a cloud of golden nitrates. She jumped down from mid-air, her little face flushed, extremely excited.

The woman looked at Fang Shu and the others, then glanced to her left and right, and lowered her voice to say to them:
“Fellow Daoists, although this Immortal Jin Yan is not the head of the temple, his alchemy skills are quite remarkable. The Golden Salt Cloud he refines is indeed a good cloud-riding item in the sect.”

If the three of you have extra money, you can buy it; you definitely won't lose money. If not, you can always sell it later; there will be buyers.

Although it's unknown how Mai Sheng'er learned about the Jin Yan Immortal family, she doesn't seem like a shill and has no reason to deceive anyone.

Fang Shu and the other two were once again filled with anticipation.

"Both this woman and Nardaiyuan bought it, and the immortal preaches only once a month. Who knows when we will be able to meet this Golden Smoke Immortal again?"

Fang Shu pondered in his heart and made up his mind: "Moreover, this spell does not require cultivation, it can be obtained by spending money, which is perfect for a disciple like me who has just entered the sect and has no cultivation yet."

"If you miss this opportunity, you'll have to rely on Taoist cultivation to learn the art of cloud-riding in the scripture hall again."

He immediately stepped forward as well.

Upon reaching the area below the Golden Smoke Immortal's abode, Fang Shu took out the Lead Essence Pearl from his hand.

This item was arguably the most valuable treasure he possessed.

Although, according to the Daoist talisman's advice, he could use his natal Gu to devour one or two of them, thereby increasing the power of his natal Gu.

However, Fang Shu had already decided to use his natal Gu only as an auxiliary tool and not for combat. Moreover, since his true qi cultivation method was already set and he had not chosen poison techniques, this item was not that important.

Although the Lead Essence Pearl is a potential magic weapon, its quality is not particularly high, and the metal poison inside has been consumed by Fang Shu. Whether it is worth ten low-grade spirit stones is still a question.

Fang Shu bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Immortal Jin Yan. May I ask if this item can be exchanged for magic?"

Sure enough, to his surprise, the Golden Smoke Immortal glanced at the pearl in his hand with his divine sense but did not say anything immediately.

Slowly, the voice of the Golden Smoke Immortal rang out: "A damaged fourth-tribulation spiritual artifact... My Golden Salt Cloud is not so cheap."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu sighed inwardly.

He then held the pearl, bowed respectfully, and prepared to leave.

The next moment, he heard a voice again:
"However, this is a bead with the poison of metal and stone. I was just thinking about whether I could add more poison to this Golden Salt Cloud. Your arrival is quite timely."

Before Fang Shu could react, the lead-refined pearl in his hand was snatched away by the other party in a flash.

Just as he was expecting the Golden Smoke Immortal to bestow a snuff bottle upon him, three handwritten booklets were suddenly flung down from mid-air by the other party.

The lazy voice of the Golden Smoke Immortal rang out:
"I will accept this bead. But I will not treat you unfairly. Although it cannot buy my Golden Fireworks and Clouds, I will give you three spells, which is enough to repay you."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu thought to himself that he was in trouble; this guy was trying to force him to buy something.

But when he looked down at his hands, he found that the three books in his hands were titled "The Art of Passing Through Walls," "The Art of Object Manipulation," and "The Art of Invisibility."

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed found to be three spells, and they were even Qi-refining spells.

(End of this chapter)