Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 165 Fundamental Methods: Heavenly Dipper Method and Earthly Fiend Technique (4.4 thousand words)
time flies.

Several months passed quickly.

During this time, Fang Shu spent his days cultivating Qi, refining Gu, reading books, practicing magic, and listening to Daoist teachings, making each month extremely fulfilling.

With the addition of three full floors of books in the Er family library, he suddenly felt a sense of purpose, and many of his ideas were gradually being perfected.

It is precisely because of these ideas that, although he has collected many spells from the Er family, he has not formally practiced any of them. He often only scratches the surface, analyzing one spell a little bit here and there, as if he is wasting his energy.

In reality, however, he focused his energy on the integration of the entire system of magic within the nine disciplines of immortal arts, suppressing the urge to practice magic in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current magic in the shortest possible time.

It should be noted that although he possesses Dao talismans, even if the talismans are updated repeatedly and grow with his cultivation level, their analytical capabilities are still limited.

Nowadays, without the blessing of dragon energy, it takes at least two months to fully master a formal-level Qi refining spell, usually three months. Without the reference of previous cultivators' notes, it can take more than three months, or even half a year or a year.

Compared to when Fang Shu was refining his essence, this situation was much slower, and it seemed that the analytical ability of the Dao talisman had decreased rather than increased.

But that's not actually the case, because the cultivation methods of Qi Refining Immortals are inherently different from those of Essence Refining Immortals.

For spells below the Qi Refining level, an ordinary person can master one in two or three years, while for spells at the Qi Refining level, an ordinary person often needs ten years to master one.

Therefore, even if a Qi Refining Immortal lives for 180 years, by old age they usually only have three spells as their trump cards: one they mastered during the fourth tribulation, one during the fifth tribulation, and one during the sixth tribulation. The rest are supplemented by various talismans and other items. Even those who are skilled in extensive learning and have photographic memory, mastering nine spells is already extremely remarkable.

The same applies to Fang Shu.

Although the Daoist talismans in his mind can automatically analyze spells during cultivation, each spell takes three months to a year to learn, and the more powerful the spell, the more time it takes. For him, it is still a considerable investment.

Therefore, although there are many spells in the Er family's library, he still has to carefully select them, especially given the current time constraints and the fact that he has vaguely discovered some kind of pattern among the various spells...

This day.

It was another sermon in the prayer hall.

And a familiar face appeared before Fang Shu and the others. The man was short in stature, dressed in a yellow robe with the Bagua symbol, and spoke of the External Alchemy Yellow and White Sect of the Nine Sects. He kept talking about the timing of fire and the cauldron, and while he was lecturing, he liked to rise up and down on the clouds.

That person was none other than the Golden Smoke Immortal who had sold Golden Salt Cloud.

Unlike last time, the other party is not the last Foundation Establishment instructor this month, but just one of the top eight, so there is not much time for him to sell his own magic.

However, his attitude was acceptable. The content he explained was a mix of straightforward and obscure, and he didn't ramble on or ramble on. He made sure that all the disciples present could understand what he was talking about.

Fang Shu sat in the crowd, looking at the man and pondering his style of doing things, with thoughts swirling in his mind.

After Jin Yanxian had been preaching for most of the day, the other party cleared his throat:

"If you have any questions, please report them quickly. I will answer them for you. Time is short, and we will stop when the first rays of dawn appear on the horizon."

"May I ask, Immortal Master, can we, the cultivators of Qi Refining, truly wield true fire without being burned to ashes?"

"Immortal Master, if there is no alchemy furnace, can one use oneself as the furnace? I have heard of a method that uses one's own body as a furnace. If one cannot do it oneself, how about others, or even demonic beasts?"

Many Qi Refining disciples immediately raised their hands, and after being called upon by the Golden Smoke Immortal, they all stood up to ask questions.

When someone asks a question that is too simple or ridiculous, Jin Yanxian will mutter, "Your question is too simple; answering it would be beneath my dignity."

Then, with a casual little spell, he shut the disciple's mouth, turning him into a faceless person.

Fortunately, the effects of this spell are only temporary, lasting at most three months. With the abilities of a Qi Refining Immortal, one cannot starve to death; at most, one can drink water through the nose for these three months.

In this way, once most of the questions have been asked in a class, the number of people asking questions gradually decreases.

Just as Jin Yanxian was looking pleased, thinking he could get off work early again, a figure suddenly raised his hand. After being looked at, the person stood up from the crowd.

This person was Fang Shu. After much deliberation, he decided to consult the Foundation Establishment Immortal in the temple about his biggest question recently.

"I have long heard that Immortal Jinyan is learned and knowledgeable, especially skilled in ancient arts and books, and has a wide range of knowledge in Yin and Yang, Five Elements and other miscellaneous categories. By chance, I read the notes of the ancients and learned some things about magic. I would like to ask if this is true."

Fang Shu bowed deeply, his voice sincere: "I hope Immortal Jin Yan will grant my request."

Jin Yanxian looked pleased, but kept a straight face and said indifferently, "Although this is not a question related to the lesson, I like you, so please ask."

Fang Shu's face lit up with delight, and he immediately spoke up:
"I have heard that there are many wonderful methods and countless secret texts in the world, with thousands of supernatural powers and myriad spells, and even more. However, I have also seen a biographies of earth immortals that mention the existence of a term called 'fundamental spell'."

Its main idea is that although there are countless forms of wonderful methods and billions of variations in secret texts, when you trace back to the source, the core magic is only a few.

The rest of the various supernatural powers and spells are either extensions of the fundamental spells developed by different schools, or variations that have been transformed and renamed; even those supreme and unfathomable techniques that awe the world are, in essence, mostly derived from the layering and exquisite fusion of the fundamental spells.

Fang Shu cupped his hands again: "May I ask, Immortal Master, is this truly so?"

These words immediately brightened the eyes of everyone around, and many disciples found them refreshing. They had never heard such a statement from a Foundation Establishment Immortal before, even after listening to the teachings for a year or several years.

Even the Golden Smoke Immortal was tugging at his yellow beard, staring at Fang Shu with a surprised look.

The man did not answer immediately, but instead asked, "Does your disciple have a master? Hmm, I mean, did you take a master in the temple?"

The outer disciples, who were initially only slightly surprised, were all moved and turned to look at Fang Shu with varying expressions.

Especially those around Fang Shu, such as Er Daiyuan and Lu Renjia, stared wide-eyed at Fang Shu as he stood up.

Although I knew you were exceptionally perceptive and even held back your talents, I never expected you to garner such favor from the venerable master.

Under the gaze of everyone, Fang Shu simply cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, this disciple is merely a pseudo-spiritual root, but I was fortunate enough to be accepted as a nominal disciple by the Dragon Maiden of the Gu Hall."

Upon hearing this, many people withdrew their gazes, no longer openly scrutinizing each other, but instead giving veiled or mocking looks.

Jin Yanxian muttered to herself, "It's already been taken, and by that woman Long Gu no one. Oh well, it's just a pseudo-spiritual root, not worth it."

A divine sense that had landed on Fang Shu at some unknown time also quietly retreated.

Fang Shuxin felt a surge of relief. He hadn't expected that his pseudo-spiritual root aptitude would actually protect him and reduce the risk of him being targeted.

Jin Yanxian withdrew her divine sense, and after pacing on the clouds for a moment, she said:
"The term 'fundamental magic' is indeed true, but it comes from an earlier period. Today, we often refer to it as 'basic magic.' The reason for this difference lies in the different understandings of this type of magic between people of different eras." The man then briefly analyzed the difference between the two terms.

The term "fundamental magic" originally refers to the principle of "Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things." It is believed that the magic in the world is limited, at most ten thousand kinds. So-called magic is all evolved from wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, just as the secret text is the principle of the Great Tao of Heaven and Earth.

The word "fundamental" refers to something that is close to the Dao and cannot be divided further.

Some predecessors believed that the fundamental magic refers to controlling wind, fire, thunder, electricity, and so on, and manipulating all things in heaven and earth.

Some predecessors even pondered that there are too many kinds of magic, but there are only 108 fundamental magics in the world, which are in accordance with the arts of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends. Each one is also listed in the categories of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, in order of mutual order, forming a table, which can be called the "fundamental magic table".

Jin Yanxian opened her mouth and chuckled:
"There really was someone who put together a so-called fundamental law chart, which is the 72 Earthly Fiends Techniques and the 36 Heavenly Gang Techniques that circulate in the mortal world. The former includes things like communicating with the underworld, driving away spirits, carrying mountains, prohibiting water, borrowing wind, spreading fog, and praying for clear skies. The latter includes things like manipulating creation, reversing yin and yang, shifting stars and changing constellations, and turning back the sun. I'm sure you've all heard of them."

Upon hearing this, all the disciples present nodded in agreement.

Some people couldn't help but whisper among themselves: "So the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends Method also has a name called the Fundamental Method Table. No wonder even children in the mortal world have heard of it."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu's gaze sharpened, fixed intently on Jin Yanxian.

In fact, the "biography of the earth immortal" he just mentioned was pure fabrication. He only saw the term "fundamental magic" in a few words in the book and casually picked it up to give his discovery a pretext, so as not to attract too much attention.

The rest of the questions were summaries he drew from numerous books. Therefore, Fang Shu had not yet combined the Heavenly Gang Method, Earthly Fiend Technique, and the so-called fundamental magic to mutually verify them.

It should be understood that the wonders of the talismans, though miraculous, are limited by various limitations of knowledge, especially when there is no way to verify them, and thus cannot be matched by human effort.

Fang Shu immediately bowed deeply to the Golden Smoke Immortal.

The other person's words pointed him in the right direction.

However, after explaining the "fundamental magic," Jin Yanxian was not finished. She continued:
"It is obvious that these 108 kinds of magic of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends are actually completely contrary to the so-called principle of the Tao giving birth to one and one giving birth to two. They do not directly address the root cause, but they are not far-fetched."

After a pause, the person continued:

"Therefore, after the establishment of the nine disciplines of immortal studies, later generations, based on the 108 techniques of their predecessors and according to the relationship between the nine disciplines, developed their own 108 techniques. They believed that magic is something that blossoms and bears fruit, and that trying to understand its principles is just asking for trouble. Even if one were to investigate, one should start with the secret texts, as the secret texts are the root."

The name 'Fundamental Spell' thus became 'Basic Spell'.

Those spells that have stood the test of time, whether indivisible, conventionally established, or possessing profound and proper uses, and which surpass other spells, are named 'basic spells'. The number of basic spells may occasionally vary, and differs among the nine branches of magic, but generally comprises around a hundred, with similar effects.

At this point, Jin Yanxian stopped speaking abruptly, paused for a moment, and then summarized:

"The so-called Great Dao, Secret Texts, and Magical Techniques are the three that are passed down in sequence, and the three are actually one."

After saying these words, Jin Yanxian closed her eyes slightly and stood leisurely with her hands behind her back on the cloud.

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu felt a sudden enlightenment and a surge of joy welled up within him.

Sure enough, his extensive reading and extensive research over the past few days, without practicing a single technique, was not a waste of time. Rather, it was because there were indeed connections between the various spells, and they contained a deeper, more profound essence.

"Thank you, Immortal Master Jinyan." Fang Shu bowed deeply.

Jin Yanxian glanced at him and noticed that the man's expression was even more reserved and his demeanor composed.

But the next moment, the murmurs of other disciples rose from the surroundings:
"How come we've never heard of such a crucial element of magic before?"

"That's right, that's right. Since there are these so-called fundamental laws and basic laws in magic, why don't we just cultivate these? Why bother cultivating anything else?"

Others scratched their heads, jumped up and down, and kept raising their hands: "Immortal Master, Immortal Master, you haven't said yet whether the supreme magic of the world is really made up of basic spells?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Yanxian's face immediately fell. He looked at the restless disciples as if they were dead fish, muttering to himself:
"No matter how stupid or lacking in self-awareness a person is, they shouldn't... Never mind!"

With a sudden flick of his sleeve, golden clouds of mist surged forth from beneath his feet, lifting him into the air and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The disciples on the mountaintop watched as Jin Yanxian departed into the distance, and they were all filled with disappointment, knowing that she probably thought they were too stupid to teach them anymore.

However, amidst their disappointment, some outer disciples breathed a sigh of relief and were secretly delighted, at least they had only angered the Immortal Master and sent him away. Otherwise, those of them who couldn't hold back would probably have been silenced for a month or two by the Immortal Master's spell.

However, although the immortal had left, Fang Shu had not. Although he had returned to his seat in the crowd and tried to keep a low profile, people would still turn to look at him from time to time, with different expressions on their faces.

Although it was just a question, he was not only the disciple of a hall master, but also highly regarded by the Golden Smoke Immortal Clan, and he even managed to ask something that no one else knew. He really made a small splash.

This was exactly what Fang Shu had expected. He had already decided that for the next few years, he would keep to himself, listen attentively to the sermons, and refrain from seeking the limelight to avoid attracting more attention.

An hour passed after Jin Yanxian left.

Another Foundation Establishment Immortal has arrived, and he will be opening an altar to preach the Five Elements Thunder Magic.

To the astonishment of this immortal, this subject, which was clearly the most popular among the nine subjects, was surprisingly less popular this time.

Some disciples were even distracted, their lips moving slightly as if they were whispering to each other in secret.

Seeing this, the Foundation Establishment Immortal was neither angry nor too concerned.

Although the temple has a strict hierarchy, it is an exception when preaching. Even the most ferocious Foundation Establishment Immortals have long since had their tempers tempered, and there are also rules in the temple that one should use words, not fists, when preaching.

After all, if they couldn't see this clearly, regardless of what would become of these disciples, these Foundation Establishment Immortals who were preaching would probably have been driven to their deaths by anger or resentment long ago.

Fang Shu took his seat among the crowd, composed himself, looked up at the immortal master of the Thunder Magic Department, and listened attentively to the teachings once again.

After the sermon concluded, the immortal master departed gracefully. Meanwhile, Fang Shu, having tutored a few friends, once again received one or two spirit stones.

As he was about to descend the mountain, someone called out to him again: "Young Master Fang, please wait a moment."

Fang Shu was delighted, thinking that Er Daiyuan wanted to play with him, but when he turned around, he saw that there was only one person behind him.

It was Mai Sheng'er, smiling seductively at him.

(End of this chapter)