Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 168 The Tribulations of the Furnace Cauldron Tribulation are Completed
After successfully refining all the Yin-Yang Gu worms, Fang Shu diligently summarized his experience and continued refining them in the two Gu pits.

After more than a month of effort, he had both successes and failures, and in total, he refined six pairs of Yin-Yang Gu worms.

They are derived from two Gu formulas: Yin Corpse Gu and Yang Huo Gu. The former is born from a corpse and can control the dead, while the latter can arouse the victim's body to become hot and wildly dance until death. It can even be ignited by sunlight and die on the spot.

While retaining their original purpose, each pair of Gu worms can still embrace each other.

As the records in the Book of Strange Insects state, the conflicting yin and yang energies within the insect's body can easily unleash a powerful lustful fire.

Fang Shu had already tested it; all six pairs of Yin-Yang Gu worms he had refined were at the fourth level of the Tribulation Realm. However, the lustful fire they unleashed was nearly at the fifth level of the Tribulation Realm.

This gave him a glimpse of the potential to master the power of the Five Tribulations ahead of time.

He thought to himself, "If I could refine a Yin-Yang Gu that is close to the fifth tribulation level, the desire fire generated when the two energies clash would probably reach the fifth tribulation level!"

For him, it was not impossible to refine or cultivate the Yin-Yang Gu worms properly; on the contrary, it was highly likely and traceable.

However, he can no longer continue his Gu-breeding and Gu-raising practices.

The reason is simple: this year-long dedication to refining Gu, even while taking advantage of Gu pits, has still completely depleted his accumulated wealth, leaving him penniless.

Fortunately, because he often stayed in the Gu pit during the year, and the Gu worms he refined were divided into Yin and Yang, his cultivation was not delayed. He accumulated two half-toads of magic power, which was half a toad more than in previous years.

Currently, Fang Shu's true energy has reached the level of nineteen and a half toads.

Dongfuzhong.

He looked at the Yin-Yang Gu worms swirling around him, resembling black and white mists, and his heart was filled with anticipation.

With these two Gu worms, he could finally begin to make great strides and had an extra trump card in his hand.

However, after the Gu worms were completely refined, Fang Shu did not immediately begin formal seclusion to cultivate with the help of the two Gu worms.

To fully utilize these two Gu worms for cultivation is not as simple as carrying them on one's body. It requires establishing a blood connection between them and the immortals. Only in this way can the Yin and Yang energies within the Gu worms continuously nourish Fang Shu, making him more easily controlled.

Although he had crafted the Gu worm himself and was quite familiar with its various habits, and had divine silk to control it, Fang Shu still dared not use his own body to directly test it.

After all, if you get burned and end up burning yourself to death, you'll just become a laughing stock.

He needed to find other living beings, preferably Qi Refining Immortals, to conduct the experiment. Even servants were not suitable, lest he fail to uncover the full wonders of the Gu worms.

Fortunately, the Five Internal Organs Temple has its own set of methods to meet the endless demands of the immortals for testing medicines and methods.

Having spent so many years in the business, Fang Shu, though he had never actually eaten pork, had seen pigs run and knew where to find test subjects for Gu poison.

However, he is currently short of money and needs to endure a few more days to refine the Gu worms and save up some money and food.

During this time, he could also ponder whether he could have the Yin-Yang Gu worms help him cultivate without having to invite the worms into his body.

Half a month later.

It is a pity.

Even after Fang Shu had saved up a sum of money, he still couldn't figure out an indirect method of cultivating by using insects. He still had to arrange for live insects to test the insects before he could use them with peace of mind.

And so on this day.

He carried a newly refined batch of Gu worms and, while handing them over to Duobaotang, also learned from the attendant Tong Cou about the Qi Refining disciple that Duobaotang had arranged for him.

The man had already prepared a quiet room in Duobaotang and was waiting for him.

After bowing to Tong Cou, Fang Shu followed the route he remembered and, with some familiarity, arrived at the underground meditation room, where he found the meditation room that the man had opened.

He made a hand seal, and the stone door slowly opened, revealing the dim environment inside the quiet room.

Inside, a figure sat quietly on the stone bed.

With a thud, as the stone door slammed to the ground, the figure on the stone bed rose up.

The other party skillfully activated the restrictions on the meditation room, saying:
"I heard from Fellow Daoist Tong that this is your first time seeking a furnace cauldron? Don't worry, this is just a soundproofing array."

I've only booked one day this time, so please make the time as soon as possible. My price is high, but it's definitely worth it.

As they spoke, the other person removed their robes, revealing their fair skin, and walked confidently toward Fang Shu.

The man continued his smooth explanation of his services: "Young master, how would you like me to cooperate? Would you like to test my service first? Aside from pregnancy and childbirth, which is quite lengthy, I can test drugs, methods, and devices—all sorts of things. If you really want to give birth, young master, if you can afford the price, that's fine too. However, my uterine instruments have never been used before, so the price for my first child might be a bit higher..."

As they spoke, the man noticed that Fang Shu was still standing at the door, staring blankly at her, without taking a single step closer.

She couldn't help but chuckle: "Young man, is this really your first time here? Why are you so unfamiliar and shy? I won't eat you."

This person boldly stepped forward and took Fang Shu's hand, offering to teach and comfort her step by step.

The moment the two touched and their energy clashed, the other person froze, immediately sensing a familiar feeling from Fang Shu.

A regular customer? A regular customer shouldn't be so distant; they're an acquaintance!
In the dim light, she quickly looked up and carefully examined the guest in front of her. Her eyes widened for a moment, and she even impolitely released her divine sense to scan the guest.

Fang Shu, who was being led by the other person, noticed that the newcomer had realized what was happening and he hesitated before giving a greeting:
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Mai."

Indeed, the furnace that had been prepared in advance in a quiet room, waiting for him to come and test his magic, was none other than his fellow Daoist of the same age—Mai Sheng'er.

Mai Sheng'er stood naked in front of Fang Shu, truly not expecting this scene.

However, she has been doing this kind of business for a long time, and in recent years she has often imagined what it would be like if an acquaintance came to visit, and how to handle it.

Lost in thought for a moment, Mai Sheng'er's face lit up with a world-weary smile as she took the initiative to tease:

"It's Fellow Daoist Fang. Since we're acquaintances, there's no need for you to stand on ceremony."

She took Fang Shu's hand and led him to the stone bed, helping him sit down, and looked at him shyly.

Seeing that Fang Shu was still somewhat hesitant, Mai Sheng'er smiled and urged him on:

"Brother Fang, although we are acquaintances, time waits for no one. I can only give you a discount, not refuse to take your money or food."

Fang Shu exhaled inwardly.

Seeing that Mai Sheng'er was poised and confident, and even seemed to be looking at him with a sense of "being naive," he decided not to hesitate any longer and waste the time he had paid for.

You should know that after a day, every additional hour will require an extra amount of money to be spent on talismans.

All told, he only has enough for twenty-four hours, which would only amount to three days in total.

Three days is already an extremely tight timeframe for testing a new type of Gu worm.

Fang Shu cupped his hands in greeting: "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. Please lie down, fellow Daoist, so I can examine your health first."

Mai Sheng'er lay down without hesitation. But when Fang Shu's figure disappeared from her sight, and she could only sense familiar yet unfamiliar breathing in the dimly lit room, she couldn't help but tense up. Her body went numb, and a sense of dread crept up her entire body.

Fortunately, at that moment, a reassuring voice rang out:

"Fellow Daoist, please rest assured. I am here to test the Gu worms I have refined. As long as you cooperate, there will be no problem."

Seeing that Fang Shu only wanted to use her body to test his magic, Mai Sheng'er felt much less uneasy.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and even teased again, "Please do as you please, Fang Lang. Today, I am your possession, do with me as you please."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu had no other thoughts. Instead, his expression turned serious, and he pressed his divine sense down without hesitation, scrutinizing the other person's body inch by inch.

With a thought, two phantom figures, one black and one white, flew out from his sleeves and landed in front of Mai Sheng'er.

But Fang Shu did not immediately implant the Gu worm into Mai Sheng'er's body. Instead, he asked:
"My Gu worm must be connected to the recipient's blood and qi, and planted on the flesh. It can be planted on the skin of the limbs, the flesh of the five internal organs, or anywhere else. Fellow Daoist is skilled in this art. May I ask where on your body would be the most appropriate place to plant it?"

Mai Sheng'er answered without hesitation: "It is naturally the internal organ."

This choice surprised Fang Shu somewhat.

The "palace artifact," being located inside the human body and being one of the internal organs, naturally has a greater effect on stimulating the Gu worms than when implanted on the skin and flesh.

However, since this is an internal organ, once damaged, it is not as easy to repair as skin, flesh, and limbs.

Fortunately, the next moment, Mai Sheng'er took the initiative to explain her choice.

The woman said, "Don't worry, Fang Lang. I have already refined the palace artifact into a magic weapon, which is under my control and can actively cooperate with you to test the Gu."

Moreover, this vessel is peculiar; its surroundings are rich in blood and nutrients, making it ideal for sowing seeds and testing medicines. When sowing seeds, there's no need to even open a small wound; there's already a mouthful of seeds.

As she spoke, Mai Sheng'er added with a smile:
"Moreover, even if your Gu worms are planted here and something goes wrong, damaging my palace artifacts, it will not affect my cultivation in the future. At most, it will prevent me from having children."

"But if that's really the case, fellow Daoist, you'll ruin my business, have to support me for half my life, and make me pay a huge sum of money for talismans."

Fang Shu understood immediately and thought to himself, "Sure enough, any disciple in this temple with a skill has some tricks up their sleeve."

Even if they've been reduced to selling themselves into this kind of profession, they still have their own plans and won't foolishly ruin themselves.

Fang Shu didn't say anything more, nor did he express any regret for Mai Sheng'er. It should be known that many male disciples in the temple wanted to do this kind of business, but none of them possessed the necessary parts.

He readily complied with her request, easily implanting the Gu worm into Mai Sheng'er's body, rather than its surface.

The first thing they planted was the Yin Corpse Gu.

Once the Gu poison entered her body, the victim, Mai Sheng'er, felt as if her whole body had been frozen, her thoughts became sluggish, and frost was growing on her body.

This situation was beyond her expectations. Originally, she thought that a guest who was also at the fourth level of Qi Refining, no matter how many tricks or methods he had, shouldn't be that powerful.

Although Mai Sheng'er is bold in her business dealings and dares to take on any job, she still does thorough research beforehand.

As soon as the Gu worm was planted, she realized that this job was quite different from her previous ones.

The effect is quite strong!
The woman wanted to speak up, so she immediately called off the business and offered to pay for the room.

But when she thought about the fact that the person in front of her was a guest or an acquaintance, and she didn't want to lose face in front of an acquaintance, she hesitated. She also remembered that Fang Shu had lent her money before and had been quick to redeem Jin Xiaoyun, so he shouldn't be the one to harm her.

So Mai Sheng'er gritted her teeth and continued to endure it.

Just then, Fang Shu, who was standing to the side, was muttering something, as if he was talking to her, or as if he was writing something down to himself.

Mai Sheng'er felt like a fish on a chopping board, completely at everyone's mercy. But her competitive spirit also flared up, and she forced herself to focus on listening to Fang Shu's voice.

“Blood circulation is normal, true qi is slow, mind is still clear, pupils are not blurred…” Fang Shu said, also noticing that Mai Sheng’er’s consciousness had recovered somewhat.

He gave the other person a knowing look of approval.

This woman truly lives up to her reputation as a Qi Refining Immortal, skilled in this art; she can even withstand the Yin Corpse Qi of the Yin Corpse Gu.

At the same time, Fang Shu's heart stirred, and he immediately began to speak, orally recounting to the other party a secret method for soaking jujubes that he had obtained from Guling Town during his refinement period.

Although this method is of a lower level, it takes a different approach and is extraordinary. If I teach it to the other party now, they can take the initiative to control the palace artifacts and nurture the Gu worms, and they can also restrain the negative effects brought by the Yin Corpse Gu.

Mai Sheng'er heard Fang Shu's telepathic message. At first, she was confused, but after pondering it for a moment, her eyes brightened slightly. She immediately followed the instructions in the Jujube Soaking Method, circulating her true energy to suppress the Yin Corpse Gu.

Soon, a day and a night passed.

Fang Shu failed to inoculate the Gu twice.

One by one, blood clots, like pus and blood, were expelled from the abdomen of the Gu-testing furnace, vanishing into nothingness.

But he was not disappointed and immediately added another twelve hours to extend the usage time of the furnace.

In another half day, he had memorized the entire process of planting the Yin Corpse Gu, and was able to extract the Gu worms while they were still alive, achieving great success.

He then switched to Yanghuo Gu and planted it into the furnace again.

Once the Gu enters the body, the Gu-testing furnace turns red, as if it's about to be overheated. Fortunately, with the combined effect of the two, the furnace remains unharmed.

This situation made Fang Shu even more grateful that he hadn't been so reckless as to test the Gu on himself. Otherwise, with his yang energy running rampant and having nowhere to dissipate, he might have made a terrible mistake.

Two more days passed.

With the successful trial cultivation of the Yanghuo Gu, Fang Shu gained a thorough understanding of the various wondrous uses and taboos of the Yin and Yang Gu, enabling him to use them for cultivation.

When it came time to pay, Mai Sheng'er, out of consideration for their acquaintance, gave him a discount, charging him only 10,000 talismans, which was equivalent to giving him half a day for free.

After the money and goods were exchanged, the other party asked Fang Shu to patronize her business in the future, and then left gracefully, leaving behind only the lingering fragrance in the room.

As Fang Shu watched the other person's departing figure, he suddenly thought of his own senior sister, Fang Lu.

The two were in similar situations, but it was unknown whether Mai Sheng'er would ever be able to return to shore... Fang Shu didn't dwell on it too much, and quickly packed his things to return to his cave.

Upon returning to his cave, he began his vigorous and diligent secluded cultivation.

With the help of the Yin-Yang Gu worms, the two worms burrowed directly under his skin and traveled throughout his body with his blood, greatly increasing his cultivation speed.

Even the Yin-Yang True Qi within his body was tempered to some extent because it was being consumed by the Yin-Yang Gu worms.

True Qi nourishes Gu, and Gu grinds down True Qi; the two subtly form a symbiotic relationship.

Thus, in just three years, Fang Shu cultivated more than ten toads' worth of magical power.

At this point, he had completed his four tribulations and still had more than half a year left to fill in any gaps and solidify his foundation.

(End of this chapter)