Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 169 Adding Bricks and Tiles to Compete for Inner Connections

Outside the valley of the Five Internal Organs Temple and Gu Hall.

Fang Shu walked through the mountain valley and soon found a hilltop.

As the sunlight began to dart in, a thought struck him, and two wisps of energy rose up in his hands, one black and one white, and took shape in his palms, forming a yin-yang fish the size of a quail egg.

Upon closer inspection, two extremely tiny insects can be seen in the eyes of this yin-yang fish.

Fang Shu held the object in his hand, looked at a desolate mountain peak, and mentally shouted, "Go!"

A surge of magical power rose from his body, and he immediately used the Flying Soldier Manipulation Technique on the Yin-Yang Gu Worm he was holding, causing it to fly out and rush a hundred feet away.

It landed precisely on a rock about the size of a human head. Immediately afterward, a gray aura mixed with traces of blood rose from the rock, swirling like flames.

The stone itself was completely corroded by the gray mist in the blink of an eye, and even the bedrock on which it sat was left with a huge pit.

Seeing such power, Fang Shu was delighted. He quickly stepped forward, and when he got close to the gray aura, a sense of dread immediately arose in his mind.

Their bodies reacted involuntarily, their blood vessels surged, and their minds became filled with distracting thoughts.

Fortunately, the next moment, Fang Shu summoned the two Gu worms from the corroded stone pit and ordered them to scatter.

The gray aura dissipated, transforming back into black and white energy, but its concentration was significantly reduced compared to before.

Fang Shu thought to himself, "Fortunately, they're not dead yet. If I refine them again, I might be able to refine them back to their original state." Then, with a flick of his wrist, he put the two insects into his sleeve and began to nourish them slowly with his true energy.

After collecting the Gu worms, he scanned the pits left by the Yin-Yang Gu worms with his divine sense and a satisfied look appeared on his face.

Just now, he was testing the power of the Yin-Yang Gu worms he was refining in the laboratory. As expected, once the two worms were nurtured to the level of the quasi-fifth tribulation, they merged into one. The conflict between the Yin and Yang energies directly unleashed the power of the fifth tribulation level!
In particular, the lust it ignites has the greatest impact on the souls of living beings.

Just now, Fang Shu had already been holding back, not wanting to completely damage the Gu worms, nor wanting to embarrass himself too much.

Otherwise, with the two insects dying, their lust would be completely ignited, and even he, as their master, might be consumed by lust on the spot, burning himself and making a fool of himself.

After testing the Gu worms, Fang Shu pondered for a moment, then took action to erase the traces of the Gu worms on the mountaintop, so that outsiders would not discover anything when passing by.

This insect can be considered one of his trump cards. It can be used separately or together. It is also the only feasible fifth-level technique he currently has. He still needs to keep it hidden.

Fang Shu then glanced at the sky, made a hand seal, and instantly, as if the wind was blowing, he slid along the ridge, heading straight for the mountain where the scripture hall was located.

Before long, he appeared on the hilltop where he was preaching.

The hilltop was unusually crowded today. More than half an hour before the sermon was scheduled to begin, the area within thirty feet was already full, but fortunately Lu Renjia and others had already secured a spot.

Fang Shu walked over, bowed in greeting, and then blended into the crowd.

Nardaiyuan and Maisheng'er both secretly glanced at Fang Shu, their expressions inscrutable, but they didn't reveal anything on their faces.

After Fang Shu sat down, Lu Renjia immediately pulled Fang Shu aside:

"Fellow Daoist Fang, you've finally arrived! Today is the last time we disciples of the same year will hear the Dao and receive the teachings. Once the lectures are over, we won't be able to relax like this anymore."

Although he said this, Lu Renjia's face was full of excitement and anticipation.

This is because nine years have passed, and all the Qi Refining Immortals who entered the sect eight or nine years ago are now eligible to compete for inner disciple status. Once they pass the temple's selection process, they will obtain the status of an inner disciple, becoming completely different from outer disciples.

It can be said that although outer disciples in the temple are not servants, they are in a similar position to cattle and horses. Every year they have to do tasks, such as patrolling the mountain, raising wild animals, or going down the mountain to do errands. Each task takes at least three months, and it is common for them to work for half a year or more.

In addition, there will be some miscellaneous or rather dangerous tasks within the temple, which will be posted to outer disciples for them to choose from. If no one chooses, the task will be forcibly assigned.

The mere fact that they were assigned "temple duties" was enough to create a difference in status between inner and outer disciples. Not to mention that inner disciples did not have to be bogged down in menial tasks or be forcibly assigned duties, and they received a monthly stipend.

The salary includes both spiritual stones and Taoist merits, and there are discounts when one consults with immortals and exchanges for various magical arts in the temple.

All of this clearly shows that in the eyes of the Five Internal Organs Temple, inner disciples are the true talents of immortals, worthy of the sect's conscious cultivation.

Even if such training is considered insignificant by some immortal clans, obtaining the status of an inner disciple at least ensures that cultivation will not be hindered. Therefore, regardless of wealth or poverty, everyone will compete for it!
Fang Shu and Lu Renjia whispered to each other. He glanced at the others and noticed that while they also envied the inner disciples, they were clearly not as enthusiastic as the two of them. Soon, four or five days passed in a flash.

Finally, the Foundation Establishment Immortal who was giving the sermon looked at the restless crowd with amusement, shook his head a few times, and left without lingering.

Immediately afterwards, some outer disciples who had not yet reached the required age also came down the mountain.

Fang Shu and the others waited for several more hours before a Foundation Establishment Immortal finally emerged from the scripture hall.

The other person was dressed in a purple robe, with a face as red as a jujube, a broad face and a wide mouth. He held a scroll in his hand and looked at everyone with his hands behind his back.

The person who came shouted:

"All sermons for this year have been completed. Those who have been disciples for nine years should report to the temple within half a month and await orders."

Those with innate spiritual roots or who have mastered the nine disciplines of immortal arts, regardless of their skill in alchemy, array formations, talismans, artifacts, corpse-devouring beasts, or other skills, can pass the Hall of Recruitment's review and participate in this year's competition for inner disciples.

Upon hearing this, the disciples who remained in the room either looked expectant or dejected.

Fang Shu's eyes revealed a knowing look.

It seems the rumors are true; there are indeed requirements to participate in the competition for inner disciples, and these requirements are not based on the level of physical strength, but rather on aptitude.

One must either possess innate spiritual roots or master one of the nine immortal arts; otherwise, no matter how hard-working and powerful one is, one cannot cross the threshold of competition.

Only by overcoming these obstacles can one employ various means to compete.

Among Fang Shu's close friends, apart from himself and Lu Renjia, the other three, Er Daiyuan, Mai Sheng'er, and Bao Fengtao, were only rudimentary in the nine disciplines of immortal studies and had not yet developed any skills. They were not born with spiritual roots either, so they did not even have the qualifications to compete, which is why their reactions were not as strong as Lu Renjia's.

The scene was quiet as the disciples calmed their nerves and waited for the Foundation Establishment Immortal to announce the selection criteria for this year.

The selection criteria for inner disciples vary from year to year and are adjusted according to the temple's needs.

The purple-robed immortal sized up the crowd and said:

"According to the laws of the Three Capitals, nine inner disciples will be recruited this year, with a selection period of one year. Within one year, those who accumulate merit and virtue for the temple and whose Taoist merit ranks among the top nine will be granted the status of inner disciples."

These words caused the disciples, who had been trying to calm themselves, to become restless.

"Sure enough, it's the same old routine again this year."

Some people breathed a sigh of relief, while others sounded hesitant:
"If we rank them by the amount of Taoist cultivation they possess, wouldn't the disciples of wealthy families and those with extraordinary backgrounds have a huge advantage?!"

Beside Fang Shu, Lu Renjia, who had been expectant, immediately sighed:

"Sigh! Why don't we compete in skill or have a real fight? What should we do?"

Upon hearing this, Erdaiyuan, who was standing nearby, chuckled and replied:
"Skills or magic tricks not only fail to contribute to the temple, but also require the immortals to take time out of their busy schedules to evaluate them."

Judging by Taoist cultivation would be much simpler, and it would also encourage those vying for inner discipleship to contribute more to the temple… Perhaps then, everyone would be more convinced of the fairness of the assessment.”

As she spoke, her gaze did not fall on Lu Renjia, but rather swept lightly across Fang Shu's face, as if she were explaining things specifically for Fang Shu.

Fang Shu's face immediately showed a look of understanding.

Judging by Taoist merit, the temple is not only convenient and hassle-free, but it also allows one to manipulate the crowd. It's quite a clever scheme.

Amidst the discussion, the Foundation Establishment Immortal drifted away, and most of the outer disciples on the mountaintop scattered like birds and beasts.

However, there were others who, with flickering eyes, carefully observed the people around them, some with apprehension, others with enthusiasm.

For example, Erdaiyuan and Maishenger beside Fang Shu.

(End of this chapter)