Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 51 Do Not Approach Unfamiliar Characters: The Innate Gu Technique (4.2 thousand words)
The disciples who had been circling around Qin Min suddenly split up and gathered around Li Hou'er, asking him all sorts of questions.

"Brother Li Hou, do you have any clue as to why Master and Senior Sister Fang invited Brother Fang Shu in?"

"Since entering the academy, Brother Fang Shu has been in seclusion cultivating. Could it be that he has also survived the second tribulation?"

Faced with the enthusiasm of the people around him, Li Hou'er was momentarily flustered and unable to cope.

And aside.

Qu Yan and Fu Shi'er turned their gazes away from the direction where Fang Shu had disappeared, and then looked at Li Hou'er, who was being enthusiastically talked to by several disciples. They looked at each other in bewilderment.

The man and woman both looked somewhat uneasy, especially since they vaguely felt that the eyes of the people around them were constantly sweeping over them, making them both feel a little embarrassed.

"Hmph." Qu Yan said in a low voice, as if to comfort or explain to the people around him, "It's just being called in for questioning. It doesn't necessarily mean that you will have a bright future."

Fu Shi'er's eyes brightened slightly, and she stared intently at the council hall, as if she had some other idea.

However, considering that Qin Min was still present, she smiled and said:
"Even if Brother Fang Shu is promising, he was only the second one to be called in. The future of our dojo still rests on Junior Sister Qin Min."

The other disciples around also spoke in voices with varying meanings:

"That's right, that's right. Junior Sister Qin Min is a person with spiritual roots. How can that peasant surnamed Fang be compared to her?"

"Look how smug that kid is. Even his lackeys seem to be trembling with pride."

However, their faces clearly showed envy and frustration.

These people were all muttering to themselves, if they had known earlier that Fang Shu was a cunning fellow, they would have already clung to him, how could they have let Li Hou'er beat them to it?

The group kept talking and moving around, eventually crowding around Qin Min again.

Amidst the commotion, Qu Yan, Fu Shi'er, and the others were genuinely curious as to why the Pavilion Master and Senior Sister Fang had called Fang Shu in. So they began to question Qin Min, either directly or indirectly.

"Junior Sister Qin, why was that person surnamed Fang called over by Senior Sister Fang after you?"

Surrounded by so many people, Qin Min looked impatient and had no intention of paying any attention to them.

But remembering that he had said he would hold a celebration banquet for her and prepare precious medicine, she suppressed her impatience and said lightly:
"If Senior Brother Fang can catch Senior Sister Fang's eye, he must be just like me, and there is a high possibility that he will join the Immortal Sect."

The disciples outside the hall heard this, and their thoughts became even more complicated; their voices grew even more somber.

Fu Shi'er and Li Hou'er, who were standing to the side, had their eyes shining.

In an instant, a feeling of jealousy ignited in the heart of the inner court disciple named Qu Yan.

However, the man didn't show it; he just smiled fakely and spoke:
"I see. There is another talent in the hall."

Junior sister, may I ask what Fang Shu's specific strengths are?

When Qin Min was questioned by Qu Yan, she heard him call her "Junior Sister" without adding her surname, which immediately displeased her and made her frown slightly.

However, there were many disciples around, so Qin Min didn't correct the other person, but simply said two words indifferently:

"Refining Gu."

Upon hearing this, the disciples outside the hall immediately understood, and they were reminded of the rumors about achieving perfect enlightenment through the Scorpion Basin.

"Could it be that successfully completing the so-called Scorpion Pit Ritual can really increase one's talent for Gu refining?"

"Huh! Isn't the 'Scorpion Basin Tribulation' a method only peasants would choose to enter the Dao? Has this guy surnamed Fang turned misfortune into blessing?"

Qu Yan's jealousy surged even more intensely.

Sensing the displeasure in Qin Min's reply, he mistakenly assumed she was unhappy with the other party, and thus puffed out his chest and retorted:
"Why do you have such arrogance towards outsiders in front of our junior sister! She is the jewel of our Dugu Sect!"

The disciples who were discussing this heard this and responded with repeated nods and hums.

But to their surprise, Qin Min's brows furrowed even more.

She immediately rebuked him:
"Brother Fang and I are both disciples of the academy; how can there be a distinction between outsiders and insiders?"

Senior Brother Qu Yan, please watch your words!

These words made the old disciple Qu Yan's face stiffen, wondering why Qin Min wanted to seize on his words.

What made him even more embarrassed was Qin Min's instructions:
"Please add 'Qin Min' when you call me in the future, Senior Brother Qu Yan."

She paused, not giving Qu Yan any room to make things up after he left, and explained clearly:
"Using the term 'Junior Sister' is too intimate, and I'm afraid Senior Brother Fang and the others might misunderstand."

As soon as these words were spoken, more than ten pairs of eyes immediately fell on Qu Yan's face.

Even with Qu Yan's long-standing cultivation, he couldn't control his blood and qi for a moment, his face turning bright red instantly, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

The scene was quiet.

Qu Yan held his breath, stunned for several breaths as if suffocating.

When the whispers of others arose around him, he suddenly snapped out of his daze, then feigned nonchalance, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and forced a laugh:

“Junior Sister Qin is right. Senior Brother… I was presumptuous.”

At this point, however, few people were paying attention to him anymore. People were talking about Fang Shu or Qin Min, making his voice seem small and insignificant.

..............................

Fang Shu entered the hall.

Before he could even speak, the chilling sensation of the knife scraping against him returned, and lasted even longer.

Looking up, he saw the female Taoist priest surnamed Fang, who was smilingly sizing him up.
"This humble Taoist priest, Fang Lu, greets Junior Brother Fang."

Fang Shu quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Greetings, Senior Sister Fang."

At that moment, the owner of the private club also spoke from the side:
"Alright, Fang Lu, stop being so polite to this kid. The more polite you are, the more confused he'll become."

What do you think of my disciple?

Senior Sister Fang Lu nodded: "He is physically robust, has rich Gu blood, and has also cultivated another secret skill. He is indeed a talented individual. Master Du's luck this year is truly remarkable."

As she spoke, she sighed softly, "It's a pity that she only has ordinary roots and bones. Otherwise, if she had spiritual roots, even if she was just like that girl from before, she would only be of inferior quality."

I can take him into the mountains right now. Even if the mountain gates refuse to accept him, I can simply raise him by my side for now, so he doesn't die young.

Upon hearing this, the owner of the pavilion shook his head and chuckled: "Those with spiritual roots are rare. To have this level of comprehension and resilience is already a blessing for this child. It allows his destiny to surpass that of ordinary people. How can we ask for more?"

Fang Shu listened from below the hall, his heart pounding.

"Inferior spiritual root? Directly enter the mountain?"

Unfortunately, he had no spiritual root, only a mortal body. In an instant, Fang Shu felt a strange mix of emotions. To say that he was not regretful or annoyed would be pure self-deception.

Furthermore, pondering Senior Sister Fang Lu's words, he realized, "So Qin Min only has a low-grade spiritual root?"

It is merely a matter of inferior spiritual roots. It would take two years for ordinary people to enter the Dao, but this person can enter the Dao in just two months. The difference in efficiency between the two is more than tenfold!
Fang Shu especially remembered that when they tested their physical constitution together, Qin Min's physical constitution was worse than his, and she was directly classified as inferior.

Under these circumstances, Qin Min needed to recuperate her physical body while cultivating, and her cultivation state was clearly not optimal.

If Qin Min had been properly cared for since childhood and had a healthy body, her cultivation speed would definitely have increased even more!
"I wonder how fast those with medium or high spiritual roots can cultivate?"

Fang Shu's mind was in turmoil.

The answer didn't require him to guess; the owner of the pavilion and Senior Sister Fang Lu revealed it during their conversation:

“Cultivating in this town at the foot of the mountain instead of going up the mountain is indeed a waste of time. The mere step of refining essence takes one or two years, which is far too much of a waste compared to those true immortal disciples.”

"Who says otherwise? The immortal clan has a saying about 'foundation building in a hundred days'."

Senior Sister Fang Lu sighed softly:

"Back then, I thought this statement was utterly absurd. I believed that no one in the world could achieve the foundation in just one hundred days. Even the sages of that time would find it difficult."

She sighed repeatedly:
"After Fang entered the Immortal Sect, he realized that this foundation was not the Dao Foundation, but rather the Foundation for Refining Essence and Body."

Those immortal disciples only need a hundred days to successively pass the first three tribulations, break through the cultivation barriers, and become spirit immortals. Compared to us, they are as different as clouds and mud.

The owner of the private club comforted her:

"For a member of an immortal family to be considered an immortal family, there must be at least one elder in the family who is a Foundation Establishment Immortal, resides in a spiritual vein, and has spiritual herbs. Only then can they be considered an immortal family and can practice the 'Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment' method."

We need not belittle ourselves; let us steadily move forward. One day, Fang Lu, when you too have established your Dao foundation and become an Earth Immortal, you can then allow your descendants to experience the "Hundred Days of Refining Essence."

Upon hearing this, Fang Lu couldn't help but chuckle.

She murmured the word "foundation building" a few times, then said nothing more, instead turning her gaze to Fang Shu below the hall.

The woman took out a thin booklet from her sleeve, smiled at Fang Shu, and handed it to him.

Fang Shu stared at the booklet floating in front of him, his eyes flickering as he glanced at the owner of the Duguan Pavilion beside him.

The owner of the private club nodded slightly.

Although Fang Shu didn't yet know what kind of miraculous skills or techniques were contained in the book, it didn't stop him from immediately holding the book and exclaiming with joy and sincerity:
"Thank you so much, Senior Sister Fang, for bestowing this teaching!"

After receiving the booklet, Senior Sister Fang Lu stood up and bowed to the owner of the Du Pavilion.
"The items have been delivered, but Mr. Fang does have other matters to attend to when he leaves the mountain."

My dear teacher, farewell.

The owner of the inn quickly stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I'll see you out of town right away."

"No need to send it, it's just a small favor."

Senior Sister Fang Lu smiled and waved her hand. Before the Pavilion Master could take even half a step, her body floated away and disappeared from the spot.

Fang Shu stood in the hall, and in the blink of an eye, he could no longer see the other person.

But suddenly, he felt as if someone was standing behind him, speaking clearly as if close to his ear:
"Junior Brother Fang, cultivate your Gu techniques diligently. In my opinion, your path to immortality is even greater than that little girl's."

Immediately afterwards, a clear, melodious laugh rang out, and the scent of fresh grass wafted up from behind Fang Shu's face, making him feel as if he were in a meadow in the woods.

"Junior brother, see you at the Five Internal Organs Temple."

Fang Shu turned his head and saw a woman in pale yellow sitting sideways on a white deer that shimmered with spiritual light.

Senior Sister Fang Lu smiled and gave him a graceful bow.

Immediately, the female Taoist stroked the white deer she was sitting on, and the deer leaped up, carrying her in the air. Its hooves could even touch the air, allowing it to jump again in mid-air, which was quite miraculous.

The man and the deer were incredibly agile, leaping and disappearing from the council hall in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace of their presence, only a stunning afterimage in Fang Shu's eyes.

"This is what it means to be a Qi Refiner, a Spirit Immortal," he thought to himself, yearning for it.

"And what about the Five Internal Organs Temple? Is this the name of the immortal sect that Fang Lu, one of the Five Sects of Mount Lu, joined?"

Fang Shu only indulged in reverie for a moment or two before immediately refocusing his attention. Holding the book bestowed upon him by Senior Sister Fang Lu, he bowed once more to the Pavilion Master.
"Thank you, Master."

The owner of the guesthouse stood calmly in front of the table, still gazing in the direction Fang Lu had left, as if she were recalling something.

Upon hearing Fang Shu's voice, the old woman narrowed her eyes, nodded in satisfaction, and instructed:
"Why thank me? Just remember the favor your senior sister Fang did for you."

The owner of the booklet pointed to the booklet in Fang Shu's hand:
"Although this booklet is all written in common characters and contains no secret texts, it cannot be considered a cultivation technique or magic spell."

But these are some key points of Gu techniques that Fang Lu specially copied from your stomach for you. I'm quite old now, and there are some things I haven't used for years, so I'm afraid I've forgotten them, and even more afraid that there might be errors that could mislead others.

Furthermore, and most importantly, this booklet contains descriptions of the natal Gu (a type of magical insect), as well as a brief explanation of the methods of its preparation.

"A natal Gu?" Fang Shu's eyes lit up.

The owner of the independent building nodded:
"That's right, it is indeed your natal Gu. Although this Gu can mostly be truly refined after Qi Refining, you can still make some preparations for it during the Essence Refining stage, and even try it out once or twice."

Generally speaking, the natal Gu is often the first Qi-refining Gu worm a Gu master refines. Once successfully refined, it signifies that the cultivator has fully entered the Gu path and become a Gu master. Those with exceptionally outstanding talent are an exception.

The old woman said in a deep voice, "The sooner you refine this Gu, the better. Therefore, you should have some knowledge of it during your Qi Refining period. But there's no rush. You can refine your natal Gu together when you break through to Qi Refining the next day."

Fang Shu understood immediately. Holding the book, he said, "This disciple understands."

Immediately, the owner of the guesthouse smiled, her gaze sweeping over Fang Shu's ears, hair, and other features.
"In just half a year, he mastered the art of refining several types of Gu worms, one of which was a genuine Tribulation Sleeping Worm."

"You haven't disgraced me, young man. It wasn't in vain that I invited the disciples of the Immortal Sect to observe you both."

"Haha!" She rarely let out a sound of obvious joy.

"It seems that before long, I will have two more Qi Refining Immortals under my tutelage."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and remained silent.

After a brief moment of self-satisfaction, the owner of the guesthouse returned to his seat, picked up his teacup, and continued his instructions:
"Your senior sister has copied more information about that natal Gu into a booklet for you. Just study it carefully, and it would be best to memorize the whole book before burning it."

These principles, after all, were copied from within the Immortal Sect and should not be passed on to outsiders.

"Yes, disciple will remember." Fang Shu replied.

Just as he was pondering whether he should take his leave, the innkeeper, with a half-smile, stared at him and spoke:
"Also, during the time you were in seclusion, I went out to explore the lead mine outside the town for you, and it was quite interesting."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu paused slightly, a sense of anticipation rising within him. He suppressed his emotions and waited patiently for the innkeeper to continue.

(End of this chapter)