Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 218 Dragon Girl's Recruitment of a Son-in-Law and Foundation Building Inheritance
After careful consideration, Fang Shu, as agreed, sent a single word to the woman in white via his token, indicating that he had received the message.

He then suppressed his distracting thoughts and continued to immerse himself in his secluded cultivation.

No matter how important other people's affairs are, they are not as important as his own cultivation. Regardless of what he might encounter next, the more magical power he increases, the more secure he will be.

Soon, a month later.

Fang Shu left the pass on time.

In the past month, he has completely mastered the increased cultivation level and made further progress.

In addition, during his spare time, he also went out of seclusion to replenish some talismans in the Floating Mountain as a means of protection. He also completely mastered the Six Tribulations Cloth he obtained from Dai Kuan, which he could use to protect his body, adding another layer of protection.

This day.

As agreed, Fang Shu arrived alone at a place on the edge of the market.

He glanced around and found that the streets were dilapidated, with filth and stench in every corner, clearly a place frequented by the street monsters of the market.

After carefully examining the area and confirming that the meeting place was not outside the market, Fang Shu felt slightly relieved.

Having experienced what happened with Tian Jinmao last time, he is now more wary of invitations from outsiders, worried that he might be lured into a trap again.

Especially compared to Tian Jinmao, the woman in white was undoubtedly more skilled. If the other party had chosen to meet outside the market, Fang Shu would definitely have chosen to avoid it to protect himself.

After all, knowing it might be a trap and lacking sufficient resources, going there anyway would be rash and unwise.

Even though the meeting place was in the market, Fang Shu still gently swayed his sleeves as he stepped across the curtain of the inn.

With a whoosh, the handkerchief inside his sleeve moved and flew out, slipping inside his clothes and covering the main parts of his body.

This handkerchief was obtained through Fang Shu's refining process. Besides being able to transform into a cloak for self-defense, it can also be worn close to the body. However, when worn close to the body, its protective effect is far less comprehensive than that of an outer garment, and it requires a constant supply of true energy. But it is superior in that it is hidden and inconspicuous, making it difficult for others to detect.

In the old inn, an elderly innkeeper was dozing off behind the counter, his hair curly and his beard unkempt, obscuring his face and making it difficult to tell whether he was human or demon.

Fang Shu walked in without attracting the other party's attention.

He only glanced around the store before heading straight up to the second floor.

Upon reaching the second floor and entering the corridor, a sophisticated scene unfolded before his eyes. Soft carpets covered the floor of the corridor, and an array clearly separated the inside from the outside at the entrance. Elegant paintings adorned the walls.

Aside from these superficial aspects, the spiritual energy on the second floor of the inn is also incredibly rich, far surpassing the spiritual chamber that Fang Shu rented during his recent seclusion.

However, Fang Shu was not a naive person. He was only slightly surprised, knowing that this place was deliberately arranged. He then walked along the corridor to a room with the number A at the end.

He pushed the door open and entered without knocking.

As soon as he appeared in the room, gazes were cast upon him from every corner of the room.

A square-faced man, arms crossed and leaning against the corner of the wall, squinted and shouted, "This fellow Daoist is not only late, but also wearing a fox fur coat. What's the point of hiding like this?"

Besides this person, there were two other unfamiliar gazes in the room, scrutinizing Fang Shu.

One of them quickly showed surprise in his eyes and hesitated before saying:
"Given your attire, and the fact that you were invited by Protector Bai... could you be the same fellow Daoist who had a encounter with Dai Jintong of the Four Limbs Temple a few months ago?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu did not deny it, but nodded frankly.

The fox fur he was wearing had been seen before on the territory of the Four Limbs Temple, so it wasn't surprising that he was recognized now. Moreover, it was intentional on his part to come to the appointment wearing this fox fur.

Today, no one knows exactly what the woman in white is going to do, but there are quite a few people involved, and Fang Shu came here alone. He doesn't want to be looked down upon or even tested.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to use the fame of a fake identity to demonstrate some strength.

As expected, the burly man who had been impatient just moments before opened his eyes immediately upon hearing what the people around him said. His eyes gleamed with a sinister light as he re-examined Fang Shu.

The other person said, "So you're the guy who took a lightning strike from that Dai fellow and came out unscathed?"

Fang Shu did not respond to the man's words.

Seeing that the room was cluttered with chairs, he randomly chose a spot and sat down silently.

When the burly man saw that Fang Shu did not respond, his expression immediately showed some displeasure, but he only snorted coldly and did not say anything more.

After Fang Shu appeared, the woman in white in the room opened her eyes and nodded to Fang Shu as a greeting.

The woman added, "Fellow Daoist Hu is here for the first time. He must not be very familiar with the area, which is why he is a little late, but he is not late."

"Alright!" The burly man, still restless, shouted again.

"Now that everyone is here, I wonder what brings you here, Protector? Please tell me quickly. And let me make it clear first, if it is too dangerous, I do not wish to risk my life."

Faced with this person's meddling, the woman in white smiled lightly: "Brother Zhuang, please be patient. Once this matter is settled, the favor you owe me will be wiped clean."

Furthermore, Bai will free up some positions in the market, so that your men in the mountains will no longer be harassed by others.

These words caused the strong, muscular man's expression to shift between light and shadow before he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and nodded.

The woman in white did not delay any longer; she cupped her hands in greeting to everyone in the room.
"I have invited you all here today in the hope that I can lend you a helping hand."

She pointed at the muscular man and said:
"Brother Zhuang comes from the Wild Bear clan. He has a strong and powerful physique, and his muscles and bones are stronger than those cast in bronze and iron. He is also skilled in bedroom martial arts and has fought in the mortal army. His killing aura is so strong that even ghosts and gods are frightened away."

The woman in white then pointed to another woman in the room and introduced her:
"Fairy Luo comes from an extraordinary background and is skilled in the art of talismans. The talismans in her hands are exquisite, and few Qi Refining Immortals in the market can compare with her."

"Old Master Sun is an expert in pharmacology and a master of detoxification. He is known in the market as the one who can heal flesh and bone. Many immortals rarely see him. Today, I, Bai, have specially invited him to protect everyone."

After introducing everyone, she looked at Fang Shu and spoke:
"And this Fellow Daoist Hu, with his profound magical power and mastery of formations, is a crucial asset to this mission, and was specially invited by me..."

As the woman spoke, Fang Shu listened intently from the sidelines.

After listening to most of what he heard, he thought to himself, "Martial artists, talisman masters, pharmacists, and even someone like me who's good at formations. The people present today are quite complete. It seems that the man surnamed Bai really has a big plan."

At the same time, he also wondered which subject of immortal studies this white-clad protector in front of everyone was proficient in. But unfortunately, the woman in white did not introduce herself.

This allowed everyone to get to know each other. With a flick of his wrist, the White Protector produced five gilded red invitation cards.

With a flick of her wrist, five invitations flew out like butterflies, landing in front of the four people in the guest room.

Fang Shu did not rush to accept it. He examined it from a distance and found that the invitation was exquisite, contained spiritual energy, and had a dragon pattern drawn on its surface, making it look quite noble.

Inside the room, the female talisman master surnamed Luo immediately spoke up: "This is the invitation from the Dragon Maiden seeking a husband, which has recently become quite famous in the market?"

The woman in white nodded.

Then, the old pharmacist Sun spoke up in a hoarse voice: "Protector Bai has already handed over the invitation? We haven't even accepted the offer yet."

So, the four of them shifted their gaze from the invitation to the woman in white. Fang Shu, mixed among them, also silently observed her.

Upon hearing this, the woman in white replied in a pleasant voice:
"Indeed, these invitations are the invitations to the Dragon Girl's ship. They have recently been in high demand in the market, and many immortals are willing to spend a fortune to get on board."

She added with a smile, "Don't worry, Elder Sun. Since I have brought out such a thing, I will certainly not allow you to refuse it."

next moment.

The woman flipped open her other hand, and a jade slip appeared in her hand.

All the people heard her say was: "This jade slip contains the rarest book that I have ever handled since I took charge of the auction."

"If you are all willing to help me, Bai, by going to the Dragon Girl's ship and rescuing someone, I will share this item with you all."

She paused, then added, "You need not worry about what will happen next. I can give this item to you now."

However, there are still restrictions on it, requiring Bai's password to open. Otherwise, it would require a master craftsman to examine it for a long time, and even then, the integrity of the information within the jade slip could not be guaranteed.

These words immediately aroused everyone's interest, and even Fang Shu was quite curious.

The martial artist surnamed Zhuang immediately shouted, "Tell me quickly, tell me what this thing is. I don't know many characters, and if the incantation is too complicated, I won't need it."

The woman in white said:
"Even if the breakthrough texts for Foundation Establishment Immortals are complicated, I believe Brother Zhuang will patiently study them word by word."

"What?!" Upon hearing this, the Zhuang-surnamed martial artist's eyes widened instantly, and he uttered a muffled sound:

"Is the Dharma Protector's statement true?"

The woman in white paced back and forth in the room, her hands clasped behind her back.

She said, "Fellow Daoists, you are different from the ordinary immortals in the market. You have all been involved in the subjects of immortal studies and are expected to establish your foundation."

Such a text, containing both insights into cultivation and breakthroughs in the Foundation Establishment stage, and specific steps for harvesting earth veins, is extremely rare for fellow cultivators.

She also gave Fang Shu and the others a few meaningful glances:

"After all, such secrets are extremely difficult for even members of immortal sects and scions of noble families to know unless they have made great contributions and have someone vouch for them."

This woman's words hit the nail on the head.

Fang Shu had repeatedly searched through the Er family's library for information on the specific steps of foundation building, but to no avail.

Many ancient texts mention the Foundation Establishment Immortals, but they only talk about the power of Foundation Establishment Immortals, while the specific steps to break through to the Foundation Establishment Immortals are full of speculation.

Even regarding the matter of the Foundation Establishment Vein, Fang Shu only learned about it from his second senior brother, Hao Junliang, before descending the mountain. Without his second senior brother's guidance, he probably wouldn't have known anything until after Tian Jinmao's Soul Search.

It is obvious that these key points are being deliberately concealed by the major immortal sects and aristocratic families in order to make it easier for them to control the immortals below them.

Just as everyone was hesitant and tempted, the woman in white chuckled again, adding fuel to the fire in their hearts.

She said, "Remove the objects of this method. If this matter is successful, I and you all may be able to obtain the opportunity to establish your foundation."

The woman in white spoke casually:
"Moreover, this opportunity is not the kind of opportunity where one is subject to others, nominally an Earth Immortal, but in reality like a tenant farmer guarding the land and building a foundation for various immortal mountains and sects."

Even Fang Shu couldn't help but shift his gaze slightly, staring intently at the woman.

He was quite surprised.

It is said that a Foundation Establisher must harvest the earth's veins, transform their spiritual roots into spiritual veins, and possess a blessed land before they can become an "Earth Immortal".

However, after learning a lot, Fang Shu vaguely felt that after immortals established their foundation, they were subject to the so-called "blessed land of the earth veins," and were not as free as immortals before establishing their foundation.

Although there are some Foundation Establishment Immortals who do not need to reside in blessed lands, these beings are called "Foundation Establishment in Lost Lands," and their status and magical power are far inferior to those of Foundation Establishment in Blessed Lands.

Furthermore, Fang Shu had also subtly hinted at this viewpoint while inquiring in the market. However, the immortals in the market all believed that those with stable property were truly at ease, and they did not see anything wrong with cultivating in seclusion.

Now, the words of this White Protector not only confirm Fang Shu's doubts, but also seem to have a way to resolve the hidden danger of being "controlled in one place"!
The room fell silent for a moment.

After the woman in white finished speaking, the four of them slowly digested the information revealed in her words.

The woman in white gazed leisurely out the window, seemingly unconcerned that the crowd would refuse this "great opportunity."

really.

With a whoosh, both the old pharmacist Sun and the female talisman master surnamed Luo simultaneously grabbed the gilded invitation cards in front of them and said in deep voices:
"I agree to this, but please, Protector Bai, explain in more detail."

"We hope the Dharma Protector can enlighten us!"

"Haha!" After laughing a few times, the Zhuang-surnamed martial artist grabbed the invitation: "Alright, everyone says it's a matter of chance, so it's certainly one of those chances."

In the room, only Fang Shu remained who had not yet received the invitation. The others glanced at him out of the corner of their eyes.

Fang Shu did not hesitate. He bowed and accepted the invitation without showing any unusual behavior.

All four people in the room accepted the invitations, and the white-robed protector looked out the window, his smile widening even more.

(End of this chapter)