Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 230 Things Have Changed, People Have Changed: The Secret Realm and Its World

When Fang Shu learned of the summons from the mountain gate, his mind was in turmoil, and he was not the only one who felt this way.

Within the vast Xihulu Island, and even in areas beyond Xihulu Island, some people picked up their identity tokens with strange expressions.

In a certain region of the vast desert.

Amidst the endless yellow sand, the storm raged on and on.

One person, however, stood still, suspended in mid-air, completely unaffected by the surrounding storm.

The token he held in his hand shimmered with five colors, and it was exactly the same as Fang Shu's token, belonging to the inner gate token of the Five Internal Organs Temple.

The man muttered to himself, "The order to return to the clan... this is the first time I've ever seen one like this."

As he recalled the rules he had witnessed in the sect, a hint of emotion appeared on his face.

He knew that this time, he would have no choice but to make a decision and completely betray his sect.

Without the slightest hesitation, he snapped the token in his hand into powder and scattered it into the swirling yellow sand around him.

Suddenly, a streak of light flew out from the sandstorm and appeared beside him.

The newcomer shouted, "Brother Wu, this place is heavily guarded; you must lend a hand!"

Upon hearing this, the man who had crushed the token laughed heartily and immediately shouted, "Excellent!"

If Fang Shu were here.

He will find that this person not only shares the same surname as the senior brother he heard about in the Dugu Pavilion, but also has a similar appearance to the senior brother he glimpsed at Senior Sister Fang Lu's place.

The man surnamed Wu followed the streak of light and disappeared into the depths of the sandstorm.

a few days later.

A rumbling sound like muffled thunder came out, followed by a sudden shout of "Tai!"

The sand and dust within a ten-mile radius all jolted.

The sandstorm that had once blotted out the sky began to weaken at a visible speed, and soon withered away completely, revealing a hidden underground palace.

Even with only a corner of the underground palace exposed, it was already several meters high.

The palace has an ancient and simple structure, seemingly built of ordinary mud bricks. However, each brick is over ten feet in size, and even after being eroded by wind and sand for countless years, there are still snake-like runes moving on them, emitting a creepy aura.

In front of the underground palace, there were several figures of varying heights, several feet apart, all staring intently at the entrance, their faces filled with greed, longing, and disbelief.

A murmur arose from the scene: "This place truly is the abode of immortals from the past!"

The previously unrestrained man surnamed Wu was also staring intently at the underground palace, just like everyone else.

………………

the other side.

After receiving the summons from the immortal sect, Fang Shu did not set off, nor did he make a firm decision to return to the sect.

How could we make a hasty decision on such an important matter without first inquiring about the details?

If the harm of returning to the mountain gate far outweighs the benefit, he might actually choose to leave the mountain and never return.

After all, he's not inside the sect now. So what if he betrays the sect? At worst, he'll just leave like the senior disciple of the Dugu Sect and never return to the territory of Youqiong Kingdom.

Of course, he wouldn't do that unless absolutely necessary.

Not to mention the various benefits of being in the Immortal Sect and the Qi Refining Techniques of the Refining Qi Realm, he also had his second uncle, Yu Le, staying in Guling Town, Lushan.

If he were to betray his sect, it might implicate his second uncle, Yu Le. Even if he were to truly not return to the mountain, he would still have to make arrangements for his second uncle first.

Thinking of this, he suddenly recalled that when he first joined the Immortal Sect, Guling Town still had strict rules regarding household registration. Now it seemed that such rules were indeed helpful in preventing disciples from deserting at will.

"But there are still three months, so there's no rush," Fang Shu thought to himself.

So he wandered around the unknown town where he settled, trying all the taverns and stalls he had eaten at or hadn't tried in the past few days.

Five days later, after arranging matters in town and handing over the house to an acquaintance, he used the excuse of visiting friends to charter a small boat, board it, and leave the town.

The shore was quite lively when we left.

Fang Shu sat cross-legged on the boat. When the small boat completely disappeared from the sight of the ferry people, he couldn't help but open his eyes and look in the direction of the town, his eyes showing regret.

There was still a hint of doubt on his face.

For some reason, he felt that the five years he spent in seclusion in the mortal town had not only honed his inner energy, but also brought him many benefits in terms of his state of mind.

Such benefits are hard to describe, but they are by no means an illusion.

Fang Shuxin thought to himself, "Perhaps if I stay for a few more years, I will be able to understand more thoroughly what the benefits are of mingling in the secular world."

Unfortunately, time waits for no one.

He secluded himself in a remote town. Even though he needed to hone his inner energy and solidify his foundation, he had already indulged himself for five years.

If he continues to indulge himself, and waits another ten, twenty, or thirty years, his cultivation will reach its limit. He will simply be wasting his years and squandering his potential for Foundation Establishment, and it will be too late to regret it.

As he pondered, Fang Shu couldn't help but feel hopeful.

If one day, thirty or fifty years would be nothing more than ordinary for him, and perhaps he could return to this town and fully experience the life of an ordinary person, without having to rush around like this.

More than ten days later.

Fang Shu still did not climb Fudang Mountain.

Even though he had recently learned that the dragon boat that had been moored on Fudang Mountain had inexplicably sunk in the Dead Sea after leaving Fudang Mountain.

All the serpent spirits, large and small, on the boat, as well as some other spirits who had hitched a ride, perished in the Dead Sea, leaving no trace of their remains.

As a result, few people have ventured to the Dead Sea to hide in recent years, for fear of being captured by the rumored Dead Sea ghosts and becoming their scapegoats.

Fang Shu wandered within the territory of Qiong Kingdom, only frequenting small markets and towns.

These small markets were either run by local immortal clans or were like ordinary people going to a fair. They were established by custom and met once every ten days or half a month. If it was not time, the market would be empty.

According to Fang Shu's inquiries, he gradually learned the reason for the summons from his stomach; it was not to gather them back to be his lackeys.

More than ten days ago, the two immortal sects, witnessed by the other three sects of Mount Lu, ceased their fighting, gathered their disciples, and no further large-scale battles occurred.

As for the more specific reasons, Fang Shu didn't need to deliberately inquire about them; lately, everyone on the streets and alleys was talking about this matter.

"Did you know that the Five Internal Organs Temple and the Dry Bones Temple, while fighting, actually created an 'ancient secret realm' in Mount Lu?"

"Wow, who doesn't know that! What was originally just a matter between two immortal sects has now become a major event for the five sects of Mount Lu."

"It's not just the five sects of Mount Lu. I've heard that this secret realm is quite vast. Even if the five sects joined forces, they would have a hard time monopolizing it. Some large and small immortal clans from Mount Fudang and the Qiong Kingdom will also have a chance to sneak in."

Inside a teahouse.

As Fang Shu sipped his tea, he pricked up his ears, carefully taking in all the conversations and discussions of the tea drinkers around him.

He had already done this in three different small markets.

Comparing the various reports, he found that the rumors circulating in the market were largely true. For example, in Qianjiafang City, where he was currently located, the immortal clan was in the midst of a heated selection process, with disciples vying for a chance to get some free soup and broth.

In addition, some well-known, reclusive cultivators from the mountains were also drawn out by the recent rumors.

Fang Shu took a sip of tea and couldn't help but glance at the burly, bearded man about ten feet away beside him. The man carried a large halberd on his back, exuding an imposing aura, and was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

This man, like Fang Shu, entered the teahouse and ordered a table full of delicacies, but barely touched his chopsticks.

He sipped his tea slowly, and occasionally called over a waiter at the teahouse, tossed out a stack of talisman coins, and exchanged a few words with the waiter.

Clearly, this burly man with a bushy beard was also inquiring about rumors.

Suddenly, a muffled sound exploded in Fang Shu's ear, its tone as sharp as metal or stone:
"Fellow Daoist, you've been looking at my face so often, could it be that I have something on it?"

Such keen perception!
Fang Shu was confident in his sharp spiritual sense and had been paying attention, but he hadn't expected this person to still see through his disguise. However, he wasn't surprised; instead, he smiled and asked telepathically:

"I am looking at you, fellow Daoist, but aren't you also looking at me?"

Upon hearing this, the burly man with the bushy beard raised his eyebrows and slammed the teacup down on the table, causing it to crack open with a snap.

However, the man did not make a move on the spot, but simply said in a low voice: "When you're out and about, don't wander around aimlessly, lest you get yourself killed."

After saying this, the burly man with the bushy beard tossed a string of talisman coins onto the table and strode away.

Fang Shu remained seated, not moving, but after the other person had walked away, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Fang Shu sensed something unfamiliar about this burly, bearded man. He had only ever seen such a person among the immortals who had traveled from afar when he frequented the markets of Fudang Mountain.

Fang Shu thought to himself, "Could this person also be a hermit from another region?"

But he merely memorized the person's figure and aura, and then put the matter out of his mind.

We were just passing acquaintances, there's no point in overthinking it.

After a long while, Fang Shu lingered in the teahouse, and finally decided to return to Mount Lu.

Based on rumors and the overwhelming demand,

He should be fine after returning to the mountain!
He also thought to himself, "Even if the rumors are wrong, I am an inner disciple of the Immortal Sect. With these rogue cultivators from the mountains accompanying me, the sect's schemes shouldn't fall on us first..."

Immediately, he took out two coins' worth of spirit stones from his sleeve, threw them on the table, and turned to leave without hesitation.

Next.

Fang Shu traveled day and night, continuing to gather information along the way, and it took him another half a month to finally return to the Lushan area.

However, he did not return directly to the Wuzangmiao Mountain Gate. Instead, he quietly slipped into Guling Town and took a look at his second uncle and the innkeeper from afar.

Without alerting the two, and after confirming that the town had indeed not been affected by the two major battles, and that only prices had soared, he quietly left the town and headed towards the old mountain lord's location.

Although returning to the sect this time may seem to be safe on the surface, reducing the risk as much as possible is always beneficial.

For Fang Shu, visiting the old mountain king first was undoubtedly the best choice.

Although he knew that an ancient secret realm had appeared in the markets and towns of various places, he still knew nothing about the specifics of that secret realm.

He also harbored the thought of wanting to find out more details from the old mountain king.

It should be noted that the other party is no ordinary immortal, but a foundational immortal. Although rooted outside the mountain gate, in terms of status, he is still an equal to his master, the Dragon Maiden Immortal.

Soon, Fang Shu arrived at the mountain where the old mountain lord was, as if he knew the way well.

But as soon as he entered the valley, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

The once bustling demon market, which used to be incredibly lively every night, is now nothing but a pile of mud bricks. Fang Shu can only recall the once prosperous scene of the demon market from the dilapidated signs in the valley.

It is clearly different from Guling Town.

The demon market here has been affected by the great battle between the two factions. The demons who did business here have either died or scattered, and the bustling market has been abandoned.

Fang Shu, wary, strolled to the hilltop not far away. He found that all kinds of fungi in the mountain had been ruined. The once lush forest of Ganoderma lucidum was now just desolate.

This made him tense up.

As far as he knew, all the various kinds of Ganoderma lucidum and fungi on the mountain could be considered descendants of the old mountain lord. Now, not only is the demon market dilapidated, but even the Ganoderma lucidum in the mountain has been destroyed and harvested to the last drop.

Fang Shu was truly worried, and Lao Shan Jun himself also suffered the consequences.

Fortunately, to his great relief, when he reached the top of the mountain, a huge Lingzhi Platform appeared in his eyes through the misty fog, and the fog in front of him was filled with murderous intent, so it was not a place that could be entered casually.

Seeing this, he realized that the old man was probably unharmed.

Fang Shu immediately shouted, "Junior Fang Shu has come to pay his respects to the old mountain master!"

Its sound entered the mist on the mountaintop, and after a few breaths, the mist surged and changed, revealing a path.

Moreover, the desolate mountaintop scene in Fang Shu's eyes changed, revealing clusters of small Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms on the ground. As before, he stepped on these small Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms and climbed to the top of the mountain.

A muffled sound rang out first from the Lingzhi Terrace:
"Oh, it's you, you little rascal."

In recent years, aside from those fellows at the Bone Temple, very few people have come to visit this old man.

Upon closer inspection, Fang Shu discovered that the enormous Lingzhi Platform was now covered in scars, with many of its edges and corners missing, compared to before.

Clearly, Lao Shanjun has not had a very peaceful life these past few years.

"I am truly delighted to see that the Lord is well." He greeted him with a formal and respectful manner.

A blurry figure appeared on the Lingzhi platform, beckoning to Fang Shu:

"Come up here and drink with me."

Fang Shu nodded in agreement and leaped up.

He sat down on the Lingzhi platform. He saw that the other patrons were still there, but tonight, only he and the old mountain man remained.

Moreover, when the old mountain king looked around at those empty seats, although his face was blurred and just a cloud of mist, his desolation was evident.

Sitting opposite each other, Lao Shanjun drank alone in silence.

Fang Shu then began to recount some interesting stories he had encountered outside the mountains, trying his best to comfort the old mountain spirit and make him happy.

And to be honest, these anecdotes, especially the various things about birth, aging, sickness and death that Fang Shu witnessed while mingling in the mortal world, were extremely attractive to the Old Mountain Lord.

The other person even put down their wine glass and urged, "Keep talking, keep talking."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Fang Shu changed the subject and finally brought up the ancient secret realm he had learned about in the market outside the mountains.

Old Mountain Lord didn't take it seriously and casually revealed the origin of that secret realm.

Fang Shu listened carefully, his mind skipped a beat, and he looked surprised.

The reason was that the old mountain king had uttered the words "inner world".

　I'm still remembering that I haven't updated yet! I'm just trying to stay put; my family seems to have caught some virus again. I feel weak all over, my joints and tailbone hurt, and I have a fever.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)