Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 266 Er Family Dragon Girl Blood Lake Opens
Blood Lake lies in the surrounding Gobi Desert.

Your family's forces have already set up camp, and the noise of their troops fills the air.

The other immortals who passed by were all amazed when they saw the scene here.

Because so many members of the Er family entered the secret realm, it looked as if the entire family had been moved in.

Indeed, this was the case; the Er family brought almost all the Qi Refining Immortals in their clan to this place.

As Erdaiyuan walked through the camp, she looked around at her family members and felt a sense of surprise.

"Greetings, Sister Dai Yuan!"

Given her current status and future prospects within the family, all the other clansmen bow and pay their respects whenever they see her.

Erdaiyuan nodded repeatedly in acknowledgment.

Suddenly, her gaze sharpened as she looked at some of the strong and capable members of her tribe in the group, and her brows furrowed involuntarily.

Just then, the middle-aged beauty who was in charge of the Er family walked by in a hurry with her daughter Erdaiyang, busy managing the entire residence.

Erdaiyuan stopped her in time: "Aunt! Has our clan actually invited even mortals who refine essences into the village?"

The middle-aged woman initially didn't want to respond to the shouts, but upon hearing Er Daiyuan's voice, she suppressed her displeasure and nodded in explanation:

“That’s right. These guys are all clansmen who have reached the peak of the Essence Refining stage. They were brought into the secret realm this time in the hope that they could break through to the Qi Refining stage by taking advantage of the unique environment here.”

But this answer only made Erdaiyuan frown even more, and she whispered:
"Although this secret realm is rich in spiritual energy, it is also full of evil and poison. Can cultivating here really help with breakthroughs?"

The middle-aged woman's expression stiffened slightly, clearly indicating that she had also realized this.

Erdaiyang, who was standing to the side, overheard this and chuckled, "Sister, you don't need to worry about this. This matter was ordered by the Ancestor. Mother is just following orders and selecting strong and healthy men and women who have reached the Qi Refining stage."

What difficulty is this for our ancestors? They have their own plans.

Furthermore, everyone who comes here does so voluntarily. This secret realm is quite dangerous for outsiders, but for my family, as long as we don't wander out alone, what danger could we possibly face?

The mother and daughter spoke with Erdaiyuan for a while longer, and seeing that she had no further questions, they bowed and left.

Erdaiyuan looked around the camp again, still feeling something was off, but since she couldn't figure it out, she sighed and suppressed the feeling in her heart.

What those two people said earlier should be true. If it weren't for the ancestor's arrangement, Erdaiyang and her mother wouldn't have had to get involved in these troubles.

As for the affairs of Foundation Establishment Immortals, how could she possibly have the right to interfere?!
However, Er Daiyuan was still a little curious about how these hundreds of Er family members had been brought into the secret realm.

She quickly figured out how to lead people.

Suddenly, Erdei and her mother shook out a leather bag in a corner of the camp, and a group of living people rolled out of the bag like livestock.

Upon landing, they all bowed down in reverence:

"Greetings, Patriarch!"

It turned out that these members of the Er family were carried in like livestock, packed in pet bags.

After all, the Five Digestives Temple doesn't strictly control things like entering secret realms; they only check more strictly when leaving.

But back then, magic could be used to disguise these living people as livestock. Besides, your family now has an ancestor who brings the dead back to life, so these trivial matters are nothing to worry about in the temple.

After patrolling for a while, Erdaiyuan completely put her mind at ease. She went into her tent and began to meditate.

In the days to come.

Her days consisted of alternating between gathering herbs and practicing spiritual cultivation.

This woman truly experienced the benefits of having a large group of people.

Whether going out to gather herbs or secluded in the camp, with many clansmen to rely on, both things were peaceful and there were few unexpected incidents.

During this time, she also met many disciples of the Five Internal Organs Temple. They wanted to join the Er family's camp, but apart from the immortals who were actually connected with the Er family, the rest were all rejected.

Some immortals shamelessly lingered near the Er family's camp, hoping to seek protection, but they were immediately mistaken for spies by the clan's elder Qi Refiners and killed outside the camp.

………………

at the same time.

Near Blood Lake, there is another campsite that stands in stark contrast to Erjia's.

There is only one person here.

The man sat by the blood lake for a long time, without hiding himself. Instead, he lit a fire by the lake and stood still, appearing quite alone and audacious.

The passing immortals, upon seeing this lone figure, all showed fear and dared not harbor any covetous thoughts. They immediately turned and left without looking back.

The reason is simple: beside this person, although there was no living person, there was a thick, scaleless snake, its body enormous, at least three zhang long, and scattered around it were immortal robes, and even intact storage bags that were too lazy to pick up.

"I wonder if this place truly possesses the precious elixir that can restore the physical body?"

Suddenly, a muttering voice came from under a cloak.

The voice was cold and clear, coming from a beautiful and aloof young female Taoist. Even though her face was mostly covered by a cloak, revealing only a small part of her face, it was still exquisite and beautiful, with lips as white as glaze, and she was definitely not an ordinary beauty.

Susu!

Upon hearing the voice, the scaleless snake beside the woman slowly wriggled to her side, and its head opened, revealing a human face inside.

The face spoke human language:

"Master, rest assured, this secret realm is vast. If it is not here, we will search in other places."

Even if these herbs are not found elsewhere, as long as one gathers many thousand-year-old spiritual herbs in this secret realm, Master can later travel to places like the Vast Ocean Immortal City to seek medical treatment and medicine; there will surely be a prescription that can solve Master's worries!

Upon hearing this, the aloof female Taoist priest couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, though it was unclear whether she was mocking or simply amused.

But her gaze softened slightly as she looked at the long snake beside her.

This unusual master and disciple duo were none other than Fang Shu's master, Long Gu, and his second senior brother, Hao Junliang.

The immortal maiden Longgu suddenly changed the subject and sighed softly:

"What a pity. I have been searching this secret realm for nearly a month, but I have not seen any trace of Qingzhu. It seems that I will not be able to meet her this time."

Hao Junliang's expression changed upon hearing this.

"Qingzhu" was the title given to the senior sister above him and Fang Shu. This title was personally given to her by the immortal Long Gu, and it was also recognized by the immortals in the temple, who believed that this girl would definitely become an earth immortal in the future, which is why she was able to obtain the title in advance.

As for why the Dragon Maiden Immortal wanted to find her disciple Qingzhu in the secret realm, it was naturally to resolve the grudge between the master and disciple.

However, after a month, they still couldn't find the other party, so it's highly likely that the other party didn't enter the secret realm to search for treasure.

Hao Junliang thought to himself, "That's normal."

The eldest senior sister already possessed a profound foundation, only lacking the earth's energy to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Having severely offended the master this time, she only survived thanks to the protection of the other Foundation Establishment cultivators in the temple. She must be currently in the process of Foundation Establishment; she won't emerge from seclusion until she achieves it.

Hao Junliang dared not say any of this to the Dragon Maiden Immortal, so he changed the subject, saying:
"Speaking of Junior Brother, he has definitely entered the secret realm. However, for nearly a month, we haven't been able to track him down, and we don't know how he is doing..."

If we can reunite with Master, Junior Brother won't have to risk his life in this secret realm.

Hao Junliang's voice carried a hint of worry as he spoke. His words, however, stemmed from genuine concern.

During this period, although the master and disciple did not find the "eldest sister," they did see many other disciples.

According to reports from other disciples, the secret realm has been in turmoil recently.

Many renowned Foundation Establishment talents perished in the secret realm shortly after it opened.

As for how to determine this, it's quite simple.

These people were swaggering around in the secret realm for the first few days, but then they disappeared without a trace. Now that the thousand-year-old medicinal herbs in the secret realm have not yet been completely harvested, there is no need for them to hide; they should be exploring the area.

Therefore, nine times out of ten, those who suddenly disappear have been taken advantage of by others.

"It is said that in just half a month, Luan Tong'er, a disciple under Chu Yang Di Xian, as well as one Foundation Establishment seed from each of the Four Limbs Temple and the Flesh Nunnery, have all perished in the secret realm," Hao Junliang said in a low voice.

The Dragon Maiden Immortal looked on with amusement as she listened to his words.

She chuckled, "In that case, when the secret realm ends, there will be many fellow cultivators outside who will be kicking themselves."

After a pause, the Dragon Maiden Immortal continued:

"But don't worry, Fang Shu's safety should be fine. It's best for us, master and disciple, to take care of ourselves first."

Hao Junliang confirmed Fang Shu's safety with the Dragon Maiden Immortal, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief, whispering, "Yes."

Immediately, the boy manipulated the snake's body, slowly retreating and coiling his body to one side, continuing to protect the Dragon Maiden Immortal.

The Dragon Maiden herself also closed her eyes.

But in her heart, she murmured to herself, "It's not so bad that I can't find it."

the other side.

Fang Shu himself, as mentioned by the master and apprentice.

In reality, the straight-line distance between the two people was less than thirty miles.

He was hiding in a carefully arranged cave, his body brimming with spiritual energy, his skin as clear as jade, and his face serene with a smile.

In his hands, the thousand-year-old spiritual herb he obtained from Dai Jintong had been harvested for more than half a month, but its medicinal power was still not completely exhausted and some remained.

But at this moment, Fang Shu's physical body and soul were truly "overfed".

Originally, he only planned to cultivate ninety Toad True Qi, and then stop while he was ahead, instead focusing on refining and solidifying his foundation. However, as the Blood Lake remained closed, he unwittingly increased his Toad True Qi by six more while practicing the Dragon Whale Nourishing Technique.

In other words, his total true energy has reached ninety-six toads so far, which is one toad more than Shen Yin, who has the Earthly Spiritual Root!
Even though Fang Shu tried every means to refine and cleanse himself with the medicinal power of spiritual herbs, his true qi still appeared somewhat superficial compared to what he had painstakingly cultivated, because his true qi had grown too rapidly.

This superficiality can only be eliminated and solidified through years of meticulous polishing.

Fortunately, after some estimation, Fang Shu found that it wouldn't take too long.

From now on, in as little as six months or as long as three years, his true energy will be solid enough that he can confidently begin his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Thinking of this, Fang Shu opened his eyes in the cave, his expression pleased:

"Ninety-six Toad True Qi! With the blessing of the Dragon Whale Nourishing Technique, my foundation is indeed far beyond that of ordinary people, and my chances of establishing my foundation have increased by several times!"

It should be known that when the true energy of immortals reaches ninety toads, each increase of one toad is much more troublesome than before.

However, if the true energy increases by one toad, it means that the immortal's foundation is higher than that of ordinary immortals, and the chance of establishing a foundation will also increase.

It is said that if someone can accumulate true qi to the level of a hundred toads, then breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage will be no different from having a Heavenly Spiritual Root or an Earthly Spiritual Root, as easy as eating and drinking.

With the spiritual medicine at his side and only lacking four more toads, Fang Shu naturally set his sights on the "Hundred Toads True Qi".

He thought to himself, "Even if I can't cultivate to the Hundred Toads, as long as I have ninety-eight or ninety-nine toads, according to the book, when I break through, as long as I have enough mid-grade spiritual energy and possess the earth veins, the success rate of the breakthrough will be over ninety percent!"

In an instant, he felt that his foundation-building opportunity had taken another step forward and was now in his grasp.

In particular, if we can seize the opportunity in the Blood Lake and elevate our spiritual roots, then obtaining the Hundred Toad True Qi is not impossible!

Suddenly, at that moment.

Fang Shu's heart skipped a beat, and his gaze went straight in a certain direction.

A hundred feet away from him, the surface of the crimson blood lake suddenly rippled with fine waves. Without wind, waves arose, and circle after circle of crimson ripples spread silently, no longer quiet.

The dark red mist stretching across the lake was no longer still; instead, it seemed to be breathing, contracting and expanding, faintly emitting a chilling wailing sound.

Something seemed to be rising from beneath the lake's surface, pressing down on the water and creating distorted, ghostly faces.

Such a commotion was not only sensed by Fang Shu alone.

All the immortals surrounding the Blood Lake suddenly looked up, observing the changes in the sky above the lake, their thoughts churning.

This sight clearly signifies that the Blood Lake has been opened!

as predicted.

Half a day later, the lake water evaporated, making the mist on the lake surface even more crimson. But as the blood water receded, reef-like footholds began to appear on the lake surface, scattered like stars in the sky, allowing the immortals to use them as footholds.

And so, whoosh whoosh.

Without further hesitation, the figures stepped onto the rocks and boldly plunged into the crimson mist, including the Er family members and the Dragon Maiden and her disciples.

After finishing his practice, Fang Shu emerged from underground. Seeing that he couldn't understand the situation in the Blood Lake from the outside, he stayed behind the crowd, stepped on the rocks on the lake surface, and entered the blood mist.

(End of this chapter)