Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 282 Taking for My Own Use: I Am Also a Virgin
On the mountaintop, Jiao Lulu watched as another battle was about to unfold between Fang Shu and Zong Qingxue, and her heart clenched with anxiety.

But just then, something unexpected happened.

Jiao Lulu landed to the side and was the first to notice something was wrong. She immediately called out:
"Beware!"

With a swoosh, the white sword hovering in mid-air suddenly trembled and swooped down from above, slashing horizontally at the two people on the platform.

Such a commotion startled Fang Shu and Zong Qingxue, who quickly composed themselves, leaped away, and focused their attention on the white sword.

In the blink of an eye, both of them leaped off the platform. Only then did the white-sworded figure stop and cease its attack.

However, this unexpected turn of events still caused Fang Shu and Zong Qingxue to frown.

After pondering for a moment, Fang Shu glanced at the minced meat on the platform and said, "Could it be that what that man surnamed Yan said earlier was true, and that my actions just now offended this flying sword?"

Zong Qingxue's expression was also unpleasant at this moment. She slowly nodded and then said:
"Since January, it wasn't just me and that man surnamed Yan who climbed this mountain; there were many others who accompanied us. However, they either couldn't withstand the infusion of the mountain's golden energy or died tragically under the swords of others. In the end, only this person and I were left to climb this place."

And indeed, the rules of sword dueling are inscribed within these mountains. However, these rules were not left by the immortals who inherited this tradition, but rather seem to have been left by those who came to explore this place before… Unexpectedly, the spirit of this sword truly has its own preferences.”

Compared to Fang Shu, Zong Qingxue was in an even worse mood.

After all, she had spent a month here, even neglecting to gather spiritual herbs. Now, she might have to return empty-handed like her predecessors, leaving the white sword to those who came after her, which saddened her greatly.

As she spoke, Zong Qingxue glanced at Fang Shu. Holding the flying sword in her hand, she slowly stepped forward and tried to move onto the platform again.

Even though Fang Shu wasn't with her, the white sword on the stage suddenly trembled, as if mocking her with disdain, and slashed down at her.

Zong Qingxue's expression changed instantly, and she had no choice but to retreat repeatedly, going back more than ten feet before she was spared from the entanglement of the raging sword energy.

This scene caught Fang Shu's eye, and it made him laugh out loud.

This woman was probably secretly holding the white sword while she was fighting alongside him earlier. Even if she disliked him, she would most likely only dislike Fang Shu, who wasn't a sword cultivator.

In this way, Fang Shu would be eliminated on her own, leaving her as the only sword cultivator present, and she would naturally gain the favor of the white sword.

Unexpectedly, Bai Jian was so stubborn that he eliminated the woman as well.

Fang Shu couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect that although Senior Sister is a sword cultivator, she is also capable of some scheming."

Unfortunately, this sword strike was truly merciless; it was Fang Shu who implicated the Grandmaster Sister.

Although he used the word "involvement" in his words, his tone was mocking and clearly a veiled insult to the other party.

"You!" Upon hearing this, Zong Qingxue's eyebrows shot up, and she glared coldly at Fang Shu.

Her eyes also held a hint of ferocity, and she was almost about to subdue Fang Shu with her sword raised.

However, amidst the buzzing, swarms of Gu worms had already spread around the opponent without anyone noticing, though they had not yet formed a formation.

This alarmed Zong Qingxue. She was about to leap out with her sword and pounce on Fang Shu before his formation could rise, aiming to capture the leader first.

To everyone's surprise, Fang Shu did not close up the Gu worms. Instead, he waved the banner in his hand, scattered the Gu worms, and took the initiative to give way.

Zong Qingxue looked puzzled. She stared at Fang Shu for a few moments, then put down the flying sword in her hand and did not fight him.

The woman then saw Fang Shu cup his hands in a respectful gesture towards her, and say with a smile:
"Seriously speaking, if Senior Sister has no way to deal with this white sword, I do have a method. Would you like to hear it?"

Zong Qingxue frowned, feeling that Fang Shu's attitude was somewhat frivolous. She wanted to retort and scold him for daring to talk nonsense about swordsmanship when he was just a Gu Dao immortal.

But before she could finish speaking, the woman suppressed her irritation and said in a low voice, "Speak then."

Fang Shu flicked his sleeves, pointed directly at the white sword on the platform, and calmly said:
"This is simple. Since this flying sword is unwilling to acknowledge either of us, then we'll just beat it into submission."

These words startled Zong Qingxue, who turned to look at Fang Shu, unsure of what to say.

Fang Shu's attitude was serious, and he added:

“If others are unwilling to give it to us, we will take it ourselves. And what we take ourselves is always more secure than what others give us.”

Fang Shu's words, not to mention Zong Qingxue, even Jiao Lulu, who was waiting to the side and dared not or did not want to leave, looked very strange.

Jiao Lulu clicked her tongue inwardly, thinking, "Could it be that Brother Fang misjudged the grade of that white sword? This is a Nine Tribulation material, a quasi-True Immortal artifact that is only one tribulation away from 'complete alchemy'."

She glared at him, staring intently at Fang Shu's face, trying to figure out if he was deliberately teasing the woman surnamed Zong.

The result left the two women unsure whether to be disappointed or what. Fang Shu didn't seem to be joking at all; instead, he frowned and said:

"What, even this is too much for Senior Sister?"

Zong Qingxue took a deep breath, glanced at Fang Shu again, and said in a low voice:

"That makes sense, but this sword is unruly and is a ninth-tribulation artifact. Even without anyone wielding it, killing you and me would be as easy as killing a chicken."

How could you and I possibly take it for ourselves?

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu's expression softened.

He understood. It turned out that although this woman was skilled in swordsmanship and had a strong killing intent, she had not yet experienced killing Foundation Establishment Immortals like he had. Therefore, she was still afraid of beings at the Seventh Tribulation stage and above, and subconsciously forgot the special nature of this secret realm.

Zong Qingxue was being scrutinized by Fang Shu and vaguely sensed the "disdain" in his eyes. She felt displeased and was about to say something when she saw Fang Shu point to the sky above the secret realm.

"Good teacher sister knows that this place is the secret realm of Mount Lu, whether it is a seventh tribulation or a ninth tribulation, or even if it is a sword of a true immortal."

If it lands here, it must lie down and at most unleash the power of a near-seventh-level tribulation; otherwise, it will surely be blown away by the wind and struck by thunder, and will not be allowed to act recklessly.

These words immediately brightened Zong Qingxue's beautiful eyes.

However, her expression immediately showed hesitation. Although she knew that what Fang Shu said was true, she was also worried that the white sword would unleash its Foundation Establishment power and easily kill the two of them.

"This, this..." The woman hesitated.

Fang Shu looked at the man and said lightly:

"What's wrong? As a swordswoman, how can you lack even this much spirit?"

Clang!

Despite knowing that Fang Shu was mostly trying to provoke her, Zong Qingxue was still angered by Fang Shu's repeated verbal provocations and her expression turned unfriendly.

Holding her sword, Zong Qingxue first aimed it at Fang Shu, but then her gaze shifted to the Nine Tribulations White Sword on the platform.

The woman spoke:

"If we are unlucky and miss out on the treasure, that's fine. But if we are lucky enough to succeed, how will Junior Brother Fang share the treasure with me? There is only this one sword here."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu laughed heartily and said:
"We'll discuss the sword separately; we'll have another duel then, and whoever wins will have it. But the legacy carried by the sword must be shared."

Moreover, whoever obtains the sword should owe the one who did not a great favor.

Upon hearing this, Zong Qingxue slowly nodded: "Alright."

"good."

Fang Shu responded, then put the nail-headed arrow back to his side, holding the banner in his hand, and stepped forward.

Buzzing, the Gu worms surged up from all around, flying around the platform with great force.

His voice rang out: "This nail of mine isn't good at head-on combat, so he won't embarrass himself in front of that sword thing. I'll support Fellow Daoist Zong!"

Zong Qingxue didn't say a word, but nodded, and then took the lead and ran forward, her figure agile, like a leopard and a tiger.

At this moment, the Nine Tribulations White Sword was still wandering on the platform, looking quite leisurely.

It wasn't until it noticed Zong Qingxue's return to the stage that it reacted like a wildcat with its fur standing on end, hissing and lunging fiercely at Zong Qingxue.

Zong Qingxue's palms were sweating, but she made a sword gesture, and the flying sword in her hand jumped out in time, stabbing towards the Nine Tribulations White Sword with precision and ruthlessness.

A clanging sound rang out!
To her slight relief, just as Fang Shu had said, the Nine Tribulations White Sword could only unleash the power of a near-seventh tribulation, and did not cause her attack to crumble in one blow.

Knowing the true nature of the white sword, Zong Qingxue became even more unrestrained, actively using her flying sword to entangle it, attempting to suppress the white sword.

clank!

Even more ear-piercing roars filled the air.

Seeing that Zong Qingxue still dared to attack him, Jiu Jie Bai Jian was even more furious. His sword energy surged, causing thunder to rumble in the sky above Jinshan.

This sword was also quite cunning, a well-worn weapon. It pretended to fight Zong Qingxue's flying sword, then made a feint before suddenly lunging at Zong Qingxue's body.

That single sword strike back in that direction sent chills down Zong Qingxue's spine, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, Fang Shu was there to support her.

The Nine Tribulations White Sword attacked, but not only did it fail, it crashed headlong into Fang Shu's Three Talents and Four Gu Formation.

Fang Shu held the banner and shouted sharply:
"Certainly!"

The swarms of Gu worms, transformed into roots, coiled and pressed down on the Nine Tribulations White Sword within the formation.

With a crackling sound, the Gu worms encountered the sword energy and fell down like raindrops.

Seeing that Fang Shu had successfully protected her, Zong Qingxue quickly came to her senses and hurriedly sent her flying sword into the Gu formation to work with Fang Shu to suppress the artifact.

As it turned out, the power of this white sword of the Nine Tribulations quality far exceeded their expectations.

Nearly a hundred breaths have passed.

With clanging and clattering, Zong Qingxue's flying sword was chipped and broken, and Fang Shu's Gu worms were also killed and injured everywhere.

However, the Nine Tribulations White Sword's momentum did not diminish at all, and it even showed signs of breaking out of the formation on several occasions.

In this situation, it seemed as if the sword was wearing down the two people's true energy, rather than the two people wearing down the sword.

Seeing this, Zong Qingxue's expression hardened. She simply sat down cross-legged, first taking the medicine, then closing her eyes slightly, not looking around, and concentrating entirely on handling her sword.

This woman's defenses have been completely removed, and a flying sword is inside Fang Shu's Gu formation. If Fang Shu has malicious intentions now, he should be able to easily kill her.

This made Fang Shu take another look at the woman, and after a moment's thought, he prepared to use a little more effort.

However, he did not take out his three nail-headed arrows. Instead, he took out Shen Yin's Foundation Building Drum from his sleeve and tossed it lightly in front of Jiao Lulu.

Jiao Lulu stared in surprise at the object that had landed in front of her, completely bewildered.

"What are you waiting for, Lulu? Come and help us!" Fang Shu called out, transmitting the key points of operating the drum to her.

Jiao Lulu came to her senses and, instead of finding Fang Shu's actions abrupt, felt a sense of joy that she could actually be of use and that he trusted her.

"Yes." Jiao Lulu quickly picked up the drum, walked up, and tentatively began to strike it.

Once they reached the edge of the Gu formation, she stood facing Fang Shu and Zong Qingxue, forming a triangular formation that allowed them to support each other.

dong dong!

The sound of the foundation-building drums rang out loudly, and the white sword within the Gu formation immediately became weak, further suppressed.

This scene delighted the three of them, and they immediately began to use their swords, set up formations, and beat drums.

With their combined efforts, the three not only successfully suppressed the white sword to some extent, but also caused a surge in the spiritual energy of the entire Golden Mountain, which was affected by the three.

However, subduing this sword will not be a task that can be accomplished overnight.

There were also some unexpected incidents during this time.

Fang Shu suddenly asked, "Lulu, are you still a virgin?"

Jiao Lulu felt puzzled upon hearing this, and her cheeks flushed red.

Fortunately, the next moment, she heard Fang Shu add:
"If you are a virgin, then use your essence and blood to beat the drum; do not be stingy. I have a spiritual medicine here that can nourish your body."

As he spoke, Fang Shu took out the thousand-year-old spiritual herb that had been properly soaked from his sleeve, and as if wasting a precious resource, he chopped it up, took a few pieces himself, and then gave a few pieces to Jiao Lulu.

"This...miracle drug?" Jiao Lulu exclaimed in surprise.

She glanced at the medicinal herbs in her hand, then nodded vigorously, pricked her fingertip, and struck the drum with her blood.

dong dong!

With the aid of the virgin's essence blood, the Foundation Building Drum became even more powerful, further restraining the white sword in the Gu formation, which was both anxious and furious.

Fang Shu swallowed the thousand-year-old elixir himself, and his spirits lifted.

A dragon stranded in shallow water is mocked by shrimp; a tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs.

He refused to believe that with the combined strength of the three of them and the nourishment of a thousand-year-old spiritual herb, they couldn't subdue a mere inanimate object in this secret realm.

Since he can't take this thousand-year-old spiritual herb out of the country anyway, it's perfect for him to waste his time on this white sword.

Suddenly, Fang Shu heard a voice again:
Give me a few slices.

Turning his head, he saw that it was Zong Qingxue, who was wielding her sword with her eyes closed, who was taking the initiative to ask for it.

Fang Shu did not hesitate and with a flick of his finger, he gave the other party five or six spiritual medicines, which was quite generous.

However, the next moment, something happened that surprised him.

After taking the elixir and regaining some strength, Zong Qingxue suddenly bit her fingertip, forcing out her blood essence and transferring it into the Foundation Establishment Drum in Jiao Lulu's hand.

This action drew sidelong glances from Fang Shu and Jiao Lulu.

Zong Qingxue's expression remained unchanged as she spoke calmly:
"What? I am also a virgin, and my essence and blood are not bad either. I will not waste your treasure."

The woman had her eyes closed, and although Fang Shu couldn't see what she was looking at, he could clearly see that the back of her ears was flushed, and she was overcome with shyness.

With a wry smile, Fang Shu looked at the two women on either side of him, then simply shrugged and teased:

"With the two sisters tied up, it's like fish in water."

These words were clearly mocking, immediately causing Jiao Lulu to blush shyly and Zong Qingxue to snort coldly, wishing she could immediately slash Fang Shu with her sword.

But there was nothing she could do. Not to mention that Fang Shu was actually helping her this time, she really didn't have the time to teach Fang Shu a lesson, so she could only suffer in silence.

(End of this chapter)