Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 298 Five Bodies Unite, Successful Retirement
The term "sacrificing oneself to the Dao" was not something Fang Shu learned from a Daoist scripture or practice manual; it was simply a saying he overheard while casually browsing through miscellaneous books.

This refers to the act of immortals, when they have nothing else to do, using all their cultivation, life, and even soul as fuel to open the gates and barriers.

This kind of behavior is different from ordinary cultivation breakthroughs. If it fails, the result will be the complete annihilation of the soul. Moreover, the probability of success is actually extremely low.

When Fang Shu saw this statement, he didn't take it seriously and simply assumed that the owner of the miscellaneous book was talking nonsense.

It should be understood that if one sacrifices oneself to the so-called "immortal path" at all costs, even if one succeeds, the true nature of the path attained will remain unknown.

Such a reckless act is not peaceful, and it is quite contrary to the principles of Taoist alchemy.

Fang Shu's mind was filled with thoughts, but he quickly regained his composure and thought to himself, "Let's observe this further. Today's events may not necessarily be what that miscellaneous book describes as sacrificing oneself to the Dao."

The result was the next moment.

The three people on the mound, including Lu Che, looked up at the dissipating white light and their expressions immediately changed.

The three chiefs and elders of the five sects all hurriedly fell from mid-air onto the mound, immediately prostrated themselves, kowtowed, and cried out:

"This unfilial descendant respectfully bids farewell to the abbot, whose bones have turned to dust!"

Amidst the shouts, the faces of the disciples and immortals of the Dry Bone Temple changed drastically, and they were at a loss for what to do.

The mound was in disarray, and from the five mangled remains suspended in mid-air, voices rang out again:
"That old bastard, Kugu, has been impatient his whole life. I used to think he was just putting on an act, all bark and no bite on the surface, but in reality he was just a scheming old dog."

Now it seems this fellow was impatient his whole life. I was arrogant and underestimated Brother Kugu.

A ball of crimson light, round and radiant, slowly emerged from yet another mangled body.

He also transformed into a blurry human figure, bowed respectfully to the white bones amidst the remains, and then laughed loudly, his voice as firm as metal and stone:
"Fellow Daoists, I cannot let that scoundrel Kugu depart without companions on his journey!"

As the laughter subsided, it startled everyone around, and the sense of sorrow that had been echoing through the Lushan Mountains intensified. Heavy dark clouds suddenly surged forth, covering thousands of miles and continuing to expand.

Swish!
The crimson light suddenly dissipated, transforming into a crimson rain that flowed upwards, hovering above the five broken bodies, and mingling with the dissipated spiritual light of the withered bone master.

At this moment, the three elders, including Lu Che, who were prostrating themselves on the ground, looked even more solemn and bowed deeply once more:
"You unfilial descendant, may you be sent to the temple of the five internal organs!"

Such shouts, coming from their mouths, caused Fang Shu and the other disciples of the Five Internal Organs Temple to change their expressions drastically, quite surprised and suspicious.

Fang Shu himself landed in it, staring at the ceiling in disbelief, and couldn't help but rub his eyes.

So, a second True Immortal who had achieved the Pill Refining Realm has fallen? And it was even their own temple master?!
In a daze, he couldn't help but wonder if he had fallen under an illusion.

However, both the situation on the ground and the unusual celestial phenomena in Mount Lu prove that there are indeed immortals who have achieved the elixir of immortality and have perished, and there is more than one of them.

It should be known that when a true immortal falls, the minor consequences include mountains collapsing and rivers flowing backward, while the major consequences include heaven and earth grieving and all things weeping.

Such a magnificent spectacle could not be created by ordinary illusions.

Not long after the deaths of the Bone Temple Master and the Five Organs Temple Master, two more beams of spiritual light emerged from the mutilated bodies.

As they rose and fell, after exchanging words, they generously released their great elixir and merged into the rain of light.

"Haha, how wonderful! If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Even if I die, I will still be a legendary figure. My disciples need not grieve."

This scene left Fang Shu and the others somewhat numb.

Within a short period, four True Immortals who had achieved the Pill Refining Realm perished on the summit of Mount Lu, making the celestial phenomena even more spectacular.
Dark clouds stretching for thousands of miles have spread across the land, causing blood-red rain to fall directly from the sky, truly reaching a point where heaven and earth grieve together and mountains roar and the earth howls.

This intensified the sense of sorrow in the hearts of the tens of thousands of disciples and servants, causing them to involuntarily shed tears.

Among them, the three elders, including Lu Che, were prostrate on the mound, their foreheads repeatedly hitting the ground, drawing blood. Their expressions were all choked with sobs and filled with sorrow.

Fang Shu saw this.

As tears streamed down his face, he glanced down at the mound at his feet and realized that it was just an ordinary-looking mound, but actually held great mystery.

After all, with the cultivation levels of those three, even if they deliberately dispersed their protective true energy and kowtowed with their flesh and blood, their physical bodies would still be incredibly strong. Ordinary copper and iron could hardly harm them in the slightest, so how could bricks, stones, and clods of earth easily destroy them?

Regardless of what the people on the mound did, above the mound...

Four of the five sect leaders of Mount Lu were gone, leaving only a last ray of azure spiritual light floating above the five broken bodies.

This light was extremely calm, and his demeanor was unlike that of the Bone Master and others, who would readily sacrifice themselves at the slightest disagreement.

The last remaining sect leader was none other than the Palace Master of Rongyan Palace.

This situation left the disciples of Rongyan Palace both shocked and delighted.

"The other four sect leaders have left. This is the palace master of my Rongyan Palace. He is about to break through to the Refining God realm!" Wisps of divine sense darted among the Rongyan Palace disciples.

Fang Shu and the other non-Rongyan Palace disciples were also discussing among themselves, some happy and some sad.

At this time, the three elders, including Lu Che, who had been bowing and seeing them off, finally had some free time.

They all straightened up, first looking up at the Azure Light Pill of the Palace Master, and then turning their gazes to their respective disciples.

In the temple of the five internal organs.

With a hoarse voice and warm gaze, Lu Che Di Xian looked at Fang Shu and the others and spoke:
“My buddies, seeing what is happening today, you must have many doubts and find it hard to believe.”

The discussions among the disciples of the Five Organs Temple Earth Immortals abruptly ceased, and they all turned to look at the Deer Cart Earth Immortal, eager to try their luck.

A local immortal immediately responded:

"Indeed! What we see today is truly a wonder we have never heard of or seen before."

The man bowed respectfully and said, "The five sect leaders first tried to devour us, and now they are cutting off their own bodies. We are truly bewildered and confused. We beg Immortal Lu Che to enlighten us!"

The Deer Chariot Immortal nodded and replied:

"Just as the Flesh Sect Master recited before his passing, 'The Five Sects of Mount Lu are originally of one lineage,' the Five Sects of Mount Lu are all of the same lineage, and the five sect masters are fellow disciples."

What we have inherited is the orthodox lineage of the ancient Lushan lineage, but now it has split into five branches, each practicing its own way.

After a pause, the Deer Chariot Immortal continued directly:
"What the five sect leaders have done today is to clear obstacles for the Lushan Dao lineage, and they have even sacrificed their own millennia of cultivation in an attempt to combine their strength to create a Refining God Immortal and reopen the Lushan Dao lineage!"

These words reached the ears of Fang Shu and the others, leaving them either shocked, enlightened, or somewhat aware. Whispers echoed across the mound:

"Just as I thought!" "So that's how it is!"

In other immortal sects besides the Temple of the Five Internal Organs, the three chiefs or elders of the Temple of the Dry Bones are also providing similar explanations.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from within the Five Internal Organs Temple:
"The three sects claim they are clearing obstacles for the sake of our Lushan lineage... So, those immortals who were just arrested and taken away were actually malicious and not members of our five Lushan sects?"

The Earth Immortal of the Deer Cart nodded at the man, revealing a look of "this child is teachable":

"That's right. Our five sects of Mount Lu have been established for many years, and our sects have long been filled with countless people with malicious intentions."

The sect leaders had been in seclusion all along and hadn't had the time to deal with it, nor did they want to alert the enemy.

Now that the secret realm has reopened, the time is ripe, and there's no need to keep that fellow alive any longer. Besides, the five sect leaders have given us a lecture and some instruction, which has taken a toll on us. It's a good time to capture that fellow, refine him, and restore our strength.”

After a few moments of contemplation, the Deer Chariot Immortal squinted his eyes again and uttered:
"Fellow Daoists, according to the instructions of the temple master, after this cleansing, all those who survive on the mound can be regarded as brothers and sisters of my Lushan Dao lineage. They may have some minor faults, but they should be fine in terms of major principles."

Regardless of your background or past mistakes, from this day forward, everything will be wiped clean and cannot be brought to light.

As he spoke, Lu Che Di Xian chuckled to himself: "After all, even if you fellow Daoists have your own schemes, at least you wouldn't be thinking of overthrowing my Lushan Dao lineage."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the group of Earth Immortals softened, and their tension subsided considerably.

There were also many spirits present, whose expressions changed, revealing a strong sense of joy.

Fang Shu was among them. He breathed a sigh of relief, but his gaze suddenly fell on a woman in the crowd.

The woman was tilting her chin up, listening intently to the Earth Immortal Luche's answers, her expression noticeably different from the others.

This woman was not one of the Taoist friends in the temple that Fang Shu was familiar with.

She had an incredibly beautiful yet unfamiliar face. If Fang Shu remembered correctly, this woman was named Qingzhu, and was his nominal senior sister.

Fang Shu thought to himself, "Rumors are circulating that Senior Sister Qingzhu is an ungrateful person who has betrayed Master Long."

Now it seems she wasn't cleansed by the temple master; perhaps this fulfills the prophecy of the Earth Immortal Luche: "Upright in all matters"?

Fang Shu didn't glance at the green spider for long; after just one look, he immediately looked away to avoid being noticed.

On the mound, the discussion continued.

Lu Che Di Xian and the others answered all kinds of questions, even those they didn't know, and tried their best to explain.

Someone asked, "Since it's about refining the spirit, it's better for five people to break through than for one, so why do the sect leaders voluntarily disperse their own elixir?"

The Earth Immortal Luche replied, "The five sects of Mount Lu are of the same lineage and share the same origin in Daoist practices. Perhaps this is to increase the chances of refining one's spirit."

Another question was raised by one of the disciples:

"Then why was it that the one who remained in the end was not the head of our temple, but the head of another sect? Now that the temple head is gone, even if that person has achieved the cultivation of the divine, he is not from our Five Organs Temple. Can our Five Organs Temple's lineage truly be protected in the future?"

Upon hearing this, the Deer Cart Immortal's expression clearly faltered, and he couldn't help but glance at the Ox Cart and Sheep Cart beside him.

Lu Che Di Xian sighed inwardly, intending to properly appease the disciples in the temple.

Just then, another exclamation rang out:

"Palace Master...look, Palace Master's Great Elixir!"

Buzz!
The last ray of spiritual light on the five broken bodies detached itself, slowly rising and pulsating, showing an appearance that it was about to collapse at any moment.

Such a sight caused the expressions of Lu Che Di Xian and the others to change drastically.

They quickly shouted:

"Disciples, listen to my command! All those who have secretly colluded with the enemy have already been executed. You are all people of Mount Lu, so obey our orders, pray to Heaven, and pray for the blessings of the Mount Lu lineage and the true immortals of Mount Lu!"

"Disciples, heed my command! Swear an oath, word by word, as I command. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy!!"

Their shouts, whether generous or menacing, came from their mouths.

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu and the others trembled and quickly replied, "Disciples obey."

Immediately, led by Lu Che Di Xian and others, Fang Shu and the others prostrated themselves, worshipping the five remaining corpses above, and uttering the following:

"By the grace of Heaven and the immortals above, we, the descendants, humbly pray: May the lineage of Taoism be revived, may our ancestors bless us, and may we establish and continue the lineage."

We now offer up the very essence of Mount Lu, humbly requesting our sect leader to refine his spirit and ascend to the ranks of immortals!

The shouts, which at first sounded chaotic, quickly became unified and resounded.

Whoohoo!
A powerful aura then rose from beyond the mound, causing the entire Lushan mountain range to tremble once more and dispelling the sorrow of the previous fall of the true immortal.

Boom!

The cyan light spot, which was about to dissipate, suddenly stabilized, and a mysterious, invisible aura came from outside the mound and slowly merged into it.

With the help of this aura, the azure light suddenly intensified, becoming lush and vibrant like flames, and swept in all directions, instantly enveloping the five fragmented bodies.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, with bones as the base, internal organs entering the abdomen, limbs extending, skin and flesh attached, and the five senses and seven orifices opening up... a complete human figure was slowly sculpted in the blue light.

The blue light spot also transformed into a human form.

He bowed to the five disciples on the mound from afar, then leaped into the human body in mid-air and did not escape again.

The five limbs are united as one; is this the completion of the Divine Refinement Technique?!
A look of great joy immediately appeared on everyone's faces. Some couldn't help but exclaim:

"It's done! It's done!!"

Those three elders couldn't help but shed tears, their clothes soaked with sobs, all of them weeping with joy.

In addition, bursts of chanting and whistling sounds echoed between heaven and earth, their clear and melodious tones suggesting a joyous celebration of this good thing.

(End of this chapter)