Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 38 Purple Lead Poison Blood Gains Favor, Immortals and Mortals Separated (5 words)
Fang Shu followed the master of the Dugu Pavilion into the backyard of the Dugu Pavilion, a place he had never been before.

The furnishings in the backyard were no different from those in the front yard, except that there were more houses and the space was slightly more spacious.

However, this scene was quite novel to him.

The group entered what appeared to be a reception room, where the owner of the mansion sat in a chair and said in a nonchalant tone:

"Now that you've entered the inner courtyard, you still have to ask the questions you need to ask."

"Fang Shu, would you be willing to become my disciple, the master of a master, not the disciple of the one in the front courtyard, and to become a formal disciple in my Dugu Hall?"

While there is a bond of incense offering between the disciples and the temple during the front courtyard practice, incense money is collected and receipts are issued. Although both are called "Master," the meaning is more like "teacher," or more accurately, "teacher."

Entering the backyard means that from now on, there will be no more tuition fees. The dojo will occasionally provide some compensation. You will only need to spend your own money when purchasing elixirs and other items, but there will be discounts.

Correspondingly, once the master-disciple relationship is formally established, the master is like a father to the disciple. If the disciple is in trouble, the master must stand up for him; if the master is in trouble, the disciple must serve him.

Many strict dojos will conduct further investigations before accepting formal disciples to avoid tarnishing their reputation by admitting mediocre or unworthy individuals.

Fang Shu was naturally overjoyed to be accepted as a disciple by the master of the Dugu Sect.

He immediately prostrated himself and kowtowed three times:
"Master, please accept my disciple's bow!"

A smile appeared on the face of the Dugu Pavilion Master, while Senior Sister Yu'er next to him quickly took a cup of tea and handed it to Fang Shu, who then served it to him.

After drinking this cup of tea, their master-disciple relationship was officially established. As for the subsequent registration, instruction of rules, and explanation of treatment, these were all miscellaneous matters and could be dealt with later.

The owner gestured for Fang Shu to stand up: "I don't have many rules here. We're all family. Stand up and sit down to talk."

Then, the old woman sat down in the armchair and slowly ate her tea, without giving any further instructions or asking Fang Shu to do anything else.

Seeing this, Senior Sister Yu'er gave Fang Shu a wink, signaling him to be patient, and then she said goodbye and secretly slipped away.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, Fang Shu thought his actions today were commendable, but he was unsure what the master of the pavilion wanted to do or whether he wanted to test his character further.

So he sat comfortably in the chair, focusing his attention on his nose and mind, quietly circulating the nascent Qi and blood within his body to refine his entire being.

Once formed, Qi and Blood are truly miraculous. They resemble a stream of heat, a warm current, or even a powerful force generated by the contraction of muscles throughout the body. Except for bone marrow and brain, they can reach everywhere.

When the Qi and blood circulate to a certain part of the Fangshu (a specific area), that part will quickly become congested with blood, swell and harden, like wearing armor.

Fang Shu glanced at his body and noticed that his skin had a purplish-black color and a metallic texture.

As he secretly tried to control his qi and blood, the master of the Du family suddenly spoke up:
"You have mastered the insect technique of this hall, and the lead technique of the Burning Tail Hall. You have also successfully passed the ritual of the Scorpion Pit. The precious blood you have refined should be somewhere between the two and can be called 'Purple Lead Poison Blood'."

As for the specific uses of this blood, you can figure it out for yourself, but it essentially possesses the unique benefits of both poisonous and lead-infused blood, surpassing the ordinary.

"Purple lead poison blood?" Fang Shu pondered for a moment, then immediately cupped his hands in greeting:

"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Master."

Having received confirmation from his master that the precious blood refined by Fang Shu was no ordinary substance, the weight on his heart was completely lifted, replaced by a look of joy.

However, Fang Shu suppressed his emotions and remained silent in his seat, showing no emotion.

He also stopped trying to manipulate the qi and blood, and simply circulated the qi and blood within his physical cavity, letting it flow and polish like a boat being pushed by the current.

After this process of refinement, he entered a semi-meditative state, unaware of the passage of time.

However, during this time, Fang Shu's senses were extremely sharp; even the hairs on his body could detect the sound of his own breathing.

So when undisguised footsteps sounded outside the council hall an hour later, he immediately woke up and got up, knowing that it was Senior Sister Yu'er who had arrived.

"Senior Sister Yu." Fang Shu stood up to greet her.

Senior Sister Yu'er gestured to Fang Shu that there was no need for further formalities, and then reported to the head of the Du Pavilion: "Grandma, people from the Seven Fragrance Pavilion have arrived, and they have brought an apology."

The owner of the guesthouse seemed to have anticipated this, showing no surprise whatsoever, and simply asked:

Who was sent?

"The Seven Fragrances Pavilion Master came here on his own and is now waiting in the courtyard for an audience."

Upon hearing that it was the owner of the Seven Fragrances Pavilion in person, the Pavilion Master narrowed her eyes slightly, a mocking smile appearing on her face, and whispered:

"At least they have some sense of propriety; they didn't send any servants to make excuses. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite and not understanding the rules of the market."

Fang Shu listened from the sidelines. Although the owner of the pavilion did not say anything specific, his demeanor clearly showed that he did not take the Seven Fragrance Pavilion seriously.

This made him realize that his decision to refuse the prize offered by the incense dance today was a very wise one!

Sure enough, the owner of the Du Pavilion was too lazy to even see the owner of the Seven Fragrance Pavilion, and casually said, "I've accepted the gifts, so there's no need to see the person. Just see the guest out."

Upon hearing this, Senior Sister Yu'er showed no surprise and left in response.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard of the Dugu Pavilion.

When the owner of Qixianglou saw that the owner of Duguanlou refused to see her, the woman's face stiffened slightly. She knew that her actions had ultimately damaged the relationship between the two families.

But she didn't say much. Instead, she breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw that Senior Sister Yu'er had accepted the generous gift from her.

When Senior Sister Yu'er entered the council hall carrying generous gifts, Master Du glanced at them and pointed to the amount of money in the gifts—at least tens of thousands—for medicine. He instructed Senior Sister Yu'er to take the money directly to the medicine hall.

As for the other generous gift, she weighed it in her hand and then casually tossed it to Fang Shu:
"Take it. There's nothing wrong with the items. Feel free to use them."

You've earned me face, so I can't let you suffer a loss. This is a good way to repay you, and it'll save me the trouble of figuring out what else to reward you with.

Fang Shu was surprised. After a moment of hesitation, he didn't stand on ceremony and simply cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your reward, Master."

He then opened the object wrapped in red silk and found a jade pendant inside, with a missing ring, shaped like a dragon or snake.

This item feels cool to the touch and is quite similar to the Plain Moon Jade that Fang Shu broke, but it is even more full of spiritual energy and looks quite heavy, probably weighing more than two ounces.

Senior Sister Yu'er glanced at it and explained with a smile, "This is also a Pure Moon Jade. It looks brand new, unused and without any impurities. It's easy to nurture it. Junior Brother is lucky."

Fang Shu suddenly realized.

Such personal items are naturally inferior to secondhand ones, and this Plain Moon Jade is obviously heavier and clearer than Xiang Xingwu's, probably worth 50,000 talismans!
He hurriedly tried to get up, but the owner of the shop stopped him with a gesture, shaking his head and chuckling, "Sure enough, it's a merchant's trick. They have new jade, but they still have to bring out an old piece of jade for people to snatch."

"Just accept it and use it; don't hesitate and embarrass me."

These words left Fang Shu speechless.

He readily agreed and didn't get up to thank the owner, but simply cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

The owner of the private club then waved his hand impatiently:
"Alright. You two can leave now. Yu'er, this fellow has just entered the inner courtyard, so there might be things he doesn't understand. You can take him around and show him around."

"Yes."

Fang Shu and Du Yu'er bid farewell and left.

After the two figures disappeared, the usually calm and collected owner of the inn suddenly became lively.

The old woman's eyes gleamed, and her face showed obvious delight. She muttered to herself:
"You've taken away one of my resolute talents, but gifted me with a talent for Gu magic. My luck is neither good nor bad!"

However, amidst her joy, a conflicted expression appeared on her face:
"This child comes from the mortal world. Although he has been improved by the Lead Skill, his physical constitution is still not high."

Should we allocate some of the royal jelly we're giving Bao'er to him instead?

Such a sensible, insightful, persevering, and benevolent disciple, even without spiritual roots, is a rare find in the entire market and has a high chance of joining a celestial sect.

Fang Shu's performance today, in particular, has delighted the owner of the museum.

It should be noted that although Qixianglou was instigating Shi Hou's matter, it was Shi Hou's own choice, and it was indeed possible to gamble on the future, so she could not interfere, much less openly retaliate.

Fang Shu's appearance served as a slap in the face for her and for the Dugu Sect.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to establish their master-disciple relationship in just a few words.

For a while.

The owner of the private school looked conflicted, experiencing for the first time the bitterness of having too many outstanding disciples.

She also knew that if things weren't handled properly, it could affect the relationship between Qin Min and Fang Shu, which was the last thing she wanted to see.

………………

the other side.

"There's also a pharmacy in the backyard, separate from the front, and it's staffed day and night by masters or employees." Senior Sister Yu'er dutifully led Fang Shu, introducing the layout of the backyard:

"This is the meditation room. Unlike the front courtyard, the back courtyard is semi-underground, made of cast bronze and iron, and has been set up with arrays, resembling a series of wells. You will need to stay here for the next seven days."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu cast a questioning glance at him.

Senior Sister Yu'er chuckled softly:

"You have just completed your tribulation and still have seven days for blood exchange. Only after the blood exchange is complete will you become a true first-tribulation refinement immortal, which means you will have to quietly seclude yourself for seven days."

Furthermore, there are specific rules for these seven days. You must fast for seven days, but you cannot take any fasting pills or other medications. You will not eat or drink anything but water, and you will nourish yourself with spiritual energy.

The other party spoke eloquently:

"Only by enduring such hunger can your body undergo maximum blood exchange and digest the spiritual toxins within."

This is also a little trick. Many immortals outside the temple, after luckily surviving their tribulations, think that they need to eat and drink excessively and take rich supplements in order to better nourish their bodies, but this is actually a big mistake.

Excessive intake of grains and other unhealthy substances, as well as external medicinal substances, will only diminish the little potential one has painstakingly accumulated during the tribulation.

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu immediately understood.

He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister Yu'er!"

Upon hearing this, Senior Sister Yu'er's ponytail swayed behind her head, and her steps became light and quick.

"Why keep calling me Senior Sister Yu'er? We're not that much different in age. Just call me 'Du Yu'er' or 'Yu'er'."

Hurry up, there are other fun places to visit, I'll tell you about them too.

Fang Shu looked at the beautiful young woman with long legs ahead and quickly followed.

Although the backyard was large, it didn't take long to introduce it, and we didn't encounter any other disciples during the trip.

Compared to the disciples who received tuition, the formal disciples of the Dugu Pavilion are much freer and more mysterious, and they don't often stay in the pavilion.

When the two returned to the quiet room in the backyard, it was time to part ways.

Du Yu'er pointed to the underground meditation chamber ahead, where rows of bronze pillars were arranged in a formation:
"Alright, go up and pick one. You can choose any of them that don't have a closed-door training sign."

Fang Shu nodded, but before leaving, he asked the other person one more question about Shi Hou out of curiosity.

Du Yu'er said frankly:

"There is no immediate danger to my life, but my path to immortality is ruined. I no longer have the foundation to transcend tribulations, nor any great opportunity. To attempt it would be tantamount to courting death. However, the strength I have accumulated over the years can be restored with proper care, and I might be able to cultivate a few spells to make a living in the future."

Also, Shi Hou is still unconscious. Even if he wakes up tonight, he'll need to stay in bed for another six or seven days, so you don't need to go. You can visit him when you finish your seclusion.”

Fang Shu nodded, then cupped his hands in farewell and stepped into the quiet room in the backyard alone.

Before entering the meditation room, he looked back and noticed that Du Yu'er had not left immediately.

The other person watched him leave, even smiling and waving at him, signaling him to hurry inside.

Next.

One day, two days, three days...

Fang Shu sat alone in the quiet room that resembled the mouth of a well, enduring hunger and subsisting only on water.

All the waste in its intestines and abdomen is completely emptied.

Because the immortals expended a great deal of energy, in just a few days, his cheeks became thin and his body became much thinner.

However, Fang Shu's spirit was extremely high, and his eyes shone like candlelight.

He could also clearly feel that the vitality within his body had been undergoing a continuous transformation over the past seven days, and the purplish-black blood and qi around his body seemed to be about to escape.

However, the indescribable hunger was even more persistent, like a venomous snake coiling around him, making him sometimes dizzy and unaware of the passage of time.

Fortunately, although he did not bring any medicine with him during his seclusion, he did bring with him the Jade Pendant of the Moon.

That night, the bright moon hung high in the sky.

Fang Shu held the jade pendant and stood quietly in a stance. His breathing was deep, and a dark purple-black light, like flowing water or a python, swirled heavily around his chest, abdomen, and limbs, which was quite astonishing.

What was even more surprising was that, with the guidance of his breathing, pieces of moonlight suddenly fell from the night sky, landing on him like snowflakes, and melting away in the blink of an eye.

Now that he has entered the first stage of the Refining Essence Immortal Realm, and with the assistance of the Su Yue Jade Pendant, Fang Shu was able to capture the moonlight that had previously gone unnoticed for months in just a few days.

Bathed in moonlight, the shadowy aura around him intensified, and his muscles twitched spontaneously, creating a unified and aesthetically pleasing effect.

Fang Shu continued this breathing exercise for three hours before slowly waking up from his cultivation.

When it opened its eyes, they were brighter than candlelight, able to see through the darkness, as if it were already wearing a fox fur.

He moved his body and took a few steps in the well, his movements ghostly and even more agile than when he was wearing the fox fur.

In particular, when Fang Shu looked up, he saw that the ten-foot-long aura of blood essence rising above his head was vigorous and abundant. Compared with when he was undergoing tribulation, it no longer had a chaotic feeling, but rather a feeling of burning slowly.

The smoke from the well rises straight, and the moon shines full over the solitary pavilion at night.

At this moment, Fang Shu knew that his physical body had completed a seven-day blood transfusion, and all the blood in his body had been transformed into "purple lead poison blood".

Every move he made was perfectly synchronized with his breathing and blood circulation, making him a true immortal!

A faint joy filled his heart. On a whim, he wanted to see what his blood would look like after the blood transfusion of his purple lead poison blood was completed, whether it would be a deep purple-black.

So he wiped his mouth, took out the long tongue sword, and slashed it across his forearm.

The sensation of a dull knife cutting through cowhide appeared in his hands, which surprised him.

Immediately following was a cutting pain, but under Fang Shu's influence, blood and qi rushed to it, and the pain was immediately suppressed and isolated.

Seemingly heavy droplets of lead- and mercury-like blood were squeezed out of the wound, resembling freshly molten iron.

Its color was not purplish-black, but rather purplish-red. Under the moonlight, the blood droplets shimmered with a silvery light, making them quite mysterious.

The precious blood slid onto the ground, immediately emitting a sizzling sound. It corroded the hard black stone slab, creating pits half a finger deep. Its toxicity was even more ferocious than the poisonous blood in the scorpion pit!

Upon seeing this scene, Fang Shu was not horrified; instead, he smiled.

With a gentle shake of his arm, the skin and flesh of his forearm closed up, becoming tight and firm, leaving only a purple line, making it impossible to tell that it was a wound that had just been cut.

With his hands behind his back, he walked in the moonlight with the bright moon above his head and the bottom of the well under his feet, feeling a sense of joy and tranquility in his body and mind.

Fang Shu couldn't help but murmur:
"Sitting alone in a well, I am like a frog, my body like a snake, nourishing my spirit."

"By nourishing the wind and drinking the moon, one can exchange precious blood; with perfect health and strength, one becomes an immortal."

From now on, he will be strong and healthy, free from illness and disease, immune to heat and cold, and able to control all kinds of pain, including bloating, stabbing, cold, burning, cramping, dull, and severe pain.

They are extraordinary beings who can learn magic, wield magical implements, and cast spells with greater ease, capturing demons and ghosts without harming their bodies, and whose lifespan can reach the natural lifespan of 120 years.

This is called the Refining Immortal, an immortal among men!
………………

Blood transfusion complete,

The next morning.

Fang Shu leaped out of the well with ease, like a python emerging from its hole, and walked out of the backyard toward the medicine hall in the front yard.

Soon, he spotted several fellow disciples in the medicine hall who appeared to have failed to break through their cultivation levels.

One of them had already woken up.

The other person was sitting blankly with their back to the bamboo bed, avoiding the sunlight coming through the window.

He was thin but tall, like a skeleton, and his body exuded the smell of medicine and depression, a stark contrast to his strong and robust appearance seven days ago.

This man was none other than Shi Hou.

Now, a single thought has led to a world of difference.

(End of this chapter)