Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 85 Revealing the True Colors of Those with Spiritual Roots

Without waiting for Fang Shu's response, the innkeeper spoke in a deep voice:
"Min'er, it's just helping out, what's wrong with giving it to Fang Shu?"

Even though the owner of the pavilion had said that, Qin Min just lowered her head, pursed her lips and remained silent, without taking back what she had just said.

This made the owner of the private club frown even more.

She wasn't dissatisfied with Qin Min's temper. That's normal for capable people. What she was vaguely sensing was that a conflict had likely arisen between her two disciples.

"Could it be that his recent interactions with outsiders have made him more arrogant?" the owner of the inn pondered to himself.

Just as she was pondering whether to force Qin Min back, Fang Shu took half a step forward.

He responded calmly:

"I never need anyone to give me anything. Since Junior Sister Qin Min wants to test my skills, then come on."

Qin Min heard this and her eyes snapped open.

"Alright!" She shouted first, without waiting for the owner of the private residence to agree or disagree.
"Senior Brother Fang Shu has guts."

*Smack!*

The woman's vital energy, nearly three zhang in length, suddenly surged upwards, burning like a torch before everyone's eyes. She was clearly not far from overcoming her third tribulation.

With a sudden surge of energy, Qin Min simply raised her hand and pressed down on Fang Shu.

Upon seeing this, Fang Shu's blood and qi immediately surged.

His aura was not the two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) that he had just broken through to the second tribulation, but more than two zhang and four chi (approximately 6.6 meters) in height. Moreover, its texture was solid, indicating that he had been breaking through for a long time and had been painstakingly honed.

Bang! The two bodies collided, like two giant rocks, making a loud noise.

Seeing that the two had already started fighting, the owner of the private club suppressed her other thoughts and kept a close eye on the scene.

To her relief, both Qin Min and Fang Shu knew that today was just a friendly sparring match within the gym, not an opportunity to help others fight outside.

Therefore, both of them only gathered their qi and blood, without using any magic or other techniques.

Bang bang bang!
After testing each other for a while, Qin Min and Fang Shu clearly saw the other's level of qi and blood. The former showed an arrogant smile, while the latter's expression became slightly serious.

"Two zhang and four chi?" Qin Min exclaimed with a smile.

"His Qi and Blood levels are so-so. Now, it all depends on whether Senior Brother Fang Shu's physique can handle it!"

This guy took a deep breath, assumed a fist-fighting stance, his arms like whips, his blood and qi gathered in his hands, and with a crack, he drew out the air and pounced fiercely towards Fang Shu's chest.

Judging from her stance, although she didn't use any magic in this attack, she clearly used at least 90% of her strength to give Fang Shu a hard time.

Roar! Even the blood and qi in her body condensed into a python phantom, emitting an invisible shriek.

This scene shocked the other disciples around them.

They were not only shocked by Qin Min's cultivation level, but also by her powerful aura, which could not have been cultivated in a short time.

One of the disciples present thought to himself, "No wonder Junior Sister Qin Min is so enthusiastic about sparring with people outside the school. It seems she has really learned something from these exchanges."

Even the head of the Du Pavilion, upon seeing the aura emanating from Qin Min, relaxed her brows slightly, realizing that Qin Min had not neglected her cultivation these past few days.

And the other side.

Even though Qin Min's aura was like a python, Fang Shu's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't even glance at the serpentine phantom surrounding Qin Min.

He didn't dodge, but instead rallied his own energy, his eyes blazing, and he mentally shouted, "Weigh me? Let me see just how good this so-called spiritual root cultivator really is!"

Whoohoo!
Fang Shu's blood and qi were purplish-red and black, with a metallic silver light, and gathered into a shape like a raging flame.

He faced Qin Min's attack head-on, meeting her head-on.

Boom!

Like a muffled thunderclap, followed by the sound of sizzling soybeans, the two collided head-on, their blood and qi exploding, and their bones crackling and popping.

In an instant, all the stone bricks within a ten-foot radius beneath their feet shattered.

Many of the inner disciples standing in the hall felt their minds go blank, their eardrums trembling from the impact of the energy surge.

But they stared intently at the arena, eager to see who was more skilled between Fang Shu and Qin Min.

The two were less than an inch apart, their arms clasped together, their qi and blood spreading out like exploding candle flames.

Both Qin Min and Fang Shu had tense expressions, and neither showed any sign of defeat.

However, after a stalemate of three breaths, Qin Min finally withdrew her hand swiftly and returned to her original position with a calm and collected demeanor, leaving Fang Shu still standing there, his body stiff, continuing to calm his breathing, without immediately getting up to finish his practice.

Such signs undoubtedly highlight the gap between the two, with Qin Min ultimately emerging victorious.

A disciple in the hall exclaimed in a low voice, "Junior Sister Qin Min is truly remarkable!"

"The strength of his qi and blood just now, even an ordinary three-tribulation immortal might not be able to achieve that." Some disciples were also surprised by Fang Shu's performance: "This junior brother Fang Shu usually doesn't show off, but now he can fight Qin Min in the arena. He is truly remarkable."

"Hmph! It's probably because Junior Sister Qin Min gave him face and held back a bit."

The hall was in a state of chaos for a while.

The owner of the guesthouse sat in a grand chair, watching the two closely. Seeing that they separated and did not fight again, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately, she looked at the two of them with satisfaction and joy in her eyes.

Qin Min's strength of qi and blood made her quite expectant, and coupled with her spiritual root, she should be able to join a celestial sect without any problems.

Fang Shu's performance today also demonstrated his considerable strength, making him a rising star. If we also consider his Gu techniques, he is a potential candidate for a celestial sect!

However, she did not show it, but simply gave the order: "Now that we have tested your fists, let's stop here for today. You may all return to your rooms to cultivate."

The disciples wanted to discuss it further, but after hearing the sect leader speak, they dared not speak out like Qin Min had.

The crowd responded in hushed tones, "Yes, disciples take their leave."

Inside the hall, Fang Shu took a deep breath and slowly put away his boxing stance.

He felt every muscle in his body trembling, especially his arms that had blocked Qin Min's attack; the bones in his arms were faintly cracking.

Fortunately, he possessed the White Mercury Poison Marrow, so his bones, though fractured, did not break and he was otherwise unharmed. He could recover completely after a night's rest.

On the contrary, his internal energy and blood were greatly depleted in that short time, and he needs to go back and take some medicine to replenish it.

"So this is what it means to be a person with spiritual roots... Not only is their cultivation speed excellent, but the strength of their condensed blood and qi is also no less than that of my blood and qi, which I have refined by consuming a large number of precious medicines."

Fang Shu secretly processed the punch he had just tested and judged, "This woman's aura is strong but not fierce, and she seems somewhat weak and wasting her energy. This is probably because she has never seen blood before."

However, regardless of the circumstances, Qin Min is indeed someone highly regarded by the owner of the mansion, and she should not be underestimated.

Fang Shu currently lags behind his opponent in terms of magical power cultivation.

However, after understanding this, Fang Shu was not discouraged at all; on the contrary, he was invigorated!

Today he finally saw the true quality of those with spiritual roots. They were only temporarily a step above him, not someone unattainable.

The difference between spiritual roots and mortal roots is completely different from what everyone in the academy thinks. The former is too much of a chosen one, too high and mighty, while the latter is humble, like the difference between clouds and mud!

All of these thoughts flashed through Fang Shu's mind at lightning speed.

In the main hall, he calmly finished his practice, let out a long breath, and then spoke:
"This disciple will also take his leave."

The owner nodded to him and added an extra instruction:
"It's just helping out. Outsiders are impatient, but we're not. We'll rest for a few more days before we go."

"Yes, Master," Fang Shu replied, bowing respectfully.

He lagged behind the other disciples and walked steadily toward the outside.

Inside the hall.

Qin Min maintained a calm and composed expression as she stood beside the owner of the mansion. Her demeanor remained arrogant, as if Fang Shu's performance had barely caught her eye and earned her some approval.

But even after Fang Shu disappeared, her gaze remained fixed on the doorway, and she didn't look away.

At this moment, the owner of the private residence couldn't help but smile. After shaking his head, he flickered and disappeared from the spot, leaving Qin Min alone in the hall.

After everyone had left, the woman let out a muffled groan, her face showing a troubled and serious expression.

"Fang Shu, I really underestimated you."

Her eyes seemed to be burning with fire, and there was blood showing at the corner of her mouth.

Clearly, during the test of her fists just now, her actual situation was not as calm and collected as she appeared.

It could even be said that her internal organs and ligaments suffered some internal injuries because she had acted arrogantly and hadn't properly released her energy, making her condition even worse than Fang Shu's.

"Pah!" Qin Min spat out a mouthful of saliva tinged with blood.

She took a deep breath, feeling a slight stinging pain in her lungs, and her eyes blazed with even more fire, along with a hint of shame and annoyance.

Despite her self-perceived reputation in the town, she never expected that someone would dare to challenge her in her own restaurant.

Recalling their exchange of blows, Qin Min vaguely sensed that Fang Shu possessed an even more sinister and vicious magical power that he hadn't yet unleashed. If he had, she feared she would truly make a fool of herself today.

Suppressing her emotions, Qin Min walked silently toward the quiet room in the backyard.

And the other side.

After returning to his room, Fang Shu didn't think too much about it.

He calmly honed his qi and blood, repaired his muscles and bones, put the matter of testing his fists out of his mind, and began to prepare for the real fist-fighting battle to come.

(End of this chapter)