The Legend of Fangren

The next morning.

Qu Yang, who rarely goes to bed early because he hasn't had any alcohol to drink, is preparing to go check on Fang Xiaozi's situation.

When he arrived at the door, he knocked, but there was no response. Looking down at his feet, he noticed several conspicuous cracks in the stone bricks at the doorway.

Having drunk for decades, he recognized at a glance that it was Fang Xiaozi who had hit him on the forehead, and couldn't help but feel a little smug: "I knew this kid would get drunk, otherwise wouldn't he be able to drink more than me?"

If that were the case, his title of the sect's Wine Immortal would have to change hands. Although passing it on to a disciple would be a form of inheritance, it's a pity he's still alive.

"Looks like that kid hasn't woken up yet."

So he decided to go to the kitchen first and bring the kid some breakfast.

But as soon as he turned around, a series of chaotic noises came from inside the room, seemingly coming from the second floor.

What happened?

As I looked up, I saw a shadow fall against the rising sun—it was… a brick?!

Qu Yang quickly retreated three meters in a flash, and in the blink of an eye, a pile of square logs landed where he had just been standing, with a square boy stuck upside down on the pile of logs.

"You little rascal, ambushing your master first thing in the morning?"

He stepped forward, picked the guy up, and looked him over: "Could it be that you're still drunk from last night? Why don't you throw you into the vegetable garden pond for a soak?"

Fang Shi hurriedly shouted, "Master, I'm awake!"

"I can tell."

Qu Yang rolled his eyes, thinking he was just teasing the silly boy, and threw him onto the pile of wood, asking, "Tell me, what happened? Did you awaken your Yin Xuan Form last night? Don't tell me these square pieces of wood are your Yin Xuan Form."

I know you're strong, but swinging a brick like that is too uncouth. You could at least use a stone brick instead.

"Of course not."

Sitting on the pile of wood, Fang Shi's eyes darted around, and he pulled out a wooden axe from behind him, saying, "Master, this is my natal weapon."

"Oh?"

Qu Yang took the wooden axe and examined it. "Why is there not a trace of mystical energy? Did you not imbue it with Yin Xuan energy?"

"Uh... I've already attached it," Fang Shi said quickly, "After all, it's my axe, so maybe it inherits my Xuan Qi."

"..."

Qu Yang thought about it and realized that this explanation might work, so he stopped worrying about it.

But... he asked again, "Since your Yin Xuan Xiang is an axe, why use this cheapest Sky Wood as material? If word gets out, outsiders will laugh at my Heaven and Earth Pavilion for being material-poor."

"Master, do we have any good ingredients?"

"Hmm..." Qu Yang thought about it carefully, then shrugged, "It seems we don't have any good ingredients. We mainly sell food."

Fang Shi: "..."

Wouldn't we deserve to be laughed at by outsiders?

"Hey~ don't be disappointed."

Seeing his apprentice's speechless expression, Qu Yang had no choice but to save face: "We may not have it, but Tiandi Pavilion is wealthy enough to buy good materials, surely we can?"

"Wow~~~" Fang Shi's eyes gradually filled with admiration.

"Besides, didn't you make quite a bit of money last month?"

"Master...do you not want to pay?"

"How could that be! Let me tell you, don't underestimate my wealth. It's just that we look down on the Xuanbing Pavilion in our sect that forges Xuan weapons. To be honest, that place is only used for making temporary Xuan weapons. Not many disciples go there to forge their natal Xuan weapons."

"But I am just an outer sect disciple." Fang Shi pointed to himself, his self-awareness was very clear.

"What did you say?"

Qu Yang slapped the unambitious boy and said, "You are the first and last disciple of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion, how could I not make you live up to expectations?"

"Master, what exactly is this mystical weapon of mine...?"

"Naturally, we should go to the Hall of Li Huo."

"Um, Master, does our sect have such a place?"

"Of course not."

Qu Yang pointed to the distance below the mountain: "The Fire Palace is located at the junction of the Eastern and Southern Realms in a place called 'Dragon Sparrow Mountain,' a place where mystical weapons are forged. It is extremely famous in the cultivation world and is at least tens of thousands of miles away from our Cangmu Valley."

"Then Master..." Fang Shi smiled slightly, "Do you intend for your disciple to die on the way?"

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll hang you on the mountain gate first."

After intimidating Fang Shi and confirming that he was honest, Qu Yang continued, "The other Heavenly Rank disciples under the elders should also be reaching the Nourishing Realm by now. At that time, the sect will organize you to go down the mountain, with a Grand Elder leading several Junior Elders to take you to the Li Huo Hall."

"Uh, fly there?"

"Wrong, walk there."

"Okay, I was wrong. It's not that you want me to die, Master. It's that the sect wants us to die halfway through."

No sooner had he finished speaking than *slap!* A slap landed on Fang Shi's nameplate, which was now hanging on the Heaven and Earth Pavilion.

Withdrawing his hand, Qu Yang looked up and said, "I made you walk there to train you, do you understand?"

He paced back and forth below, saying, "All disciples of the sect, once they reach the Nourishing Realm, will be arranged by the sect to go down the mountain for trials. These trials are not meant to make things difficult for you, but to let you see the mortal world and the cruelty of the cultivation path, so that you can think about your future goals. Secondly, it is to give you some opportunities to fight, to hone what you have learned on the mountain, and to help the mortal people eliminate evil and accumulate good karma."

Although the immortal cultivation sects are located on the mountains, they have not severed their ties with the mortal world. In the vast world, the human race is but a drop in the ocean, and the millions of people are the foundation of the race, passing on the torch from generation to generation.

Disciples of a sect descend the mountain not only for training but also to protect the local people.

Furthermore, training within a sect is ultimately different from actual combat. Without real battles, even a disciple with the aptitude of a Heavenly Rank disciple who reaches the Nourishing Breath Realm will remain unstable and unsteady.

Only through the process of battle and reflection can the inner cosmos truly be stabilized, allowing one to perceive the Yin-Yang Mystery.

Only then, upon arriving at the Fire Palace, can one forge their natal artifact and break through to the Qi Gathering Realm.

"After you have forged your natal weapon, the elders will lead you through the cities on the edge of the boundary on your way back. You will face some monsters and mystical beasts. There will be many dangers, so please be careful."

Qu Yang's words seemed to be explaining something, and the previous relaxed atmosphere was gone.

"Yes, Master." Fang Shi also became more serious.

He didn't forget the cruelty of the path of cultivation just because he stayed on the mountain for two months. The many spiritual treasures needed for cultivation cannot be easily obtained through buying and selling. In the end, he still needs to enter the world to undergo tribulations and find the Dao fruit in the four seas and eight wastelands.

"Okay, get down now."

Fang Shi obediently jumped down.

"There are still two weeks before you descend the mountain. Prepare your own travel supplies in your Tianfang Ring. Although the captain will also carry some travel money, the amount is limited and you should not use it recklessly."

"Yes, I'll go prepare some luggage right away," Fang Shi nodded.

We block people love hoarding supplies, but we don't know how many supplies are needed for a journey of tens of thousands of miles.

He didn't know, so a thought popped into his head—in any case, let's fill up that square platform inside his body that's several hundred meters long first.

Amidst laughter and conversation, who knows how many more mountain peaks will be bald?