Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 76 The Method of Entering the Sect Early
After spending another half-day tidying up in the quiet room, Fang Shu no longer hesitated.

He leaped out of the well and excitedly went to find Du Yu'er, intending to compensate for the damaged rock wall in the quiet room and ask her where the master of the inn was, as he had something to tell her.

"What? You broke the quiet room? How badly? Is it unusable now?"

Upon hearing this, Du Yu'er asked Fang Shu with a strange expression.

Fang Shu could only cough lightly: "It can be used, but it's a bit undignified."

Du Yu'er spread her hands: "The inner courtyard's meditation room is a very important place in our academy, and only inner courtyard disciples can enter and exit. If you really feel that you have damaged the meditation room too much, then you can repair it yourself. Just ask the masters in the front courtyard for materials."

If you're too lazy to fix it, then just wait until the owner finds out, and then you can explain.

The other person paused for a moment, then added, "By the way, the Master is currently in seclusion, which has lasted for six or seven days. She is expected to emerge the day after tomorrow. You can go to the council hall to find her in the afternoon."

Fang Shu said in a deep voice, "Yes, thank you, Senior Sister Yu'er."

After saying goodbye and leaving, Fang Shu hesitated for a moment, then returned to the quiet room to take another look.

He found that the quiet room was indeed too messy and disorganized. If the owner of the building found out, it might lower his impression score in the other party's eyes.

So he thought to himself, "It's fine, I'm just building more bricks and stones outside of the iron pillars anyway."

This is not a difficult task for him now.

Afterwards, Fang Shu asked his second uncle to find someone to prepare thick, dark blue stones for him in the front yard.

He himself spent half a day carrying the stone into the courtyard, using his hands as knives to paste it piece by piece onto the walls of the meditation room, restoring it to its original state.

After finishing, Fang Shu looked at his neatly tidied quiet room and sighed with emotion:
"It seems we can't try this method again in the future."

We need to find a suitable place; otherwise, repairing it after it gets damaged will be quite a hassle.

Another day passed.

The owner of the guesthouse must have already left the pass, so Fang Shu hurriedly went to find him in the afternoon.

His purpose in going there was nothing more than to inform the other party that he had passed the tribulation of "soft bones and tender flesh" and officially become a second-tribulation Refining Immortal.

Such a breakthrough in cultivation is a purely good thing, and Fang Shu would not hide it from even his own master.

He secretly hoped that his master would give him some benefits in return for his hard work and rapid progress in cultivation.

With a different thought in mind, Fang Shu strode into the council hall.

Upon entering, he discovered that he was not the only one who had come today. There were others waiting in the council hall, who must have also been waiting for several days and knew that the master of the pavilion had come out of seclusion today, so they came over specifically to catch a glimpse of him.

This person was none other than Qin Min, the most admired disciple of the Dugu Pavilion.

Qin Min seemed to have been talking with the owner of the private club for quite some time. When Fang Shu walked over, he heard the other woman speaking in a low voice:
"Yes, Master, I will study it carefully."

After a few brief words, the innkeeper served tea and saw the guest out: "In that case, you may leave now."

After taking a sip of tea, the owner of the inn turned her gaze to Fang Shu, who was approaching. She didn't say anything, but simply gestured to Fang Shu with her eyes, telling him to speak his mind.

Seeing this, Fang Shu spoke up decisively:

“Reporting to Master, I have now passed through the second tribulation and have come to inquire about matters concerning cultivation to the third tribulation.”

"Ahem." The owner of the pavilion didn't pay much attention at first, assuming that Fang Shu had some questions about cultivation. Thinking more broadly, she just assumed that Fang Shu was preparing to undergo his second tribulation and had come to ask about the key points of the tribulation.

To her surprise, her disciple passed the second tribulation without uttering a sound, which truly took her by surprise.

Not only was the owner of the hall taken aback, but Qin Min, who was walking towards the exit of the hall, also heard it.

The woman couldn't help but turn her head and glance back at Fang Shu, her eyes showing a strange look.

Faced with the owner's surprise, Fang Shu calmly bowed.

next moment.

The owner of the inn suddenly stood up, came to Fang Shu's side, and stretched out his withered hand, gesturing for Fang Shu to lend a hand.

Fang Shuru extended his hand as instructed.

Bang! Bang!
The two men's arms collided, and he took two blows from the master of the inn, before letting out a muffled groan and taking only two steps back.

"It seems it has indeed survived the second ordeal, and its quality is quite good."

The owner of the pavilion clicked his tongue and said, "What kind of precious marrow did you refine? It feels somewhat different from the Gu marrow in our pavilion."

Fang Shu's answer was completely unvarnished:
"Reporting to Master, I used the Lead Transformation Technique and mercury as medicine to refine White Mercury Marrow." Upon hearing the words "White Mercury Marrow," the Master of the Du Pavilion showed no surprise. He simply nodded, as if he had already guessed this and was merely confirming it aloud.

Faced with Fang Shu's practice of using lead-based kung fu as the primary method and insect-based kung fu as a supplementary method, the other party did not feel there was anything wrong with it, nor did they feel that Fang Shu's actions were suspected of deviating from the school's principles.

The owner of the independent shop even praised it:
"The Lead Refining Marrow Technique is quite dangerous and rare. If you can use this method to overcome tribulation, and then supplement it with the toxicity of lead and mercury to obtain a White Mercury Poison Marrow, the combination is quite wonderful."

She looked at Fang Shu with a smile: "Did you come up with this yourself, or did someone tell you?"

Fang Shu possessed the complete manuals of the Insect Technique and the Lead Technique, and he was already thoroughly familiar with the contents of the first and second tribulations of both techniques. Naturally, this was a choice he made after careful consideration, not a random one.

"It was my own idea," he replied respectfully.

These words made the owner of the private residence look at him with even more admiration:
"Your comprehension is truly remarkable; you are not bound by the techniques of this school and can independently study their strengths and weaknesses."

After praising Fang Shu, the old woman then pondered for a moment and said:

"In about a year, you will be able to overcome the first and second tribulations. If you put in more effort, you might be able to join the sect ahead of schedule next spring. At that time, you will not be eighteen yet."

Fang Shu's expression shifted slightly, and he asked, "What does 'entering the sect ahead of schedule' mean?"

"This matter is also called the 'Spring Examination'," the host explained with a smile.

Originally, in Guling Town, the way ordinary Taoist disciples, and even the scattered immortals in the market, could join the immortal sect was to pass through the third tribulation and complete the cultivation of the third tribulation, so that their bodies would be thoroughly tempered before they could be selected to join the immortal sect and try to obtain the opportunity to refine qi.

This is also the most common path; it's suitable for those under 18, under 25, and even under 35.

However, besides this method, there is another path to enter the sect, which is specifically designed for Daoist children under the age of eighteen.

Once a disciple has passed the third tribulation, regardless of when they passed it, they can participate in the selection competition.

Once successfully selected, the young disciples will be able to enter the Immortal Sect ahead of time for a study tour that lasts for more than three months, totaling one hundred days.

If the novice has not made much progress after a hundred days, he will be released and sent back down the mountain. He will be allowed to rejoin the immortal sect after he has completed the third tribulation.

The owner of the independent museum spoke eloquently:

"Don't think three months is too short. Three months of cultivation within the Immortal Sect is equivalent to three years of cultivation at the foot of the mountain."

Therefore, although it was only three months, those who had joined the sect earlier, with the exception of a small number, basically did not leave the mountain to choose to rejoin the immortal sect.

After a pause, the owner of the private club continued:
"But not all of those who didn't return have succeeded in Qi Refining. Many of them are still like ordinary Daoist disciples, either dying on the path of Qi Refining or too ashamed to go down the mountain to see their relatives and friends, so they have been suffering on the mountain ever since."

Fang Shu understood and said as if he had grasped something:
"Even if you have just passed the third tribulation, you only need to cultivate within the Immortal Sect for three months to reach the peak of Refining Essence. At that time, you will naturally not need to go down the mountain."

The owner of the private club gave Fang Shu an approving look: "That's exactly right."

Then she said with a hint of something:

"Such opportunities for the imperial examinations are usually held only once every two or three years, and a batch is selected before the selection process begins. You are not young anymore, and if you miss this batch, you will have to take the conventional route to join the sect."

The old woman seemed to be encouraging Fang Shu, both openly and secretly, to compete for the spot to enter the sect ahead of time.

This made Fang Shu wonder if, if he succeeded, the other party might also make a profit.

However, this early entry into the sect was indeed an opportunity for him!
Fang Shu said in a deep voice:

"This disciple understands. I will definitely continue to work hard and cultivate diligently in order to participate in the spring examination and enter the sect ahead of schedule!"

"Excellent!" The owner of the private club looked pleased.

Her eyes were filled with anticipation and a look of great confidence, seemingly even more joyful than Fang Shu himself after his breakthrough.

"Oh, right." Coming to his senses, the owner of the private club added:

"Since you are working so hard, you must be rewarded. Go find Master Snake and choose something from his treasure vault."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu finally showed joy on his face.

Just as he expected, he was able to gain another benefit from this visit to his master.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the owner of the private residence and listening to his teachings on cultivation, Fang Shu respectfully left the council hall.

As soon as he stepped out of the door, he walked briskly toward the basement of the Dugu Pavilion to collect a valuable item.

But just then, a voice rang out in the hall, crisp and clear:
"Senior brother, please wait!"

(End of this chapter)