"Thank you."
One battle had made him see his own limitations clearly.
And with his strength acknowledged, he had smoothly completed a side quest and received an extra reward from the Main God.
Fang Xiu was naturally in a good mood.
What was more, this Corpse-Dissection Immortal was willing to share her cultivation experience... If the Main God added charm and luck attributes alongside the six-dimensional stats, he figured his rating would be pretty high.
Of course, perhaps it could still be explained by that team-building perk. After all, the Main God was especially lenient toward teams that had been wiped out.
The thought flashed through his mind, and Fang Xiu began exchanging insights with her.
Though for most of the time that followed, Yanxu Daoji did the talking while he passively absorbed her words.
"Unfortunately, I'm not skilled in combat techniques."
"No, this is already more than enough."
About five hours later, the sky had turned a faint red and the sun was about to set. Only then did the two of them bring their friendly discussion to a close.
Of the four essentials—wealth, companions, methods, and a suitable place—companions did not necessarily mean a partner with whom one shared a bed and cultivated in tandem. They could also mean fellow cultivators or like-minded friends.
Just as Hermit Caolu had demonstrated the Dao, Yanxu Daoji shared her insights and secrets about spiritual power—that was, the soul breaking free of the body's restraints—without holding anything back. She was utterly carefree.
Fang Xiu was so embarrassed to get something for nothing that, after much thought, he decided to leave her some of his blood. After all, they had no conflicting interests, and once he returned, they would never meet again.
In a sense, blood of such quality was also a rare material, a precious treasure.
It contained a trace of Hashirama's Yang Release power, as well as the Yin Release power of the Mangekyō Sharingan! Even so, Fang Xiu still kept getting the strong feeling that he was living off a woman:
Three hundred years older, and she'll give you an immortal pill; three thousand years older, and you'll join the ranks of the immortals.
The ridiculous joke he'd read before getting hit by a truck had become something he could truly relate to.
Because compared to what he had given, what he'd received was obviously far more valuable—
Moon-Taking Technique: This method takes the moon and makes it appear on a wall. It is a profound light technique that can look back into the past and observe places a thousand miles away.
Dream-Grafting Technique: It can plague someone with nightmares and torment their mind, as well as weave dreams and allow the user to enter and leave them freely.
These two supernatural techniques alone were enough to make Fang Xiu's exchange worthwhile, and their potential was enormous. Most importantly, they weren't difficult to learn, making them perfect for him to cultivate and expand his repertoire.
It was worth noting that the Shinobi World had a similar secret technique.
The Third Hokage could use a crystal ball to observe what was happening elsewhere—the Telescope Technique.
However, it wasn't without limitations.
To use the Telescope Technique to keep watch on someone, he first had to know their chakra signature! To be sure, chakra had only a handful of basic natures, but no two leaves in the world were exactly alike, and every ninja's chakra had a distinct aura.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had been Hokage for decades before he came to understand the characteristics of most of the ninjas in the village, allowing the technique to cover the entire village.
By comparison, the Moon-Taking Technique had far fewer limitations. With powerful spiritual strength, all one had to do was mark a fixed coordinate in the void to observe it.
According to Yanxu Daoji, legend had it that a True Immortal who had attained the Dao once used this technique to look back through time and see scenes from the past.
But her strength was insufficient for her to glimpse the source of its mysteries. At most, even when wholly focused, she could catch a glimpse of the battle that had just taken place. From more than a thousand kilometers away, she had watched a live broadcast through a profound light and witnessed the Wood Release Buddha smash the Fusang Ghost King to pieces.
As for the Dream-Grafting Technique—
His younger sister, Xie Yali, had used it to cast Renxiao into the corresponding hell, where it was made to freeze to death in the height of summer and burn to a crisp while taking a bath. Unfortunately, her cultivation was shallow, and she had to rely on Miaojiang insects and fungi to help her.
This also brought to mind a bloodline clan in Konoha renowned for its Genjutsu: the Kurama Clan.
The clan incorporated the nature transformation of Yin Release into its Genjutsu, allowing it to attack the five senses or strike at the mind. It could even create strange spaces, turning the unreal into the real. "Turn the unreal into the real, then combine it with the Mangekyō Sharingan's properties... If I can master that, it'll truly make a trump card of a killer move."
As he pondered, a voice beside him reached Fang Xiu's ears and brought him back to reality—
"Would you like to learn the Corpse-Dissection method, fellow Daoist? I've already demonstrated how to strengthen the spirit. Learning how to perfectly cast off the body is just as important."
Her tone was full of sincerity.
"Leaving the body behind and ascending as an immortal—or using an object as a substitute for the body and sending the primordial spirit to heaven—only falls a little short of becoming an Earth Immortal."
If Fang Xiu nodded and asked, Yanxu Daoji would gladly share the secrets of becoming an immortal through corpse dissection.
Could I really be that charming?
Having dated plenty of women, Fang Xiu was no fool. He had a vague idea what was going on, and politely declined. "You're too kind, Immortal. I have other plans."
Learn how to disintegrate his body?
There was no need.
If one day he ran into an enemy Reincarnator or a character from the story who could blow his body apart, then they would already be so troublesome that corpse dissection wouldn't help him escape.
In truth, for those who had been chosen, there was only one path to immortality: constantly strengthen their combat power and crush every enemy in their way.
Hearing this, Yanxu didn't try to persuade him. She had always believed she could afford to wait. "In that case, fellow Daoist, go find somewhere to meditate on your own."
"..." Huang Huotu.
During their discussion, neither of them had held back from speaking in front of him. He was just an ordinary person, and even if he paid close attention, he couldn't find a way in.
There was no helping it. In this world, only one pair of eyes could see the underlying patterns and get straight to the essence—and they were right there on Fang Xiu's face, a cheat that let him quickly learn other techniques!
"All right."
"Until we meet again."
He didn't take the initiative, but he didn't refuse, either.
Having gained plenty and repaid her with his unusual blood, Fang Xiu promptly rose to leave, taking Huang Huotu with him. He didn't want to be shackled by something like emotions just then.
"By the way, do you want to live forever?"
On the road.
Fang Xiu casually remarked, "After Xie Yali disintegrates her body and becomes an immortal, she could also draw out your soul and give you a different kind of immortality."
Huang Huotu was tempted. "Can that really be done?"
"Mm. But you'd just be hitching a ride. You haven't laid any foundation in cultivation yourself, so there'd definitely be drawbacks..."
"Fine."
"Then forget it."
Following his heart and giving that answer, Huang Huotu breathed a long sigh of relief. Even though he had always been ostracized for his honesty, and even though he was close to losing his home, he still couldn't stop worrying about his wife and daughter!
"Mm," Fang Xiu replied, even more curtly.
In this trial, he had earned 2B1C2D from side quests, and his reward points had swollen as usual, easily exceeding ten thousand.
The most important gains were that he had opened the door to Senjutsu and learned how to strengthen his soul! There was no need to say more about what he had received from Hermit Caolu; two real battles had already proven its value. Fang Xiu was incredibly glad that he hadn't accepted his limitations and had risked leaving Hong Kong Island—
Otherwise, how would he have obtained the Yin Release enhancement he wanted most? The Daoist secret method of becoming an immortal through corpse dissection would keep him occupied for a while, and should be enough to support the Mangekyō Sharingan's evolution to its next stage.
Before you continue