Human Material, Human Vessel, Human Spirit

The grounds fell silent.

The Lone Pavilion Master stood with her hands behind her back, as if quietly waiting for Li Hou'er and Fang Shu to sort through what they had gained.

Suddenly, after holding it in for a long while, Li Hou'er spoke up:

"May I ask, Master—could it be that Junior Sister Qin Min is the same, unable to cultivate the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning?"

The moment he said this, everyone else's attention was drawn to it. Qin Min herself, the person concerned, saw her expression change slightly.

Fang Shu glanced over at her and found that her face had indeed darkened somewhat. A suspicion immediately arose in his heart: this woman most likely could not come into contact with the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning ahead of time either.

Sure enough, the Lone Pavilion Master remained calm, but nodded.

That answer made Li Hou'er click his tongue in astonishment. Du Yu'er and the other disciples' eyes flickered as well.

Among them, the female disciple named Fu Shier could not help asking softly, "Junior Sister Qin Min possesses a Spirit Root. She is different from the rest of us, so why can't she come into contact with the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning either?"

The Lone Pavilion Master said mildly:

"That is correct. Qin Min does possess a Spirit Root, unlike your ordinary roots. In cultivation, not only can she draw in and expel spiritual qi more easily than you can, but Spirit Roots also vary according to one's constitution and make cultivating spells much more convenient.

"But no matter how marvelous a Spirit Root may be, it still belongs to the category of innate bone and talent. It is not directly linked to comprehension. To cultivate the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning, what matters more is comprehension."

"Comprehension?!"

As those two words fell into Fang Shu and the others' ears, everyone chewed them over. Quite a few faces sank slightly.

The Lone Pavilion Master continued:

"Precisely—comprehension.

"Being observant of things, quick-minded, possessing extraordinary memory, widely learned and able to retain what one has heard—these are all forms of comprehension. And when it comes to immortal learning, its most direct manifestation is one's ability to study Mystic Script."

Fang Shu's heart gave a slight leap when he heard this.

At that moment, Li Hou'er spoke again:

"Then may I ask, Master—which is more important, comprehension or Spirit Roots? Is it comprehension?"

The Lone Pavilion Master glanced at Li Hou'er and answered after pondering:

"That is hard to say.

"Those with Spirit Roots have a far greater chance of breaking through barriers and surviving tribulations than those without them.

"Low-grade Spirit Roots can reach Refining Qi, mid-grade Spirit Roots can reach Foundation Establishment, high-grade Spirit Roots can reach Golden Core, while the legendary Heaven-Earth Spirit Roots even possess the potential to attain Refining Spirit.

"Those without Spirit Roots may be blocked to death at the very beginning stages of the Dao—Refining Essence and Refining Qi.

"By comparison, the higher one's comprehension, the more spells one cultivates. Then one's mind may become ever more active, and one may spend too much effort on miscellaneous matters beyond cultivation, thereby delaying the accumulation of one's own qi and blood and leaving lifelong regrets."

The Lone Pavilion Master shook her head.

"Perhaps it can be put this way: in the early stages of cultivation, Spirit Roots may be more important; in the later stages, comprehension may be more important.

"By that reckoning, Spirit Roots should be somewhat more important. After all, they concern cultivation speed, the odds of breaking through, and even must... Ahem. In short, for people like you, Spirit Roots are more important."

As these words entered everyone's ears, they all seemed to come to some realization.

Qin Min's expression also eased somewhat.

But suddenly, the Lone Pavilion Master looked at everyone with a smiling face and added:

"I forgot to tell you: Spirit Roots and comprehension do not conflict. There are countless gifted people in this world, and not a few possess both. They far exceed your imagination.

"Of course, the most common are those who possess neither Spirit Roots nor comprehension.

"If you can have a little more resilience than ordinary people and a little self-knowledge, you can still walk a few more steps down the road of seeking immortality. If you encounter some opportunities besides, perhaps you may even surpass those blessed with Spirit Roots and comprehension."

With those words, she both admonished and soothed Qin Min and the others present.

"Thank you for your instruction, Master!" everyone said, cupping their hands.

"Enough!" Before they could ask more questions, the Lone Pavilion Master called out, "Why ask all this irrelevant nonsense? Do you still want to know the shortcut to entering an Immortal Sect or not?"

Those words made Fang Shu and the others, who had still been pondering, abruptly raise their heads and look at her.

"Please tell us, Master!" "We want to know—of course we want to know!"

The Lone Pavilion Master then faced them and held up three fingers.

"There are three shortcuts to entering an Immortal Sect. They are called the Human Vessel Path, the Human Material Path, and the Human Spirit Path."

"Human Vessel, Human Material, Human Spirit?" Everyone turned those three names over in their minds, completely at a loss. They had never even heard of them before.

"That's right. Those three."

The Lone Pavilion Master spoke unhurriedly:

"The so-called Human Vessel Path means using oneself as a vessel, cultivating the spells passed down within the Immortal Sect, and refining the corresponding magical implements to great completion, until one meets the Immortal Sect's needs. Then one may catch the Immortal Sect's eye, stand out from the crowd, and receive its favor.

"The so-called Human Material Path means using oneself as material, cultivating the techniques passed down by the Immortal Sect, and refining a mouthful of Human-Body Treasure Medicine that meets the Immortal Sect's needs. Those whose treasure medicine is pure will naturally stand out among seekers of immortality."

The old woman's two explanations truly left people somewhat dumbfounded.

Fang Shu and the others instinctively wondered whether they had misheard the words.

Someone immediately muttered suspiciously, "This so-called 'Human Material'—the 'material' really means material, not talent?"

But in the next moment, the Human Spirit Path described by the Lone Pavilion Master was even more nakedly explicit:

"The so-called Human Spirit Path may also be called the 'artificial artifact spirit path.' One nurtures the soul with one's body, strengthens one's own soul, and becomes fit to serve as an artifact spirit. Then someone may take a fancy to your souls, accept you as disciples, and bring you into an Immortal Sect."

This time, Fang Shu and the others all looked at one another. They could not say they were horrified, but every face was filled with shock and disbelief.

So these three shortcuts to entering an Immortal Sect meant cultivating oneself as a magical implement, as medicinal material, as an artifact spirit.

And that would make it easier than for ordinary people to receive the favor of those in the Immortal Sects—or rather, their covetous greed?

At this moment, even the silent Qin Min finally forced out her first words of the day's lecture:

"Is this entering an Immortal Sect, or selling oneself into one? We cultivate for longevity and freedom, not to become provisions in someone else's eyes."

Her face was gloomy, as though she had been dealt quite a blow.

Li Hou'er also started shouting:

"What kind of damned Immortal Sect is this? It's a demonic sect! I won't cultivate it, no way! I don't want to become someone's provisions!"

Hearing their words, the Lone Pavilion Master sneered.

"Won't cultivate? Don't like it?

"There may not be many three-legged toads in this world, but people are everywhere! If you won't cultivate, if you won't enter, there are plenty of people who would bash their heads bloody just for the chance to walk these three shortcuts.

"It is only because this old woman came out of an Immortal Sect and knows a few things that I am telling you so plainly. If it were anyone else, how could they explain it to you so clearly, breaking it apart piece by piece?"

The old woman narrowed her eyes, the smile on her face strange and cold, all skin and no warmth.

"Besides, do you think you have not already set foot upon these three paths?"

Those words made Li Hou'er and the others' hearts pound wildly. They all began pondering what the Lone Pavilion Master meant, even growing suspicious of her.

But Fang Shu, standing among them, suddenly lifted his eyelids.

He immediately thought of the Treasure Blood he had obtained from Cheng the Jar's body after killing him, as well as the wondrous uses of Human-Body Treasure Blood mentioned in many Dao Scriptures and ancient texts!

And there was also the time he had encountered the Weasel Daoist in the mass graveyard. The other man had said that the Three-Six Elixir Method was also known as the Three-Six Bait Method.

And bait—

Besides meaning to swallow, consume, or lure, it could also mean fruit bait, fishing bait, or medicinal bait!