Marrow Refinement, Fat Refinement, and Favored Transmission (4,400 words)

The disciples were aghast. Some looked embarrassed, others grim, and none of their expressions were pleasant.

Qin Min especially had never imagined that, in her master's eyes, she too could only take one of the three shortcuts: "human vessel, human material, human spirit."

Standing amid the crowd, Fang Shu's emotions likewise churned.

Ever since entering the marketplace, what he had seen and heard had long stripped him of any naive illusions about cultivation in this world. He had even begun to doubt the so-called immortal sects.

Yet now that the Lone Pavilion Master had laid it bare so nakedly, his feelings were still a tangled mess of five flavors.

He also glanced at the others and found that even the two disciples who seemed to come from decent backgrounds wore complicated expressions. Their feelings were likely no different from his own.

However, Fang Shu's distracting thoughts came quickly and went quickly.

His mind swiftly settled.

So what if he was to become someone else's cultivation resource? Once he truly cultivated, who would consume whom was still uncertain! Besides, he had the Dao Register to aid him.

After speaking her piece, the Lone Pavilion Master narrowed her aged eyes and swept her gaze across the disciples' faces, taking in every expression.

There were two people to whom she paid particular attention: Qin Min and Fang Shu.

When she saw Fang Shu regain his composure so quickly, she could not help but look at him a few more times.

After giving everyone ample time to digest her words, the Lone Pavilion Master smiled again. This time, however, it was no longer a smile that did not reach her eyes.

She said, "All right, stop pulling such long faces. Is it not merely helping others refine magical artifacts and nurture precious medicines? Everyone has come through it this way. No one is better than anyone else."

The disciples' expressions all shifted, and they immediately listened closely.

The Lone Pavilion Master said:

"Not only you. This old woman, the Refining Qi Spirit Immortals within the immortal sects, the Foundation Establishment Earth Immortals, even the Golden Core Golden Immortals, the Refining Spirit Divine Immortals under heaven...

"Even the ancient sages and masters who established the framework of the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning more than ninety thousand years ago were no more than medicine slaves. Generation after generation, we immortals have all come through it this way. You will get used to it."

These words, half consolation and half self-mockery, left Fang Shu and the others even more dumbfounded.

The Lone Pavilion Master continued rambling:

"And rest assured. This pavilion and the Five Directions Immortal Sect on Mount Lu are both proper inheritances of immortal learning, with their own lineages and rules.

"We are not like those fiends and demons, who devour disciples and followers alive. We believe in putting each person to their proper use, with voluntary transactions as the foundation.

"Furthermore, according to the experience of our predecessors, those of the same kind must not consume one another. No matter how highly the immortal sect favors you, it will not devour and refine you. Otherwise, it would be ruining its own future. Only wicked cultivators would do such things.

"Therefore, the precious medicines within your bodies will generally be used to cleanse magical artifacts, raise spirit herbs and spirit beasts, and the like. They will not be eaten by people."

Yet after these comforting words came from the old woman's mouth, Fang Shu and the others did not look any better. Their faces all darkened again.

One disciple muttered, "They will not be eaten by people... so that means they are only fed to nonhumans?"

Hearing this, the Lone Pavilion Master frankly nodded, smiling without quite smiling.

"Humans eat demons; demons eat humans. What is wrong with that?"

This time, everyone fell silent.

"All right. This old woman has told you about the three shortcuts. Whether you believe them, whether you take them, is entirely up to you.

"Heh. Immortal sects do not take in disciples as charity."

The Lone Pavilion Master clapped her hands.

"Liven up. The idle talk is over. Next, this old woman will explain the specific cultivation of the Refining Essence stage and teach Insect Methods to the newly initiated disciples.

"Fang Shu, come here."

With a slap, Fang Shu immediately suppressed his thoughts. He stepped out respectfully and cupped his hands in salute.

"Yes, Master."

The others' gazes also fell upon him, some sooner and some later.

The next moment.

The Lone Pavilion Master tapped her ear, and a swarm of tiny red flying insects emerged from it.

Fang Shu had seen these insects before.

They were the Blood Fleas the Lone Pavilion Master had given him for protection when he had gone out previously.

But apart from Du Yu'er, the other disciples all revealed astonishment in their eyes, as though it were their first time seeing Blood Fleas.

Li Hou'er even muttered, "Why are the insects used to transmit the method to Fang Shu different from the ones used on me last time?"

The Lone Pavilion Master paid no attention to their doubts and merely instructed them:

"These are Flea Masters."

Then the Lone Pavilion Master paced around Fang Shu, patting his bones and body with sharp slaps as though inspecting the quality of his stock.

Satisfaction appeared on her face. "Your foundation is fairly solid. You can endure it."

Then she pointed at Fang Shu and gave a light shout. "Go!"

Buzz, buzz! The crimson flying insects immediately pounced on Fang Shu.

But this time, they did not silently burrow into Fang Shu's hair. Instead, they crawled all over his body, and waves of stinging itchiness rose across his flesh.

It was as though they were not fleas at all, but mosquitoes.

The Lone Pavilion Master instructed Fang Shu, "Take off your clothes. Strip properly."

Enduring the itch, Fang Shu quickly removed every article of clothing, leaving only a pair of underpants.

The Blood Fleas bit into his flesh. Within a few breaths, they had swollen into blood sacs the size of soybeans, and they continued to suck Fang Shu's blood. Their bellies turned black and purple.

This horrifying scene fell into Li Hou'er and the others' eyes, yet it did not provoke much reaction. It seemed only natural.

As the Blood Fleas fed, Fang Shu's vital blood began circulating of its own accord. The nine secret scripts on his body immediately surfaced, transforming into insect faces.

Then the Lone Pavilion Master's fingers shifted unpredictably. With sharp slaps, she struck Fang Shu's body and pressed the Flea Masters that had drunk his blood dead against his skin one by one.

Strands of blood appeared across Fang Shu's body, making the nine ghostly faces on him look even more savage.

More miraculously, the bloodstains seemed to writhe on their own, piecing themselves together into lines and patterns.

They covered the existing nine Insect-Face Secret Scripts, making them even more intricate. They had plainly become new secret scripts—or rather, formed a two-layered secret-script structure.

At this point, the Lone Pavilion Master withdrew her hand and gestured to the others.

"Those who have not yet mastered the Insect Method, look carefully. You do not get to see such vivid, lifelike Insect Method secret scripts whenever you please."

Other than Du Yu'er and Qin Min, the disciples indeed seized the chance to study Fang Shu, this rare teaching aid. Li Hou'er especially stared hard.

After giving the other disciples an instruction, the Lone Pavilion Master turned back to Fang Shu and said:

"The Flea Masters' heads and mouthparts will remain in the surface of your body for around two months. Do not pull them out yourself. Otherwise, your flesh's vital blood will reject the insect blood, causing the Marrow Refinement Secret Script on your body to vanish."

Fang Shu currently felt a fiery pain over his body, as though he had been smeared head to toe with chili peppers.

He listened silently and nodded, only asking in a muffled voice, "Master, is marrow refinement the immortals' second tribulation?"

The Lone Pavilion Master nodded.

"Correct. The immortals' second tribulation is called 'Soft Bones, Crumbly Flesh,' and is also known as 'Copper-Poured, Iron-Cast.'

"Compared to mountains of copper, iron, stone, and rock, a mortal's bones and flesh are like rotten mud and flaky pastry—unable to withstand a single blow. A mortal's stamina is likewise limited compared to oxen, horses, puppets, and such things.

"This tribulation is to cultivate vital blood into the bone marrow and refine Marrow Essence. Not only does this enhance an immortal's blood-production ability and strengthen vital blood and stamina, it also hardens the bones and toughens the flesh. One may be called sinews of copper and bones of iron, as though clad in a layer of resilient armor."

She continued eloquently:

"After passing this tribulation, your vital blood will be like a tiger's, your muscles united as one. You will travel a hundred li without tiring, bear a thousand jun without strain, and even without using spells, you will be able to leave no trace when treading snow and not sink when stepping upon water."

Listening to the Lone Pavilion Master's introduction, Fang Shu's thoughts stirred, and he was immediately drawn to the benefits she described.

Compared to being Free of Illness, Few Ailments after passing the first tribulation, the second tribulation, Copper-Poured, Iron-Cast, undoubtedly sounded far more like being an immortal among men. Every gesture would set one apart from mortals.

Fang Shu indulged in the thought for several breaths before immediately suppressing the expectation in his heart. He cupped his hands and said:

"Thank you, Master, for transmitting the method."

But just as he bowed, the Lone Pavilion Master's fingers left afterimages. They smacked against his body, and she shouted lightly:

"The transmission is not over. Continue standing properly. Today, this old woman will also transmit the Fat Refinement Secret Script of the third tribulation for you all to see."

These words surprised Fang Shu, and they surprised the disciples who had been staring at him even more.

Buzz, buzz!

Another group of Flea Masters leaped onto Fang Shu's neck, scalp, forehead, cheeks, and other places. They began sucking blood, forming blood cocoons one after another.

But this time, the Lone Pavilion Master did not slap the Blood Fleas dead directly onto Fang Shu's face and head. Carefully, she removed the Blood Fleas, leaving only their tiny mouthparts and insect heads embedded in Fang Shu's scalp.

Then she crushed the fleas' bodies with sharp slaps and used her fingers as brushes, personally drawing patterns across Fang Shu's body.

When she finally stopped, the Insect-Face Secret Scripts across Fang Shu's chest, abdomen, front, and back had been joined together. They resembled one enormous folded insect face, while the Insect-Face Secret Scripts on his limbs became the enormous face's antennae and extending insect legs.

Compared to the first two layers, the complexity of this third layer of secret scripts had reached a dizzying level.

The disciples watching this scene all widened their eyes and stared fixedly, yet for a moment, none knew from which angle they should begin studying it.

Only Qin Min's gaze blazed like torches. She stared dead at Fang Shu, and the vital blood within her body involuntarily began to circulate, as though she wished to imitate the Lone Pavilion Master's process of drawing the secret scripts.

Her unusual state drew the other disciples' attention.

"Why did Master teach both the Marrow Refinement Insect Method and the Fat Refinement Insect Method all at once today?"

Someone muttered, "Could it be that Junior Sister Qin Min is about to break through the second tribulation? So Master is transmitting them early for her to observe?"

The several senior disciples present all clicked their tongues, their expressions vivid.

When Fang Shu, whose entire body had gone numb, heard this, his eyelids also lifted slightly.

But he immediately gathered his focus, ignoring everything else and only carefully sensing the circulation route of the vital blood within his body.

The Dao Register in his mind trembled ceaselessly, recording and storing every minute detail of the changes in his body.

Only when the Lone Pavilion Master stopped moving and her instructions rang out did Fang Shu's Dao Register give a faint tremor and fall still.

The Lone Pavilion Master said, "All right. This is the Fat Refinement Secret Script of the third tribulation, along with its circulation route. This fat is not flesh fat, but brain fat.

"Though the Blood Flea heads on your head are somewhat unsightly, as before, you must not remove them casually. They will naturally fall off within two months at most."

Fang Shu hastily answered, "Yes, Master."

At the same time, new words had already appeared upon the Dao Register in his mind:

[Methods: <Hundred Insects Blood-Refining Body-Nourishing Secret Art: Marrow Refinement Chapter> (recorded), <Hundred Insects Blood-Refining Body-Nourishing Secret Art: Fat Refinement Chapter> (recorded)]

Ordinary people had to learn the secret scripts before they could fully memorize them in their minds. Relying on the Dao Register, Fang Shu recorded them successfully on the spot.

After successfully recording the methods, he could use the Dao Register to contemplate and comprehend the secret scripts at any time.

Yet even having successfully recorded the methods, Fang Shu would still strictly follow the Lone Pavilion Master's instructions and leave the Blood Flea heads in place.

For the insect marks on his body did not merely form secret-script characters. They could also release medicinal effects, stimulating the circulation of his vital blood, assisting his cultivation, and promoting the Dao Register's analysis of the secret scripts.

At this point, the Lone Pavilion Master patted Fang Shu's shoulder, finally indicating that he could move again.

Then, using Fang Shu's body as an example, the Lone Pavilion Master carefully explained the principles of marrow refinement and fat refinement.

Li Hou'er and the others might have heard these principles before and found nothing remarkable in them.

But to Fang Shu, they were quite profound. They even caused many doubts he had accumulated while cultivating the Insect Method to suddenly clear, like clouds parting to reveal the sun.

The Lone Pavilion Master finished transmitting the method and finished expounding the Dao.

She took the tea Du Yu'er offered, slowly drank a few mouthfuls, and finally said:

"You may all leave."

"Yes, Master." The disciples all cupped their hands and answered.

After paying his respects, Fang Shu finally put on his cultivation robe and dressed himself neatly. He intended to leave with Li Hou'er and take the opportunity to ask him about cultivation.

But then the Lone Pavilion Master spoke again.

"Fang Shu, stay behind."

Her words drew quite a few people's attention, yet no one was particularly surprised. They merely assumed that Fang Shu had just entered the sect, so the Lone Pavilion Master would give him extra instruction.

Only Du Yu'er's gaze shifted slightly. She seemed to have guessed something and studied Fang Shu a few more times.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu immediately gave Li Hou'er a look, then stepped forward and resumed attending the Lone Pavilion Master's side.

Only after the old woman had finished a cup of tea did she say to Fang Shu:

"Come with this old woman."

Fang Shu cupped his hands toward Du Yu'er, who had served the tea, then followed one step behind the Lone Pavilion Master.

The two did not head toward the discussion hall. Instead, they went to the boundary between the front and rear courtyards.

Soon, a python appeared in Fang Shu's sight.

He had followed the Lone Pavilion Master to the underground prison where the disciples stored their valuables.

Yet this time, he did not remain outside the prison. He followed the Lone Pavilion Master directly within, arriving at a steel-walled chamber covered in talismans.

Quite a few chests and cases were stored in the chamber. What caught Fang Shu's attention most was a bookshelf among them.

All sorts of books rested upon it—paper books, leather books, jade books, and even writings carved into metal, stone, and bone. All had been carefully preserved, with yellow paper talismans against dampness and insects affixed to them.

The Lone Pavilion Master went to the bookshelf and carefully removed a book of semi-transparent material. Its pages curled slightly and were thin as cicada wings, with no title on its surface.

The Lone Pavilion Master peeled away the protective yellow paper from the book, then turned and handed it to Fang Shu.

Fang Shu received it with cupped hands and found it weightless in his grasp. Its pages were rough to the touch, truly as though he were pinching cicada wings.

He heard the Lone Pavilion Master say in her hoarse voice:

"For the past ten years, every disciple of this pavilion has had to take a shortcut to increase the possibility of entering an immortal sect and winning its favor.

"But Fang Shu, you are different."

These words made Fang Shu's attention immediately leave the leather book. His heart skipped a beat as he thought of one possibility, and his eyes shone as he looked at the Lone Pavilion Master.

The Lone Pavilion Master smiled faintly.

"In this pavilion, only you may perhaps study the Nine Branches of Immortal Learning in advance. Without taking shortcuts, you may walk this broad road into an immortal sect."