Strangers Keep Away, Natal Gu Method

The disciples who had been circling around Qin Min suddenly split up and gathered around Li Hou'er, asking him all sorts of questions.

"Brother Li Hou, do you have any clue as to why Master and that Senior Sister Fang invited Brother Fang Shu in?"

"Since entering the academy, Brother Fang Shu has been in seclusion cultivating. Could it be that he has also survived the second tribulation?"

Faced with the enthusiasm of the people around him, Li Hou'er was momentarily flustered and unable to cope.

And on the side.

Qu Yan and Fu Shier turned their gazes away from the direction Fang Shu had disappeared, and then looked at Li Hou'er, who was being enthusiastically talked to by several disciples. They exchanged glances.

The man and woman both looked somewhat uneasy, especially since they vaguely felt that the eyes of the people around them were constantly sweeping over them, making them both feel a little embarrassed.

"Hmph." Qu Yan murmured, as if to comfort, or perhaps to explain to those around him, "It's just being called in for questioning; it doesn't necessarily mean you'll amount to much."

Fu Shier's eyes brightened slightly, her gaze fixed on the council hall, as if she were having some other thoughts.

However, considering that Qin Min was still present, she smiled and said:

"Even if Brother Fang Shu is promising, he was only the second one called in. The future of our dojo still rests on Junior Sister Qin Min."

The other disciples around also spoke in voices with varying meanings:

"That's right, that's right. Junior Sister Qin Min possesses Spirit Root, how can that peasant surnamed Fang compare to her?"

"Look how smug that kid is. Even his lackeys seem to be trembling with fear."

However, their faces clearly showed envy and frustration.

These people were all muttering to themselves, if they had known earlier that Fang Shu was a cunning Fang Shu, they would have already clung to him, instead of letting Li Hou'er beat them to it.

The group kept talking and moving around, eventually crowding around Qin Min again.

Amidst the commotion, Qu Yan, Fu Shier, and the others were genuinely curious as to why the Lone Pavilion Master and Senior Sister Fang had called Fang Shu in. So they began to question Qin Min, either directly or indirectly.

"Junior Sister Qin, why was that guy surnamed Fang called over by Senior Sister Fang after you?"

Surrounded by so many people, Qin Min looked impatient and had no intention of paying any attention to them.

But remembering that he had said he would hold a celebration banquet for her and prepare precious medicine, she suppressed her impatience and said lightly:

"For Senior Brother Fang to catch Senior Sister Fang's eye, he must be on par with me, and there's a high chance he'll join Immortal Sect."

The disciples outside the hall heard this, and their thoughts became even more complicated; their voices grew even more somber.

Fu Shier and Li Hou'er, who were standing to the side, had their eyes shining.

In an instant, a feeling of jealousy ignited in the heart of the inner court disciple named Qu Yan.

However, the man didn't show it; he just smiled fakely and spoke:

"I see. There is another talent in the hall."

Junior sister, may I Fang Shu's specific special skills are?

When Qin Min was questioned by Qu Yan, she heard him call her "Junior Sister" without adding her surname, which immediately displeased her, and she frowned slightly.

However, there were many disciples around, so Qin Min didn't correct the other person, but simply said two words indifferently:

"Refining Gu."

Upon hearing this, the disciples outside the hall immediately understood, and they were reminded of the rumors about achieving perfect enlightenment through the Venom Pit.

"Could it be that successfully completing that so-called 'Scorpion-Pit Rite' can truly increase one's talent for refining gu?"

"Huh! Isn't the Venom Pit Tribulation' a method only peasants would choose to enter the Dao? Has this guy surnamed Fang turned misfortune into blessing?"

Qu Yan's jealousy intensified.

Sensing the displeasure in Qin Min's reply, he mistakenly assumed Qin Min was unhappy with Fang Shu, and thus puffed out his chest and retorted:

"Why do you all boast about your outsiders in front of our junior sister! She is the jewel of our Solitary Gu Hall!"

The disciples who were discussing this heard this and responded with repeated nods and hums.

But to their surprise, Qin Min's brows furrowed even more.

She immediately rebuked him:

"Brother Fang and I are both disciples of the academy; how can there be a distinction between outsiders and insiders?"

Senior Brother Qu Yan, please watch your words!

These words made the old disciple Qu Yan's face stiffen, wondering why Qin Min wanted to seize on his words.

What made him even more embarrassed was Qin Min's instructions:

"Please, Senior Brother Qu Yan, add 'Qin Min' to your address from now on."

She paused, not giving Qu Yan any room to make things up after he left, and explained clearly:

"Using only 'Junior Sister' seems too intimate; I'm afraid Senior Brother Fang and the others might misunderstand."

As soon as these words were spoken, more than ten pairs of eyes immediately fell on Qu Yan's face.

Even with Qu Yan's long-standing cultivation, he couldn't control his Qi and Blood for a moment, his face turning bright red instantly, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

The scene was quiet.

Qu Yan held his breath, stunned for several breaths as if suffocating.

When the whispers of others arose around him, he suddenly snapped out of his daze, then feigned nonchalance, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and forced a laugh:

"Junior Sister Qin is right, it is Senior Brother... I was presumptuous."

At this point, however, few people were paying attention to him anymore. The crowd was either talking about Fang Shu or Qin Min, making his voice seem small and insignificant.

Fang Shu entered the hall.

Before he could even speak, the chilling sensation of the knife scraping against him returned, and this time it lingered even longer.

Looking up, he saw the woman surnamed Fang, smiling as she sized him up.

"This humble Daoist priest, Fang Lu, greets Junior Brother Fang."

Fang Shu quickly cupped his hands in greeting, "Greetings, Senior Sister Fang."

At that moment, the Lone Pavilion Master spoke up from the side:

"Alright, Fang Lu, stop being so polite with this kid. The more polite you are, the more confused he'll become."

What do you think of my disciple?"

Fang Lu nodded. "Her physique is robust, her Gu blood is rich, and she has also cultivated another secret technique. She is indeed another talent. Master Du's luck this year is truly not bad."

As she spoke, she sighed softly, "It's a pity that she's just an ordinary person with ordinary bones and roots. Otherwise, if she possessed Spirit Root, even if she were just like that girl from before, she would only be of inferior quality."

I can take him into the mountains right now. Even if the mountain gates don't accept him, he can simply be raised by my side for now, so as not to waste his lifespan."

Upon hearing this, the Lone Pavilion Master shook his head and chuckled, "Those with Spirit Root are rare. To have this level of comprehension and resilience is already a blessing for this young man, allowing his destiny to far surpass that of ordinary people. How can we ask for more?"

Fang Shu listened from below the hall, his heart pounding.

"Inferior Spirit Root? Directly enter the mountain?"

Unfortunately, he had no Spirit Root; he was merely a mortal being.

In an instant, Fang Shu felt a strange mix of emotions. To say that he felt no regret or annoyance would be pure self-deception.

Furthermore, pondering Fang Lu's words, he realized, "So Qin Min only has a low-grade Spirit Root?"

It's merely a matter of inferior Spirit Root. It would take two years for someone with ordinary roots to enter the Dao, but this person can do it in just two months. The difference in efficiency between the two is more than tenfold!

Fang Shu especially remembered that when they tested their physical Root Bone together, Qin Min's physical Root Bone was worse than his, and she was directly classified as inferior.

Under these circumstances, Qin Min needed to recuperate her physical body while cultivating, and her cultivation state was clearly not optimal.

If Qin Min had been properly cared for since childhood and had a healthy body, her cultivation speed would definitely have increased even more!

"I wonder how fast those with medium or high Spirit Root can cultivate?"

Fang Shu's mind was in turmoil.

The answer didn't require him to guess; the Lone Pavilion Master and Fang Lu revealed it during their conversation:

"To cultivate in this town at the foot of the mountain instead of going up the mountain is indeed a waste of time. The mere step of Refining Essence requires one or two years, which is far too much of a delay compared to those true Immortal cultivator disciples."

"Who can argue with that? The immortals have a tradition of 'Foundation Establishment in a hundred days.'"

Fang Lu sighed softly:

"Back then, I thought this statement was utterly absurd. I believed that no one in the world could Foundation Establishment cultivation in just one hundred days; even the Sage of that time would find it difficult."

She sighed repeatedly:

"After Fang entered the Immortal Sect, he realized that this foundation was not the Dao Foundation, but rather the Foundation for Refining Essence and Body."

Those immortal disciples only need a hundred days to successively pass the first three tribulations, break through the Refining Qi, and become Spirit Immortal. Compared to us, they are worlds apart.

The Lone Pavilion Master comforted him:

"For a member of an immortal Aristocratic Clan be considered an immortal family, there must be at least one elder in the family who is Foundation Establishment Earth Immortal, resides in Spirit Vein, and has spirit medicine. Only then can the Aristocratic Clan be considered an immortal family and can practice the 'Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment' method."

We need not belittle ourselves; let us steadily move forward. One day, Fang Lu, when you too have established your Dao foundation and become Earth Immortal, you can allow your descendants to also experience the "Hundred Days of Refining Essence."

Upon hearing this, Fang Lu couldn't help but chuckle.

She murmured the word "Foundation Establishment" a few times, then said nothing more, instead turning her gaze back to Fang Shu below the hall.

The woman took out a thin booklet from her sleeve, smiled at Fang Shu, and handed it to him.

Fang Shu stared at the booklet floating in front of him, his eyes flickering as he glanced at the Lone Pavilion Master beside him.

The Lone Pavilion Master nodded slightly.

Although Fang Shu didn't yet know what kind of miraculous skills or techniques were contained in the book, it didn't stop him from immediately holding the book and exclaiming with joy and sincerity:

"Thank you so much, Sister Fang, for bestowing this teaching!"

After receiving the booklet, Senior Sister Fang Lu stood up and bowed to the Lone Pavilion Master.

"The items have been delivered, but Mr. Fang does have other matters to attend to and needs to leave the mountain."

Farewell, my dear teacher.

The Lone Pavilion Master quickly stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I'll see you out of town right away."

"No need to see me off, it was just a small favor."

Fang Lu smiled and waved her hand. Before the Lone Pavilion Master could take even half a step, her body floated away and disappeared from the spot.

Fang Shu stood in the hall, and in the blink of an eye, he could no longer see the other person.

But suddenly, he felt as if someone was standing behind him, speaking clearly as if close to his ear:

"Junior Brother Fang, cultivate your Gu techniques diligently. In my opinion, your path to immortality is even greater than that little girl's."

Immediately afterwards, a clear, melodious laugh rang out, and the scent of fresh grass wafted up from behind Fang Shu's face, making him feel as if he were in a meadow in the woods.

"Junior brother, see you at the Five Viscera Temple."

Fang Shu turned his head and saw a woman in pale yellow sitting sideways on a white deer that shimmered with spiritual light.

Fang Lu smiled and gave him a graceful bow.

Immediately, the female Daoist stroked the white deer she was sitting on, and the deer leaped up, carrying her in the air. Its hooves could even touch the air, allowing it to jump again in mid-air, which was quite miraculous.

The man and the deer were incredibly agile, leaping and disappearing from the council hall in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace of their presence, only a stunning afterimage in Fang Shu's eyes.

"This is what it means to Refining Qi Refiner, a Spirit Immortal," he thought to himself, yearning for it.

"And what about the Five Viscera Temple? Is that the name of the Immortal Sect that Sister Fang Lu, one of the Five Sects of Mount Lu of Fang Lu, joined?"

Fang Shu only indulged in reverie for a moment or two before immediately refocusing his attention. Holding the book bestowed upon him by Senior Sister Fang Lu, he bowed once more to the Lone Pavilion Master.

Thank you, Master.

The Lone Pavilion Master stood calmly in front of the table, still gazing in the direction Fang Lu had left, seemingly lost in thought.

Upon hearing Fang Shu's voice, the old woman narrowed her eyes, nodded in satisfaction, and instructed:

"Why thank me? Just remember the favor your Senior Sister Fang did for you."

The Lone Pavilion Master pointed to the booklet in Fang Shu:

"Although this booklet is all written in common characters and contains no Mystic Script, it cannot be considered Cultivation Method Law Technique."

However, these are some key points of Gu techniques that Fang Lu specially copied from your Five Viscera Temple. I am quite old now, and there are some things I haven't used for many years, so I'm afraid I've forgotten them, and I'm even more afraid that there are errors that could mislead others.

Furthermore, and most importantly, this booklet contains descriptions of the natal Gu (a type of magical insect), as well as a brief explanation of the methods of its preparation.

"A natal Gu?" Fang Shu's eyes lit up.

The Lone Pavilion Master nodded:

"That's right, it is indeed your natal Gu. Although this Gu can mostly be truly refined after Refining Qi, you can still make some preparations for it during the Refining Essence stage, and even try it out once or twice."

Generally speaking, the natal Gu is often the first Refining Qi Gu worm that a Gu master refines. Once successfully refined, it signifies that the cultivator has completely entered the Gu Dao and become a Gu master.

The old woman said in a deep voice, "The sooner you refine this Gu, the better. Therefore, you need to have some knowledge of it during your Refining Essence stage. But there's no rush. You can refine your natal Gu at the same time when you break through to Refining Qi the next day."

Fang Shu immediately. Holding the book, he said, "This disciple understands."

Immediately, the Lone Pavilion Master smiled, her gaze sweeping over Fang Shu's ears, hair, and other features.

"In just half a year, he mastered the art of refining several types of Gu worms, one of which was a genuine Tribulation Sleepy Insect."

"You haven't disgraced me, young man. It wasn't for nothing that I invited disciples from the Immortal Sect to come and see you both."

"Haha!" She rarely let out a sound of obvious joy.

"It seems that before long, I will have two more Refining Qi Spirit Immortal under my tutelage."

Upon hearing Fang Shu, Fang Shu clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and remained silent.

After a brief moment of self-satisfaction, the Lone Pavilion Master returned to his seat, picked up his teacup, and continued his instructions:

"Your senior sister has copied more information about that natal Gu into a booklet for you. Just study it carefully, and it would be best to memorize the whole book before burning it."

These principles, after all, were copied from within the Immortal Sect and should not be passed on to outsiders.

"Yes, disciple will remember." Fang Shu replied.

Just as he was pondering whether he should take his leave, the Lone Pavilion Master, with a half-smile, stared at him and spoke:

"Also, during your seclusion, I've already gone out to scout out the Lead Mountain Mine outside the town for you; it was quite interesting."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu paused slightly, a sense of anticipation rising within him. He suppressed his emotions and waited calmly for the Lone Pavilion Master to continue.