Chapter 8: The Yellow Weasel Bestows The Moonlit Spell By Night
On the mound, the one speaking was Fang Shu.
He saw the Weasel Daoist show disappointment on his face, as if he was about to stand up with the intention of leaving, so he jumped out to speak.
The Weasel Daoist looked toward the voice, his gaze interestingly sizing up Fang Shu.
The monsters all around also poked their heads out to look, chattering in discussion.
Fortunately, the Daoist was not displeased. After examining him, he just laughed and cursed:
“You little fox head, not learning the Great Dao, but insisting on learning Minor Techniques for what!”
Fang Shu stood up and gave a bow to the Weasel Daoist.
He did not argue, but spoke out:
“Reporting to sir, the Great Dao must naturally be learned, Minor Techniques also must be learned; this student wants them all.”
These words made the Weasel Daoist’s long eyebrows twitch. He pinched his eyebrows, slightly closed his eyes, with an attitude of too lazy to look at Fang Shu.
The discussion voices from the monsters all around grew louder, and a monster scolded Fang Shu:
“Outsider fox, what greed! Just ask sir to lecture it once more, how can you ask for more.”
Another monster wagged its tail in flattery: “Exactly, exactly. Sir, we are not greedy; just lecture the earlier part again.”
Fang Shu was discussed by the monsters, but he was not annoyed, just lowered his head waiting for the Daoist to speak.
Finally, the Weasel Daoist narrowed his eyes, sizing him up:
“This old man will only ask you one question. If you can answer it, answer it; if not, then stop.”
Fang Shu respectfully bowed: “Sir, please speak.”
The Daoist shook his head, pointing at the monsters everywhere, and said:
“《Three-Six Pill Method》 At first listen, it is indeed a bit hard to understand. This old man also feels that the division into six levels of immortals is a bit awkward and inconvenient to remember.
If you understood it, why not simply teach it to everyone? Can you do it?”
At this time, the still-laughing monsters slowly quieted down, secretly looking at Fang Shu.
Fang Shu thought for a moment, then nodded and answered: “I can.”
Immediately, he cupped his paws and spoke:
“Fellow monster brothers, 《Three-Six Pill Method》 is inconvenient to remember, so don’t memorize it. You all just need to know three-six is eighteen; cultivation has a total of eighteen Calamities, advancing step by step through cultivation and passing Tribulations can lead to longevity without aging, lifespan matching the heavens.”
He paused, then said again: “As for the six levels of immortals, refining essence, refining qi and such, in the end they are all Immortal Cultivators.
We use First Calamity Immortal, Second Calamity Immortal, up to Eighteen Calamities Immortal; the higher the calamity number, the more powerful, that’s how to divide it.”
After Fang Shu briefly finished, before the Weasel Daoist could express anything, a monster suddenly realized:
“So that’s the reasoning!”
“Exactly, exactly! They are all Immortal Cultivators, of course the higher ones are more powerful, whether human or immortal!”
The group of half-understanding or completely ununderstanding monsters seemed to have heard the truth of the Great Dao, each excitedly jumping up and down, chattering.
The Weasel Daoist opened his eyes, sized up Fang Shu, then looked at the rolling monsters all around, sighing on his face.
“Fine, fine.” The Daoist shook his head.
He did not comment on Fang Shu’s answer, but suddenly reached out, pointing at the bright moon in the night sky:
“Look.”
The group of monsters stopped frolicking and looked toward the voice.
Only to see the Daoist’s furry pointed mouth suddenly tilt up, sucking toward the pointed moon.
In an instant.
The moon trembled rustlingly, and like snowfall, pieces of moonlight fell down, landing on the Daoist’s body.
Moonlight splashed on the stone, sparsely like remnant snow.
Seeing this scene, the monsters including Fang Shu all instinctively held their breath, staring straight.
The Weasel Daoist smiled and said: “What are you all standing stunned for? All open your mouths, breathe in deeply, breathe out deeply, come eat this moonlight this old man fetched.”
Getting the reminder, Fang Shu immediately woke up.
He no longer held his breath, but breathed in and out in big gulps.
Hiss hiss! The moonlight on the Daoist’s body instantly melted like ice and snow, turning into strands of white qi, sucked into the chests and bellies of these lecture-listening fellows.
As soon as the moonlight entered his mouth, Fang Shu felt his mind clear, his chest cool like deep autumn, heart clear as ice, and the Dao Talisman in his body showed no abnormality.
“All monsters in the world are formed from qi.
Every Gengshen night moonlight, occasionally Imperial Flowing Sap descends, its form like countless olives, myriad golden threads connected in clusters, hanging down to the mortal world; receiving its essence and qi can turn one into a monster.”
The Weasel Daoist chanted from his mouth:
“Monsters newly entering cultivation mostly rely on ingesting moonlight. Today I teach you this Moonlight Ingestion Breathing Method, which can draw moonlight into the body and accumulate Demonic Energy.
If one day you can make moonlight fall like snowflakes, that is entering the Dao and refining essence, called ‘Human Immortal’. If you can make moonlight pour into the body like emptying a sack, that is stepping into refining qi, called ‘Spiritual Immortal’.”
He paused, then smiled: “Of course, you can also call it First Calamity Immortal, Fourth Calamity Immortal.”
Hearing these words, cultivating immortality was right before their eyes.
The monsters in the arena were even more excited, like in heat, each restless, faces red and eyes bloodshot.
“Immortal! Cultivating immortality!”
But amid the excitement, a few monsters still suppressed their joy.
Like Fang Shu, like that Rabbit Demon earlier; the two did not get distracted, both seizing the opportunity, listening to the lecture while gulping down the dispersing moonlight qi all around.
The Weasel Daoist glanced around the arena a few times, his voice leisurely, continuing:
“This method is crude, but for you it is already enough. Listen.
Moon in the mind, three inches clear in the spiritual platform; swallow with mouth and nose, circulate with belly breathing; knock teeth like ringing drum, spit qi out white…”
The group of monsters quieted, slowly starting to imitate what the Daoist said, some tilting heads up, some craning necks, breathing and exhaling at the bright moon in the night sky, gnashing and knocking teeth.
But the bright moon in the night sky did not drop any moonlight; it remained motionless, completely unaffected by the monsters.
However, the strands of moonlight dispersing from the Weasel Daoist’s body indeed came when called, entering the bodies of the group of monsters one by one, making their faces serene in meditation.
Fang Shu got these specific breathing steps.
Between his inhales and exhales, because he seized the first opportunity and had cultivated Magic before, he surpassed the other monsters.
His exhaled qi was like frost, with fine white qi like snakes and insects faintly drifting in and out of his mouth and nose, extremely mystical.
Thus, one-third of the moonlight on the Weasel Daoist’s body was eaten into his belly; another one-third was eaten into the belly by that Rabbit Demon who spoke first.
The two ate over half; the remaining one-third was divided by the monsters everywhere.
Such movement, the monsters did not know.
But the Weasel Daoist saw it clearly; his gaze involuntarily fell on Fang Shu and the Rabbit Demon.
Among them, that Rabbit Demon, he gave a few extra looks, also with interest in his eyes.
But the Daoist did not intervene; he let the monsters on site digest what they got, each dividing according to their strength.
After a good while.
When the moonlight on the Daoist’s body was exhausted, the monsters successively woke from breathing.
Their bodies swayed, all like drunk from eating.
But each one was extremely excited: “This is cultivating immortality! Fun, so fun!”
“Hehe, even better than mother fox!”
Fang Shu was in the monster group; he had swallowed quite a bit, similarly with a joyful face.
He also silently called in his heart: “Dao Talisman.”
Only to see several lines of text immediately appear in his mind, among which two lines had changed, attracting his attention:
【Lifespan: sixteen/thirty-five（Life Reduction in Progress）】
【Cultivation Method:《Night encounter with Weasel Daoist lecturing Moonlight Ingestion Breathing Method》】
Fang Shu stared closely at the 【Lifespan】 bar; a stone in his heart immediately lightened a lot.
Dense joy rose in his heart, making his body feel light as well.
He calmed his mind again, used the Dao Talisman to check his body, found no other abnormalities, and thought: “Immortal cultivation is indeed miraculous!”
Just by eating a few mouthfuls of moonlight, the deficit in his Physical Body was compensated so much; lifespan recovered eight years in one breath, and faintly still recovering!
Fang Shu checked those “Life Reduction in Progress” words again, and sure enough their color had lightened quite a bit.
Longevity in sight.
After a wave of joy, Fang Shu turned his attention to the 【Cultivation Method】 bar.
His heart moved, and the 【Cultivation Method】 bar immediately shortened; the Cultivation Method name inside became 《Weasel Night-Taught Moonlight Method》.
Fang Shu carefully pondered this Cultivation Method.
He found this breathing method was indeed as the Weasel Daoist described himself—not very profound, just a very shallow breathing method.
Fang Shu had seen nearly ten similar ones in mortal world books.
Among them, some following breath, some against breath, some breathing at water moon, even breathing at the sun, various kinds.
But this did not mean what the Weasel Daoist taught was useless.
On the contrary, such crude and shallow but truly effective breathing methods were the real Cultivation Methods.
Precisely because it was simple, it was quick to enter the door, and hid no schemes, extremely suitable for Fang Shu and the newly enlightened little monsters.
More importantly, while teaching the method, the Weasel Daoist personally drew moonlight for the monsters to test cultivation, crossing the first hurdle of learning and practicing—tasting the sweetness.
After all, moonlight is not so easy to swallow and refine, especially for mortals and mortal monsters without Spiritual Root.
Without guidance, one does not know the subtle wonders; without experience, one does not know the taste of moonlight.
Thus even if during cultivation, subtle moonlight descends, it is very likely to be overlooked, missing the harvesting chance.
Then a delay means years or a decade without progress, thinking Immortal Studies is illusory.
This point is also a major difficulty in mortal world immortal cultivation: not only scarce Spiritual Energy, but no one to guide.
It can be said that with this experience of ingesting moonlight, Fang Shu and the group of monsters’ chances of entering the Dao in the future have doubled!
For a moment.
Thoughts churned in Fang Shu’s mind; he dazedly looked toward the Weasel Daoist on the stone platform.
Suddenly, just as the Daoist also looked toward him, with a smile on his face.
Fang Shu quickly collected his spirit.
He prostrated toward the Daoist, bowing respectfully:
“This student thanks sir for granting the method!”
The surrounding monsters heard, each winking, also coming back to their senses:
“Squeak squeak squeak!”
“Thanks sir for teaching the method!”
They kowtowed or made bows, one after another.
The Weasel Daoist saw this scene, his face pleased.
He thought for a moment, then smiled:
“For this method, if you have anything you don’t understand, you can ask again. This old man tonight will answer them all at once.”
The group of monsters chattered; immediately many monsters raised hands:
“Sir, moonlight can be eaten, can sunlight be eaten?”
“No, you are courting death.”
“Sir sir, what if rainy day no moon?”
“Wait.”
……
Among the monsters, those who could speak human words asked themselves; those who could not squeaked to their kind, letting their kind ask for them.
In the arena, there were also those who could not speak and had no kind who could speak; they were so anxious and restless, squeaking nonstop.
Fang Shu was among them; he called out the Dao Talisman again, finding it had indeed recorded all the lecture content from earlier, not missing a word.
Thus he listened on one side, checked against the Dao Talisman’s recorded lecture on the other, gaining much.
In the end, what could be asked was mostly asked; what was not asked could not be thought of for the moment.
The monsters then started chatting randomly, some joking cutely, some fawning to please the Weasel Daoist.
At this time, that three-chi Rabbit Demon also raised her hand, asking the Weasel Daoist: “Sir, what calamity level Immortal Cultivator are you?”
The Weasel Daoist smiled without speaking; he reached out and flicked the Rabbit Demon’s little head, then looked up at the moon.
Immediately.
The Daoist stretched lazily and stood up; his tall thin figure straightened, like a withered pine biting into the stone.
Just then a night wind blew.
Blowing his Daoist Robe to billow, floating like a bird; the Daoist then opened his furry mouth, chanting:
“Night moon seeking friends over chaotic hills, young monsters frolic running everywhere. Now I Weasel act as enlightening teacher, finely explaining the first chapter of Cultivating Truth.”
“Hahaha, not bad not bad.” After improvising the poem, the Weasel Daoist laughed loudly:
“Lecture done, this old man goes.”
Words fell, he immediately leaped up, hands behind back, soaring into the air, treading the moon away.
His figure ethereal, in a few breaths vanished into the night sky, dashing away.
Fang Shu and the group of monsters looked up, all hearts stirred and yearning.
Among them Fang Shu was especially secretly suspicious.
He did not know if the other was using Magic to ride the wind, or truly stepping through the air without aids.
If the latter, that was not a skill mere refining essence or refining qi Immortal Cultivator could have… perhaps a Foundation Establishment great immortal!
Late to realize, he and the monsters gradually came back to senses, successively prostrating in salute:
“Respectfully seeing off sir!”
“Thanks sir for teaching the method.”
After the Weasel Daoist left, the stone platform immediately felt empty and quiet.
Monsters everywhere looked at each other.
When Fang Shu thought some monster would jump up and everyone exchange learning, suddenly all around became noisy!
Fox cries, dog barks, bird calls!
Monsters ran scattering, not at all like the harmonious earlier, especially the small ones that only ate grass.
Besides, some monsters had green eyes glowing; they were carnivores, though run away, still faintly lurking around.
Fang Shu saw this scene, shaking his head, knowing these monsters’ wild nature was still hard to tame.
But he also stood up, patted his butt, four paws to ground, likewise whooshing into the Grass, fox-like.
He planned to continue on the road, find another place to rest.
But suddenly, a call came from behind Fang Shu’s butt:
“Fellow Daoist, please stay!”
