Chapter 114: Gu Vessel Array, Meeting Aunt In The Spring Examination Arena
A thought stirred in his heart, and Fang Shu pondered for a moment before simply asking the Dojo Master directly:
“Master, may I ask if the Gu Master’s Natal Gu Worm is related to the Spiritual Root? Are the two the same thing?”
The Dojo Master was a bit surprised that Fang Shu would ask this, but she immediately remembered that she had once instructed Fang Shu to refine his Natal Gu Worm as much as possible before Refining Qi.
The old woman organized her words and answered:
“Generally speaking, the Spiritual Root is the Spiritual Root, and the Gu Worm is the Gu Worm.
Although the Gu Master’s Natal Gu has the term ‘Natal,’ it is actually still an external object, somewhat similar to a pet beast.”
These words left Fang Shu slightly disappointed; he thought it was his own misconception.
But the next moment, the Dojo Master spoke again: “However, in the artifact cultivation path, those Immortal Cultivators who plant Artifact Spiritual Roots, such as the most typical Sword Cultivators.
They use the Sword as their Spiritual Root, striving for unity of man and sword. The Natal Sword is both their Magic Tool and their Spiritual Root, helping them absorb and exhale Spiritual Energy and refine Magic Power.”
Hearing this, a thought immediately stirred in Fang Shu’s heart.
Speaking of which, the Natal Gu Embryo between his brows was exactly one he had subdued using the Natal Artifact Embryo method from the Lead Skill. Strictly speaking, before he performed the second step of sacrificing and refining the Natal Gu Worm, the worm embryo should actually be called an Embryonic Tool.
It was just that compared to ordinary Sword Cultivators, his Magic Tool was one of pure Flesh.
As he sorted through his thoughts, realization dawned in his heart:
“Artifact cultivation uses an artifact as the Spiritual Root. My worm embryo and Magic Tool are related, no wonder it reacted while observing that Spiritual Root Manual.”
In this way, when he planted the Spiritual Root in the future, it seemed he might truly be able to merge the Natal Gu Worm and Spiritual Root into one.
At present, Fang Shu stood in the hall and probed indirectly once more, asking whether Immortal Cultivators who merged Spiritual Root and Magic Tool in artifact cultivation fared better or worse compared to other Immortal Cultivators.
The Dojo Master answered cautiously:
“This approach has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that Entering the Dao is simple; those with wealth and status need only find a Spiritual Artifact to Enter the Dao and Refine Qi. Some clans even have Spiritual Artifacts passed down through generations, from father to son upon death, grandfather to grandson, serving as the descendants’ Spiritual Roots generation after generation.
Moreover, Artifact Cultivators focus on cultivating a single artifact, making their Magic Power pure—especially Sword Cultivators, who excel at killing and slaughter. Even those who cultivate soldier men take the artifact as primary, with the body as a killing tool, extremely fierce.
However, where the artifact goes, they go; if the artifact is destroyed, they perish. Other Immortal Cultivators might lose at most one Magic spell if their Magic Tool is damaged, but for them, it means losing their lives.
Compared to other Immortal Cultivators, their methods are also too simplistic, not good at self-preservation or health cultivation, and mostly short-lived.”
Fang Shu listened carefully, understanding in his heart.
He immediately said again: “Then, if these Artifact Cultivator Immortal Cultivators only use their Natal Magic Tool as an aid for cultivation, not for combat or fighting, wouldn’t that avoid damage?”
The Dojo Master raised her eyebrow slightly and smiled: “I know you’re clever, boy, but I didn’t expect your reaction to be this quick. What’s this? Do you want to abandon our Gu Dao and turn to the so-called Artifact Dao?”
Fang Shu quickly lowered his head: “Disciple dares not, merely curious.”
The Dojo Master chuckled lightly and said:
“What you said makes sense, and the situation is exactly as you described—just don’t use the Natal Magic Tool in fights.
However, you overlooked one point: doing so wouldn’t make the artifact primary, so it wouldn’t count as Artifact Cultivation, but rather Talisman Cultivation, Puppet Cultivation, Corpse Cultivation, and the like. These Immortal Cultivators can also sacrifice and refine Natal Magic Tools, but they call them ‘Natal Talisman’ and so on.”
After speaking for a while, the old woman suddenly added casually:
“But you did remind me—these so-called Daos and cultivations vary endlessly, but they are all about borrowing the false to cultivate truth and making good use of external things. In true Cultivation, why fuss over these rigid rules?”
Fang Shu listened attentively to the Dojo Master’s earlier words without much reaction, but her final words set off constant ripples in his heart.
Next, he asked in detail in the hall, and only after no more questions worth asking remained did he respectfully take his leave.
Seeing he had so many questions, the Dojo Master felt both gratified and increasingly saw him as excellent Immortal Cultivator material, but before he left, she still solemnly warned:
“The exam is in just one or two days. Rest well In the Room, don’t overthink useless things and waste your energy.
If you can’t go up the mountain, no amount of Comprehension or clever ideas will help.”
Fang Shu said solemnly: “Yes, Disciple understands.”
Then, he returned to the Inner Courtyard In the Room.
Once alone in the room, thoughts still churned endlessly in Fang Shu’s mind.
He even slightly closed his eyes, reviewing in his mind the Dao Talisman records: the Spiritual Root Manual, Lead Skill, Insect Skill, including the Dragon Seeking and Gold Touching Technique… various Cultivation Method classics, as if a storm raged in his skull.
Natal Gu Worm, Natal Artifact Embryo, Dragon Seeking and Gold Touching—these three represented Gu Dao, Artifact Dao, and Array Dao, three Immortal Cultivator paths!
Ordinary people choosing one could gain significant help on the Immortal Path; only those stunningly talented could cultivate multiple paths.
While Fang Shu was not such a stunning talent, he possessed the Dao Talisman, excelling at Comprehension of Secret Script and grasping Cultivation Methods, so he too could cultivate multiple paths.
Just like now—thoughts churned in Fang Shu’s heart, already forming a more perfect Natal Gu Worm refining concept!
“Could it be that my Immortal Path shouldn’t be confined to mere Gu Dao, but should survey multiple Daos with a broader view? After all, Master mentioned in the end that so-called Gu Dao and Artifact Dao are just paths walked by predecessors; true Cultivation often converges from different paths…”
In an instant, his mind raced with associations, unable to extricate himself.
However, after such immersed contemplation, Fang Shu checked the time the Dao Talisman Analysis of that Spiritual Root Manual would take, let out a long breath, and chose to suppress these stray thoughts one by one in his heart.
He chuckled wryly to himself: “I haven’t even learned to walk—how can I hope to run?”
Moreover, even if truly cultivating three paths, there should be primary and secondary distinctions among them; he couldn’t delusionally pursue so-called triple-path cultivation.
He had this much self-awareness, even with the Dao Talisman.
After all, whether Gu Refining, Artifact Refining, or Array Setting, any one path had numerous branches and lineages—any single branch enough to occupy a lifetime of study.
Even the Dao Talisman’s Analysis of Secret Script required time; it wasn’t instant mastery.
Additionally, Fang Shu had seen in Marketplace chapbooks and some classics many stories of Immortal Cultivators who boasted abundant talent, cultivated multiple paths, yet ended up accomplishing nothing.
Reflecting silently, Fang Shu set aside these stray thoughts one by one.
Finally, he stopped dwelling on Gu Dao and Spiritual Root matters, instead calming his mind to prepare for the upcoming Spring Examination Selection.
As the Dojo Master said, going up the mountain to enter the Sect was his current top priority!
Only…
Various Spiritual Root Cultivation Method ideas had already left traces in Fang Shu’s heart.
………………
Soon, time passed.
The Spring Examination start time was set—not too early or late—on the fifth day after Fang Shu emerged from seclusion.
The message was notified to each Dojo that morning, with a notice posted in the central Marketplace, seeming quite casual.
But this was understandable.
The so-called Spring Examination was vital for Fang Shu and the other Daoist Children, but for Sect Disciples, it was just a mundane downhill errand.
Besides, at the foot of Mount Lu, there wasn’t just Gu Ling Town as the only Town.
That day.
Upon receiving the message, Fang Shu immediately emerged.
His Second Uncle Yu Le had long been waiting in the courtyard with Li Hou Er and others.
Although only Fang Shu and Qin Min from the entire Du Gu Guan could participate in the Spring Examination Selection, this was not just their own affair.
Not only did Li Hou Er and others go along to join the fun and bolster morale, even the Dojo Master herself waited in the hall for Fang Shu and Qin Min.
When the two arrived, the Dojo Master spoke gravely: “Depart!”
Under her lead, everyone from Du Gu Guan without urgent matters—whether Disciple or Menial Laborer—all left the Dojo, even closing the main gate, leaving only the side door.
The group proceeded grandly toward the central Marketplace.
Not just Du Gu Guan— this year, every Dojo with Disciples participating in the Spring Examination Selection emptied out entirely. Dojos without participants had their Disciples clamoring, gathering in twos and threes to crowd toward the Spring Examination Arena, joining the fun.
By mid-morning, the hundred-zhang-wide plaza in the central Marketplace was already packed, heads bobbing, shoulders rubbing.
For a moment, Fang Shu blended in, unable to distinguish who was there for fun and who for the exam.
Fortunately, the Marketplace had sent Black Uniforms and Hats to manage, so in the end, from the Du Gu Guan group, only Fang Shu and his uncle-nephew pair, the Qin Min sisters, and the Dojo Master grandmother-granddaughter pair entered the Arena.
Even the Dojo Master and Du Yu Er would originally have been stopped outside the exam area, as each examinee could bring only one registered kin inside.
The grandmother-granddaughter pair entered only because the Dojo Master released her Spiritual Sense, scanned the Black Uniforms and Hats, and stated her Dojo Master identity.
As for Li Hou Er and others, they could only gather outside the Arena, looking up at the inside.
Fortunately, high platforms had long been erected inside, with multiple setups like arenas or wooden stakes raised high—likely for the upcoming Fights.
No matter the crowd, those outside could look up without blocked views.
“Fang Ge Er! Good job, give it your all.”
Suddenly, as Fang Shu entered the inner field, he heard multiple voices calling him, faintly including a woman’s.
He looked toward the sound, first spotting Li Hou Er winking, then Talisman Master Li Yuan and the female neighbor Dou Su Fu from the courtyard.
Fang Shu cupped his hands toward Dou Su Fu and others, then turned to the inner field, blending into the examinee crowd.
The sun gradually reached noon.
All examinees had been called multiple times with none absent, yet the Spring Examination still hadn’t started.
This made the examinees and kin inside restless, muttering nonstop.
The Black Uniforms and Hats seemed unprepared for such a late start, so after confirming numbers, they relaxed the rules, allowing discussion, even mingling and chatting—or covert probing.
Anyway, any commotion would only disadvantage these examinees, not the on-duty officials.
Overmeddling might annoy these examinees; if they entered the Immortal Sect, it’d be offending notables.
Fang Shu didn’t wander; he quietly stood in a corner.
After all, unlike Qin Min, he didn’t know most others in the Arena besides those nearby.
Suddenly, a voice sounded beside him:
“Eh! Old Yu, is that you, Old Yu?!”
Someone called “Old Yu” repeatedly, voice unfamiliar and female, heading straight for the uncle-nephew pair.
As the voice neared, Fang Shu curiously turned and saw a heavily made-up Married Woman twisting her waist as she approached.
She stared intently at his Second Uncle Yu Le, her glamorous face full of surprise.
Second Uncle Yu Le, seeing her, looked as if he’d seen a ghost—complex expression, somewhat cowering yet proud.
The Married Woman approached familiarly, eyeing Second Uncle Yu Le, tutting:
“I thought after you were expelled from the Dojo, you’d be finished, but now it seems you’ve found Work again, joined another Dojo. Today you even escort a Dojo Disciple to the Spring Examination—clearly highly valued.”
She looked at Fang Shu, immediately showing a reserved smile: “Greetings to this Immortal Cultivator, this slave and Old Yu are acquaintances, just saying hello.”
The woman seemed not to know Fang Shu, unaware of the uncle-nephew relation.
Second Uncle Yu Le stood awkwardly by, lips moving as if to speak, but hesitant.
Before Second Uncle Yu Le could speak, after saluting Fang Shu, the woman ignored him and hurried off.
She swayed toward a heroic young man nearby.
“This slave has come, this slave has come.” The Married Woman fussed over the young man.
Though adorned in gold and jade, appearing from a great household as an elder, her behavior was exactly like a maidservant.
Fang Shu felt it odd, noting Second Uncle Yu Le’s gaze lingering on the Married Woman, face wistful.
This made him raise his brow slightly, understanding.
If he guessed right, the Married Woman who greeted them was likely his never-met Second Uncle’s wife—or rather, ex-wife.
Sure enough, after Fang Shu probed indirectly a few words, Second Uncle Yu Le’s old face reddened, mumbling: “Adults’ matters, kids stay out.”
Amid the noisy crowd, they waited from noon until sunset.
Just as the day seemed wasted, three figures appeared on the High Platform, coldly surveying the crowd.
Book push: 《Fa Zhou》
Author: Xun Chun Xu Zhou. Veteran author returns to classical immortal heroics—from a magic sect low-level cultivator’s view. A protagonist mistakenly enters the magic sect, sees ghostly eerie horrors, red-dyed skeletons, strange demonic arts, treacherous clouds, karmic schemes, yet steadfastly gazes at the Immortal Path, seeking to tread the blue sky.
