Chapter 140: Divine Silk Talent Illuminates The Whole Body
Fang Shu’s mind was detached from the external world, quietly observing the scene in the Spirit Chamber, free of stray thoughts, merely appreciating.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly felt a pang of hunger in his abdomen, and only then did his mind shake, withdrawing his consciousness back into his body.
In the dimness, he opened his eyes, and the entire room brightened for a breath.
This was because he had broken through not long ago, and the divine light in his eyes could not yet be restrained in time, flashing outward like thunder.
It was both a sign that he had not yet mastered control over his own Magic Power, and another mark of his breakthrough to Qi Refining Spiritual Immortal.
“I have long heard that Spiritual Immortals can produce white light in an empty room, intimidating people with their gaze, subduing Mortals and ghosts with a single glance.”
Fang Shu thought to himself: “Now that I have successfully broken through, I know this is no empty boast.”
With Spiritual Sense in his possession, he could now perceive everything around him—left and right, up and down, in all four directions—even penetrating slightly into the rocks and soil beneath his feet, leaving no blind spots.
This would undoubtedly be a great aid in close combat.
Moreover, Spiritual Sense itself was a form of Magic Power.
It required no transformation; it was like a beam of light or heat that could dispel darkness and dry moisture in the air from afar.
This soul-based ability allowed Fang Shu, walking among Mortals, to shatter the minds of the timid with a single glance, causing their death; even Essence Refining Immortals, swept by his Spiritual Sense, would shrink by seven parts for no reason, or even stand frozen in place.
Pondering this, Fang Shu now realized that when the Dojo Master and others had examined him with their Spiritual Sense before, the chilling sensation on his skin was already them holding back, with no malice.
Otherwise, he would not have merely shivered at the time, but would have been trembling afterward, even suffering nightmares for several nights.
Fang Shu muttered to himself: “Merely Spiritual Sense already makes such a difference between Refining Qi Immortals and Essence Refining Immortals, like clouds and mud—so what about True Qi?”
He lightly waved his hand, and something neither light nor water surged forth in his palm, faintly purple, like a ribbon of silk swirling around his hand.
This was True Qi, produced after passing through the “Tribulation of Hunger and Filth” by the convergence of Qi and Blood and Soul within an Immortal Cultivator’s body.
If Spiritual Sense was the light of a candle flame, then True Qi was the flame itself—the true root of Magic Power, and the means by which Immortal Cultivators drank dew and ate wind, free from hunger and filth.
Fang Shu could feel that even without casting Magic, simply striking out with the True Qi in his hand could easily pierce Metal and Stone and rot a human body.
Moreover, his True Qi, refined from the Qi and Blood of Lead Skill and Insect Skill, possessed the metallic sharpness of Lead Skill and the venomous wonder of snakes and insects Gu poison.
Zheng!
Fang Shu lightly pinched, manifesting the True Qi in his hand into a blade glow tinged with purple intent. He gripped this blade glow and casually flicked it toward the side.
Amid sizzling sounds, a lone boulder placed in the Spirit Chamber was instantly cut with a foot-deep mark, effortlessly, as if slicing Tofu, without the slightest resistance.
This was the True Qi externalization of a Refining Qi Immortal after refining True Qi—raising hand or foot released it without need for a Magic Tool; a casual pinch equated to a low-grade or even mid-grade Magic.
Of course, ordinary Immortal Cultivators lacked Fang Shu’s solid Foundation; their True Qi, when externalized, would be far less effective, unable to pierce hard stone a foot deep.
After slightly testing the True Qi sprouting from his body, Fang Shu restrained himself from further action.
Zheng!
He merely drew the Long Tongue Sword from his mouth and infused it with True Qi.
As soon as True Qi attached, the Tongue Sword blazed like it had been enhanced with Fire Blade Technique, sword glows surging.
And when he cast Fire Blade Technique with True Qi, the sword’s blade glow and fiery light roared up like a Flood Dragon an arm thick, howling and devouring, its power doubled, far surpassing before.
Fang Shu estimated that one swing now should reach the power of a genuine Fourth Calamity Magic; killing Essence Refining Immortals would be like slaughtering chickens and dogs, even compared to himself before Seclusion.
Indeed, he casually swung the sword, striking the practice boulder, effortlessly splitting the half-zhang boulder in two without resistance.
After just one try, Fang Shu suppressed the impulse to continue, lest he get carried away and damage the Spirit Chamber.
This place was the Jin Family’s property, not his, and it was arrayed with formations all around—he dared not casually destroy it, lest he be cheated.
After successively testing his Spiritual Sense and True Qi, Fang Shu confirmed this breakthrough was a great success, with no deficiencies!
Thus, joy finally appeared on his face, his mouth opening, throat growling hoarsely.
Swaying unsteadily, he struggled to rise from the Altar, standing tall in the Spirit Chamber.
He stroked his own skeletal, emaciated Physical Body, showing no regret or worry.
His Physical Body had become this ghostly state not because he had damaged it during the breakthrough.
It was merely excessive consumption of Qi and Blood, especially when generating True Qi, as all his Qi and Blood linked with his Soul and were massively depleted to form True Qi.
This caused his skin and flesh to wither, even the Brain Fat in his skull burning away completely.
But this was no big deal; with True Qi at hand and able to draw Spiritual Energy from heaven and earth, even eating ordinary birds and beasts would nourish his Physical Body back. With Pills and such for Nourishment, recovery would be even faster.
With hunger gnawing now, Fang Shu hesitated no more; he immediately spat out his Long Tongue, retrieving the Storage Pouch outside the Altar.
No need to slowly open it with Qi and Blood; under Spiritual Sense control, the Pouch opened in a blink, spilling out all its contents with a clatter.
Compared to before, Fang Shu’s speed in accessing it was over ten times faster.
And if this Storage Pouch were intact, a genuine Fourth Calamity Magic Tool, he could use Spiritual Sense to search directly inside, retrieving only what he needed without dumping everything.
This was one great use of Spiritual Sense: remote control of Magic Tools and Magic, convenient and free.
Kaka!
Sounds of eating immediately rang out from the Altar.
Fang Shu, head lowered, greedily devoured the prepared meats, Pills, and such from the Pouch one by one.
Teeth grinding, guts rumbling.
His shriveled Physical Body swelled in the process, recovering bit by bit.
In the time of one meal, his skin became plump, his face rosy-lipped and white-toothed, no different from before Seclusion.
And now with True Qi entwining his body, he could control all his pores and such, cleaning them at will, truly achieving no sweat or filth—this was the state of “free from filth and hunger,” another name for the Fourth Calamity of Immortal Cultivators.
After a full meal, Fang Shu even touched his forehead.
His hair, burned away before, now grew back half an inch long; eyebrows and eyelashes on his face restored as new.
In a few more days, focusing True Qi Nourishment on his scalp, hair would grow even faster, soon long enough to bundle up.
Thus, when he emerged from Seclusion, his appearance wouldn’t seem too strange, drawing odd looks.
Well fed and watered.
Fang Shu in the Spirit Chamber exhaled, his expression serene, body and mind at ease.
It was time to examine the Spiritual Root he had planted, to see its specific wonders.
Though a False Spiritual Root was inferior to innate True Spiritual Root, once planted, it still brought unique benefits to Immortal Cultivators.
This was his second greatest gain after the Realm breakthrough in this Tribulation, one he could not help but anticipate.
Buzz buzz!
The next moment, golden light sprouted again in the Spirit Chamber, emanating from Fang Shu’s forehead.
As he urged his Natal Gu cum Spiritual Root insect grass, the Spiritual Energy in the Spirit Chamber fluctuated once more, gathering into trickles that poured into his forehead.
This indulgent devouring of Spiritual Energy made Fang Shu sigh lightly again.
Compared to now, during his Essence Refining stage—even using Moon Grasping Breathing Technique on a fine moonlit night, holding Spirit Stones—the efficiency was at most one-tenth of now.
In other words, compared to before, his efficiency in absorbing Spiritual Energy had increased tenfold!
Fang Shu marveled inwardly: “This is the wonder of Spiritual Root—even a False Spiritual Root has such extraordinary effects.”
The difference between having and not having was too vast.
And next, what surprised him even more was that with a thought, strands of threads whooshed from his forehead, frantically spreading into his body and outward.
In a blink, he became like Tofu covered in Mycelium again.
But unlike before, these threads were now under his control, and wherever they spread, he faintly felt his Spiritual Sense could follow.
This discovery left Fang Shu in suspicion, thinking he was overly excited today and hallucinating.
Because after breaking through to Refining Qi, a Fourth Calamity Immortal’s Spiritual Sense range generally stabilized at ten zhang around. The Spirit Chamber, only three zhang wide and long, could already be fully covered by Fang Shu’s Spiritual Sense.
After pondering, he shut down the Spirit Chamber’s formation and opened a small vent to the outside.
He controlled the Mycelium patiently spreading outward, reaching ten zhang away.
Soon, a delightful scene appeared—not just ten zhang away.
Eleven zhang, twelve zhang, thirteen zhang… thirty zhang! Fifty zhang! One hundred zhang!
When his Mycelium expanded to a hundred zhang, as long as it remained intact, his Spiritual Sense could smoothly extend along it to a hundred zhang away!!
Sitting alone in the Spirit Chamber, Fang Shu stared blankly in the direction his Spiritual Sense extended, momentarily dazed.
Hundred-zhang Spiritual Sense—that was something only mid-to-late Refining Qi Immortals, Sixth Calamity Qi Refining Spiritual Immortals, possessed. To exceed a hundred zhang required Refining Qi Immortals who cultivated Spiritual Sense Secret Techniques.
Now, with Spiritual Root Mycelium aid, he, Fang Shu, freshly entered Refining Qi, had already reached this level.
Even though Spiritual Sense was limited by Mycelium, and Mycelium fragile, spreading it consumed his True Qi… this ability was still profoundly wondrous; in an instant, myriad uses sprang to mind.
Coming back to himself, he withdrew his Spiritual Sense inch by inch, destroyed the extended Mycelium, sealed the Spirit Chamber tight, raised the formation, isolating inside from out.
These Mycelium were not his Flesh, but like hair and nails; part of his Physical Body yet unimportant, discardable anytime.
This prevented passersby outside from noticing his anomaly, exposing his Spiritual Root talent.
Amid surging emotions, Fang Shu immediately examined the Mycelium from his Spiritual Root more closely.
Soon, he discovered that besides attaching Spiritual Sense, Mycelium also transmitted True Qi and Spiritual Energy.
Specifically, it could channel his True Qi outward and draw terminal Spiritual Energy inward, like plant roots, though with considerable loss en route.
With a thought, Fang Shu took out an Essence Refining Gu Worm, letting Mycelium envelop and erode into its body.
Soon, he found that via Mycelium connection, he and the Gu Worm were like one.
Even after severing Mycelium, it could survive using the Gu Worm’s Flesh and reconnect to him anytime.
And keeping Mycelium severed but placing Spiritual Sense in the Gu Worm, with Mycelium aid, his Spiritual Sense could freely enter and inspect the Gu Worm’s interior, as if in his own Flesh.
This made Fang Shu’s eyes flicker again.
Note that Spiritual Sense, though wondrous, without Secret Technique enhancement, was easily blocked or sluggish, especially in Flesh like wading through mud.
Now, borrowing Mycelium, he could easily peer into living things.
Thus, henceforth in Gu Refining and using Gu, he could first erode Mycelium into the Gu Worm’s body.
This would double efficiency in both Gu Refining and use!
Amid joy, Fang Shu calmed himself, continuing to explore Spiritual Root wonders in the Spirit Chamber.
Indeed, he discovered yet another effect of Mycelium on himself.
Namely, when Mycelium spread in his body, it was like a nerve plexus, letting him control every bit of Flesh inside and out.
Or more precisely, these Mycelium were nerve roots extending from his brain, hence bearing Spiritual Sense and True Qi.
Based on this principle, Fang Shu mused that if his finger or arm were severed, he could likely reattach it like lotus root, with no loss of function afterward.
He couldn’t help thinking: “In this way, don’t I essentially have limb regeneration talent, just weaker?”
Note that reattaching limbs or transplanting Organs was, for Immortal Cultivators, both easy and hard.
Post-reattachment, Flesh, Bone, etc., easily reformed, but severed internal nerves and meridians were extremely hard to repair.
Now able to freely control internal nerves, Fang Shu would find reattaching limbs or transplanting Organs far easier henceforth.
For a moment, he itched to chop off a finger and test it on the spot.
Fortunately, he suppressed the impulse again.
The idea was too foolish—after all, if chopping, start with a toe.
【Spiritual Sense Anchoring】、【Living Being Parasitism】、【Self-Repair】
After figuring out the three great uses of Mycelium, Fang Shu murmured to himself:
“This thing perhaps shouldn’t be called Mycelium, but rather ‘Divine Threads’.”
With such Divine Threads, even if his Spiritual Root was merely a False Spiritual Root, its uses might not be inferior to a True Spiritual Root.
After a long bout of delight.
Fang Shu shifted attention; after much thought, he suddenly focused on the Dao Talisman in his mind.
Heavy text floated on the Dao Talisman, but Fang Shu was not here to read it now.
The Dao Talisman had extraordinary origins—existing in his mind yet connected to his skull, illusory yet real, self-contained and profoundly wondrous.
Though nominally under Fang Shu’s total control, he had never actively Sacrifice and Refined it, lacking means before.
Now he thought: “I am Refining Qi, and have Divine Threads—if I treat it like a Gu Worm, eroding and controlling it with Divine Threads, what would happen?”
With this thought, he grew eager to try, unable to hold back.
