Chapter 21: Hundred Insects Blood Refining Health Preservation Secret Skill
After Fang Shu responded, Li Hou Er gave him an encouraging look from the side, then left him and departed first.
Fang Shu, suppressing his excitement, quickly stepped forward and stood before the altar table in the main hall.
Glancing around, he noticed that the Dojo Master was not just teaching him alone, but a young girl who appeared younger than him was also standing nearby.
The girl looked timid, about thirteen or fourteen years old, with a ponytail, and a somewhat rustic appearance, as if she had just come from the mortal world.
The girl noticed Fang Shu’s sidelong glance, lowered her head, and dared not look at him, yet she managed a few smiles.
The Du Gu Guan Master paid no attention to their behavior and casually instructed:
“Fang Shu, Qin Min, step forward to burn incense and pay respects to the Five Poisons.”
“Yes.”
Fang Shu had been in the dojo for over half a month, and although he hadn’t eaten pork, he had seen the pig run; he had often observed the Daoist children offering incense and tea.
He clapped his sleeves on both sides, then bowed to take the incense stick from the altar table, holding it with both hands.
At this moment, Fang Shu noticed the girl beside him looking hesitant, staring intently at his actions. So, he slowed his brisk movements and gestured with his eyes for her to pick up the incense stick.
The girl quickly stepped forward and, imitating him, took an incense stick.
Afterward, she followed Fang Shu, lit the incense, made a bow, and prostrated herself before the depiction of the Five Poisons, knocking her head three times.
The Du Gu Guan Master swept her gaze over the scene. After the two stood up, she first stepped forward and had them stand straight with their hands hanging naturally at their sides.
Then, her fingers, like chicken claws, pinched Fang Shu’s bones like iron clamps, probing inch by inch.
After briefly feeling Fang Shu’s entire skeletal structure, she slightly shook her head and commented indifferently:
“Bone age sixteen. Your family background was decent in childhood, but there were times of hunger, which stunted your physical development—a middle to low-grade spiritual root.
If you wish to enter the Dao in a year, mere diligent study and hard training will not suffice 99.9% of the time. You must increase your Qi and Blood.”
Fang Shu’s expression changed slightly upon hearing the words “middle to low.”
Unexpectedly, seeing his reaction, the Du Gu Guan Master’s face immediately showed a playful smile, and she said:
“Don’t overthink it. Even if you were born into a wealthy family in the mortal world, had a famous Master providing nourishment since childhood, and possessed a top-grade spiritual root, as long as you lack a spiritual root, to us immortal cultivators, you are merely mortal bone with no fundamental difference.”
The Du Gu Guan Master then added:
“What you should care about is that, fortunately, you came to the mountain and entered the dojo before the age of eighteen. This dojo possesses immortal means to help you change your spiritual root. But that opportunity is only for these two years, so remember to seize it.”
Fang Shu nodded quickly.
He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “May I ask, Master, can spiritual roots also be changed?”
The term “spiritual root” he had heard of in the mortal world, and it was widely rumored that “without a spiritual root, one cannot cultivate immortality.”
Fortunately, the Immortal Path in this world seemed to have developed to the point where cultivation was possible even without a spiritual root.
However, since coming up the mountain, Fang Shu still occasionally heard the words “spiritual root,” indicating that even if it wasn’t essential for cultivating immortality, it was still a very important item!
The Du Gu Guan Master smiled upon hearing Fang Shu’s question, glancing at him as if he were a child, and did not answer.
Afterward, the Dojo Master felt Qin Min’s bones and gave a commentary: “Bone age fourteen, low-grade spiritual root.”
Upon hearing this assessment, Qin Min became visibly more timid, lowering her head even further.
However, strangely, the Du Gu Guan Master not only didn’t seem concerned about her low-grade spiritual root, but she also spent more time and was more thorough when feeling her skeletal structure than she had with Fang Shu, as if she were investigating something.
After the bone touching, the Du Gu Guan Master ordered Fang Shu to remove his robes, leaving only his underpants on.
She took a candle and, with a snap of her fingers, sent a stream of melted wax through the air onto Fang Shu, causing him a burning pain.
“Qin Min, come and look. Fang Shu, you also remember these spots.”
The Du Gu Guan Master spoke:
“Today, I will teach you the 《Hundred Insect Blood Refining Body Nourishment Secret Skill》. The dojo has carefully cultivated various medicinal and poisonous insects. When practicing, remember not to be bitten by insects in these areas.
Otherwise, even if it’s a medicinal insect and not poisonous, its potent properties will only damage your physical body, doing more harm than good.”
As she explained, the Du Gu Guan Master gestured on Fang Shu’s skeletal structure and began to detail other crucial points.
For example, a person’s spine is like a dragon; insects like snakes and lizards can be used to aid it, but insects like toads and bats are to be avoided; a person’s leg bones are like trees; insects from the earth can be used to aid them, but insects from wood are to be avoided.
However, having her use his body for guidance made Fang Shu feel that although the process was very detailed and beneficial, he vaguely felt like he was a teaching prop—used to instruct others.
At this point, the Du Gu Guan Master summarized:
“The human body has five elements and five organs, and insects also have five elements and five poisons. While the techniques in this dojo are intricate, there is no fixed, unchangeable prescription. You need to adapt to the circumstances and your own body.”
Her expression turned stern: “Only the principles of the five elements’ mutual generation and overcoming are immutable. This is the key to practicing the Hundred Insect Secret Skill and other cultivation methods and magic.
Remember this, practice it, and do not spread it outside!”
“Yes, Master!” Fang Shu and Qin Min answered quickly.
“Good.” The Du Gu Guan Master’s expression softened.
She then smiled at the two and suddenly said, “However, I must tell you two that you will ultimately not understand the feeling of the secret technique’s operation.”
Fang Shu and Qin Min looked up. In their eyes, the Du Gu Guan Master suddenly showed a smile mixed with a hint of terror.
Before Fang Shu and the other could react, the Du Gu Guan Master opened her mouth, and a gust of black wind flew out from her dark, gaping throat.
Buzzing!
This gust of black wind, like flies and bees, emitted buzzing sounds. When it reached Fang Shu and the other, it became as fine as millet.
As Fang Shu and the other showed looks of fear, the Du Gu Guan Master said calmly:
“This is our dojo’s Ant Master. It will land on you, causing a crawling sensation all over your body and injecting ant venom. This will stimulate your Qi and Blood, allowing you to understand the feeling of controlling Qi and Blood.”
These words struck Fang Shu with horror.
This so-called ant crawling sensation for cultivation was actually achieved by being bitten by venomous ants. It was indeed the Du Gu Guan!
But there was no use in complaining now, and running was also impossible, because Fang Shu and the other were already surrounded by the black wind carrying flying ants.
The flying ants burrowed into their clothes and pants, present everywhere on their bodies, and soon formed intricate patterns.
Fang Shu suppressed his shock and looked at his body, realizing they were all “secret script patterns”!
Secret script is the core of all current immortal studies’ cultivation methods. The fact that the technique taught by the Du Gu Guan Master had these secret script patterns clearly indicated it was a genuine immortal merit, and not a crude one.
Thus, Fang Shu let go of his distracting thoughts and began to carefully perceive the ant crawling sensation that had been described.
A wondrous feeling immediately surged through his body.
As the ant venom entered his body, a stinging sensation indeed appeared, and the stinging felt like ants crawling incessantly all over his body.
However, Fang Shu’s physical body also felt numb. It wasn’t as terrifying as it appeared on the surface, seemingly because the ant venom also had a numbing effect on the body, reducing the pain.
As expected, the Du Gu Guan Master’s voice echoed in the hall:
“For the first cultivation session, the Ant Master’s bite will be gentler. But in the future, when you use insects to cultivate on your own, be careful not to take anesthetics like Mafeisan, as that would be self-deception.”
She paused: “Of course, our dojo also sells Ant Spirit Paste produced by the Ant Master.
This paste is made by grinding Spirit Stones with demonic blood as a base. Applying it will only make your body feel burning hot, as if you are by a furnace, greatly increasing your Qi and Blood, but with little pain.
The only drawback is its expense.
One tael of paste costs one tael of Spirit Stone.”
While experiencing the secret skill taking effect, Fang Shu, with a slightly dazed consciousness, listened to the Du Gu Guan Master’s teachings and thought to himself:
“Is this what they call ‘the poor rely on hardship, while the rich have divine abilities’?”
In the main hall, the young man and woman continued their cultivation, both silently.
But as time passed.
The ant crawling sensation seemed to burn like a branding iron, deeply imprinted on Fang Shu and the other’s bodies and minds, while also making their consciousness increasingly hazy.
However, both of them felt as if a fireball was leaping in their chests, their Qi and Blood surging, and their bones feeling hot.
Furthermore, Fang Shu felt faint traces of coolness being slowly drawn into his body from the surrounding world as he breathed.
“This is… Spiritual Energy?!” His heart was instantly filled with joy.
After nearly a month, he had finally re-experienced the wonderful sensation of Moon Essence entering his body.
At this moment, in his mind’s Dao Talisman, two lines of text quietly appeared under the cultivation method section:
【Learned 《Hundred Insect Blood Refining Body Nourishment Secret Skill》】
【This technique uses insect blood to advance cultivation, draws spiritual energy into the body, and can overcome the First Tribulation of Immortality.】
