42: The Dan Appreciation Conference and the Five Organs Method

"Demoness, my True Disciple was drained of all his vital essence by you and died! Today, I will have you pay for this blood debt!"

A black-robed old Daoist with a Daoist bun cursed.

"Bah, Dan Chenzi, what are you pretending to be a good person for!

Who doesn't know that your Five Viscera Temple secretly refines great pills using Daoist children?

Even Personal Disciples are no exception... Although I absorbed Li Lang's vital essence, at least I let him enjoy extreme pleasure and die in happiness.

It's certainly better than having his heart, kidneys, and lungs emptied by you and refined into a Five Viscera Pill..."

The beautiful woman in yellow scoffed, but inwardly she cried out, 'Trouble...'

The Five Viscera Temple is a major sect within a thousand-li radius. If I don't get away now, it will be difficult.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up as a person appeared in her sight.

Got it!

Immediately, her escape light twisted and headed straight for Gu Changsheng.

Gu Changsheng frowned: "This woman harbors ill intentions; she means to divert trouble eastward..."

Ten breaths later, two figures, one black and one yellow, swept past him.

"Daoist priest, save me..."

The woman in yellow cried, her tears like falling pear blossoms, and collapsed to the ground, inadvertently revealing a large expanse of pale skin. Her desolate gaze made people feel pity.

"I am Dan Chenzi, the seventh Feathered Warrior of the Heart Fire lineage of the Five Viscera Temple.

I advise Your Excellency not to meddle in others' affairs.

Otherwise, hmph..."

The black-robed Daoist spoke coldly, his threat obvious.

Gu Changsheng sighed softly.

"I didn't expect to encounter such a clichéd situation right after coming out... Indeed, I'm still more suited to staying hidden in a corner.

Therefore... both of you, go die."

"What?"

"What arrogance!"

The two were stunned, their faces showing indignation.

The next instant, two streaks of nether light pierced through the air, striking their brows like sharp swords.

Thump—

Both fell straight down, kicking up dust. There was no trace of a Divine Soul in their bodies.

"Nine Nether Soul-Seizing Underworld Light, it slays the Divine Soul while keeping the Physical Body intact, perfect for my drawing..."

Gu Changsheng pulled out his sketchbook.

A moment later, two streaks of spiritual light surged into his brow.

Lifespan + 2

Skinning Art

Five Viscera Method . Heart Fire

The panel immediately showed changes.

With two years added to his Lifespan, the oppressive feeling of his Lifespan nearing its end immediately dissipated considerably.

Gu Changsheng looked at the newly acquired art on the panel.

Skinning Art

This is a secret skinning method that can completely peel the skin off a living creature and wear it.

Cultivating it to a profound level allows one to even peel off demon skin, transform into a demon, and use Divine Abilities unique to demons.

"Its potential is average... but it's suitable for hiding one's identity and fishing in troubled waters."

Gu Changsheng silently gave his assessment.

His gaze shifted to another Cultivation Method.

Upon seeing its content, his eyes immediately lit up.

Five Viscera Method . Heart Fire (Profound)

Introduction: Created by Old Ancestor Li Huowang of the Five Viscera, Cultivators must cut open their heart, apply hot oil, and maintain an angry emotion for one month to master it.

"Suicidal Cultivation Method + 1..."

Gu Changsheng gave his evaluation with an expressionless face.

He was already accustomed to the bizarre nature of the Cultivation Methods in this world.

"Now, I possess two Heaven-ranked Cultivation Methods, so ordinary methods, even Earth-ranked ones, I don't put in my eyes.

However... this Five Viscera Method does have some unique aspects."

According to the method's introduction, the Five Viscera Method is divided into five great methods: Heart Fire, Liver Wood, Kidney Water, Lung Metal, and Spleen Earth.

The current Heart Fire Method is just one of them.

Each method can be used to refine precious medicine corresponding to the organ—the Five Viscera Pill.

After consumption, it greatly increases one's Cultivation.

Furthermore, the greater five viscera pill, refined from the Five Elements combined, can increase the chances of a Breakthrough to the True Core Realm.

"Refining pills with humans... indeed, it's the style of this world... If not for me possessing the three top-tier Evil Qi: Black Mountain Qi, Human Evil, and Nine Nether Yellow Springs Evil, giving me a high chance of condensing a True Core.

I'm afraid even I would be tempted..."

Cultivating by eating people has always been Gu Changsheng's bottom line.

Once one tries it for the first time and tastes the sweetness, over time, one is bound to completely sink.

"However, the final chapter of the Heart Fire Method actually records part of the Cultivation route for the Five Elements Heaven Evasion Divine Light, which is an unexpected pleasant surprise."

The Five Elements Heaven Evasion Divine Light is one of the world's most renowned movement-type Divine Abilities.

It excels at using the power of the Five Elements, transforming the body into a five-colored stream of light, moving at extreme speed.

Especially when burrowing into Five Elements environments like vegetation, rocks, or the earth, its speed increases even further.

"It's truly like a pillow arriving when one is sleepy... The sixth-rank Blood Shadow Art is gradually falling behind..."

Defensive and movement-type Divine Abilities are the most highly valued in the Way of the Hermit.

In Gu Changsheng's mind, these were far more valuable than any offensive Divine Ability.

The familiar body-looting began.

Soon, Gu Changsheng had quite a few items in his hands.

Five bottles of Heart Fire Pills, each containing twenty pills.

A Spiritual Artifact Li Huo Flying Sword, a Magical Artifact flying boat, and several spiritual materials and spiritual fruits.

Overall, he was very poor.

"Never mind, he's just a Foundation Building Realm Cultivator anyway..."

Suddenly, he pulled out a gilded invitation from Dan Chenzi's embrace.

"Pill Appreciation Assembly..."

Gu Changsheng touched the gilded characters, reading them out one by one.

Upon opening it, his expression changed several times.

This Pill Appreciation Assembly, it turned out, was a grand event for the Five Viscera Temple to refine the greater five viscera pill.

At that time, Cultivators who reached the Peak Foundation Building Realm would all have a chance to obtain it.

Furthermore, it would widely invite Cultivators from other Daoist paths to appreciate the great pill together, exchange Cultivation experiences, and trade spiritual materials.

The focus was on the trade fair, where there was a high possibility of Opportunities to Breakthrough to the True Core Realm and condense Divine Abilities.

"In that case, I have no choice but to go to this Pill Appreciation Assembly... It's perfect; I can use the Skinning Art to transform into this person and quietly blend in."

Black Qi surged from his fingertips, covering Dan Chenzi's body.

Rustle, rustle, rustle—

It sounded like countless insects gnawing on flesh and blood, making a faint sound.

After a cup of tea, the black Qi swirled, landed in his palm, and transformed into a finger-length skin pouch.

The face was exactly Dan Chenzi's appearance.

Black Qi poured in, and the skin pouch expanded against the wind, turning into fragments that adhered to his body's surface.

By the time Gu Changsheng opened his eyes, he had clearly become another person.

"Haha, this method is excellent, successful disguise + 1... From now on, I'll have two identities.

Dan Chenzi who kills and sets fires, Gu Changsheng who saves the suffering.

The greater the contrast in persona, the less suspicion there will be."

Immediately, Gu Changsheng began to search the woman in yellow, his large hands roaming over her intimate areas.

It wasn't a special fetish.

It's just that these Loose Cultivators, like cunning rabbits with three burrows, often keep important items close to their body.

Suddenly, he frowned, and his hands pulled along the woman's neck, peeling off a complete skin.

Beneath the skin, there was actually a burly man with a full beard.

This, it turned out, was the woman's original appearance.

"Skinning Art... I had anticipated that the woman in yellow wasn't her true form, but even the gender... sigh."

Thinking of the scene where the woman in yellow had just now feigned modesty, tearing off a large piece of her clothing to reveal her fair skin, Gu Changsheng felt as if he had swallowed a fly.

Fortunately, this woman's assets were quite considerable.

The quantity of spiritual materials far surpassed Dan Chenzi's.

A moment later, Gu Changsheng flicked two fireballs at the corpses, then turned and flew away.

White Lotus Sect secret chamber.

Xuan Xin's face was half-green, half-yellow, and wisps of Nether Qi emanated from her body.

After a while, she spat out a mouthful of Reverse Blood, and her aura immediately weakened.

"Grandmaster, this Yellow Springs Art is too difficult... Is there truly no other way besides changing my Cultivation Method?"

As soon as she spoke, a wisp of black Qi emerged from Xuan Xin's head, shaking and transforming into an old woman's phantom.

"Alas, I originally thought that the three lives stone reflecting the Divine Soul could break the Restriction my Rebellious Disciple left in your Divine Soul Sea.

I didn't expect one to remain... This one is exceptionally fatal.

Only when your Cultivation reaches the Peak True Core Realm will the Restriction act up.

Now, only by cultivating the Yellow Springs Art, returning from death to life, can it be broken."

The old woman's tone was somewhat embarrassed.

"This Yellow Springs Art is exceptionally perilous to begin Cultivating.

That's why I never revealed this method to you.

Legend has it that during the prosperous era of the Yellow Springs Dao Sect, its Disciples numbered over a million.

And those who fell during the introductory stage accounted for at least ninety percent.

It's truly a narrow escape from death.

This was even with the Yellow Springs Dao Sect's backing from the Nether Spring source.

However, there is always a glimmer of Opportunity in everything..."

The old woman's gaze fell upon the gilded invitation on the stone table.

It clearly read 'Pill Appreciation Assembly'.

"At this Pill Appreciation Assembly, if you can steal the Evil Qi fruit condensed by that five qi gathering tree, you can protect your True Spirit and successfully enter the Dao; it won't be difficult."

"In that case... I must go."

Black Qi swirled, and the old woman's eyes were like torches.

In a trance, a golden pattern faintly appeared between her brows, flashing briefly.