I have a panel that reduces proficiency.

Chapter 59

Chapter 59

call!

A night breeze swept by.

The sky darkened instantly, as if a master calligrapher hidden behind the clouds had wielded a giant oak, dipped it in thick ink, and swept across the entire sky in one stroke, even erasing the few struggling rays of moonlight among the branches and leaves without leaving a trace.

The chirping of insects that once filled the mountains and forests has also ceased at some point.

In the darkness, only a muffled thud remained—like a ripe fruit falling silently from the highest branch, finally landing on the ground.

Glug, rustle, rustle.

When the moonlight shone through the branches again, a head could be seen lying in a pile of fallen leaves, looking at Fang Shi.

She opened and closed her mouth, saying, "Ouch, my head hurts so much! What a terrible road! I almost fell to my death. And you didn't even try to catch me! You're such a terrible horseman!"

Before Fang Shi could reply, a crisp voice floated down from above.

"Horse, horse, don't stop! Listen to my song and you'll see clearly. Vines on the road may trip you, but don't mistake them for reins. Horses can recognize their masters and companions. If you take a stranger for your master, your statue will forever remain a stone statue."

Fang Shi felt those two thighs slump down on his shoulders. He was silent for a moment, then said, "Great Celestial Venerable, please show me the way. This crossroads is dark and I can't tell which way to go."

As soon as he finished speaking, his right, limp thigh suddenly sprang up without warning, straightened forward, and pointed his toes toward the left fork in the road.

The insteps were whiter than snow, even whiter than before, but without a trace of blood.

The five toenails, which were originally pink, had somehow turned black, like mysterious pearls embedded in ancient jade, gleaming with a faint, cold light under the moon.

Don't listen to her.

The head on the ground clicked its tongue impatiently, its eyes darting to the right, and said, "Go to the right. I can see clearly from the ground that the right path is the right way."

Fang Shi fell silent again.

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He slung the thing over his shoulder, threw it to the ground, and straightened it to see what it was.

But the thought had barely formed when he suddenly remembered Xuanzhu's earlier words: "A horse that abandons its master will be left in the wilderness—never to return home."

A horse threw its master off its back.

Does that count as abandonment?

Fang Shi, supporting himself on the back of his knees, walked toward the fork in the road on the left.

His taut thigh went limp and slumped back down in front of his abdomen at that moment.

"You've gone the wrong way! My head is right here! What's the use of carrying a brainless shell? Go that way."

Come back! Come back quickly!

Fang Shi did not respond, but simply continued walking forward.

The sound gradually faded away, growing fainter and fainter until it was finally swallowed up by the night wind and could no longer be heard.

As he walked, the pair of thighs around his neck gradually stiffened, turning from soft to stiff, pressing heavily on his shoulders and making him uncomfortable—the soft touch of the skin was completely gone.

Fang Shi glanced at his ten toenails.

Fortunately, it was only as black as ink and did not become sharp.

What are you looking at?

"I didn't see anything."

As soon as he finished speaking, his right thigh straightened up again at an extremely tricky angle.

The entire leg was bent at the knee at a right angle, with the sole of the foot pointing upwards, presenting the five dark toenails directly in front of him.

"Look carefully if you want to. My feet are beautiful, it's not like I won't let you see them."

"I don't want to watch."

"This Heavenly Venerable One is of the highest rank and most precious possessions. No one else even dares to glimpse my feet, yet you, having them shown to you, are now complaining! You horse truly don't know what's good for you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the leg on his neck bent back even more, its toes almost poking his nose, and its dark toenails were only an inch away from his eyes.

"good!"

Fang Shi grabbed the bare foot that was bent back and held it in his hand. It was cool to the touch and had a delicate feel.

He pressed his foot forward and said, "Such a fine object, how can mere admiration suffice? It must be..."

"Click."

With a crisp crack, the ankle of that foot bent at an angle even more cunning than when she had bent it backwards earlier.

Just as Xuanzhu had said, her body was made of tofu. As soon as Fang Shi touched it, it was like breaking off a dried twig.

"How dare you! You dare break my leg! How dare you touch my leg! You horse! You piece of trash! This—this—"

Fang Shi remained unfazed, grasped the ankle again, felt for the joint, and with another "crack," pushed the dislocated joint back into place.

Press down on the upper part of the calf, then fold it forward, smooth the foot, and place it back in front of your abdomen.

"Great Celestial Venerable, please calm your anger. I have studied bone setting, and I noticed your foot was bent unnaturally just now, so I corrected it for you. Are you feeling better now?"

There was a full three breaths of silence above.

Then the foot that had just been "set" suddenly sprang up from in front of his abdomen, and the heel slammed hard into his stomach.

"Comfortable my foot! This Celestial Being bent backwards on its own! I don't need you to correct me!"

Fang Shi remained expressionless and said, "But this looks much better. I understand, the Great Celestial Venerable wants to enjoy bone setting a few more times. Why don't you bend it back again, and I'll set it for you—this time I guarantee it will be even lighter than last time."

Silence fell again overhead.

"No need, my feet are perfectly fine, I don't need you to touch them."

From then on, nothing else went wrong.

The foot that had just been "bone-set" hung quietly in front of his abdomen, occasionally curling its toes, but otherwise making no other movement.

Fang Shi had considered whether to ignore the path this person was on his back, but then he thought about it again and realized that Xuan Zhu's words about her being "made of tofu" had come true.

So he consciously abandoned those presumptuous thoughts and went wherever she led him.

The moss underfoot gradually thinned, the withered leaves gradually decreased, the ancient trees on both sides began to sparse, and the moonlight leaked through the branches and leaves more and more frequently and densely.

Fang Shi brushed aside the last leaf that was obstructing his view, and the view suddenly opened up before him.

The moonlight was so bright that it washed the entire night sky, making it look like a piece of grayish-white silk.

The road beneath their feet led to a precipice ahead. The top of the precipice was flat and barren, with only a solitary boulder leaning against the edge and a person standing on the edge.

The man stood on the edge of the cliff, his back to the moonlight, his face hidden in the shadows, so it was not clear.

All that could be seen was a white Taoist robe, beneath which a pair of moon-white cloud-patterned shoes were visible.

She was not tall, even petite, with her black hair tied in a simple Taoist bun, with a sandalwood hairpin inserted horizontally on the bun, and a jade bead the size of a red bean hanging from the head of the hairpin.

The night wind blew up from outside the cliff, making the Taoist robe flutter and the jade beads sway gently.

The man turned around.

The moonlight fell on her face, highlighting her beautiful features, fair skin, and a touch of childlike innocence on her cheeks.

It was none other than Xuanzhu. She said, "Send me to the bottom of the cliff, and we can leave this Realm of Seven Emotions and Desires together."

Fang Shi felt the foot in front of his abdomen move.

First, it pointed out of the cliff, then pointed its toes slightly downwards and nodded towards the bottom of the cliff. Although no sound came from it, it seemed to agree with what the mysterious pearl said.

"good!"

Fang Shi walked towards the edge of the cliff.

The bare foot that had been pointing down the cliff returned to its original state, while the bare foot's body remained stiff as cold jade, unchanged.

As Fang Shi drew closer to the Xuanzhu at the edge of the cliff, the moonlight illuminated her face in every detail—her lips were pale pink, her skin had a rosy glow, and there were traces of her breathing on her neck.

As Fang Shi approached the edge of the cliff and walked past her, a warm hand suddenly reached out from the side.

Her fingers were slender, her nails were pink, and she quickly and urgently gripped his wrist.

"Judging from your appearance, you are a cultivator from the Three Plates Realm. I am the Deputy Abbot of the Three Plates Temple, with the Daoist name Jade Pivot Wonderful Dharma True Man, in charge of talismans and divination. Helping me escape this predicament today is a great achievement. On the day of my return, I will personally record your name in the temple and bestow upon you the true transmission of your teachings."

Fang Shi stopped, looked at Xuan Zhu, and asked, "Why me?"

Xuanzhu said, "The Blessed Land is the boat of the Spirit Sea. Now the boat is leaking and the water is seeping in, so we must find the bridge. The bridge is below the cliff, formed from the thoughts of the Blessed Land's master, connecting to the mortal world. This cliff is truly strange; it cannot be crossed by one person alone, but by two. To investigate the explosion of the earth's veins, I voluntarily entered the depths of the Seven Emotions and Desires Realm. After entering, it was sealed, making it difficult for outsiders to enter again. How you were able to get here, I do not know either. Of the fifty numbers of the Great Evolution, forty-nine are used, and one is hidden. Since this realm was opened by the One Hidden Realm, it naturally retains a sliver of hope. You are that hidden one."

Fang Shidao: "Escape to One?"

Xuanzhu said, "The term 'Escape to One' is the initial name for the Dao, a name used before the creation of the primordial world. All other methods of alchemy are later names. When this blessed land was opened, there was no Dao Ancestor in the world; it was only called 'Escape to One.' You are confused by this name; you are indeed not born from this realm, but a cultivator of the present world."

Fang swore, "Are you trying to trick me?"

Xuanzhu said, "That's right, I was indeed testing you just now. In this realm, it's difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion. If I didn't test you, how would I know if you were genuine or not?"

Fang Shi asked, "What about the three of them who went down the cliff together?"

Xuanzhu asked, "Where did this third person come from?"

Fang Shi said, "I'm carrying one more on my back."

Xuanzhu frowned, loosened her grip on Fang Shi's wrist, and said, "Could it be that you've already fallen into the realm of the seven emotions and desires, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion?"

Fang Shidao said, "You say you're telling the truth, how can you prove it?"

Xuanzhu said, "I don't need to prove anything, because there's no one on your back at all."

Fang Shi asked, "Nobody here?"

Fang Shi's hands were already supporting the Great Celestial Venerable's knees, but upon hearing this, his fingers tightened, only managing to stop a gust of cold night wind.

Xuanzhu said, "When you entered this realm, your mind was too tense, and the seven emotions remained on your body. When the seven emotions solidify, you feel there is something there, but in reality, it is just a ball of illusory energy. With your arms crossed and your back hunched, did you think you were carrying someone on your back?"

Fang Shi suddenly raised his hand to touch his head.

My fingertips brushed across my head, only touching a wisp of air.

He refused to believe it and reached for his back again, patting his back haphazardly twice, from the back of his neck all the way down to his lower back, but found nothing.

The shoulder blades were completely bare, without even a crease in the fabric.

Xuanzhu said, "Don't try anymore. The more you try, the deeper your obsession will become, and the less you'll be able to distinguish between what's real and what's fake. But there's no need to be obsessed; you'll soon experience the feeling of being betrayed again."

Fang stopped what he was doing and asked, "Carrying someone on your back?"

Xuanzhu remained expressionless and said, "Carry someone on your back. This cliff is strange. One person can cross it alone, but one person must carry another to reach the bottom."

Fang Shi said, "Then why didn't you carry me on your back?"

Xuanzhu said, "Absurd! I am the deputy alchemist of Gaipan Dan, how could I betray others?"

Fang Shi took a couple of breaths and said, "Master Dan, you are a highly accomplished master. How could you not see that my meridians are currently in a state of near collapse and I have no strength left? If I were to let go halfway up the cliff, my master's magical power would be immense. Falling off the cliff would naturally be no problem, but if I did fall, I'm afraid I wouldn't reach the bottom, would I?"

Xuanzhu said, "I am the deputy alchemist of Gaipan Dan, a dignified Jade Pivot Wonderful Method True Person. How could I lower myself to carry a mere Qi Refining junior like you? No means no. I will not carry this cliff. If anyone is to carry me, it is you who will carry me."

Fang swore, "Men and women should not touch each other. Although I am not a student here, I know proper etiquette. To go down a cliff with someone on my back, skin to skin, is utterly improper!"

Xuanzhu said, "Those who cultivate immortality are not bound by trivial matters; in times of emergency, they act swiftly. Why should there be any strict separation between men and women?"

Fang Shi said, "Master Dan, you may not know this. When a man carries a woman on his back, the woman lies on the man's back with their chests and abdomens pressed together, which is quite inconvenient."

When a woman carries a man on her back, the man lies on the woman's back. Although this is the same principle, there are significant differences, stemming from physical characteristics—therefore, it is considered natural for women to carry men on their backs, as ordained by etiquette.

Upon hearing this, Xuanzhu raised an eyebrow and said, "Absurd! Putting aside the fact that cultivators don't concern themselves with etiquette, who told you that you have to be chest to chest when carrying someone? I only need to use one finger."

She moved behind Fang Shi, hooked her right index finger through his collar, then touched the ground with her toes, leaped upwards, and was suspended in the air.

With his arm outstretched, one index finger hooked around his collar, his body dangling behind Fang Shi.

"That's exactly right. I hook one finger around your collar, hanging behind you, an arm's length away. I neither touch your skin nor touch your body. Where is the separation between men and women? Where is the chest-to-chest contact?"

After Xuanzhu finished speaking, she quickly released her fingers and gracefully landed back on the ground, saying, "Alright, do you understand? If you understand, carry me down the cliff."

Fang Shi opened his mouth and said, "Okay—"

'

[Minor Concealment Technique Proficiency - 200]

[Minor Breath Concealment Technique (Beginner): -100/100]

The hairs on his back stood on end, and a chill ran from the back of his neck straight to his tailbone.

Since the Minor Concealing Breath Technique was mastered, the panel remained completely still, whether he was arguing with the Great Celestial Venerable on his back or talking to the Mysterious Pearl in front of him.

He almost thought the substance had lost its effectiveness in this fairyland.

But now it seems that this is not the case.

Xuanzhu's voice came from behind, saying, "I have already promised you benefits and dispelled your concerns. Why are you still so hesitant?"

Fang Shi slowly turned around.

The moonlight fell on Xuanzhu's face, her eyebrows and features were still as beautiful as a painting, her skin was still as white as frost, and her cheeks still had a touch of childishness.

"It's a matter of indecisiveness."

Fang Shi's gaze sharpened as he noticed her right hand, which was tucked into her sleeve.

Five small, dark-colored nail tips were embedded on the delicate pink fingertips, like five drops of thick ink on white jade.

Why aren't you saying a word?

"She is hesitant and indecisive."

Fang Shi withdrew his gaze and turned to the cliff.

The night wind blew up from outside the cliff, making his robes flutter loudly.

"But rather"

He rushed towards the edge of the cliff and jumped off.

"No more hesitation!"

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