Worm Practitioner#

Swallowing pills to hasten flight, In tainted streams, he shares the blight. Better to seek the straight and true, Than in the crooked paths pursue.

The disciples who practiced swordsmanship in the temple had been training under their master for a long time. Since joining the group, they had all harbored the wish to attain ascension, diligently practicing their skills with great perseverance.

One day, the master finally informed his disciples that after years of rigorous training, their skills had become proficient. He told them that they could now follow him into the mountains for a secluded meditation. If they were fortunate, they might achieve ascension and become immortals. The disciples were overjoyed and eagerly packed their belongings to follow their master into the mountains.

The master led them using a teleportation technique to a breathtakingly beautiful mountain. The mountain was rustling golden leaves, presenting a scene of crisp, refreshing autumn weather.

At the mountain's peak, there was a hamlet where they set down their belongings. The master then led them along a path behind the hamlet to the summit. There, they saw strands of silk hanging in the air, with one end suspended in the mountain mist and the other reaching high into the clouds, destination unknown. The master said, "This is the celestial ladder to the Immortal Kingdom. Hundreds of years ago, your senior brother ascended to immortality from this very spot."

With that, he handed each of them a peculiar object of a violet color and said, "This is a pill to aid your ascension. Quickly, my disciples, consume it."

The disciples, filled with excitement, immediately swallowed the larva- like objects. A few hesitated, only to see a terrifying and disgusting scene: the disciples taken the pills had transformed into flat-headed, fleshy worms. Horrified, they questioned their master, shaking. The master shook his head and sighed, "when the opportunity arises, your courage fails, which make you unfit to become immortals."

Before his sigh had ended, the disciples who had transformed into worms lunged at them...