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As she continued training, Maria observed the entire sect. Everyone was practicing diligently, from the youngest disciples to the newest members, including her own family.
She and the other cultivators had helped Wu Lieng by extracting a "Bloodline-Devouring Gu," a mystical, insect-like spiritual creature that cultivators often used to parasitize their bodies for special abilities or cultivation boosts.
Gu abilities and powers varied tremendously from one to another, but they all required constant feeding to survive and grow. Some could even be bred together to create entirely new varieties.
Apparently, entire sects specialized in Gu breeding and sold them primarily on the black market, as these practices were strictly forbidden by the orthodox factions.
