Some extraordinary Gu insects are so mystical that even a single one can rival a heavenly treasure—or even exceed it in value. They are veritable priceless artifacts. For instance, there is the Longevity Gu, said to grant unending life once refined. As long as the Longevity Gu does not perish, the user shall remain undying and eternal. Compared to any rare treasure, this mystical insect is far more precious.
"Hmm, what we most need in Great Yi right now… perhaps this sacrificial rite might help us obtain it,"Zhuge Liang nodded in agreement.
Truthfully, Great Yi lacked many things—but also, not that many. It wasn't quite correct to say it lacked nothing either. It was a nation in the early stages of revival, in need of everything.
Yi Tianxing naturally had his own thoughts.
"If we're talking about items, then yes, we're lacking. We could always use more heavenly treasures, especially treasure-class buildings—the more, the better.
"And then there's Xuanhuang City, which has merged with the Supreme Artifact Diagram, and was forged with Willpower Pearls. It now rivals even true supreme artifacts. The only thing missing is a proper energy core—a central hub. Such things are rare and nearly impossible to come by."
Yi Tianxing pondered silently.
Though Xuanhuang City was indeed extraordinary—having evolved from a simple village token into a royal city, merged with the embryo of a supreme artifact and forged with Willpower—it had become a unique celestial city. Thanks to its origin in willpower, Xuanhuang City could fly at will, rise into the sky, and even anchor itself in the void.
Functionally, it was no different from other supreme artifacts.
Willpower could be as heavy as Mount Tai or as light as a feather. Its properties were truly miraculous.
However, without a core energy source, the celestial city was like a heart without blood flow. A true energy nucleus was essential to make it come fully alive.
Yi Tianxing had considered using a Thunder Pool. As one of the most common energy cores, the Thunder Pool contained the power of life and death within its thunder-infused waters. It could not only empower any supreme artifact but also temper the body of the city itself with thunder.
But after some careful deliberation, he gave up the idea.
Since Xuanhuang City was the capital of the Great Yi Dynasty, it had to be as mighty and dignified as possible. A Thunder Pool required constant accumulation of thunder power—meaning daily lightning strikes. Even though these strikes would be drawn directly into the Thunder Pool and cause no harm, the constant thunder above the capital would diminish its majesty.
And so, the Thunder Pool was dismissed.
Over the years, Yi Tianxing had constantly sought a suitable energy core.
Once acquired, the whole of Xuanhuang City would come alive—becoming even more mystical.
Zhuge Liang and Jia Xu could offer no better suggestions here. After all, none of them were well-versed in Gu insects. With such limited knowledge, providing guidance was nearly impossible.
Yi Tianxing arrived beneath the altar and looked up.
Staring at the mysterious silhouette within the swirling black vortex, his expression grew solemn. One must always hold reverence for the powerful—for it is only with awe that one finds the strength to move forward.
In that vortex, the shadow seemed to be watching Yi Tianxing. Its gaze lingered on him for a moment.
And then, without warning, a stream of information flowed into his mind.
"So... it can be done this way too?"
Surprised, Yi Tianxing's expression changed slightly after digesting the message.
It was a message about the ritual sacrifice.
Apparently, the offering had reached an incredible threshold—enough that the altar granted him a rare privilege: to choose his reward from a list. The choice would be limited only by the number of ritual points earned. So long as the cost was covered, the reward could be selected at will.
This was undoubtedly an incredible opportunity.
Only those who made a grand enough offering could qualify for this.
Without it, they would be given a reward at random.
To be allowed to target a specific reward, rather than leave it to chance, was a fundamentally different experience. It allowed for intentional gains.
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, didn't hesitate, and poured his consciousness into the altar.
Upon contact, a screen-like list of treasures unfurled in his mind, densely packed with entries that stunned him with their variety.
Insects—countless Gu insects— appeared before him. Each one vivid and lifelike, their forms presented directly into his thoughts.
They completely overturned his previous understanding of what Gu insects could be.
There were many bizarre and unique varieties.
For example:
[Wine Gu (酒虫)]
A strange Gu insect, said to be a spirit of wine. Addicted to alcohol, it makes its host crave wine uncontrollably—without it, they grow weak, as if in withdrawal. But that's not its true power. According to legend, place the Wine Gu in clear water and it will transform it into the most exquisite spiritual wine.This wine isn't ordinary; it's rich in spiritual energy. It is even said that one can let the Wine Gu dwell within the body, refining one's true essence, and enhancing magical power. Its uses depend entirely on how it is applied.
Yi Tianxing was not unfamiliar with this.
He recalled a wild tale from ancient records:
In ancient China, there lived a man from the Liu family of Longshan. Fat and fond of drink, he brewed vats of liquor and drank them alone. One day, a monk told him he had a Wine Gu inside him. Curious, the man allowed the monk to exorcise it. The process was simple: tie him up under the sun, bring wine to his nose—but don't let him drink. Soon, an itch rose in his throat, and a creature three inches long with a fish-like body and tiny eyes and mouth emerged and fell into the wine. The monk took it, asking only to keep the Gu. When placed in water, it turned it into fine wine—just as promised.
In the hands of a Gu master, this was no ordinary insect—it was a rare Gu.
Yi Tianxing saw more strange insects:
Moonlight Gu, Titan Strength Gu, Diamond Gu, Swiftstep Gu…
Each formed its own system, no less effective than talismans or pills.
Some let you move like the wind, some made your body as hard as diamond, some granted monstrous strength, like a born war god.
And then there were the poison Gu.
One example:
[Yin-Yang Gu (阴阳蛊)]
Capable of instantly swapping a person's gender. Male becomes female, female becomes male—with perfect transformation. It reversed Yin and Yang energies on contact. A terrifying weapon, especially for cultivators.
There were also plague-bearing Gu, capable of spreading disease at alarming speed—replicating and infecting entire populations like wildfire. Their epidemic potential was terrifying.
Then something caught Yi Tianxing's attention.
[Spring-Autumn Gu (春秋蛊)] – A Time-Attribute Rare Gu
A mystical insect that allowed one to roam the river of time, possibly rewinding eras, traveling to the past or future, and even rebirthing oneself. It was one of the most powerful time-related Gu insects ever recorded.
It looked like a cicada—vivid yet ethereal—seeming both present and absent, lingering in a peculiar, timeless state. It clearly drew power from the river of time, unaffected by the flow of years.
"A good Gu. Truly a strange Gu. If I had this… I might have another chance to start over.Even if it never activates, even if I die first—it could still save my life. It's a second chance.A chance to be reborn. That is heaven-defying."
Yi Tianxing involuntarily took in a sharp breath.
Rebirth, especially into the past—was perhaps the most powerful ability of all. It gave one knowledge of the future and endless ways to prepare for it. He knew this better than anyone.
After all, he himself had been reborn three days into the past once—and it changed his entire fate. The value of such an ability was impossible to measure.
This was the ultimate regret remedy.
Even a golden immortal couldn't possess such a thing.
But the Spring-Autumn Gu could.
That alone proved its priceless worth.
"It costs… one billion ritual points?"
Yi Tianxing looked at the final price—and shook his head bitterly.
It was simply too much.
According to the altar, he only had three billion ritual points. Using a full one billion on just a single Gu… that was too extravagant, even for him.