A human heart, mixed with blood, was thrown into a copper cauldron, followed by an acidic liquid that sizzled as it mixed with the heart. Beneath it, small flames heated the copper cauldron. Fang Tian exhaled in exhaustion, as the mental effort he was exerting was enormous for him.
He had to focus on controlling the temperature while ensuring that no impurities entered the liquid, continuously pouring in his primeval essence to guarantee the stability of the refinement.
The Gu worm he was refining was called
Bloody Enslavement Gu Rank two.
After inheriting the Refinement Path inheritance left behind by Li Hua, Fang Tian gained broad insight into the Refinement Path because of this inheritance. He no longer needed to blindly grope his way forward on this path, as Li Hua had already laid the foundation for him. She had left behind complete insights, refinement methods, guidance for her inheritor, and more than twenty Gu worm recipes covering various paths, most of which focused on the Wood Path.
However, this did not prevent the existence of a Blood Path Gu worm that suited his needs. Fang Tian felt slightly uneasy, as it seemed that every step he took was extremely predictable. Nevertheless, this did not stop him from taking the risk. If he truly needed the resources within the Yan Zu Clan, then infiltrating it was unavoidable.
The sizzling sound from the cauldron intensified. Fang Tian cut a wound on his palm and poured his blood inside. His blood dripped into the liquid, which turned purple and began to contract at a visible speed. He then took out a leather flask containing the blood of the five hunters and poured it in as well.
The purple liquid transformed into a sphere of purple light, and Fang Tian proceeded to the next step. The sphere of light grew to the size of a palm, and he began throwing in primeval stones without any regard for the massive consumption. After throwing in nearly four hundred primeval stones—
The sphere of light shrank, revealing a red Gu worm shaped like a blood embryo, wearing a sinister smile. Fang Tian wiped the sweat from his pale face caused by exhaustion. He then picked up the Gu worm and collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.
Gu refinement placed a tremendous burden on him, and performing multiple tasks simultaneously—even for a short period—was more than he could endure.
After a period ranging from one to two hours, Fang Tian opened his eyes and held his head, which was still throbbing from a headache. He pushed his hands against the rocky ground and lifted himself.
"This hurts terribly. Even though this wasn't my first time refining a Rank Two Gu, it was the hardest."
Fang Tian was not an expert in Gu refinement—at best, he was average. Thus, when he struggled through refining Bloody Enslavement Gu, he collapsed unconscious. This was likely the best possible outcome, as he suffered no backlash and successfully refined
Bloody Enslavement Gu.
"And now, I will truly begin infiltrating the Yan Zu Clan."
The function of
Bloody Enslavement Gu was simple, as its name implied—it enslaved blood-related kin. For this reason, Fang Tian added his own blood and the hunters' blood to increase the number of blood-related targets connected to the Gu.
Naturally, the number of enslaved relatives was not unlimited, nor was the effect instantaneous. First, the closer the blood relationship between the blood used in refinement and the target, the stronger the effect. Second, Fang Tian needed to influence the target—the greater the influence, the better the effect.
Ordinary mortals could be enslaved instantly, but the number was limited to around twenty. Therefore, Fang Tian would not waste his energy enslaving mortals. Instead, he set his sights on the Gu Master responsible for the village he had visited.
This Gu Master was the ideal conduit for Fang Tian. He was neither an important figure nor a marginalized one within the Yan Zu Clan—just an ordinary Gu Master guarding one of their subordinate human villages. He was not especially trusted due to his distance from the clan, yet he still enjoyed the privileges of being one of its members.
Fang Tian could use him to exchange materials from within the clan using the primeval stones he possessed. He could obtain several Rank Two Gu worms, or even a Rank Three Gu if luck favored him.
However, he would not do that. Such actions would draw excessive attention and unwanted questions from the clan. Unless this Gu Master advanced to Rank Two, there would be a somewhat reasonable explanation—after all, the stronger an individual became, the more resources the clan allocated to them.
Even so, Fang Tian had no way to elevate someone with no talent to Rank Two. And why would he do that in the first place?
— — —
"Little Jin Long, you may return to the village and continue guarding the slaves. I've already submitted your report to the officials in the Internal Affairs Hall. Trust me, you'll receive a good reward."
"Then I'll take my leave, senior brother."
Yan Zu Jin Long bowed to the Rank Two Gu Master and withdrew from the massive building of pale gray stone known as the Internal Affairs Hall.
Yan Zu Village stretched as far as the eye could see. Houses made of sturdy gray stone stood in orderly rows, interspersed with wooden houses built from flexible arrow-tree wood—these were the dwellings of ordinary mortals.
Jin Long frowned, bitterness welling inside him as he suppressed his inner pain. The cause of this pain was nothing but poverty. Mortals looked at Gu Masters and saw only wealth and power, unaware of the hidden, bitter hardships of Gu cultivation.
The higher a Gu Master's cultivation, the more primeval stones were required to continue cultivating and to purchase food for their Gu worms. Although those with talent received special care from the clan, they did not suffer the same hardships as those with low aptitude like Jin Long.
Jin Long possessed D-grade talent, with an aperture fullness of 37%. His cultivation had stagnated for two years at the peak of Rank One, and the sorrow he felt at failing to break through to Rank Two was immense.
He harbored resentment toward the clan and those with high talent, who never endured the suffering he did—though he remained kind toward those similar to himself.
"Ah… this life is truly unfair. I can't even gather enough primeval stones for the caravan arriving next month, nor can I secure a decent mission with any group, despite owning several useful Gu worms."
He arrived in front of a smaller stone house, relatively modest compared to the surrounding residences. He extended his slender hand and knocked on the door several times, until it was opened by a small child with large watery eyes and soft brown hair. Jin Long's reflection appeared in the child's eyes—a long face with prominent cheekbones, dark skin, and slender yet powerful shoulders and limbs.
Overall, he was a handsome and likable person, but when the child saw him, the innocent smile vanished, replaced by fear, as if he had been caught doing something wrong.
"U-Uncle Jin…"
"Tell your father I'm here, boy."
Jin Long shouted at the child, causing him to rush away in panic to call his father. Ten minutes later, a burly man emerged, wearing the distinctive red Gu Master robe of the Yan Zu Clan. Around his waist was an iron plate engraved with the number "2".
Jin Long frowned upon seeing the iron plate, quickly lifting his gaze and staring at the man in front of him.
"You! When did you reach Rank Two?"
"Oh, Jin Long, what brings you here, my dear friend? Do you need something? No need to be shy—after all, I can help you far more than before now that I've reached Rank Two, as you can see."
Jin Long's frown deepened. The man before him was someone from the clan with weak talent—though still better than Jin Long's, as he possessed C-grade aptitude. Jin Long had lent him two hundred primeval stones a week ago and now wanted them back, but it seemed Yan Zu Hai had no intention of repaying him.
The phrase "now that I've reached Rank Two" was not goodwill—it was a threat.
But was Jin Long someone who would give up easily?
"I'll be brief, Brother Hai. You borrowed two hundred primeval stones from me last week, and I want my money back—with the promised interest."
The man smiled bitterly and spoke with exaggerated sorrow, though his acting skills were extremely poor.
"My friend, breaking through to Rank Two drained all my savings. I don't have any money left. Why don't you come back later? …Take these forty primeval stones—consider it an advance payment."
"Do you think I, Jin Long, am easy to bully?! I swear I'll come back and shatter that arrogant smile of yours, you bastard! You should thank the ancestors for the rules forbidding combat unless the reasons are sufficient in the eyes of the higher authorities!"
Jin Long clenched the forty primeval stones with trembling hands and hurried toward the western gate. He could not bear to stay in the village any longer, despite it being safer.
"I swear I will overcome my weak talent and become an important figure who contributes to the clan!"
Jin Long left the village, heading back toward the foot of the mountain where the human village under his protection was located. As he moved farther away, Yan Zu Village—surrounded by gray stone walls reinforced with stakes to prevent intruders—gradually disappeared behind him. Smoke rose from the houses, and the loud noises slowly faded.
When the village vanished from sight, Jin Long poured his primeval essence into Wind Trace Gu, Rank One. Air currents formed around his feet, doubling his original speed. Wind Trace Gu was an ordinary Rank One Gu, but Jin Long had chosen it because of its low primeval essence consumption and its ability to be maintained for long periods—making it especially suitable for those with mediocre talent like himself.
To be fair, despite his poor aptitude, Jin Long's intelligence was quite good. By dusk, he had arrived at the village, where several village elders greeted him.
"Lord Jin Long, some hunters from our village have returned with Wind Deer antlers. As you instructed, they will sell them to you."
"Good… finally some good news. Take me to them."
Jin Long looked at the elders with a greedy gaze, but upon noticing their expressions, he spoke with a frown.
"What is it? Do you have something to say?"
"Ah, young lord… It's a small matter to you, but a major one to us mortals. There's a hunter from another village who led our people to the Wind Deer herd, but he refuses to sell his share of the hunt. He says the Gu Master guarding his village offers one and a quarter primeval stones per pair of antlers."
"Hahaha, what a funny hunter. Take me to him—maybe I can come to an agreement with him! And if he refuses, that's his loss."
The village elders exchanged glances, spotting traces of triumph in each other's eyes. They disliked the youth who called himself a hunter; because of him, one of their villagers had died, stirring collective anger. But they could do nothing.
Gu Masters could kill mortals as they pleased—but mortals could not kill one another however they wished.
The elders led Jin Long to a spacious wooden hut where the village hunters lived. Jin Long paid no attention to etiquette; he kicked the door open and entered. No one dared approach the hut—people deliberately kept their distance to avoid falling within the Gu Master's domain of wrath.
Inside the hut, Jin Long looked at five hunters. Four were somewhat familiar to him, but he could not recognize the fifth. The fifth hunter had a slender body and pale, clean skin. A few drops of water slid down his face from washing his hair, which now shimmered with a green hue.
The other hunters knelt, but the green-haired youth remained standing.
A surge of rage rose within Jin Long, yet he spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper.
"You won't kneel? Humans have always been born to kneel before the strong and be slaughtered when weak… I can forgive your offense if you hand over your share of the Wind Deer antlers."
The youth lowered his head, looking at Jin Long's belt, where a metal plate engraved with the number "1" was fastened. It seemed the boy realized Jin Long's identity upon seeing it. He quickly knelt and spoke cheerfully:
"Ah, forgive this boy, Master Gu! …I mean, Gu Master!"
The green-haired youth turned to the kneeling hunters and asked innocently,
"Did I say it right? Was it Gu Master?"
"Yes, yes, Lord Fang Tian, you're amazing!"
"The young lord speaks only the truth!"
The hunters flattered shamelessly, without any regard for dignity—causing Jin Long's anger to surge even more.
"Flame Needle Gu!"
Jin Long shouted internally, pouring two percent of his peak-stage primeval essence into Flame Needle Gu.
On the opposite side, when Fang Tian sensed the aura of the Gu worm, his tension rose sharply. However, he managed to activate the Gu he had already prepared.
"Jade Bark Shell Gu!"
Jin Long's pupils shrank when he sensed the aura of a Rank Two, initial stage Gu Master erupting from Fang Tian. He thought inwardly:
"As expected, he's a Gu Master! No mortal would dare act so stupidly in front of a Gu Master unless he were mentally crippled… Moreover, he's one realm above me. I must bet everything on this single strike. I still have another offensive Gu, but I lack a proper defensive Gu—one hit from him and I might die."
A long spear of flame formed in front of Jin Long and shot toward Fang Tian, whose upper body was half-covered in jade-colored bark-like armor. Fang Tian panicked when his defense failed to fully form. A second later, the flaming spear slammed into his chest, which was covered by the jade bark.
Fang Tian was blasted backward into the hut wall, the impact shaking the entire structure and sending dust cascading from the ceiling. The flame spear pierced through his defense and dug partway into his body, causing his blood to boil.
Fang Tian let out a horrifying scream from the sudden pain. Instinctively, he activated Sprout Gu to heal himself while simultaneously reinforcing his defense. Jin Long did not give him any time, shouting:
"Wind Pressure Gu!"
Fang Tian's body bent at an unnatural angle as he felt something pressing down on him from above—like a gigantic boulder crushing his back. Blood spilled onto the wooden floor, accompanied by the sickening sound of bones being crushed within his compressed chest.
"Ah… ah… this hurts. This bastard crushed me so cleanly. It feels like he was prepared to crush me from the very beginning. Is this experience? …But what good is experience when the gap in strength between you and your opponent is so vast that you'll be crushed no matter what you do?"
Fang Tian muttered in a low voice, almost to himself, causing Jin Long to frown. He had not survived all this time by luck alone. Even though it seemed he had the upper hand, he did not lower his guard in the slightest.
"Something is wrong!"
Despite this thought, he could not pinpoint what exactly was wrong.
At that moment, he heard the green-haired youth speak a name.
"Vineyard Garden!"
Crack!
The ground split open. Wooden planks shattered, and fragments of wood scattered around Fang Tian and Jin Long. Some of the debris pierced into the bodies of the unfortunate hunters who had already been crushed to death by Wind Pressure Gu.
Twenty pairs of thick vines erupted from the ground, each over ten meters long and as thick as tree trunks, surging toward Jin Long. Upon seeing this scene, Jin Long's face turned pale.
"You! You hid your strength! You're not at the initial stage of Rank Two—you're at the peak stage! Don't you feel ashamed of yourself?!"
Jin Long received no response.
All that answered him were ten pairs of vines attacking from all directions. He desperately poured his dwindling primeval essence into Flame Needle Gu. The vines surrounded him completely, beating him like a mangy dog with no chance to retaliate. He managed to burn some of them, but they regenerated quickly, or new vines replaced the destroyed ones.
"This won't work! My primeval essence is almost depleted, and I can't recover it. I have to escape! …But why isn't his primeval essence running out?!"
By now, Fang Tian had already stood up. He had managed to seal his wounds, though the burns on his chest remained, causing an extremely irritating itch.
Fang Tian had successfully trapped Jin Long because he had planted Vineyard Garden Gu beneath the hut long ago—meaning Jin Long had been trapped the moment he stepped inside. Fang Tian had taken heavy damage at the start because he was focused on controlling Vineyard Garden Gu and because he lacked experience fighting human Gu Masters.
If Jin Long had been Rank Two, he might have escaped. If he had been at the upper stage of Rank Two, Fang Tian would undoubtedly be dead. Thus, Fang Tian considered himself fortunate to have encountered a Rank One peak-stage Gu Master, not a Rank Two.
Fang Tian let out a weak breath and decided to take his final step, ending things without dragging it out any longer.
"
Bloody Enslavement Gu!"
A thick stench of blood spread through the air, followed by a bloody mist woven of thin and thick threads, swirling above Fang Tian's head. One faint thread pointed toward Jin Long, who was tightly bound by ten thick vines.
Fang Tian focused his will on
Bloody Enslavement Gu. In an instant, all the bloody threads vanished, leaving only two—one pointing at Fang Tian, the other at the bound Jin Long.
"Blood Path! You're a demonic Gu Master of the Blood Path! Don't kill me, please—my clan…"
Vines sealed Jin Long's mouth, cutting off his voice, as the blood thread burrowed into his body, causing a change invisible to the naked eye.
After some time, Jin Long collapsed to the ground, kneeling. He spoke in a voice filled with solemn reverence:
"I greet the young master."