Mae Da Mountain, Jia Clan's Competition Arena.
The Jia Clan invited several experts as spectators in addition to their clansmen as excitement peaked in the arena. Loud cheers and calls melded together, forming a deafening noise. The two participants remained unperturbed by the manic atmosphere due to the noise isolation Gu and many other defensive Gu that secured the stage.
These two participants were graceful and elegant. Yet, their attacks shook the viewer's heart as they wrecked the stage as massive as 5 kilometers in radius! Several investigation Gu Worms captured their movements, sending it to the recording Gu planted on enormous metal screens, allowing even the mortals to taste a Gu Master's performance. Naturally, these mortals possessed Gu backgrounds.
In one of the two VIP blocks, untouched by the variety of colors and excitement, sat a fat Gu Master revealing Rank 4 aura. He nervously gripped the armrest, staring at the match with palpating tension. Lo Jik would identify this man as the Rank 4 Caravan Leader—Jia Fu. One of the two participating Gu Masters was his chess piece, another Rank 4 Gu Master from the Lone background.
'Damn it!' Jia Fu gritted his teeth, and the armrest creaked. 'That Lone Scorpion Earth promised he would win this match!'
It was the opening match for the Jia Clan's succession competition. Losing the first match would deliver a terrible blow to Jia Fu's side and force the elders in his camp to reconsider their options.
Heck! Jia Fu could already see slight anxiety bloom inside other elders.
"Lone Scorpion Earth's opponent has some ability."
A calm voice stabilized the circumstances as everyone glanced at the man beside Jia Fu. Admiration and respect flickered in their gazes as Jia Fu instantly replied.
"Lord Desolate is insightful. Scorpion's opponent is another Lone Gu Master who calls herself Yin Goat Fairy. She specializes in illusive attacks, forcing Scorpion to attack without discrimination and exhausting his stamina."
Desolate nodded. He had plain features and greyish hair. Rank 5 aura oozed from his being, forming a pillar of support for Jia Fu. "Winning the first round doesn't mean much." He spoke softly with meaningful intentions. "Anyone without a firm will wasn't ready to be part of the succession in the first place. We must possess an unwavering heart—stoic during joyful victories and indifferent to pitiful losses."
Everyone nodded as Jia Fu discreetly observed his companion's expression before sighing in relief.
'Lord Desolate, fortunately, needed urgent resources after emerging from his secluded cultivation and decided to participate in the competition. I must increase his remuneration after today's assistance. That said… Jia Gui has yet to recruit any Rank 5 Gu Master successfully.'
Jia Fu felt confident despite Lone Scorpion eventually losing the match, barely surviving with his life.
There was an atmosphere of calm and peace in Jia Fu's VIP box. However, despite winning, Jia Gui did not feel overly thrilled.
Lord Desolate's existence was an intense weight on his chest.
However, he soon accepted an unknown Rank 2 Letter Gu Worm. He couldn't help but reveal a strange expression after reading its content.
"Prepare for an honored guest. He will arrive in a month!"
<<<>>>
Lo Jik's vision momentarily darkened after he stepped inside King Xin's light pillar before he felt an enormous, unquestionable force take a grip on his being. A weightlessness accompanied Lo Jik. He felt San Cha's surroundings disappear. The scent of fertile soil was no more, and the disgruntled voices of other Gu Masters faded into black.
When Lo Jik arrived, dense grey fog surrounded him. He couldn't see anything and an unprecedented sense of weakness emerged from within.
With a complete Body Refinement Set of Rank 4 Gu Worms, Lo Jik possessed monstrous physical might. However, he couldn't feel a thing. It was as if he had become a regular human again. The Brave Will inside his mind was stuck in its place, protecting his soul. Worst of all, Lo Jik couldn't move and lost connection to all his Gu Worms except…
Rank 2 Paper Crane Gu.
Rank 5 Hope Gu.
It was the Blessed Land's heavenly power!
A Blessed Land is a unique, separate world controlled by a Gu Immortal. It was a Gu Immortal's residence, and their will could accomplish many things here with a wave of their hands. The dense heavenly power of a Blessed Land could block any and every Rank 1-5 Mortal Gu. However, this Blessed Land was an inheritance site. King Xin modified her site and allowed using ONE Gu—Rank 2 Paper Crane Gu. However, the Hope Gu's unrestricted form surprised Lo Jik.
'Well,' Lo Jik organized his thoughts unhurriedly. Everyone who entered the Blessed Land would be separated. So, Lo Jik wasn't about to encounter others who approached King Xin's inheritance immediately.
He sent his thoughts into the One's Closed Fist Gu, observing Chen Jiu's silver necklace host.
Chen Jiu was a Rank 5 Heavenly Specter. Had she stayed on Lo Jik, the Blessed Land would have separated her, which would mean her end. After all, she couldn't use ordinary Gu.
'The Blessed Land's heavenly power suppresses everything but the Dao Marks of the respective paths. So, an enslavement Gu Master wouldn't feel such weakness if they used Enslavement Gu to refine their bodies. Similarly, the Refinement Path masters thrived in King Xin's site. Like my strength path dao marks, the suppression extends to every other bit, including the dao marks on my soul from the Soul Oath Gu.'
Soul Oath Gu was Chen Jiu's Rank 5 Rule Path creation that bound the souls in a vow. Ordinarily, Lo Jik had no means to deal with it except holding his end of the bargain. However, a Blessed Land was different. Even Rank 5 Oath Gu had no power against the Heavenly Suppression, much less other Gu like the Rank 3 Poison Vow Gu.
Theoretically, Lo Jik could end Chen Jiu now.
But why would he do so?
She possessed an Extreme Physique and had a way to curb its weakness. When he helps her revive, Chen Jiu will recover her physique. The rewards from a new body should be another one-time thing, allowing him to accomplish Gold-ranked Achievements AT LEAST! Also, she had yet to reveal the method of cultivating two paths using one body.
Chen Jiu was also a valuable companion with a partial Rank 5 prowess if she went all out.
'But she must be nervous,' Lo Jik narrowed his eyes. Chen Jiu would never agree to enter such a passive circumstance if it wasn't necessary. Lo Jik HAD to enter the Inheritance once to solidify his alibi of leaving the Shang Clan in search of treasures and not to escape its clutches after thoroughly seeding Chen Jiu.
It was also an opportunity for Lo Jik to deepen his bond with the latter, something he prioritized over killing her. Of course, opportunity did not translate to ability. In Chen Jiu's eyes, Lo Jik was merely a Rank 4 Gu Master without the necessary Gu to deal with a Heavenly Specter. If not for this innate confidence, she would have never agreed to enter the Blessed Land and would have cut off Lo Jik's entry by extension.
Exhaling, Lo Jik willed the Rank 2 Paper Crane Gu to emerge from his aperture. It was an information path Gu shaped as an origami blue paper crane. This Rank 2 Gu appeared in different colors but held the same function of delivering information jotted on its surface. Once a Gu Master writes on its surface, the Gu would fold itself into a crane and fly to its destination unless interrupted by third parties or any accidents. In such circumstances, the Gu Master could self-destruct the Gu, keeping the knowledge secret.
The three entrances of the Inheritances were different.
King Quan's inheritance required a Rank 1 Dog Enslavement Gu.
King Bao's inheritance demanded Rank 1 Exploding Egg Gu.
And King Xin's inheritance revealed its path using Rank 2 Paper Crane Gu.
Lo Jik recalled the rumors about King Xin inventing a precious Rank 5 Gu using the Paper Crane series called Divulge Information Gu. It was another information path Gu capable of hijacking other Gu Worms of its rank or lower ones to find out the information from such secretive Gu.
A century ago, King Xin used this Gu to find out about Wu Clan's operations to mount a fatal strike at their most defenseless moment!
King Xin was a refinement path master, overflowing with talent. Inventing a recipe wasn't weird for someone like her.
The Paper Crane Gu exuded a gentle white glow under Lo Jik's gaze before moving forward. The Heavenly Power restricting Lo Jik also vanished as he began following the paper crane through dense fog, unable to utilize the Rank 5 Heaven and Earth Before My Eyes to peer through the obstruction.
His travel soon ended as the paper crane moved out of the foggy landscape and landed on the grey ground. Lo Jik passed the fog, instantly enamored by the limited sight of the greyish ground, white sky, and dry yellow grass around them.
This Blessed Land originated in ancient times. The desolate sight filled one's heart with the immensity of heaven and earth. Despite the dry surroundings, an overwhelming aura of grandeur lingered faintly, allowing everyone to realize the Blessed Land's owner was once a courageous and exceedingly grand Immortal!
"Refine… refine… refine…"
Snapping Lo Jik out of his thoughts was the hoarse chanting as he looked ahead. The world was still surrounded by fog, leaving a small clearing intact. On the other end of the clearing was a unique figure. They stood on two feet like humans and possessed two burly arms. However, reddish-brown fur covered their body. The fur was long, like strands of hair. It covered every corner of the individual, including the face, merely leaving spots for red eyes, nostrils, and mouth. Still, the hair on the face was significantly shorter, allowing Lo Jik to observe the broadly fixed humanoid features.
'They really look like Wookies from Star Whores from my previous world…' Lo Jik narrowed his eyes.
A Hairy Man!
He wasn't surprised by this creature's appearance. After all, some information about the contents of the Inheritance was already available.
Hairy Men weren't actual humans. They, alongside a few other species, were collectively known as Variant Humans.
<<<>>>
It was said that Ren Zu dug out his two eyes, which turned into a son and a daughter. The son was the Verdant Great Sun, and the daughter was the Desolate Ancient Moon.
Verdant Great Sun liked to drink wine a lot. One time, he caused an incident while being drunk and was trapped in the depths of the Ordinary Abyss. Ultimately, he profited from the disaster and obtained Reputation Gu, which looked like a chrysanthemum and escaped alive.
Because of Reputation Gu, Verdant Great Sun's reputation gradually became more significant. Soon, news spread worldwide that Verdant Great Sun was a huge drunkard.
One day, a group of Tiger-Striped Honey Bees brought their beehive and found Verdant Great Sun.
"Verdant Great Sun, we heard you really liked drinking wine, and you have been saying the wine made by the four heaven and earth monkeys is the most delicious in the world. But how could the wine they brewed compare to our honey wine? Today, we have specially brought our honey for you to taste."
Each of these honey bees was the size of a leopard with patterns on their body resembling tiger stripes, golden with black stripes on top. They spoke politely, but their tone contained threatening and forceful intent.
Verdant Great Sun complained in his heart. It was indeed a misfortune befalling someone who merely stayed home. Tiger-Striped Honey Bees were very powerful; he was not a match against one of them, let alone a whole group.
Verdant Great Sun could only reluctantly taste the honey wine inside the beehive.
He had only taken a sip when his eyes brightened.
Honey wine was sweet but not overly sweet. The wine fragrance was mellow and very delicious. It was absolutely a treasure of the world!
"Delicious, delicious, really delicious. This honey wine makes one feel like the most fortunate person in the world!" Verdant Great Sun drank a mouthful of wine, praising it to the high heavens.
Tiger-Striped Honey Bees laughed, feeling very happy.
The leader asked Verdant Great Sun: "Then tell us which tastes more delicious, our honey wine or the wines of the four heaven and earth monkeys?"
Verdant Great Sun was already drunk and forgot about the terror of the Tiger-Striped Honey Bees, speaking frankly: "They all have their own merits. It is very difficult to compare them."
Tiger-Striped Honey Bees were furious: He said our wine is actually at the same level as those mere monkeys?! This Verdant Great Sun is too hateful. We need to teach him a lesson!
They were just about to attack when suddenly Verdant Great Sun disappeared.
This intoxication of Verdant Great Sun lasted for seven days and seven nights.
In his haziness, he heard a voice calling out for him from the darkness: "Verdant Great Sun, wake up quick. If you don't wake up, you will be eaten…"
Verdant Great Sun was startled awake.
He discovered he was bound up and carried by a group of savage people.
This group of savage people had hair all over their bodies, and their two eyes were dark blue. A bonfire was already burning, and above the bonfire was a cauldron.
The savage people quietly sat down, speaking pleasant-sounding words.
"We were refining Eternal Gu and lacked a human to be the catalyst. Now heaven sent us Verdant Great Sun. It is truly worthy of celebration!"
"Human is the spirit of all living beings, and Ren Zu is the spirit ancestor. Verdant Great Sun was born from his left eye, possessing ample spiritual energy. The way I see it, the refinement will succeed this time!"
"Throw him into the cauldron quick. We will obtain Eternal Gu and live for eternity…"
Verdant Great Sun turned pale from fright at these words, immediately shouting out and struggling with all his strength.
However, these savage people remained unmoved.
At this very moment, Verdant Great Sun again heard the voice from before in his mind.
"Sigh, it is no use. These savages are the Hairy Men—loved by the world. They have an innate talent in refining Gu Worms."
Verdant Great Sun instantly forgot his predicament and curiously asked, "Who are you?"
That voice laughed: "I am Divine Travel Gu. As long as any person drinks four different top-tier wines in the world, they will give birth to me in their hearts. I can let you teleport to any place you wish."
Verdant Great Sun was exulted: "Then, please quickly bring me out of here."
Divine Travel Gu sighed: "It is no use. You can only use me when you are drunk. Your mind is sober now, and so you can't use me."
Verdant Great Sun suddenly realized: "So that is why I was trapped on the isolated island and almost starved to death that time. Fortunately, I obtained Reputation Gu and could leave the Ordinary Abyss. So it was you who harmed me!"
Divine Travel Gu replied: "Sigh, human. I did not intend to harm you. It was all because you used my strength after you became drunk. You don't need to blame me. Last time, you were almost captured by the Tiger-Striped Honey Bees, but you were able to escape thanks to me. One harm and one rescue, we can call it even."
Verdant Great Sun thought of the Tiger-Striped Honey Bees and no longer blamed Divine Travel Gu.
He was thrown into the cauldron by the Hairy Men.
The massive fire burned hotter under the cauldron, and the liquid temperature soared.
"Add Agates and Red Pepper!" A Hairy Man threw precious agates and red pepper into the cauldron.
The liquid inside the cauldron immediately changed to red and dyed Verdant Great Sun's body red.
"Add Blue Smoke Fox Child !" A Hairy Man grabbed a small fox and threw it into the cauldron.
The small fox's whole body was hairy and looked extremely cute with its eyes like black diamonds. But the moment it touched the liquid, it turned into blue smoke and blended into the water.
The liquid in the cauldron slowly boiled, and Verdant Great Sun also felt more despair, feeling it would be difficult to escape the disaster this time.
Hairy Men continued to add many supplementary materials and Gu Worms.
"Add Vanity Gu!" A Hairy Man threw a Gu into the cauldron.
This Gu was strange and looked like a vast blue crab. But unlike real crabs, its crab shell was hollow.
The moment it saw Verdant Great Sun, the colossal crab-like Vanity Gu was very excited: "You, you are Verdant Great Sun? I have heard about you but never expected to meet you here. It is really my good fortune. I am too happy, too excited."
Verdant Great Sun smiled bitterly: "How can it be good fortune when we are about to die."
"I don't care about death. I only wanted to ask how you became so famous. I really admire you! I have the utmost admiration for people like you." Vanity Gu asked with urgency.
"I am not in the mood to talk about this now. I need to escape." Verdant Great Sun struggled in the cauldron and tried to climb up but was quickly pushed back into the cauldron by a watching Hairy Man.
"Quick, tell me, tell me quick!" Vanity Gu was not tactful and wholeheartedly wanted to ask for guidance.
Verdant Great Sun furiously rebuked: "Can't you see the situation we are in now?"
Vanity Gu opened its eyes wide and stared at Verdant Great Sun before it beamed with pleasure: "I understand, I understand now. If I want to be popular, I need to endure the heat. Thank you for the guidance, thank you. Verdant Great Sun, as thanks, I will do a favor for you."
Saying so, the Vanity Gu exploded.
This explosion was not intense and was very light, only giving off a soft "bang" sound. The Vanity Gu turned into a formless poisonous wind and attacked the hearts of all the Hairy Men.
The crystal clear dark blue eyes of the Hairy Men turned red.
Verdant Great Sun was dazed for a while before returning to his senses. He could not help but sigh at Vanity Gu's sacrifice and shout immediately: "Although you Hairy Men can refine Gu, it is nothing. Even if you all live for eternity, so what? You are so ugly with hair all over your body; you are simply an abomination."
The Hairy Men were stupefied.
If it were before, they would not care about Verdant Great Sun.
But now, the poison of vanity had spread in the depths of their hearts, shrouding their intelligence.
Hearing Verdant Great Sun's shouts, the Hairy Men refuted loudly: "Nonsense, nonsense! We Hairy Men are the most perfect. There can be nothing more beautiful than hair all over the body!"
Verdant Great Sun was suddenly inspired: "No matter how beautiful your hair is, could it be as beautiful as mine?"
His hair had become blazing fire because he had drunk Vajra Monkey's strong wine.
The Hairy Men were baffled at his words.
The beautiful fire flickered and changed constantly. Even the Hairy Men could not help but admit that the movement of Verdant Great Sun's hair was gorgeous.
Verdant Great Sun continued stimulating them: "Even if you obtain eternity, you won't be as beautiful as me! Look at my hair; it is as colorful and charismatic as fire."
The Hairy Men were spurred on by the Verdant Great Sun, and finally, someone could not endure it: "You have such amazing hair; I will have it too. Look at mine!"
He then used a fire torch to ignite his whole body.
The hair on his body burned, and he became a fieryman.
"Hahaha, you only have beautiful hair, but my whole body is beautiful now." This Hairy Man shouted.
Soon, the other Hairy Men also rushed to do the same.
All of them became fiery men; the fire burned them, and the intense pain caused them to howl in pain.
But when they realized this, it was too late for them to extinguish the fire, and bombastically displayed their beauty.
Divine Travel Gu was overjoyed and praised Verdant Great Sun endlessly: "Human, you are really clever, actually thinking of this method."
Verdant Great Sun escaped out of the cauldron and succeeded in surviving. He replied in his mind with a cold smile: "It is not me who is clever. It is the vanity in people that has turned them stupid. They often silently endure pain for false beauty, giving up the goals they should truly pursue."
<<<>>>
"Refinement… let's compete… human…" The opponent spoke in a boorish tone. His red eyes flickered maliciously. "Loser… die!"
Lo Jik calmly stepped forward until there was a distance of ten steps between them. The Hairy Man was shorter and thinner than most, revealing hints of undernourishment. It could barely speak complete sentences, constantly snarling like a wild animal. However, heaven blessed Hairy Men with superb refinement talent. Their species is known to possess the highest number of refinement path masters!
The space between the duo fluctuated when Lo Jik stepped near the opponent, revealing a pile of materials.
They received equal materials—Iron Skin Gu, White Jade Rocks, Cicada Leaves, and 50 primeval stones.
The intent behind this act was crystal clear. Lo Jik and the opposing Hairy Man would compete in refinement. The results must be based on the time taken and the quality of the finished product. The winner will live… and the loser shall perish!
King Xin was a demonic Gu Master, and her inheritance was a work of cruel competition.
However, Lo Jik was a refinement path master! With Imaginative Strength's memories AND experience, he could be considered a refinement path immortal in a mortal's skin! Lo Jik instantly realized the Gu the impatient Hairy Man began refining among 14 other recipes in his mind.
After all, Lo Jik possessed several inheritances.
But he was also a wisdom path master.
He didn't need more than a few breaths to discover a stable loophole.
Dangers followed the refinement of the Gu at every step. How could King Xin not think of some protective measures? So, Lo Jik couldn't move past a protective barrier around the duo or throw things at the Hairy Man to disturb its concentration.
Still, it did not isolate one's voice.
"Oh, Hairy Man!" Lo Jik chuckled. "Stop your foolishness. Kowtow in front of me, cripple your limbs, and admit your mistake. Perhaps I will let you live."
Not the least wise, the Hairy Man shouted: "What did you say?!"
He had been manipulating the glowing orb of Iron Skin Gu to fuse with the third cicada leaf. However, Lo Jik's words distracted and angered him.
*Tsss*
The glowing orb shattered with a soft sound as the Hairy Man's expression changed!
"Noooooo!"
It howled as the heavenly power descended, razing the Hairy Man into ashes!
There was one critical rule in King Xin's inheritance—unless expressly stated, a Gu Master could never fail in the refinement of a Gu!
Lo Jik smiled brightly and picked the materials on the ground. He continued to store his opponent's remaining materials. Unlike others, he didn't stop there. Lo Jik crouched and collected the Hairy Man's ashes since these were suitable refinement path materials, too.
The paper crane floated again as the fog surged into the clearing, obstructing Lo Jik's view again.
As such, he followed ahead, clearing round after round using his speech instead of refinement expertise.
<<<>>>
"Scoundrel!"
The Hairy Man screeched before the heavenly power erased its existence.
Said scoundrel, a brown-haired man dressed like an open man-slut, calmly collected the materials while humming softly.
'The first ten rounds of 'The Three Inheritances' supposedly remove the ordinary Gu Masters. Given the mortality rate in King Xin's inheritance, others must not have noticed this loophole yet. I wonder if I can continue the same trick for another ten rounds.'
Nobody could confirm how many rounds one needed to succeed in before inheriting the Three Kings' legacy. However, the difficulty increased several times after every ten rounds. The inheritance also introduced other changes aside from more significant challenges.
Unlike before, the paper crane did not move after the fog flooded the clearing. Instead, Lo Jik observed three elusive orbs of light the size of a small basin. The light on his left was reddish-brown, revealing a humanoid shadow flickering in its center. The greyish-white light in the center accommodated a squarish shadow. Meanwhile, the red orb to the right revealed another humanoid shadow. The shadow in the right orb was shorter than in reddish-brown light.
The inheritance site afforded Gu Masters three choices after successfully crossing the first ten rounds.
'Choosing the path on the left would be another encounter with a Hairy Man. The Hairy Men at the next level should also possess limited wisdom and display impaired judgment. So, breezing past another ten rounds wouldn't be a fantasy. I can also collect more materials for future rounds.'
Refinement expends mental energy and stresses the soul. The coming rounds wouldn't be as effortless as the current ones. Lo Jik had retained his peak condition due to his glib tongue. However, he felt following the current path would limit his options in the later stages.
'The path in the middle is one of the most unfavorable choices—a theoretical test. The heavenly power shows the Gu Master a few materials before forcing them to reveal a certain number of recipes using ALL those materials! Only someone with an unimaginable foundation can clear this challenge and recuperate from the earlier refinement competition.'
Lo Jik would have opted for this round had he expended mental health against the Hairy Men. However, this round's reward itself was the ability to rest. Lo Jik didn't need any. So, this choice was useless.
'Meanwhile, the path to the right leads to another Gu Master. Winning against a Gu Master will allow me to take their collected materials and sealed Gu!'
Lo Jik desperately needed Gu Worms. His Dreamer Gu was too breathtaking not to be exploited every second. Besides, it was a prime opportunity to weed the competition from other Gu Masters.
Ordinarily, Chen Jiu's existence wouldn't let him willingly enter a tough spot if he had better options available. However, the blessed land suppressed the rule path dao marks on his soul left by the Soul Oath Gu.
With a thought, the Paper Crane Gu moved to the right. The unceasing fog swallowed the other two options, and Lo Jik followed the Rank 2 Gu.
<<<>>>
Wen Din Gou was a well-renowned refinement path Gu Master from Shang Clan's Refinement Zone. He specialized in using several refinement Gu to refine a wild Gu forcefully. However, he had enough experience in fusion and advancing the Gu. He spent more than a decade inside Shang Clan, building his foundation. The Shang Clan City was already his home.
'Hmph! Was I too quick to reach the eleventh round?' Wen Din Gou scoffed in his heart. He felt upset after having to pay Kong Ri Tian and Long Qing Tian 50000 stones for entry. Of course, he did that secretly, discreetly entering the inheritance site to maintain his reputation.
'The blessed land is genuinely superb. A day in the real world is equivalent to passing three days inside this heavenly land!' He thought fervently. His skills would rapidly develop if he were fortunate enough to live in such a world longer. However, dangers lurked everywhere in this Inheritance, and every opportunity to leave the blessed land after reaching the twentieth round was a fortuitous encounter in its own right!
His desires aside, Wen Din Gou had spent several minutes following a black paper crane. A Gu Master could choose their next rounds after crossing the first ten rounds. Having tasted blood and subsequent profits, Wen Din Gou competed against another Gu Master before consuming their wealth. His financial status progressed significantly because of his active hunting.
'I should have thought about it. I just tried clearing the rounds by distracting the Hairy Men. Hehehe! It worked! I must absolutely keep it a secret and profit! Sigh. Every decision has its consequences. Because I was so quick, other Gu Masters have yet to cross the first ten rounds.'
Wealth didn't blind him as he thought further: 'There could also be other Gu Masters who knew this trick before me. The trick of distracting the Hairy Men should work till the twentieth stage. So, it's taking too long for me to find an opponent because others chose to exploit the Hairy Men. Hmm. I should do the same after this round.'
His thoughts quickly changed once the black paper crane passed the fog.
'An opponent! Who is it? There might be others from the Righteous Faction. However, the chances of it being a demonic scum is higher. Hmph! That Lo Jik was too useless. Couldn't he fight against Kong and Long? We all could have saved 50000 stones!'
Wen Din Gou swiftly passed the fog before his expression shifted, and he revealed an ugly expression.
After all, his opponent was a remarkably youthful man with a short, untamed nest of brown hair. He wore loose, revealing robes as a blue paper crane floated around him.
Little Giant King!
Gu Yue Lo Jik!
Wen Din Gou's features soon eased.
'What am I scared about?' A brilliant light flashed in his eyes. 'I'm a Refinement Path Gu Master! Lo Jik is a boor from Strength Path. Sure, he may have fused a few Gu Worms, but how can he compare to a professional?'
Greed bloomed in Wen Din Gou's chest.
'Winning this round will let me inherit Gu Yue Lo Jik's strength path set! Too good! Hehe! I could sell it to the highest bidder and perfect my path!'
Wen Din Gou wasn't afraid despite being a Rank 3 Peak Stage Gu Master. What can Lo Jik do in the Blessed Land?
However, he didn't trash talk.
The duo calmly stared at each other before approaching.
Several materials flashed and appeared near them.
Unlike the previous rounds, a sonorous yet cold voice echoed in the clearing.
It was King Xin's recorded voice.
"Time: 2 hours."
"Final product: Rank 3, Fire Path, Offensive Gu."
The duo instantly sat as Wen Din Gou observed the materials. However, Lo Jik's action surprised him.
'He's already starting?' Wen Din Gou blinked owlishly before sneering.
'He's a rookie indeed.' The Rank 3 Gu Master inspected the materials. 'Let's forget about him. I must maintain my mental state. Hmm, a Rank 3 Fire Path Offensive Gu. However, King Xin didn't mention anything about its range. Hehe, it's an obvious trap. A Refinement Path Gu Master must understand a Gu Worm's specialty.'
'Most Fire Path Gu Worms display great offense. However, a top-tier Fire Path Gu consumes less essence and has a great range, allowing a Gu Master to burn their enemies to death from the distance. Anyone who refines the Gu based only on offensive power would surely lose the round.'
'The presented materials aren't enough to refine the Rank 3 Red Fire Ball. Heh! But I already have materials from the previous rounds! Little Giant King! Open your eyes and witness a Refinement Path Gu Master's—'
Wen Din Gou's eyes threatened to bulge and fall off his sockets as he watched dozens of refinement materials around Lo Jik.
'H-He knows!' Wen Din Gou's pupils shrank before he sweated.
'Oh, fuck! Isn't that the recipe for Red Fire Ball Gu?'
Wen Din Gou's spine shuddered as he instantly began working. Lo Jik's mere existence tossed his mental state sideways as he prepared materials. However, Wen Din Gou couldn't help but constantly peek at Lo Jik to check the latter's progress. After all, the first one to refine the same Gu shall win!
Wen's initial pace was admirable. However, he soon paled after witnessing Lo Jik casually tossing several prepared materials into a floating red orb.
Lo Jik's actions might seem casual, but Wen noticed an incomparable grace hidden in every move. Also, Lo Jik used one of the refinement techniques!
Unlike a refinement path killer move, a refinement path technique fused the materials in a predetermined pattern. These patterns were challenging to master and increased the refinement's success by a few percent!
That wasn't all.
Wen Din Gou made further frightening discoveries when Lo Jik took out a pouch of ashes before sprinkling it slightly over the red orb. Once he did that, Lo Jik carefully maintained the other necessary Gu in the recipe.
—Performing two tasks at once!
Much to Wen Din Gou's shock, Lo Jik calmly waved his hand as the three different Gu entered the red orb. It would have been performing two tasks at once if Lo Jik hadn't revolved the remaining two Gu around the fluctuating orb.
The other two Gu revealed soft lights and constantly maintained the fluctuating red orb's balance.
Refinement Technique—Yin-Yang Revolution.
Three Tasks at Once!
Wen Din Gou instantly saw Lo Jik for what he was—a Refinement Path Master!
"Stop! Little Giant King! Let's talk things out!" He instantly shouted, understanding that he was destined for defeat unless he adopted unorthodox methods. "You might fail using this technique. Is it worth your life? Let's try failing together. Maybe we will have a chance to live!"
Wen Din Gou didn't believe his own words. However, he had to try!
Alas—
"Curse your ancestors!"
"I fucked Bai Ning Bing, you asshole! Stop!"
"Don't you have any empathy?!"
"My wife! Boo-hoo!"
"I have children, Lo Jik. You should be the one to die!"
Lo Jik calmly tossed the final primeval stone when the orb fluctuated before rapidly condensing.
Soon, a Rank 3 red, flame-spotted ladybug sat on his open palm.
Wen Din Gou instantly let out an indignant cry when heavenly power descended. Unlike erasing Hairy Men out of existence, the heavenly power wiped out Wen Din Gou's mind and soul.
*Poof*
The red orb exploded softly as dead Gu fell to the ground.
'Huff,' Lo Jik exhaled, a bit amused. 'Competition is the best way to rapidly master Imaginative Strength's experiences and memories, turning them into muscle memories and casual habits.'
He stood up, mildly tired.
Collecting his materials, Lo Jik walked ahead and began looting Wen Din Gou's refinement stock. Finally, he placed his hand on the corpse's abdomen, sending his thoughts within Wen Din Gou's greying aperture.
'Hmm, three refinement path Gu alongside a movement and defensive Gu. I wonder what his Vital Gu was.'
A Vital Gu shared a mysterious relationship with the Gu Master, perishing after the Gu Master's death, not even leaving a corpse.
However, the three Refinement Path Gu were top-tier in Rank 3.
'Rank 3 Refinement Steam, Infusion, and Stable Cauldron Gu.'
'These three are notorious for supporting forceful refinement of the Gu using the Forced Refinement series. Was that his Vital Gu?'
Suppressed by the Heavenly Power, these five Gu couldn't resist Lo Jik's will as he swiftly refined them and entered the fog.
***
Alternate Title: Lone Scorpion FR Said: Nah, I'd Win (Meanwhile, the Goat Fairy: Stand Proud. You Were Strong); The Inheritance; Wookie; Star What?; Analkin: I Hate Sand. It's Coarse, Dry, and Itches My Asshole; Leia and Luke Do Be Freaky In Star Whores; The Ashoka Lore Do Be Crazy In This Version; Analkin, The Nut Within; FYI, Analkin's Mommy Wasn't a Saint In This Version; Verdant Sun Cannot Catch a Break; Tiger Bees Really Offended By Monkeys; The Origin of Racism; Frieza/Geto/Tiger Bees: THESE MONKEYS!; Vanity Cooked Entire Hairy Men Species; Hairy Men: We'll Live Forever (Verdant Sun: Think Fast, Chucklefuck); The Drunkard Movement Technique; Divine Travel Gu Was The Origin of Drunken Fists; Hairy Men Fell Off; A Sneaky Trick; Lo Jik's Xianxia Young Master Approach; Strolling Through The Inheritance; Lo Jik About To Cook Everyone In King Xin's Inheritance; Wen Din Gou's Misfortune; Bai Ning Bing Catches Another Stray; Winning; The Display of Demonic Ambition; To Master Memories and Experience Under Deadly Threat; The Loot Approach!; A Chance To Rizz Chen Jiu For Good; No Choice Trust