Bai Shou's night was more than a restless one. Her residence was ordinary, and she had entirely ignored the shocked expressions of her peers as she approached the settlement. It was natural. Despite their talents, most Sect Disciples were still Rank 3 Gu Masters. They accumulated contribution points and steadily grew in a safe environment. However, after the shock, the expected reverence for someone who had reached the peak of the Mortal Realm was nowhere to be found.
This Super Force exclusively raised Gu Masters with B and A-grade aptitudes. There were more Rank 5 Gu Masters in the sect than the Elders and Legacy Disciples combined. Again, it was not a challenge to understand why that was the case.
It was the Sect System.
The Sect System opposed the Clan System. However, it did not compel the disciples to refrain from creating families and living together. The settlement appointed to Bai Shou had several families alone. Most disciples were either someone's mother or father. Of course, most amenities only existed for the disciples, who were responsible for looking after their families. The Sect System further formed a specific organization within the Sect that regulated the population—the Family Affairs Hall.
Several birthing and marital rules were applied to the disciples, restraining them from breeding like rabbits and consuming the Sect's resources. So, it was understandable that the Spirit Affinity House was home to several Gu Masters who weren't Disciples but 'employees.' Furthermore, most recommendations were offered to the children of these disciples if they had enough aptitude, something the applying Gu Master can control by accumulating enough Sect Points to purchase an Aptitude-modifying Gu.
Should the Family Affairs Hall realize that the population had grown, they would send several members and families to different cities and villages. Yang Pao's family was one such case. He wasn't present in the Sect. Instead, he had left to bring over his family from Yuan Yang City alongside the next mayor appointed by Shu Zhe.
Due to such an environment, the reverence one had for Rank 5 Gu Masters instead carried over to those possessing the title of Elite and Legacy Disciples. Indeed, one's Gu Rank had no bearing on their position in Spirit Affinity House. However, having a higher cultivation certainly helped.
As for Bai Shou?
She hadn't stopped thinking using the Brave Thoughts Gu. She had already formed a few guidelines as to how she must live in the Sect.
First, she could not, under any circumstances, lose her consciousness. It would leave her defenseless! So, Healthy Mind Gu and other Healing Gu became crucial to her. Second, she could never use her trait or hope of using the Dreamer Gu unless…
—Unless she got a House Gu!
Using the House Gu, Bai Shou hoped to create a Killer Move like the Pig Triplets to keep the prying eyes away. After all, she could not sustain her condition without accidentally tripping up. Possessing a House Gu was never under Bai Shou's list of priorities until now because of how quick things changed.
Lastly, she needed a way to develop defenses around her mind and soul. This weakness had persisted for too long, and Bai Shou now had a chance to use the Sect's resources to deal with it quickly. Fortunately, she already had an idea due to one peculiar figure whose presence could effortlessly overshadow Bai Shou and millions of her clones.
Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable.
Bai Shou had looked up to the former's Void Soul Gu. The fake aperture refinement process also edged the line between ridiculousness and miraculousness.
However, refining anything new or researching it all needed Bai Shou to actively strain her mental faculties until she managed to procure a House Gu.
'Fake Mind? Fake Soul? No, Void Soul already protects the Soul. I should refine it without any modifications… that can be chalked up for later. So, Fake Mind it is…'
'I also shouldn't forget trying to get some Top Quality Wine for the Divine Travel Gu.'
A sense of urgency arose in her chest.
There was no way she could lose an Immortal Gu!
'Since I don't have enough materials to start researching Fake Mind Gu…' Bai Shou fished out several human bones. 'Let's use the night to progress the Rank 5 Mighty Bones recipe.'
<<<>>>
"Here it is, Senior Sister," Qin Juan greeted with a chirp, smiling brightly as she handed Bai Shou a Rank 4 consumable Gu Worm. It looked like a finger-sized scarlet ladybug with four white hearts on its carapace—the Heart Engraved Gu. It was a storage Gu like the Bookworm, but once used, the Gu Worm imprinted all the information inside it upon the target.
"Thank you," Bai Shou accepted the Gu Worm without standing on ceremony. She immediately used it, finally learning all the Sect Rules!
Hey, she needed to know the rules before she could exploit them.
"Come on," Qin Juan's smile widened once she saw Bai Shou not standing any ceremony. She held the latter's hand and dragged her away from the settlement. The spot where Bai Shou was appointed was somewhat reclusive. Meanwhile, Qin Juan knew her way around the Sect and soon used a fraction of her contribution points to use the Gentle Hawks for a flight, allowing the disciples to move around efficiently. Of course, it wasn't open for Bai Shou since she was an Outer Disciple. Meanwhile, only a few options were kept from elites like Qin Juan.
The Gentle Hawks, like their names, weren't temperamental beasts. Even the ordinary ones could fit two females on their backs and had the flight pattern memorized. The stable owner would use the Hawk Speech Gu to command the hawks and bring the sect disciples around without needing to be present on the beast.
The beast's speed wasn't exactly spectacular. But the altitude allowed Bai Shou to study the Sect's ground more. The one thing she couldn't entirely observe was the central mountain that rose beyond the sky, its peak hidden under a thick layer of mist.
"There, to the East, is the central spot for Elite Disciples like us. Since our number was low, we were granted more than enough space for other family members. And there, the north—is where the few Legacy Disciples stay. Senior Sister Feng Jin Huang is one of the ten Legacy Disciples but isn't present in the Sect. Oh, and to the west lies the hub for Inner Disciples."
"Leaving the south for the Outer Disciples with the highest population," Bai Shou hummed, enjoying the refreshing wind to the face.
"You will either need to pay 1000 Contribution points every three years or pass the small examination set that year, Senior Sister," Qin Juan cautioned. "It's only a rule for the Outer Disciples to control their numbers. That many contribution points total about 1,000,000 Primeval Stones!"
Bai Shou nodded. The Sect's competition wasn't meant to breed lacking disciples. Such a price for survival within the sect promoted cut-throat competition for most unless they were talented or skilled enough to enter the Sect's inner folds, eliminating such a condition altogether.
'I have too many Primeval Stones. But exchanging them for Contribution points is useless since I would need them during the Gu Refinement. Not to mention, the exchange rate for Primeval Stones to Sect Points must be weaker and not the same 1:1000 ratio.'
Bai Shou…
She had one whole sect point!
"So? Where are you taking me?" Bai Shou inquired with a faint smile as Qin Juan, undoubtedly joyous to return to the sect, giggled loudly.
"Everywhere, Senior Sister! And if you act nice, I'll even treat you to lunch!"
"Oh?" Bai Shou innocently looped her arm around Qin Juan, leaning against her. "When have I not been nice to you, Sweetest Qin?"
"See?!" Qin Juan felt a shiver run down her spine as she tossed Bai Shou a bemused glare. "Now you don't get to eat good food."
"Worth it," Bai Shou shrugged.
"Senior Sister!" Qin Juan whined, uncharacteristic of her reputation in the sect. "Don't you dare think I forgot about your Little Giant King Transformation… hmph! I… I know what kind of person you are!"
Such threats, however, only made Bai Shou's grin grow more wolfish. "I'm just thinking about you, Junior Sister."
"How so?" Qin Juan scoffed.
"Remember that Gu recipe we discovered?" Bai Shou wagged her brows. "I don't want something to happen to you… for that, I would be willing to offer my body as a sacrifice."
Qin Juan began to vibrate with a pouty scowl.
"I'm going to throw you off the hawk."
"Fine, fine," Bai Shou rolled her eyes. "I shall take my services elsewhere. So many innocent maidens don't understand the cruel world around us. Let this Bai save them all!"
Qin Juan's scowl, however, only deepened when Bai Shou promised to focus on others instead of 'ruining' her day by being a tease.
<<<>>>
In addition to the Internal Affairs and Family Affairs Hall, Qin Juan led Bai Shou to the Education, Mission, Disciplinary, Exchange, Refinement, and Inheritance Halls.
Internal Affairs Hall dealt with other Sect Higher-Ups and acted on any news of corruption supported by evidence. The Family Affairs Hall, as noted before, kept an eye on the population that wasn't a part of the disciple force. The Education Hall was divided into thousands of outposts, led by a few Elders, meant to teach the Disciples about the Gu World. The most basic course cost 1 contribution point—something the sect offered everyone—and taught the Gu Master about the most basic terms and concepts that should have been known to a recently awakened Gu Master.
As opposed to the stricter approach in nurturing the disciples' thoughts about righteousness and affinity with the sect, the Spirit Affinity House encouraged a more independent mindset when arranging the disciple's routine. So, the so-called Education Hall wasn't a guild of teachers but a storehouse of thousands of Heart Engraved Gu! They did not need teachers in the Sect at all. Why do something like that when a Gu Worm could achieve days of use at once?
The Mission Halls were divided for every sector and position, offering contribution points to the disciples. The family members who weren't a part of the Sect could not apply for these missions. Furthermore, the missions provided to the Outer Disciples were not shown in the mission halls available to the Elites. First, it was to promote competition ONLY within the Outer Disciples. Second, most missions available to the Elites often overlooked the Outer Disciples. Of course, there were missions that the Sect Leader could appoint to a disciple—something that could not be refuted.
The Disciplinary Hall was basically a centralized jail for any offending Disciple. It was the force that kept a strict eye on the Disciples, including the Legacy Disciples.
The Exchange Hall was where disciples could exchange their contribution points for other materials, and as one would expect, the materials offered to the elites were of higher quality and variety. Even Bai Shou had to eventually rise the ranks because she couldn't find anything tantalizing in the materials offered by the Exchange Hall open to the Outer Disciples.
The Refinement Hall was the safe spot for many disciples to refine their Gu Worms. Again, the restrictions based on the Disciple's rank even applied here.
Lastly, the Inheritance Hall.
It was a remarkable system. First, a disciple was allowed a Gu Worm once they joined the sect and whenever they rose their Gu Rank OR their Disciple Rank. The sect owed Bai Shou a Rank 5 Gu, which it seemed to have already predicted since the Inheritance Hall open for the Outer Disciples also had a few Rank 5 Gu Worms. There must have been other Rank 5 Outer Disciples who joined later, like Yang Pao and Bai Shou.
Second, as its name suggested, a disciple could exchange for unique inheritances from the hall using a similar inheritance or contribution points.
Exchanging using the contribution points was a straightforward task.
However, exchanging an inheritance with another was taxing and may take up to a few months to ensure the validity and value of the inheritance the disciple offers. With their tacit understanding, Bai Shou and Qin Juan refrained from revealing the Man-Beast Life Burial recipe.
It would also appear that Bai Shou's luck had surged after the strings of unfortunate events she had to endure and experience, for she found a compatible Gu Worm.
Heh…
Luck?
Right.
Bai Shou was alone in a room housing a few Rank 5 Gu Worms.
The space around her was tiny, barely able to fit one grown man and a few cabinets. The dark-gray room had eight spots carved out of the wall, housing eight Rank 5 Gu Worms.
One of them was the Rank 5 Green Mountain Tai Remains. The joy of finding such a useful Gu did not reduce Bai Shou's intelligence. Luck? What was that?
Bai Shou trusted her luck to primarily remain shitty!
'There's a good chance that the Rank 5 Refinement Gu is tampered with.' Bai Shou trusted her instincts to ignore such a decent offer and observe the other Gu Worms in the room. 'It's good. I almost forgot that any Gu I accept from the Sect can be tweaked. I cannot trust a Gu Worm unless I refine it myself…'
She sighed. It only made the matter more complicated. However, it was several times better than thinking the world was a peachy place before getting her secrets exposed unconsciously.
Nothing interested her in the secret room.
Bai Shou walked out and asked to enter the other rooms with Rank 1-4 Gu Worms. Although an unorthodox request, there was no rule Bai Shou couldn't pick a lesser Gu Worm.
Before long, she picked a rare Rank 4 Gu, a scheme blooming in her heart.
<<<>>>
"Rank 4 Void Domain?"
Shu Zhe muttered with an incomprehensible expression.
'Did Bai Shou know about Grandmother's schemes? How would she know about the effects of the Seeking Eye Gu on the Green Mountain Tai Remains?'
Indeed, specialized Gu Worms were used upon other Gu. Shu Zhe watched the recording of Bai Shou observing the Rank 5 Refinement Gu and didn't notice the use of any Gu Worm. So, how could the errant Outer Disciple know about an Immortal's scheme?
Luck?
Intuition?
'Or maybe Bai Shou has a more urgent use for the Void Domain Gu.' Shu Zhe theorized in her heart.
Continuing the report, Shu Zhe read how Bai Shou had Qin Juan convert millions of Primeval Stones into contribution points to purchase a rare recipe alongside a few materials unavailable to Outer Disciples.
'Preservation Gu?' Shu Zhe's interest grew. 'It's a Refinement Path Gu that can prevent a Consumable Gu from disappearing after its use. Bai Shou had once requested to purchase the Gu from Yang Pao, too.'
The fact that Bai Shou had Qin Juan's assistance did not bother her. Many disciples with great relationships sought to help each other. The Sect saw no reason to prevent someone who could form a decent relationship with the Elites from growing.
'Let's limit the materials used to refine the Preservation Gu. Bai Shou must have had her reasons—which I can exploit.'
<<<>>>
'Huff, exchanging the recipe for revealing my intentions… was worth it! I finally have the Preservation Gu Worm's recipe!'
Bai Shou was satisfied with how they concluded their day. Qin Juan spent the entire day with Bai Shou because she would digest her gains from the mission and enter secluded cultivation for the week. She was also due to leave the sect in two weeks, so Qin Juan wished to spend more time with Bai Shou after emerging.
As for the Preservation Gu?
Bai Shou needed it as one of the most valuable support for the core Gu of her refinement set. The Human Path Master also had a healthy hunch that the Preservation Gu was not precisely a Refinement Path Gu.
'Even if encountering the Void Domain Gu was not luck and has been tampered with, the act wouldn't matter once I refine it. Maybe… I truly was lucky. I already had the Battle Space Gu and found another crucial material for the House Gu recipe from the Venerable's inheritance.'
'Hmm. No.'
Bai Shou had a vague sense of understanding.
'It's probably not the way I think it is. I initially planned to use the Expend Strength Gu with the Battle Space Gu to try forming a Battlefield Killer Move. However, now I urgently need a House Gu I can trust.'
'One path would have raised my battle strength considerably, and the other does not. I wouldn't even need a House Gu in most cases. And forming a killer move with a Space Path House Gu is easier said than done. Even if I have a Master-level Attainment in the Space Path, I have no experience and only have vague ideas on how to walk it.'
'The good thing is that I got the materials I needed.'
Bai Shou grew slightly excited.
Being a Strength, Refinement, Transformation, Rule, and Human Path Master, Bai Shou was certain her modified recipe would work!
Not only had she realized a way to massively reduce the needed resources, but she also discovered a way to magnify the speed with which she could upgrade her body refinement!
Although…
It would hurt.
It would hurt Bai Shou more than having her eye and eyelid chewed by the Eye Gu!
'But as a proficient Sound Path Grandmaster from my previous life sang—What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!'
Bai Shou released the Refinement Cauldron Gu. It was still suppressed by the regional qi. She quietly tossed in a small pile of human bones alongside a bucket's worth of Minotaur's bone marrow, a speck of splendorous enamel, and an Infant Human Ape's skull and filled the cauldron to the brim with a rare rank 2 bone path material—bone gravy.
The tub-like refinement cauldron began to heat, breaking and mixing the contents under Bai Shou's command. The Rank 5 Refinement Cauldron was a defensive Gu. However, it was still a Refinement Path Gu capable of treating materials.
How could she refine the Rank 5 Mighty Bones Gu using these few materials?
Why would she add the splendorous enamel when it, in fact, countered the dao marks held by the Infant Human Ape's Skull?
The materials would be ruined ordinarily.
There was no substance to the refinement process!
The bone gravy began to bubble as the contents boiled.
Bai Shou gulped quietly as she watched the cauldron.
Her heart palpitated with nervousness as she gently peeled her robes away.
The pain would be unlike anything she had ever had to endure.
However, the materials she purchased should be enough to achieve two things—progress her body refinement at a pace unheard of and… display her human path ingenuity to the sect because this was one thing she wanted to develop wholeheartedly! For that to happen, she needed to convince any and all spies—should they exist—that investing in her with their resources instead of doubts and suspicions would be the right call!
'Oh, god…'
Bai Shou's heart shrieked internally as she tossed the most crucial material into the refinement process…
Herself.
*Splash*
***
Alternate Title: The Ingenious Sect System; Virgin Clan System Vs Chad Venerable Sect System; A Sect Only Grows; Primordial Was On That Good Shit; Primordial: Sect System Is The Future; Growing Uses of the Inheritance; Fake Mind, Fake Soul, Fake Orgasms; Human Path Supremacy; The New Kind of Refinement; Bai Shou Is Truly A Good Material; Luck? Pfft, What's That?; The Gu World Done Traumatize Our Poor MC; Refinement Path? No. It's Physical Trauma Path; Bai Shou Really Walks The M Path; Bai Shou And Pain Goes Simultaneously; The Preservation Recipe; Sharp Instincts; Benefits of Attainment; A House Gu?; Finding Ways To Deal With Restrictions; Lack of Dreaming Encourages Action; Jumping Into a Boiling Cauldron; Human Path Refinement Method *Chucks The Gu Master Into Fire*; Fang Yuan Would Be Proud *Casually Enjoys Warmth While Burning The Twins*; Fang Yuan Was Ahead of His Time In the Og… Literally!; What No Waifu Does To a Person; Qin Juan: Suspects Bai Shou's True Form *Also Qin Juan: Likes What She Sees*; Qin Juan: Don't You Annoy Me, Senpai! *Also Qin Juan: Don't Stop Noticing Me, Senpai!*
***
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