Chen Qing looked up at the cave ceiling, slowly exhaling a breath.
He slowly sat up.
He sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, mobilizing the True Essence within his body. The True Essence, like a trickling stream, began to circulate around his apertures. Each circulation was a process of nourishing and refining the apertures.
As time passed, Chen Qing gradually grasped some of the intricacies. He discovered that controlling the rhythm of the True Essence flushing the aperture walls and absorbing the natural True Essence from primeval stones was crucial. If it was too fast, too much True Essence would be consumed, and the absorbed True Essence couldn't keep up with the rhythm; if it was too slow, the flushing effect wouldn't be achieved.
He was like a meticulous craftsman, slowly carving his apertures. With each subtle adjustment, he could feel a wondrous power flowing within the walls of his apertures.
During his cultivation, Chen Qing's thoughts didn't cease. He thought of Red Maple Village again, recalling the old village chief's First Rank High Tier strength, which was already an existence admired by everyone in the village. But what did it count for in the entire Gu World? The warlike Gu cultivators of the Northern Plains, the powerhouses struggling in the resource-scarce Western Desert, the forces in the Eastern Sea with abundant resources but inconsistent combat power, and the Heavenly Court in the Central Continent, like a colossal entity... his current strength was merely a drop in the ocean... "But it doesn't matter, I have the advantage of a Transmigration, knowing various Opportunities. As long as I persevere in cultivation, I will eventually carve out my own path." Chen Qing encouraged himself in his heart.
He knew deeply that in this Gu World, where the strong preyed on the weak, one either advanced or retreated. Only by continuously becoming stronger could he protect what he cherished.
Of course, Chen Qing also knew his own limits. Those grand plans concerning the Supremes, such as the Supreme Immortal Fetus and Supreme Legacy, which were very important to the model worker and the grand plan, Chen Qing absolutely dared not and could not touch. Chen Qing still had that much self-awareness.
He reined in his thoughts and continued to flush his apertures.
After an unknown period, Chen Qing felt the True Essence within his apertures becoming increasingly refined, and the flushing effect was gradually improving. He slowly ceased his cultivation. When he opened his eyes, they showed fatigue, yet his joy was hard to conceal; he seemed to have taken another step closer to First Rank High Tier.
Standing up, Chen Qing stretched his somewhat stiff body. Outside the cave, the night was deep, with countless stars, complementing the red maple leaves, creating a breathtaking scene.
He planned to rest for a while, then continue exploring Red Maple Mountain. Perhaps he could find more resources helpful for cultivation, especially since Red Maple Village had always been developing Red Maple Mountain.
However, Mortals were ultimately just Mortals. Although it was possible for Gu Masters to emerge from the village, historically, the highest cultivation achieved was only First Rank Peak, and that person had passed away decades ago.
After so many years of exploration, they had only ventured into the outer regions. When merchant caravans passed by, Gu Masters wouldn't idly wander the mountain, let alone that no merchant caravans had passed by in years. Thus, Red Maple Mountain was still largely undeveloped. He might actually find something, even if it was just some scraps.
After all, in this world full of uncertainties, one more Opportunity meant one more capital to establish oneself and protect oneself.
"Next, I still need to continue refining my control over Gu, and perfect the rhythm of flushing my apertures..." Chen Qing murmured softly, his eyes filled with determination, steadily advancing step by step towards greater power.
Chen Qing tidied his clothes, released the newly refined Gu, loaded it with thousands of primeval stones, and then put it back into his apertures before slowly stepping out of the cave.
The night was inky, and Red Maple Mountain was silhouetted under the moonlight, exuding a mysterious aura. He knew that this mountain, being underdeveloped, likely harbored many Opportunities, but similarly, danger lurked everywhere.
Along the winding mountain path, Chen Qing walked at a moderate pace, each step cautious. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the maple leaves, casting dappled shadows. He used this faint light to observe the surrounding flora. Occasionally, night insects chirped, breaking the silence of the forest.
Upon reaching a more secluded mountain hollow, Chen Qing noticed several strange marks on the ground, resembling drag marks left by some beast. He crouched down, his fingertips lightly touching the marks. They felt somewhat damp, as if recently made. "Could the beasts of Red Maple Mountain also be infested with wild Gu?" Chen Qing pondered silently, daring not to be careless. He remained vigilant, keeping the Gu in his right hand ready for immediate use, and only then continued forward.
Not long after, a faint, ethereal fragrance wafted over. Chen Qing's spirits lifted. Following the scent, he saw several unusual flowers and plants growing beneath a few red maple trees. The flowers were pale purple, with petals shimmering with a faint light, and the fragrance emanated from them. Chen Qing knew that in the Gu World, many exotic flowers and plants could be used to cultivate Gu, or to aid in cultivation. He was about to approach and pick them when he suddenly stopped.
In the soil next to the flowers, he saw several thin vines subtly entwining around the blossoms. This was a sign of a flower-guarding Gu; if he were to pick them rashly, the flower-guarding Gu would attack. Chen Qing observed intently. After a long moment, he slowly extended his hand, True Essence enveloping his fingertips. A blood-colored Qi vortex, precise as a surgical knife, gently pried open the vines.
After successfully picking the flowers and plants, Chen Qing carefully stored them in his blood crystal. This harvest greatly boosted his confidence, and at the same time, he deeply realized that this mountain forest held too many secrets. He continued to delve deeper, spending a great deal of time investigating every place that might hold treasure.
As night deepened, Chen Qing's figure moved through the forest, as silent as a ghost. He encountered several small wild beasts, which he successfully killed using his Blood Qi Whirlwind Blade Gu and his own vigilance.
Each time he killed one, Chen Qing would insert his right hand into the corpse to feed the Blood Qi Whirlwind Blade Gu.
By the time Chen Qing arrived at a cliff face, it was already midnight.
He took a deep breath, mobilized his True Essence, and slowly released it, then waved his hand!
"Bang!"
A blood-red Qi Blade heavily struck a large tree, severing it at the trunk. The tree crashed to the ground.
"The power is good. It seems that the intermediate Azure Green True Essence provides a decent boost to this First Rank Blood Qi Whirlwind Blade," Chen Qing mused, stroking his chin.
After a brief rest, Chen Qing looked at the night sky, knowing that venturing deeper might entail unknown risks. He slowly turned and headed back towards the cave. This night's exploration was but a small step on his cultivation path in the Gu World, yet it brought him a little closer to his goal... The moonlight, like silver, softly cast its glow upon every inch of Red Maple Mountain. Chen Qing walked back along the path he had taken. The red maple trees beside him swayed gently in the night breeze, their leaves rustling softly, making a delicate "shh shh" sound, as if the forest was whispering ancient tales.
The moonlight filtered through the gaps in the maple leaves, casting scattered specks of light onto the ground. As the leaves swayed, these light spots seemed to come alive, dancing and swirling in the grass and on the soil, like fallen stars, tiny and nimble.
The mountain wind carried the unique scents of the forest—the earthiness of soil, the fresh aroma of leaves, and the faint fragrance of unknown small flowers. These subtle scents wafted into Chen Qing's nostrils.
This aroma, imbued with the tranquility of the night and the vitality of the forest, gradually relaxed his taut nerves. He took a deep breath, feeling completely refreshed. The fatigue from his daytime cultivation and the tension from his exploration were quietly soothed in the embrace of the forest.
Passing by a stream, the water shimmered under the moonlight, like a silver ribbon winding into the distance.
The stream flowed gently, its sound clear and melodious, like nature's lullaby. Occasionally, a few maple leaves drifted down, landing softly on the water's surface, slowly floating with the current, like tiny skiffs carrying moonlight, sailing towards an unknown destination.
Chen Qing paused, gazing at the stream and the maple leaves drifting with the current. A sense of tranquility arose within him. In this Gu World, strife was constant, and the strong preyed on the weak, yet the night scenery of this forest possessed a transcendent peace, allowing him to momentarily forget his worries and simply revel in it.
Chen Qing squatted down, washed his hands, and then returned towards the cave.
When Chen Qing returned to the cave, the night wind at the entrance gently embraced him, and the atmosphere inside the cave was familiar and reassuring. He looked back at Red Maple Mountain in the night. Under the moonlight, the mountains undulated, and tree shadows danced, like a tranquil ink painting. The scenery along the way allowed him to experience another side of the Gu World, beyond its cruel struggles—the bounty of nature, the vitality and beauty of life.
Chen Qing entered the cave, sat cross-legged, and prepared to continue his cultivation.