Lin Yan extended his consciousness into it, and his vision instantly connected to the Family's secret vault. Countless entries flashed before his eyes. As he rapidly scanned through them, his breathing gradually grew heavier, a rare look of shock appearing on his face at the sheer depth of the Family's collection.
Countless Heaven and Earth treasures filled the secret vault, each material possessing unique effects—some could replace Gu food, others could increase the success rate of refinement. The sheer variety was dazzling, far beyond what ordinary Gu Masters could ever access. But the true shock came from the Gu themselves. They were all Rank 4 and Rank 5, massive in form, each radiating a powerful aura as they floated within the stabilized void. Among them were seven or eight Rank 5 Gu alone. Such a number was astonishing. If the three Rank 5 experts of the Family were included, that meant more than ten Rank 5 Gu in total.
Lin Yan's gaze sharpened. In the original timeline, the three major families of Qing Mao Mountain each possessed only a single Rank 5 Gu as their ultimate trump card, and even those were difficult to control. "That makes sense…" he thought calmly.
"The two Rank 5 Inheritances left behind several Rank 5 Gu. With an unbroken line of Rank 5 experts through generations, accumulating over ten isn't strange."
Even so, his eyes lingered on them, burning with restrained desire before he forcibly looked away. In theory, he could use all three of his chances to select Rank 5 Gu, but with only Rank 3 cultivation, he simply could not control them. As for saving these opportunities until Rank 5, that would be the most foolish choice. Reaching that level would take at least twenty years, and by then, such privileges would likely no longer remain in his hands.
For a moment, Lin Yan understood the hidden intent behind Family Head Huang Ming's arrangement, and the corner of his mouth twitched. It was a tempting setup—he could see everything, yet touch nothing. A reckless thought even surfaced in his mind: what if he directly chose a Rank 5 Gu, just to see the expressions of the Family's higher-ups?
He quickly suppressed that impulse and forced himself to remain calm, shifting his gaze toward the Rank 4 Gu instead. Dozens of them were scattered throughout the vault, each extraordinary in its own way. Among them, he suddenly noticed several peculiar Gu resembling clusters of multicolored flames suspended in midair.
"Otherworldly Flame Gu?!"
His eyes widened slightly. In the original novel, this type of Gu was considered the dream of Flame Path cultivators. Obtaining even a single type of otherworldly flame could greatly enhance combat strength, producing endless variations and serving as a powerful trump card.
Lin Yan exhaled slowly and forced himself to look away. If he kept staring, he might truly start considering something reckless like emptying the Family's treasury.
Moments later, his attention was drawn to two perfectly round golden Gu, flawless in shape. A hint of surprise appeared on his face.
"Yellow Golden Relic Gu?!"
While Green Copper, Red Steel, and White Silver Relic Gu might still appear occasionally in large auctions, Golden Relic Gu were different. They were strictly controlled by major forces, never allowed to circulate freely, and could only be described as priceless treasures.
The Huang Family's collection likely came from the sheer scale of the oasis population, gradually accumulating such rare Gu over countless years.
Lin Yan's heartbeat quickened. A thought flashed through his mind—if he advanced to Rank 4 and obtained two Golden Relic Gu, wouldn't that save him nearly twenty years of arduous cultivation?
But that was not all. He quickly searched for Gu that could improve aptitude and soon found them—Rank 4 Unpolished Jade Gu and Rank 4 Unrefined Gold Gu.
A trace of disappointment appeared on his face.
Although these Gu could indeed raise aptitude, their drawbacks were obvious. Using Unpolished Jade Gu would imprint Earth Path dao marks onto the body, while Unrefined Gold Gu would leave behind Metal Path dao marks. Both would strongly interfere with the use of other paths.
There were similar Gu in the same series—Water Source Gu, Wood Root Gu—each corresponding to one of the Five Elements.
For Lin Yan, who specialized in Flame Path, this was unacceptable. Even if he encountered a Flame Path Gu that enhanced aptitude, he would not use it carelessly. Once his body became too biased toward a single path, it would disrupt the balance of his entire Gu system. It would affect everything—from Liquor Worm refinement to the use of Burning Wind Gu.
The truly ideal Gu for improving aptitude was the Rank 5 Washing Bone Gu, but something like that was far beyond what the Huang Family could possess. Compared to that, a powerful Rank 5 Gu was far more valuable than one that merely improved aptitude.
Lin Yan's gaze steadied. If none existed… then he would create it himself.
He swept his gaze across the secret vault once more and soon noticed a number of Rank 3 Gu. Any Rank 3 Gu stored here were all top-quality, among them even seven or eight White Silver Relic Gu.
Lin Yan's resolve wavered for a brief moment. But in the end, he suppressed the thought. Exchanging for White Silver Relic Gu now would be too short-sighted. Preserving his opportunity for Yellow Golden Relic Gu in the future was the correct path.
With that decision made, he turned away from the secret vault without selecting anything. This matter required careful consideration.
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3 Bonus Chapter ✅