After careful consideration, Liu Chen decided to wait until tomorrow to refine the Liquor Worm.
Tomorrow, the academy would have the students select their Vital Gu. Since everyone would be preoccupied with their own choices, their attention would not be on him. This provided the perfect opportunity to complete the refinement of the Liquor Worm without anyone realizing it. If he started now and was interrupted, his previous efforts might be for nothing.
"Flower Wine Monk, what kind of reward can you bring me? This is so exciting!" Liu Chen sat on his bed, his heart racing with anticipation as he focused on the Purple treasure box.
He took a deep breath and opened the first one. Instantly, a dazzling radiance blossomed from the chest.
"Reward obtained:. Acquired the lifelong practice memories and experiences of the Flower Wine Monk."
A massive influx of knowledge poured into Liu Chen's mind like a tidal wave. This information was an endless treasure house, containing not only the Monk's personal history but also countless precious Gu recipes and the hard-won insights of a veteran traveler.
The mental surge made Liu Chen feel dizzy, but he gritted his teeth and persisted, absorbing the valuable information. Over time, he discovered that the value of this knowledge far exceeded his imagination.
He learned that the Flower Wine Monk had once been a simple mortal. During a beast tide, he had accidentally stumbled into an inheritance, opened his aperture, and gained a complete Earth Path legacy, which gave him the confidence to eventually roam across the Southern Border.
This knowledge was an immense asset. It wouldn't just enhance his strength; it would allow him to take far fewer detours in his cultivation. Furthermore, compared to a physical Rank 5 Gu, the value of this high-level attainment was arguably greater.
The Monk had practiced the most common Earth Path school in the Southern Border. His signature Gu was the Thousand Li Earthwolf Spider. Among the legacy's many recipes, the progression for the Earthwolf Spider was the most precious, detailing the refinement from Rank 1 all the way to Rank 5. Each stage required specific materials and conditions, and the Monk's success in refining it to Rank 5 was a testament to his profound attainment.
Through these memories, Liu Chen also learned of the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus. This was an extremely rare and precious Gu a luxury even for Gu Immortals that functioned as a portable spirit spring. Additionally, the inheritance contained the refinement methods for the Rank 1 and Rank 3 versions of the Liquor Worm.
Most importantly, these memories shattered Liu Chen's naive worldview. He had once thought that leaving the village and becoming a lone Gu Master would make his path smooth, but he now understood that the road ahead was filled with endless hardships. The Southern Border wilderness was far more terrifying than he had imagined; there were places where even a Rank 5 expert was likely to perish with no hope of escape.
Because of this "True Meaning" from the Monk, Liu Chen was able to quickly recognize his mistakes and decisively change his original plan. He began to re examine his path, thinking of how to better utilize his advantages for maximum benefit. After careful deliberation, he not only adjusted his plan but improved it, incorporating the Monk's lessons to create a detailed strategy for leaving the Village.
As the knowledge finished integrating, his understanding of the world deepened fundamentally.
"Attainment level updated: Earth Path Master level achieved."
According to the standards of the Gu World, Liu Chen's state had reached the level of an Earth Path Master. This meant he possessed a considerable mastery of Earth Path Gu worms and could utilize their functions with far greater efficiency and insight.
Finally, Liu Chen's eyes fell on the last treasure box. His heart swelled with anticipation: "What will the reward be this time?"
He selected "Open" without hesitation.
As the purple lid slowly lifted, a deep purple light overflowed. Liu Chen's eyes widened as a huge, Thousand-Mile Earthwolf Spider suddenly appeared in his dormitory. The spider was the size of a cow, covered in a thick layer of black fur. Its entire body was pitch black and exuded a metallic luster, like polished steel or iron.
Every line of its anatomy from its breastplate to its back armor was thick and hard, radiating dominance. It possessed three pairs of feelers with spiral tips and six additional appendages as sharp as stainless steel drill bits, each capable of easily tearing through steel.
"Reward obtained: A Rank 5 Earth Path movement Gu, able to travel through the ground and traverse thousands of miles without leaving a trace."
Liu Chen was overjoyed. This was a Rank 5 Gu! Though its appearance was terrifying, it was an incredibly powerful asset for his future.
However, his joy was short lived. The giant spider took up almost all the space in the room, making the already small dormitory feel suffocatingly crowded. Liu Chen could even feel the spider's hot breath and the coarse down of its body rubbing against his skin.
He didn't have time to think; he quickly opened his system inventory and gathered the Thousand Li Earthwolf Spider inside. With the creature gone, space was finally restored to the room, though many of his items had been crushed and scattered across the floor during its brief appearance.