The sun lowers and the moon rises, the signal of the arrival of nightfall.
This was one of the concealed courtyards in the Gu Yue Village.
A locust tree that stood with complicated branches and luxuriant leaves, its robust and spacious treetop that was like a jasper imperial canopy, enveloped the entire courtyard.
The moonlight was gentle like water, travelling through the leaves and branches of the locust tree, spilling into the courtyard.
A gust of wind blew over, sending the tree leaves rustling, the shadows of the tree swaying slightly.
It was under this tree that two people stood.
Gu Yue Bo used a gentle gaze and looked at Fang Zheng. "Fang Zheng, today you chose your second Gu, I wonder what it is?"
"Reporting to clan leader sir, today I chose a Bronze Skin Gu." Gu Yue Fang Zheng stood rigid, saying with a look of admiration.
Gu Yue Bo nodded, and after pondering he replied, "Not bad, it is a good choice."
Gu Yue Fang Zheng stood before Gu Yue Bo, his body tensed and tightened. Hearing Gu Yue Bo's praise, he did not know how to reply for a while, so in the end he only laughed, "Clan leader, I chose randomly."
"You think I'm not serious in praising you? No." Gu Yue Bo stared at Fang Zheng, a smile on his face, "Do you know? From choosing a Gu, it shows a person's disposition."
"You chose the Bronze Skin Gu for defense. Paired with the Moonlight Gu, it is both offense and defense. This shows your pure nature. In this world, offense and defense are like frontal and ambush, yin and yang, soft and hard, this is the king's path."
"Gu Yue Mo Bei chose the Yellow Camel Longhorn Beetle, this Gu grants stamina and allows him to sustain battle. This shows his stubborn and strong attitude."
"As for Gu Yue Chi Cheng, he chose the Dragonpill cricket Gu, allowing him to increase his dodging ability. This shows he does not like frontal attacks, being a witty person, good at tactics, but also showed the weakness in his character."
Gu Yue Fang Zheng was stunned after listening, for he did not expect that such a simple matter could reveal that much information and logic.
Consequently, his attitude towards Gu Yue Bo became even more respectful.
"Clan leader, what did my brother choose?" Fang Zheng thought of Fang Yuan and immediately asked.
Gu Yue Bo laughed, "He chose the Little Light Gu, this Gu is used to assist the Moonlight Gu and can make the moonblade attack stronger. This shows his extreme, active and invasive personality."
"Indeed, brother seems to be like that." Fang Zheng muttered.
Gu Yue Bo took Fang Zheng's expression into consideration and etched it into his mind.
Those who were rulers had their unique ability. Although Gu Yue Bo and Fang Zheng did not interact for long, Gu Yue Bo's experienced gaze had already seen through Fang Zheng.
Him telling Fang Zheng about Mo Bei and Chi Cheng's decisions had deeper meaning.
It was to help Fang Zheng analyze these two people, for he anticipated him defeating the two of them and establishing the role of clan leader with his A grade talent.
But Gu Yue Bo would not say it out loud, and would not instigate Fang Zheng's actions.
As the clan leader, his every word and action had political implications. If he directly controlled Fang Zheng and dealt with Chi Cheng and Mo Bei, if words spread it might be misunderstood as the clan leader's political assault. If that's the case, the implication would be huge and it might even cause a clan dispute, harming the entire village.
There was another point—Gu Yue Bo was waiting for Fang Zheng to understand his intentions. He spent time and effort to nurture Fang Zheng, but it was not to nurture a Rank four or five fighter. A fighter without political knowledge was like a double edged sword. He needed the future leader for the clan!
"I analyzed Mo Bei and Chi Cheng's personality for Fang Zheng, but he did not notice my intention, instead asking about Fang Yuan's situation. It seems that he has great trauma regarding Fang Yuan, but he is also at his rebellious stage. He wants to beat Fang Yuan, that's understandable.
Sigh, if only Fang Zheng had Fang Yuan's intelligence, I've seen many youngsters these years, but when it comes to political wits, Fang Yuan tops them all. It is a pity he only has C grade talent."]
Gu Yue Bo sighed internally but his smile got even more gentle.
He took out a Gu worm from his pocket.
"This is ——- Jade Skin Gu?" Fang Zheng on seeing this Gu worm, said lightly with his eyes wide open.
Gu Yue Bo said, "Compared to the Bronze Skin Gu, this Jade Skin Gu is much better, not only using less primeval essence but also gives greater defense. Fang Zheng, do you want it?"
"Clan leader!" Fang Zheng was shocked and he looked at Gu Yue Bo, stuttering, "I… of course I want it."
"I can give it to you." Gu Yue Bo laughed even more amicably, "But as the clan leader, I have to be impartial and cannot give it to you for no reason, thus I have a condition."
Fang Zheng nodded repeatedly, staring widely, "What condition?"
Gu Yue Bo's smile vanished, showing a stern expression, "I want you to be the first to breakthrough Rank one into Rank two, be the first place in terms of cultivation! And this Jade Skin Gu is your advancement reward."
"Ah, advance to Rank two?" Gu Yue Fang Zheng hesitated for a moment. He had just become Rank one middle stage; after middle stage was upper stage, and after that there was still peak stage.
But now Gu Yue Bo wanted to him to be the first person to advance to Rank two.
"What's wrong, are you afraid? Then I can only give this Gu to others." Gu Yue Bo pretended to keep the Jade Skin Gu.
Fang Zheng was incited by this sentence, immediately his brain heated up as he shouted, "No, I promise you! I will defeat everyone and be the first Rank two cultivator!"
"That's the way." Gu Yue Bo showed his gentle smile again, placing the Jade Skin Gu on Fang Zheng's hand.
He thought in his heart, "Fang Zheng, I know you feel inferior, but this inferiority complex is too harmful to your growth. The best way to dispel your inferiority is success. You have A grade talent, so advancing to Rank two first is your greatest advantage, and also the easiest success you can achieve. You must succeed, for if you fail even this, I would be too disappointed."
At the same time, Fang Yuan stepped into the secret cave behind the rock crack again, getting into the end of the tunnel.
This time, he did not bring any steel spade, pickaxe or hammer, but carefully observed the surroundings. He was discouraged by this setback the previous night, and on the way back to the village he felt something amiss.
Only today in the dormitory where he used the Spring Autumn Cicada to refine the Little Light Gu did he suddenly understand the weird part of this situation.
"This huge rock blocking my path is too round and smooth, this is definitely man made. That is to say, the Flower Wine Monk purposely set this to block to path, but why did he set this hurdle at such a place?" Fang Yuan pondered.
He looked at the surroundings again.
The ground of the path was smooth and the top was curved; the walls on both sides were red soil, emitting a red light.
"Eh?" When he looked at the ground again, he found a point of suspicion.
The ground near the giant rock was slightly darker in colour. This colour difference was not very obvious and not easily found under such a dimly lit environment.
Fang Yuan knelt down, touching the ground, feeling a sense of wetness.
No wonder the colour was darker, it was wet.
But this path was so dry, where was the water coming from?
Fang Yuan grinded the soil with his fingers, finding out that the soil on this patch of earth had issues. It was very soft and loose, not lumpy like the dry red soil.
Fang Yuan's gaze shone. Experience and intuition told him that this area had the 'key' that the Flower Wine Monk had hidden.
And this 'key' was the clue that would allow him to continue moving forward.
Fang Yuan began to dig the soil. It was loose so he did not spend much effort.
After digging for around an inch deeper, there was a peculiar fragrance rushing into Fang Yuan's nostrils.
"This fragrance is thick and luxurious yet not common, it seems delicate and elegant, could it be…" Fang Yuan's heart moved as he thought of a possibility, his hands moving even faster.
While digging, the area under the soil suddenly emitted a faint dark gold light.
"It really is what I'm thinking of!" Fang Yuan's eyes shone, his hand movement becoming more delicate, carefully digging the surrounding soil away, expanding this hole.
After a while, a dark gold-coloured flower bud that was buried under the ground appeared in front of him.
It was two inches deep in the ground, around the size of a stone mill, the bud's surface delicate and with the dark gold colour, it appeared to be mysterious and elegant.
"It really is the Earth Treasury Flower Gu!" Seeing this, Fang Yuan breathed out deeply.
He was not eager in peeling away the flower petals, but took a rest on the ground instead, wiping the soil off his hands. Then he slowly stretched his hand and pried open the dark gold-coloured petals.
The Earth Treasury Flower Gu was like the combination of a lotus and kale. Its petals were tightly knitted together with numerous thick pieces, slippery when felt. As Fang Yuan opened the petals one by one, it was like revealing thick layers of silk.
Once it left the main body, the huge dark gold-coloured petals would disperse quickly. It was like snowflakes that melted into the air.
After uncovering around fifty to sixty pieces of petals, the bud had shrunk in half, revealing the flower core.
The core's petals were smaller and thinner, its texture becoming more smooth and fine. It was no longer like silk, but more like thin pieces of paper. .
Fang Yuan's movements became gentler and slower, only opening a piece of petal in a few breaths.
The petals became increasingly transparent, and after a while, when Fang Yuan had opened the pieces of thin paper-like petals, he stopped his movements.
The Earth Treasury Flower Gu at this moment only had a last layer of petals left.
These petals overlapped each other, forming a fist-sized ball.
The petals were translucent, thin as paper. Inside these petals contained a golden liquid and in the middle of this liquid, a Gu worm was sleeping inside.
Fang Yuan looked intently, but he could only see a blurry shadow of the Gu worm, and he could not tell which Gu it was.
He was close to it, and his breath was blown on the flower core. The spherical flower core began to shake, the golden liquid also moving gently inside the petals.
Gu worms would die without food, and only a few Gu worms could seal themselves. To protect and conserve Gu worms, Gu Masters have had thought of many methods.
The Earth Treasury Flower Gu was one of them.
It was a one-time use type Gu, and once implanted on the ground, it could not be moved.
Its food was simple, which was earth energy. As long as it was planted on the ground, it would be able to survive with sufficient earth energy.
It only had one use, and that is to contain a Gu within the flower heart and immerse the Gu in the golden liquid.
This golden nectar could to an extent, imitate the sealing state and let Gu worms fall into hibernation.
"The Flower Wine Monk planted this Earth Treasury Flower Gu, so the Gu within has to be for the inheritor." Fang Yuan stretched out a finger and peeled the remaining petals carefully, revealing an opening.
The golden liquid flowed out along his finger, feeling like soybean oil.
The flower core began to soften with the loss of the golden liquid. Fang Yuan moved his finger and the petals were split, allowing him to retrieve the slumbering Gu worm.
It was a cute ladybug. Only the size of the thumb's fingernail.
Its body was a milky white colour, and if overlooked from the back, it was like a circle.
Its head only occupied a small area, while the rest of the body was its large fat stomach and bright shiny exoskeleton.
Its six tiny limbs were also cream coloured, hidden under its stomach.
"White Boar Gu!" Fang Yuan showed an expression of joy on his face.