Fang Yuan gazed at the Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus before him, and the cloud of doubt that had accumulated in his heart for so long finally dissipated by more than half. He had roughly deduced the history behind it.
Time rewound to nearly a thousand years ago.
A powerful Fifth Transformation Gu Master came alone to Qing Mao Mountain and, by chance, discovered the natural Yuan Spring in the underground cavern.
Overjoyed, he set up camp here, merging and relocating the mortal villages at the mountain's base, forming the prototype of Guye Stockade.
He took over a hundred wives and concubines, spreading his bloodline far and wide.
He was the ancestor of the Guye Clan, the founder of Guye Stockade.
After the first patriarch passed away, time flowed onward—through the second generation, the third, and into the fourth.
The fourth-generation patriarch possessed Grade A talent and had also cultivated to the Fifth Transformation, bringing the clan to another peak of prosperity.
One day, a Demonic Path Gu Master arrived outside the stockade.
He was a bald, broad-shouldered man dressed in pink robes. A lone wolf who delighted in ruining the virtue of virtuous women. None other than the infamous fiend of the Demonic Path—Hua Jiu Xing Zhe.
Hua Jiu Xing Zhe had somehow stumbled upon a fortunate opportunity, obtaining the secret formula for refining the Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus. He had made extensive preparations, and all he lacked was a natural Yuan Spring to complete the refinement of this flower Gu.
He shopped around and ultimately selected the Yuan Spring within Guye Stockade.
At first, he used trading Moon Orchid Flowers as a pretext to deliberately get close to Guye's higher-ups, and eventually learned the true state of the Guye Clan's strength.
Then, in his battle against the fourth-generation patriarch, his overwhelming combat prowess brought him an almost complete victory. He not only killed the fourth patriarch but also wiped out most of the Elders—though he was struck by a Moon Shadow Gu.
The Moon Shadow Gu was merely a Gu Insect that restricted the use of True Essence. It was not fatal. But Hua Jiu Xing Zhe was mindful of his goal to refine the Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus and did not wish to slaughter indiscriminately, drawing unnecessary attention that would hinder the refinement. So he chose to operate in the shadows.
In the end, he secretly used the Thousand-Mile Earth Wolf Spider to dig a tunnel and infiltrate this place. Using the ample materials he had long prepared, he successfully refined the Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus in the Yuan Spring.
The Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus had an extraordinary background. Its secret refinement formula was created by a Righteous Path Gu Master from thousands of years ago—the Yuan Lian Immortal Venerable.
The Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus itself was merely a Third Transformation flower Gu. But as it advanced to become the Sixth Transformation Heavenly Origin Emperor Lotus, it ranked sixth among the Ten Great Immortal Gu. Its value was on par with the Spring Autumn Cicada!
The Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus was known as a mobile Yuan Spring, capable of producing Yuan Stones for a Gu Master.
But the cost of refining it was staggering.
To refine the Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus, one had to use a natural Yuan Spring. Moreover, the spring had to be rich in Yuan energy—not one of those depleted springs that had been used for many years with its reserves worn thin.
After a successful refinement, the Yuan Spring would be completely destroyed, losing all ability to produce Yuan Stones and becoming nothing more than an ordinary spring.
How immense was the value of a natural Yuan Spring? One need only look at how it had sustained the Guye Clan and countless Gu Masters for nearly a thousand years to understand.
Refining the Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus meant destroying such a Yuan Spring. But that was only the beginning. To advance further to Fourth Transformation required destroying seven more springs. To Fifth Transformation, nine more. To Sixth Transformation, eleven more!
On top of that, other precious Gu Insects were needed as auxiliary materials, each one worth a fortune.
"If I had a Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus like this, carrying it on me would be equivalent to having a miniature Yuan Spring. The treasure lotus is only Third Transformation, and its daily Yuan Stone output can't compare to a real Yuan Spring, but it would be more than enough to sustain my cultivation expenses!"
The benefits were numerous.
With the Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus, it would directly produce Yuan Stones—its income would absolutely dwarf that of the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass.
With Yuan Stones, he could not only advance his cultivation but also have ample currency for trade and purchases.
With the treasure lotus, Fang Yuan could reduce the Yuan Stones he needed to carry. Inside the Tushita Flower, he could store nothing but food and other essentials, greatly lightening his logistical burden.
"However... I've heard that the refinement process for this treasure lotus is extraordinarily complex and mysterious. The lotus goes from nothing to something, appearing both illusory and real throughout. An ordinary person's naked eye cannot observe it at all—one can only see it clearly through crystal. This Gu Insect is incredibly delicate; it must be nourished within the Yuan Spring for a full nine days and nine nights. Only when the treasure lotus has grown nine complete lotus leaves can it be plucked and placed into one's Empty Orifice, the Yuan Sea. If one rushes it, all previous efforts will be wasted—all the labor will turn to bitter water and flow away."
Fang Yuan did not know the detailed secret formula for the Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus; he only knew certain rumors and fragments of secret lore. As for how to advance its refinement in the future, he had no idea whatsoever.
But even so, this Third Transformation Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus would still be of tremendous help to him.
He peered through the crystal wall, observing carefully, only to discover that the flower bud actually had only eight and a half lotus leaves—one leaf was damaged, with only half remaining, falling short of the full nine.
Fang Yuan was not surprised.
Centuries had already passed. The Yuan Spring's reserves had been consumed and were long past what they were during the fourth generation.
The Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus was essentially the crystallized essence of the Yuan Spring. The Yuan Stones produced by the spring had been constantly consumed, so its reserves had grown ever smaller. In turn, the treasure lotus gradually compensated for the spring's losses. It had suffered damage of its own, which was why a leaf was incomplete.
"The Heavenly Origin Treasure Lotus must have nine complete leaves before it can be harvested. With only eight and a half, if I want to pick it, I'll have to invest Yuan Stones into this spring!"
Yuan Stones were the crystallization of a Yuan Spring's energy. They could nourish and revitalize the treasure lotus, allowing it to regrow.
But don't be fooled by the fact that it was merely half a leaf missing—growing it back would likely require a massive investment of Yuan Stones!
"If my guess is correct, this crystal wall should be the work of a Wall-Piercing Gu..." Fang Yuan reached out and touched it, discovering that the wall seemed solid yet illusory, like a projection of light. His hand passed through the wall without any resistance.
But he quickly withdrew his hand, not daring to actually reach into the Yuan Spring itself.
A Yuan Spring must never be contaminated.