The students had already formed their lines, each one's face flushed with excitement, standing before the Academy's Gu Room.
Today was the day to choose their second Gu Insect!
Fang Yuan was the first to advance to the Middle Stage and held the right of priority selection, so he stood at the very front of the queue.
Behind him, in order, were Gu Yue Mochen, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, and Gu Yue Chicheng.
*Creaaak.* The door to the Gu Room was pushed open by the guards, and Fang Yuan was the first to step inside.
Though the Gu Room was not large, it held a world within. The surrounding walls had been carved with rows of small square niches, some larger, some smaller, each containing various kinds of vessels.
There were stone basins, jade plates, cages woven from grass, and fired purple-clay pots.
Section Sixty-Two: Choosing Gu Again in the Gu Room. All manner of Gu Insects, every one of them at the First Transformation, were stored within these vessels. To feed these Gu Insects each day, the Academy consumed over a thousand Yuan Stones.
Fang Yuan's gaze swept across the room, noting that many of the vessels were now empty, devoid of any Gu Insects.
The Gu Insects in the Gu Room were only replenished once a year. Previously, when choosing their Life Gu, most of the youths had selected the Moonlight Gu, and now there wasn't a single Moonlight Gu left in the room.
The Gu Room had no windows along its walls; only a small skylight had been cut into the ceiling.
Sunlight streamed through this opening, casting a rectangular patch of golden light upon the floor.
The first time he had entered the Gu Room, Fang Yuan had a clear target and immediately chosen the Moonlight Gu. But now, only a few potential options presented themselves in his mind.
Yet even for these options, it depended on whether the Gu Room actually had them in stock.
Fang Yuan followed the left wall, strolling forward while carefully examining the contents.
After five steps, his pace paused slightly.
Within a niche near shoulder height, a copper bowl sat, and inside the bowl, a single Gu Insect rested.
This Gu Insect resembled a bedbug—both flat and wide, with a very small head and an oval-shaped body. Its entire form was a brilliant yellow-orange, emanating a metallic sheen, like copper, just as its name suggested.
This was a Copper Skin Gu, the kind often chosen by close-combat Gu Masters. The Academy's Martial Arts Instructor had raised just such a Copper Skin Gu. Once activated, his entire body would turn yellow, greatly boosting his defense.
Fang Yuan's experience and vision were broad; he naturally looked down upon such Gu Insects. He continued forward and soon saw a Stone Skin Gu.
The Stone Skin Gu looked similar to the Copper Skin Gu, only its body was dull grey, like a handicraft made of stone.
After six consecutive Stone Skin Gu, an Iron Skin Gu was displayed.
The Iron Skin Gu also bore a strong resemblance to the Copper Skin Gu in size and appearance, differing only in subtle details. It sat quietly in an iron bowl, motionless. Its entire body radiated a cold, dark light like black iron.
Human societies had families, and so did Gu Insects.
These three Gu Fang Yuan had seen one after another belonged to the same series. They shared similar appearances and similar functions.
"Iron Skin Gu, Copper Skin Gu, Stone Skin Gu, Jade Skin Gu... if there were a Jade Skin Gu, I might as well choose it this time," Fang Yuan muttered to himself, a sliver of anticipation rising in his heart, as he continued walking.
But he was destined for disappointment. After the Iron Skin Gu came a long line of Beast Skin Gu.
The Jade Skin Gu, along with the Beast Skin Gu, also belonged to the same series as the Copper Skin Gu. However, their value was vastly different. The Beast Skin Gu was the most common, its market price even lower than the Stone Skin Gu. But it had many paths for advancement and could be refined together with many other Gu Insects.
The Jade Skin Gu was the most rare in this series. Its market price was second only to the Wine Worm, and sometimes, with price fluctuations, it could even reach parity.
Fang Yuan took a look but did not spot any Jade Skin Gu. He felt no disappointment, merely smiling in relief: "Guye Stockade is only a mid-sized clan, and the Academy Gu Room can only be considered mid-tier. My standard for expecting to find a Jade Skin Gu here was a bit high."
At this moment, he had finished examining the left-hand wall, so Fang Yuan moved to another wall and continued his leisurely stroll.
The insects that appeared most frequently on this wall were the Longhorn Gu.
Like the Skin Gu, the Longhorn Gu were also a large family among the First Transformation Gu insects.
They had a similar appearance, being long and cylindrical with slightly flattened backs. Most were black, emitting a metallic luster. They possessed a pair of extremely long antennae that exceeded the length of their bodies. Their powerful mandibles would snap open and shut, producing a clicking, sawing sound, as if they were sawing through wood. Because of this, Gu Masters in some regions also called them "Wood-Sawing Gentleman."
The first one to catch Fang Yuan's eye was a Brute Force Longhorn Gu.
Its entire body was the color of red iron. Its pair of antennae were thicker than those of an ordinary Longhorn Gu, with a bamboo-like joint growing at every short interval along their length.
This Brute Force Longhorn Gu was very popular on the market. During the merchant caravan that had recently arrived at Guye Stockade, there had been sellers offering this type of Brute Force Longhorn Gu in large quantities.
The Brute Force Longhorn Gu could grant a Gu Master a temporary burst of immense strength. It was said to provide the strength of one bull, lasting for the duration of five breaths.
But it had two shortcomings.
The first was that each activation consumed far too much True Essence. A Gu Master at the Middle Stage of the First Transformation needed a full ten percent of their True Essence to use it — and at the Initial Stage, that figure jumped to twenty percent per use.
The second was that it carried side effects. If a Gu Master had a frail constitution and used this Gu too often, it would cause muscle strains, or even torn tendons and ligaments. Generally, only Gu Masters with robust physiques would resort to it. With Fang Yuan's slight frame, it was out of the question.
Fang Yuan knew his own limits well enough. He walked past the Brute Force Longhorn Gu and continued browsing.
"Hm? This Gu is quite nice." His steps slowed.