A Gu Room had been set up beside the Academy. It wasn't large—only sixty square meters.
For a Gu Master's cultivation, Gu Insects were the key to strength.
The moment classes ended, the excited youths swarmed toward the Gu Room.
"Line up! One at a time!" A harsh voice barked out. Someone stood guard outside the Gu Room entrance, as a matter of course.
The youths filed in one by one, then came back out.
When it was Fang Yuan's turn to step inside, he found the room held far more than met the eye. Every wall had been fitted with rows of recessed compartments, and these embedded cubbyholes sat packed tight against one another. Some were large—no bigger than a casserole—while others were small, no bigger than a fist.
Densely packed into these compartments sat all manner of vessels: gray stone basins, jade-green platters, delicate woven-grass cages, and earthenware warming pots. Inside each vessel lived a different Gu Insect.
Some Gu Insects sat in perfect silence. Others were noisy beyond belief—squeaking, clucking, rustling—each producing its own distinct sound, together forming a symphony of life.
"Gu Insects are also divided into nine great tiers, corresponding to the nine Transformation stages of a Gu Master. These are all First Transformation Gu Insects." Fang Yuan swept his gaze around the room and understood at once.
Generally speaking, a First Transformation Gu Master could only wield First Transformation Gu Insects. If one tried to force a higher-tier Gu Insect beyond one's level, the price was often devastating.
Moreover, Gu Insects needed to be fed, and the cost of sustaining a higher-tier one was typically more than a low-level Gu Master could afford.
For a new Gu Master, barring extraordinary circumstances, the choice almost always fell on a First Transformation Gu Insect for the initial refinement.
The first Gu Insect a Gu Master refined carried great significance. It was called a Life Gu, bound to one's very life. Should it perish, the Gu Master would inevitably suffer severe backlash.
"Sigh. I'd been hoping to get Hua Jiu Xing Zhe's Wine Worm and refine it as my Life Gu. But right now, finding Hua Jiu Xing Zhe's remains hasn't yielded a single lead. There's no telling when I'll find them—or whether someone else will discover them first. To be safe, I'll go with a Moonlight Gu."
Fang Yuan sighed inwardly as he headed straight for the left-hand wall.
On one of the slightly higher rows along that wall sat a line of silver platters. Each platter held a single Gu Insect.
The creature was crystalline and translucent, curved like a crescent moon—like a piece of blue crystal. Set against the silver platter beneath it, it exuded an aura of serene elegance.
Its name was Moonlight Gu, the Guye Clan's signature guardian Gu Insect. The vast majority of clan members chose it as their Life Gu. It was not a naturally occurring Gu Insect, but had been bred through the Guye Clan's secret methods. It could be found nowhere else—truly a symbol of the Guye Clan itself.
All were First Transformation Moonlight Gu, differing from one another in only the most negligible ways. Fang Yuan picked one at random and held it in his hand.
The Moonlight Gu was remarkably light, comparable in weight to a single thin sheet of paper. It occupied only a small patch of his palm, roughly the size of a common jade pendant. Fang Yuan held it up and could see the lines of his own palm through its translucent body.
After one last look, confirming nothing was wrong, he slipped it into his pocket and left the Gu Room.
Outside, a long queue still stretched from the door. The next youth in line spotted Fang Yuan emerging and hurried eagerly inside.
Anyone else, upon obtaining a Gu Insect, would rush home to refine it without delay. But Fang Yuan felt no urgency. His mind was still on that Wine Worm.
The Wine Worm was far more precious. Though the Moonlight Gu was a Guye Stockade specialty, it couldn't compare to the Wine Worm's value for a Gu Master.
Leaving the Gu Room behind, Fang Yuan headed straight for the Tavern.
"Proprietor, two jars of your aged wine." Fang Yuan dug into his pocket and placed his last remaining Yuan Stone fragments on the counter.
He had been coming here every day these past few days, buying wine and then wandering the areas around the stockade, hoping to lure the Wine Worm into appearing.
The proprietor was a short, portly middle-aged man with a greasy face. After these days of repeat visits, he had already committed Fang Yuan to memory.
"Ah, the young master has arrived." As he greeted Fang Yuan, he reached out with a thick, stubby hand and deftly swept the Yuan Stone fragments off the counter.
He gave them a quick heft in his palm. Satisfied the weight was right, the smile on his face warmed another degree.
Yuan Stones were this world's currency, used to measure the value of all goods. At the same time, they were a refined essence of heaven and earth, usable on their own to aid a Gu Master's cultivation.
Serving as both currency and commodity, they were strikingly similar to gold on Earth. Earth had once operated under a single gold standard; this world operated under a single Yuan Stone standard.
Compared to gold, the purchasing power of Yuan Stones was truly staggering.
But no amount of Yuan Stones could withstand the kind of continuous spending Fang Yuan was doing.
"Two jars a day, every day, for a full seven days now. Almost all the Yuan Stones I'd saved up are gone." Carrying two jars of wine out of the Tavern, Fang Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.
Once one became a Gu Master, one could draw pure True Essence directly from Yuan Stones to replenish the Yuan Sea within one's Empty Orifice.
For a Gu Master, Yuan Stones were not merely currency—they were an aid to cultivation.
With ample Yuan Stones, one's cultivation speed could improve considerably, partially offsetting shortcomings in aptitude.
"Tomorrow I won't have any Yuan Stones left to buy wine, yet the Wine Worm still hasn't shown itself. Am I really going to have to refine the Moonlight Gu into my Life Gu?" A note of unwillingness stirred in Fang Yuan's heart.
Stepping out of the Tavern with two jars of wine in hand, he walked and thought: "The Academy Elder said that whoever is the first to refine a Life Gu in this examination will receive a reward of twenty Yuan Stones. Right now, plenty of people are probably straining at home, refining their Gu Insects, racing to be first. What a pity—refining a Life Gu is an extreme test of aptitude. Those with good aptitude hold an enormous advantage. With my Grade C aptitude and no special means to speak of, there's no hope of winning."
Just then, a voice came from behind him—Fang Zheng of the Guye Clan.
"Brother, you really have come to the tavern to drink again! Come with me. Uncle and Aunt want to see you."
Fang Yuan stopped in his tracks and turned around.