"Hehe, you're too courteous, Fairy Mi."
"How can I not be, Fairy Bai? You gave me valuable pointers, helping me understand the water path with the perspective of metal path. I can never forget such a favor."
Bai La and Mi Yao spoke cordially despite being part of opposing factions. Two cups of tea were placed before them as they sat in gazebo surrounded by beautiful flowers and lush grass. The fragrance of the tea attracted the vegetation around them as flowers slowly faced the direction of the two gu immortals.
Bai La took a sip before praising lightly.
"This Sun-Touched Red Flower Tea's aroma is quite light and spreads far, beguiling flowers and grass to consider it a source of nutrition. However, its lasting taste is indeed delicious. This is a good tea, Fairy Mi."
Mi Yao smiled. She no longer looked tired or hurt. The pressure around Spirit Affinity House finally waned like a tide receding into a calm pool. First Supreme Elder even stationed another gu immortal in Reincarnation Battlefield.
Originally, Bai La was placed in Hu Immortal Blessed Land because of her status as Feng Jin Huang's mentor and the close relationship she had with Anti-Feng and Feng Alliance.
Now, Feng Jin Huang had regained her stability. After the initial losses, she grew wary of the most common tricks. With the amount of beguiled rockmen Bai Shou left, the business could continue for another year at this rate.
As such, Bai La was sent here. Hu Immortal Blessed Land was already well-protected by Bai Qing and Xu Hao.
Bai La's addition and the earlier desolate beast greatly boosted Spirit Affinity House's presence in the battlefield.
However, the situation for the sect's mortal side grew treacherous.
"How should we deal with this situation, Fairy Bai?" Mi Yao wondered if Bai La had any plans. However, the newcomer's words shocked her.
"What should we do?" Bai La chuckled softly, her gaze clear and indifferent. "Heavenly Lotus Sect, Heaven's Envy Manor, and Wind Cloud Manor are collaborating, slowly dealing with our sect's recently acquired camps. But their respective supreme elders did not make a move."
Mi Yao felt slightly anxious.
"It is another form of threat, Fairy Bai. The sect's mortal side wouldn't collaborate if the supreme elders didn't already reach a consensus. We would also be forced out if all our disciples got captured."
It was one of the rules similar to how gu immortals would not move against mortals. A sect, including their supreme elders, will be exiled for ten years from the battlefield if they lost all the camps and all their disciples got captured. Said sect must pay heavy compensation if they wanted to return to this game of murder and madness after the allocated time passed.
"Correct." Bai La sipped the tea as if it wasn't her problem.
Mi Yao couldn't help but grit her teeth. Even if cordial on surface, their relationship wasn't too warm. Back then, Mi Yao was still a mortal and encountered an extinct metal path gu worm. However, Bai La just happened to have a need for it, extorting it out of Mi Yao with righteous reasons before offering a few words of advice and several other gu worms as compensation. Such situation was common. Had it not been for her otherworldly status, Bai Shou would also have been toyed with gu immortals due to the recent spotlight. That was why Bai Shou initially wanted to join the sect in a more traditional manner—to reduce attention.
Mi Yao also understood Bai La's thought process.
Feng Jin Huang owned Hu Immortal Blessed Land and her relationship with Bai La greatly increased the latter's status, who wisely used this moment to renegotiate several deals with her peers in her favor. Unlike Mi Yao, Bai La didn't need the resources from Reincarnation Battlefield. She was merely planted here to stabilize things and extend the status quo for as long as possible.
Things were different for Mi Yao.
Her benefits were directly tied with the battlefield.
"How are things with Disciple Bai and Elder Shu?" Bai La changed the subject.
Mi Yao felt slightly aggrieved but maintained her composure and informed with a soft smile.
"I offered Rank 5 Heavenly Aperture Transformation Gu in the supply hall, but it was promptly exchanged by Disciple Han."
Bai La nodded. It was to be expected. Shu Ye's hatred for Shu Zhe was a troublesome matter especially because it involved Bai Shou. Han Yulan must have acted according to Shu Ye's command.
"But Elder Shu didn't react?" Bai La questioned as Mi Yao explained calmly how Bai Shou disappeared after promising Shu Zhe a definitive recovery method.
"Disappeared?" Bai La chuckled. "Surely, you jest, Fairy Mi. How can Disciple Bai disappear?"
"It's not that I'm unaware of her location, but Disciple Bai made some gains, and her formations became more united and fluid. They might not be at the peak of the mortal realm, but her current formation is nothing to scoff at."
Bai La narrowed her eyes, skeptical.
After learning general directions from Mi Yao, Bai La also used her investigation killer move before a gasp left her lips.
'She truly made great improvements.' Bai La thought, astonished and relieved. Bai Shou's pace of growth was truly astounding! But Bai La was also relieved.
'Feng Jin Huang really learned from her mistakes. When Bai Shou sent for materials, Little Huang only bought around half the materials. Who knows what Bai Shou is doing inside. But maintaining a decent connection with Bai Shou is beneficial for Little Huang. Eventually, Bai Shou will have to contact Feng Jin Huang again and rely on her.'
Bai La nodded internally. She wasn't going to brute her way through the formation.
"Hnh?" Bai La and Mi Yao blinked at once.
It had already been a few months since Bai Shou entered her seclusion. Shu Zhe resisted the enemy's tides fiercely. However, Spirit Affinity Sect was forced back to two camps.
The two gu immortals sensed movement from Black Heaven Temple's side.
Mi Yao's expression turned grave.
"Four sects are targeting us." She gnashed her teeth, knowing full well Black Heaven Temple's inclusion into this alliance must have been due to the recent conflict between Black Heaven Temple and Spirit Affinity House over a minor inheritance which the latter won.
'In fact, if they all get caught, I can move instantly and keep others from soul searching Bai Shou.'
That was the main reason Bai La was sent here. First Supreme Elder wanted to protect Bai Shou's otherworldly status and didn't want the other nine ancient sects to soul search her.
'She will also destroy her precious gu set to leave nothing for the opponents when she experiences her first death. It will give Little Huang the most optimal chance to control Bai Shou. That, and the latter's relationship with Qin Juan would slowly turn this debt-induced subordination into a more natural leader and follower relationship.'
Bai La secretly looked forward to Bai Shou getting captured.
'And if Bai Shou discovered a way to revert Shu Zhe's injuries, heh, that will be an amazing achievement.' While Bai La might envision Bai Shou's temporary downfall, it didn't lower her admiration for this talented junior.
'I could get a new gu worm recipe.' Bai La laughed internally.
'Oh? She already found a method?'
Bai La and Mi Yao noticed Shu Zhe entering her residence before taking out a space path gu worm. It was the gu worm she and Bai Shou used to communicate and deliver resources. The gu worm flashed and Shu Zhe was soon holding a vial of a skin-colored liquid filled to the brim alongside a few other gu worms.
"This is…" Mi Yao muttered, realization dawning on her features.
'Son of a bitch.' Bai La cursed. Some talented juniors were truly not adorable.
Shu Zhe didn't directly ingest this concoction and began to arrange several other affairs, remaining calm and composed despite the impossible powerful urge to enter seclusion.
<<<>>>
Bai Shou calmed her rapidly beating heart.
'I probably won't get another such wonderful chance once I leave this seclusion.' Bai Shou kept up with the sect's affairs and knew their dire circumstances. And having fulfilled her objective of healing Shu Zhe, Bai Shou would lose her most solid excuse to continue her stay inside Reincarnation Battlefield. Moreover, she had a strong sense of premonition.
Many gu masters and gu immortals alike would occasionally feel something like this. Some time path gu masters could tell they were nearing their demise, extremely sensitive to time. Wisdom path gu masters had intuition when schemed against by their opponents. There were even a few cases of wind path gu masters experiencing something similar.
It was merely more intense for Bai Shou.
'But that's fine.' Bai Shou sighed as she prepared a few gu worms and sat cross-legged.
'I achieved most of the objectives I set out for. After this, I would require the sect's assistance, too. Why would they help me without a good reason? I will have to contribute.'
Her gaze flashed.
'It's a good thing I formed a decent relationship with Feng Jin Huang before leaving.'
Bai Shou's surroundings experienced a drastic shift of these months.
All around here were massive blood-colored trees. But they didn't grow from the ground. Instead, the corpses of Tank Trunk Elephants were laid out upturned, these red trees grew from their pierced trunks.
Bai Shou always kept retreat in mind. So, she set the formation in a way where it would be easy to clean up and leave at once. The materials she demanded from Feng Jin Huang had also been a lot more than necessary, including many strange materials to throw others off. As expected, Feng Jin Huang lowered the amount of materials, but Bai Shou achieved her objective. All of the excess gu worms were actually not used by the group of Dreamer Gu. Bai Shou let Rank 5 Hairy Man and Refiner Gu reverse refine them, fuse the results into something else, and such.
After understanding the conditions of becoming a grandmaster, Bai Shou didn't invest any more gu worms in blood path. Instead, she chose to further broaden her refinement path by using these two gu worms because their effects, although slower, gave greater results with less investment. There were secrets to be learned from even the most low-ranked rank 1 gu worms, which were promptly observed, researched, and refined upon by those two clone gu worms.
These trees grew blood fruits. Each blood fruit looked like a ripe blood-red tomato. These trees were nourished by Bai Shou's blood and modified by blood of hundreds and thousands of bandit monkeys. All around Bai Shou lay silent bandit monkeys. Their huge bodies didn't change, but one the back of their heads grew a strange face-shaped tumor. When observed closely, this tumor looked like a blend of Gu Yue Lo Jik and First Gen Gu Yue's faces.
With a wave of her hand, a strange shadow moved agilely and collected all the blood fruits. Soon, a massive pile of blood fruits was collected into the deep hole before Bai Shou. Taller and stronger, the giant stood curiously. He no longer looked malnourished, but the scars on his bodies were an ancestral trait. Soon, they might even start oozing excess strength qi and body heat as curls of mist.
"Go. Play."
Bai Shou smiled, pointing at the nearest bandit monkey corpse brutally beaten to death. The silent giant's gaze brightened before he growled and jogged over to the corpse, humiliating the poor thing after death.
Meanwhile, Bai Shou concentrated on the pit filled with blood fruits.
'The blood of my kin.' She thought as several rank 3 and 4 blood path gu worms flew out of her body, exploding into bloody mist that corroded the blood fruits. The rotting blood fruits released a powerful stench and began to break down into deep-crimson liquid at the bottom.
'Blood Skull.'
Another bloody light left Bai Shou's second aperture before diving into the pit. This gu worm looked like an infant's skull with a crystalline texture.
Rank 5 Blood Skull.
As the gu worm dove into the concentrated pool of blood, its color changed. Its eerie surface turned blood red, its eyes flashing eerily with a ghostly fire burning in the sockets, alluding its evil nature and origin.
Bai Shou looked even more cautious.
She carefully controlled the few remaining blood path gu worms alongside the Blood Skull Gu as they collected on top of her head.
Blood Skull's eyes flashed before it let out a spray of blood.
The sticky blood rained down on Bai Shou. Instead of a powerful stench assaulting her senses, she was soothed by a faint fragrance.
'Couldn't sit still, huh.'
Bai Shou felt annoyed. As she absorbed all the blood through her skin, hair, and even the nails, a blood-red waterfall rushed towards her first aperture. However, the Rank 5 Hope Gu in her second aperture suddenly let out a glow. An intense pull changed the direction of the blood waterfall.
Such a stunt would have ruined the killer move if Bai Shou wasn't already prepared.
Her gaze flashed.
For some reason, the aptitude of her two apertures was connected. It should not have anything to do with her second aperture's vital gu worm because gu worms had one ability! Hope Gu awakened the aperture. It had nothing to do with the aptitude. Bai Shou was already feeling suspicious of this unruly and mysterious gu worm. She could still feel connected to Rank 5 Hope Gu. After all, it was her vital gu worm. But her rising attainment and heightened experience with human path gu worms left her feeling doubtful about this boon.
Ignoring how it forcefully raised or reduced the aptitude of both the apertures, just it advancing to the next rank alongside Bai Shou was very strange!
'Isolation Gu.'
A gu worm detonated inside Bai Shou's first aperture and rushed out as a dark fog, covering the second aperture.
Feeling the restriction, Hope Gu glowed brightly. The light extended beyond the walls of Bai Shou's second aperture, piercing the dark cloud as the blood waterfall neared her heart.
'This is not Hope Gu.' Bai Shou was certain. It wasn't even something along the lines she happened to encounter a wild Hope Immortal Gu in the wild, subsequently awakening her second aperture. No. There was something more mysterious at play.
She expected the Isolation Gu to not display great effects. Bai Shou merely wanted to test how her second vital gu would react.
Even now, she couldn't sense any other will inside Rank 5 Hope Gu. It wasn't a wild gu worm, and it also activated on its own without requiring anything—primeval essence, food, soul foundation… nothing!
Bai Shou snorted.
Rank 3 Aperture Puncture Gu.
Rank 4 Strength Qi Gu.
Rank 4 Fickle Travel Gu.
Rank 5 Fickle Heart Strength Gu.
Rank 5 Multiply Gu.
Bai Shou used a few other gu worms, forming a killer move created to target this specific situation, something she predicted long ago.
These gu worms created a brilliant glow, consuming all the blood red waterfall. The once bright glow turned eerie and dark red as Bai Shou suddenly sensed a hint of… familiarity from the depths of Rank 5 Hope Gu.
Ire.
Annoyance.
Bai Shou felt a phantom pain on her crotch as if something struck her non-existent balls.
Shaking her head, she didn't lose her control and urged the killer move to spill all the blood-red water on her first aperture. Rank 5 Hope Gu didn't act up again as blood-red fragrant waterfall bathed and filled her aperture.
As the fragrant blood water filled 89% of her first aperture, she felt a strange pressure emanating against the ceaseless flow of the blood water.
A corrosive hiss echoed in nothingness as the pressure began to recede, overcome by the blood water!
90%...
91%...
92%...
93%...
94%...
95%...
96%...
97%...
98%...
99%...
Bai Shou held her breath.
The receding pressure suddenly increased exponentially!
*Drr*
Bai Shou's aperture trembled, its walls shaking and exuding a sense of danger. An intense pain shot through Bai Shou's core as she couldn't help but part her lips in a silent scream.
<<<>>>
"Aaggghhhh!"
A shrill scream filled Shu Zhe's room, her voice unable to bypass the formation she set up.
Although cross-legged, her body spasmed, emanating a thick scent of blood.
Her aperture shook and cracked!
"Aaaghhh!"
Her voice was growing hoarse. The pain was unimaginable even to the former sect leader. Unable to help herself, Shu Zhe thrashed around as a red light destroying everything it contacted save for her gu worms. Her crystal purple essence burned and oozed thick black smoke. Her aperture grew cracks, its walls shattering as the black smoke covered the broken areas.
Nonetheless, the black smoke was like a nurturing force. Its color lightening around the aperture's border, hardening into beautiful crystals. In the depths emerged the barest hint of crystal purple essence, unaffected by the bloody light.
But this process of substitution was very slow!
A week.
Shu Zhe had to endure this for a week… or die trying!
Her bloodshot eyes snapped open. Bai Shou's method did nothing to her other body parts. However, with how intensely Shu Zhe had shut her eyes, she popped a few vessels, making her look ferocious and dangerous.
The letter from Bai Shou was exceedingly clear.
'Just persevere.' Shu Zhe gritted her teeth before failing to contain her voice as she screamed again. She could not use any gu worm to numb the pain.
'Once this is over… we both will have hope to rise above!'
The corner of Shu Zhe's lips bled.
<<<>>>
Bai Shou's bloodshot eyes snapped open as she felt weightless yet pressured.
She peered into her first aperture.
Light purple, violet purple, deep purple, and crystal purple.
A rank 5 gu master's primeval essence changed from light purple to crystal purple. As a middle stage rank 5 gu master, Bai Shou's first aperture formed violet purple essence as nearly divine and delicate water walls surrounded it. She couldn't help but feel very uncomfortable. It was like her aperture wanted to push through her flesh and tear out.
It was extreme pressure!
Bai Shou's aperture generated 1% essence every minute, totaling to 60% primeval essence generation in an hour, which was significantly more than 9.9%/hr regeneration available to those with aperture capable of holding 99% primeval essence!
The difference was insane.
'I see… so that's what it was.'
Bai Shou didn't make a move and experienced these deep changes. Her aperture should have already shattered given how she wasn't using her primeval essence. So, where was the additionally generated primeval essence?
'My aperture and essence is no longer the same and ordinary.'
Bai Shou couldn't accurately see it without proper gu worms. She could eventually understand the mechanism through Scan the Dao Killer Move. However, she could sense the additional essence being absorbed and converted by the aperture.
'That is why the pressure increases steadily overtime before reaching a tipping point and the gu masters with extreme physique don't erupt in brilliant explosions the very first day they activated this aptutde.'
The pressure on Bai Shou's aperture grew the more it absorbed the excess violet purple essence.
'The aperture is converting the primeval essence into something interesting, which is then stored on the outside of the aperture. The greater the quality of the essence, the better the quality of this 'something,' thus, fiercer the pressure on the aperture grows. But the underlying source of this effect is also the resonance of certain dao marks on the aperture and the essence. This resonance occurs every time the aperture absorbs the essence. It nourishes the aperture walls without doing anything while also adding more dao marks, increasing this resonance. In the end, it turns into a vicious cycle where the aperture continues to advance without any blocks, pile on the pressure birthed from this resonance, and burst apart.'
Bai Shou's gaze gleamed with understanding. To think extreme physique aptitude hid such secrets of immortal cultivation!
After a while, Bai Shou retrieved her human path clone gu worms.
She wanted to see how her current situation affected them.
Refiner Gu also showed an aperture filled with 100% primeval essence. However, there was no pressure on this aperture because it did not generate its own primeval essence.
'Also, it doesn't register my second aperture at all.'
Bai Shou noted this long ago, reinforcing the belief her second aperture… was not natural. She suspected the same wouldn't be true if she got a second aperture using Rank 6 Second Aperture Immortal Gu Worm.
'Oh?'
Bai Shou blinked.
Rank 5 Hairy Man and Rockman Gu also boasted 100% aperture!
It should be impossible.
Only Ren Zu's bloodline had a chance of inheriting this extreme aptitude. Variant humans did not originate from Ren Zu, how could they have the blood of his ten children?
This aspect instead reinforced Bai Shou's earlier conclusions how the nature of these gu worms was different. They could not spread their bloodline because they weren't humans. Similarly, they weren't really limited by their bloodline traits.
Satisfied, Bai Shou focused on her second aperture.
There was no way she could let both her apertures transform into Great Strength True Martial extreme aptitude. Bai Shou focused on human path, too. It was to be her hidden foundation! How could she cut her own path?
'Thankfully, I was fully prepared.'
Bai Shou smiled and healed herself before activating a gu worm in her first aperture.
This gu worm looked like a small leather pouch made from human skin. Instantly, 11% of Bai Shou's essence rushed into this pouch and the pressure on her body lessened mysteriously.
Instead of feeling relieved right off the bat, Bai Shou retrieved her Rank 4 Little Giant Bone Bow Gu.
She drew the bow with ease, noticing how the strength qi overflowed into the arrow, transforming into a robust, nearly solid arrow. The strentgh qi she drew was immense, like an unchecked flood!
"He… Hehe… Hahahahahahaha!"
Bai Shou laughed loudly.
'It worked out!'
She was happy.
She was truly happy!
Her happiness forced a few tears out from the corner of her eyes as she smacked her forehead.
'It worked… fuck… Where are inconsiderate sluts with Northern Dark Ice Soul physique when you can finally help them?'
Bai Shou regained her composure, observing the rank 5 storage gu.
It was a human path storage gu—Fake Aptitude Gu.
It stored one's aptitude.
Ordinarily, when a gu master with an extreme physique tampered with their aperture, they also lose their benefits. For instance, the gu masters possessing Great Strength True Martial Physique can display the effects of rank 5 gu worms when using rank 4 strength path gu worms. But using, say, a Yin Transformation Gu Worm, would reduce their aptitude by 10%, greatly relieving their pressure. But they will also lose their ability to display enhanced battle power when using strength path gu worm alongside the resonance necessary to gain attainment.
However, Fake Aptitude Gu did not tamper with an aperture's aptitude. It hid it.
'It's the best of both worlds.'
Bai Shou smiled softly as she glanced at the prepared Stable Cauldron. It was already bubbling with a disgusting paste.
'I wish you were still alive. I'd kick your ass everyday just for fun.'
Bai Shou sighed.
She didn't make her next move. Instead, she cleaned things up. Her surroundings were destroyed, and she cleared all traces of blood path.
Only after dealing with this matter did Bai Shou focus on this bubbling paste.
'Bai Shou was born to provide an appropriate cover.'
'But this identity no longer suits me. Not only is my real identity already known, even my status as an otherworldly demon is exposed but it is still accepted by Spirit Affinity House.'
'Since they want something, it makes things simpler.'
Bai Shou took a step forward.
There was an obnoxious stench around the pot as she released three other clone gu worms for protection.
'With how much I achieved, I don't have any regrets even if I'm forced to escape for some reason. But constantly transforming into giant emperor is becoming tedious. Not only that, but I also already learned a great many things about the female body.'
Bai Shou reminisced as she dipped her foot into the scathing paste. Her expression didn't change even as her skin burned and blistered. She'd already experienced such pain for seven days in a row!
She was broken in unimaginable ways when tossed in an unnamed central continent jungle.
Bai Shou was also remorseful.
But now?
This softer skin peeled as Bai Shou blood turned the bubbling paste slightly pink.
She took a deep breath.
'As long as I live and grow, even tragedies will become nothing but a source of inspiration in the long run.'
She sank slowly.
'Thank you.'
She felt grateful for… everything and everyone.
In this white-hot pain was nothing but a sense of tranquility.
The skin around the neck also broke apart.
'I know something is very wrong with me. Not just my second aperture or divine capacity.'
'I understand. I'm missing something crucial.'
'It's a piece of puzzle—a piece that must complete me.'
It wasn't just her intuition but the recollection of how conflicted she felt about Bai Ning Bing's death. It resembled the same sensation she felt the day Mo Yan died. Gu Yue Lo Jik merely handled it better because it was but a beginning of the tragedies.
Bai Shou sank completely, not struggling as she did when refining her body the first time around.
She said something, her voice muffled and dampened by the paste as it bubbled.
Nonetheless, the three clones smiled. They were also Bai Shou.
Only they knew each other.
***
Alternate Title: Taking Advantage of Mortals is a Must; Gains; Bai La's Thoughts; Dying?; The Concoction; The Answer to Shu Zhe's Injuries; Observant Immortals; Four Sects Unite; Treacherous Situation; Being Forced Back; The Punishment of Exile; Assisting Bai Shou; The Growing Giant; Mysterious Hope; No Longer Helpless; Controlling the Flow; Great Strength True Martial Physique!; Differences Between Clone Gu Worms and a Gu Master; The Blood's Way; A Bloody Talent; Immortal Secrets Hidden in Mortal Cultivation; Melancholic; Another Cauldron of Bubbling Paste; Solving Extreme Issue; Fake Aptitude; The Fake Series Grows; Lo Jik's and Fang Yuan's Extreme Cultivation; 100%!; Peeling Off the Layers; One's Own Issues
***
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