"Ah, finally." Lo Jik nearly melted in his seat with a contended smile as he released an almost suggestive moan. His shoulders relaxed greatly as he eagerly drank large mouthfuls of wine.
Before him sat Black Moon, who observed his reactions like a hawk. They were already inside Hu Immortal Blessed Land.
"Did you hear about Elder Bu Zhen Zi?" Lo Jik inquired as he took another swig from his gourd, relishing every sip with a newfound gratitude. Of course, he would act this way. They just survived a dangerous encounter with an immemorial beast! Not only that, Lo Jik earned a significant amount of contribution points since it was his Love Gu that had the immemorial desolate snake scared stiff, allowing others to capture it with ease.
"I heard he returned with grave injuries and entered secluded cultivation," Black Moon answered before leaning back in her chair. She continued, "something about dealing with an old enemy. I'm just glad he returned safe and sound. The sect cannot afford more losses."
Lo Jik agreed as his gaze turned momentarily grave before letting the haze of wine cover it all.
"You're right. We really cannot afford such a huge loss as a whole. So, Fairy Black Moon? Why did you invite me here?"
Black Moon quickly conversed with Fairy Mo in her mind. Earlier, Lo Jik had woken up before Black Moon. 'Logically,' he should have tried investigating Black Moon and find a leverage over her. However, Lo Jik merely shot her a glance before contacting the sect. In fact, he kept a mindful distance from Black Moon the moment he woke up.
His cautiousness paid off. Lo Jik was not aware about the additional will and emotion in Black Moon's mind and only targeted her blessed land. While she had fallen asleep, these two entities were ready to strike at a moment's notice. Unfortunately, how could mere wills and emotions counter Lo Jik's arrangement? They did not have the slightest clue about Black Moon's blessed land getting exposed.
Black Moon also couldn't directly ask something like this. Instead, she studied Lo Jik for a few more seconds before smiling.
"Why else would I invite you here? First, I wish to repay your kindness. We would have become part of a continent-sized dark qi cloud if not for your Love Gu. I cannot fathom what it siphoned in return for its assistance. I hope this helps and ease some difficulties."
Saying so, Black Moon sent out an information path gu worm. It detailed the resources she wished to gift Lo Jik. Of course, without special methods, one couldn't stuff immortal materials in mortal path storage gu worms so they would exchange material through Treasure Yellow Heaven.
"You are too kind, fairy." Lo Jik accepted the gift without paying any heed to formalities as if he truly wanted to recoup his losses.
"Next," Black Moon said as she pushed the conversation to their main topic. "We will be relying on each other quite a bit. The sect's higher-ups have several reasons to ostracize us. It's in our best interest to look after each other. What do you think?"
Lo Jik smiled and nodded before furrowing his brows.
"I understand your words and agree, Fairy Black Moon. However, I'm only good in a few things. It's only been a few days since I broke through to rank 6 cultivation. The mess about Tian Ti Mountain also has other gu immortals in Treasure Yellow Heaven suppressing me."
Black Moon knew about this as she laughed lightly.
"That? It won't last for long, especially once the news of you single-handedly suppressing Black Heaven Swallowing Snake spreads out. Spirit Affinity House suffered great losses and lost a lot of face because of its involvement in Tian Ti Mountain's current ruined state. They will surely release information about you and Love Immortal Gu worm. On one hand, it is to raise the sect's prestige. On the other hand, it is a discreet method of warning everyone with malice in their hearts to reconsider their choices. Love Immortal Gu is the greatest deterrent to every super force and other lone forces because it is irrational."
'Don't I know it?' Lo Jik sighed. The greatest threats to most of his schemes was none other than Love Gu Worm's randomness!
Black Moon leaned forward, intrigue flashing across her beautiful black pupils.
"How about you consider another proposal while we wait for reply from Fairy Bai La?" She took out another information path mortal gu worm and handed it to Lo Jik.
"This is…" he spoke with slight hesitation. "I can be achieved, of course. But I will need to greatly modify my killer move. You must know that I already sold the recipe for this gu worm and subsequent killer move to Feng Jin Huang. We used a gu worm to seal the deal. Also, there is Lord Feng Jiu Ge and my own feelings towards Huang'er."
"How long?" Black Moon inquired concisely.
"You're asking me to develop rank 5 gu worm from scratch and then deduce a killer move with outstanding effects." Lo Jik shot her a derisive smirk. "It's going to take time, Fairy Black Moon. After all, human path has always been fascinating but I'm a strength path gu immortal and need to consider my own cultivation. There's also the matter of cooperating with Fairy Yi. But…" his smiled dampened as Lo Jik nodded. "I can get it done in about seven years. It's just a rough timeline. I cannot force inspiration and it could take longer."
Excitement gleamed through Black Moon's eyes.
"Seven years? That's good. I look forward to your success, Lo Jik."
Lo Jik raised his hand to calm her down. Again, she was a good actress. Who knew how she truly felt at the moment. But Lo Jik played along her excitement and interrupted.
"I wonder what Fairy thinks about this. Would you be interested in this material?" Saying this, Lo Jik took out a tuft of golden fur with one black stripe running through the middle of the length. Black Moon took this fur with a curious expression and inspected it.
"Hmm? It appears to be a bandit monkey's fur. Looking at its glossiness, it's a young specimen still in its growing years. Look at this shade of gold… it appears slightly different." She started using gu worms to get a better understanding of the gu worm instead of relying on her instincts before exclaiming in shock.
"What? This fur clearly belongs to a young bandit monkey but how can it have dao marks similar to a Desolate Bandit Monkey?"
Lo Jik laughed, clearly pleased with himself.
Black Moon eyed Lo Jik, inquiring while already knowing the answer.
"Are you modifying bandit monkeys? You must be extremely confident, Brother Lo Jik." Her tone grew warmer. "I nearly forgot you are equally skilled in refinement path. It seems appropriate for you to try this."
Lo Jik nodded. He explained the future prospectives and what would likely change about the bandit monkeys without going into too much detail as Black Moon's interest grew. She was a strength path gu immortal and held intense attraction towards rare strength path materials because it was in a decline. Lo Jik's attempt was no different from Shi Lei's successful attempt of reviving the extinct gu refinement material, stone monkey fur.
In fact, Lo Jik also incorporated the use of stone monkey fur in this research of his.
"It will surprise you, Fairy Black Moon. I hope you collect some rare goods for me to exchange for it." Lo Jik left with these words, sounding extremely confident that Black Moon would want to purchase them.
<<<>>>
Lo Jik finally returned to his residence after consoling everyone worried about him. Shu Zhe was currently out to complete some tasks while he covered his cultivation chamber with a formation.
With a thought, a ghost appeared before Lo Jik.
It was Xin Cheng!
Lo Jik observed the ghost with a complex look before his gaze turned cold.
'It's a pity. Truly, a pity.'
Back then, Lo Jik was quite excited at Xin Cheng's appearance. She was a will left behind by Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable! Lo Jik had planned several things, including finding ways to seduce her once he helped her gain a body.
But fate was a fickle mistress, significantly more fickle than the Fickle Consort Immortal himself.
Lo Jik's strength continued rising and he barely required Xin Cheng's assistance. His circumstances truly changed permanently—for the better—once his trait experienced a divine evolution.
Lo Jik simply did not need to spend so much effort on Xin Cheng after that moment. He had already broken the effects of Soul Oath Gu on his body and further suppressed Xin Cheng without her knowledge. Furthermore, he ended up inheriting Immemorial Desolate Grotto-Heaven. Bai La's unforeseen circumstances also forced Lo Jik to ascend to rank 6 twice!
There was no way his barely-cordial relationship with Xin Cheng could remain the same. Xin Cheng would hold extreme caution towards Lo Jik once she discovered the truth, leading her to hold things back from him. Eventually, this would lead to Lo Jik trying other means of forcing the information out. After all, he was also worried about Xin Cheng. She was a venerable's remnant being!
The ten venerables were like giants who could cover the sky with one hand and overturn the world with another. They were peerless talents, only ten of them existing in millions of years! How could Lo Jik not be cautious of Xin Cheng?
And since he knew the chances of having a really happy relationship with her was close to none, Lo Jik did what every sound gu immortal would do in his situation.
He used Meaning of Life killer move on Xin Cheng.
Hey, he either had sexual partners or subordinates, including slaves. He simply drew a line at the combination of these two professions—sex slaves.
'However, my fears were misplaced.' Lo Jik observed Xin Cheng. He did not feel guilty about using his killer move on the slumbering Xin Cheng. He might have had sincere intent of cooperation had the ghost belonged to Chen Jiu, but her loss was unforeseen and sudden. As for Xin Cheng, she truly did not know many things about theft path aside from few key details about Divine Concealment.
"From now on you will stay in my human path blessed land and deduce on theft path. I will provide you with more inheritance."
Xin Cheng instantly bowed silently as Lo Jik sent her into his human path blessed land.
Even now, he didn't put it past Xin Cheng to have some hidden trump cards. Anyone who survived half the number of tragedies Lo Jik endured would develop his deep sense of caution. Xin Cheng was only supposed to be a deduction subordinate. Lo Jik also planned to refine a theft path clone soon enough. These two would help him accumulate a good foundation in theft path while Lo Jik would focus on dream and luck paths.
'And I haven't even started with painting and pill paths, not to mention those mysterious dao marks in Heaven Strength, Heaven's Will, Lifespan Gu, and others. Hmm, I should now connect with Old Man Desolate and develop my blessed lands.'
'There's also the matter of Divine Concealment crippling my cultivation. Either I find a way to temporarily disable it and invoke tribulations and calamities to continue my cultivation or… find manual methods of increasing my foundation.'
The former forced Lo Jik to deal with a nigh-omniscient entity out to peg him and the latter greatly attracted his more scholarly ambitions. He wanted to learn more about gu immortal cultivation down to the basic elements of things. He believed it to be greatly beneficial for his human path cultivation.
'Oh, and fucking Hu Mei Er every day.' Lo Jik smiled. He just knew that other girls wouldn't be jealous of Hu Mei Er but instead become grateful for the woman's sacrifice if they knew about her.
However, he wouldn't disclose her existence to the rest, similar to how he won't disclose Dreamer Gu to Xin Cheng and Hu Mei Er.
<<<>>>
Lo Jik's formed a high-grade human path immortal aperture, forming a large-sized blessed land peaking at a landmass of 6000 square kilometers. Unlike his strength path blessed land, it was suitable for residence for all types of living beings, especially humans and variant humans.
The sky was bright and blue, filling the blessed land with a sweet summer daylight. The soil was fertile and countless fruit-bearing trees and blades of grass blanketed the blessed land. There were also large and lush mountains with gentle slopes, easy to trek and explore. Streams of clear drinking water flowed down from a few mountains. Some streams emerged from natural eyes of spring water and some flowed from the peak of the mountain covered in a thick layer of frost.
In the center of the blessed land was a large and deep lake. This lake was as about fifty meters deep and had a radius of one kilometer. The bottom of the lake was covered with various sediments. In the center of the lake was a bright, multicolored coral colony. Inside this coral colony hid an unusual air pocket filled with beads of pure green grape immortal essence.
Currently, Lo Jik had already developed this blessed land quite a bit, successfully passing the initial stage of hardships experienced by most lone and demonic gu immortals.
With the lake as the center, Lo Jik's blessed land could be divided into four somewhat uneven portions. The northern regions had the least number of mountains, the southern region with the highest density of mountains, the eastern region with gentler slops and more fruit-bearing trees, and the western region occupied by Lo Jik's growing army of clone gu worms.
At this moment, a city already took shape on the southern region. It was on an unnamed mountain with a natural eye of spring water. There were several wooden and thatched huts. Roofs were covered with dried grass and a wooden defensive perimeter already protected the denizens from non-existent threats.
The most unusual thing about this large city was the fact that it had humans, minimen, hairy men, mermen, eggmen, rockmen, feathermen, inkmen, snowmen, and mushroommen. In total, there were ten different races living in this city—obviously under the effects of Meaning of Life killer move—else, they would have already waged war against each other. There were no gu masters in the group and all lived cordially, sharing each other's burdens and responsibilities. This did not imply there were no fights.
Lo Jik did not change their meaning of life to—Live in harmony. No.
It was—be kind and find value in each other.
The former entailed forcibly swallowing one's indignation to maintain a superficial sense of harmony. Meanwhile, in the latter, kindness did not dampen their other emotions. In fact, they complained and revealed their true thoughts but in a gentler and more appreciative manner. But that was just the first of it. The second part of the statement was to find value in each other.
Among the ten races, only humans were born without any unusual dao marks. Each variant human race had its specialty.
Hairy men were born with refinement path dao marks.
Eggmen came in different colored shells but mostly had affinity with fire and space path.
Rockmen was a single-sex race, only boasting males. Their bodies were filled with earth path dao marks.
Feathermen were proud of their flight and sought freedom. They naturally had cloud path dao marks on their bodies.
Inkmen had information path dao marks. Their skin was as black as a slab of ink and their hair was white as snow.
Snowmen had ice and snow path dao marks.
Minimen were born with wood path dao marks. Vegetation would grow quickly around them and flowers would bloom throughout the year. They were the most skilled in growing plants.
Mermen had water path dao marks and an unusual number of sound path dao marks in their throats, allowing them to sing beautifully. Their voice could mesmerize many in an instant.
Lastly, mushroommen were born with poison path dao marks and produced skilled healers.
Compared to them, humans were not skilled refinement path experts, they did not have tough claws and scales, they could not dig earth and establish a settlement like rockmen, they did not produce skilled healers, farmers, and they were incapable of flying. Usually, in such a scenario, other races would be quick to enslave all the humans again.
That was the case in reality. Humans used to have extremely low position in the gu world and were captured everywhere. It wasn't until the rise of Primordial Origin Immortal Venerable that things started to change.
In reality, a human's advantage lay in their quick wits.
All the variant humans had different and somewhat simple personalities. Only gu masters born from variant humans who experienced countless scenarios and hardships would develop a mindset similar to a human. In the law of jungle, wits paled in comparison to stronger bodies.
But not here.
The ten races observed each other. They took time to understand their companion's advantages. This could only happen through open communication that did not result in brawls, preventing the development of grudges among other variant human groups.
For instance, the rockmen would complain after being tired. Their bodies were heavy and constant movement would tire their soul. So, they would point at others and ask why the rockmen had to lay the city's foundation and not others?
This inspired a round of conversation before everyone agreed that this job suited rockmen the best. It did tire them, but after this task, they could sleep without any issues as the rest would divide other responsibilities.
Minimen agreed to growing more trees around the settlement and provide others with food.
Feathermen agreed to fly and scout the surroundings, ensuring there would be no unchecked threat around them.
Similarly, others also chipped in, including humans. Usually—due to the current era's human supremacy—human would be too proud to say anything. However, they knew they had to reveal their value. Since it was a city for all ten races, nobody could rise up and claim to be the new leader. Furthermore, they all knew it was a gu immortal's blessed land! They knew who the true ruler was. So, the group of humans provided that they would take care of the city, clean things where needed, and fill up the much-required space for logistics, including keeping track of rations and such.
In reality, this was also human ingenuity. The one who made this suggestion, although affected by killer move to be kind and respectful, still made a plan of influencing the city by controlling the rations. Other variant humans did not see-through this scheme, but it was too simple in Lo Jik's eyes.
Of course, he did not make any move to stop it.
He wanted this city to grow. The first generation of inhabitants would only be the ones to be affected by Meaning of Life killer move. Meanwhile, their future offsprings would learn from their ancestors. They would develop their own thoughts about kindness and learn to organically appreciate other races.
'But that isn't all.'
Lo Jik observed ten different mountains.
These mountains had clear leaders each. These leaders were peak stage rank 5 gu masters.
These ten cities in development surrounded the mountain of mixed-race city.
'These ten cities are all controlled by my clones. They will help grow their gu masters as I will leave behind this mixed-race city with the greatest number of spirit springs. This will be the common point for all the other ten cities with poorer foundation to attack this eleventh city. To better protect themselves, this city will also birth gu masters. So, there will be a mixed-race academy, promoting even better unity.'
Lo Jik wanted to observe each race 'individually' and 'together' simultaneously. Understanding and comprehending their relationship in this manner would promote his human path attainment to an even higher and more profound state.
With the west occupied by hundreds of clones and the south showing signs of developing eleven different civilizations, Lo Jik focused on north and east. In the east rested most of his gu worms. This was the region Lo Jik plan to develop to meet the feeding requirements of his immortal gu worm and become self-sufficient. However, he had too many gu worms. Furthermore, he was still in the stage of understanding his human path immortal gu worms' feeding requirements.
Lastly, the north contained the pair of luck path desolate beasts—Disaster Kittens, Diamond Bear, Nightmare Demonic Colt among other beasts.
'It's almost time for Old Man Desolate's tribulation. I want to see the effects of core beasts in action… I should leave after setting Qin Juan and others on the right track.
***
Join the discord through the link in the synopsis.
Read 60 chapters ahead @ Patron and Subscribe Star (Links in the synopsis.)
Support the Fanfic through comments, likes, reviews and such (if the published site allows it.)