Kao Dao Ji took a long deep breath.
"I am running out of time." He muttered.
Close to nine years had already passed inside his aperture.
Which meant that the Tribulation was getting nearer.
He gulped.
Feeling somewhat nervous.
While he was not weak for a Cultivator who had not undergone a singular Tribulation after his ascension, he was not sure what would happen.
Would his unique condition make the Tribulations harder? Had Star Constellation uncovered his identity and decided to eliminate him?
He did not know!
He frowned deeply.
During this period, he had been working on improving his healing methods, and a few ideas had slowly taken shape.
Kao Dao Ji stretched his arms and legs widely; a soft gaseous substance slowly took shape around him.
In a matter of seconds, Kao Dao Ji's body had been consumed by a thick mist.
Followed by which, he felt his body submerging in a thick, hot liquid.
He observed his surroundings whilst he held his breath.
A viscous green liquid that felt like honey covered every inch of his body and dissolved his clothing.
Whilst it entered into his muscles and bones.
After a few seconds.
Kao Dao Ji opened his eyes.
"Alright. Enough." He flared his aura.
From outside, one could see a thick cocoon shattering into countless of pieces.
Followed by this, the thick mist and liquid dissipated into nothingness, whereas the naked body of Kao Dao Ji appeared.
His body looked invigorated; his veins were bulging.
"It feels good." He said while clenching his muscles.
After a small pause, he smirked.
"This is a Healing and Defensive Killer Move. First, I create a barrier around me, which is then hardened. Once the foundation is settled, I transform the surrounding mist into water, which is then converted into green rain.
I submerge myself in it.
Whilst my body is protected from outside by the armor.
This method heals me rather quickly and thoroughly.
Unfortunately…"
He sighed.
"While I use this Killer Move, I cannot use other methods to defend myself. Whereas the protection is not thorough enough to protect against an Immortal Gu." He shook his head.
This was the kind of move that one would use after an intense fight, not during one.
Still.
Perhaps with some improvements, it could become more practical?
Regardless.
He moved towards his second idea.
Micro clouds.
Micro clouds slowly took shape and surrounded him like tides of sand, which he commanded with steam in his hands.
However.
This was another variant.
This one could not use Lighting Qi to fuel itself; only the Primeval Essence of a Gu Master could do the trick.
Furthermore, inside of each cloud, no golden drops were being produced, but instead green drops.
But that was not the end of his idea.
Kao Dao Ji opened his mouth widely.
And the micro clouds obediently moved towards his mouth, and were devoured.
Kao Dao Ji smiled.
He pressed his middle and index fingers towards his forearm.
At the next moment, a powerful water cutter took shape and slashed towards his fragile layer of flesh and bone.
Kao Dao Ji's eyelids trembled; the pain was rather intense, but he held on.
At the next moment, inside his bloodstream, there was suddenly a reaction.
His skin glowed green around the area briefly, and the wound rapidly closed.
Kao Dao Ji grinned.
In a matter of seconds, his extremity was completely healed.
"While the amount of healing a single micro cloud can provide is far too limited, I can use however many as I want at once; furthermore, their activation is extraordinarily quick.
Not only that, but it is a stable method that I can sustain, as long as I do not overdo it, I can continuously heal during a battle.
Be it quickly or slowly, depending on my needs." But then, he frowned.
"The only flaw is that this is too expensive. If I were to estimate it, in comparison to Green Rain, to heal equivalent wounds, I need roughly thirty times more energy."
The reason of the flaw was evident, creating a whole micro cloud to heal was akin to creating a whole human body to gain an eye transplant.
Of course, the results were also absurd enough, which made it somewhat worth it.
"I will only use this in case the Tribulation is harder than expected."
Apart from those methods, he improved his Green Rain and other Healing Killer Moves to the extent that they were more convenient.
Of course, they were not quite as good as either of those two moves, regardless.
Upon finishing his practice.
He sat down.
He took the Immortal Essence Stones that he had accrued over this period and immediately began to absorb them.
"Before the Tribulation, I need to at least have 500 Immortal Essence Beads." This was his resolve.
While Kao Dao Ji was focusing on nourishing his aperture.
An event took place in it.
Kao Qian Hangse stood before the masses of Gu Masters with a wide grin on his face.
"The time has come. Master has already seen the results of your hard work. And those who are listed will today experience a breakthrough like no other!"
"Of course. Even if you do not appear in the lists, you still can join in."
"You just need to pay! Rank 2 Gu Masters can, at the low price of 10 Low Grade Thunder Rocks, reach Rank 3.
At the price of 200 Low-Grade Thunder Rocks, one can ascend to become a Rank 4 Gu Master.
Finally, Rank 4 Gu Masters at the price of 100 Mid-Grade Thunder Rocks can ascend too." Kao Qian Hangse explained calmly.
Countless of Gu Masters were dazed by those words.
Their expression was reverent.
"So cheap?" "We can reach a new Realm so easily?" Countless of Featherman exclaimed.
"Lord is so generous!"
But Kao Qian Hangse merely squinted his eyes inwardly.
"Master is truly wise. He is gaining the trust of his subordinates, and he does not even have to spend a dime.
On the contrary, he's profiting greatly. At zero cost! He does not even have to manage the whole thing; I do."
Of course, despite knowing this, he pressed his fist into his chest and roared.
"Is good that you understand! Do you truly think this method is so cheap to use? The only reason the master is allowing us to break through so easily is that he believes deeply in us.
He wants to nurture the new generations of Gu Masters to serve and protect the Clan."
"For the Clan!" Countless of Featherman roared.
However.
Rapidly, many Feathermen realized something was wrong.
"Wait. But how are we supposed to pay for it?"
"During the whole thing, how could a Rank 3 Gu Master possibly have found 200 Low-Grade Thunder Rocks? I am very strong for my rank, and I could only find 29."
"I only found 21."
"19."
However.
Some of the cleverer Featherman perked their ears, realizing the intent behind Kao Qian Hanse's words.
"He cannot afford to fund the breakthroughs of everyone here, but he also does not want to choose arbitrarily, as he does not want us to grow resentful.
Thus. He's trying to convince us to willingly give away our chance to others.
But those who are helped by us will naturally feel indebted and grateful, and even those who are not will be shunned if they do not repay their favor.
In other words, this is an attempt to uplift the Cultivation of the Gu Masters here at a minimal cost."
Grasping this key point, a bold Featherman raised his arm.
"Put your trust in big brother, Kao Zi Wo." A big man who was around 2 meters tall, who had his chest exposed, suddenly shouted aloud.
"I promise that once I become a Rank 4 Gu Master, I will repay twice those who help me today."
Many Featherman looked interested in the offer.
However.
"One thunder rock, and I will let you do as you please with my body for one hour." A shameless woman named Kao Bu Yao suddenly spoke.
Upon hearing those words.
Many men turned their gaze towards her lecherously.
Kao Zi Wo frowned.
No. No, he could not lose his chance so easily.
Kao Zi Wo gritted.
"I give the same offer, but for twice as long!" He shouted.
But nobody seemed interested.
On the contrary, several Featherman took a few steps backwards to get away from him.
His expression became darker.
"I am so handsome, clever, and strong. Why does nobody want me?" He stomped his feet on the ground.
"I do." Suddenly, Kao Zi Wo turned his gaze to glance at an even taller man than him.
Who had a huge grin and a big stomach.
Fatty Wang.
His expression suddenly twisted.
"Hey, this offer is exclusive to ladies." He refuted.
"I will pay twice as much."
"DEAL!"
…
Kao Qian Hangse observed this scene with a blank expression.
Since he was young, he had already gotten used to the antics of his fellow Featherman.
Still, he shook his head.
Why did they have to be so noisy?
Kao Dao Ji hummed to himself whilst refining an Immortal Essence Stone at the same time.
"I am really a genius." He touched his chin with a prideful tone.
He had transmitted his ideas to Kao Qian Hangse sometime ago.
His idea was based on the concept of the 'Debt Society theory.'
While he did not recall much, he remembered that it was a theory that stated that the first civilizations did not actually employ a coin or even a trading economic system.
But rather a 'favor system.'
Which, in simple terms, means:
I help you; you help me.
While the idea sounded basic, it essentially meant that the first human civilizations worked purely in trust.
Those civilizations were remarkably stable and friendly towards one another; however, such a model simply did not work on a large scale.
Once such civilizations interacted with foreigners, it became impossible to guarantee the other's trust, thus bartering and trading became the norm.
You give me an apple; I give you a hide.
However, considering that everything within the aperture was within his control, and the Featherman groups were under his grasp.
He wondered, is it possible to recreate this kind of civilization?
Or at the very least, employing some of their tactics could prove useful in some way?
He was rather curious; moreover, within the novel, it was said that managing large human or variant human populations enabled the Gu Master to deepen their understanding of the Human Dao.
Thus, with curiosity and profit in his mind, Kao Dao Ji decided to make some probing moves.
Kao Dao Ji smirked to himself.
"I wonder how Kao Qian Hangse is doing?"
But then.
His smile froze.
His expression twisted in rage.
For a moment, he lost control over his energy, and he felt an ache in his hand as a bit of Immortal Essence leaked out.
"KAO QIAN HANGSE!!!" Immediately, he used a Wisdom Path Gu to communicate telepathically with his follower.
Kao Qian Hangse opened his eyes widely out of nowhere.
"Master?"
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING??? I TOLD YOU THIS EXPERIMENT WAS TO GAIN SOME GOODWILL AND PROFIT. NOT TO MAKE A GODDMAN ORGY!"
He screamed inside Kao Qian Hangse's brain to the extent that the man's ears grew dizzy.
Kao Qian Hangse, however, stared at the pile of naked bodies, unsure of what to reply.
His lips trembled.
As he replied helplessly.
"Master…This truly had nothing to do with me!"