Unexpectedly, Liu Chen did not feel the slightest resistance, even though this Five-Rank Gu worm did not resist at all, allowing him to refine it with ease.
Although time had quietly slipped away to midnight, Liu Chen was still too excited to sleep.
At this moment, inside his Aperture, the Origin Qi sea was almost dry, and in the very center of the Aperture, the Innate Sword Embryo Gu was quietly floating.
Liu Chen unhesitatingly activated this Innate Sword Embryo Gu, and in an instant, the scene within his Aperture underwent an astonishing change.
The amber shell of the amber-like Innate Sword Embryo Gu melted rapidly into a rich golden liquid, as if scorched by intense flames. This golden liquid seemed to possess life, adhering tightly to the membrane of the Aperture and flowing slowly.
As time passed, this golden liquid gradually permeated Liu Chen's Aperture, beginning to transform his Aperture Aptitude.
Not only that, but this golden liquid also left traces of Sword Dao within Liu Chen's body.
When the last drop of golden liquid completely fused with Liu Chen's Aperture, his Aperture Aptitude received an unprecedented boost. His original C-grade, 53% Aptitude instantly soared to A-grade, 91%!
A-grade Aptitude!
And within the Aperture, only that silver small sword remained.
It became his Natal Gu — a First Rank Sword Embryo Gu.
This First-Rank Gu worm was not simple; after its First Rank, it could become a Sword Path Gu worm. When activated, it only needed to consume 10% of his True Origin to materialize a blunt sword embryo, and as long as this sword embryo was not destroyed, it could exist indefinitely.
One must know that all Gu worms require careful feeding, and different Gu worms have different demands for food. However, the Sword Embryo Gu was unique; it had almost no requirements for food and could eat anything. Nevertheless, if it was fed Sword Path Gu worms or gu materials, the effect would naturally be better.
Not only that, but the Sword Embryo Gu also had a unique feature: nurturing and refining in one. This meant that Liu Chen could raise its Rank by feeding it, achieving advancement.
In the Nameless True Inheritance of Sword Dao, Liu Chen obtained dozens of routes for feeding and advancing the Sword Embryo Gu.
Having already obtained the Nameless True Inheritance of Sword Dao and witnessed the various difficulties of Gu Master cultivation, ascending to Immortality was almost a death sentence, with countless heroes failing to pass this hurdle. Yet, Liu Chen now had a clearer goal than them.
At this moment, he also decided that his future would focus on the Sword Dao. Both the Nameless True Inheritance and the Sword Dao Dao traces enhanced by the Innate Sword Embryo Gu would lay a solid Foundation for his future.
As for the advancement routes for the Sword Embryo Gu, after careful consideration, Liu Chen believed that currently, he had only three routes to advance the Sword Embryo Gu: The first was Origin Stones, which could be used to advance it into a Sky Origin Sword Embryo Gu, possessing the effect of absorbing external Origin Qi to restore a portion of True Origin; the second was blood, which could be used to advance it into a Bloodflow Sword Embryo Gu, a route among many that boasted top combat power and convenient feeding; the last was wine, by feeding it wine, it could be advanced into a Wine Scent Sword Embryo Gu, capable of releasing wine Qi during combat to confuse enemies.
Liu Chen pondered to himself, wondering which of these three things to feed the Sword Embryo Gu. Ultimately, he chose the first one because this advancement route was the most suitable for him now and would be of greater help to his future. It was even unique among many advancement routes, which was why Liu Chen made this choice.
As night deepened, everything fell silent. Liu Chen finally finished opening all the treasure chests and properly hid the precious Origin Stones. After completing all this, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, and he unhesitatingly lay back down on the bed, closed his eyes, and let himself sink into a sweet dream... The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window onto Liu Chen's face, and he slowly awoke.
"This is?" Liu Chen slowly opened his eyes, and the sight before him left him astonished—a wooden treasure chest had appeared right in front of him!
He rubbed his eyes, confirming it wasn't an illusion, and a surge of curiosity rose in his heart. Where did this treasure chest come from? Why did it suddenly appear before him?
Filled with doubts, Liu Chen cautiously reached out and lightly touched the treasure chest. The moment his finger made contact with the treasure chest, the System's voice suddenly rang out:
"Obtained Wooden Treasure Chest × 1. Do you wish to open it?"
Liu Chen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to open the treasure chest. As his words fell, the treasure chest slowly opened.
An item appeared in his hand—a One-Leaf Sword Grass!
This One-Leaf Sword Grass had a rather peculiar appearance; it had only one leaf, resembling a small, exquisite sword, with incredibly sharp edges.
"One-Leaf Sword Grass, First-Rank Sword Path Gu plant..." Liu Chen murmured to himself, feeling both surprised and confused by this reward.
In the Nameless True Inheritance, Sword Grass was the main material for refining the Sword Embryo Gu.
Liu Chen put the One-Leaf Sword Grass into his embrace, then recalled the wooden treasure chest again. How did this treasure chest appear? Was it some kind of Opportunity, or was there another reason?
However, no matter how much he thought, he couldn't find the slightest clue. Helpless, Liu Chen could only set this question aside for now.
After washing up, he ate some simple food and hurried to the School.
At this time, many Gu Master apprentices had already gathered in the School. They were either whispering to each other or lost in thought, all waiting for the School Elder to arrive.
Among the crowd, Gu Yue Qingshu, Gu Yue Chishan, and Gu Yue Moyan were particularly eye-catching. As Geniuses with B-grade Aptitude, they naturally attracted envy and admiration, surrounded by others who chatted lively with them.
However, the moment the School Elder stepped into the School, the previously noisy scene instantly fell silent. Everyone obediently found seats and sat down, Liu Chen included. He deliberately chose an inconspicuous corner seat and quietly sat down.
Following the School Elder's lecture, various basic knowledge about Gu Master cultivation and the history of Gu Yue Village were discussed.
For Liu Chen, this knowledge was like a chicken rib—flavorless to eat, yet a pity to discard. However, he appeared exceptionally focused, as if this knowledge was crucial to him. But in reality, he did not actively ask questions, only listened in silence.
Liu Chen already had a plan in mind. With his current A-grade Aptitude, he did not want to attract anyone's attention. He deeply understood that in this competitive environment, being too outstanding often invited unnecessary trouble. Therefore, he decided to be a student whose academic performance was neither outstanding nor too poor. As long as he could cultivate steadily and successfully Breakthrough to Third Rank, he could unhesitatingly leave this Mountain Village.