Because of this, whether to keep Relic Gu and use it after breaking through to save time, or to refine it into Obstacle Breaking Gu to assist in the breakthrough, ultimately depended on personal choice.
This question also came to Lin Yan. A Yellow Golden Relic Gu was extremely rare; he might never encounter another one in his lifetime. Should he use it to refine a Four-Colored Obstacle Breaking Gu? If he did break through to Rank 4 now, he would still have to rely on slow cultivation afterward, likely spending ten years to stabilize and advance further.
In the end, Lin Yan let out a quiet breath and gave up the idea. There were several reasons. First, Gu refinement always carried risk.
Second, he was not in immediate danger. With his current strength, already comparable to Rank 4, he had enough means to protect himself. Even if he advanced now, the qualitative change would not be as great as it seemed.
Third, he could feel it—he was already close to Rank 4.
Obstacle Breaking Gu should actually be classified as Gu Number Five. Among all his attempts, it was the closest to the true goal: a Human Path Gu that could improve aptitude.
Once his aptitude was genuinely raised, breaking through to Rank 4 would take only minutes. If he used a Yellow Golden Relic Gu now, wouldn't that be a complete waste?
A Gu worm that could improve aptitude was only the first step. If he could further combine a large number of low-rank Relic Gu into higher-rank Relic Gu, that would be the second step, completely breaking free from the resource constraints imposed by powerful forces. Lin Yan's thoughts surged. This failure meant nothing; if success came too easily, it would be unrealistic. Every failure was merely an accumulation of experience, paving the way for future success.
"I need a large reserve of Relic Gu, along with Gu worms and recipes related to the aperture, as well as Human Path materials." He pondered silently, his gaze gradually falling on the upcoming Ten Thousand Li Silk Corridor trade fair. At the same time, he recalled another opportunity recorded in the original novel. In the Western Desert, there existed a place containing a vast amount of Human Path materials.
It was an ancient desolate plant, the Thousand Wishes Tree, whose rank was comparable to a Rank 7 Gu Immortal. It belonged to the Human Path, yet possessed no offensive ability.
It was originally Han Li's opportunity. He had once made a wish beneath the Thousand Wishes Tree and obtained an Immortal Gu. In his first life, Fang Yuan had also wandered into the Western Desert and encountered this opportunity, using it to wish for a rare Rank 4 Gu worm.
By coincidence, Lin Yan knew the approximate location of the Thousand Wishes Tree. It lay within the territory of the super force Mo Family, under the jurisdiction of a Gu Immortal known as the Plump Lady, and was not far from Sandwell Oasis.
The reason it had remained undiscovered for tens of thousands of years was that the Thousand Wishes Tree was naturally protected by a vast illusion formation, covering an area of tens of thousands of kilometers and concealing its existence.
Lin Yan's mood quietly lifted as the thought settled in. Since the moment of his transmigration, he had already made up his mind—once he stepped into Immortal Ascension, this thing would belong to him. For now, though, there was no harm in reaching out early, quietly carving out a small advantage while no eyes were watching.
The timing was set after the Ten Thousand Li Silk Corridor trade fair concluded. The Huang Family had rested for a month, and it now coincided with the annual reopening of the Ten Thousand Li Silk Corridor. They would depart the next day.
This time, the Huang Family had gained greatly at Ember Passage Ridge, so they placed high importance on this trip. Family Head Huang Ming personally led the caravan, with Second Elder Huang Feng accompanying him. Their main goal was to seek clues about Immortal Ascension, and second, to obtain a Wind Path true inheritance.
Lin Yan chose to participate without hesitation. He had nearly 700,000 primeval stones prepared for this moment. Worried it still might not be enough, he even brought two-thirds of the remaining Profound Yellow Earth Qi left from his Gu refinement.
Unfortunately, Shan Shayuan would not be going. He had entered seclusion, determined to break through to Rank 4. Otherwise, Lin Yan could have borrowed more primeval stones at a critical time, giving him greater confidence in this trip.
The next day, Lin Yan arrived at the edge of Sandwell Oasis after resting well. A large caravan had already gathered there, made up of several hundred Gu Masters, without a single Ordinary person among them.
With the Family Head leading, this was naturally different from an ordinary caravan. Seven Western Desert Gu Houses, the Earth Brick Houses, were dispatched. Lin Yan alone occupied one, making the journey far more comfortable.
Although Huang Ming had not officially granted him a title, the treatment he received was already close to that of a Rank 4 Family Elder.
The Huang Family caravan soon set off. Along the way, dozens of other caravans gathered from different directions. Nearby oases had all sent forces, including the Cai, Wei, Shen, and Zhang families.
When Huang Ming and Zhang Bai met, both gave a cold snort. Zhang Bai's gaze turned even darker as it swept over Lin Yan.
"Old scoundrel." Lin Yan sneered and met his gaze without backing down.
The leaders of the Cai, Wei, and Shen families also watched the Huang Family closely. The atmosphere grew tense as the different forces faced each other in silence.
However, no one made a move in the end. They had gathered here not to fight, but to travel together to the Ten Thousand Li Silk Corridor. Trade and growth were the real goals.
Some matters could be settled later.