"This is actually the Three Watches Gu!" Liu Chen stared at the Rank 5 Gu he had retrieved from the Ground Cage Grass, his face a mask of shock and awe.
The Three Watches Gu is a Rank 5 time path Gu. It is a one time consumable, unique in that it does not require a Gu Master to refine it; even a mortal can use its power simply by crushing it.
Once activated, the Gu Master's personal time flow increases threefold. This means the body's recovery speed, the aperture's essence replenishment, and the speed of daily cultivation are all accelerated by a staggering three times! For Liu Chen, this effectively granted him a pseudo Extreme Physique without the terminal risks associated with the actual ten bodies.
However, this immense power carries a heavy price: the user's lifespan is also consumed three times faster. In a world where mortals typically live a century, a user of the Three Watches Gu might only have thirty years of life remaining.
If this were any other Gu Master, the trade off would be a source of intense hesitation. But Liu Chen felt no such concern. To him, thirty years was more than enough time; if he could not ascend to immortality within three decades, he would rather die having tried than live a long life as a mediocre wretch.
The Three Watches Gu resembled a small, delicate triangular moth. Its wings were an eerie silvery white, dotted with gold spots that twinkled like stars in a dark sky. Liu Chen held the moth in his palm and, without a second's hesitation, applied pressure.
Snap.
The moth was instantly crushed into countless crystalline fragments. These shards streaked across his palm like shooting stars, drawn by a mysterious force toward his chest. In the blink of an eye, the fragments adhered to his skin like a thin veil before slowly merging into his flesh and blood.
A faint light flashed, and a small, triangular mark appeared on his chest. It shared the mysterious, silvery white color of the moth's wings. As the mark settled, Liu Chen felt an indescribable surge of energy pouring into his body.
His eyes widened as he watched his Red Steel Primeval Essence recover by as much as 30% in just a few breaths. Considering his essence had been depleted to nearly 50% during the battle, this recovery speed was nothing short of miraculous it was like sending charcoal in the snow.
"Three Watches Gu... what a double edged blessing!" Liu Chen exclaimed. I was worried that losing the Liquor Worm upgrade would cripple my cultivation speed, but this Gu more than compensates. My training will not only maintain its pace but likely surpass it."
With this power, Liu Chen felt a renewed sense of confidence. He could now face creatures like the Wind Leopard head on, knowing his essence would be continuously replenished during the heat of battle. Outside of combat, the benefits were even more immeasurable, as the constant warming of his aperture would rapidly push him toward the higher stages of Rank 2.
As he sat in the dim light, Liu Chen's thoughts turned to the broader implications of his situation. He remembered the original story: when the Fang Yuan escaped Qing Mao Mountain, he had encountered a demonic female Gu Master who possessed Three Watches Gu and other rare insects. Liu Chen realized that by accidental intervention, he had seized this inheritance for himself.
"Is this a Fate arrangement, or pure coincidence?" he mused. He began to realize that he needed to be even more cautious. This sudden inheritance had caught him off guard, and he felt the weight of Heaven's Will watching him.
"I'll head to Bai Gu Mountain next," Liu Chen decided. "I'll pick up the treasure boxes there and leave immediately. My cultivation is still too low; even knowing I am targeted by Heaven's Will, I am powerless to resist the higher powers of this world."
He understood that escaping his predicament would require more than just raw strength. The power of the Heavenly Dao was absolute. In his mind, there were only three paths capable of limiting the influence of Heaven: the Human Path, the Heaven Path, and the Wisdom Path.
Of these, he felt his only real chance lay in the Wisdom Path . The Heaven Path had not yet truly emerged in this era only Paradise Earth Immortal Venerable would eventually master it. The Human Path was largely confined to the murals within Divine Emperor City. But the Wisdom Path was widely circulated, and he hoped the system's treasure boxes would eventually yield a Wisdom Path legacy to help him shield his thoughts from fate.
"The best approach is to join a caravan," Liu Chen thought. "I can follow the trade routes from one village to another. This will allow me to harvest treasure boxes from various locations while meeting like minded individuals to jointly address the coming crises."
With his plan set, Liu Chen performed a final check of the remaining items in the inheritance cave. The legacy still held several useful auxiliary Gu: Primeval Elder Gu, Bookworm, Iron Thorn Thistle Gu, Lightning Charred Potato Mother Gu, Hairy Foot Gu, Jumping Grass Gu, Grass Eye Gu, Healing Grass Gu, Flying Leaf Gu.
He gathered these into his inventory, his heart focused on the distant peak of Bai Gu Mountain. The first volume of his life was ending, and the journey into the wider Gu World was finally beginning.
Liu Chen turned his attention to the hoard of Gu worms within the inventory. Most belonged to the Wood Path, covering defense, movement, investigation, and storage. It was a complete set of tools.
Among them, the only ones that truly caught his attention were the Primeval Elder Gu and the Bookworm.
The Primeval Elder Gu was a specialized storage Gu used for Primeval Stones. He immediately chose to refine it. Unexpectedly, he discovered that exactly 100,000 Primeval Stones were stored within the Elder Gu! This was a timely rain for Liu Chen. With this fortune, he no longer had to worry about resources for the next year, allowing him to continue collecting materials and refining more Gu.
As for the Bookworm, after refining it, he was pleasantly surprised to find it held the comprehensive records of the inheritance. This included various Wood Path recipes and the detailed training experiences of previous masters.
Most importantly, he learned the identity of the remains: the famous Rank 5 Wood Path warrior, Mu Shenjun, from three centuries ago. In his later years, he had obtained the Three Watches Gu, but since his lifespan was nearly exhausted, he could only leave the Gu and his inheritance to later generations.
Liu Chen was secretly happy. He knew he could now fully follow the Wood Path, and the characteristics of Wood Path Gu were perfect for him. They generally consumed less essence,a huge advantage for his current reserves and were relatively easy to feed, allowing him to focus more on cultivation and combat.
In the mountainous primeval forests of the Southern Border, the Wood Path offered a natural advantage. However, despite these merits, Liu Chen's core remained the Sword Path . The Nameless Sword Path True Inheritance was his primary major, and the Wood Path would serve as a vital auxiliary to enrich his fighting skills and deal with varied situations.
Without hesitation, Liu Chen began refining the remaining Gu. Among them was the Rank 2 Grass Eye Gu. This Gu significantly enhanced his vision, extending his sight to within three hundred and fifty paces. Within this range, any subtle movement or hidden detail could be seen clearly. This was exceptionally helpful for observation and judgment in battle.
However, the downside was that while the Grass Eye Gu improved distance, it did not grant x ray functions. Liu Chen felt a slight regret, but he understood the current ability was already powerful. When used in conjunction with his Earth Communication Ear Grass, his investigations would be much more detailed.
After the refinements were complete, Liu Chen's eyes were immediately drawn back to the purple Treasure Box. He took a deep breath and slowly opened it, expecting the final reward of the legacy.
"Reward received:. The complete inheritance of the Rank 5 Wood Path expert, Mu Shenjun."
The system's voice echoed in Liu Chen's ears, and his heart filled with an indescribable wave of excitement. As the notification faded, the memories of Mu Shenjun's life flashed through his mind like a rapid succession of slides. He seemed to personally experience the trials and triumphs of the Wood God, feeling his joys, sorrows, and rage, while fundamentally grasping the very essence of the Wood Path.
As Liu Chen opened his eyes, his Wood Path attainment soared. Mu Shenjun's research was undeniably several times more profound than that of the Flower Wine Monk's Earth Path. Even compared to the seasoned Rank 3 elders of the Gu Yue clan, Liu Chen's understanding of Wood Path mechanics was now on a vastly different level.
Ecstatic with the inheritance, Liu Chen couldn't wait to uncover more hidden secrets. He released the Rank 4 Treasure Light Gu once more to search the area. The golden firefly like insect emitted a soft glow, circling the chamber and illuminating every dark corner.
After a careful search, the Treasure Light Gu failed to find any more high tier rewards. However, he unexpectedly located a hidden cache containing a hundred Primeval Stones left behind by the old master. Though insignificant compared to the 100,000 stones mentioned in the inheritance, they were still a considerable treasure for Liu Chen at this moment.
With a stable supply of training resources, the final weight lifted from Liu Chen's heart. He was well aware that in this dangerous world, he must continuously improve his strength to survive. He decided to remain in this hidden sanctuary for a time, striving to break through to Rank 3. He knew that if his cultivation didn't advance, encountering even a slightly stronger enemy would result in a life and death crisis.
For safety, he used the Thousand Li Earthwolf Spider to dig a complex network of underground tunnels beneath his residence. This cave served as both his home and a defensive fortification, allowing him to practice undisturbed.
Two Month later
Inside the aperture, the sea surface of his primeval essence was turbulent, rolling with dark waves. The Red Steel Primeval Essence within was as dark as ink, resembling an abyss of endless darkness, this was the absolute peak of the Rank 2 Peak Stage.
Liu Chen focused his mind, his breathing becoming smooth and rhythmic until he felt one with the primeval sea. Thanks to his 90% A grade talent and the acceleration of the Three Watches Gu, his essence consumption and recovery speeds were almost equal.
Suddenly, he made his move. He released the full force of his dark red essence in one fell swoop. This massive torrent of Red Steel energy violently hammered against his aperture walls. Under the impact of this powerful force, the aperture was instantly split into five parts. The broken crystal walls were rapidly reborn, transforming into a new, higher level structure.
With the rebirth of the aperture, the dark red essence undergoing a wonderful transformation. The color brightened and purified, eventually turning into the dazzling radiance of Rank 3 Initial Stage White Silver Primeval Essence.
"Whew..." Liu Chen exhaled a long breath, feeling the qualitative leap in his power. Reaching Rank 3 was a monumental milestone. In the mortal world, he could now be regarded as a powerful expert, possessing a status equivalent to a clan elder.