Rank 1 Ten-Battles Champion Gu.
Everyone was dazed. Since this was a rank 1 gu recipe, its content was extremely simple. The materials required to refine this gu was listed clearly. Being a man-made gu, the recipe required a few common materials and primeval stones as a catalyst to successfully refine this gu worm. And that was the problem. The materials were simple and the process was concise. Yet, everyone who observed this single sheet of parchment with a small recipe couldn't help but fall in a trance briefly.
The gu immortals and talented mortal offspring of certain powerful gu immortals all reread the recipe several times before coming to a shocking conclusion—they could not understand it!
They could not understand its intent.
They could not understand the coordination behind the materials.
They were all brilliant and many of these gu immortals even enjoyed intimate lessons from heaven and earth during their ascension. However, they couldn't even begin to pierce the veil of mystery surrounding this gu worm.
What surprised everyone else was its effects.
'Is he… serious? Does such a gu worm exist?' Several gu masters and gu immortals swallowed thickly. Even Bai La frowned and fell silent.
Suspicion flickered in her eyes. After Lo Jik entered and cleared one scene of her dream realm, his metal path attainment grew the slightest bit. This growth did not appear out of thin air. For his growth, Bai La lost a bit of her own attainment! Fortunately, Lo Jik did not clear any more scenes and she was still a metal path grandmaster, if only barely.
A master in certain paths could elevate their use of gu worms to the level of an art. Their actions would contain indescribable elegance and beauty. Furthermore, this firm step in understanding the dao birthed instincts towards the corresponding paths.
Meanwhile, a grandmaster was considered sage among sages. They surpassed the realm of art and beauty, boasting a firm understanding of their path—deep enough to comprehend certain mysteries of other paths using their own and, with time and effort, use their own path to mimic the effects and advantages of other paths. For instance, Bai La had a metal path killer move that mimicked the effects of fire path. But she never considered researching strength path deeply. She did not understand if Lo Jik was trying to scam a bunch of gu immortals or speaking the truth because the truth was too shocking. She needed time to study this recipe. But she felt that even a decade would not be enough to fully comprehend its secrets.
This strength path gu worm was too… incredible. Dangerous.
Black Moon, however, was a strength path master. Her eyes flashed. She could only glean some understanding on a surface level.
"Ten-Battles Champion Gu?" Faceless Transformation gulped and mumbled audibly. "A rank 1 strength path gu worm that allows a gu master to strengthen and refine their bodies as long as they win ten life and death battles against ordinary beasts without any weapons and gu worms. There's another condition. Ten-Battles Champion Gu has to be one's lifebound vital gu worm…"
Just before he could point the obvious flaws in this scheme, Faceless Transformation heard a gasp.
"What?" Everyone asked quickly.
This individual revealed an information path gu worm and directly displayed a recording.
"I had the materials and tried refining this gu worm. Look at this result. I let one of my snowmen slaves use this gu worm."
Everyone watched the recording while Lo Jik smiled broadly. Inside, however, he cursed Old Man Desolate's acting skills.
'Too eager, old man. You need to practice your acting, sigh. Learn from Black Moon.'
Others did not know about Lo Jik's thoughts as they watched a rank 1 snowman battle an ordinary dog to death. Once he killed the dog, a milky-white light emerged from his aperture and covered his body. The snowman appeared slightly uncomfortable as the gu worm strengthened and refined its flesh using strength path dao marks.
Strength path was about developing individual physical strength the most. Not only did the gu master need to store explosive strength, but the body also needed to be sturdy enough to handle it. These two individually developed into methods of building strength such as beast phantoms and more modern methods of storing strength like Habitual Strength and Hateful Strength Gu Worms alongside many body refinement methods. All of these were costly. Many materials were extinct and the gu worms innovated in modern era did not meet certain standards that allowed strength path gu masters in their golden era to prosper. So, strength path dwindled further.
But according to the description of this rank 1 gu worm, the effects were not worse than using five of rank 1 beast strength phantoms! Ordinarily, rank 1 gu masters could handle two beast strength phantoms at most and cultivate more beast strength phantoms once they refined their bodies using body refinement gu worms at rank 3 since most of these gu worms began as rank 3 gu worms. Lo Jik, however, targeted strength and refinement of the body from the beginning.
It was clearly a cut above the current beast strength phantom, atmospheric heaven and earth, and human jun strength branches just in this aspect.
Stirred by this gu immortal's words, others also tried refining this gu worm. It used common materials found everywhere in the five regions and its effects were soon experienced by other gu immortals first-hand.
"Ten-Battles Champion Gu…" Several gazes turned complex. This was an extraordinary gu. Unfortunately, it was only rank 1 gu worm.
One did not obtain the strength of five rank 1 gu worms with ten victories alone. In reality, Ten-Battles Champion Gu started accumulating strength and body refinement from the first battle to ninety-ninth battle before stopping, unable to advance forth.
At the end, the rank 1 gu master will accumulate more than enough physical strength to deal with ordinary rank 2 gu masters. And that's without using any other strength path gu worms. After all, the condition of not using any other gu worm and weapon was only for cultivating strength by dueling beasts in life and death battles. The gu master can still use other methods in actually dangerous situations.
Gu is the essence of heaven and earth, and man is the spirit of all living beings. These gu immortals instantly thought of several ways of maximizing the efficiency of using this gu worm.
For instance, one could capture the beast and starve them, pushing them to a near-death and weakened state before killing them barehanded.
"But why is there a condition of using this gu worm as a lifebound vital gu worm?" Another gu immortal, who had nothing to do with Lo Jik, spoke up. Faceless Transformation had already fallen silent as if too embarrassed to continue. But other gu immortals already forgot about him, too mesmerized by this gu worm.
"Why?" Lo Jik laughed. "I don't need to tell you my cultivation experience related to deducing this recipe, sir. Are you stupid?"
The gu immortal's face instantly turned red as he cursed under his breath.
"Everyone." Lo Jik addressed the crowd. "This gu worm is just the beginning. I will continue this path and share the recipe for rank 1-5 series! I will not let strength path fall in my generation!"
"I know you all have several questions about its limitations but I can say one thing for sure, this gu worm sums my entire understanding of strength path!" The earnest-tone he revealed when lying with such a dignified expression should be studied.
"Haha! Good gu! Good gu! Truly outstanding, oh Fickle Consort!"
Right then a divine sense charged forward. The voice was deep but uniquely hoarse. His praising tone could not restrain the force and dominating intent filling him to the brim.
Other gu immortals, including Bai La, pulled aside. Their pupil shrunk slightly as they recognized this gu immortal.
"S-Sir is…" Lo Jik's tone trembled before he hurriedly greeted with a respectful tone. "Junior greets Senior Domination Immortal!"
Chu Du!
He was a living legend within Northern Plains who singlehandedly established human jun strength branch of strength path! The 'Jun' in this branch referred to the series of gu worms he refined in his lifetime and spread to entire Northern Plains—Jin Strength Gu, Ten Jin Strength Gu, Jun Strength Gu, Ten Jun Strength Gu, and others.
It was a meeting of two strength path innovators.
Everyone's expectations soared to the sky.
Even Lo Jik was mildly surprised but he continued acting on the surface.
"You are no junior, Fickle Consort." Chu Du greeted warmly. "How dare I accept such reverence when I can't help but envy your talent. This Ten-Battles Champion is good and unique. It's filled with certain mysteries that I once tried comprehending but failed. In the end, I refined my Jun Strength Series."
"You are my senior." Lo Jik claimed seriously. "How could I ever reach this stage without you, Senior Domination Immortal. It must be clear to you, right? This gu worm is greatly inspired by your series. This gu worm could not have seen the light of the day without your contributions, and that is why I shall contribute this gu worm to the gu world."
"Hahaha!" Chu Du laughed loudly, clearly pleased with Lo Jik's ideal. "It's a pity! Why did you have to appear in Central Continent instead of Northern Plains? A true pity indeed! I wish we could exchange moves before pointers, and then endless wine!"
Lo Jik also snickered in a rowdier fashion.
"This praise is enough for me, senior. Just your words have motivated me to continue. The path ahead is filled with failures and challenges, but I will certainly see it through. In time, there will definitely be a rank 5 Myriad-Battles Champion Gu!"
Everyone was stunned. They could almost taste Lo Jik's ambition through this name.
"Good!" Chu Du smiled. "I, Chu Du, vow to spread this gu recipe with every mortal settlement that I come across in Northern Plains. Strength path will certainly see a tremendous rise due to your efforts. Do not give up. I shall witness your rise with great interest."
"Develop this recipe."
"Surpass my creations and assimilate my Human Jun Strength Branch into your Human Champion Strength Branch!"
The surroundings fell silent before exploding in a commotion. This far exceeded the result Lo Jik expected from his actions but he only observed it like a distant viewer.
Meanwhile, the rest of the gu immortal were moved by Chu Du's words. He did not feel slighted at the rise of another strength path talent. He held no fear or jealousy. He actually wanted Lo Jik to surpass him. Because surpassing Chu Du's creations meant a significant growth of strength path! This Chu Du was insanely talented and had an outstanding character. He also promised Lo Jik to spread the recipe beyond the confines of Treasure Yellow Heaven!
"Thank you. Thank you!" Lo Jik also acted moved. "I want more strength path gu masters to rise. If they use this gu worm, they might even create further strength path gu worms with a similar style and get rid of our greatest weakness—extinct materials. Oh, Domination Immortal. I cannot thank you enough."
"Say no more." Chu Du smiled. "That said, do you still have those materials?"
Lo Jik glimpsed. To think Chu Du truly wanted to help him… Even now, Chu Du deliberately brought everyone's focus back on the materials. He wanted Lo Jik to sell more materials and grow richer. The more resources Lo Jik possessed, the more he could invest in this recipe!
'This Chu Du…' Lo Jik was truly moved this time. 'He is truly something.'
Lo Jik sold his materials for a few hours. Not everyone acted as rich as Black Moon, Old Man Desolate, and Chu Du. However, but the end of the evening, Lo Jik was 180 immortal essence stones richer.
This was a significant wealth for ordinary rank 6 gu immortals. But to Lo Jik, it was some change and more.
<<<>>>
Rank 1 Ten-Battles Champion Gu.
Rank 2 Hundred-Battles Champion Gu.
Rank 3 Thousand-Battles Champion Gu.
Rank 4 Ten-Thousand-Battles Champion Gu.
Rank 5 Myriad-Battles Champion Gu.
These gu worms were filled with human path profundities. The fact that these gu worms needed to be one's lifebound vital gu worm was evidence enough.
True to his words, when Lo Jik refined these gu worms during his seclusion, he only used common materials. Of course, this was a relevant term.
Rank 1 gu worm could find materials everywhere. To refine rank 2 gu worm, there would be slight effort. Rank 3 gu masters were already pillar of clans and smaller sects. Similarly, rank 3 gu worms were rarer. But this advantage of common materials held true for rank 3 Thousand-Battles Champion Gu, allowing many rank 3 strength path gu masters to exist and gain superb strength. Their bodies would be as tough as thousand-beasts kings and could act as vanguards in most situations. But materials required to refine rank 4 and 5, no matter how common, were always rare for mortals. It's why most rank 5 gu masters did not even possess even one rank 5 gu worm.
But the advantages of this gu worm were plenty.
At rank 4 and 5, a strength path gu master did not have to expend resources refining relevant strength path gu worms to increase their strength and refine their bodies. This gu worm alone made a batch of rank 4 and rank 5 gu worms obsolete!
The truly shocking benefits lay in Lo Jik's explanation. He never said anything about battling stronger creatures. Rank 1 Ten-Battles Champion Gu required life and death battle with ninety-nine beasts to show its greatest value. At rank 2, the Hundred-Battles Champion Gu required 999 life and death battles with, guess what, ordinary beasts again!
The strength was refined from ordinary beasts.
In time, other gu immortals and gu masters will realize this. Currently, many might already be thinking that a strength path gu master needed to kill hundred-beasts kings to utilize rank 2 gu worm and so on. But that was not the case at all!
The stronger the gu master, the more advantages they would accumulate!
As such, at rank 5, a gu master only needed to slaughter ordinary beasts until they hit their limits. If anything, the true restriction in using this gu worm was the number of beasts themselves. The number of beasts needed to kill at rank 4 and rank 5 would be the same as nurturing an enslavement path gu master.
Of course, that was the case if the gu worm was used alone.
Use, refine, and nurture.
These three aspects of cultivation were incomparably deep and profound.
A talented strength path gu master could deduce a killer move using this gu worm and shorten the number of beasts needed to slaughter by going after beast kings instead.
'Of course, these limitations are not a problem for this gu worm…'
Lo Jik glanced at another gu worm.
Dreamer Gu has always been a source of inspiration for Lo Jik because it combined the three aspects of gu cultivation. It also inspired this series of strength path gu worms.
The first gu worm Lo Jik truly refined was…
Rank 1-5 Unchained Champion Gu.
To be exact, Lo Jik only deduced the recipe for rank 1 Unchained Champion Gu.
Treasure Yellow Heaven would explode if this gu worm hit the market and even Chu Du would gain a sense of envy if he found about the existence of such a gu worm.
Unlike the previous set of gu worms that only barely mimicked human path, this strength path gu worm was filled to the brim with human path profundities. It could be considered that its main path was strength and sub-path was human.
It was unchained—unrestricted by limitations. Unlike rank 1 Ten-Battles Champion Gu, which Lo Jik claimed to be the sum of his entire cultivation, it was Unchained Champion Gu that truly represented this thought and emotion.
It was the product of his human path great grandmaster attainment, refinement path grandmaster attainment, food path grandmaster attainment, and strength path grandmaster attainment.
It could be used as rank 1. Winning over beasts in an unarmed combat will not only strengthen and refine the body, but it will progress the gu worm's rank and feed it! In time, it will become rank 2 Unchained Champion Gu, then rank 3, then rank 4, and then rank 5.
If Accumulation was Lo Jik's choice of human path true inheritance, then Unchained Champion was his choice of strength path true inheritance!
But!
'It's also limited like Dreamer Gu. If only I could refine it endlessly.'
Unchained Champion… was not truly unchained and unrestrained.
It was a mere dream.
Lo Jik's gaze momentarily glazed over before sharpening.
'Just because I cannot understand it now does not mean I will never understand it. I am a dream and human path great grandmaster. It seems I need to advance my refinement path attainment to truly comprehend Dreamer Gu.'
'Why is it that these gu worms cannot refine naturally after rank 5?'
In reality, Lo Jik felt he already knew the answer in the back of his mind. But this inspiration was like an itch that was hard to scratch. It tormented Lo Jik a lot but he could only suffer silently and wait.
Gu worms like Drunken Inspiration Gu were not a sure shot way of dealing with this and even going in Pool of Wisdom did not help. He had a chance of forcing the answer through his Pool of Wisdom Gu House with time, but it risked a backlash. It was obvious that his attainment was not enough.
'I feel that this answer lies in the hairy man's natural refinement. But I studied Long Hair Ancestor's inheritance enough time and still did not find the answer I was looking for.'
'Regardless, I've making steady progress in deducing the recipes for Rank 6 Dreamer and Unchained Champion Immortal Gu Worms. They will be done soon. I just lake the necessary immortal materials.'
He felt slightly complex.
This gu worm also involved Imaginative Strength's Fickle Heart Strength Gu. Once this immortal gu was refined, Lo Jik would not need to worry about his strength cultivation at all!
But the feeling of surpassing the gu immortal who established his foundation was truly noteworthy.
There was relief with a pinch of arrogance. Yet, there was indescribable sadness too.
Lastly, all that was left in Lo Jik was…
Anticipation.
He surpassed this hurdle.
He will surpass many more hurdles!
But he also looked forward to challenges in his cultivation journey and cultivation journey alone.
His real problems in the gu world could fuck off for all he cared.
***
Alternate Title: Meeting of champions; Chu Du is a real one; Spirit Affinity House: Hopefully Lo Jik acts low-key— *Lo Jik AF: Super Sects hate this one trick*; Lo Jik: Wanna see me cause a commotion? Wanna see me do it again?; Lo Jik and Chu Du meeting like Armstrong and Curtis from FMAB; Canon event: Feng Jiu Ge killing Chu Du *Fanon event: Lo Jik and Chu Du brawling before drinking and having orgy in some remote northern plains village with tonnes of babes, the way Giant Sun intended*; Chu Du acting like Gol D. Roger to Lo Jik's Luffy; Chu Du's appearance; The goat appears and leaves; Strength path resurgence; Heaven's will: Sigh, enough with strength path. Let it decline— *Hears the word MEN MUST BE COOL echoing from the upstream of River of Time* Spits out coffee; Heaven's will in great era: TF?! Where are all the dream path femboys? Why are they all muscular?!; Lo Jik single-handedly helping Great Dream while fucking over many prospective future dream path experts; The reviled Otherworldly Demon acts out… unknowingly?; Lo Jik AF: I can't sleep with a gu immortal? Who decided that? I can't hook up with the future venerable? Who decided that? I can't force back strength path's glory? Who decided that?; Escanor would unironically be fun in the gu world; Sadness of nearing the top of the mountain; Unchained Champion is real!; A certain Reckless Venerable while sipping his victim's blood: Unchained Champion Demon Venerable sounds cool!
***
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