73. Freaky Beggar
Lo Jik plugs an eye into his left socket. The familiar eyeball releases fleshy tentacles before connecting with his nervous and circulatory systems. As usual, it’s raw pain! But Lo Jik barely reveals any shift in expression. Instead, his heart is bursting with joy!
‘Thankfully… thankfully…’ He sighs. The eye lost during the battle with Li Ran was his recovered eye. Lo Jik had popped out the Heaven Piercing Eye Gu to advance it to rank 4. ‘I would have to purchase the Instant Success Gu to refine it again had I not taken it out.’
He has been reckless enough. Lo Jik vows to purchase a defensive Gu to protect his eyes. But the fact that he’s popping the eye into his socket means he succeeded! It’s been eight days since the battle. Lo Jik only left once to challenge someone after healing completely and revealing to others that he can fight. This dispelled others’ notions of finding trouble at his weak moments.
Since then, he’s finished another one of his projects. Despite earning over 48000 Primeval Stones from the viewership in Li Ran’s match, Lo Jik’s savings dropped to 900k. Refining these two Rank 4 Gu has been an expensive project. He failed several times.
Especially with the Heaven Piercing Eye Gu. Part of the reason why Lo Jik didn’t take it in the battle was that the Gu Worm was already injured and weak, needing to recuperate.
‘Let’s see.’
Lo Jik closes his right eye and keeps his left one open. Snow White essence surges into the eye as his irides discreetly glimmer nine colors. Suddenly, the world turns into shades of grey, black, and white.
Heaven Piercing Eye Gu’s effect is to see through things. This effect does not amplify as the rank rises. The Gu Worm’s range cannot be increased, too. After all, the Gu is connected with his brain and acts as a regular eye, limited to his eyesight. What the advanced Rank 4 Heaven Piercing Gu does upgrade is his peripheral vision! With his eyes closed, Lo Jik can gather information from the plane of 180°! It means Lo Jik’s vision won’t be impeded even if he loses his right eye.
But Lo Jik cannot look past the stone room.
He stops using the Rank 4 Gu. He consumed 20 portions of Peak Stage Snow White essence in a few breaths.
Lo Jik looks at his palm. On the surface of his left palm is a tattoo of a brown eye. This eye is life-like. At Lo Jik’s attention, the pupils of the tattoo shift to meet his gaze.
Rank 4 Earth Piercing Eye Gu!
Unlike the Heaven Piercing Eye, this Gu is slightly less strained to refine and use. However, its use is also limited. While the former sees through everything except the Earth and the living, the Earth Piercing Eye Gu ONLY looks through the Earth Qi.
Lo Jik places his palm on the stone floor and closes his eyes. The prompt from the Snow White Essence allows his mind to ‘see’ the underground as the brown pupil on his left palm moves. The vision simultaneously shifts.
It’s a weird sensation. However, Lo Jik has experienced strange things by now.
‘Using Heaven and Earth Piercing Eye Gu completes my scouting options. Unlike Heaven Piercing Eye Gu, the Earth Piercing Eye Gu has a 1-kilometer radius of range. But there is the act of touching the ground or other objects to ‘see’ instead of inserting the Eye Gu into my right socket.’
Lo Jik stops using the Gu and focuses on a few Gu inside his first Aperture. Lo Jik sold most of Li Ran’s Gu and kept the Rank 3 All-Out Effort Gu and the Explosive Strength Gu.
‘Fortunately, the Gu capable of replacing lifebound Vital Gu is rare and not easily found. I would have lost the All-Out Effort Gu and my cover to use the Rank 4 All-Out Effort Gu had Li Ran converted it to his Vital Gu.’
Lo Jik did not destroy this extra Gu. Life is uncertain. What if he needs this Gu Worm? Better yet. Can’t he use this Extinct Gu to parallel refine another extinct Gu?
‘I can convert the All-Out Effort Gu into Strength Qi, Hard Qi, Turn Phantom, and a few other Gu. However, I’m moderately confident in refining the Strength Qi, Self-Strength, and other Gu. Needlessly keeping the All-Out Effort is a waste, too. I can’t sell it either. It’s also a pity to destroy it.’
Lo Jik feels slightly troubled. He’s already made some progress in gathering the material for Strength Qi. So, he wants to wait before parallel refining the All-Out Effort Gu. It’s the classic case of possessing much wealth.
He thoughtfully rubs his bald head.
‘Battle Thoughts, Battle Will, Beast Will, Strong Soul, Multi-Headed Blood Beast—’ several recipes that may include or use the All-Out Effort Gu emerges in his mind. But choosing a new Gu at this instance has to be careful. He already has a set that minimizes the variety of needed food and has the potential to maximize his combat strength.
‘I should start thinking of ways to cover my weaknesses,’ Lo Jik focuses. He has two severe weaknesses—mind and soul.
‘Thoughts protect the mind, and Will guards the soul. But even Imaginative Strength only dabbled in the Wisdom and Soul Path. So, my knowledge is limited, too. What I do know is the Lightning Thoughts Gu is no longer suitable. It’s effective for Gu Masters like Wei Yang. But Gu Worms like Brave Thoughts and Brave Will are more tailored for me. Of course, the issue is my lack of foundation in Soul and Wisdom Path. But there’s not much I can do about that.’
This foundation is the use of Gu, like the Body Refinement Set.
‘Although using Gu like the Strong Soul Gu is enticing, Imaginative Strength cautioned against going overboard, or I could die. But I don’t need All-Out Strength to find Brave Thoughts and Will. I can directly purchase them.’
Lo Jik sighs after exhausting all possible options.
‘There’s not much use to this All-Out Effort Gu besides parallel refining it.’
The only decision to make is what Gu he should refine.
Lo Jik observes the dark-orange Bee inside his aperture—Explosive Strength—as he ponders.
<<<>>>
People ignore and move away from the hooded figure. The buildings around have metal platings, revealing a bronze texture. From afar, the entire city reveals an ancient, glamorous splendor. Gardens and rustic architecture meld together, forming a union of peace and justice. In the city’s heart, far up on the mountain peak, is a dark, aged tower that pierces through the cloud—Demon Suppression Tower!
This is the Tie Clan.
Unlike the Shang Clan, the Tie Clan does not cover an entire Mountain. However, its status is the same. The Tie Clan’s Demon Suppression Tower strikes fear into the hearts of every Demonic Gu Master. It’s the pride and joy of the Righteous Path.
Righteous.
Just.
Iron-Willed.
Kind.
These are the words used to describe the Tie Clansmen.
‘Pathetic,’ the cloaked figure sneers. ‘Hehehe. What shitty righteousness?’
He enters one of the alleys, staring at the beggars lingering around.
‘Would the kind Tie Clan not help them? So what if they are mortals? But they willingly ignore them.’
A figure appears in his mind.
‘Cui… sigh. Sorry, I still cannot visit you. I lost my aperture. I’m a mortal, too, even if I can sense the Primeval Energy in the air.’
He is Fang Zheng.
The youth enters the alley. One of the weak beggars moans a gibberish.
“Here.” Fang Zheng fishes a piece of bread and hands it to the beggar. Delight dances in the beggar’s eyes as he scoffs down the bread. Like this, Fang Zheng offers the bread to other beggars. Those who have the energy to speak will praise Fang Zheng.
“Wait, Hero.”
Fang Zheng stops as he stares at the purple-haired, wrinkled beggar. Messy hair covers the beggar’s eyes as his splitting grin reveals yellow teeth. The beggar chuckles as he questions.
“You are just, Hero. Why do you care for us beggars?” His voice is hoarse and unpleasant to hear. However, Fang Zheng reveals a patient expression.
“What do you mean, sir?” Fang Zheng’s nature changed after surviving the Blood Tide. His innate arrogance as a talent disappeared. It’s not due to his Aperture’s destruction. He realized how others used him despite his aptitude. What is talent worth in the hands of the weak-minded?
“All the beggars in the Tie Clan are criminals with crippled cultivation. We are the vilest of the bunch! Several lost their minds. Yet you bring food every day. Why?”
“Why not?” Fang Zheng smilingly sighs. He removes his cloak, revealing his monstrous right half. “Others treat me as if I’m hideous as the rest. Crimes befit punishment and judgment, not torture. That is not justice but vengeance. You may be a criminal, but you aren’t my enemy. So, I don’t wish to see you starve to death. If Tie Clan seeks your death, they must execute you.”
The purple-haired beggar eerily laughs. He wears tattered white clothes. A disgusting stench emanates around him. Fang Zheng belatedly realizes how other beggars are unconscious.
“You—”
“Righteousness, Justice, and Kindness—What do you seek, Hero?”
There is an enchanting power behind the beggar’s voice. His hair splits apart, revealing pitch-black eyes that reflect Fang Zheng’s face.
In those eyes, Fang Zheng views himself as an Immortal Hero, battling with the corrupt Righteousness and the Cruel Demons of the world. A wave of his hands turns the world upside down. Trees hear his will and capture his enemies.
“So that is Righteousness,” Fang Zheng whispers. “I will be my own man. I will be the Righteous, unhindered by the external forces. No. What would that achieve? I don’t want this Righteousness. I want revenge!”
In another moment, Fang Zheng sees himself dressed in a Golden Armor. His back is ramrod straight, and his expression fierce. Black hair flies wildly as Fang Zheng uses golden-colored weaponry to subdue his enemies and imprison them. He will recite them the laws and lay punishment.
“So that is Justice,” Fang Zheng sighs. “I will be the judge, jury, and the executioner. But laws are made by men. What use is it to follow such rules and call it Justice? Only the laws of Heaven are TRUE Justice. I don’t want this Justice. I want… No. It’s also not revenge that I want.”
The scene transitions. Fang Zheng sees himself as a Vagabond. He visits downtrodden hamlets. A wave of his hand creates food for everyone. Food provides energy and satisfies hearts and minds. The fighting stops wherever he goes. He gives clothes, shelter, and many other things.
“So this is Kindness. I will be the provider and the savior of the weak. I want to help. But this is only a temporary action. What will they do once I die? No, they need tribulations to strengthen themselves. I don’t want to be this Kind.”
“Then what do you seek?” The beggar croaks an ugly laugh.
“Wisdom,” Fang Zheng whispers. “I want to be wise enough to see the corrupt schemes of Righteousness and foil them.”
“I want to be wise enough to judge someone correctly and not make the same mistakes as I did with my Brother and other family.”
“I want to be wise enough to understand the limits of kindness. Yes. Revenge is empty. Even if I find the culprits, I want the Wisdom to let me understand my hatred is fickle.”
The beggar smiles and points at Fang Zheng.
A stream of purple light enters Fang Zheng’s mind as the Purple Beggar’s body slowly dematerializes into thin air.
<<<>>>
“Huff!”
Lo Jik exhales sharply.
‘Good! My progress has been smooth.’
First, Lo Jik fed the Rank 3 All-Out Strength Gu the qi water bubbles. Then he controlled rhinoceros beetle All-Out Strength to consume 180 Brown Qi Beetles. An aura of change appeared around All-Out Strength Gu as a sphere of light surrounded it. Next, Lo Jik let out seven Grand Brown Bear Strength Gu. These Rank 2 Gu turned into orbs of light one by one before fusing into the All-Out Strength’s Orb.
Lo Jik completed three more steps. Although they sound hard based on the tasks performed at every step, they were effortless.
It takes a lot to produce a Gu Worm like the Self-Strength Gu, even though it's Parallel Refinement.
Lo Jik releases the Rank 3 Feel Qi Gu. It’s one of the most common Rank 3 Qi Path Gu available.
The two light orbs shudder. The Feel Qi Gu revolves around the All-Out Strength Gu as if two magnets faced each other with the same poles. Instead of forcing the Gu to fuse and fail, Lo Jik focuses on the Feel Qi Gu.
Feel Qi Gu is like his body’s extension. So, Lo Jik can sense where the aura of repulsion is the weakest. Slowly letting the Feel Qi Gu hover around, Lo Jik’s eyes snap open. The Feel Qi Gu quickly pierces through the thin layer and combines with the All-Out Strength Gu.
‘Now.’
Lo Jik releases the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus.
This Gu is a sky-blue butterfly. A formless trail of qi follows it whenever it flaps its wings.
Rank 3 Strength Qi Gu! It’s another extinct Gu.
‘Strength Path is already on the decline. However, the Qi Path surfaced ages before the Strength Path. It was already declining during the era of Strength Path. It’s practically extinct now. Feel Qi Gu and other types are too basic and useless. But Gu like the Strength Qi, Refinement Qi, and others, are worth fighting over.’
‘I saved a lot on materials and Primeval Stones to parallel refine it. All I need is Self-Strength, and I can have the capital to compete with but also beat the Rank 4 Gu Masters. Hehe. It only extends to ordinary Rank 4 Gu Masters and the kind my Gu Set counters. The Essence’s consumption will be the most limiting factor.’
Strength Qi Gu is special. Why?
Its effect can be divided into two uses.
Strength Qi Gu releases the formless Qi of strength that multiplies the Gu Master’s physical might based on its rank. However, one can form a Killer Move using the Strength Qi and All-Out Effort Gu. Usually, a Gu Master communicates and combines 4-5 Gu to create a Killer Move. However, things are less challenging for the Strength Path Gu Master.
The formless Strength Qi has the dao of shaping Beast Phantoms. So, a Gu Master can release their Beast Phantoms using the All-Out Effort Gu and latch it onto the Strength Qi. A dao resonance occurs as the Rank 3 Gu Strength Qi Gu will give the Beast Phantom a material body AND alleviate its strength thrice! This is a Killer Move and a Strength Path Gu Master’s long-ranged method.
At Rank 4, the Strength Qi will multiply the Beast Phantom’s output by four!
Such smooth progress is almost addictive.
‘I also noticed something different. My success rate seems higher using the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus to refine the Primeval Stones and spit the natural energy without turning it into Primeval Essence.’
His gaze flashes.
‘The Primeval Stones hide some secrets? There is no aura of rejection when I use the Primeval Stones derived from the Lotus Gu. However, Primeval Stones earned from external sources ALWAYS produce the Aura of Rejection. What exactly is my Aperture rejecting?’
He narrows his eyes.
‘This world is too mysterious. The only way to explore mysteries is by being an able man. And the path to being able is to continue ahead and learn.’
Lo Jik thinks about another issue.
‘Just my first aperture already has several Gu.’
Rank 4 Borrow Strength and All-Out Effort Gu.
Rank 3 Feathered Boots, Pink Muscles, Superb Flesh, Three Tasks at Once, Thick Skin, Primeval Elder (Empty,) Eight-Sectioned Gourd, Little Giant, Self-Reliance, Hateful Strength, Fight Poison, Explosive Strength, Wise Cat Steps, Phantom Bow, and now the Strength Qi.
17 Gu!
Lo Jik hasn’t even begun counting others.
He has too many Gu.
But all of them will be used up or adjusted to the Gu Set.
Lo Jik will sell the Feathered Boots Gu after learning how to use Wings as a movement Gu for air mobility. The Rank 3 Feathered Boots already have a tough time working when Lo Jik transforms into Little Giant. Pink Muscles and Superb Flesh are crucial materials for the Elite Muscles Gu. Thick Skin will be advanced to the Thicker Skin Gu. Of course, Lo Jik is also looking for these Gu in auction sights. After all, refinement’s success isn’t a guarantee.
Primeval Elder doesn’t need much food. But it will be better to soon fuse the two Rank 3 Primeval Elder into the Rank 4 Variant since it can hold upto 10 Million Primeval Stones.
Eight-Sectioned Gourd is not part of a set and can no longer meet Lo Jik’s demand. Its food is also different from the rest. He wants to refine the Rank 4 One’s Closed Fist for storage needs. The food requirement will also become more uniform.
Little Giant shares the same food as the All-Out Strength Gu.
Self-Reliance, Fight Poison, and Phantom Bow also share the same ecosystem. The former consumes the red meat leaves. Meanwhile, the latter two consume the wood of the meat root tree that produces red meat leaves.
Wise Cat Steps will eventually enter the shared feeding cycle once refined into the Rank 4 Dragon Travel Tiger Steps Gu. Lo Jik already saw two of these Movement Gu in the shops. But they consume more Essence and are currently inefficient for Lo Jik.
Strength Qi and Hateful Strength are the most effortless to feed. Hateful Strength consumes the aura of resentment, which his body produces in a bundle. Meanwhile, the Rank 3 Strength Qi Gu consumes the Qi in the air.
The only issue is the Explosive Strength Gu.
It’s good enough to not be sold. But it also disrupts the Gu Set.
‘I will essentially have two food systems. One will cater to the set around the All-Out Effort Gu. The other will provide for the complementary Gu for the Borrow Strength Gu. Explosive Strength Gu doesn’t fit either system. But just because Imaginative Strength didn’t use it doesn’t mean I can’t.’
Lo Jik then smiles bitterly.
‘But that’s only when I have time to luxuriate myself with. Feeding every Gu costs money. I’m spending more than I earn. I will barely achieve an equilibrium after entering the Fourth Inner City’s Battle Stage.’
‘Still, the earnings from the Battle Stage fluctuate.’
‘I need another source of income to stay afloat and fund my cultivation.’
He smirks.
‘Gambling Rocks. If I'm lucky, I might open a Gu I need.’
Feeling his head hurt slightly, Lo Jik stretches his arms and tidies the room before exiting.
He needs some artificially produced fresh air from the Shang Clan’s Inner City.
‘Eh?’ He blinks when he steps out, smelling a subtle scent of someone else’s perfume.
‘We have visitors?’
He has an urge to instantly enter the Cultivation Room again. However, a proud voice chimes from the outside.
“I already know you exited. Come out. I waited for a junior for three days! Hmph! You’re lucky to have such a beautiful companion. Ah! Here~! Please drink this. This is one of the most famous soups in the city. Yes, yes. Is it delicious? Hehe. Junior Xin Ci? Are you not going to drink?”
‘The fuck?’
Lo Jik raises an eyebrow as he steps out. Light reflects on his bald head. His eyebrows are burnt away again as he looks weird in his loose clothing.
Several gazes land on him the moment he steps out.
‘Oh. That’s a lot of women,’ he blinks. ‘I see. It was inevitable. I charmed them all with the Giant’s dick.’
***
Alternative Title: Cultivation Do Be Easy With Resources and Time; Shang Clan Casually Being the MVP for Lo Jik’s Growth; Completed Scouting Set; Thoughts; The Tie Clan’s Monster; Beggars; Criminal’s Punishment; A Helping Hand; Purple Mountain Monarch Getting Freaky; Purple Beggar; The Need For Wisdom; Lacking Wisdom and Soul Foundation; Fang Zheng’s Opportunity; The Demon Suppression Tower; Lo Jik Casually Fucking Up The Heaven’s Will Inside Primeval Stones; Strength Qi; A Genuine Long-Ranged Method; Parallel Refining Goes Brrrrrr; Massive Collection of Gu; Costly Living; A New Source of Income; Lo Jik Made It; Giants Get All the Bitches
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