Longevity: Starting from Refining Gu

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Chen Qing showed no sign of fear. After all, many people knew he was there; if something happened today, not even Xiao Zhong could clarify it.

Chen Qing walked into the room, where Xiao Zhong poured him a cup of tea and gestured for him to sit opposite him.

"Chen, I kept you back to share some secrets."

Chen Qing became serious, "Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

Xiao Zhong pondered for a moment before speaking, "I've reviewed your record of managing the sect's Spiritual Field with your Gu. Your Grass Spirit Gu can handle around eight acres a day, right?"

Chen Qing nodded.

Xiao Zhong continued, "That's about right. My Grass Spirit Gu was ready for advancement when it could manage around eight acres."

"Your Gu, it is very likely on the brink of advancing."

"This is both your fortune and your shackle."

Chen Qing asked, "What do you mean?"

Xiao Zhong replied, "You've been preparing for advancement from the start, but the materials needed for advancement aren't the same as those for improving quality. The materials required for advancement cannot be settled with a few thousand Spirit Stones."

"I've listed the materials my Grass Spirit Gu consumed upon advancement. Remember them."

Xiao Zhong took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and pushed it toward Chen Qing.

Chen Qing picked it up and examined it closely. The materials listed estimated to be around fifty thousand lower-grade Spirit Stones!

At this point, Xiao Zhong felt somewhat proud, "I was fortunate. Generally, the advancement of a Grass Spirit Gu requires about a hundred thousand lower-grade Spirit Stones."

Chen Qing was secretly alarmed. Even if he could save two thousand Spirit Stones a year, without this information, striving to cultivate a Grass Spirit Butterfly would take fifty years.

This was with good fortune and starting with the intention of advancement from obtaining the Grass Spirit Gu.

Others weren't like him; they had to slowly cultivate their Grass Spirit Gu step by step, which also required a large number of Spirit Stones.

Moreover, before cultivating to high quality, they wouldn't earn as many Spirit Stones per day as he did.

Besides, cultivation also required Spirit Stones.

In other words, throughout their lives, ordinary people couldn't cultivate a Grass Spirit Butterfly.

This is only discussing cultivating a single Grass Spirit Gu.

Xiao Zhong explained, "The ones I've circled are the materials I speculate to be most likely needed; note them down, Junior Brother."

After a quarter of an hour, Xiao Zhong asked, "Did you memorize everything, Junior Brother?"

Chen Qing nodded.

Xiao Zhong took the paper, placed it into the red clay stove beside him, and burned it to ashes.

Though uncertain of the truth in this information, since the other party had good intentions, Chen Qing still gratefully cupped his hands, "Thank you, Senior Brother, for your generous gift. I'll surely remember it!"

Xiao Zhong smiled, "Then you may return, Junior Brother. I wish your Grass Spirit Gu becomes a butterfly soon."

Chen Qing nodded earnestly, "Okay, Senior Brother."

Returning to his cave abode, Chen Qing lay on his bed, reflecting on the remaining number of Spirit Stones he had, suppressing the urge to count them again.

"Thus it seems the normal approach won't allow for Butterfly Transformation."

"Yet I've heard quite a bit about cultivators owning butterfly Gu."

"Xiao Zhong is one, the Mountain Master certainly, and several elders inside the sect, too."

"Normal accumulation can't lead to Butterfly Transformation. It's either relying on the forebears' accumulations or there remains only one path."

"To kill and loot brings wealth unseen; fortune rises from such paths."

"This cultivation world is even more ruthless than I imagined."

Half a month passed slowly; on this day, after finishing his work, Chen Qing wandered the market at the foot of the mountain and bought some rice and meat, intending to head home.

While walking in a dark alley, a shadow suddenly rushed overhead, roof-hopping, and upon noticing Chen Qing, suddenly tossed a black bundle at him.

Before Chen Qing understood what he had received, he saw three fellow disciples of Wuyou Mountain chasing from behind.

"Are you also a disciple of Wuyou Mountain?"

Chen Qing cupped his hands, "I am indeed a disciple of Wuyou Mountain!"

The leading disciple inquired, "Did you see a shadow pass by just now?"

Chen Qing quickly pointed in the direction the shadow left, "What happened, Senior Brother, was it an Evil Cultivator?"

The lead disciple replied seriously, "Not only an Evil Cultivator but a major one. It seems he is from the Jiguang Sect!"

"You should hurry back. We need to pursue him!"

Chen Qing nodded, praying that these three Senior Brothers could cut down that inexplicable shadow as he walked away.

The man in black clutched his chest, leaped over the wall, and ran on the roofs.

Just after killing Wild Dog Daoist to seize this Ghost Mask, he was discovered by the disciples of Wuyou Mountain, how unlucky.

Yet, it didn't matter, as he was the only third level of Qi Refinement cultivator in the market today; once healed, retrieving the Ghost Mask wouldn't be too late.

Even Chen Qing couldn't have guessed, his third level of Qi Refinement, an astonishingly low cultivation, would make him a feature.

...

Back in his cave, Chen Qing opened the black package.

He assumed it might be some treasure, if not Spirit Stones.

Instead, it contained only a bronze ghost mask, looking peculiar.

"Is this a token of the Jiguang Sect?"

Having been in this world for almost a year, Chen Qing remembered hearing about the Jiguang Sect's terrible reputation.

It was said that thousands of years ago, the Jiguang Sect was already very active but declined after the fall of their Sect Hierarch.

The Jiguang Sect was a mysterious organization, communicating solely through these Ghost Masks.

Another characteristic of the Jiguang Sect was that its members didn't know each other.

Wearing the Ghost Mask, consciousness would enter a special place where the mask would conceal all information.

As Chen Qing heard, the bronze ghost mask was but a token of the smallest branch of the Jiguang Sect.

As for the evil Sect Hierarch who created this bronze ghost mask and was the only one to control it, he'd long passed away.

It's said now that many factions exist within the Jiguang Sect, even in prestigious and orthodox sects. (1. It was universally known that the terminal controller of the Jiguang Sect's Ghost Mask has died. 2. Even the terminal controller couldn't know each person's identity or chat information, as this feature wasn't set by the Jiguang Sect's founder. Don't question the absurdity, as even members of the Jiguang Sect find it absurd. Walk my path, do my deed, illuminate with my light, and wear my mask, what difference is there to Jiguang?)

"I really don't know what the situation with this cult is."

Chen Qing put on the strange bronze ghost mask, and his consciousness entered a magical space.

It appeared to be a cloud platform constructed in the sky, with a long table in the center, the table having twelve seats.

Five on each side and one at each end.

When Chen Qing's consciousness appeared here, he found himself seated in the second seat on the right-hand side.

Here, besides himself, were two other individuals, one being a woman in red with a bronze ghost mask.

The red-clad woman's figure was impressive, with a single ponytail, though her face was entirely obscured.

The woman in red sat across from him, observing him with interest.

On Chen Qing's left, a strong male cultivator was seated.

When Chen Qing first arrived, he half-expected the Evil Cultivators to be discussing how to wreak havoc on the world, brewing some earth-shattering conspiracy, but these two were enthusiastically discussing Gu cultivation.

Seeing Chen Qing arrive, they were surprised for a moment before calming down again.

It didn't seem like the cult Chen Qing imagined.

The male cultivator snapped his folding fan open, courteously asking, "The Wild Dog Daoist must be dead by now. May I ask how to address the Fellow Daoist who now has the mask?"

Though the mask insulated detection, Chen Qing could still feel the gaze of both people focusing on him.

At that moment, Chen Qing suddenly had a bold idea.

He recalled a book he'd once read.

Online social platforms, after all, are all the same.

Though he wasn't the meeting's host, it didn't matter, not in the least deterring his plan to play a mysterious role.

He came just for fun; joining the Jiguang Sect was never his intention.

I, Chen Qing, a dignified disciple of the renowned and orthodox Wuyou Mountain, how could I possibly join an evil cult?

Hence, he extended his right hand on the table, tapping his index finger on the surface.

"It's been too long, my name I have almost forgotten."

"If you must give me a name,"

"Then, you may call me,"

"Taichu."

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