Chapter 13: 13 Narrow Escape: A Lucky Escape, Qi Tian Arrives at Shangjia City
"That was close!" Qi Tian said in relief after narrowly escaping.
At this moment, the cyan-green Bikong Gu poison in his body slowly converged into his fingers. The cyan, which was a Qing Bamboo Snake, was biting the tip of his finger, absorbing the Bikong Gu poison.
The Qing Bamboo Snake originally lived in the blue sky, feeding on Bikong Yuzhu, which was also the Bikong Gu. In other words, the Qing Bamboo Snake was the nemesis of the Bikong Gu.
Qi Tian was fortunate to have escaped alive thanks to it. Previously, Qi Tian had used a Swallowing Toxin Frog to detoxify, but the frog couldn't withstand the Bikong Gu poison either, and after consuming part of the poison, it turned into blue light.
The Qing had grown quite a bit since it swallowed a large number of Yuzhu Eggs last time. This time, swallowing the Bikong Gu poison would likely cause it to molt and rise to the level of the King of Beasts. In a way, it was thanks to Long Qingtian.
"He ventured deep into the Yin Cloud Marsh, probably related to that inheritance. It's also possible that his Bikong Gu came from there. No wonder he hunted me down; he probably didn't want me to discover his secret."
Qi Tian wasn't resentful about Long Qingtian's pursuit. Survival of the fittest was the norm in this world. Unlike some protagonists in novels who seek revenge on the whole family after being offended, Qi Tian felt that such old plot twists were overused.
Those who achieve great things do not stick to rigid principles. Like Han Xin from Chinese history, he endured humiliation in his youth but didn't seek revenge when he became successful.
In this world, everything is driven by interests. Just like Feng Jinhuang, in the early stages of his bet with Fang Yuan, it was purely for personal satisfaction. But later, when they matured, this bet turned from a contest of pride to a battle over interests.
After escaping the danger, Qi Tian began to sort through his gains from this experience.
The core Gu of Liu Rulong was the Four-turned Strength Gu, which could turn the illusory form of strength into a tangible force, creating Qi power. It served as a bridge between strength and Qi paths.
Liu Rulong's secondary cultivation was strength, and among these Gu insects, he also had a strength-type Gu, the Four-turned Biao Li Gu. According to his biography, he could at least lift five Biao-strengths, and clearly, he had used five Biao Li Gus and corresponding Beast胎 Gus, though only one was left behind.
For defense, he had the Four-turned Qi Armor Gu, which could form a transparent Qi armor, a classic Qi-path defensive Gu. If paired with another Gu like the Explosion Qi Gu, it would cause the armor to explode in a burst of strength comparable to the force of physical power, turning the Qi Armor Gu into a versatile weapon for both offense and defense.
For auxiliary purposes, he had the Four-turned Qi Source Gu and Qi Lock Gu. The former reduced the real essence consumption of Qi-path Gu, while the latter made the released Qi more condensed. His movement ability came from the Four-turned Dragon Walk Tiger Step Gu.
Among these, the ones most useful to Qi Tian were the Qi Source Gu and Qi Lock Gu. Both could be incorporated into his signature attack, Qi Yuan Slash.
The Qi Source Gu reduced essence consumption, but it still consumed more mental energy due to being a Four-turned Gu.
The Qi Lock Gu was easy to find, but most were of lower turns and were often used for covering smells. A Four-turned version was rare. It consumed less essence, making it useful for refining Qi Yuan Slash, ensuring the energy released was more condensed.
As for the Biao Li Gu, Qi Tian currently possessed the strength of a pig and a wolf. Due to body modifications, he was far from reaching his limit and could still increase his strength with one more Biao Li Gu. The Biao also had wings, allowing flight, and since his primary mobility Gu was the Eagle Wing Gu, the Biao Li Gu would enhance his flying speed.
As for the Strength Gu, although valuable, it was not particularly useful for Qi Tian. First, his foundational strength was insufficient; adding the Biao Li Gu would only strengthen his weaker aspects. Second, it consumed too much essence, which Qi Tian could not afford at the moment. Lastly, without a full-strength Gu, the output of beastly energy would be unstable.
Regarding the Qi Armor Gu and Explosion Qi Gu, they were excellent Four-turned Gu, but Qi Tian couldn't use them due to the high essence consumption at this point.
Additionally, Qi Tian already had the Eagle Wing Gu for primary movement, making the Dragon Walk Tiger Step Gu unsuitable for him.
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Six months later.
Shanglian Mountain, in front of the gate to Shangjia City.
"Form an orderly line, one at a time! To enter Shangjia City, each person must pay ten Yuan Stone. Once inside, Gu use is prohibited. Violators will be imprisoned for at least seven days!" The guard shouted loudly.
Qi Tian, moving with the crowd, slowly approached the city gates.
"Stop, young master." A guard approached Qi Tian at the gates.
Qi Tian, dressed in fine clothes, did not appear ordinary, so the guard was very polite.
"Here are twenty Yuan Stones," Qi Tian tossed a purse toward him.
After confirming everything was in order, the guard stepped aside, allowing Qi Tian to pass.
Shangjia City prioritized profit; as long as one could afford the Yuan Stones, entry was allowed.
Each day, many demonic Gu masters came to Shangjia City, selling stolen goods and buying Gu creatures to replenish their stocks. Shangjia City was one of the best places for such transactions.
Qi Tian had made several explorations over the past six months, and while the gains were not as substantial as Liu Rulong's, they still amounted to a fair wealth.
After all, Four-turned Gu were rare, and few left behind substantial legacies or inheritances. Of the few treasures Qi Tian obtained, most were from Three-turned Gu, with only one Four-turned one, and the number of Gu was minimal.
The inherited treasures he uncovered were mostly unnecessary to him, but could be of great value if traded. Shangjia City was an ideal place to sell them.
Qi Tian passed through the tall city gates and entered a spacious street.
The street was bustling with people, and tall, straight green trees lined both sides of the road. Sunlight filtered through, creating a shaded path. Various food stalls, selling pancakes, tofu, vegetables, and trinkets, were set up under the trees.
After walking for a while, Qi Tian began to see tall bamboo houses and yellow mudbrick buildings or white-walled, gray-tiled brick houses. Shops, taverns, inns, and blacksmiths appeared in succession.
Four Seasons Tavern
Half an hour later, Qi Tian stopped in front of a five-story building.
The building had white walls, black tiles, and red pillars. The aroma of alcohol and food wafted from inside. It was one of the most famous taverns in Shangjia City.
"Welcome, honored guest," the shop attendant said, greeting Qi Tian warmly.
"Are you a Gu master?" the attendant asked cautiously as he led the way.
"Of course," Qi Tian replied with a smile.
The attendant quickly bowed, saying, "Please, upstairs, honored guest!"
Upon reaching the stairs, the attendant stopped, and a young, beautiful girl came over. With a sweet voice, she asked, "Honored guest, which floor would you prefer? Our Four Seasons Tavern has five floors. The first floor is for ordinary people, the second for First-turn Gu masters, the third for Second-turn Gu masters with a 20% discount on food, the fourth for Third-turn Gu masters with a 50% discount, and the fifth for Fourth-turn Gu masters, where meals are free."
Qi Tian smiled, "Let's go to the fourth floor."
The attendant's expression grew even more respectful, and she performed a gesture of utmost courtesy, saying, "Please show your true essence, honored guest."
Moments later, Qi Tian sat at a reserved spot on the fourth floor, where a full spread of delicacies was laid out before him.
While enjoying the food, Qi Tian reflected on his progress.
"It's been two and a half years since I reincarnated. My cultivation has risen from the beginning of Second-turn to the peak of Third-turn. If I include the year before my rebirth, it's only been three and a half years. This pace isn't much slower than the Ten Absolute Bodies."
"But this is mainly due to my frequent use of Shenli Gu. Since I have the experience of my previous life, using it in large amounts doesn't cause any drawbacks. Shenli Gu is the best way for someone like me to level up."
"Especially once I reach the Fourth-turn, progression becomes very slow, and it slows down even more at the Fifth-turn. To normally reach the Fifth-turn peak takes decades. Even for descendants of large families, with abundant resources and the benefit of practicing in blessed lands, it still takes quite some time."
"However, the Golden Shenli Gu is under the control of large families and doesn't appear in the market, and the Purple Crystal Shenli Gu is even harder to find. So, I need to prepare early. Once I break through to Fourth-turn, I must go to Zhongzhou as soon as possible."
"With resources from blessed lands, I'll have much more room to grow than struggling with ordinary Gu in the Southern Border."
And so, Qi Tian began to plan for his next steps in the city.