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🕑 Added 2024-12-27 14:58:28 +0000 UTCTitle: Scan The Dao
“And I’m not a pervert!” Yin-Yin persisted in clearing his good name, chewing as he spoke with spit flying out. “I had to clean you. Hunters taught me that it is easy to get infected. There was also that case about a disease spreading in the village…” he grew quiet. His shoulders tensed, and a moving sadness touched the boy’s expressive features. “My parents passed away last year because of a disease. Lord Gu Masters from Rhino Stomp Sect didn’t arrive on time.”
Bai Shou quietly ate rabbit meat before elegantly covering her face and smirking.
“Heh. Pervert.”
“I’m not a pervert!” Yin-Yin yelled and pouted. “I promised my mother to become an honest man and plan to become a Gu Master next year! I will DEFINITELY become a Gu Master and join Rhino Stomp Sect to elevate the Village’s status!”
Yin-Yin wasn’t that talkative after his parents’ loss, and Bai Shou understood her charms weren’t as divine as Bai Ning Bing, Su Shou/Chen Jiu, and Xin Ci or as amorous as Hu Mei Er. However, the boy was an unfortunate Rank 3 Blossoming Encounter Gu Worm’s victim.
Rank 3 Blossoming Encounter Gu was one of Hu Mei Er’s standard Gu Worm and her opening act whenever she met someone intriguing. This Gu Worm allowed the two parties to develop a relationship quicker through consistent conversation or banters. However, targeting someone with an unmoved heart, stoic mind, and controlled emotions boasted little to no effects.
Yin-Yin didn’t possess such qualities. Of course, Bai Shou couldn’t speak before. So, the Rank 3 Gu was useless. Instead, she used another one of Hu Mei Er’s Gu—Rank 2 Imprint Thought Gu.
It was a consumable Wisdom Path Gu worm capable of imprinting a command or an idea onto unprotected minds. Bai Shou instantly used it on Yin-Yin when the latter encountered her in the forest to have him drag her body to his home without other’s knowledge.
“Elder Sister,” Yin-Yin swallowed a nervous lump and dared not meet Bai Shou’s gaze. “Are you a…”
Bai Shou’s gaze turned strict as she chastised. “No, I’m not a prostitute, boy. You shouldn’t think about these things, especially after stripping a woman down!”
“NO!” Yin-Yin stammered and huffed. “I meant—are you a Gu Master!”
“Me?” Bai Shou blinked before covering her widening lips. “You thought I was a Gu Master?”
The woman sighed and shook her head.
“I’m not a Gu Master, Yin-Yin. But I do belong to a sect.”
“Really?” Yin-Yin’s eyes widened. They shimmered with curiosity as his further questions remained unspoken.
“Hmm,” Bai Shou nodded. “However, I was exiled and forced to never speak of its name, or something terrible would befall me. That was the reason why I was tossed into an unknown forest with such grave injuries.”
“Oh…” Yin-Yin deflated as the conversation around the table dampened into nothingness.
*Mreow*
—except for the cat’s purr.
Yin-Yin eventually went to sleep as Bai Shou thought about her circumstances.
Experiencing another Land was an eye-opener for Bai Shou despite possessing Imaginative Strength Immortal’s memories. Most of it was about the Gu Worms and its application instead of the latter’s personal life, so it wasn’t surprising.
However, there were already some glaring differences notable to Bai Shou.
One, the quality of life of mortals in the Central Continent was several times that of the mortal unaffiliated from a Clan in the Southern Border.
Since there were no Clans and the collected pool of Gu Masters centered within the Clans, resources were relatively more straightforward to attain by entering a Sect. The lack of a Clan System meant the Sects accepted every prospective and talented Gu Master blessed with a desirable aptitude, leaving those without enough talents to roam the lands and ascend as a Demonic Gu Master.
Still, it was a reasonably better life for mortals.
The existence of Sect was why Bai Shou wished to travel to the Central Continent!
It was selecting a Sect that needed contemplation. However, Bai Shou wasn’t worried.
She was currently bound to another dilemma, and it wasn’t the revival of the souls within her body.
There were two significant issues.
First, Bai Shou needed to feed the Divine Travel Gu.
Divine Travel Immortal Gu was a Rank 6 Immortal Gu worm, which consumed one of the Top Wines! She did not have such a treasure, and the Divine Travel Gu was starving. There was some hope in extending its survival using the Sustenance Gu… only if it didn’t end with Bai Shou’s demise.
You see, every Gu Worm has an aura, like Gu Masters. Just as a Gu Master could discern another Gu Master’s aura, they could also sense the aura of a Gu Worm to identify its rank.
Immortal Gu Worms were not different. They, too, possessed a unique aura that lingered for days!
Taking the Divine Travel Gu out of her body to feed it using the Sustenance Gu was burdened with the underlying risk of another Gu Immortal catching wind of the aura.
She shuddered at the thought.
So, getting enough Top-Rank wine was Bai Shou’s first priority.
Second…
Bai Shou was suppressed.
A formless pressure gathered around her Apertures, weakening the Essence surging within. Her Rank 4 Aperture displayed the Rank 3 cultivation, and the Second Aperture was suppressed to display Peak Stage Rank 4 Cultivation—although Bai Shou could hide her rank partially.
This was common.
Bai Shou’s body acclimated to the Southern Border’s Heaven and Earth Qi. Once a Gu Master crossed the Qi Walls separating the five regions, they would encounter another region’s Heaven and Earth Qi.
However, it wasn’t a permanent ailment.
Man is the spirit of all living beings!
A human’s adaptive nature was second to none, and a Gu Master acclimated to another region’s regional qi with enough time. When that happened, returning to their home region would raise such an issue again, forcing the Gu Master to acclimate to their home region’s qi.
If the Man was suppressed, the Gu wasn’t any better.
All of Bai Shou’s Gu Worm displayed the effects of a Gu Worm a rank lower, if not worse.
So, consider this.
Bai Shou used a Rank 5 Gu Worm using Rank 5 essence but barely displayed effects comparable to an attack used by an Initial Stage Rank 4 Gu Master—it was insanely inefficient!
Furthermore, a human’s adaption did not entail the Gu possessing the same ability.
Man is the spirit of all living beings, and the Gu is the essence of Heaven and Earth.
Being the essence of Heaven and Earth, the Gu Worms retain the aura of the region in which they were refined and created and did not adapt to the new region’s regional qi!
There was an exception to this rule, however.
The Immortal Gu.
Unlike the Mortal Gu Worms, the Immortal Gu were unique and could be moved anywhere without being suppressed.
Blessed with several nigh-extinct Gu, Bai Shou’s Gu Set was limited and suppressed. There were several Gu Worms whose loss meant a direct blow to her battle strength.
That is why she worked so hard to find the materials to refine the Human Adaptive Qi Gu invented by the Glorious Gacha Demon. Of course, she did not locate anything noteworthy.
There was another method.
‘I can fuse and refine the Rank 4 Gu into Rank 5 Gu. Since they would be condensed in the Central Continent, the refined Gu Worms would accept the regional qi and free themselves of the suppression…’
‘But what about the Rank 5 Gu Worms?’
She sighed.
Refining the Human Adaptive Qi was Bai Shou’s second priority.
And third…
‘Until I can rebuild my Strength and Refinement Gu Set, I must focus on another path. No, I still need the Refinement Path. But the Strength Path needs to wait. I cannot even use the Purple Relic Gu since they are suppressed and would produce half the effects. What should my third path focus be?’
Bai Shou wondered.
Soul Path was her most damning weakness, something that had already caused immense losses. However, she couldn’t do anything about it. Even her most recent protection against the Soul Path Gu—the Void Soul Gu, bit dust.
Blood Path was another enticing choice if Bai Shou had appeared anywhere else. Becoming a Blood Path Gu Master was the same level of disaster as Shang Mi Zhu chasing her.
She possessed master-level attainment in—Strength, Refinement, Earth, Poison, Transformation, Wisdom, Rule, Archery, Human, and Flying.
All these were viable paths.
Earth Path excelled in defense and traps.
Poison Path was the leading force of disease and corrosion.
The Transformation Path would be the easiest path to form a Gu Set out of compared to Bai Shou’s other options.
Wisdom Path was another outstanding choice IF Bai Shou had any relevant Inheritance. For that, she needed to wait for Hu Mei Er.
The Rule Path was riddled with several rare Gu and wasn’t a popular, mainstream path with readily available resources.
Archery and Flying were professions with limited futures.
The Human Path…
The Human Path was intriguing.
Despite boasting master-level attainment, Bai Shou knew little about the Human Path and its uses. But she understood that, like the Blood Path, the Human Path resources were readily available.
Humans.
In fact, Bai Shou’s most outstanding performance in the Human Path was to replace a few materials in the Blood Path Killer Move using HERSELF!
So, she knew the Human Path was a viable route.
‘I might also find a way to revert my gender,’ She considered her options.
The Path she chose must allow Bai Shou to fit into the Central Continent without raising suspicions AND benefit her growth. Refinement Path fulfilled the former, and she began believing the Human Path was fit to accomplish the latter.
The issue was Bai Shou would need to rely on herself to invent its offensive, defensive, movement, storage, and other categories of Gu Worms.
She had one advantage, however.
Like Bai Shou, the Imaginative Strenght Immortal was also intrigued by the Human Path and used the Rank 5 Particle Viewing Gu on human and variant human specimens. So, the former already had a decent understanding of the dao within humans and other variants.
‘There was also the option to utilize my trait… but I’m not sleeping with guys even if it would be infinitely easier to, and sleeping with a girl and having someone touch me down there…’
She huffed.
Sex was off the table for the Unchained Vagabond.
She did not desire to understand a woman’s pleasure in such an intimate fashion!
Either way, these three priorities covered her long-term and immediate goals. In addition to them, Bai Shou had to decide on a Sect and find a method to enter it.
Which sect would be the most beneficial to her?
Before that, how should she gather information?
‘There’s too much to do, and I’m still injured. Since I cannot do much, I should consider an Offensive Gu. I possess the library of ‘dao fragments’ related to Imaginative Strength scanned materials and experienced how the latter invented outstanding Gu like the Fickle Heart Strength Gu. Furthermore, I have the recipe for the Human Adaptive Qi Gu.’
‘Several materials for the Qi Gu are rare, but Imaginative Strength has already discovered their cheaper alternatives. I should try doing the same.’
‘Eh?’
Bai Shou froze in her spot, experiencing an electrifying sensation of enlightenment. The cloud of confusion in her mind cleared away under the sound of clapping thunder!
‘An Offensive Gu Worm doesn’t necessarily need to injure the target to harm them.’
Her eyes glowed as Bai Shou felt slightly fresh after days of ‘stale’ mornings.
‘I have enough attainment in Wisdom and Rule Paths to pull it off. Hmm, that’s good. I might just be able to create a half-decent Offensive Gu!’
<<<>>>
Days turned into months as the region around Bai Shou reveled in moderate temperatures, which were best for farming. It was neither too cold nor too hot. Yin-Yin spent his days learning from the only Village Teacher. Meanwhile, Bai Shou would occasionally use the Invisibility Gu to hide after noticing the arrival of the Gu Masters from the Rhino Stomp Sect.
The mortals ushered in peace due to the sect, so paying taxes was natural. But there wasn’t any on-duty guard like the Gu Yue Village used to plan in the surrounding hamlets to maintain control.
Whenever alone, Bai Shou used the Particle Viewing Gu to add more drafts to her mental library. She also used several Dreamer Gu Worms to accumulate attainment. Being a Grandmaster was nowhere near in sight. However, she managed to gain another ordinary level of attainment—Ice.
And soon, the new year rose from the horizon.
Yin-Yin teemed with nervousness as he was well-dressed and pacing near the hut’s exit.
“Relax,” a firm but soft hand pressed onto his shoulder. “Being worried won’t change the result, Yin-Yin.”
The boy matched Bai Shou’s gaze and nodded.
“I understand, Elder Sister… The Gu Masters from the Sect would take some of us kids away. Will you be well?”
Bai Shou snickered, smacking the back of the kid’s head, much to the latter’s annoyance.
“Who do you think you are talking to, brat? Worry about yourself at this moment.”
The boy scoffed and muttered under his breath before leaving.
“I will be back as a Gu Master, Elder Sister!” He announced as he ran away.
‘Good luck,’ Bai Shou shrugged. Her injuries healed steadily, and though not fully recovered, she did not suffer from sudden headaches or partial paralysis.
‘Well, it’s time I leave, too. Though weaker in the Central Continent, the Heavenly Soul Dew Gu should be able to perfectly heal the rest of the injuries. Sigh, it nearly took me three months to recover to this point…’
She didn’t wait and disappeared in front of the cat, utilizing the Invisibility Gu to sneak out of the village to follow Yin-Yin and the Gu Masters from the Rhino Stomp Sect.
Why else would she need to locate a Sect if not for Gu Worms and materials?
‘There is also the Human Adaptive Qi Gu. I’ve roughly modified the recipe and must perform tests to perfect it. It should lower the difficulty of refining the Gu by 30% using more common materials.’
Others would gape in shock at such improvements!
Then again, Bai Shou was stacked with several attainments and True Meaning.
As Bai Shou followed the group riding massive Rank 3 Rhino Steed Gu, she wondered about the Theft Path.
It wasn’t like she lacked recipes. Refining Theft Path Gu and using it to steal from and plunder others would simplify her journey by a ridiculous degree.
Just…
The materials were too rare.
The mortal Theft Path recipes were icing on the cake—the True Inheritance…
Fake Aperture…
It was one of the sources of inspiration for Bai Shou's Human Path invention. However, it was nowhere near the finish line.
‘The Fake Aperture Immortal Gu and the Second Aperture Immortal Gu also share similarities in refinement, especially using the Lifespan Gu. But what path does the Lifespan Gu belong to?’
She only had one Lifespan Gu, which was too precious to be devoured by the Particle Viewing or the Dreamer Gu.
‘But I know what the Lifespan’s ‘Dao’ looks like,’ She mused idly, displaying polished skill despite being bedridden for months.
Idly musing and following, Bai Shou soon reached her destination.
The Rhino Stomp Sect.
<<<>>>
Like the organization in the Southern Borther, the Clan System, the Central Continent also categorized its organizations into broad levels: Small-Sized, Mid-Sized, Large-Sized, and Super.
In the Southern Border, a Clan was ranked based on the Clan Leader’s cultivation, alongside the Elders’ abilities. Meanwhile, the only consideration of being a Super Clan was to birth a Gu Immortal.
However, the ranking of organizations in the Central Continent was based on concise requirements relayed by a Higher force.
A small-sized sect must boast one Peak Stage Rank 3 Sect Leader, five Initial Stage Rank 3 Sect Elders, and at least 200 Disciples.
A mid-sized sect must boast one Rank 4 Sect Leader of any minor stage, seven Initial Stage Rank 3 Sect Elders, and more than 500 Disciples.
A large-sized sect must be led by a Rank 5 Gu Master, stabilized by a minimum of two Rank 4 and eight Rank 3 Elders, and accommodate 800 disciples!
So, no matter the Sect Leader’s rank, they always began from a small-sized sect and worked their way up the ranks by accumulating human resources.
The conditions, however, were more stringent for the Super Forces.
The Central Continent boasted the highest concentration of Gu Immortals compared to other lands. At least, that’s what Bai Shou surmised after studying the several Immortal Inheritances.
Indeed, birthing a Gu Immortal should advance a large-sized sect into a Super Force. However, the Ten Ancient Sects ruled the Central Continent and enjoyed most of its resources under the hegemony known as the Heavenly Court.
In layman’s terms…
The Ten Ancient Sects were the Super Clan’s equivalent in the Central Continent.
Meanwhile, the elusive and mythical Heavenly Court is what one would rank as a Super… DUPER Force.
No other continent had anything equivalent to the Heavenly Court!
But contending with the Heavenly Court or the Ten Ancient Sects wasn’t in the minds of the mortal sects, who prepared to accept talented Gu Masters every new year.
Unburdened by the Clan Systems and restricting the ability to become a Gu Master based on bloodlines, the Central Continent’s mortals shared relatively fair progress in life, and all had a chance to awaken their apertures.
So, the Sects enjoyed a pick of talents from a massive pool of ‘applicants’ and only selected Gu Masters with at least B-Grade Aptitude.
The rest?
Well, someone had to make the Demonic Faction proud, right?
Rhino Stomp Sect was a mid-sized clan based on the modestly fertile Spirit Plains. Their signature Gu was the Rank 3 Rhino Steed, which they used to control the plains and use the resources grown within to trade with other sects.
The sect's most notable achievement was the Sect Leader's dealings with the notorious bandit group nine years ago. The Sect Leader publicly imprisoned the Bandit Group after rumors of the Bandit Group using the Blood Gu spread like wildfire.
Nobody wanted a rampant Demonic Gu Master with Blood Gu in their backyards, so the Rhino Stomp Sect promptly took action before experiencing a grave disaster.
Built on a flat plain, the sect was like a massive fortress surrounded by several Rhinoceros Groups grazing the land. Colorful banners decorated the sect’s towers as several Gu Masters returned with crowds of young children to test.
‘This sect is already more outstanding than the Gu Yue Clan,’ Bai Shou observed, stopping near the edge of the sect’s perimeters. ‘The Clan did not have a sect-wide formation protecting it from infiltrators. However, it must only be the initial defense.’
Bai Shou instantly looked past the decent security formation.
‘The popularity of the Sect System suggests a slightly better system of exchanging information and inheritances. It’s no wonder even mid-sized Sects have enough resources to build such a formation.’
She had little interaction with the Formation Path but understood its basic uses and how to get around it.
‘It’s a Metal Path formation that alerts the Formation Master about any intruder. The Formation Master then activates the formation to immobilize the enemy using…’
Bai Shou searched the formation using the Heaven and Earth Before My Eyes Gu.
‘Ah, there it is. The Rank 4 Flaming Chain Gu.’ She hummed. ‘The entire formation is based around that Gu Worm.’
‘It should be easy enough to sneak in.’
Bai Shou snuck past the formation point before raising any alarm. She could see through the Gu and materials hidden in the walls and the ground. Soon, she reached her destination.
The Underground Prison.
Maintaining her invisibility, Bai Shou navigated through the dungeon and located a relatively isolated cell.
‘Let’s start with the Killer Move.’
She stopped using the Invisibility Gu and observed the sleeping prisoner. The dungeon was cold and damp, with the guards following their routine—leaving Bai Shou little time to achieve her objectives lest she was forced to spill innocent blood. Well, she didn’t think all the Gu Masters from the righteous sects were innocent or just… but why poke a hornet’s nest when suppressed by the surroundings?
As for the Killer Move?
Well… Bai Shou noticed how inefficient it was to destroy a material or a Gu to understand its structure. Imaginative Strength also realized the fact and tried to create a Killer Move centered around the Particle Viewing Gu. However, the latter did not achieve satisfactory results.
Meanwhile, Bai Shou had the Rank 5 Heaven and Earth Before My Eyes.
If her instincts were correct—which they usually were—Bai Shou knew she could form a satisfying Killer Move.
She previously did not have enough time to think outside of planning her escape to the Southern Border. However, the last few months were different, allowing Bai Shou to start studying and digesting the gains from the inheritances.
Rank 3 Derivation Mind Gu.
Rank 5 Heaven and Earth Before My Eyes Gu.
Rank 5 Half Transformation Gu.
Rank 5 Particle Viewing Gu.
Killer Move: Scan The Dao.
