Chapter 3 – The First Refinement
The morning after the awakening ceremony, the newly awakened Gu Masters gathered once again inside the academy.
Unlike yesterday's excitement, today's atmosphere was much quieter.
Everyone knew what awaited them.
Their first Gu worm.
The Academy Elder stood before the class with his hands clasped behind his back.
"You have all awakened your apertures."
"From today onward, you are Gu Masters."
"The clan shall provide each of you with one Rank One Gu worm."
"Your aptitude determines your order of selection."
"No objections."
No one spoke.
In the Gu World, resources belonged to the strong.
The talented naturally received the best treatment.
Soon, the students followed the elder into the clan's Gu Treasury.
Rows upon rows of jade shelves stretched throughout the hall.
Each transparent jade container housed a different Gu worm.
Some glowed faintly.
Others slumbered quietly.
Each emitted a unique aura.
Li Tianyu calmly swept his gaze across them.
Blazing Ember Gu.
A common Fire Path Gu capable of releasing bursts of flame.
Spark Gu.
Small, inexpensive, and often used as the foundation of countless Fire Path killer moves and refinement recipes.
Flame Blade Gu.
Compressed flames into a sharp crescent slash.
Wind Blade Gu.
A Wind Path Gu capable of releasing invisible blades of wind.
Swift Breeze Gu.
Temporarily increased movement speed.
Whirlwind Gu.
Created spiraling gusts capable of disrupting attacks.
Wind Feather Gu.
Reduced body weight, greatly increasing agility.
Most of them were ordinary Rank One Gu.
For beginners...
They were more than sufficient.
One student after another entered the treasury.
The three A-grade geniuses naturally chose first.
They selected the finest Rank One Gu available.
Next came the B-grade students.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Then the C-grade students.
Finally...
The D-grade students.
By the time Li Tianyu stepped inside, most of the highly sought-after Gu had already been taken.
He wasn't disappointed.
Instead, he quietly wandered through the shelves.
His eyes examined each Gu one by one.
Eventually...
He stopped.
Inside a jade container rested a tiny golden Gu resembling a miniature cicada.
Its translucent wings shimmered like sunlight.
Beside it rested a small wooden plaque.
Sunny Thought Gu.
Fire Path • Wisdom Path.
Produces warm, positive thoughts, suppressing distracting emotions and allowing the user to maintain exceptional concentration.
Li Tianyu smiled.
"I'll take this one."
Compared to offensive Gu...
He valued his own mind more.
The elder nodded before recording the selection.
From that day onward...
Sunny Thought Gu became Li Tianyu's first Gu.
---
Several days later...
The academy had only just begun its lessons when Li Tianyu sought out the Academy Elder.
"Elder."
"I wish to transfer to the Refinement Hall."
The elder raised an eyebrow.
Very few academy students voluntarily chose refinement.
Most preferred combat.
Still...
There were no rules preventing it.
After a brief moment of thought, he nodded.
"So be it."
From then onward, Li Tianyu became one of the few students studying refinement.
The Refinement Hall was far quieter than the combat grounds.
Only a dozen students attended.
Their instructor was an elderly refinement master whose hair had long since turned white.
Under his guidance, they learned the fundamentals of refinement.
The identification of immortal and mortal materials.
The habits of different Gu worms.
The precise control of primeval essence.
The principles governing Gu refinement.
Days quietly slipped by.
One month passed in the blink of an eye.
At the end of the month, the refinement elder gathered everyone together.
"If any of you wish to attempt Gu refinement..."
"The hall is willing to lend you recipes and refinement materials."
He paused briefly.
"However."
"Everything except the recipe itself must be repaid within one year."
"If you fail to repay your debt..."
"You shall owe double."
"If you possess sufficient primeval stones, you may naturally purchase the materials outright."
The students nodded.
Most of them possessed little wealth.
Borrowing was their only option.
The elder's gaze merely swept past Li Tianyu before moving on.
A D-grade aptitude.
Not worth paying much attention to.
Li Tianyu remained indifferent.
No one in this world owed him anything.
If he wished to rise...
He would have to rely upon himself.
Soon afterward, he borrowed a refinement recipe.
Blazing Heart Gu Recipe.
A Rank One Fire Path Gu.
Along with the recipe came two Rank One Fire Path Gu worms and the necessary refinement materials.
Everything except the recipe totaled twenty-five primeval stones.
If he failed to repay them within a year...
The debt would double to fifty.
Returning to his room, Li Tianyu quietly unfolded the recipe.
He carefully memorized every refinement step.
Every material.
Every timing.
Every possible point of failure.
Only after committing everything to memory did he slowly close the scroll.
Ever since arriving in this world...
He had possessed a strange feeling.
Whenever he looked upon a Gu worm...
He felt an indescribable sense of familiarity.
As though the Gu naturally wished to draw close to him.
Perhaps it was merely his imagination.
Perhaps not.
Regardless...
That intuition had never disappeared.
He activated Sunny Thought Gu.
Four percent of his Rank One Initial Stage light green copper primeval essence quietly flowed into the Gu.
Warm thoughts filled his mind.
His heartbeat gradually slowed.
Every distracting emotion quietly vanished.
His thoughts became incomparably clear.
Calm.
Focused.
He carefully arranged every refinement material.
The two Rank One Gu rested at the center of the refinement formation.
Primeval stones surrounded them.
Streams of primeval essence slowly entered the formation.
The Gu gradually dissolved.
The surrounding materials transformed into countless crimson threads of light.
Time slowly passed.
Sweat dripped from Li Tianyu's forehead.
The Gu resisted one another.
The balance of the refinement became increasingly unstable.
Several times...
The entire process nearly collapsed.
One mistake...
Would mean complete failure.
As the refinement approached its conclusion...
The crimson light suddenly erupted into chaos.
The formation violently trembled.
"It's failing..."
Li Tianyu's eyes narrowed.
Then...
That familiar feeling appeared once again.
No...
It was stronger than ever before.
An indescribable intuition filled his heart.
Without conscious thought...
He slightly altered the flow of his primeval essence.
It wasn't recorded within the recipe.
Nor had anyone taught him such a method.
It simply...
Felt right.
The chaotic flames immediately stabilized.
The scattered crimson light converged once more.
Everything returned to perfect balance.
Moments later...
A tiny crimson Gu quietly descended into his palm.
It resembled a crystal heart wrapped in scarlet flames.
Li Tianyu remained silent.
His first refinement...
Had succeeded.
Blazing Heart Gu.
A Rank One Fire Path Gu capable of increasing the power and stability of Fire Path attacks.
Its market value was approximately sixty primeval stones.
The materials he had borrowed were worth only twenty-five.
In a single refinement...
Their value had more than doubled.
To ordinary Gu Masters...
Such a feat bordered on the impossible.
Gu refinement was among the most difficult professions in the Gu World.
Possessing a recipe did not guarantee success.
Every refinement demanded precise control over primeval essence.
Perfect timing.
An understanding of every material.
And the ability to adapt when unexpected changes occurred.
Most beginners failed dozens of times before their first success.
Many failed hundreds.
Even acknowledged geniuses required repeated attempts before succeeding alone.
Yet Li Tianyu...
Had succeeded on his very first attempt.
Without guidance.
Without prior experience.
Without making a single genuine mistake.
He carefully placed Blazing Heart Gu into his aperture beside Sunny Thought Gu before sitting down to meditate.
Several dozen minutes later...
After recovering a portion of his primeval essence...
He quietly left the refinement room.
Outside, the refinement elder stood waiting.
"How did it go?"
Li Tianyu respectfully lowered his head.
"I failed."
The elder nodded without surprise.
"Any backlash?"
"My soul suffered a slight shock."
"My body is unharmed."
"Good."
"Return and rest."
"Yes, Elder."
Li Tianyu bowed before quietly departing.
The elder watched him leave before turning his attention elsewhere.
A D-grade youth failing his first refinement...
Was the most ordinary thing imaginable.
No one paid it any mind.
As Li Tianyu walked back toward his residence...
A faint smile slowly appeared on his lips.
Inside his aperture...
Sunny Thought Gu and Blazing Heart Gu floated peacefully beside one another.
His greatest talent had never been his aptitude.
It was the extraordinary intuition he possessed toward Gu.
And until he possessed the strength to protect himself...
That secret would remain buried forever.
In the Gu World...
An unprotected genius often died long before becoming an expert.
Li Tianyu had no intention of becoming someone else's opportunity.
Some things...
Were best kept hidden.