Becoming a First-Grade Gu Master

At first, Yulan wanted to slap the owner twice so he would not dare spout nonsense again.

But on second thought, there seemed to be a better way.

So she played along. "My boyfriend hasn't left yet? Sorry for the trouble, but could you tell him I'm not angry anymore, and bring him out to see me?"

"Hehe, that's what I said. No grudge between lovers lasts overnight. I'll bring your boyfriend out right away." The owner walked back, chuckling.

Yulan's teeth itched with anger, but she still forced a smile.

A moment later, the owner returned to the shop, only to find no trace of Jiang Yiming.

Jiang Yiming had sent the owner to distract Yulan precisely so he could find a chance to slip away. How could he have been foolish enough to wait inside?

The owner searched all around and, seeing that Jiang Yiming had already left, said helplessly to Yulan, "Your boyfriend has already gone. He's probably waiting for you at home. Hurry back."

At those words, Yulan could no longer hold back. The fake smile vanished from her face, and her voice turned bone-chillingly cold. "He's not my boyfriend, and I have nothing to do with him! If you spout any more nonsense, I'll cut out your tongue!"

Since she could no longer find Jiang Yiming, she stopped being polite.

The owner froze, unable to believe how quickly a person could change her face. He snorted and returned to the shop in a huff.

After he left, Yulan searched again with the multicolored butterfly, only to find that she could no longer pick up Jiang Yiming's trail.

Now, she had completely run out of leads.

"Hmph! The Gu-rearing world is small. We'll meet again someday!"

None of Yulan's movements escaped Jiang Yiming's eyes.

He had stationed Red Tail on a streetlight twenty meters away, watching everything below.

Last time, he had been too close, and she had sensed Red Tail's aura. This time, he was much more careful, keeping a much greater distance, and sure enough, she did not notice.

Watching Yulan leave, Jiang Yiming, hidden in the shadows, finally confirmed that the pollen on him had been washed away and he would no longer be tracked.

Seeing that Yulan had gone far, Jiang Yiming was about to recall his Gu and head home.

Suddenly, a dark figure emerged from the shadows by the roadside and followed Yulan.

Those clothes...

Behind them, Jiang Yiming suddenly felt that the person's outfit looked familiar, but he could not remember where he had seen it.

He tapped his head and thought for more than ten seconds before finally recalling a picture from a news report.

That's right! He should be that weirdo who was standing behind Tu Ming in the news before!

Jiang Yiming sent Red Tail to follow and keep watch, and discovered that the weirdo in black really was following Yulan!

The black clothes on him were loose, yet they did not stir in the slightest as he walked. It was as though an invisible force enveloped him, and he made no sound at all.

That skill alone showed at a glance that he was an expert!

Yulan is formidable, but the weirdo in black doesn't seem weak either. If he ambushes her, she'll probably be in danger! I don't have much of a relationship with Yulan, but since I've seen this, I should at least warn her...

With that thought, Jiang Yiming took out his phone.

He had only a dozen or so friends in his WeChat contacts, so he found Yulan's profile picture easily.

He tapped it and typed a message: "Someone is following you. They're not weak."

After pressing send, he put his phone away and continued watching the two of them.

Through the eyes of the Red Tail Centipede on the streetlight, he saw Yulan take out her phone, look at it, and put it away.

She did not look back, nor did she reply to Jiang Yiming.

As though she had not seen anyone following her, she continued forward at an even pace.

Jiang Yiming was a little puzzled. She clearly read my message, but she didn't reply with a single word. What does that mean? Does she not believe me?

Whatever. I've given her the warning I should. What she chooses to do next is her business. Even if something happens to her, it has nothing to do with me!

With that thought, Jiang Yiming stopped meddling and headed straight for the residential complex where he rented his place.

Back home, Jiang Yiming glanced at the Gu Rearing Box. There were still more than eight hundred level-three and level-four Primordial Gu inside.

But he was in no hurry to rear Gu. Instead, he began cultivating the Essence Absorption and Qi Intake Art.

Through refining Gu over the past few days, he had obtained quite a bit more Gu Essential Essence.

There's already enough Gu Essential Essence in my qi sea. If I refine more Gu, the Gu Essential Essence will keep piling up, and it might burst my qi sea.

The most important thing now is to refine some of the Gu Essential Essence and make room.

There's no hurry to refine Gu. I'll leave those eight hundred-plus Primordial Gu alone for now.

As time passed,

the Gu Essential Essence in Jiang Yiming's qi sea dwindled bit by bit, while his Gu Essence increased rapidly.

He cultivated until late into the night, by which time his Gu Essence had filled his qi sea, forcing all the remaining Gu Essential Essence out of his body.

The dense Gu Essence surged like a cloud of white smoke and began battering the thick walls of his qi sea.

In an instant, his qi sea became extremely unstable, and sharp pains struck one after another...

What's going on? Could it be that I have too much Gu Essence, and my qi sea can't hold it?

Jiang Yiming did not know what was happening either and could only guess blindly.

The pain continued. He gritted his teeth and held on for a long time, nearly fainting several times.

He did not know how much time had passed, but his qi sea never shattered, and he did not die with his soul extinguished as he had imagined. Instead, the agitated Gu Essence in his qi sea gradually settled down.

The feeling that he was about to burst also vanished completely.

What was more, the Gu Essential Essence that had been squeezed out earlier now streamed back into his body, flowing along his meridians and gathering in his qi sea once again.

Jiang Yiming was a little weak. He took several deep breaths before closing his eyes again and examining his qi sea with his mind.

Only then did he discover, to his surprise, that his qi sea, which had originally felt only as large as a fist, now felt as large as a basketball.

Although it was only a sensation, it was a real indication that his qi sea had grown larger!

The white, smoke-like Gu Essence that had filled his qi sea had now taken the form of clear water.

The liquid Gu Essence sank to the bottom of his qi sea, occupying less than a twentieth of the space.

Just then, the system notification sounded again.

[Congratulations, host. You have successfully advanced to First-Grade Gu Master. Reward: divine skill, Ten Thousand Gu Communication.]

First-Grade Gu Master? So before, I could only be considered a gradeless Gu Master?

And what kind of skill is Ten Thousand Gu Communication? Surely it can't be the same as Human-Gu Connection? If it is, I've taken a huge loss.

He hurried to read the description of Ten Thousand Gu Communication.

After learning what it did, he suddenly felt that the Human-Gu Connection Potion he had bought before was practically a chicken rib.

Compared with a divine skill like Ten Thousand Gu Communication, the Human-Gu Connection he had before was simply trash!