Section Seventeen: First Refinement of the Wine Bug

"With my Grade C aptitude, my primeval sea can only store a maximum of 44% of its capacity. The speed at which Gu worms expel true essence is much faster than my own true essence recovery. To refine a Gu worm, I must rely on external forces, meaning I'll have to consume primeval stones."

"The weaker a Gu worm's will, the less resistance it offers, and the easier it is for me to refine it. However, all living beings have a will to survive. To refine the Moonlight Gu, I'll need at least five primeval stones, and at most eight." Relying on his rich cultivation experience, Fang Yuan estimated the total amount of primeval stones he would need.

"Now, to refine the Wine Bug, I'll need at least eleven, and at most sixteen." Although the Wine Bug, like the Moonlight Gu, was a Rank 1 Gu, it was undoubtedly rarer, and the difficulty of refining it increased.

This meant that even though Fang Yuan currently had seventeen primeval stones, after refining the Wine Bug alone, he would have at most six left, and at least only one.

In the night sky, the bright crescent moon emitted its pure moonlight.

The moonlight, like the gentle hand of a fairy, softly caressed Gu Yue village. The bamboo buildings along the way stood like a forest of jade plaques.

The night breeze blew gently.

Under the moonlight, Fang Yuan returned to the inn.

The inn's door was already closed.

Fang Yuan knocked on the door.

"I hear you! I hear you! Who is it, knocking so late..." The innkeeper opened the door, grumbling, his eyes half-closed from sleep.

But when he saw Fang Yuan at the door, his slightly displeased and lazy expression instantly changed. He bowed and smiled obsequiously, "It's you, young master. I am truly honored to open the door for you."

Fang Yuan nodded, his expression cold, and walked into the inn.

This expression only made the innkeeper smile more subserviently. He proactively asked, "Are you hungry, young master? Shall I inform the cook to prepare a few small dishes for you as a late-night snack?"

"No need." Fang Yuan shook his head, only instructing, "Prepare some hot water for me to wash up."

"Yes!" The innkeeper quickly nodded. "Young master, please return to your room first. I guarantee the hot water will be delivered immediately."

Fang Yuan grunted and stepped onto the stairs, heading to the second floor.

The innkeeper watched Fang Yuan's retreating back, his eyes flashing with light in the lamplight, revealing clear envy.

"This is what a Gu Master is like. If only I had the aptitude to cultivate, how wonderful that would be!" He clenched his fist and sighed deeply.

These words drifted into Fang Yuan's ears, and he couldn't help but inwardly offer a bitter smile.

Gu Masters could possess power beyond mortals and become superiors, but the price they paid was also steep.

The first hurdle was financial.

Gu Masters needed primeval stones for cultivation, for battles, for refining Gu, and for transactions.

Without primeval stones, how could one cultivate?

This was something the innkeeper, a mortal and merely an observer, couldn't understand.

It was like this evening, when the young Gu Master Jiang Ya, while smashing wine jars, resentfully vented to the hunters: "I myself am reluctant to spend primeval stones to drink this Green Bamboo Wine, yet you hunters, mere mortals, have the spare money for it!"

A glimpse into the situation of Gu Masters could be seen from this single sentence.

Gu Masters were powerful and earned more than mortals, but their expenditures were also immense. Often, every primeval stone had to be meticulously accounted for. This was especially true for low-level Gu Masters.

Some Gu Masters might appear glamorous on the surface, but in reality, their lives were very frugal.

"Moreover, as Gu Masters' realms increase, their demand for resources becomes even greater. Without a backing, cultivating as a Gu Master is difficult." Fang Yuan deeply understood this from his past life.

He returned to his room. As soon as he lit the lamp, the innkeeper brought in a basin of hot water.

Of course, there were also towels and other toiletries.

Fang Yuan dismissed the innkeeper, closed the door, bolted it, washed up, and then got into bed.

Although his body felt a little tired, a sense of excitement still lingered in his heart: "I finally obtained the Wine Bug. The Wine Bug is even more precious than the Moonlight Gu. In a sense, it's a Gu that can improve a Gu Master's aptitude!"

Fang Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed and took out the Wine Bug.

The Wine Bug was still sound asleep. It was slightly larger than the Moonlight Gu, pale and tender, like a silkworm cocoon.

Under the lamplight, its body was covered in a faint layer of brilliance, like the smooth, lustrous sheen of a pearl. Its two eyes, like two black sesame seeds, were embedded in its plump white head, making it look endearingly naive.

It wasn't heavy in his hand, weighing about half an egg.

Sniffing closely, a wisp of wine aroma also emanated from it.

This wine aroma was not the scent of Green Bamboo Wine, but the smell emitted by the Wine Bug itself. The fragrance was subtle and ethereal, faint and elusive. Fang Yuan twitched his nostrils, inhaling this wine aroma into his body.

The wine aroma flowed down, entering his aperture and sinking into his bronze-colored primeval sea.

The primeval sea rippled slightly and quickly absorbed and integrated this wine essence. A trace of extremely pure true essence was then produced.

The other true essence was emerald green, shimmering with a metallic bronze luster.

But this trace of true essence was a pale green, more condensed than the original true essence. This was the true essence possessed by a mid-stage Rank 1 Gu Master.

Sensing this pale green bronze true essence, Fang Yuan revealed a satisfied smile. "My current cultivation is only early-stage Rank 1. But with the refinement of the Wine Bug, my true essence, after being purified, can become mid-stage Rank 1 true essence. The marvel of this cannot be fully explained in a few words."

But soon, he reined in his smile. "However, I haven't truly mastered the Wine Bug yet. Only when I completely refine the Wine Bug and it becomes my life-bound Gu can I control it freely and refine my true essence with maximum efficiency."

With this thought, he no longer hesitated. He drew out a stream of bronze true essence from his primeval sea.

The true essence tightly wrapped around the Wine Bug, suspending it before Fang Yuan, and began to invade its body.

Sensing the crisis of survival, the Wine Bug instantly woke up. It began to struggle violently, mobilizing its own power to repel Fang Yuan's true essence.

"This Wine Bug has very strong resistance." Fang Yuan's expression became solemn as he felt the consumption rate of his true essence was more than double that of the Moonlight Gu.

"No matter what, I'm determined to refine the Wine Bug," he said, a resolute glint in his eyes. He continued to channel his true essence, enveloping the Wine Bug.

In the inn room, the candlelight burned steadily, illuminating the center of the room while the corners remained shrouded in darkness.

The candlelight reflected on Fang Yuan's face. He had closed his eyes, concentrating on refining the Wine Bug.

A continuous stream of bronze true essence, like a mist, emanated from Fang Yuan's body, converging to firmly wrap around the Wine Bug.

The Wine Bug hovered in the air, less than a foot from Fang Yuan's face. Within the embrace of the bronze true essence, it struggled fiercely.

Time quietly slipped away.

The candle burned lower and lower, its flame dimming. The crescent moon outside had slowly descended, and a new day dawned.

The morning sunlight, piercing through the gaps in the window, streamed into the room, framing the window with a golden edge.

Fang Yuan opened his eyes, looking at the Wine Bug before him.

A faint greenish hue had appeared on the Wine Bug's white body. This was the result of Fang Yuan's efforts for half the night.

However, it was clear that this small patch of green was less than one percent of the Wine Bug's body.

Fang Yuan's expression was grim. The Wine Bug's will was too tenacious, its resistance incredibly strong, far exceeding the limits of a Rank One Gu.

"This Gu is highly likely to be the Flower Wine Wanderer's primeval Gu. The Flower Wine Wanderer was a Rank Five expert, and this Wine Bug was originally Rank Five as well. But over the years, without sufficient sustenance, it has declined in rank. Now it's only Rank One, yet its will is as firm as a rock!"

Fang Yuan had guessed the truth.

This Wine Bug was originally the Flower Wine Wanderer's primeval Gu. Its natural will had been thoroughly refined by the Flower Wine Wanderer, accompanying him through countless battles across the land.

After the Flower Wine Wanderer's death, his powerful will remained within the Wine Bug. For Fang Yuan to refine the Wine Bug now was equivalent to a contest of wills with the Flower Wine Wanderer.

This was far more difficult than refining a natural Gu.

A person's will was generally stronger than that of a natural Gu. In life-or-death situations, humans could unleash unimaginable power. Furthermore, the Flower Wine Wanderer was a demonic path expert who operated alone, his will being even more tenacious than that of righteous path cultivators of the same rank.

"To refine this Wine Bug within a month is already impossible. Unless an expert uses the aura of a Rank Two or Rank Three Gu to suppress it, reducing the will within the Wine Bug to its lowest level. With such help, I could achieve twice the results with half the effort." Fang Yuan couldn't help but sigh at this thought.

His parents were dead, his uncle and aunt were plotting against him, and he had no backing. Where could he find external help?

If he had an A-grade aptitude, it would be easier, but with his C-grade aptitude, none of his clansmen held high hopes for him. Who would be willing to expend such great effort to help him?

More importantly, the existence of the Wine Bug could not be exposed.

Gu Yue village did not possess Gu like the Wine Bug, and Fang Yuan could not explain its origin.

If it were exposed, it was highly likely that the higher-ups would notice, leading to a connection with the Flower Wine Wanderer. It was too easy to connect the two.

"Going by this, seventeen primeval stones are not enough. I need at least thirty primeval stones! This is truly troublesome, but no matter how difficult, I must refine this Wine Bug." Fang Yuan's will was like iron; he had made up his mind to refine the Wine Bug.

A primeval Gu was of great importance, greatly influencing a Gu Master's future cultivation path.

Although the Wine Bug was not the most ideal choice for a primeval Gu in this world, it was much better than the Moonlight Gu and represented the best level Fang Yuan could currently achieve.

Gulp, gulp...

At this moment, Fang Yuan's stomach rumbled in protest.

Having stayed up all night and fully concentrating on refining the Wine Bug, Fang Yuan was naturally hungry.

"I should fill my stomach first, then think about how to accumulate primeval stones." Fang Yuan patted his stomach and went downstairs.

He went to the dining hall on the first floor, chose a corner seat, and ordered some breakfast.

Just as he started eating, his younger brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, appeared.

"Brother, why are you staying at the inn? Why didn't you go home to sleep last night?" he asked impolitely, his tone questioning.