Blood Skull Gu, Activating the Heavenly Fox Bloodline

The birth of the Yin-Yang Corpse caused a massive stir within the Heavenly Demon Sect. After accepting the reward Qin Qingyao had given him, Bai Yu was inexplicably lectured by those old fellows.

There was no other reason—Mo Wudao thought he was far too polite, nothing like a member of the Heavenly Demon Sect. He solemnly corrected him, telling him not to imitate those sanctimonious righteous sects.

The Heavenly Demon Sect did not go in for that sort of thing. Living free and unfettered was what mattered most.

He could refine corpses in the future, and could even seek Tu Kui out for guidance.

If the other party was in a good mood and gave him something, he should take it. If not, he should find a way to ask for it.

But he had to learn to turn his back on people without recognizing them—that was to say, eat his food and drink his drink, but never treat him too well. Though this was the Heavenly Demon Sect, they still had to keep the ranks clearly divided.

Listening to the principles Mo Wudao was drilling into him, Bai Yu felt that the Heavenly Demon Sect was truly one big loving family, nothing like a demonic sect at all.

For a moment, Bai Yu was filled with a sense of belonging.

Not long after this matter, Bai Yu finally noticed the trouble arriving.

Too many eyes were fixed on him now.

The entire Heavenly Demon Sect knew that Gu Refining Peak had produced a genius capable of refining perfect Yin-Yang Corpses. Though his status was still that of a formal disciple, that was merely sect rules. Bai Yu had already caught an elder's eye; entering the inner sect in the future was as certain as ironclad fact.

From that day onward, the notifications on his disciple token never stopped. Many people wanted to invite him out of his grotto-heaven for a meeting, especially those from Corpse Refining Peak and Joyous Union Peak.

The former wanted to discuss insights on corpse refinement with him.

The latter wanted to deepen their feelings, while also seeing whether they could persuade Bai Yu to refine one of these things for them.

After all, Joyous Union Peak's methods were inherently special. Their resources came easily, but they had relatively few methods for killing and combat.

Many disciples of Joyous Union Peak liked to buy a blood corpse, a mature Gu, a ghostly creature, or a weapon for protection.

And Bai Yu had now become their target. One could tell just from the messages constantly appearing on his token.

Inside the grotto-heaven, a pitch-black medicinal cauldron sat atop a newly built stone platform, filled with golden medicinal liquid. Yu Linglong, dressed in crimson snow-silkworm brocade embroidered with flowers, soaked within the liquid, her body trembling slightly.

"Young Master, will the Blood Skull Gu you mentioned really work?"

"Why does this feel so strange?"

Yu Linglong's face was pale. Though these fluids were golden, she knew that to gather this cauldron of medicinal liquid, Bai Yu had placed a bounty in the Silver Moon Dynasty, mobilizing the common people to kill over ten thousand foxes. Their essence blood had then been collected and refined into this brew.

It was all to awaken the bloodline within her.

The fox essence blood and the materials needed to refine the Blood Skull Gu had cost Bai Yu a full three thousand contribution points. That amount was enough for him to buy another grotto-heaven.

Though the method sounded somewhat cruel, Yu Linglong was not afraid of suffering. She only feared wasting Bai Yu's kind intentions.

If this Blood Skull Gu did not work, would she not become a sinner?

Looking at the medicinal cauldron before him, Bai Yu shook his head and casually lit the spiritwood beneath it.

"It's fine. I consulted quite a bit of material Senior Brother Pang Tong gave me, and I can confirm that you truly possess a special bloodline. The Blood Skull Gu's purpose is to use the power of that bloodline to enhance your talent."

"Even if it doesn't work this time, it will still be greatly beneficial to you."

"And there's no need to worry about waste. Once I master the method of refining the Blood Skull Gu, Black Charcoal can use this method to improve itself again. All this expense will be worth it."

As green flames rose, Yu Linglong's delicate body shuddered in fright. It could not be helped—the scene was simply too strange. Anyone unaware of the truth might think Bai Yu was stewing meat.

As the spiritwood burned, the medicinal liquid in the cauldron gradually gained a trace of searing heat.

Seeing this, Bai Yu glanced at the panel.

[Blood Skull Gu 0/2000]

After reminding Yu Linglong to guard her mind and focus her spirit, one batch of materials after another flew from his storage pouch. Wrapped in mana, they fell into the medicinal liquid and slowly melted under its corrosion.

The main material for refining the Blood Skull Gu required slaughtering one's closest kin and absorbing their bloodline. It was originally meant to work only on the Gu Master himself. Yet Yu Linglong possessed the bloodline of a heavenly fox. Though the condensed essence blood from these ordinary foxes was vastly inferior, there was still some connection between them.

As long as the aura within could awaken Yu Linglong's dormant bloodline, this Blood Skull Gu would become her greatest tonic!

Though the Blood Skull Gu's refining method was simple, successfully forming the Gu was far from easy.

Bai Yu had made extensive preparations, even seeking out many medicinal ingredients with matching properties before beginning the refinement.

He ran through the Blood Skull Gu's refining method in his mind.

Only after confirming there were no omissions did Bai Yu finally act.

After sensing the temperature of the medicinal cauldron and waiting until it neared equilibrium, Bai Yu formed hand seals with both hands. His mana transformed into Gu incantations and flew into the medicinal liquid. In an instant, the surrounding flames slowly contracted.

While observing Yu Linglong's condition, he controlled the fusion of the materials. Before long, a rich stench of blood spread through the air. The medicinal liquid gradually changed from gold to red and began bubbling.

Scarlet, scorching currents of air continuously rose and gathered above Yu Linglong's head. At last, a phantom image of a skull slowly condensed, like a gluttonous Taotie, endlessly devouring the surrounding power.

Seeing that savage blood-red skull, Bai Yu's hand seals shifted even faster as he began drawing the spiritual energy within the grotto-heaven into it.

[Blood Skull Gu +5]

[Blood Skull Gu +10]

[Blood Skull Gu +12]

As he watched the Blood Skull Gu's progress slowly rise and the bloody stench around him grow increasingly pungent, Bai Yu continued refining according to that progress.

"Buzzz—buzzz—buzzz!"

As time slowly passed, three days later, the once-illusory Blood Skull Gu had gained a physical form. A blood-colored fox head continuously released power, its clear buzzing echoing through the grotto-heaven.

"It's about time..."

With a sweep of his right hand, Bai Yu extinguished the burning spiritwood, then rose to his feet.

"Whether you can fuse with this Blood Skull Gu will depend on you from here on."

Bai Yu also knew that this method was indeed somewhat fanciful. After all, the nobility of the Heavenly Fox bloodline was not something a mere Blood Skull Gu could compare to.

Yet there was always a chance. At most, the Blood Skull Gu could only be considered a medicinal catalyst. As for whether that catalyst could stir the hidden "great medicine," Bai Yu honestly had no confidence himself.

As Bai Yu began withdrawing his own mana, the Blood Skull Gu erupted with immense power in that instant.

Amid its ceaseless buzzing, Bai Yu could clearly see countless nearly imperceptible threads of blood spilling from the enormous blood-colored fox head and slowly flowing into Yu Linglong's body.

The instant the blood threads touched Yu Linglong's skin, the two actually began to merge bit by bit. The Blood Skull Gu's power continuously seeped into Yu Linglong's blood, and for a moment, a pink radiance surfaced around the beauty's body.

Seeing Yu Linglong's condition, Bai Yu let out a brief sigh of relief. The fact that they could merge proved that the Blood Skull Gu was effective on Yu Linglong. That alone was an enormous improvement.

Although the fusion process was exceptionally slow, that was not a problem. Whether it was him or Yu Linglong, both of them could wait.

All Bai Yu needed to do now was wait quietly.