Thinking of this, Bai Yu could not help but sigh. Even among inner sect disciples, most merely shared the same status; the resources they held behind them were their true foundation.
"Miss Li, this is far too valuable."
Bai Yu said with a smile.
The Heavenly Demon Soul-Devouring Gu being worth two hundred thousand contribution points was proof enough of its value. It could even be said to be one of Gu Refining Peak's foundational treasures.
Though he wanted it as well, accepting it would inevitably bring unnecessary trouble in the future. After all, his current status was only that of a formal disciple.
At this, Li Shishi shook her head sternly.
"Junior Brother, do you think my life is not worth a Heavenly Demon Soul-Devouring Gu?"
"Rest assured, this thing came from a proper source, and there is no trouble behind it. Aunt Qing... your Gu Refining Peak's Peak Master knows about it as well."
Li Shishi explained.
"Originally, I wanted to give you some cultivation pills, but then I remembered that you are a Gu Refining Peak disciple. Having a powerful Gu may be more important to you."
"The Mother-Child Ghost Baleful Spirit you obtained can be used as the vessel for the Heavenly Demon Soul-Devouring Gu."
"This thing suits you very well."
"So you should accept it. Otherwise, I will not be at peace."
Li Shishi turned her head, brushed back the dark silk at her ear, and spoke slowly.
Though Li Shishi made it sound casual, he knew perfectly well that such a thing could not possibly be acquired so easily.
Bai Yu thought for a moment before finally accepting the Heavenly Demon Soul-Devouring Gu's refining method, silently engraving this favor in his heart as well.
"Then I will accept it. Thank you for your gift, Senior Sister."
"If Senior Sister ever needs help in the future, please speak freely. So long as Bai Yu can do it, I will not refuse."
Hearing Bai Yu's words, Li Shishi blanked for a moment, then the corners of her lips curled into a smile.
"I have heard people say that, compared to the others in the Heavenly Demon Sect, you seem rather unusual."
"I did not notice it when we were in the White Bone Mountain Range, but today, I understand why they say that."
Li Shishi teased.
"You are too upright. You do not seem like someone from the Demon Sect. At the very least, no one here is more polite than you."
At those words, Bai Yu shook his head. Was that the impression he gave others?
That was not bad either. After all, excessive courtesy never offended anyone. If he could maintain this persona, it would bring him no small number of benefits.
"To refine the Heavenly Demon Soul-Devouring Gu, aside from the basic materials, the most important material is souls."
"Though the Heavenly Demon Sect acted without fear, even massacring cities to refine Gu was nothing unusual."
"Yet the mortal dynasties and sects all had major powers protecting them. If you slaughtered cities on a large scale merely to refine Gu, you would easily become a target."
"So, I prepared something good for you."
Li Shishi looked at Bai Yu, casually picked up the Golden Gourd at her side, and placed it before him.
Seeing this, Bai Yu picked up the Golden Gourd and poured mana into it.
Very quickly, he discovered that there was actually an enormous Cave Heaven inside!
Unlike the Cave Heavens used for daily residence, the Golden Gourd's Cave Heaven contained only a primitive mountain range, inhabited by several pairs of black-haired apes.
Their expressions were filled with numbness. Other than eating, they did nothing but continuously give birth.
The adult apes already had many young apes around them.
And the young apes were growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Senior Sister, this is?"
Looking at the strange scene within the Golden Gourd, Bai Yu raised his head in confusion.
"Swine Black Apes, an extremely peculiar kind of creature."
"Their entire lives consist of nothing but eating, drinking, and breeding. From birth until death, they live for only half a month. Yet strangely, their souls are very similar to human souls."
"The sect elders once tested it. The souls of ten Swine Black Apes were equal in quality to the soul of an ordinary person."
"So this is a major source of souls."
"Though the conditions for raising them are harsh, fortunately, their reproductive ability is astonishing."
"I used my contribution points to exchange for one hundred pairs of Swine Black Apes for you. So long as you raise them well, their numbers will only grow greater and greater."
"Though it will consume quite a lot of resources, when you cultivate the Heavenly Demon Soul-Devouring Gu in the future, you will not lack things to feed it."
Li Shishi explained.
Only then did Bai Yu finally understand why, at Gu Refining Peak, practically every talented disciple refined a Ten Thousand Souls Gu, and where Ghost Refining Peak's disciples found so many souls to feed their ghostly creatures.
Logically speaking, given the Heavenly Demon Sect's current astonishing scale, even if it slaughtered everyone throughout the entire Downstream, it might not be able to gather so many souls.
So the Heavenly Demon Sect had long since achieved freedom of souls.
Though the quality of Swine Black Ape souls was far inferior to human souls, their numbers were sufficient. Even if they had to pile up sheer quantity, they could still pile out whatever they wanted.
"Senior Sister, how should this thing be raised normally?"
"Is there any good method?"
Since he had already accepted the Heavenly Demon Soul-Devouring Gu, Bai Yu would not put on airs over this gourd Cave Heaven either.
The one hundred pairs of Swine Black Apes inside might seem like a lot, but to Bai Yu, they did not even amount to a hair from nine oxen.
Expanding the Swine Black Ape population and allowing it to flourish was his primary task.
"These beasts have little intelligence, so raising them is both difficult and absurdly simple."
"For example, this gourd Cave Heaven normally consumes one Spirit Stone a day. But because there are one hundred pairs of Swine Black Apes inside, the spiritual energy will be consumed faster. One Spirit Stone may only sustain it for half a day."
"The more Swine Black Apes there are, the faster the spiritual energy will be consumed. At the same time, the denser the spiritual energy within, the faster they will reproduce..."
"You need to prepare things that can increase the spiritual energy density of the Cave Heaven... such as Spirit Stones, medicinal herbs, magical artifacts, and so on."
"Of course, I have already planted the fruits that the Swine Black Apes eat for you. Like these beasts, they grow quickly, but that also depends on the density of spiritual energy."
"With your current strength, I suggest that you do not exceed two hundred pairs. Otherwise, the pressure will be immense."
"Some things are better taken step by step..."
As Li Shishi spoke with growing guilt, the smile on Bai Yu's face slowly froze.
He understood now. Though this thing was good, it was a bottomless pit—and a thoroughbred gold-devouring beast!
Two Spirit Stones a day could only support two hundred apes, equivalent to merely twenty human souls. If this accumulated further, ten thousand Swine Black Apes would cost five thousand Spirit Stones a day...
Thinking of this, Bai Yu suddenly felt that people truly differed from one another. A wealthy woman like Li Shishi probably had no idea what that number of Spirit Stones meant to someone like him.
But since he had already obtained this thing, would it not be a pity not to raise them?
Thus, Bai Yu was now desperate to earn Spirit Stones.
Seeing Li Shishi's puzzled expression, Bai Yu thought for a moment.
Then he spoke.
"Senior Sister is still with the Law Enforcement Team, right?"
"If Senior Sister has time today, could you accompany me on a walk to Joyous Union Peak?"
Li Shishi: ??????
Before you continue