A Pretext for Accusation

The Gu Path, as one branch of the many ancient human powers, had never truly been weak.

The reason the Gu Path had declined to the point of being confined solely to the Miao Borderlands was not because Gu Masters were useless, but because Gu insects had become fewer.

After martial arts flourished, the legacies of the Central Plains were all claimed by the martial arts lineage. The human population increased dramatically, while the deep mountains and dense forests suitable for Gu insects gradually dwindled, leaving only the seldom-visited Wasteland Ridge and the Miao Borderlands.

Thus, rare Gu insects went extinct, and the numbers of other Gu insects also fell. That was the true reason for the decline of the Gu Path.

Chen Yuan did not look down on the Gu Path, but neither could he cultivate it, because it would waste far too much time.

Though Chen Yuan himself had learned a mixed assortment of techniques and cultivated the Dao, Buddha, and devil paths alike, no matter how many of those powers he cultivated, they could complement one another.

The Gu arts alone were different. No matter how deeply Chen Yuan cultivated them, they would remain an independent power system, usable only to command Gu insects.

Spending energy cultivating Gu arts was not worthwhile, so Chen Yuan rejected Granny Dragon Ghost without even considering it.

Seeing Chen Yuan refuse, Granny Dragon Ghost found it somewhat regrettable, but she understood.

For the rest of the time, Granny Dragon Ghost explained the habits of the Blood Spirit Heaven-Rending Gu to Chen Yuan: how to care for it normally, how to nourish it during its dormant period after use, and so on.

Gu insects were living creatures, after all. They were not weapons that could simply be left alone.

So even if