That Was a Loser's Way of Thinking

Among the First-Year Class Five students, Xie Xie curled his lip, folded his arms, and muttered, "What a show-off..." His words were sour, but his gaze wandered a little.

He had watched the fight on the arena just now.

If he had gone up instead, could he have won one against four?

Yes.

But could he have done it as effortlessly as Hu Fangyuan, ending the fight in under a minute? He searched his heart and admitted he could not.

Tang Wulin, on the other hand, was all excitement, his fists clenched and his eyes shining. "Fangyuan was amazing! That Water Tornado and those Fire Needles just now were so cool!"

As a money-grubber, Tang Wulin naturally hoped his teammates could grow even stronger. Only then could he obtain more resources in this Class Promotion Tournament.

Gu Yue stood to one side, her dark eyes fixed on the direction where Hu Fangyuan had disappeared. She said nothing, her fingertips moving slightly.

By then, Long Hengxu had also recovered his senses. He cleared his throat, first waving over the school workers to carry Class Four's four injured students to the infirmary. Then he stepped forward and announced loudly.

"First-Year Class Five wins this match! Class designations will remain unchanged until the entire Class Promotion Tournament ends. Tomorrow, Class Five will continue by challenging first-year Class Three!"

After the announcement, Long Hengxu looked toward Class Five, a measure of amazement in his eyes.

He had thought Wu Changkong was being overconfident by sending four students onto the stage. He had never expected that they were actually keeping three in reserve, sending out just one to steamroll Class Four.

How was this the bottom-ranked Class Five?

This was clearly a wolf in sheep's clothing.

As for Hu Fangyuan leaving ahead of everyone else...

He was a genius. A few privileges were only natural!

That was what Long Hengxu thought to himself. This match could not even be called a crushing victory. Hu Fangyuan had barely moved from his spot the entire time, yet he had dealt with all four opponents. It had been as easy as going out for a stroll.

Now he was also beginning to realize that he, the director of the Intermediate Division, was probably about to be roasted over the fire!

He had arranged for Xie Xie to enter First-Year Class Five, using that fight as the opportunity. With Xie Xie's talent, his placement in Class One should have been beyond question. But his family had approached Long Hengxu, saying they hoped he could receive better tempering, and only then had he been assigned to Class Five.

Long Hengxu had several considerations at the time. As the worst class, Class Five faced far greater pressure within the academy than the other classes, and Wu Changkong happened to have been transferred to First-Year Class Five. Although almost none of the academy's higher-ups liked this cold, aloof heartthrob, they had to acknowledge his formidable teaching ability and personal strength.

His further consideration was that, with a genius like Xie Xie in Class Five, the Class Promotion Tournament would inevitably put considerable pressure on the other first-year classes, thereby boosting teaching and motivation to study across the entire first year.

Several birds with one stone-that was why a genius like Xie Xie had entered Class Five.

But now, Class Five's tournament strength had already exceeded his original estimates.

That girl and Hu Fangyuan should have been the ones Wu Changkong had been willing to admit fault to him just to bring into his class. Although Long Hengxu had not seen her display her strength today, anyone Wu Changkong considered a trump card had to be a genius at least on Xie Xie's level. That alone said a great deal.

And that was without even mentioning Hu Fangyuan. Was he not simply the most monstrous genius Eastsea Academy had seen since its founding?

With a lineup like this, Class Five's tournament team might just defy the heavens!

Never mind First Grade Class One-even the second- and third-year Class Ones would probably have a hard time beating them!

In the Class Promotion Tournament, if a lower-ranked class won repeatedly and even advanced across year levels, it would hardly be good news for him, the person responsible for student admissions. It would prove that the initial placements had been unfair.

He was already beginning to regret agreeing to let Wu Changkong bring Gu Yue and Hu Fangyuan into Class Five.

Meanwhile, Hu Fangyuan had already left the academy gates and was walking along the main street toward the city center.

The East Sea Trading Company was Eastsea City's largest trading company for Soul Master materials. Its selection was comprehensive and its supply channels reliable; its prices were just a little extortionate. But there was no helping it. Many materials used in Gu Refining were not well known in this world, and could even be considered obscure. Only an official trading company like this could stock everything under the sun and provide a steady supply.

After about half an hour of walking, the trading company's entrance came into view. It was a three-story wooden building, with two Soul Guidance Lanterns hanging at the entrance, glowing a warm yellow. People streamed in and out, making it quite lively.

Hu Fangyuan went inside and walked straight to the counter.

"I'm picking up the materials I ordered. Number zero-zero-seven."

The clerk behind the counter hurriedly nodded. "One moment!"

He turned and went inside, returning shortly afterward with a small wooden box, which he gently placed on the counter.

"Young Master Hu, the three portions of century-old copper essence, five portions of silver thread grass, seven century-old iron armor beetle shells, and ten portions of century-old brute bull essence blood you ordered are all here. Would you like to check them?"

Hu Fangyuan opened the lid and glanced inside. The materials were all fresh, of excellent quality, and sufficiently aged.

"How much?"

"Six hundred thousand Federation Coins in total." The clerk smiled ingratiatingly. "We've applied the discounted preorder price for you."

The corner of Hu Fangyuan's mouth twitched.

Six hundred thousand.

He had only received the first payment of one million from Gu Yue a few days ago, and now, in just those few days, over half of it was gone in one stroke.

He did some calculations. His two Moonlight Pearl Gu needed two moon orchids every day, which added up to an expense over a month. The Copper Bone Gu's daily beast bone powder and copper shavings were another fixed expense. Then there was the Soul Beast meat for his daily cultivation, potions to replenish Soul Power, and losses from failed Gu worm refinements...

Poor.

So damn poor.

Hu Fangyuan sighed inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged as he took out his soul guidance card and handed it over.

With a beep, the payment went through.

Six hundred thousand, gone just like that.

He put the wooden box into his Storage Soul Tool, turned, and left the trading company.

On the way home, Hu Fangyuan pondered as he walked.

If I spent the money, I had to at least hear a bang.

These materials were not bought just to sit around looking pretty.

The Copper Bone Gu was currently rank one. If he followed the usual steps to advance it to rank two, not only would the materials be expensive, but the improvement would be nothing special. Advancing it further to rank three would be harder than climbing to heaven.

According to the Gu Canon, the conventional way to raise a Gu worm from rank one to rank two or three was to gradually advance a single Gu through refinement. But there was another method-combined refinement.

Ordinary combined refinement meant merging two Gu worms of the same attribute to raise their rank.

But!

That was a loser's way of thinking!

Hu Fangyuan's eyes brightened.

If I was going to play, I would play big.

Four types of physical-body Gu, based on skin, flesh, tendons, and bones.

The Copper Bone Gu governed bones. He would then refine a Silver Tendon Gu to govern tendons, an Iron Skin Gu to govern skin, and a Brute Flesh Gu to govern flesh.

Four rank-one Gu worms, each occupying one branch, corresponding to the Four Symbols.

If he could combine these four rank-one Gu worms using a Four Symbols formation, he could accomplish it in one step, directly refining a rank-three Four Symbols Iron Body Gu.

Once it succeeded, his physical strength would soar several levels.

His tendons, bones, skin, and flesh would be strengthened in every respect, with massive increases in defense, explosive power, and recovery.

Never mind opponents at the same rank-even against someone an entire major realm above him, his body could clash with them head-on.

At this thought, even Hu Fangyuan's heart began to burn.

If this succeeded, it would be far more economical than advancing the Copper Bone Gu alone.

Of course, the risk was also great.

Combining four Gu had no low chance of failure.

If it failed, all four Gu worms would be ruined, and the materials would go down the drain too.

But!

His master was none other than:

Gu Yue · Great Love Immortal Venerable · Heaven Refining Immortal Venerable · Lord of Fox Immortal Blessed Land · Sect Master of the Blood Wing Divine Sect · Alliance Leader of the Heaven and Earth Family Great Love Alliance · Dao Lord of the Refinement Path · the Eleventh Venerable of the Gu Cultivation World · the Sternest Father of Variant Humans and the Decaying Heavenly Court · Fang · Yuan!!!

For no apparent reason, Hu Fangyuan's blood began to boil, and he clenched his fists.

I'm doing it.

The materials were just right. What he had bought this time were precisely the main ingredients for those three new Gu.

Once he got back, he would first refine the Silver Tendon, Iron Skin, and Brute Flesh Gu. They were all rank one, and with his previous experience refining the Copper Bone Gu, they would not be very difficult.

Once all four were gathered, he would attempt Four-Image Combined Refinement.