As Lin Yu opened the ceramic jar, the Crimson Flame Centipede immediately crawled out and gently coiled in his palm.
He stared at the three materials, his brow furrowing slightly. "Centipedes belong to the fire element and prefer yin; flame flowers can enhance their fire nature; the essence of ten thousand bats carries yin energy; and the venom of the Mystic Serpent can temper its poison... But how should these three be combined to maximize the success rate?"
The key points cannot be deduced based solely on the basic knowledge of Ayi religion.
Lin Yu took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and fully unleashed his Primordial Spirit.
The Primordial Spirit, like an invisible thread, spread along the mountain air currents, penetrating dense forests and rock layers, passing by countless poisonous insect nests, and finally stopping at a valley crevice a thousand miles away.
Lin Yu suddenly opened his eyes, and his figure instantly disappeared into the cave.
When he reappeared, he was already standing in front of that inconspicuous crevice in the valley.
The crevice is narrow, allowing only one person to pass sideways; an ordinary person might simply think it's a normal natural landscape.
However, from the perspective of Lin Yu's Heavenly Eye on his forehead, the stone wall was covered with fine runes, faintly radiating a restrictive aura.
Lin Yu reached out and touched the stone wall, feeling a cool sensation on his fingertips. Without hesitation, a phantom image of Kunpeng suddenly appeared behind him, its wings fluttering gently, causing faint spatial ripples to spread around it.
The next second, his figure seemed to merge into the water, silently passing through the stone wall and entering the crack.
The moment I passed through the crack, the scene before me changed abruptly. Instead of the expected darkness and dampness, it was like the idyllic paradise described in the story of Peach Blossom Spring.
Rows of bamboo houses stand neatly in rows, and unknown exotic flowers and plants are planted in the fertile fields. Although the sun and moon are not visible, a soft white light illuminates the entire valley.
"This really is the Nine Palaces!" Lin Yu was secretly delighted. He didn't dare to delay and activated the Kunpeng Art again.
His figure blurred into a streak, darting swiftly through the valley. The surrounding array formations and restrictions were rendered useless by Kunpeng's spatial power, utterly unable to hinder him.
Inside the bamboo house, some of the Gu masters were Gu Raising, while others were brewing medicinal pastes, but they seemed to be completely oblivious to him. Lin Yu walked straight past the house without noticing him at all.
A moment later, Lin Yu stopped in front of a magnificent nine-story tower.
The tower is constructed entirely of thousand-year-old purple wood, with bronze bells hanging under the eaves. The plaque in front of the tower is inscribed with the six ancient characters "Ninth Palace Scripture Repository".
Having confirmed that his destination was correct, Lin Yu cautiously scanned his surroundings.
Two Gu Masters guarded the outside of the Scripture Pavilion; their auras were refined, clearly indicating they were high-level Gu Masters.
Lin Yu held his breath, his figure becoming ethereal again, bypassing the guards like a ghost and slipping into the wall.
Upon entering the library, a rich aroma of ink and herbs fills the air.
The bookshelves towered to the ceiling, filled with yellowed ancient books and animal skin scrolls, densely covered with diagrams of Gu worms, ingredient combinations, and Gu-refining techniques—the very Nine Palaces inheritance that Ayi had been dreaming of!
All of these were neatly arranged in front of Lin Yu.
There's no way around it; this is the predicament of independent cultivators. Without a lineage, they either have to study on their own or resort to robbing and stealing.
Lin Yu's Heaven-Defying Comprehension gave him the quickest way: to learn from others.
After Lin Yu entered, he squinted at the top floor, where he sensed a person with a profound aura, clearly the one guarding the Scripture Pavilion.
Without disturbing the person, he concealed his presence and quickly walked to the bookshelf.
The first layer usually contains books suitable for a first-stage Gu Master, and Lin Yu didn't mind, running his fingertips over each book.
Finally, they stopped in front of a book titled "The Rank One Gu Master's Gu Worm Handbook".
Lin Yu took it down and examined it.
Compiled by: Anonymous Rogue Cultivator (Peak First-Tier Gu Master)
This manual is the culmination of my lifelong experience in Gu Raising, and is specifically written for first-stage Gu masters who are just beginning their Gu Dao.
The Gu Dao is perilous; a single transformation lays the foundation, and one must never be greedy or seek quick results. Know that every Gu worm possesses a spirit; those who nurture it well gain its power, while those who practice it recklessly will be devoured. I hope future generations will study this book diligently and proceed steadily. All who possess this book must remember that Gu follows the heart; a righteous heart leads to righteous Gu. Do not use Gu Arts for evil, only then can the Gu Dao endure.
Lin Yu turned to the first page and saw the creator's warning. As he continued to read, the cultivation methods of Gu Masters came into view.
"Only a Gu Master at the first level can enter the Gu Dao, and can cultivate basic True Essence within their body. This True Essence is the core energy for controlling and feeding low-level Gu worms, and must be cultivated through daily breathing exercises and absorbing the Gu Ki between heaven and earth."
"Gu Ki..." Lin Yu's eyes flickered a few times upon seeing this.
After thinking for a while, Lin Yu concluded that it must be Spiritual Power.
"At the first level of advancement, each person can only use one Gu worm as the mother Gu (natal Gu) and one child Gu. For each subsequent advancement, one more Gu worm is added to this number."
"Gu worms are classified into nine levels according to the Gu Master's cultivation level. Each level is further divided into three grades: lower, middle, and upper. The lowest grade is the first-level Gu worm, and those below the first level are mortal Gu (without intelligence or with only a little intelligence, driven solely by instinct or True Essence)."
Lin Yu quickly flipped through these documents; they contained basic information that Ayi had also explained to him.
The content that follows is what he needs.
"Fusion and Refining of Gu Worms: Fuse two low-grade Gu worms of the first rank with different characteristics to refine a mid-grade Gu worm of the first rank. You need to choose Gu worms with similar attributes, or use a single Gu worm with different materials to refine a high-grade Gu worm."
"For example, when refining the Tenacious Soaring Gu, the Green Grain Gu is placed in the furnace, and rosemary is lit to put the Green Grain Gu into a dormant state, preventing it from struggling during the refining process."
"Then I added three branches of green vine, five spirit leaves, and a small amount of wood spirit spring water, and used my Gu Ki to make them fuse with the Gu worms."
"Half an hour later, open the furnace lid. If fine thorns grow on the surface of the Green Grain Gu, then it is a success. At this point, the low-grade Green Grain Gu will officially become a mid-grade Tenacious Soaring Gu."
After Lin Yu finished reading this secret manual written by a first-level Gu Master, he could only marvel at how amazing the predecessors were; these steps must have been the result of hundreds or thousands of experiments.
Each step follows a strict set of rules: complementary attributes, compatible energies, and precise dosage control. Every step is fraught with hidden secrets.
After an unknown amount of time, footsteps came from outside the Sutra Repository. Lin Yu quickly closed the book, and in a flash, hid behind the bookshelf.
After the guards finished their patrol and left, he continued to immerse himself in the ocean of Gu Arts.
His eyes were piercing, and his Heaven-Defying Comprehension was working at full speed.
The contents of each volume were like streams flowing into rivers and seas, automatically sorted, categorized, and deduced in his mind.
Countless questions that had previously puzzled me have gradually become clearer, thanks to the inspiration from these historical records.
After looking at one floor, Lin Yu turned his attention to the floors above.
If one floor corresponds to one job advancement, then the second, third, fourth, and so on must all correspond to the second and third job advancements...
Lin Yu decisively went up to the second floor
The second floor is not as large or filled with books as the first floor; it is noticeably smaller.
However, there are also hundreds or thousands of books.