Chapter 247: I’m Me |
Amused, Lo Jik used Scan the Dao killer move on a peculiar human path rank 3 gu worm he obtained from his trait when he was committed to his research inside Reincarnation Battlefield. It looked like a fist-sized golden sun. To Lo Jik's surprise, Shape Luck Gu was not his first encounter with a luck path gu worm—it was this rank 3 gu worm, a human path gu worm with luck path effects.
Rank 3 Prosperity Attracts Fortune Gu.
Back then, Lo Jik tried using it a few times and only realized that it was a gu worm capable of attracting certain types of gu worms.
He found eight such gu worms.
All these gu worms did not belong to human path but shared the same dao marks as the ones Lo Jik discovered in Shape Luck Gu after refining it.
Only after becoming a luck path grandmaster did Lo Jik fully understand the use of Prosperity Attracts Fortune Gu. Truthfully, it wouldn't take a grandmaster to know such simple things but Lo Jik lacked the basics of luck path itself. His current luck path attainment was more useful in aiding the refinement of gu worms of other paths mimicking luck path effects.
Once used, rank 3 Prosperity Attracts Fortune floats atop the user and releases a light of prosperity. It instantly targets the user's ethereal luck and consumes the portion of this mystical force meant for one's wealth and material fortune. Lo Jik still remembered how he was bankrupted just to become a wisdom path grandmaster at the time. Using such luck, the gu worm attracted luck path gu worms or gu worms mimicking luck path effects to the user!
The question was…
'Why are there luck path gu worms in Reincarnation Battlefield? It was created by Paradise Earth Immortal Venerable. Did he comprehend the secrets of luck path, or is this the doing of the ten ancient sects?'
Four of these were luck path gu worms.
Among the remaining four, two belonged to space path, and one each for metal and earth paths.
Unfortunately, Lo Jik could not understand their use based on the dao marks composition from Scan the Dao killer move before giving up. The last thing he wanted to do was to impact or decrease his luck in any form at this sensitive moment.
'It won't be long before I'm a luck path great grandmaster.'
He inspected the reports. The sudden surge of gu worm production ensured casualties among the hairy men groups because gu refinement was filled with risks. Failures caused backlashes, which could range from minor injuries to fatal accidents. The number of hairy men decreased significantly. However, it didn't matter to the current Lo Jik. The quicker he became a luck path great grandmaster, the quicker he would take the next step.
After all, he had already settled his affairs. As such, the next three days passed by in a blissful peace. Lo Jik did nothing but rested in grasslands and conversed with Old Man Desolate. He wanted to spend more time with Shu Zhe and others but that was unlikely unless he brought them here.
Of course, there were also Hu Mei Er and Xin Cheng.
Lo Jik refrained from healing the former because she would end up dying either way if something happened to him. And Xin Cheng was more focused on her own revival than trying to spend time with Lo Jik. After all, she was not Chen Jiu.
So, he was left with Old Man Desolate.
"Why don't you escape, Master?" Old Man Desolate inquired calmly as Lo Jik remained on his back with his eyes closed. He appeared calm and in-tune with his surroundings.
"Because Love Gu selected me," answered Lo Jik. "It's a legendary gu worm that Spirit Affinity House had centuries to understand. They undoubtedly possess methods of tracking down this gu worm. Escaping them buys me some time at best. Other powerhouses will also target me once they find out I possess this gu worm without Spirit Affinity House's protection."
"And." He added. "I'd like to not leave my wives."
As such, Lo Jik had two days remaining in Hu Immortal Blessed Land.
His peaceful rest ended on the sixth day in Immemorial Desolate Grotto-Heaven.
'It's time to finally fill the gaps in my knowledge about the great dao.'
<<<>>>
Han Yu Lan, Zi Jun Zhen, and other legacy disciples gathered in Hu Immortal Blessed Land. There were a total of eight legacy disciples standing quietly, sizing each other with thinly-veiled predatory intentions. They were considered the cream of the crop from the entirety of Spirit Affinity House except the few hidden experts among outer, inner, and elite disciples. Of course, legacy disciple Nu Wu was nowhere to be found, still serving his sentence in the sect's Disciplinary Hall.
Han Yu Lan and Zi Jun Zhen were once present in Reincarnation Battlefield around the same time Shu Zhe and Bai Shou were sent there by Feng Jiu Ge. Now, Zi Jun Zhen had already advanced to rank 5.
Another group gathered in a distance. They were the sect elder alongside the sect's leader—Jirou Na.
They were far from Dang Hun City and observed the distant traveling formation releasing wavey and flowing streams of light. Several figures within the sect's higher-ups like Jirou Na, Le Tao, and others shot cautious looks towards one quiet figure.
The woman stood straight but did not possess Jirou Na's muscular and impressive frame or Di Qing and Le Tao's beauty. Greys mixed in with her black hair as her indifferent blue eyes met several gazes unabashedly. While her actions felt rigid, all her flexibility and fluidity now named for another figure of great renown, her impressive peak stage rank 5 cultivation gave others enough reasons to remain cautious.
It was Shu Zhe.
A lot had happened between them since Shu Zhe stepped down as the sect's leader and left her competitors with the bitter taste of defeat. Her injuries had healed and her foundations couldn't be more solid since obtaining a complete mortal wisdom path inheritance from Lo Jik.
"It's been too long, Elder Shu." One of the elders stepped forward with an ingratiating smile. The old man was none other than Elder Ya.
Shu Zhe nodded calmly and remained silent. Not disheartened by her silence, Elder Ya continued.
"Will Disciple Gu Yue Lo Jik join us?" He inquired.
"No," replied Shu Zhe. "Supreme Elders left this opportunity for legacy disciples and elders, not an outer disciple."
Elder Ya chuckled politely. "I don't think Disciple Gu Yue is comparable to any outer disciple."
The mention of Lo Jik's name caused slight unrest among other elders. Le Tao gritted his teeth while Jirou Na also felt suffocated.
Lo Jik…
They were unlike Jiu Loong Long, unable to set aside their feeling of losses. Le Tao had successfully changed his cultivation to sword path after changing his life bound vital gu worm. Not only did he possess Wang Nan's complete gu set, but he also obtained the two gu worms Jirou Na had used as a bounty on Lo Jik's head prior to Shu Zhe's dismissal as the sect's leader and he further purchased a sword path inheritance from the sect's Inheritance Hall to gain further understanding of sword path.
His current battle strength was second to none among the elders, even surpassing the strength path gu master Jirou Na!
As for Jirou Na, the weight on her chest suffocating her was further strengthened by a cocktail of complicated emotions.
Shu Zhe had once imprisoned Jirou Na's children and grandchildren, using them as a hostage to get what she desired. Shu Zhe further revealed she had accidentally killed Jirou Na's young grandchildren when soul searching them…
It was a lie. What wasn't a lie was the fact that Shu Zhe did search Jirou Na's imprisoned family. As a wisdom path gu master, Shu Zhe was better equipped to gain information from her captives and didn't need to resort to something as dangerous as soul searching.
The relief of seeing her family mostly unscathed followed by being apoplectic with rage at being deceived led to nothing because Shu Zhe's schemes ran deep and the latter smoothly extracted herself from the sect leader position while earning as many benefits as possible.
What followed was a bitter competition among the other elders to curry favor with the refinement path experts of the sect during the preliminary refinement path duels and competitions meant to select talents for the actual convention. Jirou Na, ruthless yet perceptive, emerged victorious and was appointed Shu Zhe's successor by the supreme elders.
Yet, Jirou Na never forgot how her skills paled compared to Shu Zhe. Even the woman's mate was one of the most outstanding specimens in the entirety of Central Continent despite the sordid title he incurred due to his fickle acts… interests.
"Enter the formation."
A frigid voice suddenly echoed in the wide space, commanding legacy disciples and elders alike, followed by a wave of suffocating pressure forcing everyone's shoulders to sink the slightest bit. Their hearts shook.
A gu immortal!
They saw no one but did not dare tarry and moved at once.
Legacy disciples entered the transportation formation smoothly before elders and Jirou Na stepped forward.
"Wait. I have a mission for you, Elder Shu. Everyone else can proceed to enter the formation."
They froze before many glanced at Shu Zhe with gazes filled with gloating intentions. Of course, they didn't dare deny a gu immortal's order and entered the formation in an orderly fashion as the feeling of suffocation in Jirou Na's heart lightened.
Shu Zhe watched everyone leave, her expression unchanged.
"Disappointed?" Inquired a voice from behind.
Shu Zhe turned around and cupped her fist and greeted respectfully.
"Not in the least, Elder Black Moon."
Black Moon didn't bother hiding her cultivation as she declined her head slightly in response.
"That is not a transportation formation," Black Moon explained. "It's an illusion path formation. They are going to see an illusion of my ascension. Of course, you would benefit seeing the real thing."
Black Moon waved her hand as an information path gu worm left her body and flew towards Shu Zhe.
Accepting the gu worm, Shu Zhe carefully pocketed it instead of refining it and bowed again.
"Many thanks, Elder Black Moon."
Black Moon chuckled softly and disappeared from Shu Zhe's view.
"I look forward to your growth, Sister Shu. No need to be so polite. After all, we do share the same Fickle Consort."
Shu Zhe worked her jaw before returning to her residence. Only then did she observe the gu worm from Black Moon.
Hundreds of thoughts collided in her mind before she calmly tucked it away. While she did not have Lo Jik's wisdom path attainment and benefits of mortal Wisdom Gu, Shu Zhe was a true wisdom path gu master with necessary body refinement and other benefits. She did not dare trust Black Moon's kind intentions. It was too easy for gu immortals to tamper with gu worms.
"You raised a decent granddaughter, Fairy Shu," goaded Black Moon with a cold snicker as she observed Shu Zhe's actions with an equally cold Shu Ye.
"You just backstabbed your consort." Shu Ye countered with a narrowed gaze. Lo Jik was no longer a small character meant to be used against Shu Zhe. Even Shu Ye did not dare look down on the youth and knew how valuable he was to Black Moon.
"Backstabbed him?" Black Moon guffawed. "I don't care about other women he's got on his leash. Besides, we are of the same faction, Fairy Shu. I'm not someone with a treacherous heart to not fulfill the favor of leaving Shu Zhe with that gu worm. A pity she did not take your bait."
"That Shu Zhe is quite the character." Fairy Mo muttered in Black Moon's mind, something the latter wholeheartedly agreed with. Shu Zhe might not stand out in terms of beauty, background, or wealth among the women surrounding Lo Jik but she was certainly one of the most resourceful and determined individuals.
Meanwhile, Shu Ye also marked Black Moon as a brilliant woman.
'To think she would be so indifferent to Lo Jik's lovers. Is she so confident in maintaining their partnership despite acting against Shu Zhe? Could I use this event to cause a crack in their relationship?' Shu Ye pondered. She was now part of Xu Hao's faction and also noticed Black Moon's act of trying to separate from them. The woman needed to be suppressed.
Suppressing Black Moon, however, was easier said than done. The best way to do so was by dealing with Lo Jik… someone chosen by Love Gu. The best way did not mean the simplest way. So, most gu immortals of the Anti-Feng Faction eyed Shu Zhe.
Feng Jin Huang was protective of Sun Yao and Qin Juan, someone most gu immortals chose to ignore due to obvious reasons.
Of course, Lo Jik's ties extended beyond the women he slept with. There was his disciple, Ju Lin. But she was a nobody.
Most understood Lo Jik's nature and knew Ju Lin's demise would barely ruffle any feathers.
'Lo Jik is still a mortal.' Shu Ye surmised. 'But for how long? He inherited Divine Concealment. He would have it easier than most gu masters to become a gu immortal. Thankfully, Feng Jiu Ge's strength did not blind him from obvious dangers as he skillfully kept a certain control over Lo Jik's growth.'
<<<>>>
Lo Jik stood straight. Eyes closed, he felt his surroundings and the tiniest movements in his body. He heard his heartbeats as clearly as the rustling trees. He was the only animal in the entire forest.
He possessed two apertures since the start of his cultivation journey. His first aperture was awakened by Hope Gu in Gu Yue Village and his other aperture was awakened by Nina's trait. Purple crystal essence rose in his second aperture and crashed against the glimmering and solid crystal walls.
Every gu master cultivated their apertures by nourishing their aperture walls.
They would work diligently and bring their light membrane walls to water, stone, and crystal membrane walls by constantly letting the primeval sea wash its surface. These stages of walls were directly linked with a gu master's minor breakthrough from initial, middle, upper, and peak stages of cultivation.
*Crash*
Next, the gu masters deliberately shattered their crystal membrane walls. The aperture would not be destroyed in this case. Instead, the destruction of crystal membrane walls led to the recreation of light membrane walls. Only this time, it led to a qualitative change in one's primeval sea. It was a major breakthrough.
A gu master cultivated bitterly for years, raising their cultivation from initial stage rank 1 aperture to peak stage rank 5 aperture.
The step beyond that, unsurprisingly, was the same.
To shatter the crystal membrane walls.
Lo Jik manipulated his primeval sea freely. He was skilled and ruthless as the rising primeval sea came crashing down against the crystal walls in fierce tides. It shook the gu worms in his aperture and made him tremble every time his aperture walls were impacted.
It had truly been a long time since Lo Jik started cultivating.
Days turned to weeks, weeks drifted to months, months sprang into years, and years succumbed to decades.
Injuries, pain, remorse, confusion, and frustrations… Lo Jik's entire demeanor turned cold as he recalled his experiences. The gu world introduced new challenges and dangers. Yet…
His lips curled. As if an illusion, the coldness disappeared and what left Lo Jik was a sense of serenity.
Joy, laughter, love, lust, treasures, and more.
He gained so much.
Faces and corpses alike flashed in his mind, some he buried and many more he killed with his own hands.
Those long locks of white, that innocent face much to familiar to his own, the blissful smiles of his lover and his own unforgiving vow of regaining it all…
Deeper still emerged the same golden-eyed moron who didn't know better than to jump in front of a venomous knife.
*Crash*
Cracks spread across the glimmering crystal wall of his second aperture.
Each wave of crashing primeval essence not only cracked his aperture but also dug more and more of Lo Jik's past.
Lo Jik recalled his back.
Bai Ning Bing. The fool was much too eager for someone with a gu for a worm. And his back was much too broad even after forcefully snatching Bai Shou's lips right before charging into the most glorious battle of his life.
'Mo Yan…' He recalled not with remorse but only fondness. 'She would have lost her shit seeing me take this step before pegging Shen Cui or something to vent.'
His smile broadened as the cracks spread further across his aperture.
*Crack*
'Sister Bai Lin would be planning to transfer her clansmen into my blessed land. After all, it would be free from tribulations.'
'Shang Xin Ci…' Lo Jik did not feel sad at being unable to return. 'I wish she's well enough. It would be amazing to encounter her as a gu immortal. And that adorable little Xiao Die, too.'
He felt full.
He felt free.
There was not a trace of regret in his heart as he charged another tide and let it crash against the aperture walls.
*Crack*
The crystal membrane shattered and rained down on the remaining primeval sea. Unexpectedly, there was no another light membrane wall.
No.
A mystical hole replaced his second aperture's spot in his heart, leaving the gu worms in a strange space.
The first step of becoming a gu immortal was to courageously charge and shatter the ceilings of one's mortality—the aperture!
'Nobody gets to fall for me only to suffer.' Lo Jik slowly opened his eyes. 'I'm me.'
He once proudly claimed to remain unchained—not knowing the true shackles around him.
He once fell prey to his unchecked regrets—not knowing the pleasures of being true to oneself.
*Whoosh*
Soft wind started blowing around Lo Jik as the nearby vegetation rustled with greater intensity.
In the end, what was left was Lo Jik.
For the first time, the legendary rank 9 Love Immortal Gu moved from his shoulder on its own accord and flew far away. The lotus-shaped gu worm bloomed open, revealing the androgynous fairy resembling Nina looking at Lo Jik with boundless affection.
'Just you guys wait.' He stared directly at Love Gu. 'I will change your fates with my own two fists.'
***
Alternate Title: Mysterious luck path gu worms; Luck path great grandmaster; Qin Ding Ling: Guess I'll die then; Charging forward; Black Moon's ascension; Deceiving disciples and elders; Broadening horizons; Sisterly affection? In Reverend Insanity?; Confident Black Moon; Black Moon tries fucking around with Shu Zhe *Human path gu immortal Lo Jik: Did you pray today?*; Shu Zhe's got enough hindsight; Not falling for schemes; The dangers in the sect; Lo Jik's pressure on mortals; Cracked aperture; Destroying the second aperture; Immortal hope; Others try suppressing Lo Jik *Also Lo Jik: Oh no… anyways*; Unbound, Unshackled, Unchained; Unchained Vagabond returns; Inner desire to challenge fate; Heaven's will trying not to rage quit at being unable to rock Lo Jik's word with tribulations; Lo Jik: I'll change fate *Boomer dragonman originator: Did someone challenge fate?*; Lo Jik's got another hole… but no Bai Ning Bing in sight to fill it; Bai Ning Bing's little gu!
***
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