At the same time, a Wine Gu, resembling a silkworm baby, appeared in his hand. This Wine Gu was only a First Rank, but in the face of the Five-Rank Gu worm's pressure, it appeared incredibly tiny, utterly incapable of raising even a sliver of resistance.
Instantly, a powerful pressure unique to a Five-Rank Gu worm surged forth like a tumultuous wave.
Liu Chen's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a confident smile. He casually controlled the Five-Rank Gu worm's pressure, enveloping the First Rank Wine Gu within it.
Almost in the blink of an eye, the First Rank Wine Gu was refined by Liu Chen, as if its Soul had been drawn out.
"It's just as I thought," Liu Chen nodded with satisfaction, pondering inwardly. He discovered from the true inheritance memories that as long as a Gu worm's rank was two levels higher, it could use its pressure to refine lower-rank Gu worms.
Just like he was doing now, relying on the Rank Five Thousand Li Earth Wolf Spider, he could easily use its pressure to refine Gu worms of Third Rank and below. However, if he encountered a Fourth Rank Gu worm, he would likely face some trouble, as Fourth Rank Gu worms were already quite powerful and might develop a will to resist.
However, this did not discourage Liu Chen. He believed that as long as he continuously improved his strength, he would one day be able to refine even Advanced-rank Gu worms.
After a short rest, Liu Chen once again mobilized the Thousand Li Earth Wolf Spider's pressure, subduing the First Rank Moonlight Gu as well. In just a few breaths, he had successfully refined these three Gu worms.
If this matter were known by others in the Mountain Village, they would probably be astonished beyond words.
After all, refining three Gu worms in such a short time was not something an ordinary person could achieve.
The Thousand Li Earth Wolf Spider, having completed its task, was stored by Liu Chen in his Aperture, settling on the six merged tentacles of the True Essence Sea, like a small crab curled at the bottom of the Aperture.
At the same time, the other two Gu worms were also successfully refined. The Moonlight Gu, as if finding its home, directly attached itself to Liu Chen's palm, forming a unique crescent moon mark.
The Wine Gu, on the other hand, was more free-spirited. It swam joyfully in the True Essence Sea of the Aperture, fully enjoying the nourishment of the True Essence. It continuously absorbed First Rank initial-stage emerald green True Essence, then spat out First Rank middle-stage dark green True Essence, a transformation that improved the quality of the True Essence.
Compared to the emerald green True Essence, the dark green True Essence seemed heavier, settling at the bottom of the True Essence Sea, forming two distinct layers.
With the Wine Gu's refinement, Liu Chen's efficiency in nurturing his Aperture was several times higher than other students. This not only made his Cultivate speed faster but also made his True Essence purer and stronger. Moreover, because the Thousand Li Earth Wolf Spider successfully refined the Moonlight Gu, he also saved a lot of time, which he could use for deeper Cultivation, further enhancing his strength... Time flew by like a white steed, and half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
During this half-month, many Gu Master apprentices were fully engaged in refining the Moonlight Gu, each hoping to be the first.
Finally, after a long wait and effort, the results of this Gu refinement were announced—Gu Yue Qingshu, with his outstanding performance, emerged victorious, becoming the undisputed first place! His success drew a wave of envy and jealousy from the other students.
However, Gu Yue Chishan and Gu Yue Moyan also performed excellently; they were only half a day slower than Gu Yue Qingshu in successfully refining the Moonlight Gu.
In contrast, Liu Chen's results seemed somewhat unremarkable. Although he was the first to refine the Moonlight Gu, he waited until five or six students had announced their successful refinement before unhurriedly revealing that he had also completed the task. Such a result, neither high nor low, was perfectly consistent with his usual style of conduct.
By this time, most of the Gu Master apprentices had successfully refined the Moonlight Gu, which meant they had taken a significant step on the Gu Dao. Those students who failed to refine the Moonlight Gu were directly abandoned by the School Elders due to their poor Aptitude.
Facing such a result, Liu Chen expressed great satisfaction and seized this opportunity to Cultivate even more diligently. In his daily Cultivation, he gradually felt a Breakthrough opportunity, as if the threshold of First Rank middle-stage was right before him, and with just a little more effort, he could cross it.
This feeling grew stronger and stronger. Liu Chen secretly estimated that in a few more days, he would successfully Breakthrough to First Rank middle-stage.
"Children, listen up! The Moonlight Gu is the signature Gu of our Gu Yue Clan, just like the Bai Family's Stream Gu and the Xiong Family's Bear Strength Gu, they are all unique skills of their respective Families. Today, I will let you all witness the power of the Moonlight Gu!"
The School Elder stood in the center of the spacious Martial Arts Arena. His voice was loud and powerful, echoing throughout the entire venue. About ten meters in front of him stood a Grass Puppet, which was cultivated from a First Rank Grass Puppet Gu. The texture of the Grass Puppet was almost identical to that of a human body, naturally making it the most practical target in all of Southern Border.
The School Elder extended his right hand, and the Moonlight Gu, which had transformed into a crescent moon mark in his palm, flickered slightly with light.
As True Essence was continuously infused, a crescent moon blade gradually condensed in his hand. This blade, like a new moon, emitted a faint cold light, sending shivers down one's spine.
The Elder's eyes were fixed on the Grass Puppet. He suddenly swung his arm forward, and the crescent moon blade shot out like lightning, instantly transforming into a streak of light, heading straight for the Grass Puppet's neck.
With a crisp "crack," the Grass Puppet's head fell off, dropping to the ground and rolling a good distance away.
This scene stunned the students below. Their eyes widened, their faces filled with disbelief.
However, after only a moment, the students erupted in thunderous cheers and applause. They excitedly waved their arms, their eyes gleaming with a thirst for power and an anticipation of victory, as if they could not wait to personally try the power of the Moonlight Gu.
The School Elder nodded with satisfaction, a slight smile on his face as he said, "In three days, I will hold a Moon Blade examination. Whoever stands out in this examination and wins first place, I will, as always, reward him with twenty primeval stones!"
Before his words finished, the students' cheers grew even more enthusiastic. They rubbed their fists and eagerly prepared, clearly full of anticipation for this examination.
"Alright, children, you can now go and train yourselves. Remember, one by one, do not crowd."
The School Elder waved his hand, signaling the students to begin practicing their Moon Blade attacks.