All-class Gu Immortal

Chapter 87: Can one become a Gu Master without the necessary qualifications?

"What about you?"

Zhou Qing merely glanced at the Gu worm in the girl's hand, without taking it, and looked at the boy lying on the ground beside her.

The boy's face was full of stubbornness, and he seemed somewhat unconvinced.

"Are your lives even less valuable than a Gu worm? If I hadn't saved you, who do you think would have bought you?"

If you were to catch the eye of the chieftain of the Golden Knife Stronghold on Huanglong Mountain, you'd probably end up on someone's dinner table!

Zhou Qing snorted coldly.

Upon hearing this, the boy's expression changed several times.

The next moment, he reached out his hand, and a Gu worm with the same brass-like metallic luster appeared in his palm.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing put on his boxing gloves and reached out to grab the Gu worms from the two men's hands.

The two Gu worms offered no resistance whatsoever, and he easily caught them in his hand.

"Hiss~!" Crimson Flame was extremely envious of the two Gu worms and let out a sharp hiss.

The two copper-skinned Gu in Zhou Qing's hands sensed the threat, but as if suppressed by some force, they did not resist.

You have acquired a new Gu worm – the Copper-Skinned Gu.

[Copper-Skinned Gu: Tier 1, Mid-Grade, Defensive Gu Insect. It greatly increases the Gu Master's skin defense, allowing the Gu Master to withstand more damage.]

[The Gu worms have already been refined by the Gu Master's true essence; you cannot refine them using methods such as blood refinement.]

Zhou Qing examined the two copper-skinned Gu for a long time, and finally, information about the copper-skinned Gu appeared on the jade tablet in his soul.

To his surprise, he was unable to refine the Gu worm.

The term 'true essence' has appeared once again.

According to the intelligence he obtained from the Demon Suppression Bureau, only by cultivating internal energy to an extremely high level can one liquefy true qi and transform it into true essence.

However, the girl and boy in front of me could at most fight against a martial artist in the Skin Refining Realm, yet they possessed true essence.

"How did you manage to control this copper-skinned Gu?" Zhou Qing asked in a deep voice.

"Those who possess the Gu Master aptitude and complete the baptism to open their Yuan Aperture can generate True Essence."

By using true essence to refine the Gu worms, one gains absolute control over them.

Although the girl's words were still somewhat hesitant, she expressed her meaning very clearly.

"A Gu Master's aptitude?!" Zhou Qing raised an eyebrow.

"The Yuanqiao Gu can assist in opening the acupoints," the girl explained. As soon as she finished speaking, small, firefly-like points of light appeared in her lower abdomen, specifically in the dantian area.

The girl pointed to Zhou Qing's location, and the points of light then gathered in Zhou Qing's direction.

Zhou Qing frowned slightly and quickly retreated.

As he retreated, these points of light did not move toward him; instead, they wandered around for a moment before returning to the girl's body.

"I don't have the aptitude to be a Gu Master." The girl shook her head at Zhou Qing.

"You're saying I don't have the aptitude to be a Gu Master?!" Zhou Qing was taken aback.

“The Yuanqiao Gu is unwilling to enter; it lacks the aptitude.” The girl nodded cautiously.

'I don't even have the aptitude to be a Gu Master!'

Zhou Qing's expression instantly darkened beneath his mask.

"Are you sure you're not lying to me?!" Zhou Qing said in a deep voice.

The girl was silent for a moment, as if to comfort Zhou Qing, and then added, "The talent of a Gu Master is one in ten thousand. A martial artist can open the Yuan Aperture by gathering the Three Flowers at the Top."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing felt a tightness in his chest.

When the three flowers gather at the top and the five energies converge at the origin, one reaches the realm of a martial saint.

Even those who have just entered the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top stage are respectfully addressed as Grandmasters. In the Southern Frontier, they are like martial arts legends, appearing and disappearing like a dragon.

A powerhouse of this caliber would be considered a top expert in the Central Plains, a region where martial arts flourished.

Even from the few words recorded in the Demon Suppression Bureau, one can feel the power of this realm.

Are Gu Masters really that much stronger than martial artists?
The difference is like the difference between cultivating immortality and practicing martial arts.

"Something's not right!" Zhou Qing's eyes flickered; there must be a secret he didn't know about.

There is no way that a martial artist could be so far behind a Gu master.

Otherwise, the martial arts forces that would be occupying the Central Plains today would not be those of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Those with the aptitude to become Gu Masters are one in a million, making it extremely rare for anyone to actually become one.

Martial arts can be practiced by almost anyone. Although reaching a high level requires high aptitude, it is not as demanding as that of a Gu Master. In other words, whether one is a Gu Master or a martial artist, the difference in skill level should not be particularly significant at higher levels.

'So what if I don't have the aptitude to become a Gu Master! I can still become one!'

The brief moment of frustration in Zhou Qing's heart vanished instantly.

Despite lacking the qualifications of a Gu Master, he still managed to unlock the [Gu Master] profession with the help of a jade tablet.

Whether it's a Gu master or a martial artist, it's ultimately just a way to become stronger.

"What level are you at among Gu Masters?" Zhou Qing asked.

Seeing that Zhou Qing had been silent for a long time before finally speaking, the girl breathed a sigh of relief.

"We have just awakened our potential and entered the first level, the lowest level of Gu Master. Based on the amount of true essence in our Yuan Aperture, we are divided into four realms: early stage, middle stage, late stage, and perfect stage. These correspond to the four stages of a martial artist: skin, flesh, tendons, and bones."

“Gu Masters at the same level are much stronger than Martial Artists! The current martial arts system is built upon the Gu Master system.” At this moment, the young man beside him was quite proud.

"The strength of a Gu Master is affected by the Gu worms, and not all of them are stronger than martial artists," the girl glared at the boy and quickly added.

"Go on," Zhou Qing said calmly.

"Second-tier Gu Masters are called 'Grand Gu Masters,' which correspond to the Blood Exchange Realm in Martial Arts."

A third-tier Gu Master is called a 'Venerable One', which corresponds to the Martial Arts Grandmaster realm.

"We don't know what happens after that," the girl explained.

“That makes sense.” Zhou Qing nodded.

"Among your Five Streams Barbarians, are there any Venerable Ones?"

Zhou Qing then changed the subject.

"No." The girl shook her head.

"It will be here soon!" the boy said smugly.

"What do you mean?" Zhou Qing's voice turned serious.

The girl sighed and spoke first:

"Our Gu Masters are highly skilled. Our clan leader has communicated with the blessed land, and soon a Gu Master from the blessed land will come to guide us away."

The clan leader will receive a reward from the blessed land, along with the resources needed for a promotion.

"A blessed land?" Zhou Qing's gaze sharpened.

“Deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains, it is suitable for Gu Masters to cultivate. There are thirty-six grotto-heavens and seventy-two blessed lands there,” the girl explained.

"Besides these places, are there any other places unsuitable for Gu Masters to cultivate?" Zhou Qing asked again.

"Very few, I don't know either." The girl shook her head.

"Why are you in the black market?" Zhou Qing changed the subject.

"It's all your fault, you damned bastards! Ugh—!" The boy was furious, but before he could finish speaking, the girl covered his mouth with her hand.

"We discovered a Moonlight Gu, chased it to the outer edge of the mountain range, and were captured by the search team."

Zhou Qing, the leader of the "search team," pondered. This didn't seem like a lie.

Some powerful forces in Ping'an County do indeed form mountain-searching teams to enter Huanglong Mountain and Jiulian Mountain in search of exotic beasts, spirits, and rare herbs.

"I'll ask you a few more questions. If you answer truthfully, I'll let you go immediately!" Zhou Qing said thoughtfully.

"Go ahead and ask." The girl nodded.

"You, go over there!" Zhou Qing pointed at the boy, telling him to stay away.

"I'll ask you the same question again later. As long as your answers are consistent, you can leave."

Upon hearing this, the boy readily complied and left.

When only the girl and Zhou Qing remained, Zhou Qing spoke:

"Is the fact that the Witch God Cult is raising a large number of zombies related to your Wuxi Barbarian tribe?"

He remembered what happened at Black Wind Mountain.

The Wuxi barbarians live deep in the mountains and are not afraid of miasma. The actions of the Witch God Cult should not have been kept secret from them, and they may even have been involved.

“There are indeed barbarian people in the Witch God Cult, but they do not belong to our Five Streams Barbarian Cult. Most of the followers are native to the Southern Frontier, or more precisely, people from the Jin Dynasty,” the girl replied.

"As for the zombies, it seems to be a method of raising venomous insects, cultivating a large number of zombies, and finally supporting a powerful zombie king."

"Where is this blessed land you speak of?" Zhou Qing asked thoughtfully.

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(End of this chapter)