Fang Yuan returned to his dorm. For now, he could spend some time here before having to clean up to let room for the incoming class.

Normally he would’ve been against sharing a room with anyone, but he wanted to keep a close eye on Fang Zheng, whose development was very crucial to him obtaining an Immortal Gu. Also, there was the fact that Fang Zheng was still very stupid and wouldn’t be much of an impediment to his plans anyway. Additionally, at this point Fang Zheng was so much of a pariah that he could only rely on Fang Yuan and so the chance of betrayal from that end was nearly zero.

First off, he sent his mind towards the doe he had used the Deer Enslavement Gu on. To his surprise, it looked like she was still alive as he could feel their connection to each other. The Crimsonhoof Deer was also still alive, though it was likely still nothing more than a baby. The time when Fang Yuan could use it to fight was still far off on the horizon.

Next, he had an experiment that he wanted to try. He retrieved a Green Copper Relic Gu from his inventory and was going to try to use his Cultivation Blessing to raise its rank.

Normally such a thing would be impossible. The Relic Gu series could not be advanced, they were only refined naturally in regions where large numbers of humans gathered. However, this was the current common consensus.

Just because something was thought to be impossible did not mean that it would always be impossible. It was considered impossible to refine Lifespan Gu, and yet, that did not stop people from trying. People did not think that a Four Flavors Liquor Worm existed until it was refined by a genius in the future.

There was another reason that Fang Yuan thought that it would be possible to advance the Relic Gu- because Relic Gu were considered to be Human Path gu worms. Given this, and the fact that the system heavily favored Human Path dao marks and methods, as well as gu worms, made him think that it might be possible.

He activated the Cultivation Blessing, which formed a small ball of light that hovered in the air before descending upon the Green Copper Relic Gu held in Fang Yuan’s outstretched hand. A moment later, its color had changed.

Red Steel Relic Gu had formed!

If anyone saw this, they wouldn’t have been able to believe it. Fang Yuan hardly even believed it as he placed the Red Steel Relic Gu in his aperture and activated it, advancing to Rank 2 Middle Stage instantly.

He had two more Red Steel Relic Gu in his inventory, but he did not use them immediately. It would draw too much attention to himself if he did- as it was, he was going to have a hard time explaining even this small advancement, but it was still within reasonable expectations if people thought he had between a 75-79% aptitude, which some of them did.

With this, his advancement to Rank 2 Peak Stage was guaranteed, he only needed to make sure that he gathered enough primeval stones in the meantime for his breakthrough to Rank 3. Additionally, he needed to gather Rank 2 and Rank 3 gu worms.

He had already purchased another Moonlight Gu using his primeval stones, and was planning on refining the Rank 2 Moonglow Gu once he found another Little Light Gu. Once he reached Rank 3, he would be able to get a Rank 3 gu worm from the clan treasury, but until then, he needed an offensive option other than using his fists. While that was still quite effective given how much he had raised his own strength, in addition to having Rank 2 Moon Raiment which could protect his bones while he used such strength, he also needed a long-range option.

Regarding healing, it was time to see if the Doctor Gu was indeed worth his time as he brought it out of his inventory.

Doctor Gu looked like a small figurine in his hand, rather than an insect. As he injected his primeval essence into it, it transformed into the form of an adult man with a gentle smile on his face.

To an onlooker, this person would be indistinguishable from a human.

Fang Yuan himself was shocked- he had never heard of a gu worm taking human form before. Many gu worms could form disguises, but to see one turn into an actual human was something else. Did this mean that humans and gu worms were one in the same? Or that they had been at one point? Or that they would be in the future?

The strangeness did not stop there, as the Doctor Gu talked. Actually talked!

Many gu worms in ‘The Legends of Ren Zu’ could talk, but that was a fairy tale and many of the gu worms were Immortal Gu, so Fang Yuan wasn’t sure if that was actually the case as he had never encountered said gu worms even in his old life.

“I greet Young Master,” Doctor Gu said.

“Are… are you a healing type gu worm?” Fang Yuan asked.

“Indeed I am,” Doctor Gu said, however, he then showed a sorrowful expression. “But I am afraid that I will be unable to help the Young Master if he is injured.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Because I am a Family Doctor, and it seems that you are an orphan.”

Doctor Gu: …

Fang Yuan: …

“Ah, that was a joke, Young Master,” Doctor Gu said. “They say that laughter is the best medicine, and I saw that you were already healthy, and so I wanted to see if I could make you laugh… hehe…”

“Alright, jokes aside,” Fang Yuan said, unsure of why this gu worm was behaving like this (as if it still retained a semblance of free will) but he took it in stride as something that was just a peculiarity of some Human Path gu worms. “What do I need to feed you?”

“Oh, you will find that my feeding requirements are rather easy to satisfy as I don’t require anything too fancy,” Doctor Gu said. “For breakfast, I require a delicate yet invigorating start. Starting with a deconstructed Thousand Beast King Crab Benedict, with saffron-infused hollandaise air, nestled upon a cloud of artisanal truffle foam, accompanied by a single, perfectly spherical quail egg poached in champagne, and garnished with gold leaf and microgreens flown in fresh from the alpine slopes of the Northern Plains and naturally, a single shot of Kona Geisha coffee, brewed by hand from beans harvested only at the first dew point.”

“For lunch my tastes require something that speaks of both the earth and the heavens. I envision a Pâté de Foie Gras Terrine presented as an edible mosaic, incorporating rare black Périgord truffles and wild morels foraged by moonlit decree. This would be served with lightly toasted brioche points made from flour milled by monks and a confiture of hand-picked, sun-ripened figs, all bathed in a reduction of an old Romanée-Conti. A palate cleanser of perfectly chilled, hand-scooped Bael fruit sorbet should finish this meal.”

“For dinner, the grand finale, I need a pan-seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, served alongside a delicate Long Island Duck Consommé infused with foraged ramps from the Catskills and a hint of saffron grown in the Western Desert. The main course would be a meticulously prepared Dry-Aged Prime Porterhouse Steak from a local, ethically-raised farm, cooked to absolute perfection and accompanied by a creamy Truffle Potato Gratin made with artisanal Eastern Sea cheeses and shavings of imported white Alba truffle. As a side, perhaps a vibrant salad of Heirloom Tomatoes from a local organic farm run by Mushroommen, drizzled with a balsamic reduction aged in small oak barrels and taken care of exclusively by virgin women. To conclude this meal, I require a vintage port from a renowned producer and a delicate fig jam made with locally sourced fruit.”

Doctor Gu: …

Fang Yuan: …

“Ah, that was another joke, Young Master,” Doctor Gu said, taking out a handkerchief and wiping his brow from the sweat that now coated it. “Ah, but it doesn’t seem to have amused Young Master in the slightest… the actual answer is that I can eat any food a human can eat, though I require larger amounts at intervals acceptable for a Rank 3 gu worm. Something like plain rice would be fine.”

Fang Yuan nodded. That made feeding this Doctor Gu quite simple. Most gu worms required a very specific food, but it appeared that these kind of Human Path gu worms were flexible in their requirements.

It made some intuitive sense to Fang Yuan though – if these gu worms could transform into humans, it would logically follow that they could eat food that humans ate. That was good as it meant that their feeding requirements would be low.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep