Хатуу Ци Гу

"Did you see that battle? It was really splendid!"

"Bai Ning Bing suffered her first defeat and Yan Tu’s victory was also not easy."

"My heart ached when I spent twenty primeval stones to watch the battle, but after the match, I feel that it was truly worth it."

Bai Ning Bing and Yan Tu’s battle was like a boulder falling into the lake, the ripples spreading all over Shang clan city.

In every street, people were discussing the match.

" Old ginger is hotter than young ginger , Lord Yan Tu won in the end."

"But Bai Ning Bing lost gloriously. Fighting to that level, it shows that her future is limitless."

"It is so unfortunately that I couldn’t see that match."

"Bai Ning Bing might have lost her vital Gu and suffered a backlash, but ice crystal Gu is easy find, this will not have too big of an influence on her."

"I am now really looking forward to the match between Fang Zheng and Ju Kai Bei."

"Right, that is sure to be a battle between dragon and tiger!"

The match between Fang Yuan and Ju Kai Bei was scheduled seven days later. And because of Bai Ning Bing’s outstanding performance, their match received countless attention.

Bai Ning Bing, however, went missing.

After that match, she did not return to Nan Qiu garden.

"Did something happen to her?" Shang Xin Ci was worried.

"Don’t worry, I understand her. She has a very prideful nature, after suffering such a defeat, she needs some time alone." Fang Yuan comforted Shang Xin Ci.

Bai Ning Bing might have a female body but her heart was that of a man.

All men were like lions and wolves; when they received injuries, they would look for a secluded place and silently lick their wounds.

Women were different; when they felt wronged, they would want to pour out their grievances. They thirst for protection and comfort.

Shang Xin Ci nodded, her beautiful and gentle eyes looked at Fang Yuan with concern: "Is it possible to not fight? That Ju Kai Bei is as famous as Yan Tu. Big Sister Bai Yun lost and had to give up her ice crystal Gu. Ju Kai Bei is a strength path Gu Master, if Big Brother Hei Tu loses all-out effort Gu..."

Bai Ning Bing lost ice crystal Gu but it could be replenished. However, if Fang Yuan lost all-out effort Gu, he had no way to get another.

Fang Yuan smiled: "Precisely because of that, I cannot lose. Alright, I will be secluded cultivation for a few days to refine a Gu. You should go back first."

Fang Yuan had already made inquiries on Ju Kai Bei’s strength. After the match of Bai Ning Bing and Yan Tu, he was able to make even more conjectures.

Ju Kai Bei was a rank four initial stage Gu Master and was equally matched with Yan Tu. Fang Yuan estimated he only had thirty percent chance of winning against Ju Kai Bei with his current strength.

Thirty percent chance of victory did not look high. But in actuality, if you consider the gap between the two large realms, thirty percent was rather outstanding already.

"If I am successful in refining that Gu, I will have sixty percent chance with its help! I can only hope that the refinement succeeds."

Fang Yuan entered the secret room and began refining.

...

First inner city.

In a study room, bright and gentle lights were on.

Shang Yan Fei quietly looked at a ball of colorful smoke floating in the air. The colorful smoke churned and unfolded the scene of the match between Bai Ning Bing and Yan Tu.

Shang Yan Fei watched this battle from start to finish and then put away the colorful smoke.

Bai Ning Bing had lost.

She lost her vital Gu and also suffered from backlash.

According the intel from Feng Yu Manor, Bai Ning Bing was recuperating at Doctor Su Shou’s place.

With this, she had received the punishment and a lesson for scheming against his second son.

Shang Yan Fei closed his eyes and leaned against the back of the chair.

Bai Ning Bing lost, she did not pass the test, but her innate gifts and talent were already recognized by the public. Given some time, she was certain to surpass Yan Tu and have great accomplishment.

This was a true genius.

Shang Yan Fei cherished and was fond of talented people.

Seeing Bai Ning Bing’s performance, he had an even greater desire to recruit her for Shang Xin Ci.

"Next, it is Fang Zheng’s turn. I wonder what surprise he will give me. Hmm, I heard he might have a heavenly essence treasure lotus..."

Heavenly essence treasure lotus, there were two of these in Shang clan city’s living treasure door. There was also a heavenly essence treasure monarch lotus as well.

However, they would have to pay an even greater price to take out these treasure lotuses.

Living treasure door guarded the treasures and even Shang Yan Fei, the clan leader, had to comply with the rules set by his ancestors.

"Fang Zheng is a strength path Gu Master, heavenly essence treasure lotus will not be able to show its true worth in his hands. It is better for Xin Ci to have it."

Shang Yan Fei pondered for a while while sitting upright. After thinking through, he sent out a paper crane secret letter.

The paper crane followed the dark path and flew inside a secret room.

Ju Kai Bei and Yan Tu soon felt a reaction and gathered in the secret room.

"Master has sent a secret letter again!" Yan Tu unfolded the secret letter and after glancing at it, he gave it to Ju Kai Bei, "It is for you."

Ju Kai Bei skimmed through the secret letter and muttered: "Master thinks Fang Yuan might have a heavenly essence treasure lotus. If I win this battle, he wants me to try and request for this grass Gu. Furthermore, even if he doesn’t have it, I am not allowed to choose all-out effort Gu."

Ju Kai Bei’s brows furrowed after he read this.

He had planned to demand Fang Yuan’s all-out effort Gu. This legendary Gu was extremely attractive to a strength path Gu Master like him.

Unfortunately, Shang Yan Fei sent such a command.

"Master loves talents and wants to protect that Fang Zheng’s growth." Yan Tu analyzed.

He raised his head and looked at Ju Kai Bei’s frown, and mediated: "Brother Ju, take note of your mental state. We are the hidden elders of Shang clan and must follow clan leader’s commands. Times are different from when we freely roamed the world and did whatever we wanted."

Ju Kai Bei nodded his head solemnly and said with remembrance: "Those were memorable times. Walking in the world alone, free and unrestrained."

"Could it be Brother Ju is thinking of becoming a demonic Gu Master again?" Yan Tu’s tone was solemn.

Ju Kai Bei scoffed: "Brother Yan Tu, do you still not know me? It was just a casual remark. Demonic Gu Masters might be free and unrestrained, but the pressure and risks are huge. Their corpse might be found in the wild one day and there wouldn’t even be people to retrieve the corpse."

Yan Tu’s expression relaxed at this.

Ju Kai Bei and Yan Tu were once solitary demonic Gu Masters.

They had even made a name for themselves while roaming around southern border and had endured for ten years. However, they were becoming tired as the time passed; demonic Gu Masters lived extremely free lives, but there was a huge pressure on them, they would have to keep on worrying about the food for their Gu, primeval stones, their own safety and other things.

The two were slowly fed up with such a life, but they did not have the courage to change their ways.

Until one day, when these two encountered each other in the wild.

There was an extreme lack of trust between demonic Gu Masters. The moment these two noticed the other, they immediately attacked to ensure they held the initiative.

Who would have imagined these two were evenly matched and fought from day to night. They used their intelligence, traps, and every kind of trick they knew with all their strength.

When dawn arrived, the two did not have strength to continue their battle; their primeval essence were fully expended and their bodies were covered with wounds. They were both within each other’s reach, but they did not have strength to make the final strike and kill the other.

When the morning light shone on their faces, these two both made an identical decision.

"I am tired of this life. Sigh, if I can survive this battle, I will go to Shang clan city and join the righteous path." Yan Tu softly mumbled.

"I am so sick of it, after this battle, I will go to Shang clan city and fight for that external elder’s position!" Ju Kai Bei fiercely cursed.

They did not know why, but the two spoke at the same time.

After they finished speaking, the two looked at each other.

After a moment of silence, the two laughed heartily at the same time.

This was fate, it was like heaven’s will. On this day, two veteran demonic Gu Masters with not the least bit of trust, gained a best friend for life.

As if they wanted to completely discard their past, they began changing and chose to trust each other.

This trust was a trust without any reservations. The two went from one extremity to another extreme.

"Returning to the topic, Brother Yan Tu, you suffered great losses this time, you ended up in a pathetic state." Ju Kai Bei mocked while winking.

No outsider would imagine he could make such an expression. Normally, Ju Kai Bei was solemn as iron and was very meticulous. But in reality, this was only a mask he had worn when he was walking the demonic path.

Only in front of Yan Tu, his best friend, did he display his true nature.

Yan Tu coldly snorted, he sighed as his brows relaxed: "This Bai Ning Bing is not simple, one day she will surpass us. I only won by a small margin, if she was rank four, the battle could go either way."

Ju Kai Bei nodded: "I disguised myself to watch your match. It is indeed the rise of a younger generation."

Yan Tu patted Ju Kai Bei’s shoulder: "That Fang Zheng is as famous as Bai Ning Bing. They came to Shang clan city together and also lives together, their relation is definitely not normal. They are called the twin stars of the battle stage and some people even call them the black and white demons. Bai Ning Bing already has such strength, Fang Zheng definitely won’t be any weaker. Brother Ju, your strongest moment is also your weakest, you need to be careful."

Ju Kai Bei proudly smiled: "Brother, guess what this is."

He took out a Gu from his aperture.

This Gu was like a beetle, it was black as iron and was fist sized.

"Eh, hard qi Gu!" Yan Tu was astonished before joy filled his face, "This is great, Brother Ju. Your defense falls when you use your killer move. This Gu will make up for your weakness. This Gu is precious and rare, you need to raise it carefully."

Ju Kai Bei nodded and put back the hard qi Gu, he then let out a sigh: "It is such a pity that it is only a hard qi Gu and not strength qi Gu. If it was strength qi Gu, my battle strength would undergo a qualitative transformation and surge by two or three times..."

Yan Tu laughed loudly: "This is just your greed, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant! The ancient qi path has already disappeared, strength qi Gu is extinct. It is your great luck that you could obtain a hard qi Gu, don’t be greedy."

Ju Kai Bei also laughed: "Yeah, but endless greed is also human nature, hahaha..."

Ancient qi path had appeared earlier than strength path.

Qi path Gu worms could alternate between form and formless, their ability were extremely wondrous. In ancient times, when qi path flourished, eight out of ten Gu Masters would walk the qi path.

However, flowers bloom and wilt, powers rise and fall; this is the natural law and qi path was not exempted from it.

After its peak, qi path gradually declined and was replaced by strength path.

Bai Ning Bing’s vitality Gu, Ju Kai Bei’s hard qi Gu and Fang Yuan’s atmosphere Gu were all related to qi path.

Translator’s Thoughts

ChibiGeneral ChibiGeneral

In traditional Chinese culture, qi is believed to be a vital force forming part of any living entity. Qi translates as "air" and figuratively as "material energy", "life force", or "energy flow". ---Wikipedia. Explains why vitality and atmosphere are part of this path.