Chapter 17: Eating like there is no tomorrow
A man with white hair stood panting, his uniform dirtied, the crispness of the belt that bore the number 2 now marred by sweat and dust. His sharp eyes gleamed with the fire of perseverance. Before him lay a massive White Tiger Beast King, its once ferocious vitality now waning. The creature's body was covered in deep, jagged cuts, frozen to the bone, while its breath rasped in and out, every exhale a puff of frost, even though the air was sweltering hot.
The battle had been long and grueling. Ning Zu had fought persistently, wearing down the beast's immense strength. His Freezing Steam Gu, capable of creating a steam so cold that any mortal caught in its path would freeze solid, had been crucial.
The steam combined with his Push Gu, allowed the cold to hit the beast with enhanced power, hitting the Tiger straight to the jaw, making it black out.
Ning Zu didn't waste anytime. He activated his Bear As Man Gu, feeling the weight of the beast lightened, and began dragging the massive tiger's body across the rocky terrain. To cover his tracks, he used Silent Tracks Gu, which concealed their movement from any prying eyes.
They reached the riverbank, where an inconspicuous boulder stood sentinel beside the water. Ning Zu pressed his hand against it, revealing a narrow crack wide enough for him to squeeze through, dragging the unconscious tiger behind him. Inside, the darkness enveloped them, but with a thought, he activated his Little Light Gu,illuminating the hidden inheritance chamber beneath the boulder.
In the center of the chamber, a large cauldron sat atop a stone platform. The liquid inside it boiled furiously, its color a deep, angry red. He had prepared this mixture the night before, utilizing rare and volatile ingredients like Wither weave Vine,a parasitic plant that feeds off the essence of living beings including itself and Soulfeather Moss, known to sap the energy from anything it touched. Each ingredient was critical to ensure the success of the refinement.
Without hesitation, Ning Zu grabbed the tiger and tossed its massive body into the cauldron. The heat was immediate. The tiger's fur sizzled as the boiling liquid wrapped around its body, pulling it deeper. The beast's eyes shot open, a desperate roar escaping its throat as it thrashed violently, but the liquid clung to it, burning away flesh and pulling the tiger into the mixture.
Ning Zu quickly placed a heavy metal plate over the cauldron. Both the plate and the cauldron were crafted from the same material, a soul-sealing metal that prevented the tiger's spirit from escaping to the Door of Life and Death. The White Tiger Beast King's body and soul were now trapped within the boiling concoction.
He sat cross-legged before the cauldron, his expression calm, but inwardly, he felt the weight of the task ahead. The last time he attempted this refinement, it had failed spectacularly, leaving a burn scar across his left hand. This time, he wouldn't let that happen. The refinement demanded his full concentration; both the body and the soul of the tiger needed to fuse with the essence of the cauldron to ensure the creation of the Gu worm.
As the liquid boiled and the tiger's body disintegrated into it, Ning Zu retrieved the White Boar Strength Gu from his pouch, a Gu he got from the inheritance after he went down stairs.
He dropped it into the mixture, watching as it sank beneath the surface. The strength path dao marks within the Boar Strength Gu were crucial to the process, as they would ensure that the resulting Gu worm carried the powerful essence of the tiger, and with the liquid, the Boar proprieties would be absorbed.
Next, he took a knife and sliced open his palm, letting his blood drip into the cauldron. His blood was the final catalyst, a necessary link between him and the Gu worm. The mixture within the cauldron hissed and bubbled, reacting to the infusion of life essence.
Yet, the Gu worm inside wasn't fully forming. Frowning, Ning Zu reached into his pouch and retrieved the Tough Bones Gu. Without hesitation, he dropped it in. The Gu worm, absorbing the additional strength, began to stabilize, its form becoming more defined.
To further stabilize the refinement, Ning Zu placed a piece of white tiger meat in front of the cauldron, careful not to harm the developing Gu worm. Fragile and weak, the Gu worm slithered toward the meat, devouring it bit by bit, each bite strengthening its form.
Biting the meat was very hard at first, but it slowly became easier.
The refinement was nearing completion, but there was one final step. Ning Zu reached into his bag and pulled out the mouth of a mortal, freshly taken from a grave. He dropped the decayed mouth into the cauldron, and immediately the incomplete Gu entered it, fusing with it. The transformation was instantaneous, the teeth turned from yellowed and rotted to sharp and gleaming white, a sign of the success of the refinement.
It was the rank 2: Glutenous Beast king Gu, shaped like a small mouth with the teeth of a tiger.
The Gu embody the eating properties of the Food Path, which would allow its host and grant them the power and endurance of White tiger as long as they consume it.
However, the Gu worm came with a dangerous side effect. While it could grant the strength and toughness of the tiger, if the host consumed more than their limit, they would begin to lose their intelligence and gradually transform into a mindless white tiger.
Also, the Gu needs to be sustained with essence while eating, and even if a whole tiger is consumed, you will only get 10 percent of the tigers strength.
Ning Zu, with steady hands, carefully turned down the fire beneath the cauldron. The liquid began to cool, and as the heat dissipated, the Gu worm finally completed its transformation. He reached in and lifted it out a perfect, shining Gu worm, born of body, soul, and strength.
His lips curled into a satisfied smile. The refinement had succeeded.
He then turned his attention to a soulless body lying on the ground beside him. Using the Mortal Killer Move: Careful Puppetry, on it. The body stirred, its lifeless eyes now glinting with the barest hint of movement. Although the body had no soul, it could perform simple tasks, such as delivering the newly refined Gu worm to its destination.
Satisfied, Ning Zu replenished his essence with primeval stones, feeling the slow but steady recovery of his energy. The refinement had been exhausting, but the results were worth every effort.
Now, with his strength restored, he could focus on future refinements and on improving the Careful Puppetry killer move. With the right adjustments, he could make it more efficient, giving soulless bodies even more autonomy before the effect wore off.
He used the killer move on himself before returning to his original body, to continue cultivating.
....
At the same time
Xiong Zi sat in the modest yet finely adorned home of the Clan Leader, its wooden beams and stone floors giving off an aura of wealth without excessive grandeur. Before him, the Clan Leader sat at a small table, sipping a cup of tea. The steam rose from the elegant white teacup, momentarily calming the older man as he took in the aroma. This tea, once plentiful, had become a rarity ever since the Bai Clan's shop responsible for producing it mysteriously shut down, cutting off its supply. No reason had been given.
The Clan Leader, leaning back in his chair, set down the cup and looked at Xiong Zi with a relaxed expression. "You've done well on your mission to deal with the Copper Bee Beast King. It's been troubling our lands for some time."
Xiong Zi, his face showing signs of exhaustion from a long night's work, nodded respectfully. "It was a long battle, but the beast won't trouble the environment anymore."
The Clan Leader, his face softening with a warm smile, leaned forward. "And what of your son's progress?"
Xiong Zi's tiredness faded slightly as he spoke of his son, his tone proud but measured. "He's been doing well, cultivating his aperture ever since he awakened it. His focus has been singular, and his progress has been steady."
The Clan Leader's face grew thoughtful, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "That's good, but remind him not to push too hard. Cultivation is important, but so is pacing. If he strains his aperture too much, he could damage himself."
Xiong Zi nodded, understanding the wisdom behind the words. "Yes, Clan Leader. But he's young and eager, determined to carve his own path."
There was a subtle tension in the room, one that Xiong Zi knew too well. The Clan Leader's gaze sharpened as he added, "Especially when it comes to his choice of Gu. The Tough Bones Gu, it's not ideal for the strength competition he will soon face."
Xiong Zi's expression hardened slightly. He knew where this conversation was headed. "The boy has chosen his own road. As his father, it's not my place to control him, only to guide him."
The Clan Leader chuckled, a sound both amused and knowing. "That's exactly the kind of man Xiong Er would have chosen."
The smile on Xiong Zi's face vanished instantly. His fists clenched under the table as anger flared inside him. In a tone as calm as he could muster, he asked, "What do you mean by that, Clan Leader?"
The older man waved a hand dismissively, sipping more tea before responding with a smug grin. "Don't concern yourself. She's not a matter for me to worry about anymore, used goods are just that after all."
The words cut deep, like a blade slipping between armor. Xiong Zi's vision blurred with rage. Before he could fully think it through, he activated his Whirlpool Gu, a gust of wind swirling around his feet. In an instant, he flew across the room, his fist aimed directly at the Clan Leader's stomach. The speed of his movement and the power behind the punch was undeniable.
But the Clan Leader wasn't unprepared. With a quick movement, he activated his own defensive Gu, a spectral bear phantom manifesting around him just before the blow landed. When Xiong Zi's punch struck, a blast of blue and yellow lightning exploded from the point of impact. The force was so strong that the Clan Leader's body was thrown upward, crashing through the roof and into the room above.
Xiong Zi didn't hesitate. Wind still swirling at his feet, he followed, breaking through the ceiling. He landed beside the Clan Leader, who was now hunched over, vomiting blood. The bear phantom around him flickered, fading into nothingness as if in pain.
The Clan Leader wiped the blood from his lips and grinned through the pain. "Your punches are just like the old days, back when we were young and foolish, fighting for Xiong Er's favor."
His body began to grow, muscles swelling, his frame becoming broader and more imposing. Even his hair seemed to lengthen, flowing down his back as his grin widened, his mouth large enough to swallow a mortal whole.
"Come on!" the Clan Leader goaded, a wild grin on his face. "Let's fight like the old days!"
Xiong Zi, still seething with anger, paused. He deactivated his Gu worms, the wind around his feet dissipating. "No. I have better things to do than entertain your whims." With a single, disdainful look, he jumped back down through the hole he had created. "Now if you will excuse me."
The Clan Leader, his excitement fading, returned his body to normal, his disappointed voice echoing down the hole. "You've gone soft, Xiong Zi! Still using that same **Lightning Flash Gu**, even though you've reached Rank 3! Pathetic!"
Xiong Zi knew what the Clan Leader meant. The Lightning Flash Gu was a Rank 2 Gu he had acquired long ago, after saving his soon to be wife from a pack of wolves during a beast tide. It had been a lifesaver many times over, capable of making his attacks ten times stronger. But it could only be used three times in twenty four hours, and now that he was Rank 3, its power had diminished, only doubling his attack strength instead of tenfold. Despite this, it was still one of his most prized Gu worms, even though he had never managed to refine it to Rank 3.
As he walked out of the Clan Leader's home, memories flooded his mind. He recalled the early days, when feeding the Lightning Flash Gu had been a struggle. He had nearly lost it several times due to hunger, but now, as an elder, he had no trouble providing for it. Still, the thought of its limitations gnawed at him.
By the time he reached his own house, Xiong Zi was lost in thought. He entered the quiet home and made his way to the kitchen, planning to ask a servant to prepare for some food, only to stop in shock at the sight before him.
His son, covered in blood, was skinning a White Tiger in the middle of the room.
"What in the world are you doing?" Xiong Zi demanded, barely able to hide his disbelief.
His son looked up from his task, his face calm and unfazed. "I was hungry."
Xiong Zi blinked. "Hungry? And you thought you'd eat an entire tiger?" Then he stopped, narrowing his eyes. "Where did you even get it?"
"I hunted it myself," his son said matter-of-factly, returning to his skinning.
Xiong Zi, too tired and overwhelmed to argue, sighed deeply. "Do whatever you want." He waved a hand dismissively and trudged toward his room, his exhaustion catching up to him.
As he lay down, his thoughts drifted back to the past, the battles, the struggles, the love he had once fought for. It all seemed so distant now, like the fading echoes of a storm long passed. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that some storms were not yet over.
(Another's note: What would you guys prefer:
a) drop 3 chapters a week
b) don't drop for some time (a month or so) then do a mass release.)