Chapter 63 I Am Sword Gu!

Xuanyuan returned to the site of their camp, seeing that Tai Yang and Song Pei had returned, alongside Jia Yufei, Tai Yin and Lu Guo. The two male Elder descendants saw the haul of beast corpses that the other three brought back, and had already started to assist them with removing the feathers and flesh. 

They watched as Xuanyuan appeared through the thick bamboo grove, noticing him stretch out his hand, raising an eyebrow as more metallic feathers were released from his shadow. 

Pointing in the direction that he came from, Xuanyuan shrugged and looked towards Tai Yang and Jia Yufei, the two Fire Path Gu Masters.

"There are about a dozen or so Steel Feather Hawks five hundred meters that way. I made a bit of a mess, so could I borrow one of your Return To Ash Gu to clean it up?", he asked.

Return to Ash Gu was similar to Gruel Mud Gu, but transformed biological material to ash instead of gruel mud. Return To Ash Gu was only a Rank 1 Gu with no combat capabilities, but if a Gu Master could refine it to Rank 2, they could obtain a Return To White Ash Gu, or even a valuable Return To Leaf Ash Gu.

White Ash and Leaf Ash were Gu refinement materials, and having either of these Gu would be akin to having a Spring Ginseng or a Nine Leaf Vitality Grass. Another type of Gu which created a source of revenue.

Tai Yang nodded lending his Return To Ash Gu to Xuanyuan, returning to the sight of his battle and removing any trace of the Steel Feather Hawks. Beast carcasses often attracted carnivores in the area, and even if Wind Blade Mountain was patrolled by members of the Ancient Soul Sect, it still wasn't in Xuanyuan's nature to leave trace that others could follow.

Glancing around, Xuanyuan scattered the traces of ash evenly over the grass nodding before returning back to camp. 

After his parents death, Xuanyuan was forced to live in the woods away from the rest of Green Grass Village. He wasn't so proficient in hunting or tracking, but in order to avoid predators, Xuanyuan had gotten quite good at removing traces of himself.

Covering oneself in urine, or mud was the most effective method as a mortal, but as a Gu Master, Xuanyuan could directly affect the tracks he left behind and the scent that followed him around. 

He didn't want to purchase Gu which could help him do so and as a result, relied on the mortal methods that he had comprehended before.

Whenever it was his turn to go scouting and foraging for materials, he would apply some bear urine to his clothes, which, for the most part repelled other wild beasts from approaching.

Xuanyuan returned the Return To Ash Gu back to Tai Yang, but noticed a strange expression on the face of the Fire Path Gu Master. Glancing at Song Pei, he could also see their Enslavement Path Gu Master frowning, occasionally throwing looks towards Lu Guo.

Their fake Sword Path Gu Master just grinned, the smile on his face unable to be hidden. When he noticed Xuanyuan return back to camp, he jumped off his seat, showing Xuanyuan something else cupped in his hands.

Xuanyuan felt his mouth drop, blinking multiple times seeing the Gu in Lu Guo's hands.

"Is... that what I think it is?", he said.

Lu Guo grinned, dancing on the spot for a moment.

"It is a Rank 1 Metal Strength Gu! It can slightly increase the strength of all Rank 1 Metal Path Gu!".

Jia Yufei and Tai Yin stared at Lu Guo, silently cursing his luck. In just a couple hours, he had already found an extremely valuable Rank 2 Spring Ginseng Gu, but now he had also found a Rank 1 Metal Strength Gu!

What kind of dogshit luck was this!?

Lu Guo, who only had three Gu before this, suddenly had five Gu in his possession. While more than half were support type Gu with no combat abilities, he would more than likely sell the Rank 1 Metal Strength Gu for a few hundred primeval essence stones.

Xuanyuan didn't show an outward change in expression and just patted Lu Guo on the shoulder, nodding slightly.

"Good job Guo. But make sure that you have enough resources to feed your new Gu. Spring Ginseng is easy enough, but Metal Strength Gu requires 200 grams of ore every two days in order to be fed. This must come out of your own pocket, unless you can find someone to trade it with".

Lu Guo blinked for a moment before nodding looking down at the Gu. 

He wasn't a Metal Path Gu Master, and wanted to walk the Sword Path like Tai Yin did. Currently, he didn't have any Sword Path Gu and instead possessed more Lightning Path Gu than anything else.

He could sell it for a few hundred primeval essence stones, but thought about it for a moment before turning to the rest of the group. He glanced at Xuanyuan for a moment before nodding, peering at the other four.

"I am willing to trade the Metal Strength Gu! I know that none of you are Metal Path Gu Masters, but I am willing to accept primeval essence stones in exchange for the-", his words were cut off before Tai Yin stood up, taking a Gu out of her primeval essence sea.

"You want to walk the Sword Path right? I'll give you a Rank 2 Longsword Gu in exchange for your Rank 1 Lightning Sword Gu and that Metal Strength Gu!".

Her words were straightforward, and the expression on her face was resolute. Lu Guo gulped for a moment before glancing at Xuanyuan, who whispered something in his ear, causing him to nod vigorously.

"I'll give you the revenue from the Spring Ginseng for one of your other Rank 1 Sword Path Gu! If you do that then we have a deal!".

Tai Yin narrowed her eyes at Xuanyuan before nodding slowly. While Rank 1 Gu were not that valuable to her, she still had a couple of Gu recipes in her head, capable of advancing her Rank 1 Gu to Rank 2.

Tai Yin and Tai Yang were both more experienced in making deals and trading than Song Pei was, considering their father managed the dozens of Spirit Springs belonging to the Ancient Soul Sect. Some of these Spirit Springs were on the boarders between the Ancient Soul Sect and their subsidiary Sects, and involved the Golden Soul Hall.

But for the most part, they had been invited to numerous discussions with disciples of significantly higher cultivations on where to place Spring Egg Gu.

They had learnt quite a bit about heaven qi and earth qi, and the balance between the Earth Abyss and the surface, even before they were Gu Masters. She wasn't the one losing out in this deal.

Tai Yin received the Rank 1 Metal Strength Gu, and in the future would receive another 1,500 essence stones in revenue from the Spring Ginseng. 

Lu Guo received the Rank 2 Longsword Gu and the Rank 1 Sword Wind Gu. 

Sword Wind Gu was a defensive Sword Path Gu capable of surrounding a Gu Master with a cutting wind capable of defending against projectiles and damaging enemies that wandered to close. It had a high primeval essence cost, but for a Rank 2 Gu Master, it was more than suitable for Lu Guo.

Their trade was completed, and despite the others still envious of Lu Guo's luck, Tai Yin was the one who benefitted the most of the agreement.

Standing beside her, Xuanyuan smiled, seeing her refine the Rank 1 Metal Strength Gu, using her higher cultivation base to complete it in just over an hour.

"Rank 1 Metal Strength Gu can be combined with Rank 1 Empty Sword Gu, Rank 1 Blank Sword Gu, Rank 1 Echoless Sword Gu, Stellar Sword Grass and Rainbow Edge Ore to refine a Rank 2 Sword Strength Gu. With your Rank 2 Sword Breath Gu and Rank 2 Sword Qi Gu, you could display an offensive strength capable of fighting a Rank 3 Gu Master evenly... As expected of the strongest offensive Path of this Era".

Tai Yin smiled shrugging her shoulders.

"Are you worried that you will lag behind Xuanyuan? I didn't think a genius like you could worry like a normal person?", her words seemed rude, but she smacked her leg against Xuanyuan, causing him to roll his eyes, chuckling slightly.

"Worried? Ha! I worry more than the rest of you combined Tai Yin. I do not know what tomorrow holds, so I try my best today, hoping that it will be enough in the future. If I keep pushing myself, perhaps one day I will fulfill my dream", his gaze moved towards the clouds, but Tai Yin could tell her was staring beyond the limits of the Five Regions.

"Your dream? The one about creating a new Extreme Physique?", she inquired.

Xuanyuan nodded.

"I want to achieve many things, but I believe that is the goal that I am furthest from achieving. An Extreme Physique contains many profundities, including Dao Marks even as a Rank 1 Gu Master, and over abundance of primeval essence, and even a minor physical transformation in some instances. Their innate comprehension often exceeds that of other Gu Masters, perhaps even my own to some degree".

Tai Yin shook her head in response to Xuanyuan's words.

"An Extreme Physique often cultivates the Path that corresponds to that Physique. It would be waste to otherwise. It is not their comprehension that is scary, it is that their affinity with that Path is so high than it can actually kill them... If anything, someone like you Xuanyuan, who can see through a Path at a single glance... you are the scary one".

Xuanyuan chuckled, shaking his head.

Part of the reason for his ridiculous comprehension was the Shadows As Thought Gu, allowing him to derive a myriad of answers through his own knowledge. 

Xuanyuan did feel that his comprehension in the Shadow Path was otherworldly, but for other Paths, he didn't possess nearly the same depth as Jia Yufei for the Fire Path, or even someone like Song Pei for the Enslavement Path.

He had an entire previous life's worth of knowledge. On both Gu and the Great Dao. He needed to fill the gap between his knowledge and the knowledge only accessible through experience and wisdom. 

He had come a long way in just over a year. And he knew he was heading in the right direction.

Smiling, he glanced at Tai Yin, who noticed his expression and gave him a strange look.

"What? Is there something on my face?", she questioned, patting her face somewhat.

Xuanyuan didn't respond, and instead asked her a question of his own.

"Tell me again what happened to Ren Zu after he ascended Dao Mountain?".

Tai Yin paused, furrowing her brows in thought for a moment before reciting the epic word for word.

She narrated the encounter between Edge Gu and Ren Zu, telling him that in order to make yourself whole once more he needed to ascend Dao Mountain, refining himself and removing anything that didn't belong to "Ren Zu".

"Let swords and blades slice and cut off everything unnecessary! Let swords and blades remove the excess and refine the core! Let swords and blades pierce your very being, releasing your true self to the World!".

"Hearing the words of Self Gu and Edge Gu, Ren Zu abandoned his fear and started to ascend the mountain".

"Cutting himself upon steel and iron, Ren Zu endured deep and terrible cuts upon his flesh and bone. The swords and blades upon Dao Mountain cut through his mortal fallacies, striking upon his mind and soul."

"With every reach for a higher peak, Ren Zu impaled himself upon a sword. Every time his perseverance faltered, he fell, inflicting horrible jagged cuts all over his body. Yet, Ren Zu continued to climb, higher and higher, the words of Self Gu constantly ringing in his ears".

"Self Gu spoke, "The cut left behind by Shadow Gu is is beyond that of a mere physical wound. Shadows are the reflections of all living beings, capable of experiencing memories and emotions like Humans and Variant Humans".

"In order to heal this wound, you must find something capable of replacing Shadow Gu! Dao Mountain can refine all things in this world into Swords, Ren Zu, if you seek to make yourself whole once more, then you too must be refined into a Sword!".

"Ren Zu nodded, even as his tendons and organs were being cut open. The pain exceeded anything he had ever felt, even removing his own Shadow did not hurt as much, but Ren Zu had long since lost his sight, lost his children, even lost himself. He was unable to cry, unable to let out anymore tears".

"He was left with nothing but the image of his Self in his mind, and the Hope that was contained within his heart. But still, he persevered, letting the myriad blades slice off any excess, anything unnecessary to Ren Zu".

Ren Zu climbed, higher and higher than ever before. He had Hope that he would succeed, surviving predicament after predicament after predicament. He had the Perseverance to continue, even without any flesh or blood left in his body. He had affirmed his own Self, and wouldn't strive for anything less than to be whole again.

Even Edge Gu never ascended to the limits of Dao Mountain, and could only exclaim with awe the sight that laid in front of him. At the very peak of Dao Mountain, laid the entrance to Tang Heaven. The birthplace of all swords, blades and edges. 

"Ren Zu! Gu are the essence of heaven and earth, and Man in the spirit of all living things! Shadows are the reflection of all living beings, while swords and blades are the desire that all living beings possess, to pierce through predicaments, to cut down adversity! Show Tang Heaven your desire, and you will find your sword!".

Ren Zu screamed reaching towards the entrance to Tang Heaven. His very soul, his essence was sliced open again, and again, and again, and again. The light of Tang Heaven was all encompassing and all piercing. Nothing that it came into contact with would remain the same.

Ren Zu knew that he left his son behind in the Lightless Abyss. He was ashamed, but removed those thoughts from his heart.

All of the excess was carved away, leaving nothing but...

"Ren Zu".

Ren Zu reached out grasping, finally feeling something solid in his hands. In an instant, all of the cuts on his mind, body and soul were healed, leaving nothing but Ren Zu, holding onto his desire to cut away all adversity.

Lifting it up to the Heavens, the sword in his hands proclaimed.

"I am Sword Gu! I am the perseverance that shall cut through adversity! I am the hope that shall defeat all predicaments! I am the unification between the Self, and the boundless Firmament!".