Chapter 43 Master

Xuanyuan knew he had underestimated the competency of regular Gu Masters. The Ten Great Sects were the pinnacle of the Gu World in the Central Continent, and numerous geniuses and Gu Masters with all sorts of experiences and talents lived and cultivated there. 

Xuanyuan knew that in his circle of friends and acquaintances, perhaps Yu Zhong Er was the most talented in terms of comprehension, while someone like Long Xi, was the most talented in terms of innate talent, with a 94% primeval essence sea.

The pair were shrewd, but walked the righteous path, which is why Xuanyuan didn't have to worry about being betrayed or backstabbed. His cultivation would soar and his attainment would develop quicker than their own, so making an enemy of of him would be worse than making an enemy out of someone like Huo Jin.

Most Righteous Path Gu Masters did have their own self interests placed before the self interests of others, but that was primarily within Clans where nepotism and biased evaluations took place on a daily basis.

The Ten Great Sects brought in the most talented young men and women from all over the Central Continent and nurtured them all equally, at least for the most part. The future of the Ancient Soul Sect and the other Ten Great Sects were also taken into account, and positions such as Junior Elders, and Holy Sons and Holy Daughters were used show favoritism in a democratic and unbiased way.

Xuanyuan could understand how the righteous path groomed and brainwashed one generation to the next under the guise of fairness and equality. He didn't voice this thoughts, but knew deep down that if he was born with a barely B Grade Talent, Xuanyuan would never have met Elder Luo, and more likely than not, never increased his attainment at the speed he did.

Which is why he was suddenly interested in other Gu Masters with a similar talent to his own. Yu Zhong Er and Long Xi were talented in their own right, but both were mortal born Gu Masters without any sort of backing in the Ancient Soul Sect, or in the mortal world.

If they had access to what Tai Yin or Song Pei, or even Yu Xiaolong's resources, they would have progressed significantly farther in their cultivation and their attainment.

Jia Yufei, the daughter of a Rank 2 Gu Master had such a background, even if it was somewhat... lacking.

Through her experiences, her grasp and perspective on the Fire Path was significantly different to someone like Tai Yang, or any other Gu Master their age. It allowed Xuanyuan to understand, even the basics of another Path, things that he never would have thought of normally without help.

Xuanyuan didn't understand the Space Path, or the Refinement Path until Elder Luo and Elder Gong taught him. The Refinement Path was significantly more difficult, considering it didn't have any Gu one could use, but was still essential in comprehending the essence of what a Gu was, how it worked, why it worked and how it affected all other things in creation.

His discussion with Jia Yufei was enlightening, and it only strengthened his resolve to create more ties in the Ancient Soul Sect.

'Tai Yin and Tai Yang are the children of Elder Tai, the Leader of the Water Soul Hall. He manages all of the Spirit Springs the Sect is currently in control of, and is in charge of an immense amount of wealth. Jia Yufei and Yu Xiaolong are both second generation Gu Masters, both talented in their own right. Lu Guo is a member of the Burning Soul Hall, and can tell me some of the investigations currently going on in the Sect'.

'Yu Zhong Er and Long Xi both promised to take me out on missions after the tournament. They also promised to give me their Rank 2 Four Fragrances Liquor Worm when both of them reach the Peak Rank 2 Gu Master stage. Not to mention, both of them have experiences and knowledge they would be willing to trade, and so long as Huo Jin is a mutual... well, enemy of ours, our relationship won't break apart in the short term'.

Slightly more than half a dozen people in the span of a year. Xuanyuan probably could have done significantly better if he focused on cultivating friendships instead of his own cultivation, but in the long run, most of his fellow disciples would never become a Rank 5 Gu Master.

Realistically, it would be better to focus on other people than waste time with them. Not to mention, focusing on too many people would slow down his own time for cultivating, affecting his long term progress. 

Lifting his head, Xuanyuan could see that the current round of bouts had been completed. The sun had long since set over the horizon, and the stands, where more than a hundred new disciples once sat, now cradled barely half a dozen. 

In contrast however, the audience stands were filled almost to the brim with Gu Masters of all age and background sitting down, yelling, screaming and betting, trying to bolster the confidence of their seeded Gu Master, and trying to chip away at any the others had left.

"Tai Yang, you better win this you hear me! I've got 30 primeval essence stones on you!".

"Screw that guy Fang Kai! If you win the tournament, I'll win almost a hundred primeval essence stones!".

"Fang Chen, keep it together man! You're almost at the finish line! Show these Elder descendants the power of us mortal born Gu Masters!".

"I don't know who you are Xuanyuan, but your the most handsome guy here so you better win! A 99% primeval essence sea, you must have loads of primeval essence left!".

Xuanyuan could feel his heat beating in his chest, his normally clean robes covered in sweat and dirt and blood. He had lost count of how many fights he had done so far, but believed it closer to thirty, perhaps even exceeding the number.

Xuanyuan refrained from using any Rank 2 Gu in a fight, and so did Fang Kai and Tai Yang. They all fought with Rank 1 Gu or martial arts, putting Xuanyuan at a slight disadvantage with his inexperience. As a result, the left side of his abdomen hummed with pain, causing him to glance at Fang Chen, internally admiring his level of perseverance. 

Fang Chen was the Rank 1 Gu Master with the strange Wisdom Path Gu which allowed him to predict his opponents attacks. It absolutely drained his primeval essence, forcing him to rely on martial arts, but Xuanyuan suspected that his physique had somehow been strengthened to match that of a Rank 2 Gu Master. 

His endurance and his willpower were almost inhumane. His upper body continued to bleed, despite the referees recommending him to surrender, but the young man, pale faced and stalwart, continued to fight again, and again, and again.

Xuanyuan, having the largest primeval essence sea present, had roughly 10% of his scarlet red primeval essence left. He had estimated that Fang Kai and Tai Yang, even if they had 90% primeval essence seas, were roughly the same level as his own. 

He didn't know if any of them had Cloud Essence Gu, or a Beggar Moth Gu, and if they did, Xuanyuan could only curse his luck, and force himself to push his endurance, drawing out the fight as long as possible.

He had tried to knock Fang Chen out in the same method he did to Tai Yin, but the young man swiftly punched him in the abdomen, causing Xuanyuan to cut him with his mortal blade, forcing him to surrender.

Fang Chen was still bleeding even as his next fight went on. Even if he had Perseverance Gu, he would die of blood loss before the tournament was over. Even if the young man had the mental strength and the willpower to continue, his mortal frame would be extinguished before he could finish.

Even Xuanyuan felt his willpower waning, as he endured blow after blow from his opponents. None of his opponents possessed storage type Gu, so Xuanyuan had the advantage of eating food and drinking as much water as he could in between bouts.

He had been forced to use some of the mortal blades he kept within his shadow to defeat Fang Kai and Tai Yang, but still lost to the former due to his Corrosive Shadow Gu.

"C'mon Xuanyuan! I've got my entire savings on you winning this thing! Kick their ass and make me some money!".

"You've got this Xuanyuan! Push through and you've got this in the bag!".

"You beat me didn't you!? Don't lose to some rich second generation young master! You're better than this!".

Peering out into the crowds Xuanyuan could see Yu Xiaolong, Lu Guo, Jia Yufei sitting in the row in front of Yu Zhong Er and Long Xi. All five of them waved at him, trying their best to let their voices be heard over the screams of the other disciples.

Seeing their red faces from shouting, Xuanyuan couldn't help but let out a chuckle, causing a flash of pain to course throughout his abdomen. His expression grew strained, as the pain in his stomach, and the physical strain of his muscles and bones creaked with every sharp movement he made.

For the first time since coming to the Ancient Soul Sect, Xuanyuan's heart was racing in a way that he never once considered since coming to the Gu World. 

This World was horrifying in terms of its rules and regulations. Gu, Beasts and even Human lives were all currency for Gu Immortals who ruled over anyone below Rank 6 with iron fist hidden within a silk glove. Xuanyuan knew from his previous life that humans were simultaneously the most loving, and the most dangerous lifeform in this World.

They systematically annihilated both Beastmen and the Dragonmen, and threatened to enslave and massacre other Variant Humans just because they were slightly different to Humans. It had been more then three million years since Humans rose to power, and even the oldest human currently alive today wasn't alive to be enslaved by Variant Humans.

This was a World which bathed in the blood of hundreds of trillions of lifeforms. All things under the Heavens could be refined into Gu. Even Heaven itself could be refined into Fate Gu.

Xuanyuan even came to the conclusion that Humans could be considered incomplete Gu recipes. They lacked the innate Dao Marks of the Ten Extreme Physiques, while Variant Humans, even mortal ones were born with Dao Marks relating to a certain Path.

'It was possible to create both Variant Humans and Extreme Physiques, so why couldn't he?', Xuanyuan thought.

There was something on the tip of Xuanyuan's tongue. Something that he couldn't quite word, but instinctively knew as true despite every fiber of his being preventing him from doing so. Everything that Xuanyuan knew about the Gu World made him think he was getting close and closer to a Master level attainment in the Shadow Path.

Heavens Will, and subsequently Fate Gu had less of an affect on Xuanyuan, but could still influence him due to his body belonging to the Gu World. 

There was something... so close that Xuanyuan could almost taste it.

Even as he was walking up to the stage, facing off against Fang Kai for the third time, Xuanyuan could feel the restraints keeping him back loosen, as if suddenly, this was the right time. 

Xuanyuan focused his gaze on Fang Kai's shadow. His vision blurred for a moment his own Nine Eyes Shadow Gu overlapping with his vision, granting him sight of every single shadow around him.

Xuanyuan felt his breath hitch, not responding to the referee's call, instead gazing out at the innumerable shadows all around him. Even though Xuanyuan had spent a year in the Ancient Soul Sect, he had never seen the shadows of so many Gu Masters in a single place before, countless reflections dancing in the light of Candle Gu, covering the walls, floors and ceilings with myriad shadows.

Every single one moved and danced in their own way. Reflecting the qualities and characteristics of their reflections. Living beings gave life to shadows, imbuing them with concepts and memories, likes and dislikes, even secrets and desires.

He could see the minute differences in shadows. Their depth, their length, their movements, they way their reflections could breathe, and even... shades of colour within them.

These colors were like tiny islands swimming in an endless sea of yin and yang. White tones and black shades cut a clear divide in the world around Xuanyuan, yet fragments of red, yellow and blue, faint remnants of purple, green and orange, flickered like candles amidst a monotonous ocean of light and darkness. 

In Xuanyuan's eyes, the world came to a sharp and sudden halt, not even noticing the referee announce the beginning of the fight. His gaze remained fixated on the world around him, gazing at endless reflections, and the living being which birthed them.

In this monochrome world of black and white, some Gu Masters possessed colour to their shadow. Xuanyuan, felt his pupils shrink to pins as he unconsciously avoided the strike of Fang Kai, his movements suddenly becoming smoother, more refined as his shadow waltzed under the watchful eyes of countless other shadows.

His gaze lingered on the shadow closest to him, seeing a faint touch of poisonous purple added to its essence. The Fang Kai shaped shadow remained in the forefront of Xuanyuan's mind, and he matched the cadence and movements of said shadow, avoiding sharp strikes and vicious blows with gentle ease and minimal movements. 

Every single one of Xuanyuan's Thoughts were focused on comprehending the shadows around him. Their formation, their differences, their similarities, their strengths, their weaknesses, their concepts, even their actions and feelings. 

Shadows were the reflections of all living beings, so should they not be able to express the same feelings and experience the same memories?

Xuanyuan's eyes suddenly regained their focus, his expression becoming clearer, as he whispered a faint few words under his breath.

"Winters breath and summers daze,

"autumn folly and springs haze.

"I alone dance beneath the Sun and Moon,

"recalling the distant memories of one forgetful afternoon.

"The joy in my soul, the sadness in my mind,

"why is it that Humans are so unkind?

"The faint whimper of the heart,

"only reminds me that I will never be apart.

"My sweet reflection, my gentle repose,

"All Things In The Universe As Shadows".

Immortal Song stood up in the crowd, her eyes wide with shock and awe. Immortal Chu also saw the change in Xuanyuan's demeanor, as did Elder Kong, Elder Luo and the Sect Master in the stands. Each showed expressions of astonishment, admiration, and even... pride.

Fang Kai couldn't even touch the hem of Xuanyuan's clothing, let alone his shadow. His Corrosive Shadow Gu doing nothing but drain his primeval essence as Xuanyuan matched the rhythm of his shadow.

This young man, barely sixteen years of age, had become a Master in the Shadow Path.