The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu

Gu Tianyi’s eyes brightened with joy, though he quickly concealed it.

"Excellent, as long as I keep Cai Shao occupied, he won’t have the time to compete with me for the Gu God Bowl."

"I just need to use the Sea Stabilizing Pill to break through to the Spiritual Sea stage temporarily. Breaking the treasure’s protective barrier will be a breeze, and by then, the Gu God Bowl will be mine."

Gu Tianyi clenched his fist, his gaze burning as he looked toward the center of the Divine Mechanism City.

The Ninth Young Master sighed as he looked at him. “In the Sky Island ruins, breakthroughs are prohibited, but some forbidden techniques allow you to gain the power of a Spiritual Sea stage Gu cultivator temporarily.”

“But one can only imagine the side effects of a forbidden technique that grants the power of a Spiritual Sea Gu cultivator, even for a short time.”

“Once you consume the Sea Stabilizing Pill, you’ll be completely ruined. Even if you survive, you’ll have only a year left to live at most.”

“The injuries left by the Sea Stabilizing Pill are irreversible. No spirit elixirs or miraculous pills will save you.”

Gu Tianyi withdrew his gaze from the city, a wild look crossing his face. “Do you think I don’t understand the risks?”

“The barriers protecting these treasures are too strong, far beyond the power of a Marrow Cleansing stage Gu cultivator to break through.”

“Every time the Sky Island ruins appear, how many talented prodigies venture in? Yet not a single one has ever shaken the barrier. How could I, alone, possibly break it?”

“My only option is to use forbidden pills, relying on the power of a Spiritual Sea Gu cultivator to seize the treasure by force. I have no other way.”

“And you know, the Gu God Bowl is a divine tool for refining Gu. Using it triples the success rate in refining Gu—a truly heaven-defying artifact that my Gu Spirit Sect will obtain at all costs.”

“To be honest, long ago, the Gu God Bowl was the treasured artifact of my Gu Spirit Sect. But a genius once brought it to the Sky Island ruins, where it was lost forever. My sect has never ceased its search for the Gu God Bowl.”

“I bear the burden of my sect’s mission. If I can reclaim the sect’s lost treasure, it will be a great accomplishment.”

“To reclaim the sect’s treasure is an unmatched achievement, one that would earn me a reward of countless treasures.”

“Enough treasures to make up for my losses.” Gu Tianyi clenched his fists, his eyes filled with excitement.

“Once you swallow the Sea Stabilizing Pill, you’ll be a ruined man. What use is any amount of treasure then? Knowing your personality, there’s no way you’d make such a noble sacrifice.”

“All Gu cultivators are selfish. There’s no way you’d sacrifice yourself for the sect’s benefit. You must have a way to counteract the side effects of the Sea Stabilizing Pill, don’t you?” The Ninth Young Master gave him a suspicious look.

The Sea Stabilizing Pill was an exclusive recipe of the Qian clan; no one else had it. No one knew it better than the Qian clan.

Could the Gu Spirit Sect have found a solution to the side effects that even the Qian clan couldn’t resolve?

If the side effects of the Sea Stabilizing Pill could be eliminated, everyone could become a Spiritual Sea stage Gu cultivator. That would be truly astonishing. He needed to find out.

Gu Tianyi’s lips curled into a cold, sinister smile. “It’s simple. Those with powerful souls can possess others and be reborn, though each person only has one chance at possession.”

“I happen to have a chance for possession. My younger brother is far more gifted than I am and has a Heavenly Spirit Constitution, with spiritual power that grows automatically. His progress is rapid—he’s a true favorite of this world, destined to stand among the world’s strongest.”

“His body is far better than mine. And since we are brothers, compatibility for possession is not an issue. He is my ideal vessel.”

“Once I secure a massive reward from the sect, I’ll use this new body to cultivate. When the time comes, I’ll soar, and no one will be able to confine me in this world!”

“Oh, and his beautiful fiancée, the sect’s most renowned beauty, will also be mine.” Gu Tianyi smirked wickedly.

The Ninth Young Master was stunned, his gaze now uneasy as he looked at him.

He had seen bad people, but never anyone this depraved. This man was so corrupt that he would even go after his own brother and future sister-in-law. Was this man even human?

“I heard you have a stunning sister who’s been missing for a long time. Could it be that you had a hand in that as well?” The Ninth Young Master gave him a meaningful look, his gaze chilling.

Gu Tianyi looked at him and chuckled. “You have a Integrity Gu. There’s no use lying. I killed her myself and used her to refine Gu.”

“The Gu refining method requires a blood relative, so I had no other choice.”

“I assume you won’t share this secret. After all, I know the secret of how you plotted against your third brother.”

“We’re in the same boat, so spare me that look. We’re cut from the same cloth.”

Gu Tianyi smirked, his expression mocking.

The Ninth Young Master’s expression shifted, his face unreadable. If he could, he would kill this man right now. Gu Tianyi was nothing short of a venomous snake.

He acted without any scruples—even killing his own brother and sister. Was there anything he wouldn’t do?

Working with him was like seeking shelter with a tiger, bound to bring endless troubles.

Gu Tianyi looked at him with a hint of amusement and said, "You’re quite cunning. Among all the candidates for the head of the Qian clan, you are the weakest, just a little stronger than Qian Jinjin."

"The position of clan head would never go to you, and no one would suspect you'd make the first move."

"If anything were to happen to the Third Young Master, suspicion would naturally fall on the First and Second Young Masters. No one would ever think of blaming the weakest candidate—someone like you."

"Given the Third Young Master's temperament, he would definitely target the two in front of him, allowing you to sit back and enjoy the spectacle, reaping the benefits of a battle between tigers."

"Unfortunately, in all your planning, you missed one thing—another of my younger brothers was also near the battlefield. When something happened, I went to find him immediately, which is how I stumbled upon your scheme."

"The sect originally intended to collaborate with the Third Young Master using the Golden Toad's secret. Now, it seems we can only work with you instead."

"By the way, the one who killed my brother should also have gotten hold of that letter and learned some of the secrets of Sky Island. Most likely, he’ll come to Sky Island too."

"As long as anyone dares to go toward the Golden Toad’s hidden location, it's almost certain that he is my brother’s killer."

"You’re heading there as well. If you encounter anyone along the way, deal with them for me, no matter who they are."

"Though I lack strong familial bonds, not just anyone can kill my brother and get away with it." A faint glint of murderous intent flashed in Gu Tianyi’s eyes.

Ninth Young Master looked at him with a dark expression. They had agreed to exchange the hidden location of the Golden Toad for a Sea Stabilizing Pill, but upon arriving, there was an additional condition—he was now expected to delay Cai Shao.

He endured it and completed the task, yet Gu Tianyi added yet another condition, now demanding him to eliminate his enemy. It seemed endless.

As a businessman of the Qian clan, he despised those who lacked integrity. This person truly had no sense of honor, constantly crossing the line.

Ninth Young Master took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said, "Why do you keep sending me to handle all these tasks? That's your enemy, not mine!"

"Whoever killed your brother can’t be simple. Who knows what kind of background they have or if I can even afford to provoke them?"

"The barrier protecting the Gu God's Bowl is impenetrable; whether you go early or late doesn’t matter. Can’t you deal with your enemy first?"

Gu Tianyi shook his head, a smile curving his lips. "No! I have more important matters to attend to."

"I haven’t told you yet, but there was more than one letter stolen from our Gu Spirit Sect."

"Our sect’s treasury was raided, and the most detailed letter about Sky Island's relics was taken."

"This letter contained all the information about the Gu God Bowl."

"No one can resist the allure of the Gu God Bowl."

"We don’t know the identity of this thief, but since she knows the whereabouts of the Gu God Bowl, she will surely come to Sky Island or send someone there."

"Anyone traveling along my path must be part of the group that stole the letter. I want to personally wipe them all out."

"If this group could steal treasures from the Gu Spirit Sect, their fighting power must be formidable, requiring my personal attention. I may even need to use the strength of a Spiritual Sea-level Gu cultivator to eliminate them all. I simply have no time to deal with my brother’s killer, so I’m counting on you."

"I swear this is the last time I’ll trouble you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ninth Young Master took out a shining Integrity Gu with glowing eyes from his Insect bag, and the atmosphere became awkward…

---

At the same time, somewhere else.

"What? You want me to go after one of the puppet generals? What’s in it for me, taking such a big risk?"

Long Xuan looked at Ninth Young Master’s clone in front of him and sighed internally. This was the downside of fame; the more capable, the more work there was to do. And now, the deadly task of dealing with a puppet general had landed on him.

If he’d stayed unknown, with no one recognizing him, he wouldn’t be getting such a difficult mission.

If the sky were falling, the tallest would bear the brunt; only the big shots would get killed.

Ninth Young Master’s clone shook his head and said, "There's no benefit. Both of our alliance leaders will each take on a puppet general as well. They’re leading by example, so you shouldn’t feel too dissatisfied."

"Besides, for this siege, the stronger fighters will handle the gold and silver puppets, while the weaker ones will stand at the front. The death ratio between the two groups should be about the same, so neither side has any real advantage."

Long Xuan pondered for a moment. Refusing a command from the alliance leader was clearly not an option.

"Every task has its pros and cons. If I handle one of the puppet generals, I can lead a hundred men to surround it. This way, my crew won’t be scattered and used as cannon fodder on the front lines."

"With me, Di Xin, and adding Yang Zhan, we should be able to take down a puppet general. After all, a puppet is not on par with a Gu cultivator but rather equivalent to the Gu insect that Gu practitioners use. A Spiritual Sea stage puppet falls far short of an actual Spiritual Sea stage Gu practitioner."

"Being an inanimate object, it’s destined to be no match for a group of intelligent Gu practitioners."

"If I take on a puppet general, my crew won't have to suffer massive losses during the siege. This mission may not be too hard to accept."

"Alright, I'll take this mission. I, along with my hundred men, will handle one of the puppet generals. If I don’t go to hell, who will? I’ll sacrifice myself for the greater good!" Long Xuan declared with an air of righteousness.

"Brother, your loyalty is admirable! The puppet general on the far right is yours to handle. I have faith in your abilities."

Seeing Long Xuan agree, Ninth Young Master's clone smiled and finally turned to leave...