The scent of blood in his room did not disturb Fang Yuan; rather, it reminded him of reality. He glanced at the lifeless corpse outside the window, then returned his gaze to the Moonlight Gu in his palm, now stained a deep crimson.
Fang Yuan's Mental Calculations:
"Current body: 15 years old. Aperture: 99% capacity due to 'The Sovereign's Pulse.' Current Rank: Rank 1 (Initial Stage). Primeval Essence: Pale green, extremely low density. The 'Silent Crimson Thread' consumed 12% of my reserves. With natural recovery at 99% aptitude, I need 4.2 hours to return to peak state. This slowness... is disgusting."
With clinical indifference, Fang Yuan wiped the blood droplets from the windowsill with an old rag. He didn't tremble; he felt no guilt. To him, killing this spy wasn't a crime; it was merely the "removal of unnecessary noise."
At dawn, Fang Yuan headed to the Clan Academy. The eyes of the other students followed him; the aura surrounding the new "genius" was suffocating. The Academy Elder, Gu Yue Mo, began explaining how to refine the Moonlight Gu for beginners.
"Refinement requires patience," the Elder said, distributing Primeval Stones. "You must warm the Gu with your primeval essence for at least three days for it to submit to you."
Fang Yuan smiled internally. Three days? In his previous life, he had refined Rank 9 Gu amidst cosmic lightning storms. Subjugating a Rank 1 insect was easier than breathing.
Resource Analysis:
"The clan distributes two primeval stones per student weekly. To temper my body at the pace I desire, I need at least 50 stones in the first week. Obtaining them through official channels is impossible. I must begin imposing a 'Sovereign's Tax' on these ants."
The practical lesson began. The students struggled, their faces flushing red as they tried to pump essence into their insects. Fang Yuan, however, placed the Gu between his palms. He didn't pump essence slowly; instead, he used a "Recoil Pressure" technique. He compressed his essence within his aperture until it nearly solidified, then released it all at once like a fine needle, piercing the Moonlight Gu's weak will directly.
In less than five minutes, the Gu in Fang Yuan's hand glowed brightly and then dimmed. It had completely submitted.
The Elder gasped, asking in a trembling voice: "Fang Yuan... are you finished already? How?"
Fang Yuan didn't even look at him. He was calculating the energy consumption: "The process consumed only 8% thanks to precision control. Remaining: 91%. The offensive power of this Gu, after my secret upgrade to Rank 2, is enough to slice through 3mm of leather armor from 10 meters away. It is time to gather capital."
Fang Yuan stood up and walked toward the hall door. Before exiting, he turned to his classmates and spoke in a voice that was calm, cold, and utterly devoid of emotion:
"Tomorrow, each of you will bring me one primeval stone as a 'gift' for our future cooperation. Whoever forgets... will learn the meaning of pain before they learn the meaning of cultivation."