Five days later, Chu Xuan returned to his cave abode from the Blue Star after noticing cracks in the mother stone. He visited the unnamed market's teahouse once more and indeed encountered the Han cultivator there. This time, the Han cultivator was accompanied by a gaunt, hollow-eyed cultivator.
Upon seeing Chu Xuan, the Han cultivator laughed heartily. "Fellow Daoist He, this is the man I was telling you about. We call him the Spirit Insect Taoist."
Chu Xuan nodded in greeting.
The gaunt cultivator looked him over and frowned, "Are you seeking a second transformation Gu? Such Gu must reside within a flesh and blood organ. You don't appear to be someone who nurtures Gu; it seems you lack such an organ."
He frowned further. "If you don't have the requisite organ, let's not waste each other's time."
Chu Xuan smiled faintly. Cultivators who reared Gu, Spirit Insect Taoist, were often emaciated, their vitality seemingly drained, as if leached by a succubus.
But Chu Xuan had ample vitality to sustain a Gu without suffering its backlash. His robust appearance might indeed raise doubts.
Chu Xuan gestured with his hand, and the gleaming Blood Steel Wire emerged from his palm.
The Spirit Insect Taoist, who had been about to leave, halted abruptly. "Blood Steel Wire? Second-transformation?"
However, Chu Xuan withdrew the steel wires back into his blood pouch. "My Gu, do not stare," he stated calmly.
The Han cultivator interjected to ease the tension, "Haha, fellow daoist Spirit Insect, indeed, one should not scrutinize another's Gu too closely."
The Spirit Insect Taoist nodded, then suggested, "Let's sit and talk." The three of them took their seats, with Chu Xuan and the Spirit Insect Taoist facing each other, while the Han cultivator busily devoured pastries and sipped tea on the side.
"What second-transformation Gu do you have?" Chu Xuan inquired.
The Spirit Insect Taoist held up three fingers. "I possess three second-transformation Gu. First, the Iron Armor Shell. Second, the Thought Nurturer. Third, the Qi Sea Seed."
Chu Xuan's eyebrows rose slightly upon hearing the three Gu types, all of which he had read about in the Blood Worms Tome.
Iron Armor Shell: A second-transformation Gu that secretes a substance to continually fortify the cultivator's skin. When attacked, it rapidly increases the secretion, making the skin extremely hard in an instant, strong enough to withstand a full blow from a high-grade magical tool.
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Thought Nurturer: Another second-transformation Gu that must reside within the brain. It enhances a cultivator's mental strength, allowing them to control multiple magic tools at once. However, even if fed well, it could backfire as its preferred diet is the cultivator's very soul. Located in the brain, it has constant access to the soul and might give in to temptation.
Qi Sea Seed: Unlike the others, this is considered a third-transformation Gu capable of reaching third-transformation maturity, akin to a Golden Core tier, provided it has enough nourishment. However, it is notoriously difficult to elevate from the second to the third tier, leading many to classify it as a second-transformation Gu. This Gu doesn't reside in the limbs, trunk, or brain but must be nurtured within the cultivator's Qi Sea. It consumes any excess Spiritual Qi during cultivation and can release it when needed, effectively acting as a second, albeit much smaller, Qi Sea. This little bit of spiritual Qi can be crucial in life-or-death situations.
All three Gu were impressive, and Chu Xuan wondered how this Spirit Insect Taoist had managed to nurture them undetected by the Heavenly Seal Sect's scrutiny, especially since cultivating Gu was considered a demonic practice by the orthodox sects.
"These three are quite remarkable; name your price," Chu Xuan nodded.
The Spirit Insect Taoist quickly responded, "Iron Armor Shell, early second-transformation, one thousand small spiritual stones. Thought Nurturer, early second-transformation, one thousand small spiritual stones. Qi Sea Seed, mid-second-transformation, one thousand eight hundred small spiritual stones."
Chu Xuan frowned. These prices were exorbitant. Typically, early second-transformation Gu was priced between mid-grade and high-grade magical tools, usually around five hundred small spiritual stones. The Spirit Insect Taoist had doubled the going rate!
Clearly, he was trying to take advantage of Chu Xuan's apparent wealth. Even though Chu Xuan had plenty of spirit stones, he was not about to spend them recklessly.
The Han cultivator interjected to support the Spirit Insect Taoist, "Fellow Daoist He, it's normal for prices to rise these days. You know why, don't you?"
Chu Xuan considered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What's the price for a single mating of the Gu?"
The Spirit Insect Taoist was taken aback, then scoffed, "You think you can try mating Gu? After investing huge efforts, you might end up with nothing but a deformed Gu. I advise you to abandon this idea and just buy a second transformation Gu."
He now saw Chu Xuan as a novice in Gu cultivation, likely inspired by something he read and eager to experiment himself.
Chu Xuan remained calm, "Just tell me the price. As for the results, I'll bear them; it doesn't concern you."
The Spirit Insect Taoist snorted, "For the three Gu, each mating session will cost fifty small spiritual stones."
Chu Xuan nodded; this price was acceptable, far more so than the previous outrageous figures for the Gu themselves.
The Spirit Insect Taoist added, "The mating process must be completed here."
"That's fine," Chu Xuan agreed.
Soon, the Iron Armor Shell, Thought Nurturer, and Qi Sea Seed were sequentially mated with the steel wire. There's no reproductive isolation among Gu; any can mate with any other, though the offspring might be bizarre. While strong offspring were rare, weak and deformed ones were common.
After settling the payment, the Spirit Insect Taoist left without delay. The Han cultivator exchanged a few pleasantries and then departed as well.
Chu Xuan didn't linger either, heading straight for the Blue Star. The process from Gu laying eggs to the hatchlings emerging required time—a perfect task for the zombie planet, where time flowed differently.
Chu Xuan sat meditating within the Soul-Capturing Evil-Nurturing Array, simultaneously absorbing Yin Evil Qi and refining a large blood pearl. His cultivation progressed rapidly.
After laying three distinctively colored eggs—black, white, and blue, corresponding to the Iron Armor Shell, Thought Nurturer, and Qi Sea Seed—Gangsi fell into a deep sleep due to the enormous energy expenditure.
Days passed, and the eggshells hardened. One day, the black eggshell began to crack.
Chu Xuan felt a stir in his heart and immediately ceased his meditation, turning his attention to the black Gu egg.