375: Chapter 376 The Leader of the Five Gu Sect!

Occasionally, they would go into the water to catch fish and shrimp. If a sharp-eyed clansman happened to fish out a Blue Sea Pearl,

and took it back as some strange stone for their collection...

Although, given the weight of the Blue Sea Pearl, an ordinary Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator wouldn't be able to lift it at all, but what if?

"I need to find a secure way to set it up," Ye Changge calculated privately.

"It would be best to find a hidden spot deep at the bottom of the lake to set up the Formation, then use a Restriction to conceal it so outsiders won't notice."

His gaze swept over the twelve Blue Sea Pearls, and he suddenly thought of something else.

"Caiyue is currently a Second-Order Array Master; advancing to the third order is only a matter of time. Although this Azure Sea Formation is of an extremely high rank, if she presides over its setup and contemplates its principles, it might help improve her Formation attainments..."

After all, the Origin of these Blue Sea Pearls is the Formation Legacy of the ancient Merfolk Race. The Formation concepts contained within are quite different from the mainstream Formations in today's Cultivation World.

If she can comprehend even a bit of it, it will surely be of great benefit to Xiao Caiyue's path of Formations.

"Moreover, once Caiyue reaches Core Formation in the future, these Blue Sea Pearls can be given to her as a Lifebound Treasure."

Thoughts whirled in Ye Changge's mind.

"She is proficient in Formations, so she is the perfect person to control this Azure Sea Formation."

He thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"It's not just Caiyue. Shiyin has a water-attribute Spiritual Root, so these Blue Sea Pearls are just as compatible with her..."

Lu Shiyin is now a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with a Flawless Dao Foundation. Her potential is extraordinary, and reaching Core Formation in the future is a certainty.

Whether this High Grade Magic Treasure is given to Xiao Caiyue or Lu Shiyin, it would be of immense use.

"Forget it."

Ye Changge carefully put away the twelve Blue Sea Pearls, having reached a decision.

"I will prioritize nourishing the Spiritual Vein and improving the water quality, using this treasure at the lake bottom to enhance the Family's Foundation. As for who will wield it later... we'll talk about that once they've both reached Core Formation."

He stood up, tidied the items on the jade desk, and glanced out the window.

At the same time—

Yu Kingdom, the headquarters of the Five Gu Sect.

Inside a deep and cold hall, Gu Stones emitting an eerie green light were embedded in the four walls, casting flickering shadows across the room.

A strange scent, a mix of faint medicinal herbs and Gu insects, permeated the air, making one feel slightly dizzy upon smelling it.

At the top of the hall, upon a wide seat carved from red sandalwood, sat a figure in the form of a young girl.

She appeared to be only seven or eight years old, with a petite and delicate frame, a face as white as jade, and features as exquisite as a porcelain doll.

Her jet-black hair was tied up with a silver tasseled crown, revealing a smooth forehead and a pair of large, bright eyes.

Those eyes were as clear as a mountain stream, but if one looked closely, they would discover that beneath that clarity,

lay a profound depth and majesty accumulated over endless years.

She wore a purple gauze dress, its layers of skirts resembling mist and clouds.

Her small, fair feet were bare, and a string of tiny silver bells was tied around her ankle.

As her toes swayed gently, they let out a faint jingling sound.

The Sect Leader, in the form of a young girl, calmly scanned the two people kneeling below in the hall.

"Heavenly Spider Emissary, I am already aware of the matters regarding the Zhao State."

Her voice was crisp and tender, like the silver bell-like voice of a child, yet every word that fell in the hall carried a heavy majesty completely at odds with her age.

"It is already a great fortune that you two, Revered Master and disciple, were able to return from Qingxuan Immortal City alive."

Nangong Zili knelt on the ground, her head bowed low, and said respectfully:

"Thank you for your mercy, Sect Leader. My disciple and I were lucky to escape. That girl Bai Qingyi was arrogant and did not pursue us personally. Otherwise..."

She did not continue, but everyone in the hall understood the unspoken meaning.

The young girl Sect Leader nodded slightly, her pinky finger lightly tapping the armrest of the seat, making a crisp clicking sound as she spoke flatly:

"As for the Heart-Devouring Gu, I have two left. Take Xiao Tang to the Myriad Gu Cave later and collect one."

She paused, her voice still crisp, but with a hint of faint regret:

"As for the Phoenix Gu... it was used up during my battle with True Monarch Xuanjian."

Hearing this, Nangong Zili's heart sank.

One of the purposes of her trip was to ask the Sect Leader for a Phoenix Gu.

Being afflicted by the Love-Locking Gu was like a sword hanging over her head.

Only through the Nirvana Rebirth method of the Phoenix Gu could all foreign Gu seals in her body be thoroughly cleansed.

She had thought the Sect Leader still had some in stock, but she hadn't expected it to have been used already.

Nangong Zili bit her lip, looked up, and gazed at the young girl Sect Leader on the high throne.

"Sect Leader! This condition of mine cannot be resolved without the Phoenix Gu..."

The young girl Sect Leader glanced at her indifferently.

"In my battle with True Monarch Xuanjian, my Origin was damaged. There was only one Phoenix Gu to begin with; if I hadn't used it then, should I have kept it and waited for death?"

Her tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable weight.

Nangong Zili was speechless and could only lower her head, feeling anxious in her heart.

Ling Xiaotang knelt behind her Revered Master, stealing a glance at the young girl Sect Leader on the high throne and then at her Revered Master's tense profile, feeling uneasy as well.

She had heard her Revered Master say that the Phoenix Gu was a supreme treasure of the Five Gu Sect, and it took a hundred years to refine just one.

If the Sect Leader didn't have one, her Revered Master's Love-Locking Gu couldn't be resolved, and when it flared up in the future...

She didn't dare think any further.

The young girl Sect Leader was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke:

"Heavenly Spider Emissary, you need not worry too much.

"Although there is no Phoenix Gu for the time being, I have already ordered the Gu God Cave to refine it again. However, this Gu is not easy to refine."

"It requires Thousand-Year Fire Silkworm Silk as a catalyst, combined with the blood of nine types of spiritual Gu, and it takes a long time. If you want to wait, it will have to be ten years from now."

"Ten years?" Nangong Zili was slightly stunned, then felt a small sigh of relief in her heart.

Although ten years was long, at least there was hope. For a Core Formation Cultivator, ten years was not an unbearable wait.

She bowed again. "Thank you for your fulfillment, Sect Leader."

The young girl Sect Leader waved her fair little hand, her tone returning to that crisp and tender cadence:

"Rise. You've worked hard on this trip. First, take Xiao Tang to collect the Heart-Devouring Gu. As for the Phoenix Gu, once it's refined in ten years, you will naturally be notified."

"Yes." Nangong Zili rose in response and, pulling Ling Xiaotang along, respectfully withdrew from the hall.

The hall doors slowly closed.

Inside the hall, only the young girl Sect Leader remained.

She sat on that giant red sandalwood seat,

her bare feet swaying gently, the silver bells on her ankle making a crisp and pleasant jingling sound.

She tilted her head, gazing at the shadows cast by the eerie green Gu Stones on the ceiling, lost in thought.

After a moment, she whispered to herself:

"Zhao State... True Monarch Xuanjian... I didn't expect that old fellow to have already reached the Middle Stage of Nascent Soul."

A trace of gloom, inconsistent with her age, appeared on that youthful face.

"He is indeed a troublesome opponent."

She withdrew her gaze and lightly waved her hand, plunging the entire hall into a deep silence.