57: Master Roshi's gift! Earth elemental essence obtained!

The setting sun was like blood, spilling over the broad back of Giant Turtle Island, staining the entire battlefield into a desolately beautiful landscape painting.

The corpses of hundreds of "Turtle Hunters" lay scattered like piles of oddly shaped fertilizer in the furrows of the spirit fields and across the white sandy beach.

A thick scent of blood hung in the air, but for the spirit plants on the giant turtle's back that had lacked nutrients for years, this was a rare gluttonous feast.

Gu Yang casually thrust the iron hoe—already deformed and stained with blood and brain matter—into the ground as he stood in the center of the pile of corpses.

Although the wounds on his body were slowly healing under the nourishment of earth-attribute Spiritual Qi, they still throbbed with a faint pain; the soreness from his bones after overexertion reminded him that his body had not yet fully recovered.

However, the murderous aura condensed from his countless slaughters surged into the sky like a physical force, leaving the surviving villagers in the distance weeping with gratitude yet too terrified to approach.

"Phew... and that's a wrap."

Gu Yang cracked his stiff neck and habitually bent over to begin his most practiced routine—looting corpses.

"Poor, so damn poor. These guys have nothing in their pockets but the Magical Artifacts they used for robbery; they don't even have a decent Mid-Grade Spirit Stone."

He disdainfully tossed several shriveled Storage Pouches into his own bag.

After searching through hundreds of corpses, besides some low-grade Medicinal Pills and miscellaneous Materials, the most valuable thing was the great saber belonging to the Golden Core Stage One-Eyed Dragon.

"Forget it, every little bit adds up. It's still income; I'll trade it at the market later for some spice money."

Just then, a low rumble echoed from the ground beneath his feet, and the entire island seemed to come alive, vibrating violently.

*Buzz—*

A vast, ancient, and desolate fluctuation of Divine Thought, seemingly from the primordial era, instantly enveloped the entire sea area.

The surrounding seawater boiled and the air solidified; even Gu Yang felt a pressure emanating from the depths of his Soul.

"Young man... thank you."

That voice rang directly in Gu Yang's mind, ancient and gentle, carrying a weariness and kindness that had weathered the vicissitudes of time, like an old man who had just woken up whispering to a Junior.

Gu Yang was stunned for a moment, then looked down at the "ground" beneath his feet.

"Are you... that giant turtle? You're awake?"

"This old one is named 'Fu Yue,' of the Mountain-Bearing Turtle clan, not just some turtle."

The giant turtle's voice carried a hint of helplessness. "This old one was in the critical stage of a dormant transformation, with my Divine Soul wandering the Great Void. Had you not stepped in, I fear those ants would have breached my vital gate and severed my life force, destroying my thousand years of cultivation."

Before his voice could fade, the hard rocky ground in front of Gu Yang split open like ripples in water.

A fist-sized bead, deep earthy yellow in color and radiating a heavy halo, slowly floated up from underground and hovered before Gu Yang.

As soon as the bead appeared, the gravity within a hundred-meter radius instantly increased tenfold!

Even the air became incredibly heavy, as if every grain of dust weighed a thousand pounds.

essence of wutu!

This was a supreme treasure of the Earth Origin, the essence of the earth, and the ultimate manifestation of defense and endurance!

"I sense that your body lacks the Earth element among the Five Elements. Although your Physical Body is as strong as refined steel, it is like a tree without roots or water without a source; your Foundation is unstable. Being too rigid makes one easy to break, which is also the root cause of why your injuries are difficult to heal."

The giant turtle's voice came slowly. "This essence of wutu was formed by this old one inhaling and exhaling the essence of the earth for ten thousand years; it contains the purest Earth Origin. I give it to you today as a token of gratitude for the favor of protecting my path."

Gu Yang's eyes lit up instantly, a hundred times brighter than when he saw the Golden Core Stage Cultivator's Storage Pouch.

He unceremoniously grabbed the heavy bead; it felt warm and as heavy as a mountain.

"Thank you, Grandpa Turtle! This gift is so practical! It's much better than any Spirit Stone or Magic Treasure!"

Without any hesitation, Gu Yang opened his mouth wide and swallowed the priceless Origin treasure in one gulp, like a piece of candy.

*Crunch!*

The essence of wutu melted as soon as it entered his mouth, not as hard as imagined; instead, it turned into a thick, warm, and incredibly vast current that flowed down his throat and throughout his entire body.

[Devoured Earth Origin (essence of wutu)!]

[Building Five Elements Cycle... Earth attribute completed!]

[Earth generates Metal, Fire generates Earth! The Five Elements beget each other in an endless cycle!]

[Obtained new physical trait: Child of the Earth!]

Gu Yang felt his body become heavier than ever before, but this weight was not a burden; it was a sense of security from being grounded.

It felt as if as long as he stood on the ground, he was one with the entire earth.

His Glazed Golden Body, which was hard but slightly "brittle," now felt as if it had been injected with reinforced concrete; the luster beneath his skin became more restrained and heavy.

Under the nourishment of this earth-attribute Spiritual Qi, his internal injuries healed at a visible rate, and his bones became even more dense.

Defense increased by 300%! Recovery increased by 200%!

Most importantly, the trait of [Child of the Earth] gave him nearly infinite endurance on the ground and allowed him to vent any impact through his feet into the earth.

"Is this... what it feels like to have roots?"

Gu Yang stomped his foot hard; the ground only trembled slightly without cracking as it had before, the force being perfectly transmitted away.

"Now, even if I just stand there and let that old geezer Xing Yun hit me, it won't be so easy for him to swat me to death!"

"Young man, this old one is about to dive into the deep sea for the final transformation. As for the Mortals on my back..."

"Don't worry, leave it to me."

Gu Yang patted his now-sturdier chest. "I may not be some great philanthropist, but I believe in 'taking someone's money to settle their troubles.' Since I ate your radish and took your treasure, I'll take care of this. I'll bring them to a nearby safe island and find them a good home."

...Three days later.

Gu Yang kept his promise and settled those hundreds of fishermen in a Mortal settlement called "Peach Blossom Island," leaving behind the pile of Turtle Hunters' Magical Artifacts and Spirit Stones, which was enough for them to live without worry for several lifetimes.

After bidding farewell to the little girl who was crying her heart out and insisting on offering herself in marriage, Gu Yang set out once again on his journey through the Chaotic Star Sea.

He stood on a dilapidated small boat, rising and falling with the waves, looking at the vast ocean as he opened his status panel.

Realm: Flesh Body Golden Core (Middle Stage)

Five Elements Status: Metal (Overflow), Fire (Overflow), Earth (Perfection), Wood (Perfection), Water (Deficient).

"Now, only the Water Origin is missing."

Gu Yang stroked his chin, his brow furrowing slightly.

Although he had eaten Mysterious Ice Marrow in the Dragon Palace before, to his current Physical Body, that was like a pre-meal appetizer; it wasn't nearly enough to fill the massive gap needed for his physical advancement or to form a true Five Elements cycle.

Moreover, although the divine iron he had devoured before was strong, it was only the essence refined from ordinary iron and couldn't be considered a true Innate Metal Origin.

To truly deduce a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivation Technique, both Metal and Water were indispensable and had to be top-tier Origin items.

"I heard that the 'Star Palace' in the depths of the Chaotic Star Sea is going to hold a once-in-ten-thousand-years super auction soon."

Gu Yang recalled an information Jade Slip he had seen in the One-Eyed Dragon's Storage Pouch.

"It's said that among the finale treasures, there's a piece of 'taiyi essence gold,' which is the Innate Metal Origin condensed from Gengjin Qi! And a drop of 'tian yi divine water,' known as the mother of all waters, the finest among Water Origin treasures!"

"As long as I get these two, my Five Elements Golden Body can reach Great Perfection, and I can even use them to break through to a Nascent Soul Body Cultivator, the legendary 'Indestructible War Body'!"

But... the ideal is plump, while reality is skeletal.

Gu Yang felt his empty bag, his expression turning a bit bitter.

The Turtle Hunters were too poor; even after scavenging hundreds of Storage Pouches, the Spirit Stones he collected only amounted to a few tens of thousands. In a money-burning pit like the Star Palace, that would probably only be enough to buy a standing-room ticket for the auction.

Trying to bid against those Nascent Soul Old Monsters, Sect bigshots, and noble Young Masters? That was simply a fool's dream.

"No money... a single penny can stump a hero."

Gu Yang sighed, and then his gaze gradually became dangerous, his lips curling into a familiar, bone-chilling smile.

"If I don't have the money to buy it, can I... steal it?"

"No, the Star Palace is guarded by a Soul Transformation Stage powerhouse and has a protective formation; trying to rob it outright is just suicide, it's brain-dead behavior."

"It seems I'll have to return to my old trade and do some 'business without capital.' The Chaotic Star Sea is so chaotic; surely there's no shortage of 'kind-hearted people' who are dripping with wealth?"

He looked into the distance toward the sea ahead.

There, a massive merchant ship flying the flag of the "Four Seas Chamber of Commerce," luxuriously decorated and fully loaded with goods, was sailing slowly, its spiritual light particularly conspicuous in the night.

Gu Yang licked his lips, his gaze becoming menacingly kind.

"Maybe I can talk to them about the 'protection fee' business? Or... help them inspect the safety of their cargo?"