4 Chapter 4 Beautiful

There was a tense silence in the air of Elder Luo's residence, before the older, slightly grey haired man cracked a smile, shaking his head from side to side.

"Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the Heavens and the Earth... Quite an ambitious young man aren't you Little Yuan?". Elder Luo watched as Xuanyuan shrugged his shoulders, his expression as honest as his eyes were clear.

"I do not know anything about Gu or Cultivation. But when I was young, my mother would tell me stories about Reckless Savage Demonic Venerable and Giant Sun Immortal Venerable. She told me that one of their hands could cover an entire Continent in their shadow. Even with Gu, I still fail to understand how such a thing is possible...", he said.

Elder Luo raised an eyebrow at the mention of Reckless Savage Demonic Venerable and Giant Sun Immortal Venerable. While the latter was considered a Righteous Path Immortal Venerable, his affiliations with the Northern Plains made him less than ideal for a figure of admiration.

Reckless Savage Demonic Venerable... was there even a reason why he disliked such a figure?

The man wasn't as bad as Red Lotus Demonic Venerable or Spectral Soul Demonic Venerable, but as a member of the Righteous Path, having a Demonic Venerable as an idol wasn't the most ideal image for Elder Luo.

"What about the other Venerables? Did you Mother ever talk about them, Little Yuan?", Elder Luo mentioned.

Xuanyuan nodded as well.

"Yes. She talked about Genesis Lotus Immortal Venerable and Star Constellation Immortal Venerable. But I admit, she didn't know a lot about their deeds or the accomplishments".

Elder Luo nodded understandingly.

"I suppose that makes sense. Star Constellation was the second ever Immortal Venerable, born several Eras ago. And Genesis Lotus Immortal Venerable was born before Giant Sun, so it is possible that most mortals wouldn't know about his history...".

Xuanyuan watched as Elder Luo stroked his beard, glad that he avoided mentioning Red Lotus Demonic Venerable or Spectral Soul Demonic Venerable. Even Thieving Heaven Demonic Venerable might've been a little bit too much for Elder Luo.

'Maintaining a good relationship with an Elder is good for my future. I want to become a Rank 5 Gu Master as quickly as possible, but using Relic Gu might reduce the quality of my heaven qi and earth qi if I ever try and ascend to Rank 6. I can't guarantee I could ever obtain the Sovereign Fetus Immortal Gu, and even if I did, I would be making an enemy of the Shadow Sect, the Heavenly Court and Fang Yuan'.

'There is always the Second Aperture Gu. I can remember reading about part of the recipe found within Bai Gu Blessed Land, but trying to explain how I obtained it would be troublesome...'.

The Lang Ya Land Spirit also mentioned that a Third Aperture Gu was theoretically possible, but even they couldn't deduce such a thing. 

Having two primeval essence apertures was amazing enough. Your maximum amount of primeval essence could be double that of even an A Grade Talent, and your primeval essence regeneration speed would be roughly double of an A Grade Talent, presuming your original talent was A Grade.

Xuanyuan wasn't sure if during Immortal Ascension would both the apertures be combined into one immortal aperture, or if the new Rank 6 Gu Immortal would be in possession of two immortal apertures. 

If each of the primeval essence apertures each gave birth to an immortal aperture, Xuanyuan could see how overpowered the Second Aperture Gu could truly be. 

Double the Vital Gu. Double the Dao Marks. Double the Paths. Double the amount of immortal essence. There was always double the amount of tribulations but so long as you succeeded, you would essentially progress twice, for every step a regular Gu Immortal would take.

'And if the Third Aperture Gu wasn't just theoretical then...', Xuanyuan shook his head, dispelling his thoughts. He was getting ahead of himself.

"Little Yuan, can I ask you a quite an important question?", Xuanyuan focused his attention back on Elder Luo. Nodding, the older man continued.

"You might not understand what it means to have an A Grade Talent with a 99% primeval essence sea, but such a thing is not common, even amongst Sects and Clans. It doesn't just mean that you can cultivate faster than other Gu Masters, it means that your ceiling, the limit of where your potential lies, is much higher than other Gu Masters".

Xuanyuan nodded, slowly, as if trying to understand Elder Luo's words.

"Senior Brother Tang mentioned this a little bit. Having a larger primeval essence sea means that I can cultivate longer, regenerate primeval essence faster, and use my Gu more than others at the same Rank".

Elder Luo shook his head, letting out a small sigh.

"Little Tang couldn't explain everything to you, but I'll give you a simple explanation. Take this cup of water for example".

Elder Luo flicked his hand once and a cup of water, roughly halfway filled appeared in his hands. The cup was clear, but the material wasn't glass nor plastic.

"Imagine this was your primeval essence sea. About 50% full. You already know that using Gu uses primeval essence, so take a little bit out and your left with about 40%. With me so far?". Xuanyuan nodded in return.

"Imagine using 40% of your primeval essence on cultivation. Specifically on the gap between a Rank 1 Gu Master and a Rank 2 Gu Master. What if I told you that it would take 20% primeval essence in order to cross that gap?".

"This person would be left with only 20% primeval essence. And over time, their primeval essence would fill back up to 50%".

Elder Luo nodded.

"What if I told you that the gap between Rank 2 and Rank 3 needed 40% primeval essence? And the gap between Rank 3 and Rank 4 needed 60% primeval essence?".

Xuanyuan opened his mouth to reply, but paused, obviously knowing where Elder Luo was going with this.

"This Gu Master, without some sort of external help, would be stuck at the peak of Rank 3, unable to meet the primeval essence requirements in order to reach Rank 4. Is this why the Sect doesn't recruit anyone with a C Grade Talent or below?".

Elder Luo nodded.

"A B Grade Talent stretches from 60% to 79% primeval essence sea. If the requirement to reach Rank 5 is 80%, then they will cannot bridge the distance, without the assistance of Gu of course".

Xuanyuan widened his eyes, as if in disbelief.

"There are Gu which can fix innate Talent?", he questioned.

Elder Luo smiled and nodded his head.

"They are extraordinarily rare, and the vast majority are used before they can be bought or sold. But yes, there are Gu with can bridge the gap in innate Talents, but then again, if someone like yourself were to use them instead then your cultivation would reach the peak of Rank 5 without any trouble".

"Why Rank 5?".

"Because Rank 6 is different from the previous Ranks. It is, as you said before, a qualitive transformation. But even I have yet to transcend that divide. It is too early for us to be discussing this considering you do not even know how to cultivate yet".

Xuanyuan blushed slightly, obviously getting ahead of himself again.

"I see. So there is an primeval essence requirement in order to reach a higher Rank. That is why B Grade and A Grade Talents are so valued. Even without a Gu that can assist in cultivation, they are almost guaranteed to become a Rank 4 Gu Master, or even a Rank 5 Gu Master. Even 1% could be the difference between reaching the next Rank...", Elder Luo nodded at Xuanyuan's words.

The Ancient Soul Sect Elder smiled at Xuanyuan, placing a hand on his shoulder gently, seeing the reaction it caused before. His smile seemed warm and fatherly, and his demeanour seemed soft and loving above all else.

'Oh shit. He's going to ask me if I'm willing to be his disciple', Xuanyuan realized.

"Exactly. The reason why we value your Talent so much Little Yuan, is because even without a Gu assisting you, so long as you are diligent and patient, you will reach Rank 5. As a result of that, I find it fitting to ask you if you are willing to become my disciple?", before Xuanyuan could respond, Elder Luo continued.

"I will personally teach you how to cultivate, and how to nurture and refine Gu. Even if you refuse, one of the other Elders will still teach you personally. But in addition to that, I'll guide you on how to refine Gu and even how to create a set of complementary Gu. The Path I walk is well traversed, but it would be a good foundation for any Path that you decide to walk. You do not have to answer right away but-".

Xuanyuan immediately cut him off, immediately kowtowing before Elder Luo.

"Please accept me as your disciple! Please Elder Luo!".

For a moment, there was a strange silence in the air, before the hearty chuckle of Elder Luo filled the residence. The older man held onto his slightly round stomach, before placing a hand on Xuanyuan, gesturing for him to stand up.

"Please stand up Little Yuan. I didn't expect you to give your answer so quickly, let alone accept so suddenly".

The tall young man shook his head, his eyes as clear as glass.

"I understand that my Talent is what makes me valuable, and I am honored that you would take an interest in me. If I become your disciple, it would be the quickest and most efficient method of realizing my desire. It is a selfish dream, but if you will have me, I will repay every teaching and every lesson twice in kind".

Xuanyuan bowed deeply again, trying to be as honest and straightforward as possible.

If Elder Luo could detect lies, it would be remiss of him to try and get caught.

He was being honest when he said he wanted to walk his own Path. He was being honest when he said he wanted to become a Venerable. Xuanyuan walked neither the Demonic Path, nor the Righteous Path, but if someone was to help him, he was repay that debt to the best of his ability.

Likewise, if someone hurt him or the ones he cared about, he would repay them twice fold. 

It was the mindset of most people from Earth. A morality born from another World.

Elder Luo seemed honest with his intentions, and if he did help Xuanyuan, he would do his very best to repay his teachings.

Elder Luo gazed into Xuanyuan's eyes, despite staring at them for more than half an hour now, he couldn't help but keep looking at them. They possessed barely any colour to them, yet they seemed so bright despite the shadowy colour.

"It seems that I have quite the interesting disciple", he muttered.

Most geniuses were often arrogant, prideful, and more often than not treated others as beneath them, not worthy to even breathe the same air as them. Most of these individuals were either born into mortal luxury, or had powerful parents whom were Gu Masters. 

Their emotions needed tempering, their pride needed subduing, and their desires, a multitude of mortal avarices and lusts which distracted them from their cultivation.

Xuanyuan had none of that.

No parents to tell him they were proud of him. No wealth to spend on frivolous purchases. No pride in his blood, and no veneer of arrogance which tainted his mindset.

His only desire, was a pure and driven as freshly fallen snow. A desire which all Gu Masters shared, yet without the mortal distractions or obstructions. Xuanyuan wanted something that he alone could call his. A Path that would be associated with him even long after his death.

He was clay. A raw material that had yet to be shaped.

Elder Luo smiled.

'He is beautiful'.