Chapter 8

Next to the school, a Goo Room was set up. The Goo Room was not large, only sixty square meters in size.

Goo Masters cultivate, and Goo Bugs are the key to their strength.

As soon as the class ended, the excited young boys rushed to the Goo Room.

"Line up, one by one," a stern voice suddenly barked, and there were naturally people guarding the door of the Goo Room.

The young boys went in one by one and then came out.

It was Fang Yuan's turn to enter the Goo Room.

Inside the room, there was a vast world. The walls were made into compartments, with these embedded squares placed side by side. The squares varied in size, the largest not exceeding a sand pot, and the smallest not smaller than a fist.

In the densely packed squares, various containers were placed. Some were gray stone basins, some were green jade plates, some were exquisite grass cages, and some were earthenware warmers.

These containers housed all kinds of Goo Bugs.

Some Goo Bugs were silent, while others were very noisy, making various sounds like "squeak, creak, rustle," forming a symphony of life.

"These Goo Bugs are divided into nine levels, corresponding to the nine realms of Goo Masters. These Goo Bugs are all first-level Goo Bugs," Fang Yuan scanned the room and immediately understood.

Generally speaking, a Goo Master at the first realm can only use first-level Goo Bugs. If they try to control higher-level Goo Bugs, they often have to pay a very heavy price.

Moreover, Goo Bugs need to be fed, and the cost of feeding higher-level Goo Bugs is often more than a lower-level Goo Master can afford.

For new Goo Masters, unless there are special circumstances, they will choose first-level Goo Bugs for their first refinement.

The first Goo Bug a Goo Master refines is of great significance, called the Life Goo Bug, which is cultivated with their life. If it is destroyed, the Goo Master will suffer a severe blow.

"Alas, I originally hoped to get the Wine Bug from the Flower Wine Walker and refine it as my Life Goo Bug. But now, there's still no sign of the Flower Wine Walker's remains, and I don't know when I'll find them or if someone else will discover them. For safety, I'll choose a Moonlight Bug."

Fang Yuan sighed inwardly and walked straight to the left wall.

On one of the slightly higher layers of the wall compartments, there was a row of silver plates. Each plate held a Goo Bug.

The Goo Bug was crystal clear, curved like the moon, resembling a piece of blue crystal. Against the silver plate, it exuded a serene aura.

The Goo Bug is called Moonlight, a clan Goo Bug of the Ancient Moon Clan. Most clan members choose it as their Life Goo Bug. It is not a natural Goo Bug but is cultivated through the secret methods of the Ancient Moon Clan, making it a symbol of the clan.

All the Moonlight Bugs were first-level, with only minor differences. Fang Yuan casually picked one and held it in his hand.

The Moonlight Bug was very light, weighing as much as a thin sheet of paper. It occupied only a small part of his palm, about the size of an ordinary jade pendant. Fang Yuan could see his palm lines through it.

After a final look, finding no issues, Fang Yuan put it in his pocket and left the Goo Room.

Outside the Goo Room, a long queue was still waiting. The next young boy, seeing Fang Yuan come out, eagerly ran into the Goo Room.

If it were anyone else, they would immediately take the Goo Bug home to refine it. But Fang Yuan did not rush to do so; he was still thinking about the Wine Bug.

The Wine Bug was more precious. Although the Moonlight Bug is a specialty of the Ancient Moon Village, it does not help Goo Masters as much as the Wine Bug.

Leaving the Goo Room, Fang Yuan went straight to the tavern.

"Boss, two jars of aged wine," Fang Yuan fished out the remaining pieces of Essence Stones from his pocket and placed them on the counter.

For the past few days, he had been buying wine here and then wandering around the village, hoping to attract the Wine Bug to appear.

The tavern owner was a short, middle-aged, fat man with an oily face. He had already remembered Fang Yuan after these days.

"Sir, you're here," he greeted, extending his short, fat hand and skillfully sweeping away Fang Yuan's Essence Stone fragments.

He then weighed them in his hand, finding the weight satisfactory, and his smile became even warmer.

Essence Stones are the currency of this world, used to measure the value of all goods. They are also condensed essences of heaven and earth, which can be used to help Goo Masters cultivate better.

They have both monetary and commodity attributes, similar to gold on Earth. Earth once had a single gold standard, and this world has a single Essence Stone standard.

Compared to gold, the purchasing power of Essence Stones is quite astonishing.

However, no matter how many Essence Stones Fang Yuan had, they could not withstand his continuous consumption.

"Two jars of wine every day for seven days. The Essence Stones I saved are almost all spent," Fang Yuan frowned as he carried the two jars of wine out of the tavern.

Once one becomes a Goo Master, they can directly extract pure True Essence from Essence Stones to replenish the Essence Sea in their body.

Therefore, for Goo Masters, Essence Stones are not only currency but also aids in cultivation.

With sufficient Essence Stones, the speed of cultivation can be significantly increased, which can somewhat make up for deficiencies in talent.

"Tomorrow, I won't have any Essence Stones to buy wine, and the Wine Bug still hasn't appeared. Do I really have to refine the Moonlight Bug as my Life Goo Bug?" Fang Yuan felt somewhat reluctant.

Leaving the tavern, Fang Yuan held the two jars of wine and walked, thinking: "The head of the school said that the first person to refine a Life Goo Bug would receive twenty Essence Stones as a reward. Now, many people are probably at home, working hard to refine Goo Bugs to be the first. Unfortunately, refining a Life Goo Bug is a great test of talent. Those with good talent have a significant advantage. With my C-level talent, I have no hope of winning, no matter what other means I use."

At that moment, Gu Yue Fangzheng's voice sounded from behind: "Brother, you really came to the tavern to get drunk again! Follow me, Uncle and Aunt want to see you."

Fang Yuan stopped and turned around.

He noticed that his younger brother no longer spoke with his head down as he used to.

Their eyes met.

A gust of wind blew, lifting the older brother's disheveled black hair and the younger brother's clothes.

In just a month, things had changed dramatically.

A week ago, the Opening Ceremony of the Meridian had brought a significant change to both the older and younger brother.

The older brother, Fang Yuan, fell from the clouds, his genius halo cruelly stripped away. The younger brother, on the other hand, began to shine, like a new star rising.

This change was even more profound for the younger brother, Gu Yue Fangzheng.

He finally tasted the feeling his brother once had, being寄托 with hope and looked at with envy or jealousy.

He felt as if he had suddenly moved from a dark corner to a bright paradise.

Every day when he woke up, he felt like he was in a beautiful dream. The stark difference in treatment made him feel somewhat incredulous and uncomfortable.

He was not used to it.

From being unknown to being closely watched and pointed at.

Sometimes, when Fangzheng walked on the road and heard passersby discussing and praising him, he would feel his face flush, his hands and feet become clumsy, and his eyes dart away, almost not knowing how to walk!

In the first few days, Gu Yue Fangzheng inexplicably lost weight, but his spirit became more vigorous.

From the depths of his heart, a sense of "confidence" began to grow.

"This is how my brother used to feel, truly beautiful and painful!" He inevitably thought of his brother, Gu Yue Fang Yuan. How did his brother deal with such discussions and attention?

He subconsciously began to imitate Fang Yuan, trying to look expressionless, but soon realized he wasn't cut out for it.

Sometimes at school, a girl's shout could make him blush. On the road, the teasing of aunts and uncles made him flee multiple times.

He was like a baby learning to walk, stumbling and fumbling to adapt to his new life.

During this process, he inevitably heard rumors about his brother—depressed, alcoholic, staying out all night, and sleeping in class.

At first, he was shocked. His brother, so strong and talented, had become like this?!

But gradually, he began to understand. His brother was human too, and it was inevitable to become depressed after such setbacks and blows.

With this understanding, Fangzheng felt a sense of indescribable satisfaction.

This satisfaction was something he did not want to admit, but it existed.

His brother, once praised as a genius and a shadow that suppressed him, was now so dejected and depressed. This, in a way, testified to his own growth, didn't it?

He was excellent, and that was the truth!

Therefore, seeing Fang Yuan carrying the wine jars, with disheveled hair and disheveled clothes, Gu Yue Fangzheng felt a deep sigh of relief, his breathing becoming inexplicably lighter.

But he said, "Brother, you can't keep drinking. You can't keep going like this. Don't you know how worried the people who care about you are? You need to pull yourself together!"

Fang Yuan remained expressionless and did not speak.

The two brothers looked at each other.

In the younger brother's eyes, there was a sharp, bright light. In the older brother's eyes, there was a deep, dark gaze, like a deep, ancient pond.

Such eyes made Fangzheng feel an inexplicable pressure. After a short while, he subconsciously looked away.

But when he realized it, he felt a surge of anger.

Anger at himself.

What was wrong with him? Did he not even have the courage to look his brother in the eye?

I have changed, I have completely changed!

Thinking this, his eyes became sharp again, and he looked back.

But Fang Yuan was no longer looking at him. He carried a jar of wine in each hand, walked past him, and said in a calm voice, "What are you standing there for? Let's go."

Fangzheng's breathing became disordered, and the pent-up anger in his heart had nowhere to vent, making him feel an indescribable frustration.

Seeing his brother already walking far ahead, he hurriedly followed.

This time, he did not lower his head but raised it, facing the sunset.

His eyes were fixed on his feet, stepping on his brother Fang Yuan's shadow, step by step.