Each of these aspects was vast and profound, its knowledge as boundless as the sea. An ordinary person could spend an entire lifetime without ever achieving true mastery.
"I'll be counting on Big Brother Wei for guidance," Fang Yuan cupped his fists at the banquet table.
"Since we hit it off right away, no need for pleasantries between us." Wei Yang cleared his throat and began his formal lecture. "Broadly speaking, Gu Masters are divided into Nine Transformations. The First through Fifth are mortal ranks, and the Sixth through Ninth are immortal. Among millions of Gu Masters, only a handful may ever ascend to immortality. Becoming an immortal is too ethereal — even those universally acknowledged as geniuses might not achieve it. So let's forget about immortality and focus on the mortal realm."
"Among the five mortal transformations, the First and Second are merely the very beginning, while the Fourth and Fifth represent peak fighting power. The Third Transformation in between serves as the bridge connecting the two. Having cultivated to this stage, you two have already stepped through the door. The Third Transformation is especially critical. If you lay a solid foundation during this period and choose the right developmental path, you are bound to achieve great things in the future."
"Once a Gu Master reaches the Third Transformation, their individual strength can no longer be overlooked. In many mountain strongholds, a Third Transformation Gu Master would certainly hold the rank of Elder. During this stage, a Gu Master must first determine their developmental direction, then assemble a set of Gu Insects to match. If one wishes to become a support Gu Master, the focus should be on storage-type Gu. If one wants to become a scout Gu Master, then reconnaissance should be at the core. If one aspires to achieve greatness in Gu refinement, one could choose deduction-type Gu to derive new secret recipes. And if one prefers strategy, one might collect Gu like Thoughts Like Lightning and Immortal's Guide."
Wei Yang continued his introduction.
Broadly speaking, directions fell into six major categories: offense, defense, healing, storage, mobility, and reconnaissance.
Healing Gu Masters were commonly known as physicians and commanded great prestige. Storage Gu Masters served as logistics specialists and were indispensable to every faction.
Wei Yang himself was a mobility Gu Master, with the Rainbow Light Gu as his core.
Of course, beyond these six main categories, there were also other smaller branches.
For instance, there were specialized power-leveling Gu Masters. Their Gu Insects all focused on accelerating refinement speed or helping to diminish the original will of a Gu Insect.
Then there were insect-catching Gu Masters, who excelled at locating and capturing wild Gu Insects.
In short, by the time one reached the Third Transformation stage, Gu Masters began to develop complex and detailed professional specializations, becoming more expert and more skilled in a particular field.
Speaking of this, Wei Yang paused for a moment and looked at Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing. He asked, "I wonder, have you two decided on your development directions?"
"Attack." Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing answered in perfect unison, without the slightest hesitation.
Both of them revered the offensive, were aggressive to the bone, and were equally defiant and untameable.
Wei Yang nodded. It was no surprise to him at all; he had seen countless individuals and had already anticipated the choice made by Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing.
He continued, "Then next, we must select Gu Insects to form combinations, creating an interlinked system."
A set of Gu Insects offered numerous benefits.
Firstly, in terms of feeding, similar Gu Insects require similar food, making them convenient to collect, store, and trade.
Secondly, in terms of usage. Gu Insects can form combinations with each other, providing mutual amplification and compensation. For example: Wei Yang's Rainbow Light Gu consumed a great deal of True Essence. So Wei Yang used the Light Source Gu to reduce that consumption.
Lastly, in terms of refinement. Similar Gu Insects placed together can be refined into higher-grade ones. Not only does this save money, but the success rate is also higher than refining Gu Insects that are vastly different from one another.
"You've all chosen to focus on attack, so without a doubt, you must treat offensive Gu as your core. All other Gu Insects must serve this core. Take Xiao Xiao, for instance — he chose the Pill Fire Gu as his primary offensive tool, so I recommended he select the Split in Two Gu to increase the number of Pill Fires, and the Giant Gu to enlarge them and boost their power. He also picked the Fire Source Gu to reduce True Essence consumption, and the Walking Fire Gu as his movement Gu." Wei Yang patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder.
Xiao Yan put on a bitter expression. "Big Brother Wei, you've laid all my cards on the table!"
Wei Yang was unconcerned. "Haha, everyone else already figured out what you have. Everyone in the arena knows exactly what Gu Insects you're holding."
He then turned to Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing. "Even if all your Gu Insects are fully exposed, it doesn't matter. As long as your combination is well-designed, you can handle any situation. The core Gu is the foundation of the entire set. Have you two thought about which offensive Gu you'd like to use as your core?"
Fang Yuan clenched his fist. "Before this, I've already used many Gu to augment my strength. Strength is my advantage, and I want to continue down this path — crushing my opponents with sheer power."
Bai Ningbing directly named a Gu Insect: "Frost Demon Gu."
As it happened, Bai Ningbing already possessed a Third Transformation Frost Demon Gu. The Frost Demon Gu allowed its user to transform into a Frost Demon, and Bai Ningbing had grown quite adept at wielding it.
Unfortunately, it had been destroyed during the battle with Guyue Qingshu.
This was also why Bai Ningbing had been yearning for the Frost Demon Gu ever since.
Wei Yang frowned upon hearing this. "You two want to pursue the Strength Path and the Ice Path... In the case of the Ice Path, the advantage lies in defense. The Frost Demon Gu, the Snow Woman Gu, and the Ice Crystal Gu are the three most popular transformation-type Gu. The Frost Demon Gu and the Snow Woman Gu are both suitable for women, while the Ice Crystal Gu is more suited for men."
"As for you, Fang Zheng, wanting to pursue the Strength Path..." Wei Yang shook his head slightly. "Not to discourage you, but that idea isn't reliable. The Strength Path is the most ordinary and popular choice — why? Because it's cheap and affordable. Most Gu related to the Strength Path are inexpensive. But the Strength Path is also the hardest to stand out in; it's very easy to end up mediocre."
"To be honest with you both, I once walked the Strength Path myself. Later, to cleanse the physical force I'd accumulated on my body, I spent quite a few Yuan Stones. Most Demonic Path Gu Masters lack capital and use the Strength Path as a stepping stone. But Brother Fang Zheng, you have the Purple Thorn Token and hundreds of thousands of Yuan Stones in hand — there's no need for you to take this detour. It's truly difficult to distinguish yourself on the Strength Path!"
Hearing Wei Yang's words, Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing exchanged a glance and both nodded.
Wei Yang smiled with satisfaction — his words of advice had not been in vain.
Xiao Yan also smiled. "Listening to Brother Wei has been very enlightening for me as well."