Chapter 71: Gu Alchemy

Chapter 71: Gu Alchemy

“Ouch!” I exclaimed, mostly from the surprise rather than any real pain. I looked down at the little plant spirit suckling on my palm, with two thorn-like fangs peeking through as it drank my blood. Streaks of red began to develop on the white flower on its head. I felt a sense of satisfaction coming from Twilight as it... (she?) had its fill.

“You’re a thorny little plant spirit, huh?” I said, receiving a ‘Chii~’ from the little plant as it looked up at me, eyes shimmering. I felt a strange understanding with the plant spirit from our bond, yet the words that came from the plant weren’t words, but more sensations than anything. I could feel Twilight soaking in information as she glanced around curiously. I wondered if her being able to understand me was due to the fact that I’d shared my vitality with her.

“Can you talk?” I asked Twilight as she shook her head. I frowned when I received a jumble of thoughts. She couldn’t talk because... she was different? Different understanding? I stared at Twilight, unable to parse what she meant.

I turned to look at Labby.

“Squeak!” Labby replied.

I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, different somehow.”

My thoughts were diverted back as Twilight stood up on my palm and then began to climb up my hand. It tickled, but the sight was so adorable that I couldn’t help but let her. The flower on her head bobbed up and down as she made her way, and Labby crackled slightly, thumping her feet.

“Labby’s place!” she exclaimed, as Twilight finally climbed up. The little plant looked on with beady eyes, before glancing at me. I regarded Labby silently.

“...but Labby can share,” Labby replied, as Twilight chittered and settled onto my shoulder. Labby hopped on to the other side, still feeling sad about having her side of the shoulder taken.

I pet her on the head. “It was good of you to share,” I said, as Labby rubbed her head against my finger, squeaking happily.

I grabbed Twilight in my hand, and she sat on my palm, staring at me. “Alright. Now... I need to... take a miasma petal from you?” I asked, unsure as I stared at the petals attached to her head. I didn’t want to hurt her.

“Chii~” Twilight replied, standing up and tapping her head.

“You don’t have any miasma?” I asked and received a nod from her. “How will you get some?”

Taking the grass, I poured it in. The fire beneath blazed hot as I channeled my Gu, and continued to work my way through the process.

There was a different flow to the Gu alchemy, yet the refining method was strikingly similar to the original drug-nade. I let the Gu flow, feeling Lu Jie’s spirit rising in my mind. Miasma flowed in, wispy smoke rising and bubbling in the water as the fire essence began to mix out. Red-hot sparks crackled within my cauldron as Gu flowed through it, glowing a deep blue and purple as it added a ghastly glow.

Taking out my petal, I dropped it in and began to refine.

Miasma churned and miasma flowed, in a cycle polar opposite to the Qi. The Gu stirred and rumbled and hissed and boiled, rushing out and swirling inwards as the fire essence began to spread out.

If Qi produced burning hot flames, then the fire of Gu was corruptive, like the burning of lava or acid, it hissed and frothed and it’d stick and cling, searing through flesh as it ate its way through.

Sweat began to bead on my forehead as I focused on channeling the Gu. My pathways began to strain under so much miasma flowing through them, and I started to feel the damage building up.

I focused, channeling thin strands of Gu into the cauldron as I swirled it around, trying to gather the flame within. The old man’s words echoed in my mind, as I let the fire fade into the flow of the Miasma, gathering at the center where it could clump together.

Lu Jie’s spirit began to settle in with my own the more I channeled the Miasma, and I felt my control starting to improve. Purple flames rose high, wispy white smoke spreading everywhere as I felt blood starting to build up in my throat. The Gu was starting to hurt me from the inside.

I focused and trudged on, going for the final push. Fiery miasma roared, trying to lash out, but I simply guided it back inwards. The flow of miasma continued, as a clump began to form, I felt Twilight’s petal stir, its miasma gathering the fire towards itself as an explosion shook the cauldron.

I jumped back, coughing from the fumes as I watched the smoking cauldron. I coughed out blood, wiping it away from my mouth as I began to cycle my Qi, my pathways starting to heal. A while later, as the pungent fumes began to fade, I walked closer, my heart thundering as I took a peek inside.

Little purple and black pills sat within the cauldron with plumes of smoke still rising around them. Carefully, I put my hand inside, checking the temperature to be cool enough to touch before I picked one up.

It worked. I’d formed a pill from Gu. A grin spread across my face, morphing into hysterical laughter as I stared at the pill. Whether the pill worked or not, at the time, I couldn't care less.

After weeks of work, I’d finally managed to make a pill from Gu. And now? It was time to test my Gu-nade.