In the next moment, Lin Yan appeared again. He looked at the wolf pack. Many were injured, and thirty-seven corpses lay on the ground. He nodded slightly. "Twenty-three minutes… thirty-seven kills. I improved again."
With a calm expression, he waved his hand. The wolves returned to their original state, and he charged forward to fight again.
After repeating this six times, Lin Yan dismissed the wolf pack. The image of Shan Shayuan appeared in front of him. He looked at him, his eyes steady.
Suddenly, Shan Shayuan's expression turned cold. He raised his hand, and a black light swept out. The ground turned into iron sand, shaking violently as it rose and fell.
Lin Yan could not stand steadily. Relying on instinct, he jumped away just in time. A sharp iron spike burst out from where he had been standing.
While moving, he tried to counterattack with Fire Line Gu. Even on the unstable ground, his steps stayed steady, and he tried to pressure Shan Shayuan.
But the gap between him and a Rank 3 elder was too big. In just a few breaths, Lin Yan was forced into a corner. A mass of black iron sand fell from above, crushing his body.
"Twenty breaths… again." Lin Yan appeared once more. His expression did not change, as if death meant nothing to him.
He had already gotten used to this kind of training. What others would find unbearable, he accepted calmly, watching his strength slowly improve.
With his current control over Gu, he felt he might not be much weaker than a Rank 3 Gu Master. If the dream space were larger, he believed he could last even longer.
After testing several times and confirming his progress, he moved on to the next stage of training.
The dream space turned empty, leaving only Lin Yan standing there. Three support-type Gu floated around him.
He focused his mind and activated Cool Wind Gu, Sand Pit Gu, and Clear Water Gu at the same time, their effects appearing with slight delays.
Pfft!
As a result, nothing happened. Lin Yan coughed up blood from the backlash. The three Gu trembled, and cracks appeared on their bodies, showing heavy damage.
He didn't get discouraged. After recovering, he tried again. He was trying to develop a killer move. Every killer move was complex. The order of activating the Gu and the timing between them would change the result.
Even these three Gu had many possible combinations. Failure and backlash were normal during this process.
After some time, he made a small breakthrough. He found that the three Gu could not be used together for more than three seconds. Once it passed that limit, they would not connect and would only act separately.
With this confirmed, the only method left was to test all possible combinations one by one.
This was still manageable with three Gu. If it were ten or more, the workload would be overwhelming. But such large combinations usually belonged to Rank 5 killer moves.
At the same time, Lin Yan also gained some understanding. Creating a killer move was about combining the effects of Gu, arranging them properly, like following the logic of elements or how wind could strengthen fire.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Lin Yan activated the three Gu—Sand Pit Gu, Cool Wind Gu, and Clear Water Gu—one after another. A strong wind suddenly rose in the space, carrying sand with it.
Ah!
His eyes were hit at once. The wind and sand rushed in, causing sharp pain, and he could no longer see clearly. Even when tears came out, it only made things worse, burning like lime. But instead of panicking, Lin Yan felt excited. This meant he was on the right path.
Back in the tent, Lin Yan slowly opened his eyes. A faint trace of colored mist seemed to remain in them. He was mentally tired, but a small smile appeared. In just eight days, his progress had been huge. In another one or two months, he could likely create several killer moves with his current Gu.
The caravan set off again, leaving the oasis and entering the desert.
Time passed quickly.
Over the next one and a half months, the caravan moved steadily without any major trouble. They were now close to returning to the clan.
That night, Shan Shayuan came to him and said, "We rest here tonight. Tomorrow, we'll be home."
"In a few days, the newcomer Gu battle will begin. Are you confident?"
Lin Yan answered calmly, "Top ten is easy."
Shan Shayuan did not say much and only reminded him, "Alright then, and remember to return the Liquor Worm to the caravan."
Hearing this, Lin Yan felt a bit regretful. The Liquor Worm's effect on a Gu Master was simply too great. However, he was about to break through the Upper Stage barrier tonight, and then refine the Green Copper Relic Gu to directly reach Rank 1 peak, so he would no longer need it.
After reaching Rank 2, he could obtain another Liquor Worm and try to refine the Rank 2 Four Flavors Liquor Worm to continue accelerating his cultivation. He returned to his tent and focused on observing his aperture.
The dark green primeval essence surged like waves, constantly striking the surrounding aperture membrane.
Cracks spread across the membrane, and with another heavy impact, it finally shattered. At the bottom of the sea, the flowing primeval essence was no longer pale green, but Upper Stage dark green.
This was not the end. Lin Yan took out the Green Copper Relic Gu and began refining it. Above the primeval sea, a bronze light spread out, forming a solid membrane that slowly transformed the aperture.
After an hour, the membrane shattered once again, and his aura rose further. This time, the primeval essence became black green.
Rank 1 peak Stage!