Chapter 1985: Chapter 1981: Gu Refinement “Elder Shen, are you talking about… refining the Fusion Gu?” Yuan Qiu thought for a moment, then instantly recalled and asked. “I’ve been keeping an eye on this matter for a while, but the materials needed to refine this Gu are extremely rare. Up to now, I’ve only found some spiritual materials for auxiliary use. I’ve tried cultivating the main material, the Element-devouring Pancan, numerous times, but all efforts have failed,” Yuan Qiu sighed with some frustration. Upon hearing this, Shen Luo’s eyes lit up. He waved his hand, revealing a jade box about a foot square in his palm. He opened the jade box and handed it to Yuan Qiu. The latter furrowed his brows and stared at it. His face first showed confusion, then his eyes widened in disbelief. Within the jade box, wrapped with talismans, was a strange insect the size of a young cat, resembling a wasp, with a layer of white fuzz above its compound eyes. It was indeed the Element-devouring Pancan. Previously in the Ten Thousand Buddha’s Golden Pagoda, Nie Caizhu followed his instructions to snatch Bai Chuan’s three Element-devouring Pancans. Two died in the chaos, and only one was seized. “The Element-devouring Pancan, Elder, you actually have this creature,” Yuan Qiu was both shocked and delighted. “I’ve been searching for the necessary materials as well. See if we’re missing anything,” Shen Luo nodded and asked. “What we’re missing is the spiritual material that can fuse various energies. After gathering the rest of the materials, I’ve been searching for this item, but the things I’ve found later cannot perfectly meet my requirements. If this item is unsuitable, no matter how good other materials are, it will be in vain, and the chances of failure are surprisingly high,” Yuan Qiu said. “I’ve already prepared this item too.” Saying this, Shen Luo flipped his hand and produced a delicate black jade box. Upon opening the lid, a small black leaf rested quietly inside, showing no apparent special property. “Elder, what is this?” Yuan Qiu stared at the leaf for a long time, unable to recognize it. This item was a leaf from the Chaos Black Lotus, and Shen Luo didn’t elaborate, saying, “You don’t have to worry about this. It definitely meets your requirements. Just tell me if you can refine it?” “I can,” Yuan Qiu responded firmly. His assured response made Shen Luo somewhat skeptical. “What are the chances of success?” Shen Luo asked. “As long as there’s no issue with this energy-fusing leaf, the chance of success is above this number,” Yuan Qiu extended a hand, spreading five fingers. “Fifty percent?” Shen Luo couldn’t help but slightly frown. “Elder, you know, although the Fusion Gu is an eight-grade insect, its refining difficulty is comparable to a nine-grade one. While my abilities in refining Gu have advanced significantly, claiming a hundred percent success is impossible. A fifty percent chance actually isn’t low,” Yuan Qiu deliberated for a moment and said. He feared that overpromising would leave him unable to justify failure later, yet he also feared under-promising might lose him the chance to refine the Fusion Gu. Like refining elixirs or artifacts, opportunities to attempt the highest levels are scarce. “Alright. I trust you.” After a moment of thought, Shen Luo said. Yuan Qiu felt somewhat excited upon hearing this, and his slightly trembling hands reflected his preciousness of the two spiritual materials and the opportunity to refine the Fusion Gu. “Could the Dragon Palace prepare a secret chamber for me to retreat to for a short three months, or longer, longer…” For a moment, Yuan Qiu was at a loss for words on how to continue. “Trust those you employ; you just focus on doing it. No worries if you fail,” Shen Luo reassured. “Elder knows me. This time, even if it’s at the risk of my life, I cannot let Elder down,” Yuan Qiu suddenly felt a surge of emotion and said. A day later, Yuan Qiu began his retreat in the Dragon Palace. In the following days, Shen Luo assisted Ao Hong in completely eliminating the remnants of the Demon Alliance’s power over the Eastern Sea, recruiting numerous remaining forces, stabilizing and strengthening the otherwise heavily damaged East Sea Dragon Palace. In the blink of an eye, over seven months passed. On this day, the secret chamber’s Big Gate, where Yuan Qiu was in retreat, finally opened. Shen Luo rushed over immediately, seeing a gaunt, skeletal figure with sunken eyes stumbling out. Seeing Yuan Qiu, Shen Luo was surprised enough that he nearly didn’t recognize him. Despite having become as thin as a skeleton, Yuan Qiu’s eyes were exceptionally bright, with excitement gleaming in their depths. “Elder, I did it, I did it…” As Yuan Qiu saw Shen Luo, his spirit suddenly lifted, raising the jade box in his hand, stumbling towards Shen Luo. Shen Luo immediately went up in greeting, feeling inwardly overjoyed. “Elder, the material you gave me for Fusion Qi is truly a world-class treasure. Just when I thought the refinement was going to fail, it was that black leaf that worked wonders, enabling me to successfully refine the Fusion Gu,” Yuan Qiu placed the box in Shen Luo’s hand, still unable to contain his excitement. “Thank you, Daoist friend,” Shen Luo sincerely said. “Quick, Elder, open it up and see,” Yuan Qiu urged, looking as if he was eager for his friend to see the gift he had given. Following the advice, Shen Luo opened the jade box, and inside, a multi-colored spot of light was revealed. He frowned slightly and looked closely, seeing a cocoon-sized, multi-colored insect nestled inside, resembling the Element-devouring Pancan but much smaller in size, with two pairs of wings turned multi-colored. Though its main body was the Element-devouring Pancan, the aura it emitted was closer to the Chaos Black Lotus. “Friend Yuan Qiu, take care and recover well,” Shen Luo said, closing the jade box and bowing in salute before handing him a bottle of restorative elixir. Receiving Shen Luo’s acknowledgment, Yuan Qiu immediately rolled his eyes and fainted on the ground. After sending Yuan Qiu off for proper rest, Shen Luo returned to his residence, hurriedly opening the jade box to take out the Fusion Gu. The usage of the Fusion Gu had long been specified in the Medicine Immortal Collection. He forced a drop of blood from his fingertip, letting it fall onto the Fusion Gu, which quickly absorbed it, turning the insect as red as blood. Muttering under his breath, a crystal glow appeared at his brow, from which a fine crystalline line wriggled out, reaching towards the Fusion Gu. The threads wrapped around the Fusion Gu, slowly merging into it, with the creature’s body twitching and its fierce mouth parts opening wide, appearing painfully. After more than ten breaths, the Fusion Gu’s expression returned to calm and suddenly shot out, transforming into a faint shadow that landed behind him. Suddenly, pain erupted along his spine, as the Fusion Gu bit through his flesh and burrowed into his vertebrae. His expression changed, his features contorting with unprecedented intense pain radiating from his spine, resembling countless venomous needles piercing him.