Fang Yuan paid no attention, fully focused on his task.

While absorbing the natural True Essence from the Primordial Stone, he also kept a close watch on his empty aperture.

The True Essence Sea, which had originally receded, was slowly rising again with the continuous infusion of natural True Essence.

The speed of this rise was somewhat slow, but Fang Yuan was not in a hurry.

Cultivation is about accumulation; it cannot be rushed.

The one truly anxious was the middle-aged male servant outside the room.

After about half an hour, Fang Yuan's Bronze True Essence Sea reached its limit of 44%.

But that wasn't the end.

At this moment, the True Essence Sea appeared emerald green, which was just the Rank One – Initial Stage Bronze True Essence.

The True Essence that Fang Yuan had previously used to nurture the aperture wall was not Initial Stage True Essence but Intermediate True Essence refined by the Wine Gu.

"Wine Gu," Fang Yuan thought, and the Wine Gu in the Primal Sea immediately soared up, hovering in mid-air, curling into a white dumpling-like ball.

Swish.

A portion of Initial Stage True Essence was mobilized and injected into the Wine Gu, quickly absorbed without a trace.

Then, a rich, fragrant mist of wine emanated from the Wine Gu's body, condensing into a cloud.

Fang Yuan mobilized another portion of True Essence, injecting it into the wine mist.

After the wine mist was completely consumed, the original portion of Initial Stage True Essence suddenly shrank by half in volume, and its color changed from emerald green to a pale green.

This was Intermediate True Essence.

"Ordinary students use Rank One – Initial Stage True Essence to advance their cultivation, but I use Intermediate True Essence, making my efficiency at least twice as high. Moreover, using Intermediate True Essence to activate the Moonlight Gu produces a Moon Blade much stronger than one activated by Initial Stage True Essence."

Only when the entire Primal Sea was refined into Rank One – Intermediate Stage True Essence did Fang Yuan open his eyes.

Time flies during cultivation, and it was already the early hours of the morning.

The sky was no longer purely black but a deep blue-black.

The moon had already disappeared, leaving only a few remaining stars.

The door had been left open almost all night, and the edges of the wooden door were damp, showing a dark stain from the moisture.

The academy dormitory had this disadvantage; unlike the comfortable stilted bamboo houses, it was directly on the ground, making it more susceptible to dampness.

Returning to his senses, Fang Yuan felt a chill enveloping his body. After sitting cross-legged for so long, his legs seemed a bit numb.

He released his clasped right hand, scattering a pile of gray-white stone powder.

This was the residue left after the natural True Essence in the Primordial Stone was completely absorbed.

"One night's cultivation consumed three Primordial Stones," Fang Yuan calculated silently.

He himself only had Grade C aptitude, but to pursue cultivation speed, he constantly used Primordial Stones to replenish True Essence. More importantly, he used the Wine Gu to refine Intermediate True Essence.

This greatly increased the consumption of Primordial Stones.

"Although I managed to snatch some yesterday, consuming three Primordial Stones in one night is unsustainable for long-term cultivation... But pursuing speed and efficiency in cultivation naturally comes at a cost."

Fang Yuan looked outside the door again.

He saw the robust servant named Gao Wan squatting in the corner, curled up as if asleep.

"It seems that the Rank Two Female Gu Master has already left, leaving Gao Wan here to watch over me. Heh heh." A cold smile appeared on Fang Yuan's lips as he got out of bed and began to quietly stretch his limbs.

As his body warmed up, he stepped out of the dormitory.

"Brat, you finally decided to come out. So, are you going to surrender and come with me to apologize to my young lady?" Gao Wan's ears twitched, catching Fang Yuan's footsteps, and he stood up abruptly.

He was burly, almost twice Fang Yuan's size.

His muscles bulged, and under his raised eyebrows, his narrow eyes gleamed with a cruel and vicious light, like a starving hyena.

Fang Yuan remained expressionless, continuing to walk towards him.

"Brat, if you had come out earlier, it would have been fine. But now, do you know how much I've suffered guarding you?" Gao Wan chuckled maliciously as he stepped towards Fang Yuan with ill intent.

At that moment, Fang Yuan suddenly let out a light shout, leaping forward with his fists raised, charging at Gao Wan.

"You brat, courting death!!" Gao Wan's face twisted with anger. Filled with rage, he swung his fist, the size of a sand bowl, at Fang Yuan.

The punch was incredibly powerful, breaking through the air with a whistling sound.

Fang Yuan's gaze was clear as water. As the fist approached, he sidestepped, moving to Gao Wan's side.

He extended his fingers, aiming for a vital point on Gao Wan.

Gao Wan blocked with his arm, and Fang Yuan's fingers struck his left forearm instead.

Fang Yuan immediately felt as if he had hit an iron plate, his fingers aching and numb.

"This Gao Wan is at the peak of mortal martial arts. I only have the Moonlight Gu for combat, without other Gu insects to assist. In pure hand-to-hand combat, I'm no match for him!" Fang Yuan's eyes flashed, and he wisely abandoned the attack, retreating several steps to create distance.

In Gu Yue Village, only members of the Gu Yue Tribe had the qualification to cultivate as Gu Masters.

Other surnamed individuals, regardless of aptitude, were not eligible to participate in the Aperture Opening Ceremony.

However, these mortals could practice martial arts.

Like Gao Wan, although not a Gu Master, he must have diligently trained in martial arts, with solid fundamentals, and was in his prime as a middle-aged man.

Apart from the Moonlight Gu for combat, Fang Yuan's body was merely that of a fifteen-year-old boy. In terms of strength, agility, and endurance, he was no match for Gao Wan.

A martial artist like Gao Wan could kill a Rank One – Initial Stage Gu Master and pose a threat even to an Intermediate Gu Master.

"This brat is too ruthless!" Seeing Fang Yuan create distance, Gao Wan still felt a lingering fear.

The vital point was a critical area; being struck there could cause significant harm. If too much force was applied, it could even be fatal.

Gao Wan had been outside the courtyard for most of the night, his body enveloped in cold and dampness, slowing his reactions. He had narrowly avoided Fang Yuan's strike. Fortunately, despite his sycophantic nature, he had trained diligently, and his body's instincts had overridden his mind's response, narrowly blocking Fang Yuan's attack.

"I can't be careless anymore. This brat is a wolf cub, ruthless and cunning. A moment's inattention, and I'll fall into his trap. No wonder the young master was knocked out twice by him." Gao Wan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, dispelling his previous contempt, and took Fang Yuan seriously.

"Capturing this brat will earn me great merit. The young lady will surely reward me! A Rank One – Initial Stage Moon Blade is at most a knife; as long as it doesn't hit a vital area, it's just a superficial wound."

With this thought, Gao Wan's heart burned with determination. He reached out with his iron-claw-like hands, trying to grab Fang Yuan.

Bang bang bang.

Fang Yuan was unafraid, meeting Gao Wan head-on in close combat. For a moment, fists and feet clashed, offense and defense exchanged, producing a series of dull thuds.

When robbing the students, he had used only his palms, focusing on control. Now, fighting Gao Wan, he held nothing back.

Sometimes he gouged at the eyes, jabbed at the throat, struck the chin with the heel of his palm, chopped at the back of the head with the edge of his hand, kneed the groin, or elbowed the side of the vital point.

Gao Wan was drenched in cold sweat.

Fang Yuan's attacks were relentless, targeting Gao Wan's vital points with ruthless precision, seemingly intent on taking his life.

Gao Wan was just a mortal, unlike a Gu Master. Despite diligent martial training, his vital points remained vulnerable. Mortals couldn't turn their eyelids to steel; this was the limitation of mortal martial arts.

Conversely, Gao Wan dared not fatally harm Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was a member of the Gu Yue Tribe. Killing him would provoke public outrage, and Gao Wan would be torn apart, with the Mo Clan first to clean house.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread.com".

Thus, his plan was to capture Fang Yuan alive, ideally making him suffer in the process.

One side had reservations, while the other harbored lethal intent, resulting in Fang Yuan pressing Gao Wan in the fight!