Chapter 23: chapter 23 Times up
First I'd like to shout out two ri fics
Reverend Insanity Herald-of-Heavens!
Reverend insanity Mystery Prying Immortal venerable
....
One of my first course of action was to sell shell growth gu for 250 primeval essence stones. Besides selling that gu I also had jab gu to be refined to rank 3. This time it was cheaper since I had the gu recipe for it. Unfortunately I couldn't say the same for bone scale gu, but it was a necessary expense. The same applied to harden terrain gu, at its higher rank I'll have an easy time since its higher rank can give my variant selfs a stronger defense.
After the first day Initel's will handed me beggar moth gu now at rank 3. It now has a few more holes in its wings, fantastic with this gu I could attempt to breakthrough to rank 4 in the future, but for now I want my hairyman self to try to refine the next rank of drop of strength gu. Rank 3 drop of strength gu becomes a stronger version of itself. At rank 3 its called stream of strength gu. Instead of stacking the strength five times, the user now gains the full strength of drop of strength gu activated five times in one go.
For now I want my hairyman self to try to refine refine it, as for jab gu I can't go without it. It's one of my core gu that covers movement and attack. I could always try to refine it another day but who knows when the competition will start. Initel said it's best I didn't know. That only made me want to improve even quicker.
....
Inside of my courtyard I was sparring with myself. Unfortunately even if I strengthened my variant self with vice grip crab gu and killer whale strength gu. Now that I had several variant human strength phantoms to boost my attack I could easily over power my variant self.
However their was one other way I could make use of myself, and that was to get the ever loving shit beat out of me. My strengthened human self was constantly punching away at my body. I was trying to increase my pain tolerance, it sucked and whenever I felt like I couldn't stand it I would activate self-reliance gu.
Now that I became rank 3 the cost for activating self-reliance gu which was already low became lower. That was one of the strengths of strength path gu. They required a low amount of primeval sea essence. After being unable to take anymore damage I activated self-reliance gu. All my body's bruises and damage repaired itself at a visible rate, but that wasn't enough. Even though my body healed my mind wasn't. I had to take some time to rest my mind, I wonder if this self torture is refining my soul. It should be considered the most barbaric way to do so though.
After resting for a bit I took out a gu, it looked like a tick with only four limbs and its black end had a stinger and instead of two atena it had two mandibles. This gu was beatman strength gu, this should be the last time I'd need to use it. After using it for a few minutes I no longer felt like I was gaining strength.
I activated jab gu and my variant human phantoms appeared behind me. With a new one appearing, I let out a will and it solidified. My beastman self was my same height but he had the head of a pure black jackal, his hands were green and scaly that reminded me of a crocodile. He also had the legs like a black panther, at his back he had a long black tail. Just like the rest he was wearing the purple robe that fit him perfectly. I wonder if in the eyes of beastmen is this version of me considered good looking.
Now for the last one I've been using, I brought out a gu that looked like a tick with only four limbs but it was completely white. It was able snowman strength gu, after using it one final time I gained the snowman strength phantom. In total I noe had 10 strength phantoms, I now had human strength, inkman strength, hairyman strength, featherman strength, miniman strength, eggman strength, dragonman strength, merman strength, beastman strength, and now snow man strength.
My strength has reached an immense level. I'm willing to bet theirs no one in the clan that can rival me in strength. Even if their was a person who had the strength of dragons couldn't compare with me, because unlike them I'm able to freely summon my strength phantoms to majorly boost my attacks.
All thats left is rockman strength and mushroomman strength and I'll have the strength of all the known humans, but for now I'll focus on what I have. I've grown more accustomed to using the strength of 8 phantoms. I only used those two so that I could have two out to help me fight if need be.
Now my gu set is rank 3 self-reliance, rank 3 self-being, rank 3 jab gu, rank 3 harden terrain gu, rank 3 bone scale gu, rank 3 beggar moth gu, rank 2 stealth scale gu, rank 2 thermal vision gu, rank 2 well stored gu, rank 2 Drop of strength gu, rank 2 Vice grip crab gu, rank 1 big gu, and lastly rank 2 killer whale strength gu.
For now I'm content on my gu, the only thing I'd want to change is getting a better recon gu, but for now this is good. As I was thinking I heard an explosion, I looked over to see my hairyman self on the floor. Looks like he failed yet again at refining rank 3 stream of strength gu.
Refining rank 1 gu could be done by a novice with a bit of luck. For a rank 2 gu you at least need to understand the basics of refinement. As for refining rank 3 gu it was a whole other story. I see now why most mortal gu masters at rank 5 didn't have even one rank 5 gu. As for immortals it was even more difficult to get an immortal gu. Let alone one they'd want or refined themselves.
At the rate my hairyman self is refining it'll take him probably at most two months to successfully refine stream of strength gu. If it was me myself I'd need way longer, because I would have to take into account of injuring my soul and resting. As for my hairyman self all I have to do is refill his will. Of course I miss out on first hand experience but he is still me and I am still him.
I've seem to hit a wall these days though, because besides cultivating, refining, and taking a beating. I wasn't happy with it all, I wanted to go out and fight a opponent be it a beast or gu master. With that experience I could improve my self so much better than sparing with myself. I've decided to ask Initel's will for her advice.
Shu[ Lady Initel, is it possible for you to find a subjugation mission for me. I feel like I need more first hand experience in combat.]
Initel's will[ no, the competition will start in about a week]
Shu[ A week... am I even ready?]
Initel's will[ you do that alot.]
Shu[ What?]
Initel's will[ you doubt yourself alot, you really are your own worst enemy. You're ready, with your strength and gu not many at your rank are your opponents. A good amount of rank 4 couldn't beat you, and the fact that your a strength path gu master their will be a many who will look down on you and not take you serious. Not realizing that it could be a fatal mistake.]
Well if it's coming from her she's probably right, but now with the competition so close I should prepare myself mentally and make sure I have all I need in well stored gu. Looks like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and pay to have stream of strength gu refined for me. Thankfully I have the recipe and the time. I sent my human self to go take care of that quickly. As I went through well stored gu to see what I needed and double checked everything else to make sure nothing was missing. I don't want to be missing anything I might need for the competition. This is a chance for me to get a talent increasing gu. I must grasp it no matter what.
That week I spent my time to prepare myself and made sure I was in top condition physically and mentally. I had done everything I could have possibly done to prepare myself for this competition since I've heard about it. Their was simply no time for me to do anything else. Soon the day came when the real Initel came.
Initel[ its time to go]
I shook my head acknowledging her and I was once again teleported into a white empty space.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone