The immense joy did not cloud Fang Yuan's mind. He quickly calmed down and began to contemplate the impact of the Spring-Autumn Cicada on himself:

"The ability of the Spring-Autumn Cicada is rebirth. But it is currently extremely weak, and using it would mean death. However, it is, after all, a Rank Six Gu Insect, and I can fully utilize its aura. This does not harm it in any way."

"Heh heh heh." With this thought, Fang Yuan withdrew his mind and opened his eyes.

In front of him, the Wine Gu hovered, wrapped in a smoky Bronze True Essence, shivering.

Earlier, in a desperate bid for survival, its will was easily shattered by the aura of the Spring-Autumn Cicada. As a result, it suffered severe damage, its will reduced to less than one percent of its former strength.

"Spring-Autumn Cicada." Fang Yuan moved his thoughts, releasing a trace of the Spring-Autumn Cicada's aura.

The aura pressed down on the Wine Gu, which immediately froze, motionless, as if dead. Its remaining will, upon sensing the Spring-Autumn Cicada's aura, was like a mouse encountering a cat, utterly intimidated, curling up and not daring to move.

Fang Yuan laughed heartily and took the opportunity to stimulate his True Essence.

Initially, when refining the Bronze True Essence, due to the Wine Gu's stubborn resistance, it could only expand with great difficulty, bit by bit. But now, Fang Yuan's Bronze True Essence advanced unimpeded, flowing like a torrent, encountering no obstacles whatsoever.

The bronze color on the surface of the Wine Gu rapidly expanded, and in a few blinks of an eye, the pearl-white Wine Gu was dyed into a green insect.

The situation was irreversible, and the remaining will of the Wine Gu was finally swept away by Fang Yuan's will, dissolving instantly.

And so, the Wine Gu was refined!

Compared to the arduous struggle of climbing mountains before, the refining process now was as simple as taking a sip of water.

A sense of intimacy and mystery connected the Wine Gu and Fang Yuan.

The refined Wine Gu felt like a part of Fang Yuan's body. When Fang Yuan commanded it to curl up, it curled; when he told it to form a ball, it shaped itself like a dumpling. It was like moving a finger.

Fang Yuan withdrew his True Essence, and the Wine Gu returned to its plump, white form.

Then, with a leap, it entered Fang Yuan's empty aperture. Once inside, it kept a distance from the Spring-Autumn Cicada floating in the air, diving into the Bronze Primal Sea. On the sea's surface, it stretched its body freely, occasionally twisting its chubby waist, as if enjoying a hot bath.

"With the Spring-Autumn Cicada, my plans need to change." Fang Yuan withdrew his mind from the empty aperture and took out the Moonlight Gu.

He used the same method, releasing a trace of the Spring-Autumn Cicada's aura to suppress the Moonlight Gu.

Sensing the Spring-Autumn Cicada's aura, the Moonlight Gu's will immediately surrendered, retreating in fear to the furthest corner of its body.

Fang Yuan's True Essence surged down, and in the blink of an eye, the Moonlight Gu was dyed into a jade green.

Finally, with a slight thought, the Moonlight Gu's will was easily obliterated.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Afterward, he withdrew his True Essence, and the Moonlight Gu returned to its previous transparent blue crystal form.

He put away the Moonlight Gu.

This Moonlight Gu did not enter the empty aperture but instead landed directly in the center of Fang Yuan's forehead, forming a light blue crescent mark.

From the start of refining the Moonlight Gu to the end, the entire process took less than five minutes.

This rapid pace starkly contrasted with the previous difficult refining.

Moreover, not only was the speed fast, but the consumption of True Essence was also minimal.

In recent days, Fang Yuan had consumed six Primordial Stones in total to refine the Wine Gu. But tonight, he didn't expend any Primordial Stones, only depleting the Bronze True Essence Sea in his empty aperture.

"Haha, with the Spring-Autumn Cicada in hand, it's like having divine assistance! From now on, as long as I use its aura to suppress, any Rank One Gu Insect will be easily captured. Even with my Grade C Aptitude, I don't need to rely on Primordial Stones. The difference is like heaven and earth."

Fang Yuan was in high spirits, feeling as if he had seen the light through the clouds.

Although the Spring-Autumn Cicada was extremely weak, it was still a dignified Rank Six Gu Insect. A fallen tiger still has its might, and even a broken ship has three pounds of nails. Its mere aura would be a tremendous driving force in Fang Yuan's future cultivation.

At this moment.

Outside the window, the moon was bright and stars sparse, the moonlight shining through the window onto Fang Yuan's face.

"I originally thought I wouldn't get first place, but who would have thought the tide would turn. Time waits for no one; I should head to the academy now to claim the first-place reward!" Fang Yuan's eyes sparkled with determination.

With a thought, the Spring-Autumn Cicada in his empty aperture vanished again, entering a dormant state. He summoned the Wine Gu, hiding it in the corner of the bed.

This was all to prevent unnecessary inspections from the academy.

A quarter of an hour later, at the clan academy.

The Academy Elder had already gone to bed, but in his sleep, he vaguely heard someone knocking on the door.

He was awakened by the knocking, opened his eyes, and was somewhat displeased: "Who is it outside at this hour?"

A respectful voice immediately replied from outside: "Reporting to the elder, it's a student from this year's cohort. He has successfully refined the Moonlight Gu. You instructed us before that as soon as the first place appeared, no matter the time, we should report to you immediately."

"Hmm... there was such a thing." The Academy Elder frowned, got out of bed, and asked while dressing, "Which student got first place this year? Was it Gu Yue Fang Zheng?"

The subordinate outside replied, "It seems so. I hurried to report to you as soon as I heard the news. It seems to be from the Fang family branch."

"Heh, considering the time, it should be him." The Academy Elder chuckled softly to himself, "Who else but this Grade A genius could it be? Those with Grade B aptitudes, even with the help of Primordial Stones, are still a step behind. Otherwise, why is cultivation aptitude so important?"

Saying this, he opened the door.

Outside, the subordinate respectfully stepped back two steps, bowed, and agreed, "What you say is true, elder."

In the hall, dozens of candles burned brightly, illuminating the room.

The receptionist who had received Fang Yuan had already inquired about the situation. Under the bright lights, his face was filled with astonishment: "Wait, what did you just say? Your name is Gu Yue Fang Yuan, not Gu Yue Fang Zheng?"

Fang Yuan nodded, and at that moment, the Academy Elder walked in from outside.

Fang Yuan and the receptionist turned and saluted together.

Seeing Fang Yuan, the Academy Elder's face was already full of smiles. He stepped forward, patted Fang Yuan's shoulder amicably, and said, "Well done, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, you did not disappoint me. Truly a Grade A genius! Those Grade B and C peers, no matter how hard they try, can't compare to you. Hahaha."

Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng were twin brothers, so similar in appearance that even the Academy Elder mistook them.

Fang Yuan, neither humble nor arrogant, took a slight step back, letting his shoulder slip from the Academy Elder's hand. He looked at the elder, hands behind his back, and smiled faintly, "Elder, you are mistaken. I am Gu Yue Fang Yuan, and Gu Yue Fang Zheng is my younger brother."

"Hmm?" The Academy Elder slightly opened his mouth, a look of surprise appearing on his face.

He looked at Fang Yuan with doubt, frowning. After a few breaths, he finally spoke, "You are Gu Yue Fang Yuan?"

"Indeed, I am," Fang Yuan replied.

"You refined the Moonlight Gu?" The Academy Elder was extremely astonished, his eyes fixed on the crescent mark on Fang Yuan's forehead, his gaze intense, though he already knew the answer.

"That's correct," Fang Yuan answered again.

"So, you are this year's first place?" The Academy Elder's question seemed a bit foolish, but he couldn't be blamed. The situation was truly unexpected.

He had been in charge of the academy for decades, with immense experience. He had seen Grade C aptitude students take first place before, but never this early. Moreover, this cohort included peers with Grade A and B aptitudes.

"If no one was earlier than me..." Fang Yuan pretended to ponder, rubbed his nose, and then continued, "It seems that way."

Academy Elder: "..."