After leaving the auction, Fang Ming did not return to his courtyard.
Tyrannical Dash Gu was already in his system space. A rank five counterfeit Gu. Although it was weaker than the true Tyrannical Crash Gu, Fang Ming did not look down on it. The original was a top-tier strength path Gu, and even if this was only a weakened version, it was still rank five. A rank five Gu was not something that could be judged casually.
He needed to test it.
Fang Ming went to the battle zone and rented a reinforced training room. This room was made from thick black stone. Defensive Gu formations were carved on the walls, and the floor was wide and solid, enough for short-distance movement tests. The price was not cheap, but Fang Ming paid without hesitation.
Some primeval stones could be saved.
Some had to be spent.
Creak.
The stone door closed.
The noise outside disappeared instantly.
Fang Ming stood in the center of the room and took out Tyrannical Dash Gu. This Gu was dark red in color, shaped like a small beetle. Compared to the Tyrannical Crash Gu he had seen at the auction, its body was smaller, and the horn on its head was shorter and less heavy. A faint strength path aura moved around it, but this aura was not complete. It was like a painting missing several strokes.
This was the flaw of a counterfeit Gu.
Fang Ming looked at it for a while, then began refining it. The refinement process was not difficult. Counterfeit Copy produced Gu that naturally leaned towards him. Compared to refining wild Gu, refining this Tyrannical Dash Gu was much easier.
After some time, the Gu entered his aperture.
Fang Ming closed his eyes and examined it.
Rank five.
Movement Gu.
Strength path.
Short burst dash.
High primeval essence consumption.
Weak final impact.
Straight-line tendency.
After confirming these points, Fang Ming opened his eyes.
"Let's see."
He activated it lightly.
Yellow gold primeval essence rushed into Tyrannical Dash Gu.
In the next moment, Fang Ming's body shot forward.
Fast.
Too fast.
Bang!
His feet landed heavily before the stone wall. The defensive Gu formation on the wall flickered, spreading out the force that had traveled through the room. Fang Ming's legs felt numb. His shoulders tightened. His body had moved faster than his balance could follow.
He stood still and slowly adjusted his breathing.
"A straight burst. Difficult to turn."
He had not used much force, but the movement was already explosive. Tyrannical Dash Gu was not like Thousand Mile Smoke Gu. It did not drift. It did not hide. It was also not like Thunderwings Gu. It did not have flexible movement in the air.
It was crude.
Direct.
Step forward and arrive.
If the body could endure it, it was useful. If the body could not endure it, it would injure the user before injuring the enemy.
Fang Ming activated it again.
This time, he adjusted his posture first. His knees bent slightly. His waist lowered. Strength gathered in his legs.
Whoosh.
His body crossed the room like a shadow.
This time, he stopped more smoothly, but the pressure still passed through his muscles like a hammer strike.
Fang Ming frowned slightly.
The consumption was also high.
Higher than expected.
But this was normal. During the counterfeit copy, he had deliberately guided the result towards preserving more power. Since the effect was preserved, the price would naturally increase.
Power had a price.
There was no such thing as only gaining without paying.
Next, Fang Ming tested it again and again. Short distance. Medium distance. Half force. More force. Stopping before the wall. Striking a stone dummy. Avoiding a marked line.
Again.
Again.
Again.
After more than ten tests, Fang Ming's breathing became heavier. His legs ached. His shoulders and back were also sore from repeatedly enduring the force. He stopped, then silently recorded the results in his mind.
Tyrannical Dash Gu had clear advantages.
Fast.
Sudden.
Violent closing distance.
It could avoid danger at short range.
It could also force entry into close combat.
But its flaws were just as clear.
The dash was short.
It favored straight lines.
Turning midway was difficult.
Repeated use strained the body.
Primeval essence consumption was high.
And most importantly, it lacked Tyrannical Crash Gu's final impact.
The original Tyrannical Crash Gu was both movement and attack. Once the charge reached the end, the crash itself became a weapon. But Tyrannical Dash Gu was different. It only moved Fang Ming. It did not kill for him.
If Fang Ming wanted to turn this movement into combat strength, he needed something to follow it.
A fist.
A strength path attack Gu.
A body-hardening Gu.
A tendon, bone, or muscle strengthening Gu.
Or a defensive Gu that allowed him to collide without injuring himself.
Right now, he could dash to the enemy quickly. But if his body and attack could not keep up, he would only be delivering himself into danger faster.
Fang Ming looked at the cracked stone dummy.
His physical foundation was not weak. He had copied Chi Shan's natural strength foundation. He had copied Xiong Li's strength path dao marks. He had also used strength Gu before. His body was much stronger than ordinary Gu Masters. But this was rank five movement. Even a counterfeit rank five Gu still placed heavy pressure on him.
"If I want to use it freely, my body needs to be stronger."
This was the truth.
Strength path was not just about attack. Body, movement, endurance, defense, and recovery all had to support each other. A scattered Gu set could win by surprise, but a complete Gu set could keep winning. This test confirmed Fang Ming's direction.
Tyrannical Dash Gu was not a complete system.
It was only one piece.
A good piece.
But still only one piece.
Fang Ming stored the Gu and sat down in the training room. His legs still ached. His primeval essence had also fallen by a noticeable amount. But he did not regret it. This Gu was powerful. Its flaws were acceptable.
More importantly, Counterfeit Copy worked.
Ten meters.
Faster copying.
Rank five target.
Adjustable result.
Weaker than the original, but usable.
This meant too much. Auctions, displays, high-level meetings, clan treasure rooms, and Gu Master gatherings all had a different meaning to Fang Ming now. He did not need to own everything. He only needed to approach the right target.
After resting for a while, Fang Ming left the training room.
Outside, the battle zone was still noisy. Names were being shouted near the stages. Cheers and curses mixed together. Fang Yuan had already risen through several rounds. Bai Ning Bing was also becoming famous. One walked strength path, and one walked ice path. Their enemies could not fight freely in Shang clan city, but the battle stage gave them a legal method to apply pressure.
The Bai clan pursuers had also learned this.
Rules were shields.
Rules were also weapons.
It depended on who used them.
Fang Ming glanced towards the battle stages, then looked away.
He had no need to join yet.
Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing could sharpen themselves under public eyes. Fang Ming would sharpen himself in private.
His public path had begun to take shape.
Strength path.
Close combat.
Sudden movement.
A body that could endure impact.
A fist that could turn speed into damage.
This was the direction Tyrannical Dash Gu pointed towards.
As for his hidden path, it remained silent in his aperture.
Blood Oath Gu.
One day, he would copy more of Shang Yan Fei's blood path Gu. One day, his hidden set would also take shape.
But not now.
Now, he needed patience.
Now, he needed foundation.
Fang Ming returned to his courtyard.
He closed the gate and entered the stone chamber. Then he opened a blank record scroll. After thinking for a moment, he wrote the first line.
Tyrannical Dash Gu test results.
His brush paused briefly.
Then, he continued writing.