Inside the shop, Lin Yan quietly observed the newcomer.
The man was wrapped in black robes, his appearance hidden, his figure tall and thin. His aura was vague and hard to grasp, like looking at something through a layer of mist. It was obvious he was using a concealment Gu.
The black-robed man glanced at the notice and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Relic Gu, Gu recipes, concealment Gu… interesting."
He did not seem surprised. Many Gu recipes required Relic Gu as part of their refinement.
After a brief pause, he made his request. "I have a Rank 4 Stone Turtle Gu. It is an Earth Path Gu that can suppress a Gu Master's aura to the extreme, shrinking it to something as small as a pebble and blending into the ground, making it almost impossible to notice."
"However, In exchange, I need you to refine two Rank 4 Gu for me. I will provide the recipes and ten sets of materials."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yan thought it through calmly. There were many ways to commission Gu refinement. Usually, the client would pay a reward and provide a certain amount of materials. If failures exceeded a limit, the refiner would bear the loss. As long as the total loss stayed within the reward, it was still profitable.
To be honest, refining a Rank 4 Gu normally required at least equal value in exchange. But since this was his first order, Lin Yan chose to accept it.
He took the recipe and glanced through it. It was for two common Rank 4 Earth Path Gu—Transformation Stone into Mud and Transformation Mud into Stone. He spoke without hesitation, "No problem. Come back in one month to collect them."
The black-robed man was slightly surprised. Ordinary refiners would spend months studying a Rank 4 recipe before even attempting refinement, often taking half a year to succeed.
However, he did not question it. He tossed over the reward along with the Stone Turtle Gu, then turned and left. Since a contract had already been made, all that mattered was the result.
Little did he know, Lin Yan possessed Dream Derivation Gu. If he wanted, he could complete the refinement in ten days. He simply chose not to, as that would attract too much attention.
The one-month deadline was carefully planned. It was fast enough to build his reputation, while also giving him time to gather more Gu recipes. If he followed the usual pace and took half a year per refinement, it would take far too long to build any real foundation.
Of course, Lin Yan limited this speed to Flame and Earth Path Gu. For other paths, his refinement ability remained at a normal level, just like any ordinary refiner. This was necessary to avoid drawing suspicion.
He then refined the Rank 4 Stone Turtle Gu he had received. It was small, about the size of a thumb, dusty gray in color, looking like an ordinary pebble with no life in it.
When he infused a trace of deep purple primeval essence, a strange fluctuation spread through his body. His aperture contracted, his blood and soul aura became hidden, and his entire presence faded, like a lifeless stone standing in place.
"What a good Gu. I didn't expect to obtain such a perfect concealment Gu so quickly."
Seeing this, Lin Yan felt satisfied. In a desert region, its effect would be even stronger. The drawback was clear—once he made a move, his aura would still be exposed—but for hiding his cultivation in daily situations, it was more than enough.
He watched the black-robed man's retreating figure with a thoughtful gaze, then closed the shop and headed toward a well-known inner city restaurant, the Lion Tower.
Inside a private room, three or four Gu Masters were already seated, each with a different temperament and appearance, quietly waiting.
After Lin Yan sat down, a burly Gu Master with a fierce face and a round belly spoke first. His name was Zhang Fang. He laughed loudly, "Brother Lin, I told you, didn't I? As long as you opened a refining shop in the inner city, that man in black would definitely come to you."
Lin Yan gave a small nod and asked calmly, "Brother Zhang, what is his background?"
Another Gu Master named Xiao Jiu replied, "No Idea. This person appeared in the inner city about a year and a half ago. Since then, he has visited almost every refining shop, mostly requesting Earth Path Gu, ranging from Rank 4 to Rank 5."
"At first, we didn't pay much attention," he continued, "but later, customers from other paths were pushed into smaller shops. Only then did we realize that Earth Path Gu had taken up most of the refining capacity in the market."
Zhang Fang picked up the conversation and sighed. "I made some calculations. More than twenty Rank 4 and Rank 5 Gu… either he has a powerful backing, or he obtained a major opportunity and is planning something big. Brother Lin, what do you think?"
Lin Yan remained silent for a moment, sneering inwardly.
These people were all top refiners in the inner city, each with Master-level attainment. Together, they controlled most of the refining business in the market. Anyone who wanted to open a shop had to gain their approval.