Several days had passed since Jian Long broke through to the middle stage, and his primeval sea had reached 100%.
With no need to refine his Aperture manually anymore, he suddenly found himself with an abundance of time.
Time he was not used to having.
At first, he did not know how to make use of it.
Then, he began looking for other things to fill this emptiness.
He considered venturing into the wilderness to search for Gu worms.
But reality…
was not so simple.
Days passed without any results.
Finding a Gu worm in the wild did not depend on effort alone… but also on luck.
As he thought about his future after leaving the mountain, another idea came to mind.
What if someone came after him?
What if someone discovered this cave… and found the Spirit Spring?
If that happened—
he could lose everything.
So he did not hesitate.
Over the past few days, he began moving a portion of the primeval stones from the cave to a hidden location in the mountain known only to him.
A carefully concealed place.
Even if the Spirit Spring were discovered in the future…
not all of his wealth would be lost.
During this time, he had already moved nearly nine hundred thousand primeval stones.
An amount that seemed enormous.
But in truth…
it was not even a tenth of what the cave contained.
Spirit Springs that had remained untouched by humans for years accumulated terrifying amounts of primeval stones.
Wealth that grew silently in the darkness… untouched by anyone.
At that moment, Jian Long was carrying a sack made from animal hides, filled with primeval stones.
As usual, he had already sealed the entrance to the hidden passage leading to the Spirit Spring with a large rock, carefully disguising it.
But suddenly—
he froze.
A strange sound came from the cave entrance.
"Bing Yi, go and explore this cave. I'll search the rest of the mountain for other caves."
The voice was calm, yet firm—it sounded like a man in his forties.
"Alright, Brother Xiang."
The reply came from a young voice, likely a teenager.
At that moment—
Jian Long's body stiffened.
Time seemed to pause for an instant.
But he quickly moved.
He placed the sack into a corner of the cave, then stood near it, his gaze fixed on the entrance.
His thoughts raced.
"What is happening…?"
"Who are they…?"
"And what are they doing here?"
....
A few hours earlier…
Autumn winds drifted slowly through the forest, like cold breaths exhaled by ancient mountains.
The trees swayed gently, their leaves falling one after another—spinning briefly in the air before settling upon the ground. Over time, a thick layer of red and yellow leaves accumulated, spreading across the earth like a vivid natural carpet, carrying a quiet and gentle beauty.
A heavy silence enveloped the forest.
No birds chirped. No small creatures rustled through the bushes.
As winter approached, the beasts had begun to disappear one by one, each seeking shelter, preparing for a long hibernation.
Amid this stillness…
Footsteps echoed.
Fast.
Steady.
Two figures moved through the forest, heading straight toward the mountain looming in the distance.
The man in front—
Bai Xiang.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, his posture straight like a spear planted firmly into the earth. Every movement carried strength and stability, as if his body had been tempered through years of battle and hardship.
A faint aura radiated from him—the aura of a Rank Two Gu Master at the upper stage.
Though he was nearing forty, time had not diminished his appearance. Instead, it had deepened it, adding maturity and depth.
His face was sharp and well-defined, as though carved from solid stone. A strong, defined jaw and bold facial lines bore the marks of years of hardship, yet at the same time granted him a captivating masculine charm.
His nose was straight and sharp like a blade, and his thick brows cast a faint shadow over his eyes, giving his gaze a mysterious depth that was difficult to read.
As for his eyes…
They were slightly narrow, yet sharp like swords.
They gleamed with a cold light beneath the sunlight filtering through the branches, carrying the gaze of someone who had long grown accustomed to death and the ever-changing nature of life.
His long hair fell loosely over his shoulders in wild black strands, swaying with the wind, giving him a more savage… yet strangely attractive presence.
He resembled a mountain wolf.
As he moved forward, Bai Xiang glanced back.
Behind him followed—
Bai Bing Yi.
A teenage boy who had only recently graduated from the academy. His cultivation had reached the peak of Rank One, but that was not enough to conceal his current weakness.
Seeing his condition, Bai Xiang's brows furrowed slightly.
A trace of impatience flashed in his eyes.
He was not angry…
But the delay irritated him.
He was in a hurry.
If he had been alone, he would have already crossed this forest long ago at his true speed.
But Bai Bing Yi was slowing him down.
The boy had no movement-type Gu, and his body was not strong enough to maintain such a pace.
Even so…
Bai Xiang did not reprimand him.
Instead, he let out a silent sigh.
The boy was in poor condition.
His frame was thin, almost frail, his shoulders slumped from exhaustion. Dark circles were visible beneath his eyes, and his breathing was uneven and heavy.
Every step he took seemed to drain what little strength he had left.
It was clear—
he had not lived through easy days.
"This boy…"
Bai Xiang thought silently as his feet continued moving forward without pause.
"He has only just graduated… yet he was thrown straight into the beast tide."
"And in just a few short months… he has witnessed what he never should have."
Bloody battles.
Screams.
Corpses.
Companions falling one after another.
For someone his age…
It was far more than he should have had to endure.
In truth…
the fault was not his.
He had already requested from the elders of the Bai clan—what remained of them, at least—that they grant him a movement-type Gu.
But they refused.
Not out of stinginess…
but out of helplessness.
After the beast tide, the clan no longer had the resources to spare—not even for something like this.
Even the most basic necessities…
had become luxuries.
At the thought of the Bai clan's current state, a shadow passed through Bai Xiang's eyes.
Once, the clan had stood firm…
stable…
deeply rooted in these mountains.
But in the span of just a few months—
everything had collapsed.
During that beast tide…
their clan leader had died.
Most of their Gu Masters had fallen.
Countless clan members had perished.
And their Spirit Spring—
had been completely destroyed.
It was as if their lifeline had been severed.
Without a Spirit Spring…
there was no cultivation.
No future.
No hope.
Only a slow descent toward extinction.
Amid this catastrophe, Bai Xiang was not the only one carrying this burden.
Everyone who had survived…
understood it clearly.
And yet—
they could not help but wonder…
Was this the end?
Would all those sacrifices… all that spilled blood…
amount to nothing?
Would the deaths of their companions…
be meaningless?
Bai Xiang exhaled slowly.
A cold breath escaped his lips, blending into the autumn wind.
But soon, his thoughts settled.
Because he knew—
thinking about defeat…
changed nothing.
In this world…
grief did not grant strength.
And hesitation saved no one.
Humans had no choice.
Either they moved forward…
or they were crushed beneath reality.
Bai Xiang lifted his gaze toward the mountain ahead.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and a resolute glint flashed within them.
Then he spoke, his voice low but firm:
"If we can find a new Spirit Spring…"
He paused for a brief moment.
"…then all our problems will be solved."
"The clan… is depending on us."
His words were not loud.
Nor were they filled with emotion.
But they carried real weight—
like that of a mountain.
Hearing this, Bai Bing Yi nodded silently.
Despite his exhaustion…
a faint trace of determination appeared in his eyes.
Then—
without another word—
the two of them continued forward toward the mountain.