Back to the present…
Bai Bing Yi stepped into the cave.
The faint sound of his footsteps echoed through the space.
Jian Long was watching.
The moment his eyes landed on the boy, it took him no more than an instant to recognize his identity.
Those clothes…
A dark blue robe, with intricate patterns of intertwined flowers and plants embroidered in golden threads across the shoulder and right side of the chest.
It was the emblem of the Bai clan.
At that moment—
Jian Long's gaze changed.
A dormant fire ignited within him, one that had long been buried.
Hatred.
Anger.
Suppressed emotions erupted without warning.
In truth…
It was not just the Bai clan he hated.
He hated all Gu Masters.
In this world, they stood at the top…
While ordinary humans—people like his former self—were nothing more than dirt beneath their feet.
Worthless.
Gu Masters killed mortals for the smallest reasons.
A wrong look.
An inappropriate word.
Or even… a fleeting whim.
To them, it meant nothing.
And so, the moment he confirmed that Bai Bing Yi was a Gu Master—and a member of the Bai clan—
killing intent surged within his chest like a raging beast.
Yet, he suppressed it.
Quickly.
He extinguished his anger.
Not because those feelings had disappeared…
But because the time—
was not right.
In this world…
reckless impulse brought nothing but death.
After calming himself with difficulty, Jian Long's gaze slowly shifted toward a corner of the cave.
There…
lay the large rock that concealed the hole leading to the Spirit Spring.
"Now… that the entire cave is within his sight…"
Jian Long thought quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I can no longer slip into the hole or hide inside it…"
He paused for a moment.
Then another thought surfaced in his mind—
"Then… what is left for me to do?"
"…Fight?"
The moment this thought appeared—
his chest tightened.
Fear.
An old instinct, deeply rooted within him from the days when he had been nothing more than an ordinary mortal.
In the eyes of mortals…
Gu Masters were untouchable beings.
Absolute power.
Unquestionable authority.
Even though he had become one of them now…
that belief did not disappear so easily.
It was carved into the depths of his mind.
But—
Jian Long was no longer that weak person.
He slowly clenched his fist.
His gaze regained its calm.
"He's only a Rank One Gu Master…"
he muttered inwardly.
"I can deal with him."
His thoughts began to sharpen.
Colder.
Clearer.
"All I need to do… is wait."
"Wait until he gets close enough…"
"Then in a single moment—"
"A metal spear straight to his head."
He paused for a fraction of a second.
Then continued with chilling calm:
"One strike… is enough to blow his head apart."
"And it will all be over."
But…
that was not the end of his calculations.
"The problem… isn't him."
A cold glint flashed in Jian Long's eyes.
"It's the other one."
"A Rank Two Gu Master… facing him head-on is suicide."
Very quickly, a complete plan formed in his mind.
Clear.
Precise.
"After I kill the first…"
"I'll immediately enter the hole, before the other returns."
"Then reach the inner cavern…"
"And escape through the other exit."
A simple plan.
But effective.
As for another question—
What if the other man discovered the Spirit Spring while searching for him?
Jian Long paused briefly.
Then all hesitation vanished from his eyes.
"It doesn't matter."
Whether it was the Spirit Spring…
or even the wealth of the entire world—
there was no treasure…
worth sacrificing his life for.
While Jian Long was lost in his thoughts, Bai Bing Yi slowly advanced deeper into the cave.
Then, he activated—
Earth Son Gu.
It was a Rank One Gu worm, belonging to the investigation type.
Primeval essence flowed into it, and its ability was immediately set into motion.
Silently…
An invisible force spread throughout the cave.
It was like a gentle wave passing through the seeping into rock and soil,carefully mapping the terrain.
This Gu could not detect living beings.
It could not sense breathing, nor distinguish between human and beast.
What it did—
was read the "shape" of the world.
Walls.
Empty spaces.
.Even the tunnels
buried deep underground
In combat, it was nearly useless.
But for exploration—
it was a true treasure.
Especially since it could cover an area with a radius of up to one kilometer, far surpassing most Rank One investigation-type Gu worms.
At that moment—
the gathered information reached Bai Bing Yi's mind.
Behind the large rock in the corner of the cave…
there was a hollow.
A hole.
And from that hole, a long, narrow passage extended…
leading into a much wider cavern deeper within.
His steps paused briefly.
A thought flashed through his mind.
Although he had not yet discovered the Spirit Spring…
this was a promising sign.
More often than not, Spirit Springs were hidden deep within mountains, inside vast and secluded caverns.
Without hesitation—
he began walking toward the rock.
One step…
then another…
Meanwhile—
on the opposite side—
Jian Long stood completely still.
His body did not move.
But inside…
everything was in turmoil.
With every step Bai Bing Yi took, Jian Long's grip tightened.
The veins on his arm bulged visibly.
His heartbeat accelerated—
faster…
and faster…
until it seemed to pound in his ears.
At one point—
he even stopped breathing.
All his focus was fixed on that single approaching moment.
Just one instant…
separating life and death.
Then—
Bai Bing Yi stepped into view.
He moved out of Jian Long's blind spot and directly into his range.
He was unaware.
He sensed nothing.
At that moment—
Jian Long slowly raised his hand.
Perfect stillness.
But beneath that calm—
was a killing intent as sharp as a blade.
Primeval essence surged.
The Metal Spear Gu trembled faintly.
At the same instant—
Bai Bing Yi felt something.
A vague sense of danger.
A pure instinct.
His head snapped around—
and his eyes met Jian Long's.
His pupils shrank instantly.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Fear.
All of these emotions appeared in his eyes in a single moment.
He raised his hand quickly.
His mouth opened—
perhaps to shout,
perhaps to warn his companion,
or perhaps…
to beg.
But—
there was no time.
In the next instant—
the metal spear shot forward.
It tore through the air at deadly speed.
A straight, precise trajectory.
Then—
it exploded.
Bai Bing Yi's head shattered instantly.
It burst into fragments of flesh, bone, and blood, scattering through the air before falling onto the cave floor.
His body remained standing for a fraction of a second…
before collapsing lifelessly.
Silence—
returned once again.