After Jian Long finished erasing every trace that could point to him—
he returned to his hideout at the Spirit Spring.
The silence that greeted him was heavy, suffocating, like the calm before a storm.
He knew that he had to leave this mountain as quickly as possible.
It was almost certain that members of the Bai clan would come sooner or later to check on their companions.
But what increased his concern was not their arrival itself.
It was his ignorance of the world of Gu Masters. He did not know whether the Bai clan possessed methods to immediately detect the death of their members.
Were there Gu worms capable of transmitting news across vast distances?
Were their names recorded in some kind of Gu linked to their lives?
Many questions—
but no answers.
And if the answer was "yes"—
then the time he had was far less than he thought.
Perhaps they were already on their way to this mountain.
At this thought, Jian Long's eyes narrowed.
If he were found in this place, death would be the only outcome.
In his current state, with his exhausted body, he was not capable of facing any other Gu Master.
Even one alone would be enough to end everything.
But leaving was not a simple solution either.
The wilderness outside was no less dangerous.
During his journey to this mountain, he had nearly lost his life more than once.
Beasts, harsh terrain, and lack of resources…
Every step outside this cave was a risk in itself.
It was true that he had now become a Gu Master, and his chances of survival had increased significantly, but the danger still remained.
Thus, he found himself trapped between two choices, both deadly.
Staying might mean facing the Bai clan.
Leaving might mean death in the wilderness.
Between the hammer and the anvil.
Haste could be fatal, and delay could be deadly.
Therefore, he had only one option—
preparation, and at the highest possible speed.
His eyes moved toward the three Gu worms he had obtained from Bai Bing Yi's corpse.
He had to refine them here, for in the wilderness, he might not have the luxury of time or safety to do so.
Jian Long did not waste any time.
He lay on his back, one hand pressing against his bruised waist—now a deep shade of blue—while he began refining the three Gu worms one after another.
The pain was there, throbbing with every slight movement…
But he ignored it.
At a moment like this, pain had no value.
These Gu had belonged to Bai Bing Yi.
And within them, his will still remained.
An angry will… resisting… struggling.
This made the refinement far more difficult than usual.
This was not merely a process of control—
It was a clash of wills.
But this time, Jian Long was no longer the same as before.
His primeval sea was full.
One hundred percent.
He did not need to stop and recover as he had when refining the Metal Spear Gu.
He had enough essence to press forward… to persist… to overwhelm.
And so—
Under the constant pressure of his will, with primeval essence flowing without interruption…
The process took an entire day.
A full day of focus, exhaustion, and silent struggle.
But in the end—
He succeeded.
The resistance within the Gu faded.
And they submitted completely.
Jian Long slowly opened his eyes.
The three Gu worms were now under his control.
They were no longer unfamiliar.
He could feel them… understand them.
The first that drew his attention was the Gu shaped like a porcelain jar with a twisted smile.
A storage-type Gu.
He extended his awareness into it and released its contents—
And in the next moment, a trace of surprise appeared on his face.
It was full.
Clothes, a tent, daily tools, food supplies…
Everything one would need to survive in the wilderness.
For a moment, it seemed strange—
But he quickly calmed his thoughts.
This… made sense.
After the destruction of the Bai clan, its members had been forced into the wilderness.
To survive, they had to carry all their necessities with them.
And a storage-type Gu was the perfect solution.
But—
That was not all.
Among the everyday items, he found other things.
Strange materials…
And in large quantities.
The first of them—
Bamboo.
But not ordinary bamboo.
Black… gleaming… with a metallic texture.
Jian Long's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Lightning Bamboo…"
He recognized it immediately.
It was a special plant used by the Bai clan to feed the Lightning Moon Gu.
The mountain they once inhabited was filled with rain and frequent thunderstorms.
In such an environment, this unique bamboo would grow.
Reaching toward the sky—
Sometimes up to one hundred… even two hundred meters tall.
Aside from its tip, it appeared normal.
But at the very top—
Where lightning struck again and again…
It transformed.
Turning black… metallic… saturated with lightning energy.
And that very tip—
Was the only part harvested and used.
The true source of nourishment for the Lightning Moon Gu.
As for the second material—
it was a coarse brown powder, carrying the distinct scent of corroded metal.
"Iron rust!!"
Jian Long's hand paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Who would store iron rust…?"
he muttered inwardly, a trace of confusion passing through his mind.
It didn't seem like something of obvious value… at least not to an ordinary person.
As for the third material—
it was a collection of agate stones.
Blue… yellow… red… white… and many other colors.
Their hues were vivid, their luster smooth, shimmering under the light like fragments of sky and earth.
For a brief moment, a thought crossed his mind—
"Was he collecting them as a hobby…?"
But that idea didn't last long.
The moment he saw the sheer quantity, and recalled the current state of the Bai clan, the thought vanished instantly.
He fell silent for a few seconds, his gaze shifting between the Lightning Bamboo… the rust powder… and the agate stones.
Then—
it clicked.
"Food…"
he whispered calmly.
"They're all… food for Gu worms."
Lightning Bamboo for the Lightning Moon Gu.
As for the other two materials… they must belong to the other two Gu.
After reaching this conclusion, he did not waste any time.
He immediately began organizing the contents of the jar Gu.
He kept everything related to feeding the Gu worms.
As for the rest of Bai Bing Yi's belongings, he discarded part of them without hesitation.
Then he took what he truly needed—clothes, basic tools, some food—
bundled them together and carried them on his back.
As for the jar Gu…
it had a better use.
He turned toward the mountain of primeval stones before him.
That immense wealth he could not possibly carry by hand.
Extending his awareness into the jar Gu, he began storing the stones.
One after another.
Until he reached its limit—
six hundred and forty-three primeval stones.
He stopped.
Silently, he looked at what remained.
What he had taken was extremely little compared to what was left in the cave.
But—
it was better than nothing.
After that, he shifted his attention to the third Gu worm.
The one that looked like a transparent crystal gem, sky-blue in color.
Earth Heart Gu.
He activated it, and learned that it was a detection-type Gu.
But the real surprise came after that.
When he activated the Lightning Moon Gu—
the moment he poured his primeval essence into it, he felt something.
A connection.
Between himself and this Gu… or more precisely, with lightning itself.
And when he activated this Gu, which should have been Rank 1—
it released the power of Rank 2!!!