A month passed quickly, and the signs of winter began to seep into the atmosphere. A faint chill filled the air, the sky was overcast, and the land stretched endlessly, transformed into a vast swamp where water had swallowed everything, making the horizon resemble a boundless muddy sea.
This environment was ideal for the Foam Toad, a creature the size of a grown man. As temperatures dropped, it secreted a thick layer of white foam that covered its body, acting as insulation against the biting cold. Thus, winter was its season of prosperity, as competition for resources diminished and other creatures grew weaker.
Above this endless swamp, at a height of only a few meters, a strange figure moved slowly through the air.
It was none other than Jian Long.
He had arranged his metal spears beneath him, forming a small platform upon which he sat. The spears rotated steadily, carrying his body above the swamp.
Although his flying speed was slow, it was far better than trudging through the muddy expanse below.
In every direction, the Foam Toads lay in silence. Their bodies were dark brown with patches of black, and layers of mud and sludge had accumulated over them, making them resemble scattered stone statues across the swamp.
From time to time, one of them would slightly open its eyes, coldly observing its surroundings. These creatures did not hesitate to devour anything equal to or smaller than themselves—even their own kind.
When one of them spotted Jian Long, its tongue shot toward him in an instant—a massive tongue, twice the width of an adult man's head.
But at this stage, Jian Long was already accustomed to their behavior. Not a trace of surprise appeared on his face.
With a simple motion of his hand, a metal spear shot forward like a flash, slicing through the Foam Toad's tongue in an instant. Blood splattered as the creature hastily retracted what remained of it back into its mouth.
These toads disliked exerting themselves in hunting. As long as they sensed that their prey could resist, they rarely continued their attack.
Thus, the other Foam Toads closed their eyes once more, and the swamp returned to its heavy stillness, as if nothing had happened.
Then Jian Long continued moving forward calmly. But suddenly—from the depths of the swamp below—a massive creature burst out.
A gigantic toad, the size of a house, opened its mouth wide, attempting to swallow him in a single gulp. It was a Hundred Beast King Toad.
Jian Long showed no resistance.
Instead, he instantly dismantled the platform of metal spears beneath him and reshaped them around his body, forming a compact iron sphere. Then, he allowed himself to fall straight into the toad's mouth.
The moment he entered—
the iron sphere erupted into motion.
It expanded and spun at terrifying speed inside the toad's mouth, like a storm of steel, tearing through flesh and bone within seconds.
Unable to endure the pain, the toad immediately opened its mouth, releasing Jian Long, before diving back into the depths of the swamp in retreat.
Thanks to this killer move, Jian Long's strength had risen to rival that of a Rank two Gu Master, despite still being at Rank one.
His position in the wilderness had improved significantly.
He no longer feared Hundred Beast Kings, and even if he encountered a Thousand Beast King, he now had a good chance of escaping.
His only fear… was facing Ten Thousand Beast Kings or higher.
But such creatures were rare, so for now, there was little for him to worry about.
What truly worried Jian Long was not the beasts… but the food for his Gu worms.
Over the past month, he had managed to obtain several Gu worms from the wilderness, which broadened his horizons and deepened his understanding of the Gu world. However, reality was harsh—none of them survived. They all died of starvation, either because he did not know what they fed on, or because he could not obtain it.
In the end, only the four Gu worms he had from the beginning remained.
As for feeding them, he was not worried about most of them—their food was simple and readily available… except for one.
The Metal Spear Gu fed on black soil, which was abundant in the Southern Border.
The Greed Jar Gu consumed rusted iron, which was easy to provide by exposing his metal spears to moisture until they rusted.
As for the Earth Heart Gu, it fed on agate stones, which could be found naturally in certain areas.
But the real problem was the Lightning Moon Gu.
Its food was Lightning Bamboo—a rare plant that only grew in limited places, such as the territory of the Bai clan. He could not easily find such food in the wilderness.
Fortunately, Bai Bing Yi had left behind a considerable amount of Lightning Bamboo, enough to last for several months.
But… what would he do after that?
The Lightning Moon Gu was the cornerstone of his killer move. Without it, he would not be able to perform it, and his strength would drop back to the level of a Rank one Gu Master.
Jian Long let out a slow sigh and lifted his gaze toward the horizon, as if searching for a glimmer of hope.
Then, he continued on his path in silence.
....
Hundreds of members of the Bai clan gathered, solemn expressions etched onto their faces as they stood in silence before two adjacent graves, showing their deep respect.
One of the graves bore the name Bai Xiang, while the other was marked Bai Bing Yi.
Although a month had passed since their deaths, the clan had been preoccupied with searching for a Spirit Spring and establishing themselves in their new home on this mountain. Only after their situation stabilized did they hold a funeral worthy of the clan's new "heroes."
These two graves were the first to be built on this mountain, which had been named Mount Fuxing.
As for the story of their deaths… it had been rewritten.
Refined, embellished—until it became far more heroic and meaningful.
Instead of the truth—where their opponent had merely been a Rank one novice Gu Master—the story now portrayed him as a Rank three demonic path Gu Master.
In this version, Bai Bing Yi and Bai Xiang faced him with courage, defeating him through their intelligence and perseverance after a fierce battle that ended in his death… but at a heavy cost.
Their lives.
In his final moments, it was said that Bai Xiang, on the brink of death, used his blood to write the location of the Spirit Spring on the ground, allowing the rest of the clan to find it.
This story… was a lie.
But it was a necessary lie.
A lie to raise morale, to create new role models in a time when hope was desperately needed.
As time passed, the crowd slowly began to disperse.
The sky was overcast, and a light rain began to fall, while the winds of winter swept through, tearing away the last leaf from a nearby peach tree.
The leaf swayed in the air, dancing with the wind… until it landed in the hand of an old man in his sixties.
He gazed at it with his dark eyes for a moment in silence, then let it fall from his fingers.
He raised his hand, stroked his long white beard, and began to trim it slowly, his gaze fixed on the young man sitting to his right.
The youth sat on the ground with his eyes closed, indifferent to the rain falling upon him.
The old man raised the umbrella he was holding, shielding the youth from the rain, and said in a calm voice:
"Bai Bing Zhe, it has started to rain… you should protect yourself."
Bai Bing Zhe lifted his head and glanced at the new clan leader, whose aura radiated the peak stage of Rank three. Then he closed his eyes once more, returning to his previous stillness.
"It's true that this story was a lie… but that does not mean your brother or Bai Xiang were not heroes. Everyone who fought for the clan is a hero. If your brother had not been there at that time, we would not have discovered the location of the Spirit Spring. Do not carry sorrow or regret over his death."
The clan leader spoke with a tone of quiet consolation.
Bai Bing Zhe slowly opened his eyes, and the aura of the initial stage of Rank two emanated from his body as he spoke calmly:
"Sir… what do you take me for? My brother died for the clan, so I feel no regret over his death. My heart has been clear from the very beginning."
He then sighed, his voice growing heavier:
"But… understanding does not erase sorrow or pain. My brother's image never leaves me. I see him every night in my dreams… and every time I look into a mirror. So please, do not blame me if I have mourned him all this time… he was the last of my family."
The clan leader's hand gently rested on Bai Bing Zhe's shoulder, offering comfort, before he spoke again in a calm yet firm tone:
"I know that what truly troubles you… is the knowledge that your brother's killer is still at large. But the wilderness is cruel, and winter is even harsher. A Rank one Gu Master would not survive out there."
He paused briefly, then added:
"Do not exhaust yourself with anger over a dead man… and move on with your life."