"These are seven more Gu worms. Together with the five Gu worms I refined previously, I now possess around twelve Rank One Gu worms! …In addition, the primeval stones I obtained at the beginning of the inheritance amount to nine thousand primeval stones, and nearly ten thousand more are produced by the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus… meaning that I possess roughly nineteen thousand primeval stones!"
The first Gu Fang Tian obtained was the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus, a Gu that could be described as a divine blessing to any Gu Master—so much so that even Rank Four Gu Masters would salivate at its mere mention.
The value of the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus did not lie solely in its incredibly rapid recovery of primeval essence, which allowed those with weak talent a chance to break through to the next rank—a massive barrier whose end could not be seen.
Nor was it merely a Gu that granted its owner a tremendous advantage against enemies the longer a battle dragged on.
Rather, it was a miniature spirit spring residing within the Gu Master's aperture. And why were spirit springs considered the foundation of any clan, their loss equivalent to the loss of that very foundation? Besides producing Hope Gu, which awakened the apertures of mortals and turned them into Gu Masters, they were also an inexhaustible mine of primeval stones.
And what were the primeval stones? They were the resources used for Gu cultivation and the currency circulating worldwide. Without primeval stones, most Gu Masters would be unable to endure the hardships of cultivation and would eventually give up.
So what if a Gu Master possessed a miniature spirit spring within his aperture, producing fifty primeval stones every day? He would become wealthy—and with wealth came power.
To someone with Fang Tian's Talent, the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus was merely icing on the cake. Although it was extremely beneficial to him, he had rarely used it in recent times. Thus, ever since Fang Tian became a Gu Master seven months ago, he had been steadily accumulating primeval stones until he became exceedingly rich.
"Still, this doesn't mean it's enough. There are indeed many Gu worms within the caravan, but I'll be lucky if I obtain one or two that truly suit me. Otherwise, I can at least acquire a few Gu worms from other paths."
"My lord! I have obtained what you asked for… also, news has arrived that the Gu Masters stationed at the foot of the mountain have spotted the caravan and estimate that it will arrive in two days."
Fang Tian smiled, genuinely pleased by this news. Over the past few weeks, he had been under invisible pressure due to the Yan Zu clan's investigations. They had even approached the inheritance cave several times, pushing Fang Tian into a constant state of tension.
Perhaps the cause of these investigations was Jin Long's strange behavior—he had begun neglecting his duties, which was highly unusual. Or perhaps the chance of discovering a second spirit spring on this mountain had attracted the attention of the clan's Elders, prompting them to dispatch investigation teams.
In any case, those investigation teams had already been withdrawn and reassigned to clear the caravan route, ensuring its safe arrival.
As for what Fang Tian had been doing during the past weeks, he had been cultivating steadily and had already reached the middle stage. His focus, however, had been on Gu refinement. He had advanced every Gu worm he used to Rank Two, greatly increasing his battle strength. He also sparred frequently with Jin Long, fighting him to improve his experience in dealing with Gu Masters. He had improved significantly in this aspect as well, though Jin Long was still far more experienced.
"Ah, that's excellent. In that case, I'll need to infiltrate the clan when the caravan arrives. But before that, hand over what I asked for."
Jin Long nodded enthusiastically, then took out a Gu worm from his robe and handed it to Fang Tian. This Gu worm resembled a large red frog, its slippery skin covered in numerous bulging pustules.
"My lord, although this Gu worm is Rank Two, I obtained it for one thousand five hundred primeval stones."
"That's a good price. It's a storage-type Gu. Whoever sold it to you treated you fairly."
"I know, my lord, haha! The Gu Master who sold it to me was a Rank Two Gu Master who wanted to retire and liquidate his Gu worms. That's how I managed to get it."
"Good, very good."
Fang Tian took the Gu worm and placed it into his aperture. Then he took out a pouch containing one hundred primeval stones and handed it to Jin Long.
"Take this as your reward. If you continue like this, I may even help you reach Rank Two by injecting my primeval essence into your aperture."
A trace of anxiety appeared on Jin Long's face, but he had already begun to revere Fang Tian. Even without Fang Tian using the Blood Enslavement Gu on him, Jin Long might still choose to follow him due to the immense benefits he was receiving. Thus, he did not refuse. He nodded and took out another Gu worm.
"My lord, this Gu worm helps conceal your status as a Gu Master as long as you don't overdo your actions. The problem is that it's consumable—it lasts only six hours for Rank One Gu Masters, and shrinks to two hours at Rank Two. It cannot be used on those at Rank Three."
This time, Fang Tian was genuinely surprised by Jin Long's ability to obtain resources and Gu worms so quickly. Normally, in a small clan like Yan Zu, demand far exceeded supply. One would not expect to obtain the Gu worm they needed within half a year or even a full year.
Fang Tian praised Jin Long, took the Gu worm, and placed it into his aperture. Leaving Jin Long behind, he headed deeper into the second hall, where hundreds of Dragon Canopy shrubs spread out—regarded by Fang Tian as a defensive line protecting his possessions and the inheritance he belonged to.
Speaking of the Dragon Canopy Tree, the Hundred Beast King leading them had grown taller, and its relationship with Fang Tian had become closer. At times, Fang Tian would even kill some of the Dragon Canopy beasts in futile attempts to refine an entirely new Gu worm, yet the Hundred Beast King showed no anger or concern.
"If the Yan Zu clan were to discover this cave, they would regard it as an important resource point. They might even send one of their elders to guard it."
Fang Tian arrived at the Gu refinement hall, where all kinds of resources were stored, along with nearly twenty thousand primeval stones. He stopped before a mound of primeval stones—white and large, like goose eggs. Then he took out the Gu worm resembling a red, pustule-covered frog.
The Gu worm had already been refined by Jin Long, so Fang Tian did not spend much time on it. The Gu worm opened its mouth, which rapidly expanded, releasing a powerful suction force toward the primeval stones.
The primeval stones flew into the air, drawn by the suction, as dozens of stones entered the Gu worm one after another. The mountain of primeval stones visibly shrank until only a few hundred remained.
"This is the Gu's limit. Unfortunately, it's only Rank Two and can't store all these primeval stones. I'll have to carry the rest."
Fang Tian gathered the remaining primeval stones, placed them into a leather bag, handed it to Jin Long, and ordered him to leave. As for Fang Tian, he exited the inheritance cave.
After lying in wait on the outskirts of Yan Zu Village for two days, Fang Tian heard loud human shouts, along with cawing and hissing sounds belonging to strange creatures. Then, after several minutes, he spotted a feathered serpent, atop whose head stood an elderly man with a long white beard and a back straight as a spear. The old man turned his head and stared in Fang Tian's direction.
The caravan had arrived—and with it, the opportunity Fang Tian had been waiting for.