Two days later...
"Unbelievable... It looks as though it was never severed in the first place. He truly is a remarkable doctor."
Zhou Quan said in admiration as he examined Jian Long's restored right arm.
Then he smiled and added,
"It really seems that money can accomplish anything."
Jian Long nodded.
"Yes. The treatment took ten sessions, and after each one I had to lie in bed for an entire day. I feel as though my whole body has gone stiff."
Zhou Quan looked at him in surprise.
"But... when did you find the time to cut your hair?"
Jian Long raised a hand and ran it through his now-short hair.
"Oh, I did that between the treatment sessions."
Then he added calmly,
"The doctor was a nice man. He didn't mind me bringing in a barber to cut my hair."
As he rubbed his neck and stretched his legs after the long period of treatment, he asked,
"Anyway... where are we going?"
"To a Gu worm shop," Zhou Quan replied.
Jian Long raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me your entire training plan is just buying more Gu worms."
Zhou Quan shook his head.
"We're not buying them—we're renting them."
A faint smile appeared on his face as he continued,
"As for the most important part of your training... that's my guidance."
He looked at Jian Long and asked,
"Let me ask you something... what is the difference between a Gu Master and an ordinary human?"
"What kind of ridiculous question is that?"
Jian Long asked in confusion.
"A Gu Master can use Gu worms, while an ordinary human can't."
A faint smile appeared on Zhou Quan's face.
"So, according to you, the only difference between a Gu Master and an ordinary human is the ability to use Gu worms... isn't that right?"
Jian Long thought for a moment before nodding.
"As far as I know... yes."
Zhou Quan continued,
"Good. Then how does a Gu Master use Gu worms?"
"By channeling primeval essence into them."
"And what if his primeval sea runs dry?"
Jian Long answered without hesitation,
"Then he won't be able to use any Gu worms."
He added,
"And he'll become almost incapable of fighting."
Zhou Quan nodded.
"In other words, he wouldn't be much different from an ordinary human... would he?"
Jian Long hesitated for a moment before replying,
"...No, he wouldn't."
Zhou Quan smiled before asking his next question.
"Then suppose a Rank Five Gu Master completely exhausts his primeval sea, and an ordinary human walks up to him with nothing more than an ordinary sword and tries to cut off his head."
"Would he die?"
Jian Long froze where he stood.
"...That..."
He hesitated.
The answer that came to mind contradicted everything he had ever believed about the world of Gu.
After waiting for several seconds, Zhou Quan asked,
"Why aren't you answering?"
Jian Long took a deep breath before answering with difficulty,
"...He would die."
But almost immediately, he shook his head vigorously.
"But... how can that be?!"
He frowned as he muttered,
"That's impossible."
Then he looked back at Zhou Quan.
"Even a Rank One Gu Master is far stronger than an ordinary human, let alone a Rank Five Gu Master."
He clenched his fist tightly.
"The difference between them is like the difference between an ant and a dragon,So... I just can't make sense of it."
"No, it's entirely possible."
Zhou Quan replied calmly.
"An ordinary human can kill a Gu Master, regardless of his rank."
He raised a finger and added,
"In fact, there are many ways to do it."
"He could stab him... or poison him."
"Wait... what?"
Jian Long stared at him with widened eyes, unable to believe what he had just heard.
A faint smile appeared on Zhou Quan's face as he shook his head.
"But what I just described isn't how things work in reality."
He continued his explanation,
"Gu Masters aren't fools who focus only on offense while neglecting their defense."
"A smart Gu Master will use Gu worms to strengthen his body until cutting through it becomes incredibly difficult. He'll also increase his resistance to poisons to the point where he could drink an entire barrel of poison without suffering any harm—as if he were drinking fruit juice."
He then looked directly at Jian Long.
"I gave you that example to make you understand one thing."
"The balance of power between Gu Masters isn't as simple as you imagine."
"It isn't merely a case of the big fish eating the small fish."
He paused for a moment before continuing,
"If the tiger isn't prepared, even a small snake can kill it with a single bite."
"In the world of Gu Masters, there are countless paths, and many of them possess methods of attack that cannot be defended against by conventional means."
He began listing them one by one.
"Take the Air Path, for example. If one of its practitioners cuts off the air reaching your lungs until you suffocate... how would you defend yourself?"
"As for Poison Path cultivators, they can simply poison you to death."
"And practitioners of the Wisdom Path and Information Path can bypass your physical defenses altogether and attack your mind directly."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"That's why we're going to rent some Gu worms."
"We're going to strengthen your weaknesses before your real training begins."
.....
If one were to head west from Rénmín Road, they would arrive at Caravan Street, one of the six main streets of Yanmen City.
It was the very same street through which Jian Long and Zhou Quan had entered the city for the first time, as every caravan arriving from outside the city passed through it before dispersing to the various markets.
Because the caravans brought all kinds of goods—most importantly Gu worms—the street had gradually become the largest center for Gu trade in the city. Gu worm shops lined both sides of the road one after another.
This was precisely where Zhou Quan and Jian Long were headed.
As they walked among the countless shops, Zhou Quan began explaining his training plan.
"We'll start with the fundamentals."
He gestured toward Jian Long's body.
"First, we need to strengthen your physique."
"We're going to increase the toughness of your bones, strengthen your muscles, harden your skin, and reinforce your tendons and nerves."
He then began listing the Gu worms they would be using.
"We'll rent a Rank Two Jade Bone Gu, Metal Muscle Gu, Dragon Skin Gu, as well as Steel Tendon Gu and Strong Nerve Gu."
After finishing, he looked at Jian Long.
"And that's only the beginning."