When Lin Mu left the Stone Gambling den, the night was deep.
Behind him, the gold-swallowing cave remained ablaze with lights, voices boiling over.
Countless people screamed and went mad for that one-in-ten-thousand chance of sudden wealth. But all of this had nothing to do with Lin Mu anymore.
He walked back to the dormitory. His pace wasn't fast, but every step was solid.
The night wind blew, carrying away the smell of stone dust and smoke clinging to his body, thoroughly cooling his heated brain.
"Stone Gambling... that is a game for the strong, or a grave for the mad. The current me is not qualified to be the dealer."
Lin Mu touched his chest. There, the Primeval Essence within his aperture was fluctuating at a strange frequency.
Tonight's experience, though only a shallow taste of "picking up leaks," had unexpected consequences.
The three consecutive high-intensity uses of the Red Mud Gu, combined with the extreme emotional fluctuations of ups and downs, had surprisingly loosened his aperture walls, which were already at a critical point.
"Exhausting my Primeval Essence actually stimulated my potential..."
Returning to the dormitory, Lin Mu didn't hesitate.
He quickly hung the door curtain and scattered a circle of warning dry powder bought from the market at the entrance.
Then, he sat cross-legged, sinking his mind into his aperture.
Inside the aperture, the originally emerald green Primeval Sea was nearly dry, with only a thin layer flowing at the bottom.
The Liquor Worm seemed to sense its host's desire.
It wriggled its body laboriously, spitting out streams of pure wine qi, attempting to fill the deficit in the aperture.
And the Red Mud Gu, which had just performed a meritorious service and taken damage, lay quietly in the corner.
With a thought, Lin Mu mobilized the last wisp of Primeval Essence to stimulate it.
The Red Mud Gu trembled slightly, secreting a viscous dark red sludge—Blood Mud.
This Blood Mud wasn't used for sealing. Instead, following Lin Mu's will, it permeated into his meridians and flesh.
A warm current instantly wrapped his entire body.
The Blood Mud was repairing the fine meridians damaged by excessive tension and Primeval Essence overdraft. The physical fatigue was swept away, replaced by a tough sensation of support.
But this was not without cost.
As the Blood Mud was released, the oily luster on the Red Mud Gu's surface dimmed rapidly, even taking on a withered, ashen color.
"Overdrafted."
Lin Mu noted inwardly.
"Blood Mud repair is useful, but the consumption is massive. Looking at this state, I'll need to feed it Tusk Boar blood for at least three days to recover."
"It cannot be used as a routine recovery method; only for emergencies."
Though there was a cost, this was the critical moment.
Borrowing the momentum of his physical recovery, Lin Mu fiercely mobilized the newly recovered wisp of Primeval Essence.
Mixed with the Liquor Worm's wine qi, he launched a charge against the invisible, intangible, yet truly existing realm barrier.
Boom!
There was no earth-shattering sound, only a crisp ring in the depths of his soul.
Like a dam bursting, or an eggshell breaking.
That Initial Stage barrier which had hindered him for so long was pierced like thin paper before the high-quality Primeval Essence purified by the Liquor Worm.
The originally dried-up aperture expanded by more than double instantly.
Newborn Primeval Essence gushed out like spring water, quickly filling the empty Primeval Sea.
Moreover, this newborn essence was no longer the previous pale green. It stabilized into a deep, condensed dark green.
Rank 1 Middle Stage, achieved!
Lin Mu opened his eyes. The dark dormitory seemed to brighten for an instant.
He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his body.
If the previous "pseudo-Middle Stage" relied on the Liquor Worm's temporary purification—like a tree without roots—then the current him was a true Rank 1 Middle Stage Gu Master.
His foundation was solid, his stamina enduring.
"Luck is a delusion. Only power is the root of everything."
Lin Mu exhaled a breath of turbid air, his eyes determined.
The next day, the sky was bright.
Lin Mu rose early. The spirit and energy from his breakthrough made him look completely renewed.
Though he still wore that inconspicuous grey cloth outfit, his gestures carried an extra calmness.
He went to the market again.
But this time, his target wasn't the mixed fish-and-dragon flea market stalls, but the official "Material Trading Zone" set up by the Jia Clan Caravan.
Here, the hierarchy was strict and clearly divided.
The outermost perimeter was the Common Zone, piled high with mountains of mineral slag, beast blood, Green-Striped Rice, and other basic consumables.
Lin Mu spent five Primeval Stones here.
He bought a large bag of iron-rich "Red Iron Ore Slag" and a bucket of fresh "Tusk Boar Blood." This was the Red Mud Gu's rations—large quantity, guaranteed to fill. Enough for it to eat for a month.
He spent another two Primeval Stones to buy a jar of medium-quality "Aged Huadiao Wine" as a reward for the meritorious Liquor Worm.
Passing through the Common Zone was the Gu Master Exclusive Zone.
The entrance here was guarded by two Rank 2 Gu Masters. Entry required proof of capital or showing a Gu Master waist token.
Lin Mu flashed his token and entered smoothly.
The stalls here were no longer floor mats, but neat wooden counters. Displayed were not sundries, but Rank 1 Gu eggs, fully formed Gu, and rare refinement auxiliary materials.
Lin Mu walked and stopped, his gaze sweeping over the Gu worms one by one.
"Attack: Iron Leaf Gu. I can even use that Stone Bullet Gu as a one-time hidden weapon."
"Cultivation: Liquor Worm."
"Defense: Red Mud Gu's Blood Mud barely counts (though its main functions are recovery and sealing)."
"Healing: Also relies on the Red Mud Gu..."
Taking inventory of his assets, Lin Mu found he didn't lack methods, except for one thing—Speed.
In a true Gu Master duel, if you can't win, you can run. But if you can't run, you can only wait for death.
"Boss, do you have movement type Gu worms?" Lin Mu stopped in front of a stall specializing in insect Gu.
"Yes! Of course!"
The stall owner was a shrewd middle-aged man. He immediately took out two wooden boxes.
"Look at this. Rank 1 Wind Sprint Gu. Wind Path top tier! When activated, wind generates under your feet, speed is extremely fast. Great for escaping or chasing! Price: 160 Primeval Stones!"
Lin Mu glanced at it and shook his head slightly.
The Wind Sprint Gu was fast, but it consumed Primeval Essence too violently. Moreover, the commotion it caused was too loud, making it easy to expose oneself.
"What about that one?" Lin Mu pointed to another box.
"This one? Swift Ant Gu. Earth Path. Planted in the legs, it gives your legs the explosive power and endurance of an ant. Although the speed is inferior to the Wind Sprint Gu, it wins in endurance and adapts to mountain terrain. Price: 120 Primeval Stones."
Lin Mu's heart moved.
Earth Path. Endurance. Mountain adaptability. This was simply tailor-made for the environment around Black Blood Stockade.
"120 stones..."
Lin Mu touched the Primeval Stones in his chest pocket. He had a little over two hundred left. Buying this Gu would shrink his funds by half, but his combat power shortfall would be completely filled.
"I'll take it."
No nonsense. Lin Mu paid money, took the goods.
With the Swift Ant Gu in hand, the final piece of the puzzle in Lin Mu's heart fit perfectly.
Walking out of the trading zone, Lin Mu found a secluded corner and quickly refined the Swift Ant Gu.
As the Gu worm entered his aperture, a wondrous sensation arose spontaneously.
Inside the aperture, the Red Mud Gu (Earth Path), which had just regained a bit of vitality, actually produced a faint resonance with the newly resident Swift Ant Gu (Earth Path).
When Lin Mu attempted to mobilize the Swift Ant Gu, the Red Mud Gu automatically secreted a small amount of Blood Mud, silently wrapping around the meridians of his legs.
"This is... shock absorption and protection?"
Lin Mu rejoiced internally.
With Blood Mud protecting his body, the load of the Swift Ant Gu on his leg meridians would be greatly reduced, and Primeval Essence consumption would decrease accordingly.
Even more surprising, when the dark green Primeval Essence purified by the Liquor Worm poured into the Swift Ant Gu, this Earth Path Gu worm seemed to have eaten a great tonic.
Its slender legs instantly swelled a circle, increasing explosive power by at least ten percent!
Liquor Worm purifies essence. Red Mud Gu protects meridians and reduces consumption. Swift Ant Gu provides explosive speed.
Lin Mu clenched his fist.
This was no longer a simple accumulation of parts, but a complete system. Although only a prototype, among the same rank, it was a dimensionality reduction strike.
Procurement and reorganization complete. Lin Mu didn't rush to leave.
He went to a tea shed at the edge of the trading zone, ordered a pot of the cheapest broken tea, and sat in an inconspicuous corner.
This was a resting place for foreign itinerant merchants and guards, and also an intelligence hub where news circulated most freely.
"Did you hear? Lord Jia Fu really spent blood capital to hurry this time. He even used three Mountain-Bearing Elephants."
At the next table, two weather-beaten caravan guards were chatting. Although their voices were lowered, it wasn't hard for a Middle Stage Gu Master with sharp senses to catch.
"Isn't that the truth? Black Blood Stockade is just the outpost of our Southern Border trade route. Behind it are the even more difficult Chaotic Fog Forest and Ten Thousand Snake Valley."
"The Lord wants to establish prestige right at the front, so those small stockades behind won't dare to act rashly. It saves a lot of mental effort."
"Sigh, this errand isn't easy. The mountain roads are rugged. Even if we travel fast, it will take at least three months."
"By the time we reach the transfer station, Qing Mao Mountain, it will probably be May, entering summer. The poisonous insects of the Southern Border are most active then. We'll be busy."
At this moment, a merchant munching on dry rations beside them interjected: "Qing Mao Mountain? I heard there are three stockades there fighting quite fiercely."
"But it has nothing to do with us. We just do business. I heard the Green Bamboo Wine there is unique, perfect for relieving summer heat..."
Hearing this, the hand Lin Mu used to hold his teacup paused slightly. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
Intelligence!
These seemingly idle words, in the ears of Lin Mu who knew the original plot well, were no different from a thunderclap, instantly illuminating the blurry map in his mind.
First, Black Blood Stockade is the forward position of the trade route.
This meant the Jia Clan Caravan's supplies were currently most abundant, but it also meant they were anxious to establish dominance, hence the shocking debut of the Mountain-Bearing Elephants. This explained the logic of Jia Fu's behavior.
Second, and the most critical point—the time difference.
From Black Blood Stockade to Qing Mao Mountain, where the Gu Yue Village was located, the caravan still needed to travel for three months!
"In other words, that Purple Gold Stone hiding the MudSkin Toad will be placed before Fang Yuan in three months?"
Lin Mu's heartbeat accelerated slightly, then quickly calmed down. His brain spun rapidly.
"If calculated this way, although the current Fang Yuan has already been reborn, he should still be trapped within the system of the Gu Yue Academy, pinching pennies for a few mere Primeval Stones, perhaps even worrying about the Liquor Worm."
"That old demon with five hundred years of memories, though terrifying at this moment, is also at his poorest and most restricted."
This intelligence was too important.
It meant that in the step of "primitive accumulation," he, a free man holding the Red Mud Gu and Swift Ant Gu, was already ahead of Fang Yuan!
He didn't need to worry about being plotted against by Fang Yuan while walking down the road, nor worry about the wings of the Spring Autumn Cicada fanning over to Black Blood Stockade right now.
"I have time."
Lin Mu drained the leftover tea that had long gone cold, a confident arc curling at the corner of his mouth.
"A time difference of three months. Enough for me to thoroughly stabilize my footing in Black Blood Stockade, grind this system of Gu worms to perfection, and even... plot for greater opportunities."