As soon as Luo Zu learned that Jian Long possessed A-grade aptitude, his evaluation of him completely changed.
With the use of Gu worms, the workers' primeval sea would gradually be depleted until it was completely exhausted. At that point, Luo Zu would not allow them to use his primeval stones to quickly replenish it, as that would cost him too much.
Instead, he would leave them to wait around twelve hours until their primeval essence recovered naturally.
During this period… they were not allowed to rest.
Rather, they were made to perform manual labor, just like ordinary mortals.
And here, the true difference appeared.
Those with A-grade aptitude were able to work for much longer periods before their primeval sea was depleted, especially since most of the other workers only had C or D-grade aptitude.
Thus, in Luo Zu's eyes… Jian Long was equivalent to three ordinary Gu Masters.
Luo Zu smiled broadly, then shook his head twice with enthusiasm, causing his ponytail to sway with each motion.
He then turned to Zhou Quan and said in a pleased, somewhat mocking tone:
"Hehe… thank Yang San Mu on my behalf. It seems he was generous to me this time."
Immediately after, he sent a thought into his aperture, and a Rank two Gu worm resembling a crab appeared in his hand.
An aperture could store a vast number of Gu worms, so Luo Zu kept all the work-related Gu inside it and lent them out to the workers when needed.
He extended his hand toward Jian Long and said:
"Take this—Phantom Cloud Gu. It will allow you to release a phantom hand capable of lifting goods weighing up to two tons. Go on, take it and start working."
Jian Long took the Gu worm, and without hesitation, began refining it.
The moment he did so—
Luo Zu erupted in anger, while Zhou Quan's eyes widened in shock.
"What are you doing?! Why are you refining my Gu?! Are you trying to steal it?!"
Luo Zu shouted loudly, drawing attention from those nearby, and people gradually gathered to watch what was happening.
Zhou Quan quickly stepped in to calm Luo Zu, then turned his gaze toward Jian Long.
As for Jian Long… he stood frozen in place, not even aware of what mistake he had made.
"Why did you refine the Phantom Cloud Gu?"
Zhou Quan asked, a look of confusion appearing on his face.
Jian Long hesitated for a moment before replying:
"To use it… don't Gu worms need to be refined before they can be used?"
The moment he finished speaking, the surrounding Gu Masters burst into laughter.
One of them shouted mockingly:
"Where did this idiot come from?"
Another sneered:
"He's right! Why don't they just let us refine the Gu and take them for ourselves?"
Zhou Quan sighed, feeling a headache coming on.
"Jian Long… when Luo Zu gives you a Gu willingly, his will inside it aligns with yours. That allows you to use it as if you had refined it yourself."
He explained, unable to believe that something so basic—something even children knew—was unknown to Jian Long.
Jian Long paused for a moment, then nodded as he understood.
He sent a thought to the Phantom Cloud Gu, and immediately, a third phantom hand appeared beside him.
As for Luo Zu… his anger only grew.
Hot-tempered by nature, he believed that Jian Long was either trying to deceive him or mock him.
He was on the verge of throwing him out…
if not for Zhou Quan, who stepped in once again and, with difficulty, managed to calm him down and persuade him otherwise.
After that, Jian Long began working, after Zhou Quan promised to take him to the Gu shop at night.
His task was simple: transporting goods and loading them onto the Gu houses mounted on the backs of the three-legged deer.
This creature had a strange appearance; it was about the size of a normal deer, but it possessed only three legs—two in the front and a large one in the back that gave it a unique balance. Its mouth resembled a beak, while its ears were extremely long, more like extended horns.
But what truly distinguished it… were its ears.
They had evolved in a unique way, becoming capable of performing the function of human hands. It could use them to grasp and move objects with great precision, as if it actually had real hands.
And that wasn't all.
This creature was highly intelligent, almost comparable to humans. It could understand human commands and respond to them, making it ideal for caravans, as it could be handled easily without constant control.
As for the Gu houses mounted on its back, they were a marvel in themselves.
When activated, they would expand and transform into a mushroom-like structure the size of a full house. Despite their large capacity, they were relatively lightweight and did not increase in weight when loaded with goods.
They were capable of storing nearly twenty tons of cargo without affecting the deer's movement.
After only an hour of work, all the surrounding Gu Masters were staring at Jian Long, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Only one thought circulated in their minds:
"Doesn't his primeval sea have a limit?"
The Phantom Cloud Gu consumed 1% of primeval essence every ten seconds from a Rank two initial-stage primeval sea. Because of this, most of the workers had already exhausted their primeval essence within the first fifteen minutes of work.
Even those with peak Rank two primeval seas… could not last much longer.
But Jian Long… kept going.
Without pause.
He worked steadily, as if his primeval sea would never run dry.
By that time, he had completed the work of ten people, finishing his tasks in record time.
As for Luo Zu, his earlier anger had completely vanished, replaced by clear admiration and appreciation.
He even offered Jian Long additional work in exchange for extra pay.
However, Jian Long, having noticed that he had drawn everyone's attention with his performance, chose to hold back.
He refused the offer… claiming that his primeval sea had already been exhausted.
After that, Jian Long went to rest, choosing to sit alone away from the others.
Some of the Gu Masters tried to approach him and get to know him, but what had happened earlier made him more cautious. He feared that, during conversation, he might reveal his ignorance of the Gu world… which would expose the truth that he was not a real member of the Bai clan.
In addition, he carried a deep aversion toward Gu Masters. This was not a passing feeling, but the result of years spent as a mortal, where he saw them as nothing more than tyrants who had the power to kill for the slightest reasons.
He felt a sense of belonging to ordinary humans, and yet… he no longer belonged to their world either, for he was now a Gu Master.
Caught between these two worlds, he found himself suspended—belonging to neither.
As for the Gu Masters around him, they interpreted his behavior in a completely different way.
They saw him as an introverted and naturally shy person, especially since he avoided direct eye contact when speaking with them.
This habit did not come from nowhere, but had been ingrained in him through many years of living as a mortal, where people like him had to constantly show submission and avoid any action that might be seen as a challenge, as Gu Masters could kill mortals for the slightest reasons.
In this world, the lives of mortals were worthless—less than grass.