"I can't believe this..."
Jian Long muttered miserably as he thinks about all the primitive stones he spent today.
"We rented sixteen Gu worms, and I had to put down twenty-six thousand primeval stones! Didn't you say we'd only need five Gu worms?"
Zhou Quan let out a sigh and shook his head.
"First of all, as I told you before, we didn't buy them—we rented them."
He continued,
"Those twenty-six thousand primeval stones aren't the price of the Gu worms. They're simply a security deposit that will be refunded in full once we return them."
"As soon as we return every Gu worm in good condition, you'll get every single primeval stone back."
He then raised a finger.
"Of course, there's still the rental fee."
"Since we'll be keeping them for a month, you'll have to pay about ten thousand primeval stones in rent."
"As for feeding them during that month, the cost will probably be somewhere between one and two thousand primeval stones."
"So the actual expense will be around eleven to twelve thousand primeval stones."
He then looked at Jian Long.
"Second, I never said we'd only rent five Gu worms."
"I said those five were our top priority."
He then began listing the additional Gu worms they had rented.
"Besides those, we rented Seal Lung Gu, Clear Mind Gu, Snake Ward Gu, Bear Strength Gu, Wolf Strength Gu, Instant Perception Gu, Lightning Descendant Gu, Ice's Favorite Gu, Spore Barrier Gu, and Sharp Vision Gu."
Then he added,
"And we also purchased Phoenix Blood Gu."
A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked at Jian Long.
"After about a month of using all these Gu worms, your body will become much tougher and capable of enduring a wide variety of environments and situations."
"All you have to do is strictly follow the schedule I've prepared for you."
He then took out a sheet of paper and handed it to Jian Long.
It contained a detailed daily schedule specifying exactly when each Gu worm was to be activated.
"Don't think that the life of a Gu Master is easy."
Zhou Quan said as he walked beside Jian Long.
"In fact, you're fortunate to be able to rent all these Gu worms and strengthen your body."
He continued,
"Most Gu Masters can't afford such a luxury."
"And don't forget that a Gu Master's expenses increase dramatically as his rank rises."
Jian Long looked down at the schedule in his hand before saying,
"Hmm... you've included an entire physical training program."
He then looked up.
"But why do I even need that? I'll be using Bear Strength Gu and Wolf Strength Gu to increase my physical strength."
A smile appeared on Zhou Quan's face.
"Because the strength granted by Bear Strength Gu and Wolf Strength Gu doesn't become a permanent part of your body on its own."
"You have to put your body through intense physical training for their effects to fully integrate with it."
Then he pointed ahead.
"And that's exactly why we're heading to the training hall."
They left Caravan Street and made their way toward the warehouse district, where the goods brought into the city by caravans were stored.
A few minutes later, they entered a spacious hall.
Inside, dozens of teenage Gu Masters, roughly Jian Long's age, were carrying massive wooden crates back and forth, drenched in sweat.
Jian Long stopped and looked around in confusion.
"...What's this?"
Zhou Quan answered calmly,
"Your training ground."
Jian Long blinked several times.
"This is a warehouse."
Then he pointed at the workers.
"They're moving cargo."
Zhou Quan shook his head.
"No."
"It's a training hall."
A faint smile appeared on his face as he continued,
"This type of training strengthens every muscle in the body at the same time."
"If you don't believe me, ask anyone here."
He waved toward one of the boys carrying a heavy crate.
"Hey, you."
The boy turned toward them, breathing heavily.
Zhou Quan asked,
"Isn't this the training hall where cultivation schools send their students?"
The boy wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded enthusiastically.
"Ah, yes, sir."
"You've come to the right place."
"My master sent me here half a month ago."
Then he smiled proudly and flexed his arm.
"This place works wonders for the body!"
Jian Long looked at the boy with obvious suspicion.
"Are you sure they didn't trick you?"
The boy's face immediately flushed with anger.
"How dare you accuse my master of deceiving me?!"
He looked ready to charge at Jian Long, but before he could take a single step, one of the warehouse supervisors approached them.
The man was enormous, built like a standing bear, and the two instinctively backed off before the argument could escalate.
The supervisor glanced at Jian Long before asking,
"You must be a new trainee, am I right?"
Jian Long opened his mouth to object.
"You're not going to fool me with—"
Before he could finish, Zhou Quan cut him off.
"Ah, yes."
He smiled politely.
"He's my disciple."
"I hope you'll train him well."
Then, casting Jian Long a meaningful glance, he added,
"He's a bit mischievous, so don't hesitate to be a little strict with him."
"Hey, who gave you the right to deci—"
Jian Long never finished his sentence.
The very next moment, he found himself lifted clean off the ground as the burly man picked him up with one hand as though he weighed nothing and carried him deeper into the warehouse.
Behind him, Zhou Quan merely waved with a broad smile.
A few moments later, the giant set Jian Long back on the ground and placed a heavy wooden crate in his arms.
"Carry it."
Jian Long looked across the warehouse toward Zhou Quan.
He was absolutely certain he had just seen one of the workers walk over and hand Zhou Quan a small pouch of primeval stones.