The morning sun rose, the clouds aglow with brilliant light. The mountain mist was thin, and sunlight pierced it easily like a sharp sword. More than a hundred fifteen-year-old youths were now gathered before the Clan Leader’s Pavilion. The Clan Leader’s Pavilion stood at the very heart of the village, five stories high, with projected eaves and upturned corners. It was heavily guarded. A square lay before it, and inside were enshrined the spirit tablets of the Gu Yue ancestors. Each successive clan leader also lived there. Whenever an important ceremony or a major unforeseen event arose, the clan elders would be convened there to deliberate. It was the center of power for the entire village.
“Very good. You’ve all arrived on time. Today is the Aperture Opening Ceremony, a major turning point in your lives. Enough preliminaries. Follow me.” Leading them was the Academy Elder. His hair and beard were white, but he remained full of vigour as he led the youths into the Clan Leader’s Pavilion.
However, they did not go upstairs. Instead, they passed through an entrance in the ground-floor hall and headed down, following the stone steps into a cavern. The youths exclaimed in wonder. The cavern was magnificent. Its stalactites radiated seven colours: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet, illuminating their faces with rainbow brilliance. Standing amid the crowd, Fang Yuan quietly examined everything, thinking inwardly: “Several hundred years ago, the Gu Yue clan migrated from Central Continent to Southern Border and settled on Qing Mao Mountain. They chose this place for a spirit spring in the cavern. The spring produces large quantities of primeval stones; it could be called the very foundation of Gu Yue Village.”
As they walked several hundred steps farther, their surroundings grew darker, and they began to hear the faint sound of water. Rounding a bend, they came upon an underground river just over ten meters wide. Here, the colored light of the stalactites had vanished entirely. Yet in the darkness, the river gave off a faint blue glow, like the river of stars in the night sky. The river flowed from the cavern’s dark depths, its water so clear that they could see fish swimming within it, aquatic plants, and even the sand and stones on the riverbed.
On the opposite bank lay a field of flowers. These were moon orchids, deliberately cultivated by the Gu Yue clan. Their crescent-shaped petals had a delicate blue-pink hue. Their stems resembled jade, and their centers shone with the soft luster of pearls catching the light. At first glance, against the dark backdrop, the flower field beside the river resembled a vast blue-green carpet studded with countless pearls.
“Moon orchids are food for many kinds of Gu. This flower field could be called the clan’s largest growing site.” Fang Yuan understood this perfectly. Around him, the other youths murmured, “So beautiful.” “It really is lovely.”
It was an eye-opening sight for the youths. Their eyes shone, each of them both excited and nervous.
“All right,” the elder said. “Listen as I call your names. When your name is called, cross the river to the opposite bank. Walk as far as you can, the farther, the better, of course. Has everyone understood?” “Understood,” the youths answered. Their families or seniors had already explained it before they came: the farther they walked, the better their aptitude, and the greater their future achievements would be.
“Gu Yue Chen Bo.” Holding the list, the elder called the first name.
Though wide, the river reached only to his knees. His expression solemn, Chen Bo stepped into the flower field on the opposite bank. He immediately felt an invisible pressure resisting his advance, as though a wall stood before him. As he struggled to take another step, a sparse cluster of pure-white lights suddenly rose from the flowers beside his feet. The lights converged on Chen Bo and entered his body. Chen Bo immediately felt the pressure ease considerably. The invisible wall suddenly seemed to soften. Gritting his teeth, he strained forward, forcing his way through the resistance. After three steps, the pressure ahead increased sharply again. It was like a wall once more; he could not advance any farther.
The elder sighed at the sight. As he recorded the result, he announced, “Gu Yue Chen Bo: three steps. No aptitude to become a Gu Master. Next, Gu Yue Zao Xie.” Chen Bo’s face immediately turned pale. Teeth clenched, he crossed back through the river to where he had stood before. Without aptitude, he could only live as a mortal, occupying the very bottom of the clan’s hierarchy. He swayed, nearly collapsing. The blow was devastating, as though it had crushed every hope he held for his life.
Many looked at him with pity, but even more had turned their attention to the second youth, who had reached the opposite bank. Unfortunately, this youth managed only four steps. He, too, lacked aptitude. Not everyone possessed the aptitude to cultivate. Generally, five people out of ten being able to cultivate was already considered good. In the Gu Yue clan, the proportion was somewhat higher: six out of ten. This was because the Gu Yue ancestor, the first clan leader, had been a renowned, legendary expert. His cultivation had caused genes carrying power to lie hidden within his bloodline. As his descendants, members of the Gu Yue clan generally possessed higher aptitude.
The two youths had proved, one after the other, to have no aptitude. The expressions of the other clan elders observing discreetly darkened. Even the seasoned, composed Gu Yue Clan Leader frowned slightly. Just then, the Academy Elder called out the third name: “Gu Yue Mo Bei.”
“Here!” A horse-faced youth in hemp clothing answered with a short shout and stepped out from the crowd. He was tall and broad, far sturdier than others his age, with a hint of fierceness about him.
In a few strides, he crossed the river and stepped onto the opposite bank. Ten steps, twenty steps, thirty steps; faint lights continued to enter his body. He reached thirty-six steps before he could go no farther. The youths across the river stared, their eyes wide and mouths agape. The Academy Elder cried out in delight, “Excellent! Gu Yue Mo Bei, Grade B aptitude! Come here and let me examine your primeval sea.” Gu Yue Mo Bei returned to the Academy Elder’s side. The elder rested a hand on his shoulder, closed his eyes, and concentrated as he examined him. Then he withdrew his hand, nodded, and wrote on the paper: “Gu Yue Mo Bei. Primeval sea: sixty-six percent. Worth substantial investment in his development.”
Aptitude was divided into four grades, from highest to lowest: A, B, C, and D. With about three years of training, a youth with Grade D aptitude could become a seasoned Rank 1 Gu Master, forming part of the clan’s foundation. After two years of training, most youths with Grade C aptitude could become Rank 2 Gu Masters, forming the backbone of the clan. A youth with Grade B aptitude warranted special care. Usually groomed as a future clan elder, such a youth could become a Rank 3 Gu Master in six or seven years.
As for Grade A aptitude, the emergence of even a single such talent was a stroke of good fortune for the entire clan. With attentive care and priority access to resources, such a youth could become a Rank 4 Gu Master in around ten years. At that point, they could compete to become clan leader! In other words, provided Gu Yue Mo Bei fulfilled his potential, he would become an elder of the Gu Yue clan. No wonder the Academy Elder laughed in delight. The elders observing discreetly all breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to one of their colleagues with envy.
Gu Yue Mo Chen had the same horse-like face. Already smiling, he cast a challenging glance at his longtime rival. “Well, Gu Yue Chi Lian? My grandson isn’t bad, is he?” The red-haired elder, Gu Yue Chi Lian, gave a cold snort but made no reply, his expression sullen and grim. An hour later, half the youths had entered the flower field. Quite a few had shown Grade C or Grade D aptitude, though nearly half of those tested had none at all.
“Alas, our bloodline grows ever more diluted, and few Rank 4 experts have emerged in recent years to strengthen it. The fourth clan leader was our only Rank 5 expert, but he perished alongside the Flower Wine Monk and left no descendants. The aptitude of our younger generations keeps declining.” The clan leader sighed deeply.
Just then, the Academy Elder called, “Gu Yue Chi Cheng.” At the name, the elders turned to look at Gu Yue Chi Lian. This was his grandson. Gu Yue Chi Cheng was short and slight, his face covered in pockmarks. With his fists clenched and sweat covering his face, he looked especially nervous. He stepped onto the opposite bank, and points of light entered his body one after another. He continued for thirty-six steps before stopping.
“Another Grade B!” the Academy Elder exclaimed.
A stir ran through the youths as they turned envious eyes toward Gu Yue Chi Cheng.
“Thirty-six steps! Thirty-six!” Gu Yue Chi Lian shouted with a triumphant laugh, glaring challengingly at Gu Yue Mo Chen.
This time, it was Gu Yue Mo Chen’s turn to look livid.
“Gu Yue Chi Cheng…” Amid the crowd, Fang Yuan thoughtfully rubbed his chin.
Fang Yuan remembered that Chi Cheng had been severely punished by the clan for cheating during the Aperture Opening Ceremony. His aptitude was actually only Grade C, but his grandfather, Gu Yue Chi Lian, had arranged the deception that made it appear to be Grade B. If Fang Yuan wanted to cheat, he had dozens of methods in mind, some more sophisticated than the one used for Gu Yue Chi Cheng. If he appeared to possess Grade B or even Grade A aptitude, the clan would certainly devote substantial resources to his development.
Firstly, too little time had passed since his rebirth. Given his circumstances, preparing such a deception would have been difficult. Secondly, even if he succeeded, he could not conceal his subsequent cultivation speed. The deception would still come to light. Gu Yue Chi Cheng, however, was different. His grandfather, Gu Yue Chi Lian, was one of the clan’s two most powerful elders and could cover for him.
“Gu Yue Chi Lian and Gu Yue Mo Chen have long been enemies. They head the clan’s two largest factions. To undermine his rival, Chi Lian needs his grandson to have outstanding aptitude. It was his protection behind the scenes that allowed Chi Cheng to conceal the truth for a time. As I remember it, the deception would never have come to light without that unexpected incident.”
A sharp gleam flickered in Fang Yuan’s eyes as he considered how to exploit this knowledge for the greatest possible benefit. Exposing the deception now would earn him a small reward from the clan, but it would also antagonize the influential, high-ranking Gu Yue Chi Lian. That was out of the question. Blackmail was no option for now, either. He was too weak; attempting it would only bring disaster upon himself. As he considered this, he suddenly heard the Academy Elder call his name:
“Gu Yue Fang Yuan!”