Chapter 3: The First Gu and the First Step on the Path of Cultivation
The morning mist had yet to fully disperse when the bells of Misty River Village rang three times.
Dong—
Dong—
Dong—
The sound traveled across the village, announcing the beginning of one of the most important days for its thirteen-year-olds.
The First Gu Capture Ritual.
One by one, the young villagers gathered in the central clearing.
Some were excited.
Some were nervous.
A few tried to hide their fear behind confident smiles.
Han Feng stood among them, silent.
His hands rested loosely at his sides as he observed the crowd.
Thirteen years old.
That was the age when a child was finally given the chance to step onto the path of the Gu Master.
For ordinary villagers, it was more than a ceremony.
It was a turning point.
Those who captured a good Gu and demonstrated sufficient aptitude could change their fate. They could become respected Gu Masters, obtain resources, and escape the life of endless labor that awaited ordinary villagers.
Those who failed...
Would remain ordinary.
In a world where strength determined status, that difference was enough to separate two completely different lives.
Han Feng looked around.
The excitement in the children's eyes was obvious.
Some had already been discussing which Gu they hoped to find.
Others were praying silently.
Han Feng felt none of that.
His expression remained calm.
He wasn't here to prove himself.
At least, not yet.
He was here to collect his first piece on the board.
At the front of the clearing, several village elders stood together.
The oldest among them stepped forward.
His voice carried across the gathering.
"Today, you will enter the Misty Forest and search for a Gu insect."
The crowd immediately became quiet.
"You will have three hours."
"Your Gu must be brought back alive."
"Do not deliberately provoke dangerous Gu. Do not wander beyond the marked boundaries. And above all..."
The elder's gaze became cold.
"Do not mistake courage for foolishness."
Several youths swallowed nervously.
The elder continued.
"The Gu you obtain will influence your future. A common Gu is acceptable. A rare Gu will naturally receive greater recognition."
His words were simple.
But everyone understood the meaning behind them.
The stronger the Gu...
The more valuable the future.
A horn sounded.
The forest gates opened.
The young villagers rushed forward.
Some sprinted as though their lives depended on it.
Others followed more carefully, calling out to their friends.
Han Feng waited.
He allowed the others to disappear into the mist before finally taking his first step.
There was no reason to rush.
The Misty Forest was vast.
And unlike the others, he wasn't searching blindly.
He already knew what he wanted.
As Han Feng entered the forest, the sounds of the village quickly faded behind him.
Only the rustling of leaves remained.
The trees were ancient, their thick branches blocking much of the sunlight. Mist drifted between their trunks, occasionally revealing strange plants and patches of colorful moss.
This was not a peaceful forest.
Everywhere Han Feng looked, life was hidden.
Beetles beneath fallen bark.
Cicadas clinging to branches.
Small worms moving through the soil.
Ordinary insects were everywhere.
But Han Feng continued walking.
His consciousness quietly spread outward.
The Celestial Diagram appeared within his mind.
Faint golden lines rotated slowly.
The world immediately became clearer.
The energy of the forest flowed through his perception.
Most of it was weak.
Some creatures barely registered.
Others gave off strange fluctuations that made Han Feng instinctively avoid them.
He didn't need strength.
He needed compatibility.
That was the difference.
The previous night had already taught him something important.
The Celestial Diagram did not merely strengthen Gu.
It could harmonize opposing energies.
If that was true...
Then the Gu most people considered worthless might be the most valuable to him.
Han Feng's footsteps slowed.
There.
A faint fluctuation.
He turned his head.
It came from somewhere ahead.
He followed it through the mist until he reached a small stream.
Water flowed quietly between moss-covered stones.
Han Feng crouched beside it.
For a moment, he saw nothing.
Then something moved beneath a broad leaf.
A small larva slowly crawled into view.
Its body was covered in alternating shades of blue and gold.
A faint aura surrounded it.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
The Dual Chaos Larva.
He had found it.
According to the memories he possessed, this Gu was considered nearly worthless.
Its body contained two opposing essences.
Order.
And chaos.
The two forces constantly fought for dominance.
Most Gu Masters who attempted to refine the creature suffered backlash. Some damaged their meridians. Others were forced to abandon the Gu entirely.
It was unstable.
Difficult to control.
And therefore...
Worthless.
At least, to them.
Han Feng stared at the larva.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Found you."
He extended his hand.
The larva immediately sensed the approaching energy and began struggling.
Its aura became chaotic.
The two opposing forces inside its body collided violently.
Han Feng didn't retreat.
Instead, he activated the Celestial Diagram.
The golden hexagram appeared within his consciousness.
A thread of energy flowed from his meridians toward his fingertips.
The moment it touched the larva—
Boom!
The creature trembled.
Han Feng's expression changed slightly.
The backlash was stronger than he expected.
For an instant, the chaotic energy surged toward his body.
He immediately redirected it.
Order tried to suppress chaos.
Chaos tried to devour order.
Han Feng understood something.
They weren't truly enemies.
They were simply unable to coexist.
He adjusted the flow.
Not suppressing one.
Not strengthening the other.
Balancing both.
The Celestial Diagram responded.
The faint golden light intensified.
The violent fluctuations gradually weakened.
The larva stopped struggling.
Its two opposing energies began circulating together.
Slowly.
Naturally.
The unstable aura disappeared.
Han Feng's eyes flashed.
Success.
He reached forward.
His fingers closed around the larva.
The creature didn't resist.
A strange sensation immediately passed through his palm.
A connection.
Weak.
But unmistakable.
Han Feng looked at the little creature.
His first Gu.
He had expected it to be difficult.
Instead, the process had gone almost too smoothly.
That thought made him cautious.
He didn't allow his satisfaction to show.
There was still one problem.
He needed to hide what had happened.
If the elders discovered that he had stabilized a Dual Chaos Larva...
Questions would follow.
Too many questions.
Han Feng carefully concealed the creature within his sleeve.
He didn't need to explain everything.
He only needed to survive the examination.
Three hours later, the young villagers returned to the central clearing.
The atmosphere was completely different from before.
Several children proudly displayed their Gu.
An Iron Beetle.
A Wind Cicada.
A Green Silk Worm.
Nothing particularly extraordinary.
But for the children holding them, they were treasures.
Some received approving nods from the elders.
Others were met with disappointed expressions.
Then Han Feng returned.
He walked quietly toward the elders.
Several youths noticed him.
Whispers immediately spread.
"He's back."
"Did he catch anything?"
"I doubt it."
A boy laughed.
"Someone like him probably spent three hours hiding behind a tree."
Another youth snickered.
Han Feng ignored them.
He had no reason to respond.
People who believed themselves superior because they stood one step higher were rarely worth arguing with.
One of the elders looked toward him.
"Han Feng."
Han Feng stopped.
"Show us your Gu."
He slowly opened his palm.
The Dual Chaos Larva rested there.
The laughter stopped.
The clearing became silent.
One elder's expression changed.
Another took a step forward.
"That Gu..."
The chief elder narrowed his eyes.
"Where did you find it?"
"Near a stream."
"Do you know what it is?"
"Yes."
The elder stared at him.
"Then you should know better than to capture it."
Han Feng remained calm.
"I do."
The elder's brows furrowed.
"Then why?"
Han Feng looked down at the larva.
"It didn't reject me."
A strange silence followed.
The answer was simple.
Perhaps too simple.
The chief elder reached out.
"Give it to me."
Han Feng hesitated for half a breath before placing the larva in his hand.
The elder closed his eyes and sent his consciousness into the Gu.
His expression was initially indifferent.
Then it changed.
His eyes widened.
He checked again.
And again.
"This..."
The surrounding elders gathered closer.
"What is it?"
"Is there something wrong?"
The chief elder didn't answer.
His face had become unusually serious.
"The two energies..."
He stared at the larva.
"They're stable."
Another elder immediately inspected it.
His expression changed as well.
"Impossible."
He examined the Gu again.
"The chaos and order essences aren't colliding."
"How?"
"No Gu Master in the village has ever been able to stabilize this creature."
The surrounding youths listened in confusion.
Han Feng remained silent.
Inside his mind, the Celestial Diagram quietly pulsed.
He lowered his gaze.
Good.
They had noticed the result.
Not the cause.
That was enough.
The chief elder looked at him again.
For the first time, there was something different in his eyes.
Not contempt.
Not pity.
Interest.
"Han Feng."
"Yes, elder?"
"Tell me exactly how you subdued this Gu."
Han Feng met his gaze.
He thought for a moment.
Then answered calmly.
"It simply accepted me."
The elder stared at him.
Han Feng gave no further explanation.
The silence continued.
Finally, the elder returned the Gu.
"Take good care of it."
Han Feng accepted the larva.
"I will."
He turned away.
Behind him, the elders continued discussing in low voices.
Han Feng didn't listen.
There was no need.
He had obtained what he came for.
His first Gu.
His first step on the path of cultivation.
And, more importantly...
His secret remained intact.
Han Feng walked through the crowd without looking back.
The others watched him differently now.
Some with curiosity.
Some with envy.
A few with hostility.
Han Feng noticed all of it.
But he didn't care.
Today, they had merely seen a strange Gu.
They had not seen the Celestial Diagram.
They had not seen the path he intended to walk.
And they certainly had no idea what he planned to become.
Han Feng looked toward the distant mountains.
His fingers slowly closed around the Gu.
The road ahead was still long.
For now, he was weak.
Very weak.
But every great journey began with a single step.
And today...
He had taken his first.