"Tomorrow is the Awakening Ceremony. I wonder what my aptitude will be."
Gu Yue Liu Chen stood on the second floor of an old bamboo building, his heart full of anticipation and worry.
He looked out the window at the rows of bamboo buildings in the village. Under the lantern light, they looked shaky, as if a strong wind could blow them down. But Liu Chen wasn't thinking about the view; he was only thinking about the ceremony tomorrow.
It was late at night, but he couldn't sleep. His thoughts were messy, looking back on the ten years he had spent in this world—years that had been very difficult.
Ten years ago, Liu Chen had suddenly come to this world and became part of the Gu Yue clan. At first, he was scared and felt like a stranger, but he eventually adapted. He learned about the clans and the world from his parents.
The thing that stayed with him most were the stories from The Legends of Ren Zu. Those stories proved he was in the Gu World, a place that was both dangerous and mysterious. In this world, people used Gu worms to cultivate, fight, and live. Strength was everything here; "the strong eat the weak" was the basic law of this world.
Liu Chen knew the world was cruel, but he didn't give up. He worked hard, hoping to survive. Tomorrow's ceremony would be the most important turning point for him.
When he was ten, he heard that a genius with great talent had been born in the clan. Out of curiosity, he looked into it and found out the child's name was "Fang Yuan." Fang Yuan was about two or three years younger than him.
This news was like a shock to him. He knew that for a Gu Master's growth, a two or three-year gap was not much time, but his heart still felt heavy, and the world seemed to lose its color.
Qing Mao Mountain was a dangerous place. A-grade talent was rare, and danger was everywhere. The annual wolf tides were a nightmare for common Gu Masters. He also knew about future disasters: Bai Ning Bing's self-detonation and the battle between the first-generation ancestor and Lord Sky Crane. All of this made him feel like he was in hell.
Fate liked to play with people. Just as he was worried about the future, a wolf tide killed his parents. He lost his family and became poor. His parents only left him a broken bamboo building. After all, they were just two Rank 1 Gu Masters.
Luckily, the clan gave him a small allowance, so he didn't have to worry about food before the ceremony.
The Awakening Ceremony is the biggest divide in life. If you can become a Gu Master—even with D-grade talent—your status is a hundred times higher than a mortal who can't cultivate.
Liu Chen had a plan: if he had the talent, he would join a merchant caravan in a few years and leave the mountain. His parents were gone, so he had no reason to stay. If he could, he wanted to go to the Eastern Sea. That was the safest place in the Gu World.
The night passed quickly, and morning came.
Sunlight hit the Gu Yue Village as the annual ceremony began.
The Clan Leader led the elders to worship the ancestors. The scene was very serious and solemn.
The ritual was long and boring. Liu Chen was just an ordinary boy, so he waited with the other teenagers to open his aperture. Because he kept to himself, he didn't fit in with the crowd. He was like an invisible person; no one would care if he disappeared.
Finally, the ritual ended. The Clan Leader, Gu Yue Bo, turned around with the elders following him. They walked toward the entrance of the clan's forbidden ground.
It was an underground cave. A huge stone blocked part of the entrance. When Gu Yue Bo pushed the stone, a damp, fishy smell came out.
The tunnel inside was narrow, only enough for two or three people to walk side-by-side. There was glowing moss on the ceiling, giving off a dim light so they could see the stone steps.
Liu Chen followed the others, looking around with curiosity. After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the tunnel opened up.
At the end of the passage lay a vast natural limestone cavern. From the ceiling hung countless stalactites — some resembling sharp blades, others like bamboo shoots or cascading waterfalls, each formation more wondrous than the last, filling every onlooker with silent amazement.
In the middle of the cavern was a clear underground river. The water made a crisp sound as it flowed. The source of this river was the Spirit Spring.
The Spirit Spring is the core of a clan. It produces heaven and earth qi, which turns into translucent Primeval Stones in the air. These stones are used for cultivation and are also the currency of this world.
On the other side of the river was a field of blue Moon Orchids. They bloomed in the dark and smelled very light and elegant. These flowers were where the Hope Gu lived.
Soon, everyone was there. Liu Chen and the other youths were led to the edge of the Spirit Spring.
The Academy Elder, Gu Yue Zhi, was a stern old man. He stood in front of everyone with a name list. He opened the book and shouted the first name:
"Gu Yue Xiao Ming!"
A child walked out, looking very scared. He stumbled as he walked into the Spirit Spring.