A week passed quickly.
"Humans are the spirits of all things, and Gu are the essence of heaven and earth. In this world, there are thousands upon thousands of Gu, too numerous to count. They live all around us, in the soil, in the grass, and even within wild beasts.
During the course of human reproduction and survival, the sages gradually discovered the mysteries of Gu insects. Those who have opened their empty apertures and use their own True Essence to nurture, refine, and control these Gu for various purposes are collectively known as Gu Masters.
And all of you, during the Aperture Opening Ceremony seven days ago, successfully opened your empty apertures and condensed your True Essence Sea. You are now all Rank One Gu Masters."
In the academy within the stronghold, the Academy Elder was speaking eloquently.
Opposite him, fifty-seven young students sat attentively, listening with rapt attention.
The wonders and power of Gu Masters had long been ingrained in the hearts of these youths, so everything the elder spoke of deeply fascinated them.
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At this moment, a young student raised his hand, and upon receiving the elder's permission, stood up to ask, "Elder, I've known since I was young that Gu Masters are divided into ranks like Rank One, Rank Two, and so on. Could you explain this in detail for us?"
Gu Yue Shi nodded and gestured for the student to sit down. "Gu Masters have nine major realms, from Rank One to Rank Nine. Each major realm is further divided into four minor stages: Initial Stage, Intermediate Stage, Advanced Stage, and Peak Stage. You have just become Gu Masters and are at the Rank One – Initial Stage.
If you work hard in your cultivation, your level will naturally improve, and advancing to Rank Two or Rank Three is possible. Of course, the higher your aptitude, the greater the possibility of advancement.
With Grade D Aptitude, the Primal Sea occupies two to three-tenths of the empty aperture, and one can usually cultivate up to Rank One or Rank Two. With Grade C Aptitude, the Primal Sea occupies four to five-tenths, typically stopping at Rank Two, with only a few lucky ones breaking through to Rank Three – Initial Stage. With Grade B Aptitude, the Primal Sea occupies six to seven-tenths, allowing cultivation up to Rank Three or even Rank Four. Grade A Aptitude means a full Primal Sea, making such individuals naturally gifted and best suited for Gu Master cultivation, capable of reaching Rank Five.
As for Gu Masters above Rank Six, each is a legend, and I am not very clear on the specifics. Our Gu Yue Clan has never had a Rank Six Gu Master, but we have had Rank Five and Rank Four Gu Masters."
The ears of the young students perked up, and their eyes shone brightly as they listened.
Many couldn't help but glance at Gu Yue Fang Zheng, who sat upright in the front row. He had Grade A Aptitude, and their eyes were filled with envy and jealousy.
At the same time, some gazes drifted to the corner of the last row of the academy.
In that corner by the window, Gu Yue Fang Yuan was sprawled on the desk, sound asleep.
"Look, he's still sleeping," someone whispered.
"He's been sleeping for a whole week, hasn't he recovered yet?" someone else sneered.
"Not only that, but I've heard he doesn't even come home at night and roams around outside the village."
"Some have even seen him more than once, holding a wine jar and getting drunk outside at night. Fortunately, the area around the village has been cleared in recent years, so it's relatively safe." The students whispered among themselves, and various rumors spread quickly.
"Sigh, the blow was indeed too much. He carried the title of genius for so many years, only to end up with just Grade C Aptitude, haha."
"If that were all, it would be fine. But his younger brother was tested with Grade A Aptitude and is now in the spotlight, enjoying the best treatment. The younger brother is in the heavens, while the older brother is on the ground, tsk tsk..."
Hearing the increasingly loud discussions around him, the Academy Elder's brow furrowed into a knot.
In the entire classroom, the students sat upright, full of vitality, making Fang Yuan, who was slumped on the desk, even more conspicuous and glaring.
"A week has passed, and he's still so dispirited. Hmph, I misjudged him back then. How could someone like him be a genius!" The elder snorted coldly in his heart. He had spoken to Fang Yuan many times about this situation, but it had no effect. Fang Yuan continued to do as he pleased, sleeping through every class, causing the elder responsible for teaching to be quite troubled and annoyed.
"Forget it, he's just Grade C. If he can't even withstand this setback, cultivating someone with such a mindset would be of little use and a waste of clan resources." The elder was very disappointed in Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan was only of Grade C Aptitude, while his younger brother Fang Zheng had Grade A Aptitude, making him the one truly worth the clan's efforts and resources.
As the Academy Elder thought about this, he continued with the previous topic: "In our clan's history, there have been many strong individuals. Among them, there were two Rank Five experts. One was the first generation clan leader, our ancestor, who founded the Gu Yue Village. The other was the Fourth Generation Clan Leader, who was exceptionally talented and cultivated to the Rank Five Gu Master level. If it weren't for the despicable and shameless Wine-loving Wanderer's sneak attack, he might have advanced to Rank Six Gu Master. Alas..."
At this point, Gu Yue Shi sighed deeply.
Below the podium, the young students shouted indignantly.
"It was all because of that Wine-loving Wanderer, so treacherous and cunning!"
"It's a pity our Fourth Generation Clan Leader was so kind-hearted and died young."
"I only regret not being born a few hundred years earlier. If I had met that demon, I would have fought to expose his ugly face."
The story of the Fourth Generation Clan Leader and the Wine-loving Wanderer was known to every member of the Gu Yue Tribe.
The Wine-loving Wanderer was also a Rank Five Gu Master, a notorious flower thief who was infamous in the demonic path. Hundreds of years ago, he roamed to Green Reed Mountain, attempting to commit crimes in Gu Yue Village, but was discovered by the Fourth Generation Clan Leader. After a fierce battle, the Wine-loving Wanderer was beaten to his knees, begging for mercy. The kind-hearted clan leader intended to spare his life, but the Wine-loving Wanderer suddenly attacked, severely injuring the clan leader.
Enraged, the clan leader killed the Wine-loving Wanderer on the spot, but he too succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
Therefore, in the hearts of all Gu Yue tribe members, the Fourth Generation Clan Leader was a hero who sacrificed himself for the village.
"Wine-loving Wanderer..." Awakened by the academy's denunciations, Fang Yuan opened his bleary eyes in the corner.
He stretched lazily, feeling a bit resentful in his heart: "Where exactly did this Wine-loving Wanderer die? Why have I searched all around the village and still haven't found his inheritance?"
In his memory, about two months later, a clan Gu Master, drunk from heartbreak, lay outside the village, and the aroma of the wine unexpectedly attracted a Wine Gu.
The Gu Master was overjoyed and tried to capture it. The Wine Gu fled in panic, and the Gu Master pursued it closely, following its trail to a hidden cave entrance leading underground.
The Wine Gu was a precious type of Gu, and the Gu Master, still drunk, ventured into the cave and discovered the Wine-loving Wanderer's corpse and the inheritance he left behind.
Upon returning to the village, the Gu Master reported his findings, causing a great stir in the entire clan.
The Gu Master also benefited greatly, his cultivation becoming more prominent, and even the lover who once abandoned him had a change of heart. He became a figure of great renown for a time.
"Unfortunately, I only heard vague rumors about this and didn't know the exact location. I never thought I would have the chance to be reborn. Wine-loving Wanderer, where did you die?"
In recent days, Fang Yuan had bought a lot of wine and wandered around the village at night, hoping to attract the Wine Gu with the scent of the wine. Unfortunately, the Wine Gu never appeared, leaving him quite disappointed.
"If I could find that Wine Gu and refine it into my Life-Bound Gu, it would be much better than the clan's Moonlight Gu. In the blink of an eye, it's already April, and time waits for no one." Fang Yuan sighed, turning his gaze out the window.
Under the blue sky and white clouds, the mountains stretched out in lush green. Nearby was a bamboo forest.
This was the unique Spear Bamboo of Green Reed Mountain, each one as straight as a line, and the tips were exceptionally sharp, like spear points.
In the nearby forest, new green had already appeared. The budding shoots were a yellow-green hue, and colorful birds occasionally perched on the branches.
The spring breeze blew, carrying the fresh scent of green mountains and clear waters, spreading across the land.
***
Unconsciously, the class was nearing its end. The Academy Elder made a final announcement: "This week, I've taught you how to meditate and observe your own empty aperture and Primal Sea. How to sit and mobilize the True Essence within you. Now it's time to refine your Life-Bound Gu. After this class, go to the Gu Room in the academy and select a Gu insect. Once you've chosen, return home to cultivate in seclusion. Only after refining the Gu insect should you return to the academy for further classes. This is also your first assessment. Whoever excels will receive a generous reward of twenty Primordial Stones."
Oh!
The next moment, the entire academy erupted in cheers.
"Finally, it's time to refine Gu insects. What Gu insect should I choose?" A flash of brilliance flickered in Fang Yuan's eyes.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan