"Tomorrow is the day I awaken my Aptitude. I wonder what my Aptitude will be," Liu Chen stood on the second floor of an old, stilted bamboo building, his heart filled with anticipation and unease.
His gaze passed through the window, landing on the neatly arranged bamboo buildings in the Mountain Village outside. These bamboo buildings, illuminated by the night lights, seemed somewhat precarious, as if they could be blown down by the wind at any moment. However, Liu Chen's thoughts were not on these bamboo buildings; his mind was consumed by the impending awakening ceremony.
Although it was late at night, Liu Chen felt no sleepiness. His thoughts, like a wild horse unbridled, galloped freely in his mind. He recalled his ten years of Transmigration to this Gu World, a period full of hardship and challenges.
Ten years ago, Liu Chen suddenly Transmigrated to this unfamiliar world, becoming a member of the Gu Yue Clan. At first, he felt very strange and afraid of this world, but as time went on, he gradually adapted to life here and learned a lot about various Mountain Villages and this world from his parents.
Among them, what impressed him most was the story of the Human Ancestor. This story confirmed that he had arrived in the legendary Gu World, a world full of treachery and danger. In this world, people relied on various Gu to Cultivate, fight, and even live. The power of Gu determined a person's status and strength, and the Law of the jungle was the basic Law of this world.
Liu Chen knew the cruelty of this world, but he was not intimidated by the difficulties. On the contrary, he had been working hard to learn and Cultivate, hoping to establish himself in this world. And tomorrow's awakening ceremony would be a crucial turning point in his life.
When he was ten years old, he accidentally heard that a gifted prodigy had been born in the Family. Driven by curiosity, he inquired about the prodigy and finally learned his name was "Fang Yuan," and he seemed to be two or three years younger than him.
This news struck him like a bolt from the blue. He couldn't help but worry about his future development, as a two or three-year age gap was so crucial for growth. As soon as he thought of this, his mood became even heavier, as if the whole world had turned gray and dim.
Qing Mao Mountain's waters were truly deep. Everyone had A-grade Aptitude, and danger was everywhere. The annual electric wolf beast tide was a nightmare for ordinary Gu Masters, causing them immense suffering. Not to mention Bai Ningbing's future Ten Extremes self-detonation, and Gu Yue Yi Dai and Celestial Crane Elder's Rank Five battle, all of which made him feel as if he was in Hell, with no chance of winning.
However, fate always seemed to play tricks on people. Just as he felt his future was bleak, a sudden beast tide took the lives of his parents. This disaster not only made him lose his loved ones but also plunged his life into difficulties. Apart from a dilapidated bamboo building, his parents did not leave him much valuable inheritance. After all, they were merely two Rank 1 Gu Masters.
Fortunately, the Family still took care of him, providing a certain subsidy, which at least ensured he wouldn't have to worry about living before the awakening ceremony.
The awakening ceremony was the watershed of everyone's life in this world. Once a person possessed Gu Master qualifications, even if it was only the worst D-grade Aptitude, his status would be a hundred times higher than that of Mortals who could not Cultivate.
Liu Chen had already made up his mind: if he truly had Gu Master Aptitude, then in a few years, he would join a caravan and leave this Mountain Village.
After all, with his parents gone, he had no more attachments. Moreover, he had long decided that if he had the opportunity in the future, he would go to the East Sea to develop. That was the safest area in the entire Gu World.
Time flew by, and the night passed in a flash.
The next morning, sunlight spilled over Gu Yue Village, and the annual awakening ceremony officially began.
The Clan Chief of the Family led the venerable Elders, solemnly bowing to their ancestors. This scene was solemn and awe-inspiring.
Such a high-level sacrificial ceremony was naturally quite cumbersome. Liu Chen was just an ordinary youth, so he could only stay with the other young men and women who were about to undergo the awakening. Perhaps because of his deliberate aloofness, he seemed somewhat out of place in the crowd, even a forgotten nobody. Even if he suddenly got lost, no one would probably notice.
Finally, the long sacrificial ceremony ended, and Clan Chief Gu Yue Bo slowly turned around, followed closely by a group of Family Elders. Led by him, everyone walked together towards the entrance of the Family Forbidden Land.
It was an artificially excavated underground cave, with its entrance partially blocked by a huge stone. When Gu Yue Bo pushed open the stone, a damp and slightly fishy air rushed out.
The passage inside the cave was not wide, only enough for two or three people to walk side by side. Above the passage, a thin layer of fluorescent moss grew, emitting a faint glow that illuminated the steps below, allowing people to clearly see the path.
Liu Chen followed closely behind the tribesmen in front of him, his gaze curiously scanning the surroundings. After about an incense stick's worth of time, the passage suddenly widened, and the space opened up.
At the exit of the cave was a huge natural cave. Countless stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, some resembling sharp swords, others bamboo shoots, and still others waterfalls, all varied in form and breathtaking to behold.
And in the center of the cave, a clear underground river flowed. The river water gurgled, making a crisp sound, as if telling stories of time. The source of this underground river was the Yuan Spring.
The Yuan Spring was the foundation of the Gu Master Family. It emitted rich Heaven and Earth Origin Qi, which condensed into crystal-clear Primal Stones in the air. Primal Stones were not only the foundation for Gu Masters to Cultivate but also the currency circulated in this world.
On the opposite bank of the river was a vast sea of ethereal blue Moon Orchid flowers. The Moon Orchids bloomed in the darkness, emitting a faint fragrance; they were the habitat of Hope Gu.
Time passed by, minute by minute, and finally, everyone had arrived. Liu Chen and the other young men and women were led to the edge of the mysterious underground Yuan Spring.
The School Elder, Gu Yue Zhi, who was presiding over the awakening ceremony, was a stern-faced old man. He stood at the very front of the crowd, clutching a roster containing the names of the children to be awakened. Gu Yue Zhi opened the roster and unhesitatingly called out the first name on it.
"Gu Yue Xiaoming!"
With this cry, a child slowly walked out from the crowd. His face was filled with panic and worry, as if he was terrified of what was about to happen. Gu Yue Xiaoming stumbled into the underground Yuan Spring.