Chapter 2 - Awakening
Morning mist still lingered over Black Stone Village.
Li Tianyu walked calmly along the stone streets, his expression as indifferent as ever.
Villagers greeted one another while children excitedly discussed the awakening ceremony.
None of them noticed anything unusual about him.
Nor would they.
Otherworldly Demons...
In this world, they were existences that everyone feared.
According to ancient records, they were variables beyond Heaven's control, capable of bringing unimaginable calamities.
Should one's identity ever be exposed, every force in the Gu World—from righteous sects to demonic cultivators—would hunt them down.
Fortunately, Li Tianyu had never made such a mistake.
Ever since his birth, he had behaved like an ordinary child.
After recovering the memories of his previous life and realizing he was inside the Gu World, he became even more cautious.
He never spoke of strange knowledge.
Never displayed abilities beyond his years.
Never revealed anything that could make others suspicious.
In this world...
The longer one lived, the greater one's chances.
Soon, he arrived at the village square.
Around one hundred and fifty children had already gathered there.
Some looked nervous.
Others were excited.
Parents stood outside the gathering area, silently watching their children.
Before long, several elders emerged from the clan hall.
Leading them was a dignified middle-aged Gu Master.
Without wasting words, he turned and led the children toward the forbidden area beneath the village.
The crowd quietly followed.
Passing through several guarded tunnels, they finally entered an enormous underground cavern.
The moment Li Tianyu stepped inside, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
The cave was breathtaking.
Countless glowing crystals decorated the walls.
The air was rich with primeval essence.
At the center of the cavern rested a crystal-clear spirit spring.
Primeval essence surged endlessly from its depths, filling the cave with a tranquil atmosphere.
This was one of Black Stone Clan's greatest foundations.
A Spirit Spring.
Black Stone Clan possessed two Spirit Springs.
Although it was only a medium-sized clan, its strength was respectable.
The current Clan Head was a Rank Five Gu Master.
Below him were eight Rank Four Great Elders.
Supporting them were dozens of Rank Three elders.
The clan primarily cultivated Wind Path and Fire Path, possessing complete inheritances for both paths.
As long as no unforeseen disaster struck, the clan could continue flourishing for generations.
The leading elder stepped beside the Spirit Spring.
His aged voice echoed throughout the cavern.
"When your name is called, walk through the spring."
"Relax your mind."
"Do not resist the Hope Gu."
The children nodded nervously.
The awakening ceremony officially began.
One child after another stepped into the spring.
Tiny balls of white light emerged from the Spirit Spring before flying toward them.
These were Hope Gu.
Some children attracted many.
Others attracted only a few.
Soon...
One after another, apertures awakened.
"D-grade."
"C-grade."
"D-grade."
"B-grade."
The elders calmly announced each result.
Li Tianyu quietly observed.
Compared to the world described in the ancient fairy tale he had read, aptitude in the current Gu World had become much easier to judge.
The number of steps one could take inside their aperture before reaching its center directly represented their aptitude.
D Grade.
Twenty to thirty-nine percent primeval essence.
Twenty to thirty-nine steps.
C Grade.
Forty to fifty-nine percent.
Forty to fifty-nine steps.
B Grade.
Sixty to seventy-nine percent.
Sixty to seventy-nine steps.
A Grade.
Eighty to ninety-nine percent.
Eighty to ninety-nine steps.
As for the legendary Extreme Physiques...
One hundred percent primeval essence.
One hundred steps.
Perfect aptitude.
Time slowly passed.
More than half the children had already awakened.
Most possessed D-grade aptitude.
A smaller number were C-grade.
Then, another youth entered the Spirit Spring.
Hope Gu gathered around him like countless stars.
He strode forward confidently.
Ten steps.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Forty.
Fifty.
Sixty.
Seventy.
Eighty-one.
The elder's eyes widened.
"A-grade aptitude!"
Excitement spread through the cave.
Even the usually composed Great Elders revealed smiles.
An A-grade talent was enough to support a clan for generations.
The fortunate youth stood frozen in disbelief before being led away amidst countless envious gazes.
Not long afterward...
"Li Tianyu."
Hearing his name, Li Tianyu calmly stepped forward.
The moment he entered the Spirit Spring...
Only a handful of Hope Gu flew toward him.
The surrounding elders immediately exchanged glances.
One of them quietly sighed.
Another slowly shook his head.
Too few.
There were simply too few.
Li Tianyu remained expressionless as he entered his aperture.
One step.
Five.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
His pace became increasingly heavy.
Twenty-one.
Twenty-two.
Twenty-three.
Twenty-four.
Finally...
Twenty-five.
His body trembled slightly.
The aperture opened.
No matter how hard he tried, he could not take another step.
"D-grade aptitude."
"Twenty-five percent primeval essence."
The elder announced the result in a flat voice before recording it.
Several children looked toward Li Tianyu with pity.
A D-grade talent...
His future was limited.
However...
Li Tianyu merely smiled faintly.
He wasn't disappointed.
Not in the slightest.
On the contrary...
He felt relieved.
At least he possessed an aperture.
At least he could cultivate.
That alone was enough.
Before coming here, he had already prepared himself for the worst.
After all, Destiny Gu had restarted the entire world.
Who knew how greatly Heaven had suppressed variables like himself?
Furthermore...
His father had only possessed D-grade aptitude.
His mother had been an ordinary mortal.
Given his lineage, obtaining D-grade aptitude was already within his expectations.
Without another word, Li Tianyu quietly returned to the crowd.
His cultivation journey...
Had officially begun.