In the largest room of the academy hostel, a middle-aged man and a young teenager stood. As I approached the clan leader, I greeted him. It was a moonless night, and all that could be seen outside the room was darkness. The only light source in the room was a lantern that I had lit. It illuminated both of our faces, but only one side of each. The shadow cast by the clan leader was much larger than mine, but I knew that in due time, the shadow I would cast would be much larger too.
"Are your classes going well?" asked the clan head. I nodded yes. "Have you learned how to manipulate your primeval sea?" I nodded yes again. "Have you learned how to refine gu?" I nodded yes for the third time.
"Good! Has Ancestor Gen One told you anything else?" he inquired.
...
"Yes, clan leader," I replied.
"Bai Sheng and Bai Hua are the twins we must kidnap and refine a gu with their help, and I am meant to make that gu my vital gu,
In the inheritance there are four more Gu that, I must refine for myself, to get ready for gen1’s test; these Gu are:
- Jade bone gu
- Flesh Appetite gu
- Flesh bone gu
- Ribcage shield gu.
Also, there are five spirit springs there that we can get."
"We're leaving for Bai Gu Mountain right now. Pack everything you need for the journey," said the clan leader with a fanatic look in his eyes.
"It won't be easy to kidnap the Bai clan leaders' children," muttered Gu Yue Bo.
"Clan leader, may I ask you some questions?" I interrupted.
"Ah, I understand you're feeling troubled, being a young child. I apologize for not considering your feelings earlier. After receiving the information you provided, I had to prepare thoroughly. Once we acquire the inheritance, I'll take good care of you. I promise," said Gu Yue Bo with a determined and gentle gaze.
Then he said, "We'll be heading towards the southern mountain. Along the way, feel free to ask as many questions as you like."
"What's an extreme physique?" I asked.
The clan leader chuckled.
...
"What's a blood pool?" I asked as we left the Academy gates.
"You're finally out...but the guards are patrolling. You picked the wrong time to come out here. Come home now, or I'll break a few bones. Your uncle can heal you, but I'll make sure it's painful," said the Black Monkey servant with a twisted smile.
"I can't believe how unlucky he is, or maybe I'm just too lucky. Only people with great luck get an A-grade aperture. Anyway, the scene ahead is going to be hilarious," I thought to myself.
The clan leader asked the man who he was, and he proudly replied, "I am Gu Yue Dong To's servant."
Just then, guards arrived at the scene, carrying lanterns that illuminated the area and our faces.
As soon as the man realized who he was talking to, he immediately kowtowed and begged for forgiveness, slamming his head on the ground.
The guards greeted the clan leader, and he ordered one of them to capture Black Monkey and kill him, also telling his master that the clan leader was responsible.
And he asked another guard to go to his assistant and tell him this line by line, "Upcoming spring will be full of spirit in the south”.
That guard ran towards the clan pavilion.
It was shocking how easily he sentenced someone to death. Life was as cheap as grass, just as the novel had described. But I wondered what the meaning of his second line was.
I was certain that he'd lead us down a road with fewer people to reach the southern part of the mountain. while walking towards the southern mountain, His assistant suddenly ran up toward us gave the clan head something with a surprised look, and left after that.
We arrived at the southern part of the mountain, where we were welcomed by six, rank-three Gu Masters. They greeted me with respect and looked at my companion with awe. A group of six people, including Gu Yue Hwang, known for his exceptional refinement skills, stood before us.
However, none of them introduced themselves to me. After the clan head nodded, Hwang Gu handed out masks to the eight individuals present, including three flying gu masters, one refinement path master, one concealment path gu master, one combat gu master, myself, and the clan leader.
Hwang gave me a Stealth Rock Gu worm to use as a concealment tool. He instructed me to send some of my primeval essence into the worm as soon as it entered my aperture. I followed his instructions, and when the worm entered, I sent my primeval essence into it and used it. The Stealth Rock Gu worked wonders, making me almost invisible. Gu Hwang, who witnessed the effectiveness of the gu, commented that I was a natural. Interestingly, the Stealth Rock Gu was Fangio One's first stealth path gu in his second life. It was now my first stealth gu, but the control of the gu was still in Hwang's hands.
The leader of the clan gave me a kind smile and said, "Good." He then pointed at me and said, "You are number one." After that, he pointed at himself and declared, "I will be number two." Hwang was next, and he was assigned number three. The concealment path gu master was chosen as number four, and the combatant gu master with bulging muscles was number five. The three flying gu masters were numbered six, seven, and eight, respectively, while the leader instructed me, "Fang Zheng, make sure to remember the masks of each gu master and their corresponding number. Address them only by their number." I nodded in agreement. The leader also reminded me not to leave the center of the formation.
After receiving a nod, all three flying gu masters held onto another gu master and flew up into the sky. As we soared through the sky, I couldn't help but think about how people would perceive me when I learned to fly. A man flying in the sky would be a breathtaking sight to behold. He would appear as a tiny figure against the vast expanse of the sky, moving with grace and agility. His body would be parallel to the ground, with his arms extended on either side like wings. The wind would rush past him, ruffling his clothes and hair. As he ascends higher, he might look like a bird soaring in the sky from the ground. The sun might cast a long shadow beneath him, and the clouds could form a fluffy, white backdrop. It would be a surreal and majestic spectacle, challenging our usual understanding of gravity and human capabilities.
After flying for hours, it was almost daybreak. Floating in the sky, I watched as the horizon softly blushing, and the first rays of sunlight pierced the darkness. The sky was painted in hues of orange, pink, and gold, gradually brightening. The sun, a fiery orb, rose majestically, casting a warm, golden glow on the world below. It was a breathtaking spectacle, a symphony of light and color that marked the dawn of a new day. Perhaps we all had the same thought that it was so beautiful. While looking at the sunrise, we noticed something scary coming our way. However, upon closer inspection, we saw that rainbow colors were shining in the valley as the flames burned brightly, giving off an imposing aura. In the brilliant rainbow light, a pheasant as large as a mountain appeared in front of us. Its crown shone like gold, erecting highly, and the feathers on its body shone in all colors, changing all the time and giving an out-of-this-world brilliance.
"I'm afraid it's the Xuan Yuan Divine Pheasant, a bird king of the myriad beasts!" exclaimed the clan head. "The Xuan Yuan Divine Pheasant is a solitary king of the beasts, capable of flying in the skies and only landing to find food. These divine pheasants are rare creatures and have a variety of rainbow Gu inside their bodies. When they fight, the skies are filled with a rainbow of lights, shining in five to seven different colors. Let's move quickly and stealthily as this divine pheasant has extremely sharp eyesight like an eagle. If it spots us and attacks, we'll be in serious trouble." The clan leader then retreated along with the other gu masters and instructed us to use stealth gu.
He led us into a cave where we encountered a dark leopard, a ferocious beast native to the Zi You mountain. These creatures had purple spots on their skin, were extremely fast, and could move quietly, leaving behind ethereal afterimages. Normally, they hunted in pairs, but this one was alone and seemed to be near its end. While some members of our group suggested killing it and taking its gu worms for ourselves, the clan leader warned that it could be a tough fight, especially if the leopard were not injured. The leopard suddenly pounced at us. Despite this, the leader managed to kill the leopard with a single move using a rank four gu worm.
After the battle, the group checked the leopard's corpse for gu worms and discovered an exquisite purple leaf in the male leopard's left ear. The leaf was a Breath Concealment Gu, a rank three grass Gu that could be used to conceal one's aura and cultivation level. Most dark leopards had this gu in their ears but capturing them was dangerous and difficult.
"Oh, a Gu Worm!" exclaimed one of the Gu Masters.
"Which Gu Worm is it?" asked the refinement path Gu Master, Hwang Gu.
Number 5 walked towards the clan leader and gave it to him.
Hwang Gu asked the clan head to let him see which Gu worm it was.
"Oh, to think it is the breath concealment gu worm," said Hwang Gu. He also explained its mechanism and that caused most of them to look at it as if was a worthless gu that could only be used for evil purposes.
"But its aura is very faint, as if near death", said Hwang Gu.
He wasn't wrong about it, the gu worm died of starvation in the clan head's hands.
During the whole time, Fang Zeng did not show an expression but was more devastated about this than anyone else, This guy was perfect for someone who knew their growth speed would be abnormally fast and wanted to stay unnoticed.
I realized I wasn't as lucky as I thought.
...
"We have already brought our food, let's eat and take some rest, all of you," said Clan head. They all ate and slept, except for one who was watching guard.
...
By this time, the Xuan Yuan Divine Pheasant had left.
After taking some rest, we set out for Bai Gu Mountain. As we were ascending, a group of people flew past us in the sky. The view from above was vastly different from what we had seen on the ground. The world below us appeared to shrink, transforming into a miniature model of villages, forests, rivers, and mountains.
We marveled at the vast expanse of the landscape unfolding beneath us, with a bird's eye view of the topography of the world. The hustle and bustle of village life became distant, replaced by the serene quiet of the sky.
We witnessed the grandeur of nature, from the majestic mountain ranges to the meandering rivers. The patchwork of fields, forests, and urban areas looked like a living map.
The sky around us was an endless expanse of dark blue, with clouds resembling fluffy white islands. We even flew through clouds, experiencing their misty, ethereal quality.
Above all, I felt a sense of freedom and exhilaration, coupled with a newfound appreciation for the beauty and vastness of this planet. It was a unique and unforgettable experience.
Finally, we reached the top of Bai Gu Mountain.
