The morning sun climbed over the green mountains, casting golden light over Gu Yue Village.
The entire village was bustling with noise and excitement. Today was the most important day of the year—the Awakening Ceremony, where every thirteen-year-old youth would test their aptitude and decide whether they could step onto the path of a Gu Master.
In the square, crowds of people gathered. The clan leader, elders, and all the important figures of the village sat in the front seats, their eyes fixed on the youths lined up neatly in the center of the square.
Among them was Gu Yue Fang Yuan.
He stood quietly at the back of the line, his posture relaxed, his expression calm. Compared to the other teenagers around him—who were either nervous, excited, or expectant—Fang Yuan seemed completely out of place.
To others, he looked just like a quiet, somewhat withdrawn boy. But only Fang Yuan himself knew that inside this young body lived a soul that had lived for five hundred years, a soul that had once dominated the world and killed like crazy.
"Next, Gu Yue Hua!"
"Gu Yue Li!"
"Gu Yue Wang!"
One by one, the teenagers stepped forward. Under the gaze of the crowd, they placed their hands on the stone test platform. The light of Hope Gu, Diligence Gu, and Wisdom Gu bloomed, revealing their aptitude.
Most of them were C-grade or D-grade, with only a few reaching B-grade. Every time a B-grade appeared, the crowd would whisper in admiration, and the elders' eyes would light up slightly.
But none of them could compare to the legendary A-grade aptitude.
"Trash, all trash." An elder stroked his beard and sighed softly. "Three years without a single A-grade genius. If this continues, my Gu Yue Clan will be surpassed by the Bai and Xiong clans sooner or later."
Everyone knew what he meant. Bai Ning Bing, the A-grade genius of the Bai Clan, had already become a nightmare hanging over Gu Yue Village.
Finally, it was Fang Yuan's turn.
In an instant, all eyes in the square focused on him.
The clan leader sat up straight, his eyes full of expectation. The elders all stared intently, their hearts filled with anticipation and competition. Even the other teenagers looked at him with envy and admiration.
After all, Fang Yuan's early wisdom was famous throughout the village. He spoke at three months, walked at four months, and composed poems at five. Everyone believed that he would at least be a B-grade, and might even be the long-awaited A-grade genius.
Under countless gazes, Fang Yuan stepped forward slowly.
He stretched out his right hand and placed it gently on the cold test platform.
Buzz——
The three Gu worms on the stone platform trembled at the same time. A soft white light rose up, wrapping around Fang Yuan's palm.
One breath, two breaths, three breaths...
The light was stable, but there was no brilliant vision, no surging vitality, no earth-shaking phenomenon.
The clan leader's smile froze.
The elders' expressions changed slightly.
The crowd whispered in confusion.
After a moment, the light dissipated, and two clear characters emerged on the test platform:
B-grade.
B-grade aptitude.
Not A-grade, only B-grade.
A wave of disappointment spread through the crowd.
The clan leader sighed softly, his eyes dimmed a little. The elders also looked away, their competitive hearts cooling down rapidly. Although B-grade was good, it was not worth fighting over desperately.
"Only B-grade... What a pity."
"Such a talented boy, but his aptitude is only B-grade."
"Without A-grade, it's impossible to compete with Bai Ning Bing."
The whispers entered Fang Yuan's ears, but he did not care at all.
On the contrary, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
B-grade.
Exactly the same as his previous life.
He had never expected to change his aptitude. Aptitude was determined by heaven and earth, and even five hundred years of experience could not easily reverse it. But for Fang Yuan, aptitude was never a problem.
In his previous life, he started with B-grade and still reached the peak of the world, making all the proud sons of heaven bow their heads.
In this life, with five hundred years of wisdom and memories, B-grade aptitude was more than enough.
"Aptitude is shallow, but the road is long." Fang Yuan whispered to himself, his eyes deep and calm.
The so-called geniuses who relied on aptitude were just stepping stones on his path.
Bai Ning Bing?
A-grade aptitude?
In front of the five-hundred-year-old demon, everything was meaningless.
Fang Yuan slowly withdrew his hand, turned around, and walked back to the queue without looking back.
His thin back was straight, like a sharp sword hidden in its sheath, waiting for the day it would be unsheathed and shock the world.
The Awakening Ceremony continued, but for Fang Yuan, it was already over.
His real journey had just begun.
The road of cultivating Gu, seeking longevity, reversing time, and dominating the world—
From this moment on, he would take it step by step.