Chapter 6 The Road Ahead Will Be Brilliant
The aperture was extraordinarily profound and mysterious. Though situated within Fang Yuan’s body, it existed in a separate space from the internal organs. One could say it was infinitely vast, yet infinitely small.
Some called it the Purple Mansion, others the Flowery Pool. But most knew it as the Primordial Sea Aperture.
The entire aperture was spherical. A layer of white light flowed across its surface—a membrane of light. This was the condensed radiance from the burst of the Hope Gu earlier.
It was this light membrane that supported the aperture, preventing it from collapsing.
Naturally, within the aperture lay the Primordial Sea.
The sea’s surface was smooth as a mirror, presenting a deep azure hue, yet it was incredibly viscous, with a luster resembling bronze.
This was the manifestation of the Bronze True Essence—commonly called the Bronze Sea—unique to Rank One Gu Masters.
The sea level was less than half the aperture’s height, only forty-four percent. This was the limitation of a Rank C aptitude.
Every drop of seawater was True Essence, representing the condensation of Fang Yuan’s vital spirit and the accumulated life potential from his fifteen years of existence.
It was with this True Essence that Gu Masters fueled their Gu. From this moment onward, Fang Yuan had officially stepped into the ranks of a Rank One Gu Master.
The aperture had opened, and no more Hope Gu flowed into Fang Yuan’s body.
Fang Yuan withdrew his focus, feeling an immense pressure ahead like a thick wall, preventing further progress.
"Just like my previous life," he thought with a faint smile at the outcome.
"Can’t you go any further?" the Academy Elder shouted from across the river, clinging to a sliver of hope.
Fang Yuan turned and began walking back, answering with his actions.
Even the surrounding youths now understood what had happened.
A wave of murmurs erupted, like a beehive set abuzz.
"What? Fang Yuan only took twenty-seven steps?"
"So he only has a Rank C aptitude?!"
"How is that possible? Someone so talented, only Rank C?"
The crowd erupted in turmoil.
"Brother…" Gu Yue Fang Zheng looked up among the crowd, staring in disbelief at Fang Yuan as he waded back through the river. He couldn’t believe it—his brother was merely Rank C?
He had always thought his brother would be Rank A.
No, not just him—his uncle, aunt, and many in the clan had believed so too.
But now, this was the result!
"Damn it, only Rank C!" The Gu Yue Clan Leader clenched his fists, sighing deeply, his disappointment plain to see.
The elders observing in secret frowned, whispered among themselves, or sighed toward the sky.
"Could the test be wrong?"
"Impossible. This method is flawless, and with us watching, cheating is out of the question."
"Then how do you explain his previous performance and talent?"
"Higher aptitude in the Primordial Sea does manifest traits beyond the ordinary—intelligence, comprehension, memory, strength, agility. But conversely, possessing these traits doesn’t guarantee high aptitude. The test results are definitive."
"Sigh, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. The Gu Yue Clan declines with each generation."
…
The icy river soaked through his socks, chilling him to the bone.
Fang Yuan walked on, expressionless. As he drew closer, he could clearly see the Academy Elder’s solemn face and keenly sense the gazes of over a hundred youths.
Their gazes held shock, disbelief, mockery, schadenfreude, realization, and cold indifference.
The identical scene made Fang Yuan recall his previous life.
Back then, he had felt the sky collapse. He had stumbled while crossing the river, soaked through, his spirit crushed. No one had lent him a hand.
Those expressions of disappointment and indifference had been like blades flaying his heart. His thoughts were in chaos, his chest aching faintly.
It was like falling from the clouds—the higher you stood, the harder the fall.
But this time.
Facing the same scene once more, Fang Yuan’s heart was utterly calm.
He remembered the legend: when adversity comes, entrust your heart to hope.
Now, that hope resided within him. Though small, it was better than having no cultivation aptitude at all.
Let others be disappointed—what of it?
What did their disappointment matter to him? The important thing was to hold onto hope within his own heart!
Five hundred years of existence had taught him one truth: the brilliance of one’s life lies in the pursuit of one’s dreams. One need not demand that others remain un-disappointed or fond.
Walk your own path, and let others be disappointed or dislike it!
"Sigh…" The Academy Elder sighed deeply and called out, "Next, Gu Yue Fang Zheng."
No one answered.
"Gu Yue Fang Zheng!" the elder shouted, his voice echoing in the cave.
"Ah? I'm here, I'm here!" Fang Zheng snapped out of his daze and hurried forward. Unfortunately, he stumbled, falling headlong with a splash right into the river.
Laughter erupted from the crowd.
"The Fang brothers are nothing special," the Gu Yue Clan Leader scoffed, now annoyed with Gu Yue Fang Zheng as well.
"This is so embarrassing!" Fang Zheng thrashed in the water, but the riverbed was slippery, and he couldn’t stand up. His efforts only made him look more clumsy. The laughter around him grew louder, making him increasingly panicked.
But then, he suddenly felt a powerful grip pull him up. His head broke the surface, and he regained his balance.
Wiping his face awkwardly, he saw his brother Fang Yuan lifting him by the collar.
"Bro…" He opened his mouth to speak, but instead choked on water, triggering a violent coughing fit.
"Ha! The Fang brothers, a pair of misfits!" someone on the shore mocked.
The laughter grew even louder. The Academy Elder did not intervene, his brow furrowed deeply, filled with disappointment.
Fang Zheng, at a loss, heard his brother’s voice by his ear: "Go ahead. The road ahead will be exciting."
Fang Zheng’s mouth gaped in surprise. Fang Yuan had his back to the crowd, so no one on the shore could see clearly. But Fang Zheng could clearly sense Fang Yuan’s calmness—even a subtle smile playing at the corner of his lips, hinting at a profound amusement.
"With only a Rank C aptitude, why is Brother so calm?" Fang Zheng’s heart was filled with doubt.
Fang Yuan said no more. He patted Fang Zheng’s back and turned to leave.
Fang Zheng, dazed, walked toward the sea of flowers.
"I can’t believe Brother is so calm. If it were me, I’d probably…" He walked forward unconsciously, head lowered. He didn’t realize he was about to perform a miracle.
By the time he came to his senses, he was standing deep within the flower sea, at a distance no one had reached before.
Forty-three steps!
"Heavens! Rank A aptitude!!!" the Academy Elder cried out, losing his composure.
"Rank A? It’s actually Rank A?!"
"Three years—the Gu Yue Clan has finally produced another Rank A genius!"
The elders observing in secret also shouted in unison, abandoning all decorum.
"Hmm, the Fang branch originally split off from our Crimson lineage. This Gu Yue Fang Zheng will be adopted by our Crimson lineage," Gu Yue Chelian announced immediately.
"Nonsense! What right do you have, old ghost Chelian, with your knack for misleading the young? This child should be entrusted to me, Gu Yue Mochen," Gu Yue Mochen roared as if electrified.
"No one else will compete. No one can nurture this child better than I, the Clan Leader, personally. Anyone who objects is opposing me, Gu Yue Bo!" the Gu Yue Clan Leader shouted, his eyes red, all traces of his earlier disappointment and dejection replaced by a manic intensity.
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