Chapter 2: Awakening
The sound of wooden clappers echoed through Gu Yue Village before dawn, their sharp rhythm spreading along the quiet paths and reaching the tall bamboo houses built upon thick wooden pillars.
Gu Yue Fang Ming opened his eyes at once, though he had barely slept through the night. His body was still young and mortal, and without cultivation, primeval essence, or Gu to support him, a sleepless night still left heaviness in his head and dryness in his eyes. Yet the moment he woke, that exhaustion was pushed aside.
Today was the Awakening Ceremony.
The day that would decide his starting point in this world.
The day he had to take his first fortune.
Fang Ming sat up from his wooden bed and looked around the simple room. There were no expensive decorations, no servant waiting outside his door, and no special treatment prepared by some ambitious family. His uncle's house was decent, but it was only decent.
He dressed himself quietly without lighting the lamp, moving beneath the dark-blue sky that still hung between night and morning. The rain from last night had stopped, leaving the air wet and cold, and a faint scent of soil, bamboo, and mountain flowers drifted in through the cracks of the window.
He moved lightly, avoiding unnecessary noise.
Not because he feared being stopped by care or concern.
His relationship with his uncle's family had never been warm enough for that. His uncle and aunt had taken him in because the clan required them to care for an orphaned relative. They did not mistreat him, but they did not treat him with much affection either. Fang Ming kept a respectful and bland relationship with them, and that was enough.
Today, he simply did not want unnecessary questions or delays.
After stepping outside, Fang Ming found the mountain village before dawn wrapped in silence. The houses stood upon pillars, connected by paths that followed the uneven terrain, while mist floated low between buildings and faint lights burned in a few distant homes.
He lowered his head and walked toward the area where the Fang brothers lived.
His target was not Fang Yuan.
It was Fang Zheng.
The younger twin brother who had always been buried beneath Fang Yuan's shadow, the youth who would soon awaken A-grade aptitude, and the first ladder Fang Ming had to climb if he wanted to rise quickly in this world.
As Fang Ming walked, his mind remained calm.
The greatest uncertainty was still time.
If copying A-grade aptitude required only a short while, everything would be simple. If it required longer, he would have to begin before the ceremony and remain close to Fang Zheng for as long as possible.
Advanced Copy Gu's requirement was clear.
Within 1 meter.
A distance easy to reach for a moment, but not easy to maintain naturally for a long time.
When Fang Ming reached a bend in the road, he slowed his footsteps. From this position, he could see the path leading out from the Fang brothers' residence, but he did not stand directly in front of it. That would be too obvious.
Instead, he leaned beside a bamboo railing and pretended to adjust his clothes, looking like any nervous youth waiting on the day of awakening while time passed slowly and the sky brightened little by little.
At last, the door of the Fang brothers' house opened.
2 youths walked out.
The one in front had a calm expression and moved with steps that were neither hurried nor slow. He looked young, but there was a strange stillness around him, as if nothing in the world before him could truly move his heart.
Gu Yue Fang Yuan.
Seeing him so close did not make Fang Ming nervous.
Instead, faint excitement rose in his chest.
This was the old demon who would one day overturn mountains, clans, blessed lands, and even Fate Gu itself. He was still only a 15-year-old mortal youth right now, with no cultivation and no Gu, but the soul inside that body had crossed 500 years of blood, loss, schemes, and failure.
To stand at the same starting point as such a formidable existence was rare enough.
To compete with him from here was even more interesting.
Behind Fang Yuan walked Fang Zheng. His head was slightly lowered, and dark circles rested under his eyes. Compared with his elder brother, he looked nervous, tense, and much easier to approach.
Fang Ming moved only after the brothers came closer, stepping onto the path as if they had simply met by coincidence.
"Fang Yuan. Fang Zheng," he greeted.
Fang Yuan's eyes turned toward him.
For a split second, Fang Ming felt it.
Killing intent.
It was extremely faint, appearing and disappearing almost as soon as it was born. An ordinary youth would never have noticed it, and even many Gu Masters might have missed it if they were not paying attention.
But Fang Ming sensed it clearly.
His gaze shifted from Fang Zheng to Fang Yuan, and curiosity appeared in his eyes.
Why?
He had not changed anything yet.
He had not copied Fang Zheng's aptitude, had not revealed abnormal knowledge, had not interfered with Fang Yuan's plans, and had not even stepped onto the cultivation path.
So where did that malice come from?
Fang Ming did not dwell on it outwardly. He greeted Fang Yuan as if nothing had happened, then naturally turned his attention back to Fang Zheng.
Fang Zheng raised his head and nodded politely. "Fang Ming. You are going early too?"
"Who could sleep today?" Fang Ming gave a faint smile and stepped closer to him. "Let's go together."
Fang Zheng did not refuse.
There was no reason to.
They were both youths of the Gu Yue clan, the same age, and heading to the same ceremony. Walking together was completely ordinary.
Fang Yuan glanced at Fang Ming once more, then looked away without speaking.
His mouth curved slightly.
That killing intent had appeared for only a split second, so faint that an ordinary youth would never have noticed it. Yet Fang Ming had sensed it clearly, identified the source, and then continued acting as if nothing had happened.
As expected of the future Eagles Overlord.
In Fang Yuan's previous life, Fang Ming had not been an ordinary Gu Yue clansman.
He had been the other Gu Immortal from Gu Yue Village.
Not only that, Fang Ming had later become a truly formidable demonic immortal. He once killed Feng Judge, the acknowledged strongest Rank 7, and seized that title for himself. Later, he advanced to Rank 8 and was repeatedly chased by Heavenly Court across the world.
Fang Ming offended forces across all 5 regions, robbing, provoking, and ruining plans everywhere he went. Yet because of his Rank 8 cultivation and formidable battle strength even among Rank 8 Gu Immortals, most forces did not dare retaliate openly.
He was restless.
Lawless.
Unrepentant.
Even when Heavenly Court and Central Continent offered peace and forgiveness, Fang Ming did not repent. Instead, he used that opportunity to infiltrate Spirit Affinity House and attempted to seize a Rank 9 Gu.
He failed in the end.
But even failure did not erase the fact that he had dared to do it.
In Fang Yuan's previous life, Fang Yuan's own achievements were not small, but compared to a Rank 8 Gu Immortal like Fang Ming at that time, he had been far too weak.
What truly made Fang Yuan's heart stir was not Fang Ming himself, but the opportunities behind his rise.
Fang Ming had not reached Rank 8 solely through talent. He had relied on many opportunities, many inheritances, and many hidden gains. But this person was vile and careful. He did not reveal those opportunities, did not brag about them, and even wrote a misleading biography filled with wrong times, wrong locations, and false clues.
Fang Yuan had clues.
But not a map.
The killing intent just now had appeared because of greed.
A momentary thought: if Fang Ming died early, could those opportunities be seized?
But Fang Yuan suppressed the thought almost instantly.
Right now, he had no cultivation, no Gu, no primeval essence, and no strength to act freely. Fang Ming was still a mortal youth, and killing him now would not directly reveal the opportunities behind his future rise. It was more valuable to observe.
In this life, Fang Yuan would not waste time chasing unrealistic or naive goals.
He would wholeheartedly chase the peak.
And this time, he would leave Fang Ming far behind.
The 3 youths walked along the village path as dawn arrived and more youths appeared from different houses. Some came alone, while others moved in groups of 2 or 3, all heading toward the clan pavilion.
Fang Yuan walked slightly ahead.
Fang Ming and Fang Zheng lagged behind a little.
Fang Zheng glanced at Fang Yuan's back. "Big brother seems calm."
"He is a genius, and geniuses have always been different from the rest of us," Fang Ming said.
Fang Zheng lowered his head slightly.
Soon, whispers began to spread among the youths nearby. Some pointed out Fang Yuan, others mentioned the poems he had written when he was young, and a few quietly remarked that he looked proud. To them, arrogance seemed natural for someone expected to awaken A-grade aptitude.
The words were quiet, but not quiet enough.
Fang Zheng's shoulders lowered slightly when he heard them.
Fang Ming noticed it.
In the original story, this was Fang Zheng's cage. He lived beside a brother everyone praised, and the more others admired Fang Yuan, the smaller Fang Zheng felt. Yet Fang Ming knew the irony: the one being praised would soon awaken only C-grade aptitude, while the one lowering his head would become the clan's true hope.
And Fang Ming, walking beside him, was borrowing that same hope before the ceremony revealed it.
Advanced Copy Gu had already begun.
It stirred silently inside Fang Ming's body, its invisible power locked onto Fang Zheng's aptitude. Fang Ming could not see exact progress, nor could he know exactly how much time remained, but he could feel the process moving. The long walk through the village was useful. A good chunk had already been completed.
But it was still not enough.
Fang Ming adjusted his pace again and again, always keeping Fang Zheng at his side. Sometimes he slowed slightly, sometimes he stepped around another youth before Fang Zheng could be separated, and sometimes he answered Fang Zheng's nervous words with a short response, just enough to maintain the appearance of walking together.
Fang Yuan said very little, but Fang Ming could feel his gaze brush past him once or twice.
It was light and almost careless.
But Fang Ming did not believe in Fang Yuan's carelessness.
Outwardly, Fang Ming chatted with Fang Zheng like an ordinary clan youth.
Inwardly, he marked down Fang Yuan's earlier killing intent.
He would not ignore killing intent directed at him, especially not from someone like Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan was not an average person, not merely lucky, and not merely a strong brute. His planning, scheming, adaptability, and ruthlessness were all top notch. No ordinary person could destroy Fate Gu, turn against the venerables who thought they were using him, use them in return, and eventually become a venerable himself.
Fang Ming must have missed something.
Something had drawn Fang Yuan's attention earlier than expected.
He would have to find out what it was, and he would have to prepare to face Fang Yuan sooner than planned.
When they arrived at the square before the clan pavilion, over 100 youths had already gathered.
The clan pavilion stood at the center of Gu Yue Village, tall and solemn, with layered roofs rising above the square. Guards were stationed nearby, and the atmosphere was completely different from ordinary days. This place represented authority: the clan head, the elders, the rules, the punishments, the resources, and the future.
Fang Ming followed the crowd and remained beside Fang Zheng.
By now, Advanced Copy Gu's progress had already passed halfway.
Soon, the academy elder appeared before the youths. His hair and beard were white, but his back was straight and his eyes were bright. He spoke to the youths, telling them that today was their Awakening Ceremony, the turning point of their lives, and ordered them to follow him.
The youths quieted and entered the pavilion under the elder's lead.
Fang Ming walked close to Fang Zheng, almost shoulder to shoulder, as the air around them grew cooler. Instead of going upward, the group was led down a stone passage into the mountain's interior, and the youths around him began to murmur in surprise.
The underground cave opened before them like a hidden world beneath the village. Stalactites hung from above and reflected soft colors in the dim light, while damp air filled the passage and the stone beneath their feet carried a deep chill.
After some time, the group heard the faint sound of running water, and then the path opened before an underground river. The water gave off a faint blue glow in the darkness, and beyond the river lay a sea of moon orchids. Their soft blue and pink petals were shaped like crescent moons, and in the dim underground space, they looked like countless tiny lights spread across the earth.
This was the place of awakening.
It was also the foundation of Gu Yue Village.
The spirit spring supplied primeval stones, and primeval stones supported cultivation, Gu feeding, clan prosperity, and the entire structure of Gu Yue power on Qing Mao Mountain.
The academy elder stood before the river and began explaining the rules.
Each youth whose name was called would cross the river and walk into the flower sea. The farther one walked, the better one's aptitude.
The ceremony began.
The first youth stepped forward, crossed the shallow river, and walked into the flower field, only to stop after a few steps. He had no talent, and his face turned pale as he returned.
The second youth was no better, and the third followed with similarly poor results.
Some had no talent at all, while others managed only a short distance, barely enough to be counted as low aptitude. Every result changed a person's life. Youths who had been smiling moments before returned with empty eyes, while others clenched their fists and tried not to cry.
The Gu world did not comfort the weak.
Fang Ming watched quietly.
Advanced Copy Gu's progress was still moving, and after the descent into the cave, he could already feel that the copy was close to completion.
But close was not complete.
Then the academy elder announced Gu Yue Mo Bei's name.
A tall youth stepped out.
Mo Bei crossed the river and entered the moon orchid field, moving step after step as faint lights rose from the flowers and entered his body. He continued forward while the other youths watched with wide eyes, passing 10 steps, then 20, then 30 before finally stopping.
The academy elder's expression brightened as he announced that Gu Yue Mo Bei had B-grade aptitude.
The crowd stirred at once.
B-grade aptitude was already enough to be heavily nurtured, and as long as Mo Bei did not die early, becoming a Rank 3 Gu Master in the future was almost certain.
Fang Ming's eyes flickered slightly.
A single test result could change a youth's future immediately. If B-grade could cause such a reaction, A-grade would cause far more.
Advanced Copy Gu was even closer now.
The ceremony continued as more youths stepped forward. Some failed, some showed D-grade, and a few reached C-grade. The academy elder recorded everything with a calm expression, while the atmosphere among the youths shifted again and again.
Then another familiar name appeared.
Gu Yue Chi Chen.
A short youth walked out with a face tight from nervousness.
Fang Ming watched silently.
This result would be fake.
Chi Chen crossed the river and walked into the flower sea, drawing light from the moon orchids as he continued step after step until he reached the same level as Mo Bei.
The academy elder loudly announced that Gu Yue Chi Chen had B-grade aptitude, and another commotion rose among the youths.
Fang Ming remained calm.
The timeline was still mostly intact. Chi Chen's false B-grade result had appeared, which meant Fang Yuan's rebirth had not changed this part of the ceremony.
For now, Fang Ming himself was the greatest abnormality here.
The closer the ceremony came to the Fang brothers, the more delicate the situation became. Once Fang Yuan was called, Fang Zheng might move, and once Fang Zheng was called, the distance between them would break completely.
Fang Ming quietly shifted half a step closer, causing Fang Zheng to glance at him.
"Nervous?" Fang Ming asked with a faint smile.
Fang Zheng hesitated, then nodded. "A little."
"Everyone is nervous today."
Fang Zheng looked toward Fang Yuan's back. "Big brother seems calm."
"He is different," Fang Ming said.
Fang Zheng lowered his head again.
Advanced Copy Gu's progress was now very close to completion, but it still needed more time.
The academy elder continued calling more names until, finally, Gu Yue Fang Yuan was announced.
The cave quieted slightly as many youths turned their heads.
Fang Yuan had been famous for years. Before he had even opened his aperture, his name already carried the weight of poems, intelligence, early maturity, and clan expectations.
The elders were also watching.
Fang Yuan walked forward calmly.
Fang Ming did not look away.
Even though his target was Fang Zheng, he wanted to witness this moment.
Fang Yuan crossed the river and stepped into the moon orchid flower sea, moving forward step by step as light entered his body. His expression never changed, but after a certain distance, he stopped.
Silence spread through the cave.
The academy elder's expression shifted.
Gu Yue Fang Yuan, the genius praised by the clan for years, had only C-grade aptitude.
The youths reacted with shock. Some were stunned, some exchanged glances, and some seemed unable to believe what they had seen. Fang Zheng stared blankly, as if the older brother who had always stood like a mountain before him had suddenly fallen in the eyes of everyone.
Fang Ming watched Fang Yuan's reaction intently.
He wanted to see whether there would be even the slightest ripple.
Disappointment.
Anger.
Unwillingness.
Anything.
But there was nothing.
Fang Yuan returned from the flower sea with an indifferent expression, as if the result did not belong to him. His eyes were calm from beginning to end, without even a trace of disappointment.
Fang Ming's interest deepened.
As expected.
This was Fang Yuan.
The academy elder continued calling names, but Fang Ming no longer cared about the other results. Advanced Copy Gu was nearly finished. He could feel it clearly now, like a thin layer that only needed one final push to break.
Fang Zheng's breathing grew heavier.
After seeing Fang Yuan's result, his emotions were clearly in chaos. Shock, confusion, fear, and a faint hidden expectation mixed together.
Then the academy elder lifted the name list again.
"Gu Yue Fang Zheng."
Fang Zheng's body trembled.
The copy was almost complete.
Still not enough.
Fang Ming acted at once.
He reached out and patted Fang Zheng's back, his voice carrying friendly encouragement. "Go on, Fang Zheng. It is your turn."
The force was not heavy.
But Fang Zheng was already nervous, his legs stiff and his mind unsettled by Fang Yuan's result. Under Fang Ming's sudden encouragement, he stumbled forward.
Fang Ming immediately reached out and supported him.
"Careful."
Fang Zheng's face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Fang Ming held his arm and shoulder, looking as if he was checking whether Fang Zheng had twisted something. "Today is important. Do not force yourself if you hurt your leg."
The academy elder looked over and frowned. "What happened?"
Fang Ming replied quickly, "Elder, I encouraged him too suddenly. Fang Zheng stumbled. It was my mistake."
Some youths laughed quietly while others looked impatient.
Fang Zheng wanted to stand properly and move forward, but Fang Ming held him for one more breath.
Only one more breath.
Then Advanced Copy Gu completed its work.
A-grade aperture aptitude had been copied.
At that moment, Fang Ming felt something cold and bright spread through the depths of his body. It was neither pain nor pleasure, but more like a hidden foundation inside him had been silently replaced by something broader and deeper.
His body did not visibly change.
No light appeared.
No one noticed anything unusual.
Fang Ming's expression remained calm.
Success was expected.
Failure would not have meant much either. If he failed here, he could copy Fang Zheng's aptitude later after academy classes started. At worst, he would have to adjust his plans, act like an ordinary talent for a while, and cultivate faster in secret after copying the aptitude later.
The real difference was resource allocation.
If he succeeded now, he would receive clan investment immediately.
If he succeeded later, he would have to work for those resources himself, perhaps by copying a Gu, pretending to obtain it from the gambling den, and selling it for primeval stones.
So there was no great joy to be had.
He had merely saved himself 1 or 2 copy chances and avoided extra trouble.
Fang Ming released Fang Zheng and helped him stand properly.
"Sorry," Fang Ming said again. "I used too much strength."
Fang Zheng shook his head, still embarrassed. "It is fine."
The academy elder waved his sleeve. "Proceed."
Fang Zheng took a breath and walked across the river.
Fang Ming stood behind him, lowering his eyes slightly.
His first step in the Gu world had succeeded.
Fang Zheng entered the moon orchid flower sea.
Light rose from the flowers as he walked forward.
1 step became 2, then 10, then 20, then 30. The youths' expressions changed, and the academy elder's eyes widened as Fang Zheng continued walking.
The cave became silent.
Even the faint sound of the underground river seemed to grow distant.
Finally, Fang Zheng stopped.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then the academy elder's voice rang out, unable to hide the joy inside it as he announced Gu Yue Fang Zheng's result.
A-grade aptitude.
The words struck the cave like a stone dropped into still water, sending waves through every heart present. The youths stared at Fang Zheng with envy, shock, and disbelief, because only moments ago he had merely been Fang Yuan's timid younger brother. Now, in the eyes of the clan, his value had surpassed everyone here.
Fang Yuan showed no reaction whatsoever.
It was as if Fang Zheng's A-grade talent meant nothing.
Fang Ming, however, looked at Fang Zheng with genuine pity.
Fang Zheng was truly pitiful.
His whole life had been controlled, manipulated, or arranged to be controlled. He barely had moments where he truly expressed his own desires. Most of his goals were inserted into him by others, then shaped until he believed those goals were his own.
The girl he loved used him.
The clan he cherished used him.
His adoptive parents used him.
His whole clan was killed by his brother.
And that was only the better half of his life.
Later, even after becoming a Gu Immortal, Fang Zheng still had no real freedom or rights. He was still a tool, still a weapon prepared to deal with Fang Yuan.
In Fang Ming's view, A-grade talent was not a blessing for Fang Zheng.
It was a curse.
Someone like Fang Zheng might have been happier living as an ordinary C-grade Gu Master and dying with the village.
A sentence from Fang Ming's past life surfaced in his mind.
Not everyone can bear the weight of the crown.
A-grade talent was a crown, and Fang Zheng clearly could not bear its weight.
In the darkness where the clan elders watched, the atmosphere had already exploded.
One elder said that Fang Zheng's parents had old ties to his branch and that it would only be proper for them to help guide the child. Another immediately sneered, asking whether that branch could even supply its current juniors properly, let alone an A-grade seedling. A third elder snapped that Fang Zheng was a child of the Gu Yue clan, not private property for old men to divide.
Their earlier solemn bearing had vanished completely.
Before A-grade talent, face and manners could be thrown aside.
A-grade aptitude meant the possibility of a future Rank 4, and a future Rank 4 meant authority, resources, and decades of influence. Whoever raised Fang Zheng would gain more than a disciple.
They would gain a pillar.
Gu Yue Bo, the clan head, watched Fang Zheng standing in the flower sea with a light in his eyes that was difficult to hide. Finally, he spoke, pressing down the argument.
The elders quieted, unwilling but cautious.
Gu Yue Bo's gaze swept across them as he declared that Fang Zheng's aptitude was the fortune of the entire clan and that such a seedling could not be casually handed to any one branch.
When an elder's expression changed and asked what he meant, Gu Yue Bo stated that he would personally sponsor Fang Zheng's cultivation. The clan would provide his resources, and he would supervise Fang Zheng's progress.
The elders' faces turned ugly.
This was robbery in the name of righteousness.
Yet no one could refute him easily.
Gu Yue Bo was the clan head, and his words stood on the highest ground. If they continued fighting too fiercely, it would appear as though they valued private benefit above the clan's future.
In the end, they could only swallow their dissatisfaction.
Below, Fang Zheng returned from the flower sea in a daze.
The academy elder's attitude toward him had changed completely, becoming gentle and encouraging.
Fang Ming stood among the youths and watched silently.
The result was expected.
Fang Zheng had been taken by the clan head.
Now came the next part.
The academy elder looked at the name list again.
"Gu Yue Fang Ming."
Several youths turned their heads.
Fang Ming was not famous like Fang Yuan, nor pitied like Fang Zheng. Before today, he had been one of many ordinary clan youths. Some recognized his face, but few had any deep impression of him.
Fang Ming stepped forward calmly.
He walked with confidence because he knew very well that he now had A-grade aptitude. After all, this was only a small power of a Rank 9 Gu.
But his thoughts were elsewhere.
What attitude should he adopt from now on?
A friendly and obedient attitude would gain good early investment, but Fang Zheng had already taken that role. More importantly, that kind of role was best suited for the next clan head candidate. Gu Yue Bo had already taken Fang Zheng, and the clan elders would not allow him to sponsor Fang Ming as well.
What about arrogance?
An arrogant attitude of looking down on others was not a bad choice.
In the short term, he might lose more than he gained, but in the long term, especially at critical moments, it would give him room to act unscrupulously, snatch benefits, or do outrageous things without shocking the clan too much.
A good person who stole once would have the whole village pointing fingers at him.
A thief who always stole was simply doing what everyone expected. If that same thief suddenly changed and acted good, the whole village might even rush to congratulate him, hoping he would not go back to stealing.
That was the logic.
Choosing an attitude at this point was crucial.
Did he want better early investment but more control and suppression, or less early support but a future way to escape blame through a bad reputation?
Fang Ming did not decide completely yet.
But the thought had already taken root.
He crossed the shallow river, feeling cold water brush against his legs, and then stepped into the moon orchid flower sea.
Soft white light rose from the flowers and entered his body as he moved forward. Fang Ming felt an invisible pressure blocking the path ahead, but compared with what an ordinary youth would face, this pressure was not difficult to resist.
Within his body, the newly obtained aptitude responded naturally, drawing in the light with ease.
He passed 10 steps, then 20.
By the time he reached 30, the academy elder's eyes had widened, and the surrounding youths had begun whispering.
Fang Ming continued forward under everyone's gaze.
The pressure grew heavier, but his steps did not stop immediately. He walked until he reached the same depth as Fang Zheng, and only then did his body halt.
For a breath, there was no sound in the cave.
Then the academy elder's voice trembled with excitement as he announced Gu Yue Fang Ming's result.
A-grade aptitude.
The cave erupted.
If Fang Zheng's result was a blessing from the ancestors, then Fang Ming's result was enough to make people wonder whether the ancestors had gone mad with generosity.
2 A-grade talents had appeared in the same Awakening Ceremony.
The youths looked at Fang Ming as though they no longer recognized him.
Fang Zheng also stared blankly, his earlier confusion growing even deeper.
Fang Yuan's gaze settled on Fang Ming.
He showed no outward reaction.
In his previous life, Fang Ming had also awakened A-grade aptitude. Nothing had changed from his remembered timeline.
What Fang Yuan did not know was that Fang Ming had already transmigrated to the Gu world in that previous life as well and had possessed Advanced Copy Gu then too.
And the current Fang Ming had no memory of that previous self.
To Fang Yuan, Fang Ming was simply following the same beginning as the future Eagles Overlord.
In the darkness, the elders lost control again.
Another A-grade had appeared.
Gu Yue Bo's gaze burned hot once more, but this time he did not immediately speak. He had already taken Fang Zheng under the clan head's sponsorship. If he tried to take Fang Ming as well, the other factions would never accept it.
The elders understood this too.
Fang Zheng had already been claimed, but Fang Ming was different. He had no parents, no strong backer, and no faction protecting him. To the elders, this meant he was easier to absorb, easier to guide, and easier to bind early.
Very quickly, several factions began competing.
Some promised monthly primeval stones. Others promised cultivation materials, Gu worm support after he reached higher stages, and future arrangements once he left the academy. Some even spoke of Rank 2 Gu when Fang Ming reached Rank 2, or Rank 3 Gu if he showed enough achievement in the future.
Of course, promises were only promises.
Even if an elder promised a Rank 2 Gu, that did not mean Fang Ming would receive it the moment he reached Rank 2. It could be delayed for years under all kinds of proper reasons. A promise made in front of the clan head and the elders was still useful, but the timing, method, and final form of delivery could all be adjusted later.
That was politics.
The Shi faction was the most determined.
Compared with the Mo faction, they had more reason to move urgently. The Mo faction had Mo Bei, a real B-grade heir who could support their future structure. The Shi faction's situation was different. Their own heir's aptitude was not clean, and sooner or later, they would need someone strong enough to stand at the front.
Fang Ming was an A-grade orphan with no powerful backing.
To them, he was not only a talent.
He was insurance.
The Mo faction was also interested, but not desperate enough to pay any price. After a round of private bargaining, the Shi faction offered several businesses and inns to the Mo faction, along with some resource interests, persuading them to stop competing.
These benefits were not for Fang Ming.
They were the price paid to make the Mo faction back off.
As for the promises made for Fang Ming's future nurturing, those were discussed among the elders and recorded under proper clan arrangements. Fang Ming himself had no say in any of it, nor would anyone explain every term to him. A youth who had just awakened A-grade aptitude did not choose his sponsor. The factions chose, negotiated, compromised, and then informed him of the result.
Below, Fang Ming returned from the flower sea.
Not long after, he was summoned forward.
An elder from the Shi faction looked at him with a gentle expression and spoke in an encouraging tone, telling him that from now on, the Shi faction would sponsor his cultivation with 30 primeval stones every month. After he graduated from the academy, they would also help find a suitable team to take him in. If his advancement and achievements were good enough, the faction would naturally reward him generously.
On the surface, this sounded like encouragement.
For a newly awakened youth, 30 primeval stones every month sounded generous.
Fang Ming's face immediately showed happiness. He cupped his hands properly and expressed his gratitude, appearing like a young man who had suddenly received great favor and did not know how to hide his joy.
But inwardly, his heart sank.
Not enough.
Not even close.
He had expected much more.
Forget Gu worm support, which the Shi faction had not even mentioned directly. Even the primeval stone support was far below what he had imagined. 30 primeval stones a month might sound generous to an ordinary student, but to Fang Ming, who wanted to break through quickly, it was a joke.
Cultivation required primeval stones.
Breaking through required even more.
It was not as simple as spending 100 primeval stones for each small stage and instantly advancing. Before every breakthrough, the aperture walls had to be tempered again and again until they reached the point where a breakthrough could be attempted. If Fang Ming waited for his aperture to recover naturally each time, he could save primeval stones, but the process would become too slow. If he wanted speed, he had to use primeval stones to recover faster, temper the aperture more frequently, and force his cultivation forward without delay.
Even after the aperture walls were tempered enough, the breakthrough attempt itself still required a reserve. To move from one small stage to the next, he would need enough primeval stones to support the tempering process first, then roughly another 100 primeval stones or more to safely attempt the breakthrough.
That meant each stage was not cheap at all.
If Fang Ming wanted to advance quickly from Rank 1 initial stage to Rank 2 before graduating from the academy, he estimated that even with A-grade aptitude, he would still need around 1,500 primeval stones. This was already a reduced estimate after considering his better aptitude and the fact that he planned to copy Fang Yuan's Liquor Worm later. Without such advantages, the cost would only be higher.
Fang Yuan was the clearest comparison.
Fang Yuan had C-grade aptitude, but he had the Liquor Worm, 500 years of experience, and an extremely efficient use of resources. Even so, from Rank 1 to Rank 2, he spent more than 3,000 primeval stones in total. Around 500 primeval stones were used just to break through to Rank 2 within 3 days, while roughly 2,500 primeval stones had been consumed to reach that point.
Fang Yuan's income was high he could afford that consumption.
He robbed around 50 classmates, taking 1 primeval stone from each of them every week. In 1 year, that alone was:
50 × 1 × 52 = 2,600 primeval stones.
On top of that, he received academy rewards. The refinement reward, the Rank 1 middle-stage reward, and the boar-hunting reward together gave him around 100 primeval stones.
His weekly allowance was 3 primeval stones per week, which made:
3 × 52 = 156 primeval stones in 1 year.
Adding these together:
2,600 + 100 + 156 = 2,856 primeval stones.
And by the time Fang Yuan actually broke through, he had already become a Gu Master undertaking missions, giving him even more income.
Compared with that, what was 30 primeval stones a month?
In 1 year, it was only 360 primeval stones.
Even if he added the academy's weekly allowance, that was still far from enough. The Shi faction's support was not enough to push him quickly to Rank 2. It was only enough to let him cultivate steadily, slowly, and obediently.
That was exactly the problem.
They wanted steady.
Fang Ming wanted fast.
The Shi faction was not truly trying to help him break through as quickly as possible. They wanted to slow the pace, bind him with relationships, reward him little by little, and make him feel grateful each time they gave him something that should have been part of standard investment for an A-grade talent.
A gift given late could feel more precious than a duty given on time.
Fang Ming saw through this immediately.
The Shi faction wanted to play a long game.
Offer a little.
Hold back more.
Wait for him to rely on them.
Then, when they finally gave Gu worms, team arrangements, or better resources, he would feel that they had treated him generously.
Unfortunately, there was no long game here.
Qing Mao Mountain would be destroyed soon.
Fang Ming did not have years to slowly become their grateful subordinate.
He needed a way out of this encirclement.
Advanced Copy Gu could help him earn primeval stones. If Fang Ming wanted, he could use his next copy chance to copy a valuable Gu, then find a way to sell it later. Even a decent Rank 1 Gu could bring him a few hundred primeval stones, enough to ease his current pressure.
But Fang Ming was extremely reluctant to use Advanced Copy Gu this way.
There were too many valuable talents in Fang Yuan's arsenal.
Fang Yuan's flying master attainment alone was more valuable than a Rank 3 Gu, perhaps even more valuable than some Rank 4 Gu. As for refinement master attainment, its value was even greater. In Fang Ming's eyes, it was better than a Rank 5 Gu.
After all, Fang Yuan had relied on his refinement ability to refine Immortal Gu twice while still a mortal.
To make Fang Ming give up such talents just to copy a Gu and sell it to the caravan for 500+ primeval stones was really hard. It was like forcing him to buy a piece of cheese with a kilogram of gold.