"Author's Note: Sorry if there are any mistakes or unclear words, as my primary language is not English. I used ChatGPT to translate.
1. In your opinion, which Path is best paired with Illusion Path?
Is Wind Path a good match, or is there a better option?"
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After leaving the aperture awakening site, Xiong Huanxian took a deep breath. The cold air of Qingmao Mountain touched his face, as if pulling him out of the mystical experience at the spiritual spring. Inside his body, the aperture that had just been formed felt like an empty space waiting to be filled—a symbol of the beginning of his journey as a Gu Master.
Huanxian lifted his head, his eyes catching sight of two figures that were drawing the attention of many in the distance. Xiong Fengzhi and Xiong Menglan, two names just announced as having B-grade talents, walked out of the cave with confident strides.
They were surrounded by a small crowd, busy whispering and praising.
"B-grade talent, impressive! Their futures are certainly bright." "Xiong Fengzhi will surely become one of the pillars of the Xiong Clan in the future." "And Xiong Menglan! Such a talented young woman. I heard she's been trained since childhood by her family."
Huanxian stood still, observing from afar. Xiong Fengzhi, with his arrogant smile, walked like a winner. His posture was erect, and his eyes radiated confidence that the world was at his feet. Meanwhile, Xiong Menglan, though quieter, still exuded an undeniable aura of self-assurance.
The two of them seemed like stars shining brightly in the darkness among the other children.
Huanxian sighed. Among the crowd, he was nothing more than a barely noticeable shadow. "C-grade talent... The will of heaven truly does not favor me," he thought to himself.
Yet, behind those thoughts, there was no deep envy. Instead, a determination slowly burned within him.
"Let them shine now. Their time is limited. I, who have come from another world, will prove that talent is only the beginning. It is struggle that determines the end."
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That afternoon, Huanxian returned to his humble home. Inside, Aunt Mei was preparing a meal with care. The woman greeted him with a warm smile as usual.
"How was your ceremony, child?" she asked softly, though her face showed concern.
Huanxian only gave a small smile. "C," he answered briefly.
Aunt Mei paused for a moment before nodding. "That's still good, child. Don't be discouraged. What's important is how hard you try."
Her simple words were like a balm for Huanxian's mind. Although he knew that the reality of this world was far harsher than what Aunt Mei had said, he still appreciated her good intentions.
"Thank you, Aunt Mei," he said as he sat down. His eyes gazed out the window, toward the magnificent and mysterious Qingmao Mountain.
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That night, after dinner, Huanxian sat alone in his small room. He closed his eyes and focused his mind inward.
That night, Huanxian sat on his simple wooden bed. With his eyes closed, he concentrated to feel his new aperture. Slowly, his consciousness entered the mysterious space that had just opened within his body.
The aperture was strange and abnormal. Although it was inside his body, it seemed to exist in another dimension, separate from his real organs. One could say the aperture was very large, yet at the same time, very small.
Inside it, Huanxian saw his Primordial Sea for the first time.
The sea was incredibly calm, its surface as smooth as a mirror. The color was a bluish-green, but with a solid gleam like bronze. This was not ordinary water; it was the essence of a first-level Gu Master, known as the Green Copper Sea.
However, the height of the sea's surface was only a little more than half of the aperture's opening—about 57% of its total area. Huanxian knew that this symbolized a C-grade talent.
He slowly opened his eyes, taking a deep breath. "So, this is my talent," he murmured, his voice calm but with a hint of disappointment hidden beneath it.
After examining his aperture, Huanxian stood up from his sitting position. With slow steps, he walked toward the wooden table in the corner of the room. There, an old book lay on the surface, its cover beginning to fade with age, yet the title was still clearly visible: Legend of Ren Zu.
Huanxian carefully picked up the book, as if holding a treasure. He stared at it deeply before murmuring, "This is the greatest legacy of the Human Path. A story not everyone in this world is aware of."
He opened the first page, letting the scent of the old book greet his nose. The writing inside told the story of the first human, Ren Zu. This legend was not just a tale, but also the foundation of the philosophy of the Human Path—a path rarely mastered by others, yet filled with extraordinary potential.
As he flipped through the pages, Huanxian's thoughts wandered. "Do I have talent in the Human Path?" he wondered. A question he couldn't answer at that moment, but one that continued to linger in his mind.
After a while, he sat back down on his bed, the Legend of Ren Zu still in his hands. He began reading, absorbing each word, trying to understand the essence of the story. However, exhaustion slowly crept over him. His sharp eyes began to close, and his mind full of future plans gradually faded into sleep.
Under the moonlight streaming through the gaps in the window, Huanxian finally drifted off to sleep, still holding the Legend of Ren Zu against his chest. In his dreams, he saw the Human Path, Ren Zu, and how he would write his own story in this cruel world.
The next morning, the sunlight sneaked into Xiong Huanxian's room. The cold air of Mount Qingmao felt piercing, but Huanxian had grown accustomed to it. After washing his face and tidying himself up, he wore his clan's simple but neat clothes. Today was his first day at the academy.
He stepped out of his home calmly, walking down the village road. Upon reaching the gates, he saw a crowd of other clan children, all heading in the same direction. Some looked excited, while others spoke loudly about their hopes for the academy. Huanxian, as usual, remained silent, hiding his thoughts behind a calm expression.
After passing through the gates, he arrived at the large hall that served as the academy's classroom. The children had filled the seats, and Huanxian chose a spot in the back corner, near a window. That spot gave him a good view outside while keeping his distance from the bustle.
A few children glanced his way, but no one really paid attention. He was just one of many students with C-grade talent, not someone considered special. Huanxian didn't mind. In fact, he preferred it this way.
Not long after all the students had settled, the door to the classroom opened. The head elder of the academy walked in with firm steps. He was a middle-aged man with a thin beard and sharp eyes. His voice echoed as he began speaking.
"Good morning, students of the Xiong Clan!" the head elder began. "You are all here not only to learn to become Gu Masters, but also to understand the honor and responsibility of being a part of the Xiong Clan. This clan has stood for centuries, built on the hard work and sacrifices of our ancestors. As members of this clan, you have a duty to uphold its dignity and remain loyal to it."
He continued with a lengthy explanation about the history of the Xiong Clan, their struggles against other clans, and the values of loyalty and pride as clan members. Some students listened attentively, jotting down every word. But Huanxian, sitting in the corner, only stared out the window, his mind wandering to things that mattered more to him.
"Loyalty to the clan... clan honor..." he murmured to himself. "Nonsense, used only to manipulate those who don't know any better."
Huanxian knew all too well that this world had no place for weakness. The clan only cared about those who could offer value. Honor? It was just an illusion used to control ignorant people.
Time passed slowly, and eventually the day's lesson ended.
"Alright, that will be enough for today," the head elder said before leaving the room.
After the class ended, all the students lined up in front of the academy office to receive their allowances—a sum of 10 Primordial Stones for each student. These stones were given as part of the clan's support to help them hone their talents and strengthen their cultivation. Huanxian accepted his share calmly, slipping the stones into his pocket.
After receiving his allowance, the students slowly left the academy and walked back to their homes. Huanxian returned home at his usual steady pace, not in a hurry.
Upon arriving home, Huanxian immediately went to his private room. His thoughts were distracted by a recently resurfaced memory—an impression from the original body he now inhabited, an impression from Xiong Huanxian's father. This memory seemed to have been passed on to him, providing a clue about something he needed to do after awakening his aperture.
His father, a second-level Gu Master, had left this clue in his memory. The original Xiong Huanxian had been told to search for his father's inheritance after awakening his aperture. Huanxian was slightly surprised by this but knew that such a legacy could be the key to accelerating his path to power.
Without hesitation, Huanxian walked toward his parents' room. The air in that room felt heavy, as though every corner held unspoken memories. Huanxian surveyed the surroundings, and his eyes settled on an old wooden box in the corner. Carefully, he opened it and found a bamboo scroll inside.
End of the chapter.