The small lights passed through Lee Hyun's body one after another.
Hope Gu.
Each one dove into his newly formed aperture, slowly expanding that mysterious space within his body.
The hall remained silent.
The youths outside watched nervously while the clan elders maintained serious expressions.
22...
The examiner's eyes shifted slightly.
Grade C was already practically guaranteed.
In a minor branch of the Huang Clan, that was already considered very good.
24, 25, 26, 27...
Some clan members began murmuring.
"Maybe Grade B..."
"Two Grade Bs in a secondary branch?"
"That's not fair, my mother said I was talented!"
Lee Hyun completely ignored the surroundings.
His body felt heavy.
Every step required more effort than the previous one.
But he continued.
28, 29...
The hall finally became restless.
30, 31...
Grade B.
Even the examiner showed genuine surprise.
In the Western Desert, resources were scarce. A Grade B talent appearing in a small branch was definitely good news.
Lee Hyun's heart accelerated.
"Grade B..."
Even knowing the system already, hearing it aloud almost made his mind explode with relief.
Finally.
FINALLY.
Maybe the heavens had decided to stop ruining his life.
33...
But the pressure became absurdly stronger.
His body felt like it was sinking into quicksand.
36...
The Hope Gu continued entering his aperture.
His primordial essence kept growing.
The elders now watched with complete attention.
Lee Hyun took the next step while trembling.
His entire body screamed in pain.
His legs felt heavier than mountains.
Sweat dripped down his face.
But then—
The step was finally taken.
For a brief instant, the entire hall became completely silent.
Then Lee Hyun tried to continue.
His body wouldn't move.
He forced himself again.
Nothing.
Every muscle felt completely locked.
"One more..."
He tried stepping forward.
Nothing happened.
The examiner raised a hand.
"That's enough."
Lee Hyun stopped, breathing heavily.
The man slowly approached and placed a hand over his abdomen, using primordial essence to inspect his aperture.
A few seconds later, surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Grade B."
"Seventy-seven percent."
The surroundings instantly exploded into noise.
"77%?!"
"That high?!"
"He almost reached Grade A!"
The examiner looked directly at Lee Hyun.
"With this talent, your chances of reaching Rank 3 are extremely high."
"You will be recommended to the main clan."
For a brief moment, Lee Hyun almost wanted to laugh.
In his previous life, he had destroyed his body just to survive.
Now, for the first time, it felt like he possessed something valuable from birth.
"...Perfect."
But then another part of his mind immediately responded:
"Wait."
"Does this mean they'll invest resources into me?"
His mood improved instantly.
A lot.
Several days later, Lee Hyun left the sandy outskirts of Sha Jing Oasis together with a few other selected youths.
The main clan resided in the central region of the oasis, surrounded by yellow stone walls and countless commercial tents.
The walls themselves appeared guarded by surveillance Gu and flying beasts circling above.
The guards were Rank 1 and Rank 2 Gu Masters — the former being ordinary guards, while the latter were clearly leaders judging by their superior armor and clothing.
Passing through the gates felt like entering another world.
Green plants covered the ground.
The houses and buildings were larger and far more colorful. Unlike the crude markings in the outer districts, actual written characters appeared on walls and signs here, largely because illiteracy was far less common.
Caravans constantly traveled in and out.
Merchants.
Buyers.
Gu Masters.
Servants.
Guards.
The place was far more lively than his previous district.
But what attracted Lee Hyun's attention the most was something else entirely.
Money.
A lot of money.
Even without fully understanding the economy of this world yet, he could immediately sense the enormous amount of primordial stones circulating through the oasis.
His eyes nearly sparkled.
"Now this looks like civilization."
Unfortunately, reality quickly poured cold water over his excitement.
Even with Grade B talent, he was still merely an outer disciple.
He received:
simple housing basic meals small amounts of primordial stones.
Nothing luxurious.
Nothing special.
"So this is the main clan?"
"They're even greedier than me."
The following morning, the new disciples gathered inside a large stone hall.
At the front stood an elderly man wearing yellow Huang Clan robes, calmly observing the youths.
A Rank 3 Gu Master.
His presence felt far heavier than the examiner from the branch village.
"Today, you will learn the foundation of all cultivation."
The old man slowly raised his hand.
A small insect appeared above his fingers.
Its body resembled a golden beetle covered in patterns similar to flowing liquid metal.
"Gu."
The young disciples immediately focused their attention.
Even Lee Hyun straightened his posture.
Although he already knew part of this information from Reverend Insanity, he still listened carefully.
This was not a game.
Nor a novel.
It was a real world.
Wrong information could kill.
"Heaven and earth give birth to Gu."
"And Gu Masters refine, nurture, and use those Gu."
The golden insect slowly flew around the old man.
"Each Gu possesses unique abilities."
"Some control fire."
"Others water."
"Poison."
"Strength."
"Metal."
"Souls."
"There are countless paths in this world, but all lead toward the Great Dao."
"There may even exist paths yet undiscovered, or paths hidden entirely from the world's sight."
Many disciples' eyes shone with excitement.
The old man continued:
"But among all the Gu you will possess during your life..."
"The most important one will be your Vital Gu."
Lee Hyun's expression became more serious.
That truly was one of the most important concepts in the entire cultivation system.
"A Vital Gu accompanies a Gu Master throughout their entire journey."
"It determines who you are... and who you will become."
"The first floor of the library will be open to all of you today. Each of you has received a Rank 1 token granting access."
"I strongly recommend reading the Rank 1 Gu catalog containing the initial Gu our clan provides."
Many students looked nervous.
Receiving a Gu meant officially becoming a Gu Master.
The thought of obtaining supernatural powers capable of placing them above ordinary mortals ignited flames within their hearts.
"The selection will happen tomorrow, two hours after sunrise."
"Do not be late, or you will be punished."
"With that said, let us continue today's lesson."
The professor pulled a primordial stone from somewhere within his robes.
"I will now teach you how to cultivate using primordial stones."
Meanwhile, Weed's mind was already racing with thoughts about which Gu to choose.
And so the lesson continued.