The fourth section: The Ancient Moon Source!

The morning sun rose, casting brilliant rays of light.

The mountain mist wasn't very thick and was easily pierced by the sword-like sunlight.

At this moment, over a hundred fifteen-year-old youths gathered in front of the Clan Leader's Pavilion.

The Clan Leader's Pavilion was located in the center of the village, towering five stories high with upturned eaves and heavily guarded. In front of the pavilion was a plaza, and inside, the ancestral tablets of the Gu Yue clan were enshrined. Each generation of clan leaders lived here, and major ceremonies or urgent matters were discussed with the clan elders in this very place. It was the power center of the entire village.

"Very well, everyone is here on time. Today is the Opening Ceremony, a significant turning point in your lives. Let's not waste time and follow me." The person in charge was the academy elder. His hair and beard were completely white, but he was still full of energy as he led the youths into the Clan Leader's Pavilion.

However, instead of going upstairs, they went through the entrance of the first-floor hall and descended.

Following the stone steps, they entered an underground cave.

The youths exclaimed in amazement. The underground cave was magnificent, with stalactites emitting light in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This colorful glow reflected on their faces like a radiant rainbow.

Fang Yuan, mingling in the middle of the crowd, quietly observed everything, thinking to himself, "Hundreds of years ago, the Gu Yue clan migrated from Central Plains to Southern Border and settled here on Qing Mao Mountain. They chose this place because of the spiritual spring in this underground cave. This spring produces a large amount of primeval stones, which are the foundation of the Gu Yue village."

After walking for hundreds of steps, it grew darker, and the sound of flowing water could be faintly heard.

Turning a corner, a wide underground river more than three meters across appeared before them.

The colorful glow of the stalactites had completely disappeared.

But in the darkness, the river water emitted a faint blue light, resembling a starry river in the night sky.

The water flowed from the depths of the cave, clear and transparent, revealing swimming fish, water plants, and the sandy riverbed.

On the other side of the river was a sea of flowers.

These were Moon Orchids cultivated by the Gu Yue clan. The petals were crescent-shaped, displaying a delicate blue-pink hue. The flower stems were like jade, and the hearts of the flowers shone as if reflecting the soft luster of pearls in the light.

At first glance, the flower sea by the river appeared like a vast blue-green carpet dotted with countless pearls against the dark background.

"Moon Orchids are the food for many Gu insects. This flower sea is the clan's largest cultivation base." Fang Yuan knew this very well.

"So beautiful."

"Truly splendid."

The youths were wide-eyed, both excited and nervous.

"Alright, listen to me now. When your name is called, cross the river and go as far as you can. The further you go, the better. Do you understand?" the academy elder said.

"Understood," the youths responded in unison. Before coming here, they had heard from their families or elders that the further they could walk, the better their aptitude and the greater their future achievements.

"Gu Yue Chen Bo," the academy elder called the first name from the list.

The river water, though wide, was not deep, only reaching the youths' knees. Chen Bo, with a serious expression, stepped into the flower sea by the river.

Immediately, he felt an invisible pressure, as if an unseen wall was blocking his way.

Struggling to move forward, a cluster of light spots suddenly rose from the flowers at his feet, pale white in color.

The light converged on Chen Bo and entered his body.

Chen Bo instantly felt the pressure decrease. The invisible wall seemed to soften.

He gritted his teeth and pushed forward, managing to take three steps before the pressure increased again, like a wall, preventing further movement.

Seeing this, the academy elder sighed, recording as he announced, "Gu Yue Chen Bo, three steps, no Gu Master aptitude. Next, Gu Yue Zao Xie."

Chen Bo's face turned pale. He gritted his teeth and returned across the river. Without aptitude, he would only live as an ordinary person, holding the lowest status in the clan.

His body swayed from the blow, which had crushed his lifelong hopes.

Many looked at him with pity, but more were focused on the next youth crossing the river.

Unfortunately, this youth only managed four steps, also lacking aptitude.

Not everyone had the aptitude for cultivation. Generally, if five out of ten could cultivate, it was considered good. In the Gu Yue clan, this ratio was slightly higher, around six out of ten.

This was because the Gu Yue clan's ancestor, the first clan leader, was a legendary Gu Master whose bloodline carried the genes of power. As a result, the clan members generally had higher aptitude.

With two consecutive failures, the observing elders' faces grew grim. Even the steady Gu Yue clan leader frowned slightly.

At this moment, the academy elder called the third name, "Gu Yue Mo Bei."

"Present!" A tall, muscular youth with a horse-like face stepped forward.

He crossed the river in a few strides and stepped onto the other side.

Ten steps, twenty steps, thirty steps, and beams of light continued to enter his body.

Finally, at thirty-six steps, he could go no further.

The youths watched in amazement, and the academy elder exclaimed in delight, "Good, Gu Yue Mo Bei, B-grade aptitude, come here, let me check your primeval sea."

Gu Yue Mo Bei returned to the academy elder's side. The elder placed a hand on his shoulder, closed his eyes to examine, then nodded and recorded, "Gu Yue Mo Bei, primeval sea at 66%, worthy of great cultivation."

Aptitude was ranked from top to bottom as A, B, C, and D.

A D-grade youth, after three years of training, could become a Rank 1 Gu Master and serve as a foundation for the clan.

A C-grade youth, after two years, could usually become a Rank 2 Gu Master, serving as the clan's backbone.

A B-grade youth required careful nurturing and could often become a Rank 3 Gu Master in six to seven years, often being groomed as future elders.

As for A-grade, even a single one was the clan's fortune. They were to be meticulously cared for, with resources tilted in their favor, and could become a Rank 4 Gu Master in about ten years, potentially competing for the position of clan leader!

In other words, as long as Gu Yue Mo Bei grew up, he would become an elder of the Gu Yue clan. No wonder the academy elder laughed heartily, and the observing elders all sighed in relief and looked enviously at one elder in particular.

This elder, also horse-faced, was Gu Yue Mo Bei's grandfather, Gu Yue Mo Chen. His face beamed with pride as he provocatively glanced at his rival, "How about my grandson, Gu Yue Chi Lian?"

Elder Gu Yue Chi Lian, with his red hair, snorted coldly without replying, his face dark and grim.

Half an hour later, half the youths had crossed the flower sea, with many showing C and D grades, though nearly half had no aptitude.

"Sigh, the bloodline is thinning, and in recent years, the clan has produced few Rank 4 Gu Masters to strengthen the bloodline. The fourth clan leader was the only Rank 5, but he perished with the Flower Wine Walker, leaving no descendants. The younger generations of Gu Yue are growing weaker," sighed the clan leader deeply.

At this moment, the academy elder called out, "Gu Yue Chi Cheng."

Hearing this name, the elders looked at Gu Yue Chi Lian, as this was his grandson.

Gu Yue Chi Cheng, short and pockmarked, clenched his fists, sweating profusely, looking extremely nervous.

He stepped onto the other side, and beams of light entered his body as he walked thirty-six steps before stopping.

"Another B-grade!" exclaimed the academy elder.

The youths buzzed with excitement, gazing enviously at Gu Yue Chi Cheng.

"Hahaha, thirty-six steps, thirty-six steps!" Gu Yue Chi Lian shouted, glaring at Gu Yue Mo Chen.

Now, it was Gu Yue Mo Chen's turn to look livid.

"Gu Yue Chi Cheng..." Fang Yuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully in the crowd.

In his memory, he was severely punished by the clan for cheating in the Opening Ceremony.

In reality, his aptitude was only C-grade, but his grandfather, Gu Yue Chi Lian, falsified his results to show B-grade aptitude.

Fang Yuan had dozens of schemes for cheating, some more perfect than Gu Yue Chi Cheng's. If he showed B or even A-grade aptitude, the clan would nurture him extensively.

But Fang Yuan had too little time since his rebirth to prepare any cheating methods.

Moreover, even if he successfully cheated, his cultivation speed would eventually expose him.

But Gu Yue Chi Cheng was different. His grandfather, Gu Yue Chi Lian, was one of the two most powerful elders in the clan, able to shield him.

"Gu Yue Chi Lian has always opposed Gu Yue Mo Chen. These two elders lead the two largest factions in the clan. To suppress his rival, he needs his grandson to have outstanding aptitude. With his protection, Gu Yue Chi Cheng could conceal it for a time. If not for an accident, it wouldn't have been exposed," Fang Yuan's eyes flashed as he pondered how to leverage this for the greatest benefit.

Revealing it on the spot would earn some rewards from the clan, but it would also offend the influential Gu Yue Chi Lian, which is definitely not advisable. In the short term, blackmailing is also not an option due to my lack of strength, which would instead invite trouble.

While I was contemplating this, I suddenly heard the elder from the academy call out my name: "Gu Yue Fang Yuan!"