Awakening

A clamor of sounds resounded through an enormous underground cave, producing an echo that could shake nerves.

The cave walls shone with a dim orange glow, making it impossible to distinguish night from day, and the high temperature made people irritable, a recipe for disaster. But the residents had grown accustomed over time.

"A new day already?" A gentle and enchanting voice curiously asked the obvious while rubbing eyes and getting out of bed. 'Soul cultivation sure is good for sleep. It's a pity it is so slow without Guts Gu, even after 10 years I only have a 3 hundred man soul.'

Alex kept the last part to himself not daring to speak his thoughts and let heaven's will know about what he knew. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Since the moment he came to this world no weird coincidences had occurred but it was better than being sorry in the future.

Tock tock!

Alex's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door followed by a feminine voice and the door creaking. "Young Miss time to wake up."

'Why did that god have to share the author's gender-bending kink?' Alex was once again reminded of his current gender. After 15 years he had gotten used to it but there was one thing he still couldn't forget. 'I miss my dick…''

"Your bath is ready and here is your breakfast." A young beautiful woman wearing a white robe that couldn't conceal her busty figure placed the wooden tray with food on the table next to an opened copy of the legends of Ren Zu.

"Thank you Yi Mei." Alex sat on the bed and started eating while trailing his dainty finger across the pages eager to reread another time.

'The legends of Ren Zu truly are the best human path inheritance. I haven't even awakened my aperture and yet I've gained so much inspiration!' Alex excitedly thought but inwardly sighed knowing he couldn't do much with the ideas he had until he reached rank 6.

"Please don't spend too much time reading. Today is the awakening ceremony. If you are late, Lord Xue is going to be angry." Yi Mei interrupted Alex who simply responded with a nod.

After eating and bathing Alex dressed in a white silk robe was about to leave an hour earlier but was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Xing'er."

"Grandpa? I thought you were busy refining Gu." Alex turned towards the voice seeing an old man with a toothpick-like body, a friendly smile, wrinkled face like a raisin, and fiery red hair caused by a fire path gu worm.

Alex couldn't help but respond affectionately. The old man had raised him since birth and genuinely loved him. Alex considered the old man his family the only one he had in this world at that.

"You think some Gu worms are more important than my only granddaughter?" Xue Rong shook his head, his smile slowly fading away "This is the most important stage of any Gu master. The heavens will decide whether you start your cultivation journey or it ends before it even begins. Don't blame yourself no matter what happens I will always love and support you."

'Why do I feel you are jinxing this?' Alex remained quiet and kept listening.

Xue Rong then turned serious and held her granddaughter's shoulder. "Remember this Xue Xing. Hard work pays off. You have worked hard even if your aptitude is only D grade your effort won't betray you. I have a stock of cleansing gu and resources to spare. If you work harder than ever there won't be many side effects."

"Things are yet to be set in stone, anything is possible." Alex knew his words would fall on deaf ears but he still tried to comfort Xue Rong.

Surprising Alex Xue Rong nodded and unsurprisingly Xue Rong began his daily preaching.

After almost half an hour Xue Rong ended his preaching and walked with his granddaughter towards the door and stopped his steps.

"You are not going to accompany me?" Alex asked.

"I'm not a tribe elder. I won't be able to see your awakening and I still have much to refine." Xue Rong rubbed his eyes beneath deep bags before adding. "There's nothing to worry about, the tribe is safe and I hired some guards just in case."

Xue Rong pointed to the entrance of the courtyard where 2 rank 2 Gu Masters dressed in the tribe's black uniform were chatting among themselves.

Alex recognized the familiar faces of the women. He turned to look at his grandfather. "It's getting late, I'll see you later."

Xue Rong nodded and stood on the door sighing as he looked at Xue Xing becoming smaller the further away she was behind her 2 figures followed closely. No one knew what he was thinking but after a moment he turned his gaze towards Yi Mei, the personal servant of his granddaughter.

…

Once Alex was half way there he slowed down his hurried pace and greeted the familiar faces he knew on the way while he once again reviewed his plans.

Alex would be lying if he said he wasn't annoyed with Xue Rong's daily preaching but they reminded him of his urgent situation.

'To think I would be a woman. Even if I reach rank 3 I could still lose everything.'

Unlike women in other continents, Northern Plains women had a lower status than men. They couldn't hold positions of power and were treated as assets; they could be casually sold in markets or even lent to others for the night, all due to Giant Sun's traditions, which could be summarized in his quote: 'Women are like clothes, while brothers are like our hands and feet.

'At the bare minimum, they can own property and assets but they would lose everything including their freedom once they marry.' Alex sighed frustrated at the laws of the tribe he lived in. 'If a woman doesn't marry before the age of 20 most of her 'unnecessary' assets would be seized for the 'betterment' of the tribe, sigh… I have five years to pour everything into my cultivation and leave when I have decent strength.'

Alex had many plans to become a Gu Immortal. The riskiest was doing it on his own, he knew the process thanks to the rank 8 food path inheritance given by that god and he knew it was possible as Ben Duo Yi succeeded. 'But he was a hairy man and heaven's will most likely went easy on him.'

Alex could only sigh. The other plans depended on external help; naturally, there were risks in each, but his status as an otherworldly demon did nothing but increase them.

'In the end, my transmigrator identity is greatly restraining me… Oh, I'm finally here.' Alex once again put on a smile on his lips and greeted the youngsters waiting in the given location.

"Xue Xing."

Many of the youngsters greeted back and started small talks with Alex, especially those who wanted his heart.

Alex or to be more precise Xue Xing was popular not only because of her beautiful appearance but because of her grandfather and rich inheritance behind her whoever managed to marry her would not only own a beautiful wife but her money would basically be theirs as long as Xue Rong died and didn't make changes in his inheritance.

Alex understood this well and was reminded of this daily by Xue Rong's unrelenting preaching but Alex wasn't antisocial and had made quite extensive connections with many youngsters in part due to Xue Rong's suggestion and in part due to Alex's social skills after all it is better to make acquaintances and not enemies.

As time passed, more and more youngsters arrived. The majority were dressed in silk, while the rest wore humble or old robes, showcasing their social status. This was a special event where the youngsters would wear their best clothes, except for those who couldn't afford it, like mortal families.

"Xue Xing." A black haired youngster wearing humble clothes and who could be called the epitome of average if it weren't for his long eyelashes that were longer than women's greeted Alex with a smile.

"Lin Lu." Alex greeted back with a friendly smile and started another trivial conversation with his childhood friend. "How have you been?"

Alex still remembered Lin Lu's backstory; he came from a mortal family. Xue Rong had taken pity on him and took him as a servant after his parents froze to death during the last blizzard. Lin Lu showcased high intelligence, learned fast, worked hard, and was loyal, a part of the reason Xue Rong put him as the shopkeeper of one of the businesses he owned.

'Lin Lu, he is definitely part of a bigger scheme?.' Alex couldn't help but feel there was a deeper scheme considering how favored Lin Lu was by Xue Rong and how much time he and Lin Lu kept spending together.

'I really need wisdom path Gu worms.' Alex already had a rough idea of what Xue Rong schemed but there was a vast array of answers considering Xue Rong was a century old but his virility was still through the clouds there was a chance Lin Lu was his illegitimate child.

"Oh look, here comes Long Dong, the genius poet. I wonder what new poem he wrote this time."

Alex's thoughts were interrupted by a wave of gossip.

"Tsk, so arrogant he comes almost at the last minute and walks as if he owns the place."

"I don't understand why women drool all over him?"

Alex looked at the familiar youngster the male youngsters were gossiping about.

Long Dong was dressed in a regal black robe with embroidered crimson dragons on his sleeves that paired perfectly with his pale skin. He was handsome, had thick eyebrows, a sharp nose, chiseled jaw, blue eyes brimming with confidence, and long black hair extending down his wide shoulders and reaching his small waist.

Every woman who looked at him felt their hearts beating faster with passion while men's hearts were the same but envy was what fueled them.

And like other times Long Dong didn't disappoint he recited a poem.

"In the grass field myriad grasses remain rooted on the ground fighting off cold praying for water and surviving giants.

A little seed carried by the winds takes root among the grasses slowly growing the seed is different once sprouted everyone knows.

Yet they remain the same suffering and surviving from the water that falls from high above.

The little seed now a sapling extends its roots and draws water from the earth growing and growing surpassing the grasses giving shelter and scaring the giants away.

The tree will one day reach high above and bring water from high above.

One day the grasses will too become saplings joining the old tree and provide for those below."

"This… truly a genius I can't understand anything Long Dong is talking about." a wave of reactions resounded among the youngsters.

"Can't you understand? It clearly is just Long Dong being arrogant." the son of an elder threw gazes at Long Dong.

"No he cares for the tribe he wants to protect the tribe and grow it." One of the female youngsters immediately defended Long Dong.

'Wouldn't a tree take away the sunlight from the grass? Won't it also compete for water?' Alex inwardly questioned the science behind it. One of his traits he couldn't shake off even after meeting a god that broke all the scientific laws he knew of.

"A good poem indeed. Little Dong is truly a genius of this generation." The youngsters were suddenly interrupted by the laugh of an elder who wanted to suck to Long Dong who was the son of one of the most influential elders.

The elder then turned serious. "Follow me, keep your voice low and hands to yourselves unless you want to wait until the next awakening ceremony."

…

"Wow so this is the tribe's forbidden grounds."

"So beautiful."

"It is so hot in here I feel I'm going to faint."

"It's getting brighter."

The youngsters commented marveling at the bright fiery walls of the cave that glowed like jewels containing fire.

On the sides of the stone trail they walked on countless beautiful flowers and plants were planted in red soil that was so hot it produced heat waves many youngsters would have fainted from the heat if it weren't for the tribe elder constantly using wind and snow path gu worms to refresh the youngsters.

'No wonder the Kong tribe mainly cultivates Fire Path, just this place alone has enough materials and variety to attempt more than a thousand refinement attempts of many types of fire path gu worms.' Alex was knowledgeable about refinement even though he hadn't refined any gu worms, as he lacked an aperture. His grandfather had taught him the steps that didn't require primeval essence.

Inspecting materials for tampering, telling their quality apart, how to process them, refinement techniques that didn't need primeval essence, and had made Alex memorize hundreds of refinement recipes to heart.

It was clear Xue Rong truly cared about his granddaughter and was preparing her for the worst case.

'Who knows what his expression would be if he learned his granddaughter never existed and simply raised an otherworldly demon possessing her body.'

Alex pushed that thought to the side and paid attention to the lengthy speech given by an old man that stood beside the spirit spring that released a faint steam.

"You are the future pillars of the Kong Tribe. The steps you take will not only change your lives but will support the tribe." The academy elder finally finished his lengthy speech and began the awakening ceremony.

"Kong You Man!"

A strong youngster dressed in tattered clothes revealing muscles far too developed for his age nervously stepped forward and walked on the spirit spring.

"1, 3, 5, 8…" Kong You Man counted his steps; it was harder with each step he took.

"Look!" A youngster pointed at a small group of dim golden lights similar to those produced by fireflies

"Hope gu!" The youngsters were amazed and had their mouths agape in surprise. For some youngsters this was their first time seen such magical experience.

Long Dong was one of the exceptions he simply looked on with slight interest. 'This method… is quite primitive.'

"This number is too low." The academy elder had low expectations and he was right.

"Kong You Man 18 steps 36 percent primeval sea D grade talent! With luck one may reach rank 2 one day."

Kong You Man breathed a sigh of relief for many having D grade talent was the end of the world but not for mortal families. 'My family finally has a Gu Master. We will never go hungry again!'

The academy elder kept calling youngsters forward, some succeeded and others failed the former had different expressions depending on their background while the latter always had melancholic expressions no matter what background they had in this world weakness was a sin and the weak were disposable.

Alex noticed Kong You Man standing straight and smiling sadistically at a handsome youngster that had no cultivation talent from what Alex heard the handsome boy was courting the girl Kong You Man liked.

Alex knew what kind of fate awaited that handsome boy even if they had Kong blood flowing through their veins. If they were killed by a Gu master of the Kong tribe they would only have to pay a fine of 10 primeval stones and the academy gave 3 each week to new gu masters.

'This truly is a dog eat dog world strength can make a person's demeanor do a complete 180…' Alex then remembered a quote from earth. 'power corrupts or simply lets out what was already there… sigh I hope I don't become a monster.'

Alex then chuckled out of nowhere looking cute and innocent to the bystanders. Some thought Xue Xing was attracted to the child of an elder who had just awakened a B grade aptitude if only they knew what was going on inside the mind of that innocent looking woman.

'Oh, Alex, to think you are just a dog that's all bark and no bite. Killing and stealing is the fastest way to power. If you don't hurry and let go of your morals you will get killed.' Alex once again laughed at his morality. He was smart enough to know what was the logical thing to do but actually breaking free from the restraining chains of society was simply too hard especially when he was placed in a relatively peaceful environment.

"Kong Lin Lu!"

Alex's thoughts were interrupted and saw a familiar face stepping forward.

Lin Lu, an average youngster with long eyelashes being his only discernible feature, stepped on the spirit spring and began walking.

"5, 10, 20, 30… 33… 35…"

The youngsters had their mouths agape. "Look, the hope gu around him is much bigger than the others!"

"Finally the first A grade genius in years." The academy elder gazed at Lin Lu with anticipation in his eyes.

"Come on, just one more step!" Lin Lu urged himself, his body drenched in sweat, his forehead veins popping, and mucus dripping from his nose. He felt like he could faint at any moment, but love pushed him to keep going.

"I need to repay Lord Xue Rong's kindness. He is always pushed around by the elders and is forever stuck in rank 2 with his D grade talent. Only by becoming an elder myself will he gain footing and not be bullied. Once… once I reach rank 3 only then will I be worthy of Xue Xing!" Lin Lu used Xue Xing as his motivation remembering her beautiful sincere smile, soothing voice, and the kindness she always showed him and the other mortals she treated them like human beings unlike most Gu Masters.

Thankfully Lin Lu was far away from the noisy crowd otherwise they might be hit by second hand embarrassment.

Lin Lu walked back huffing and puffing the academy elder ignored the smelly sweat and proceeded to check his aperture.

"Kong Lin Lu 40 steps 80 percent primeval sea A grade aptitude! With diligence one might reach rank 4 with luck even rank 5!"

"A grade?" A wave of shocked reactions resounded through the cave.

"I did it." Lin Lu smiled as he fell on his knees, his body was screaming in pain but his heart was jumping in joy.

"Lin Lu let me help you." A cute short female youngster didn't wait for his response and helped him stand up.

"Th- thank you." Lin Lu could only mutter processing what was happening with disbelief. 'Why is Jin Ping being nice to me?'

Lin Lu still vividly remembered how the innocent and seemingly harmless Jin Ping ordered the death of his friend when he bumped into her and she kept walking on her way thereafter like it was nothing.

'Does she not remember me crying and hugging the corpse of my friend? What is she planning?' Soon Lin Lu had the answer: the majority of the youngsters surrounded him, showering him with praises and raising their thumbs while females threw him obvious indirects.

'This is what Lord Xue Rong meant when he said people change their attitude in front of the strong?' Lin Lu remembered Xue Rong's preachings despite experiencing that saying himself Lin Lu still couldn't believe he was on the receiving end and he couldn't help but feel disgusted at himself for joining the system he disliked and enjoying it.

'I'm an A grade talent, the tribe might nurture me as the next tribe leader perhaps… Perhaps I can change the system!' A wild thought surged in Lin Lu's mind.

"Finally an A grade talent." Behind the scenes a group of elders observed Lin Lu with interest. It had been 9 years since an A grade talent appeared in the tribe.

"He is a youngster full of talent. My Ting family will make sure to nurture him with our full strength." Elder Ting Yun then added. "If no one objects then I-"

"Old Ting to think you will be so shameless as to steal the adopted son of Old Xue! I'm Old Xue's close friend. I'll make sure to educate his son with all my effort!" Elder Wong Lu immediately opposed it, followed by the other elders.

"Enough." The tribe leader stopped the argument before it escalated. The old man in his seventies didn't shout but his words carried great authority forcing them to stop.

"45 steps!"

Suddenly, the higher-ups were interrupted and once again shifted their attention to the awakening ceremony when they heard the youngsters' surprised exclamation. They watched as a tall, black-haired woman struggled to keep walking while a blinding swarm of Hope Gu entered her abdomen.

'46… 47… 48… ah shit…'' Alex cursed, praying it wasn't what he imagined as he kept walking. At first he thought he had a shitty aptitude as it was hard to walk since the first step but hope gu kept entering with each step he took.

Once Alex hit the fiftieth step, he felt a pop in his abdomen and sensed something change within him. The sensation felt incredible, better than entering a cold room after exercising under the scorching sun. He couldn't help but let out a moan and tremble with excitement. He felt inspired, as if something that had clouded his mind had dissipated.

Xue Xing walked back, her sweat causing her white robe to hug her body revealing her perfect curves. She was huffing and puffing, giving her beautiful face a cute and vulnerable look, causing her pale skin to gain a rosy color and her chest to heave up and down.

The male youngsters almost drooled while the female youngsters gave them judgemental looks and looks of envy to her.

"Kong Xue Xing 50 steps 99 percent primeval sea A grade talent! With diligence one might reach rank 4 with luck even rank 5!"

A wave of shocked reactions once again resounded through the cave.

"Such talent… a shame she is a woman." The tribe leader lamented while the elders started scheming.

While the elders began discussing the youngsters continued being called.

'99 percent aptitude. That god doesn't want to give me a smooth journey, does he?' Xue Xing inwardly sighed, but she could understand. She would also be annoyed if nothing interesting happened in a movie she paid to watch.

'If I become an extreme physique will I still explode even with non conflicting dao marks?' While Xue Xing quietly thought.

Lin Lu began getting nervous.

'Xue Xing is more talented than I am... would I once again be a leech and never fully pay my debts? Will Xue Xing even look at me? No, Xue Xing isn't like that. She doesn't care about status. She has rejected all children of the elders, even Long Dong. I know we have something special. But if we marry, would I be the one hiding behind her instead of protecting her?'

"Things just got interesting," Long Dong chuckled, looking at Xue Xing, finding another reason to conquer her. "I only wanted you for your resemblance to her, but to think you would be exceptional just like her… let's just hope you are not a pig-like teammate like her otherwise…" Cold killing intent flashed through his eyes as he remembered how he died.

The awakening ceremony continued; from the initial 400, only a dozen remained. More than half of the youngsters didn't have cultivation talent. The majority were D and C grade talents, with almost 10 being B grade, but so far, only 2 were A grade.

"Kong Long Dong!" The academy elder called a youngster from the list.

"Finally." Long Dong snorted, annoyed that he was one of the last ones to be called.

The academy elder had the urge to reprimand Long Dong for such blatant disrespect but decided to let it go. It wouldn't be wise to offend an elder for such small action.

Long Dong walked forward with a straight back chest raised high hands clasped behind his back and taking long slow steps like he owned the place while he reminisced.

'Fifteen years since I arrived in this world, finally the time has come to spread my wings and dominate it. Never again will I live in the shadow of my master, Xanax the lich king!' Long Dong chuckled as he remembered the benefits he obtained from that god.

"20 steps!"

"Look, the hope gu around Long Dong is not less than Xue Xing's!" The youngsters gasped in shock as they looked at the mighty back of Long Dong.

'I not only have the knowledge of my master. My luck is greater than most Gu immortals, I have the favor of this world's consciousness, and a venerable inheritance. But I must not bite off more than I can chew… for now…' Long Dong remembered the teachings his master, a skeleton in a grand black robe, gave him.

"Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer. Zyrtec you are talented but don't let arrogance get the better of you, retreat when necessary, compromise when needed, and attack with ferocity when the time comes but always keep a cold mind."

'Master, how can I be arrogant if it is a fact I'm more talented than everyone else? I'm only below gods but that will change in the futu-' Long Dong's thoughts were interrupted when he felt a pop on his abdomen.

"So this is the equivalent of a mana core in this world?" Long Dong checked his aperture as he walked back, having many ideas and theories he wanted to test.

"Kong Long Dong 50 steps 99 percent primeval sea A grade talent! With diligence one might reach rank 4 with luck rank 5!" The academy elder announced with barely concealed excitement.

'Long Dong has the same aptitude as me… is this a coincidence?' Xue Xing began planning contingencies in case her guess was correct.

'Cooperation would be ideal but the promise of another wish is too alluring.' even after fifteen years Xue Xing remembered that God's words killing another participant grants a wish.

Xue Xing considered herself a restrained person, but even she contemplated killing for another advantage. She could only assume the other party had the same thought, but worse than hers.

"This awakening ceremony was more pleasant than expected." The tribe leader stroked his white beard while an elder had a wide smile on his face.

"My son is a genius." Elder Long threw gazes at his political rival whose grandson was barely a B grade talent.

"Congratulations elder Long." Many elders complimented the smiling elder Long some genuinely and some with forced smiles while the tribe leader made up his mind.

'I need to recruit Lin Lu into my faction or the Long faction will gain too much power.' The tribe leader then looked at Xue Xing feeling it was a waste.

'Old Xue is a neutral man who doesn't like to meddle in politics but he belongs to the Long faction I need to intervene and create a competition otherwise Xue Xing will marry Long Dong or one of elder Long's sons even if she doesn't become a refinement expert whoever marries her will gain many resources and in the future will have at least a rank 3 gu master at their beck and call. A shame I don't have any descendants left.'

The tribe leader gritted his teeth in fury remembering the ones responsible for killing his grandson.

'Those damn cowards if it weren't for the tribe I would have chased after them regardless of which representative they joined in the heroes assembly I would have killed those demons even if it cost me my life!'

The tribe leader then calmed down and his eyes shone with a cold light. 'Those demons were nothing but hired assassins of the Qi tribe. I will settle the debt with them before my lifespan runs out.' The tribe leader then felt a sharp pain in his stomach and coughed blood. 'To think it will be sooner than expected.'

"Tribe leader!" The elders were quick to react, activating healing Gu worms. They had internal conflicts but they knew if the tribe leader died the tribe would be without a rank 4 and be slowly devoured by the neighboring tribes.

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