Rizz Taoist Master

Everyone's looking at Gooner Yue Chi Lian. His grandson, Gooner Yue Chi Chen, is walking across the river.

Chi Lian's short, pockmarked face is covered in sweat. He's stressed. Chi Chen makes it 36 steps.

"Another B-grade!" the elder yells. The kids are buzzing, giving Chi Chen the side-eye. "Hahaha, 36 steps!" Chi Lian shouts, giving Gooner Yue Mo Chen a smug look. Now Mo Chen's the one looking salty.

"Gooner Yue Chi Chen, huh…" Fang Yuan muses, stroking his chin. He remembers Chi Chen getting in big trouble for cheating during the ceremony. He's actually only C-grade, but his grandpa, Gu Yue Chi Lian, helped him cap his talent.

Fang Yuan could totally cheat too, he knows tons of ways, even better than Chi Chen's. But he's just been reborn, no time to plan. And even if he cheated, he couldn't fake his cultivation speed. He'd get caught. Chi Chen's situation is different. His grandpa is super powerful, so he can cover for him.

"Chi Lian and Mo Chen are rivals, two alphas butting heads," Fang Yuan realizes. "Chi Lian needs his grandson to be amazing to one-up Mo Chen. That's why he helped Chi Chen cheat. And if that incident hadn't happened, they probably would have gotten away with it." Fang Yuan's eyes gleam. He's already thinking about how to use this information.

If Fang Yuan exposes Chi Chen's cheating right now, he'd get a small reward, but he'd also make a very powerful enemy in Gooner Yue Chi Lian and end up taking a massive L in the future.

Not a good move. He can't blackmail them either. He's doesn't have the aura needed, it would just blow up in his face. While he's thinking all this, the academy elder calls out, "Gooner Yue Fang Yuan!"

Everything goes silent. All eyes are on Fang Yuan. "Things are getting interesting," he thinks, chuckling to himself. He crosses the river. He feels the pressure – it's the primeval qi from the spirit spring. 

The flower glow, little lights rising up and enveloping him. "Hope Gu," he thinks. The alpha didn't mention it, but Fang Yuan knows. Each light is a Hope Gu. He remembers the legend of Ren Zu. 

Okay, so, picture this: Ren Zu, OG man, right? Just trying to survive in a savage world, but these beasties called Predicaments are obsessed with eating him. He's weak, no claws, no fangs, basically nature's punching bag, taking massive L's left and right.

Then, three Gu show up like, "Yo, sacrifice your life, and we'll help you out." Ren Zu's desperate, so he's like, "Bet."

First, he gives his youth to the biggest Gu, and boom, instant strength upgrade. Suddenly, Ren Zu's a beast! Food? Secured. Protection? Easy. He's even taking down some Predicaments. But he realizes strength isn't everything.

Gotta manage it, not just flex it all the time. And against a whole squad of Predicaments? Still not enough. So, Ren Zu gets smarter.

He gives his prime years to the prettiest Gu, and bam, he's got wisdom and starts making really 10,000 IQ moves. Now he's thinking strategically, using his brain instead of just his brawn. Strength and wisdom? He's unstoppable! Predicament meat? Delicious. Predicament blood? Refreshing.

He's thriving. But, plot twist, Ren Zu gets old. He gave away his youth and prime, so now he's just…old. Strength and Wisdom are like, "Peace out, dude, you're washed up."

Ren Zu's surrounded by Predicaments again, weak, can't even chew. He's about to get clapped. Then, the third Gu shows up. "I can help!" it says.

Ren Zu's like, "Bruh, I'm empty! Strength and Wisdom ditched me. I'm just old! I don't wanna die, even for a second! Leave me alone!"

But the Gu's like, "I don't need much. Just your heart."

Ren Zu's like, "Okay, I'll give you my heart, but what do you offer? Even if Strength and Wisdom came back, I'm still screwed."

This Gu is tiny and dim, nothing like Strength or Wisdom. But when Ren Zu gives it his heart, boom! Blinding light! The Predicaments are terrified.

"Hope Gu!" they scream. "We're scared of hope!" They scatter, showing big beta energy.

Ren Zu's speechless. From then on, whenever he's in trouble, he gives his heart to hope.

Back in the present, the Hope Gu stream into Fang Yuan's body, gather in his abdomen, three inches below his navel. He feels the pressure ease up and starts walking. With every step, more Hope Gu fly into him, joining the ball of light. It gets brighter and brighter. But the elder and the other watchers are frowning.

"Not as many Hope Gu as we expected," they think. "Definitely not A-grade."

Fang Yuan keeps walking. "Under 10 steps is no talent," he thinks. "10-20 is D-grade, 20-30 is C-grade, 30-40 is B-grade, 40-50 is A-grade. I'm at 23 steps now." 24, 25, 26… 27.

Bang! The ball of light explodes inside him. Nobody else can see it, but Fang Yuan feels it. His hair stands on end, his pores close up, his mind goes into overdrive.

Then, poof! His mind goes blank, his body feels like it's floating on clouds. Relaxation washes over him, his hair lies flat, his pores open. He starts sweating.

It feels like forever, but it's actually super quick. The feeling's gone as fast as it came. Fang Yuan snaps back to reality. He checks himself out and boom! Below his navel, between his kidneys, an aperture has appeared. The Awakening Ceremony was a success! This is his first step on the road to immortality!