Xiaofan jumped around them excitedly. "I knew it! I knew Big Bro was the best!" He puffed up his small chest, turned toward the nearby youths, and shouted with a mischievous grin, "Hmph! That's my big brother! Anyone who mocked him, better bow before me now! I'm the little brother of an A grade! You hear me?!"
The other kids flinched, confused and embarrassed. A few had indeed made snide remarks only moments ago.
A nervous chuckle came from a girl nearby. "He was quiet the whole time… who knew…"
Another boy whispered, "An outsider… awakened an A grade? Seriously?"
Amid the ripples of surprise, one figure stood rigid—Liu Jinhai, the elder who had argued so fervently against allowing an outsider to take part in the Awakening Ceremony.
His expression twisted with tightly controlled fury.
"Hmph," he muttered, his voice cold and bitter. "Luck… even Heaven sometimes makes mistakes."
He turned sharply and stormed away, robes fluttering behind him.
Not far from him, Liu Yuchang, his proud grandson, clenched his jaw. His awakening had been a high B grade—impressive, even praise-worthy. But it paled beside the shine of A.
He had used a secret technique to make outsiders believe that he was an A-grade talent.
He glared at Ethan's celebrating group.
"Just a lucky stray dog," he sneered under his breath. "Don't get too full of yourself, Zhang Wei. Blood always tells, eventually."
But others had noticed.
The Clan Head, standing atop the ceremonial platform, raised an eyebrow.
Behind him, the two other elders exchanged glances. One of them smiled faintly, the other remained quiet but intrigued.
The Clan Head stepped down slowly, robes rustling like thunderclouds rolling over the northern plains.
His eyes settled on Ethan.
"…Interesting," he murmured. "A outsider and an A grade. The heavens indeed show favor to the bold."
No more was said aloud—but the atmosphere had shifted.
Whispers rippled through the youths and the onlookers. An outsider. A foreigner. But now… a prodigy.
Later that evening, Ethan returned to his quarters alongside Liu Tieshan, Liu Lan, and a giddy Xiaofan still chanting "A grade, A grade!" like a song.
The wooden lodge felt warmer than usual.
Lan gave him a long look, then nodded once. "I knew there was something special about you, though you act like a total kid."
Tieshan sat down, pouring himself a cup of mountain leaf wine. He pushed one toward Ethan.
"Drink," he said. "Tonight, you're no longer just a youth or an outsider. You're a Gu Master now."
Ethan took the cup with both hands, bowing slightly. "Thank you. For everything."
The warmth spread through more than just his chest.
He had a family now.
He had a path.
He had awakened.
.....
The stars were beginning to dot the night sky outside the wooden lodge, casting pale silver light through the open windows.
Ethan—still basking in the afterglow of his successful awakening—sat cross-legged near the hearth, his excitement barely contained.
Across from him, Liu Tieshan leaned against a wooden beam, holding a pipe between two fingers, the faint scent of dried herbs curling in the air. Xiaofan was asleep, curled up beside Liu Lan, who quietly tended to the fire.
Tieshan took a long draw before exhaling, then gave Ethan a look.
"Well then, Zhang Wei," he said. "Let's talk about what you've stepped into."
Ethan straightened.
"You've awakened your aperture. That means your journey as a Gu Master has truly begun."
"Those with no cultivation talent are bound to stay as mortals, the lowest level in the society, who could be trampled upon and toyed with but those who have the talent to cultivate can become Gu Masters, going beyond the ordinary. A Gu Master is someone who has opened their mortal aperture within their body, can use primeval essence to manipulate Gu and use their wondrous abilities."
He tapped his chest.
"The aperture is in your dantian, your lower abdomen. Inside it, there's a space where your primeval essence gathers. This essence is your lifeblood as a Gu Master. It's what nourishes your Gu worms and allows you to activate them. Without primeval essence, even the strongest Gu is just a dead insect."
Ethan nodded slowly. His interface already showed a slight shimmering pool of energy deep inside him—the [Astral Soul Core] the system had named it.
Tieshan continued, "Now, I heard something about you muttering 'mutated aperture' earlier. Forget that. There's no such thing. Your aperture is your aperture. What matters is how much primeval essence it can hold, how fast it recovers, and how stable it is."
Ethan blinked, a little sheepish. "Right… I think I misunderstood."
Tieshan grunted. "Most people do."
Then, he held up a hand and extended one finger.
"There are four commonly accepted grades of talent: D, C, B, and A. D is trash. C is average. B is good. A is rare and exceptional. Your grade refers to the maximum amount of primeval essence your aperture can hold at a given stage."
He reached for a nearby waterskin and held it up.
"Think of your aperture like this skin. Everyone has one, but some are bigger than others. A D grade might hold barely a trickle. An A grade?" He smirked. "It's a damn river."
"Let me tell you in a way its easier for you."
"A grade talent with their aperture capacity of primal essence of 80-99% - This grade can be considered exceptional and the Gu Master can reach rank 5 the peak of mortal cultivation, and perhaps even become a Gu Immortal with enough preparations." He said as he pointed to Ethan and himself
"Below it is B grade with their aperture capacity of primal essence of 60-79%This grade can be considered good and the highest realm achievable is usually rank 3~4."
"Then as for C grade its 40-59%This grade can only be considered ordinary, and the highest realm achievable is usually rank 2~3 and lastly D grade 20-39%This is the weakest grade and the highest realm achievable is usually rank 1~2." Tieshan said as he looked at the sky."
"But don't think that C grade can't reach rank 5 as luck also plays an important part in success and they may be able to reach that rank if they find some rare gu"
"Now, as a Rank 1 Gu Master, your primeval essence is called white primeval essence. It's weak, soft, and not very potent. As you advance, the color changes. Yellow for Rank 2, green for Rank 3, blue for Rank 4, and so on. The stronger your cultivation, the more essence you have, and the better Gu you can use."
Ethan murmured under his breath, taking mental notes. "So cultivation is both about increasing my rank and refining stronger primeval essence…"
"Exactly," Tieshan nodded. "And every time you break through, your aperture expands, and your essence quality improves, but the percentage of the essence it can hold remains same."
"But how do I cultivate now that I've awakened?" Ethan asked. "Is there a next step?"
Tieshan looked amused. "The aperture possesses walls that separate its inside from the outside. Those walls also serve as a primary factor in the cultivation of mortal Gu Masters where they have to be repeatedly nourished, broken down and are replaced by the walls of the next minor realm. The cultivation ranks are divided into five ranks or great realms, and each great realm is further divided into four minor realms, initial stage, middle stage, upper stage, and peak stage. Every minor realm possesses different aperture walls"
Ethan scratched his neck.
Tieshan chuckled. "You've got a lot to learn. Next, you'll need to refine your first Gu. Most youths are given a basic Gu like the Wolf Claw Gu or Wolf skin Gu—low-tier Rank 1 Gu for simple use. Until you refine your Gu, your essence won't have purpose. And once you do… then the real journey begins."
He leaned forward, expression sharpening just slightly.
"And one more thing. No matter how talented you are… never forget this world isn't fair. A grade doesn't make you above everyone. You'll still bleed, still die, still lose. Remember your place—and climb with both eyes open."
Ethan lowered his head in gratitude.
"Thank you… Uncle Tieshan."
Tieshan grunted and looked away, but Ethan could see the corner of his mouth twitch upward.
Outside the window, the northern wind howled softly past the camp walls.
Inside, the flickering firelight danced over Ethan's calm face.
He was no longer an outsider.
He was a Gu Master now.