In an instant, the surroundings fell silent. Countless gazes fixed upon him.
"This is becoming more and more interesting," Fangyuan thought to himself with a faint smile. Under the scrutiny of the crowd, he waded through the water and stepped onto the opposite bank.
Immediately, he felt a weight press down upon him.
This pressure emanated from the spirit spring deep within the sea of flowers. The spring generated primeval essence, and because that essence was so dense and abundant, it created a tangible pressure.
However, soon after, specks of light began to rise from the flowerbeds at Fangyuan’s feet.
The specks drifted through the air, enveloping his entire body before finally seeping into him one by one.
"This is the Hope Gu," Fangyuan murmured to himself. Although the official in charge hadn't explained it, he knew exactly what it was.
Each of these specks of light was a Gu.
The Gu was named Hope.
There was an ancient legend regarding the Hope Gu.
Legend says that when the world was first formed, it was a desolate place overrun by wild beasts. The first human appeared, known as the Human Ancestor. He consumed raw meat and blood, and his life was extremely difficult.
In particular, there was a pack of beasts called Hardship, which had a taste for the Human Ancestor and sought to devour him.
The Human Ancestor did not have a body as hard as rock, nor did he possess the sharp claws and teeth of the beasts. How could he struggle against the beasts of Hardship? His food sources were unstable, and he spent his days hiding and fleeing, trapped at the very bottom of the natural food chain.
At that time, three Gu took the initiative to approach him. They said to the Human Ancestor, "As long as you use your life to nourish us, we will help you overcome these difficulties."
The Human Ancestor, having no other path left, agreed to the three Gu.
First, he used his youth to nourish the largest of the three Gu, and that Gu brought him strength.
Relying on strength, the Human Ancestor's life began to improve. He secured stable food sources and gained the power to defend himself. He became brave and aggressive, defeating many Hardships. But he soon suffered for it. He eventually discovered that strength was not omnipotent; it required rest and recovery and could not be squandered at will.
Moreover, against the entire pack of Hardship, his individual strength was far too small.
After reflecting on his pain, the Human Ancestor decided to use his prime middle years to nourish the most beautiful of the three Gu.
Thus, the second Gu brought him wisdom.
With wisdom, the Human Ancestor learned to think and reflect, and he began to accumulate experience. He realized that in many situations, using wisdom was more effective than using strength. Relying on both wisdom and strength, he conquered targets he previously could not, killing even more Hardships. He ate the meat and drank the blood of Hardship, surviving with tenacity.
But good times do not last forever. The Human Ancestor grew old, older and older.
This was because he had offered both his youth and his middle years to the Strength Gu and the Wisdom Gu.
Once a man is old, his muscles wither, and his mind no longer turns quickly.
"Human, what more can you offer us? You have nothing left to nourish us with," the Strength Gu and the Wisdom Gu realized, and they heartlessly departed.
Having lost his strength and wisdom, the Human Ancestor was discovered by Hardship and fell into a encirclement of beasts. He was old, unable to run, and his teeth had all fallen out; he couldn't even chew wild fruits or vegetables.
He collapsed helplessly onto the ground, surrounded by a dense mass of Hardship, his heart filled with despair.
Just then, the third Gu said to him, "Human, nourish me, and I can lead you out of this hardship."
The Human Ancestor wept and said, "Oh Gu, what could I possibly have left? Look, the Strength Gu and the Wisdom Gu have both abandoned me. I have nothing left but my old age. Compared to youth and middle age, old age is worthless, but if I offer it to you, my life will end instantly. Though I am surrounded by Hardship, I will not die for a moment yet. I still wish to live a little longer, even if only for a second. So, go, for I have nothing left to offer you."
The Gu replied, "Of the three Gu, my requirements are the smallest. Human, you only need to give your heart to me."
"Then I shall give my heart to you," the Human Ancestor said. "But Gu, what can you bring me? In this desperate situation, even if the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu were to return to my side, it would change nothing."
Compared to the Strength Gu, this Gu was the frailest, merely a tiny speck of light. Compared to the Wisdom Gu, it was the dimmest, emitting only a faint white glow, lacking any magnificence or beauty.
But when the human gave his heart to this Gu, it suddenly erupted with infinite light. In this radiance, the Hardships shrieked in terror: "This is the Hope Gu! Retreat! We Hardships fear hope the most!"
The pack of Hardship fled in a panic.
The Human Ancestor was stunned. From that moment on, he knew—when faced with hardship, give your heart to hope.
At this moment, the Hope Gu converged into a stream of light and entered Fangyuan’s body.
Driven by the external pressure, they quickly gathered at Fangyuan’s abdomen, spontaneously forming a cluster three inches below his navel.
Fangyuan immediately felt the pressure ease slightly.
He took a step and continued forward.
With every step he took, more Hope Gu flew out from the sea of flowers, entering his body and joining the cluster.
The cluster grew larger and brighter.
However, the official on the opposite bank frowned.
"The quantity of this Hope Gu seems rather small," many elders who had been secretly observing Fangyuan thought, their hearts sinking at the sight.
The clan leader also furrowed his brow; this was certainly not the sign of Grade A aptitude!
Fangyuan bore the pressure and continued to push forward.
"Under ten steps means no aptitude for cultivation. Ten to twenty steps is Grade D. Twenty to thirty steps is Grade C. Thirty to forty steps is Grade B. Forty to fifty steps is Grade A. So far, I have walked twenty-three steps."
"Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six… twenty-seven." Fangyuan counted silently. When he reached the twenty-seventh step, he felt as if he heard a roar; the cluster of light between his kidneys had reached its limit, and it suddenly exploded.
This explosion occurred only within Fangyuan’s body; those on the outside could not perceive it at all. Only Fangyuan felt a world-shaking profundity in that instant.
In a flash, the hair over his entire body stood on end, his pores tightly shut, and his spirit pulled taut like a bowstring suddenly drawn back.
Immediately afterward, his mind went blank, and his entire body felt soft, as if he were falling from the peak of the clouds. His spirit relaxed, his hair smoothed, and every pore on his body opened.
In an instant, a layer of light sweat broke out over his whole body.
This process, while long in the telling, was actually extremely brief. It came quickly and vanished just as abruptly.
Fangyuan lost his focus for only a second before snapping back to reality.
He secretly focused his senses within his body and discovered that an aperture had appeared out of thin air in his abdomen, between his two kidneys.
The aperture had opened successfully!
This was the hope of eternal life!