Based on the uploaded Chapter 1 draft, with the new Advanced Copy Gu rule included.
Chapter 1: Before the Awakening Ceremony
Spring rain fell over Qing Mao Mountain, light and persistent.
It drifted down in thin threads, carried by the night wind as it brushed across tiled roofs, wooden walls, mountain paths, and quiet courtyards. At such an hour, the mountain should have been swallowed completely by darkness, yet scattered lights still burned across Gu Yue Village. From afar, they looked like beads of fire hanging along the mountain slope, faint but stubborn, marking the presence of men in a world filled with beasts, Gu, cultivation, struggle, and death.
At the center of the village, the ancestral hall shone brighter than any other place.
Inside, smoke rose slowly from incense sticks while memorial tablets stood in silent rows. Before them, the Gu Yue clan head knelt in ceremonial robes, his expression solemn. Behind him, the elders and important clan members also knelt, their white garments spread across the floor.
Tomorrow was the Awakening Ceremony, a day that carried different meanings for different people. Mortal families saw it as hope, the clan saw it as judgment, and the elders saw it as future profit, because every youth who awakened good aptitude represented resources, influence, and possible authority.
A young man with high aptitude could become a pillar of the clan, someone worthy of investment, protection, and expectation. A young man with low aptitude would sink into the crowd, living an ordinary life while struggling for primeval stones, struggling for Gu, and struggling even to be remembered.
When the prayers ended, the elders rose and slowly left the ancestral hall. The corridor outside was cold, and rain tapped lightly against the eaves.
One elder glanced toward the dark mountain and sighed. "Another year already. Every time this ceremony comes, I feel the clan's future hanging over our heads."
"Future?" another elder gave a bitter smile. "These past few years, what future have we seen? Bai Village produced Bai Ning Bing, and Xiong Village's younger generation is not weak either. As for us, we keep waiting year after year."
"Do not speak too early," someone said. "This year still has Fang Yuan."
At the mention of Fang Yuan, several elders' expressions shifted.
"That child has been famous since young. If his aperture is truly A-grade, our Gu Yue clan will finally have someone to support the next generation."
"If he is A-grade, the clan leader's faction will certainly move first."
"Move first?" another elder snorted softly. "Such talent belongs to the clan, not to one faction."
The words sounded righteous, but everyone present understood what they truly meant.
If Fang Yuan awakened high aptitude, no faction would willingly stand aside.
At this time, the clan head finally stopped walking.
The elders behind him also stopped.
Gu Yue Bo turned slightly, his gaze passing over them. "The ceremony has not even begun, yet all of you are already thinking about how to divide people?"
The corridor quieted.
One elder lowered his head. "Clan leader, we were only discussing the clan's future."
"The clan's future?" Gu Yue Bo said calmly. "Then remember that the clan comes before your factions. If a good seedling appears tomorrow, guide him properly. Compete if you must, but do not let your hands stretch so far that you damage the seedling before he grows."
The elders exchanged glances.
After a brief silence, they cupped their fists.
"Clan leader is right."
"We understand."
"Everything is naturally for the clan."
Gu Yue Bo looked at them for another moment before turning away.
No one spoke again until his figure disappeared down the corridor.
Only then did an elder's eyes darken slightly.
Everything was for the clan.
That was what they said.
But talent meant resources, influence, and future authority. If a true genius appeared, who would not want to hold him in their own hand?
Soon, the corridor became empty, and only the sound of spring rain remained.
While the elders discussed the future of the clan, in an ordinary room elsewhere in the village, a young man sat motionless beside a wooden window.
His name was Gu Yue Fang Ming.
His body was 15 years old, but the soul inside this body did not belong to this world.
Fang Ming stared at the village lights through the rain. His face was calm, but his fingers rested tightly on the edge of the window frame. For a long time, he did not move. Only after the cold wind struck his face did his throat shift slightly.
"Qing Mao Mountain…"
His voice was very soft, so soft that even he almost failed to hear it.
At first, he thought it was a dream. Then the memories in his head settled one after another, too clear to be false. The room around him was unfamiliar to his soul, yet familiar to this body. The wooden bed, the rough clothes, the oil lamp, the cold rain, the faint smell of damp soil and old wood — everything was real.
He had transmigrated.
Not into an ordinary world.
Not into a gentle fantasy land where kindness, effort, and luck would easily bring success.
He had transmigrated into the world of Reverend Insanity.
A world where people refined Gu, cultivated apertures, killed for inheritance, betrayed for benefits, and smiled while pushing others into death. A world where weakness was not pitied, where one wrong step could become the final step, and where morality had to kneel before survival and strength.
Fang Ming slowly raised his hand and pressed it against his chest.
His heart was beating fast.
But after accepting reality, his first clear feeling was not despair.
It was excitement.
This was the Gu world.
A cruel world, yes. A world where weakness could be crushed, kindness could be exploited, and one mistake could become death. But it was also a world vast enough to contain venerables, immortal Gu, heaven-defying schemes, beast tides, blessed lands, inheritances, and paths that could lead beyond the limits of ordinary imagination.
Fang Ming had always loved the grandeur of nature.
Mountains, storms, oceans, ancient forests, endless skies — things vast enough to make people feel small had always drawn his gaze. He liked the feeling of standing before something greater than himself, because only then did climbing have meaning.
The Gu world was the same.
Only greater.
Its cruelty did not make it ugly.
In its own way, that cruelty made it beautiful.
A gentle world had little worth challenging.
This world did.
Fang Ming knew many things about this place. He knew the general direction of history, the Gu Yue clan, Qing Mao Mountain, the Awakening Ceremony, Bai Ning Bing, Flower Wine Monk, the wolf tide, the destruction waiting in the future, and many secrets that ordinary clansmen could not even dream of touching.
Knowledge was power.
In this world, information could decide life and death.
But knowledge alone was not enough.
Right now, he had no Gu, no primeval essence, no faction behind him, no true protector, and no guarantee that his aptitude would be good. Before the Awakening Ceremony, he was only a 15-year-old mortal youth who had not even stepped onto the cultivation path.
Fang Ming lowered his gaze and searched through this body's memories.
Gu Yue Fang Ming was not famous.
He was not like Fang Yuan, praised as a genius since childhood. He was not like Fang Zheng, hidden beneath his brother's shadow yet destined for A-grade aptitude. Fang Ming's original body had always been ordinary: quiet, not foolish, but not outstanding either.
His parents had died some time ago, leaving behind only a few Rank 1 Gu and several hundred primeval stones. It was not a fortune worth scheming over. Afterward, he had been taken in by his uncle's family. His uncle and aunt did not treat him warmly, but they did not mistreat him either. They simply fulfilled the clan's requirement to care for an orphaned family member.
That was all.
His situation was neither good nor terrible.
If he was too valuable, others would watch him. If he was too worthless, no one would invest in him. If he wanted to survive and climb, he could not depend on family affection, clan kindness, or the uncertain goodwill of others.
Fortunately, he was not completely without hope.
Inside his body, there was something that did not belong to the ordinary flow of this world.
A Gu.
Not a Rank 1 Gu, nor a Rank 2 Gu.
It was a Rank 9 Heaven path Gu.
Advanced Copy Gu.
Fang Ming did not know why such a Gu had attached itself to him, nor did he know what thoughts its will carried. This Gu was still wild. It had its own will, its own thoughts, and its own purpose, but for now, it allowed Fang Ming to use it.
It resided inside his body silently.
Undetectable.
This was not because Fang Ming had any ability to hide it. He was still only a mortal. But if a Rank 9 Gu truly wanted to conceal itself, even a Rank 9 venerable would not easily find it.
Advanced Copy Gu had no fighting power.
It could not attack, defend, heal, move, or protect Fang Ming from danger. Its purpose was clear and singular.
Copy.
Once every month, Fang Ming could use Advanced Copy Gu to copy 1 talent, skill, or Gu from another person or target.
But it was not without restrictions.
First, he had to be close, very close, within 1 meter. Second, he had to maintain that distance for a period of time. The stronger or more valuable the thing he wanted to copy, the longer it would take. A simple skill might only require a short moment, while a valuable talent or Gu would require much longer. Third, he could only copy once every month.
And there were limits.
Right now, Fang Ming could only copy things of the same level or lower than himself. If he wanted to copy a Gu, he could not copy one above his current level. A lower-level Gu would be copied faster, while a Gu or talent equal to his own level would take longer. Even among Gu of the same rank, the time was not fixed.
Different Gu had different copy times.
If he copied from a person, he had to remain within 1 meter of that person. If the person moved away, or if Fang Ming moved away, the copy would be interrupted, and he would have to start again. If he copied a Gu displayed outside, the same rule applied.
Distance and time.
Both mattered.
This was not a power that could immediately make him invincible. It could not kill for him, refine Gu for him, give him primeval stones, protect him from suspicion, or stop others from noticing something wrong.
But it gave him possibility.
And in the Gu world, possibility was already precious.
Fang Ming's fingers slowly tightened.
Tomorrow was the Awakening Ceremony.
The entire Gu Yue clan would gather its youths and determine their aptitude. The elders were waiting for geniuses. The clan head was waiting for hope. Families were waiting for glory.
Fang Ming was waiting too.
But unlike them, he already knew who the greatest talent in tomorrow's ceremony would be.
Gu Yue Fang Zheng.
A-grade aptitude.
The younger twin brother who had always lived beneath Fang Yuan's shadow would rise into the sky after tomorrow, while Fang Yuan, the genius praised for years, would be revealed as only C-grade.
The clan's attitude would reverse overnight, and Fang Ming, standing among the crowd, would witness it.
If he could copy Fang Zheng's aptitude…
The thought appeared, and Fang Ming's heart beat faster.
A-grade aptitude.
To a mortal youth of the Gu Yue clan, this was a ladder to heaven. With A-grade aptitude, the clan would invest in him. Resources, primeval stones, Gu, protection, elders' attention — all of these would become much easier to obtain.
But after only a breath, Fang Ming forced himself to calm down.
It would not be easy.
The problem was time.
Fang Ming did not know how long the copy would take. The Advanced Copy Gu's rule was simple, but simplicity did not mean safety. He had to remain within 1 meter of the target, and the copying time depended on the value of what he wanted to copy.
A simple skill might only take a short while.
But Fang Zheng's aptitude was different.
A-grade aptitude was enough to shake the hearts of the elders, enough for the clan head to personally value him, and enough to change a youth's fate overnight.
Could such a thing be copied in a few breaths?
A few minutes?
Or would it take hours?
Fang Ming did not know and not knowing meant he had to prepare.
Tomorrow before the Awakening Ceremony might be the cleanest chance.
Fang Ming's brows tightened.
There was also Fang Yuan.
Somewhere in this same village, on this same rainy night, Fang Yuan was also awake.
The old demon who had returned from 500 years in the future.
Back on Earth, Fang Ming had read Reverend Insanity with great interest. Among all the novels he had read, this one suited his taste the most.
Fang Yuan was not merely a protagonist to him.
In many ways, Fang Yuan felt like a more complete, more perfect version of what Fang Ming himself aspired to be.
Fang Ming was pragmatic and goal-oriented, but life often swayed people away from their goals. Comfort, distraction, shallow relationships, hesitation, and self-love all became invisible chains. Fang Yuan seemed different. He moved forward without rest, without hesitation, and without pity even for himself.
This was what Fang Ming admired most.
Fang Ming could be ruthless. He could be cold. He could make choices based on benefit.
But he loved himself greatly.
He would not casually harm himself, even when the benefits were tempting and the price seemed worthwhile. Fang Yuan, however, could be ruthless not only to others, but also to himself.
That was superiority.
A superiority Fang Ming admitted.
Fang Yuan was in this same village, standing on the same starting ground as him.
Fang Ming's heart did not sink at this realization. Instead, a sharp excitement rose within him.
How many people could say they began beside such a formidable existence?
Fang Yuan was the storm that would one day overturn mountains, clans, blessed lands, and even the arrangements of heaven itself. But to Fang Ming, this was not something to fear. It was something worth witnessing, worth chasing, and eventually worth surpassing.
A person who feared the storm could only hide in caves.
Fang Ming wanted to walk into it, measure himself against it, and one day stand above it.
If another A-grade talent appeared tomorrow, Fang Yuan would likely notice the abnormality.
So what?
Right now, Fang Yuan had just returned.
He had no cultivation, no Gu, no primeval essence, and no faction that truly belonged to him. Even if Fang Yuan noticed that something had changed, what could he do at this stage? He could become suspicious, observe more carefully, and remember Fang Ming as someone who did not exist in his previous life's expectations, but that was still acceptable.
Fang Ming had no intention of hiding his talent just because Fang Yuan might pay attention to him.
That would be foolish.
Qing Mao Mountain had less than 3 years left.
In less than 3 years, this village would be dragged into disaster. The Gu Yue clan, Bai clan, and Xiong clan would all be swallowed by schemes, beasts, blood, and death.
If Fang Ming remained weak, then no amount of caution would save him. Survival required strength, strength required resources, resources required the clan's investment, and the clan would only invest seriously in someone with enough aptitude.
C-grade or D-grade would only throw him into the mud. Even B-grade would not be enough to guarantee that he could keep pace with Fang Yuan's formidable advancement. Fang Yuan had 500 years of experience and knew where opportunities were hidden. If Fang Ming wanted to avoid falling behind, he could not start from an ordinary position.
He needed A-grade aptitude because only then would the elders' attention, primeval stones, Gu, cultivation support, and protection become easier to obtain. Only with that foundation could he aim for Rank 3 before Qing Mao Mountain became a grave.
Fang Ming slowly exhaled.
There was no need to hesitate.
His first copy had to be Fang Zheng's aptitude.
As long as he succeeded, his foundation would change completely. Even if Fang Yuan noticed, Fang Ming would accept it. Even if the clan paid attention to him, Fang Ming would accept it. Even if trouble came with talent, Fang Ming would accept it.
Because without talent, there would not even be a future worth considering.
The rain outside continued to fall as Fang Ming closed his eyes and began arranging tomorrow's plan.
He could not wait until the Awakening Ceremony itself.
By then, there would be too many people. The youths would gather together, elders would watch from above, and the ceremony would proceed under clan supervision. Trying to stay within 1 meter of Fang Zheng for a long time in such a place would be difficult.
He had to start earlier.
Very early.
Before the village fully woke, before the crowd gathered, and before Fang Zheng reached the ceremony grounds, Fang Ming would go to the area near the Fang brothers' house and wait.
Fang Zheng was cautious and obedient. On such an important day, he would not be late. He would most likely leave early, perhaps even earlier than Fang Yuan.
As long as Fang Ming timed it well, he could walk beside Fang Zheng naturally. They were the same age, belonged to the same clan, and were both heading to the Awakening Ceremony, so walking together would not seem strange.
1 meter was the limit, and Fang Ming only needed to remain within that distance of Fang Zheng long enough to activate the copy. Every step toward the ceremony grounds would buy him more time, and every breath could decide whether he succeeded or failed.
If Advanced Copy Gu required only a few minutes, he might complete the copy before they even arrived. If it needed longer, he would continue during the gathering, and if even that was not enough, he would find another excuse to stay near Fang Zheng until the ceremony began.
No matter what happened, he had to use every moment.
The spring rain continued outside the window.
Fang Ming opened his eyes again and looked toward the dark mountain beyond the village lights.
Tomorrow was only the first gate.
Beyond it waited the academy, the elders, Fang Yuan, the Flower Wine Monk inheritance, Bai Ning Bing, the wolf tide, the destruction of Qing Mao Mountain, the wider Southern Border, the other regions, the venerables, and the vast Gu world itself.
A faint smile appeared on Fang Ming's face.
This world was really beautiful and such a world was worth climbing.