However, after only three steps, his body seemed to lose its support and he fell straight into the river.
The rich Origin Qi emanating from the Yuan Spring was undoubtedly an immense pressure for those who had not yet awakened their Aptitude. The further one could walk under this pressure, the better the child's Aptitude.
Only those who could walk more than ten steps were qualified to become a Gu Master. Those who could not walk past fifteen steps were considered to have no Aptitude, and their future path would be incredibly cruel, which was why the youth was weeping bitterly.
"Gu Yue Xiaoming, three steps, no Gu Master Aptitude, next." School Elder Gu Yue Zhi said expressionlessly, his voice seemingly without a ripple. He merely glanced indifferently at Gu Yue Xiaoming, then drew a large cross next to his name.
As his words fell, two burly guards appeared beside Gu Yue Xiaoming like specters. They were expressionless and roughly dragged the weeping Gu Yue Xiaoming out of the underground Yuan Spring. Gu Yue Xiaoming's body scraped against the cold ground, his cries echoing in the empty School, sounding exceptionally desolate. However, the two guards showed no mercy, throwing Gu Yue Xiaoming unceremoniously aside like a worn-out object.
"Gu Yue Wang Qi, ten steps, no Aptitude! Next. Gu Yue Jing Wang!" Gu Yue Zhi's voice remained cold, without the slightest fluctuation.
As each name was called out, children without Aptitude wept bitterly, their dreams shattered at that moment, while those with Aptitude revealed overjoyed smiles.
"Gu Yue Moyan!" When this name was called, the School suddenly fell silent. A beautiful young girl slowly walked out from the crowd.
"Here." Gu Yue Moyan's voice was clear and pleasant. Her gaze was as clear as water, without the slightest fear, and she stepped directly into the underground Yuan Spring.
The spring water rippled at her feet, as if welcoming her arrival. Gu Yue Moyan walked step by step, each one appearing so firm.
"Gu Yue Moyan, thirty-six steps, B-grade Aptitude, excellent! Her Origin Sea Aptitude is six layers and six." When Gu Yue Moyan achieved the impressive result of thirty-six steps, School Elder Gu Yue Zhi finally showed a hint of a smile on his face. He laughed heartily as he wrote a large 'Excellent' on the roster, highly praising Gu Yue Moyan's performance.
The other children also cast envious glances, Gu Yue Moyan's outstanding performance leaving them far behind.
Having achieved such excellent results, Gu Yue Moyan, filled with joy, walked back to the bank of the underground Yuan Spring with light steps. She straightened her back and held her head high, as if the whole world was at her feet.
Standing among the group of youths with Aptitude, Gu Yue Moyan stood out like a crane among chickens, and the other Elders all cast envious glances at her.
Especially when they saw Gu Yue Mo Chen, this envy was even more apparent. Because Gu Yue Mo Chen was Gu Yue Moyan's grandfather, and the B-grade Aptitude displayed by Gu Yue Moyan undoubtedly made Gu Yue Mo Chen the focus of everyone's attention.
Gu Yue Mo Chen naturally felt the gazes from all around him. He was secretly pleased and showed a barely noticeable smile on his face. When his gaze met that of his old rival, Gu Yue Chilian, he openly displayed a provocative look.
"Did you see that? This is my granddaughter, Gu Yue Moyan. How is she? Not bad, right?" Gu Yue Mo Chen said loudly to Gu Yue Chilian, his voice full of confidence and pride.
B-grade Aptitude meant that Gu Yue Moyan's cultivation path would be smooth sailing. As long as she progressed steadily, she would certainly be able to cultivate to Third Rank and become an Elder in the Family. This was a cause for celebration for any Family.
However, in the face of Gu Yue Mo Chen's provocation, Gu Yue Chilian merely snorted coldly, showing a completely disdainful attitude. He was so calm because a youth with innate Divine Power had appeared in their Scarlet Vein.
Such a youth with extraordinary talent was often considered a manifestation of outward Aptitude. In other words, this youth was very likely to possess even better Aptitude than Gu Yue Moyan. Therefore, Gu Yue Chilian did not even consider Gu Yue Moyan's B-grade Aptitude.
Not only that, even Gu Yue Bo, an important figure in the Family, was silently paying attention to that youth with innate Divine Power, hoping for the appearance of a youth with A-grade Aptitude.
The Gu Yue Clan had not seen a Genius with A-grade Aptitude for nearly ten years. The high-level combat power was disjointed, Gu Yue Bo was old, yet the Gu Yue Clan still had no successor who could Breakthrough to Four-Turn. This truly left him with unspoken bitterness.
"Gu Yue Chishan!"
"Here!"
Accompanied by a deep and powerful response, Gu Yue Chishan slowly emerged from the crowd like a mountain. His physique was tall and robust, like an unshakeable iron tower. Compared to his peers, he was a full head taller. Each step was so firm and powerful, as if the entire earth trembled with his footsteps.
When he stepped into the underground Yuan Spring, the people around him couldn't help but hold their breath, their gazes following his figure, anticipating what kind of talent he would display.
"Gu Yue Chishan, thirty-seven steps, B-grade Aptitude, good, excellent!"
As Gu Yue Chishan's steps in the Yuan Spring became steady, School Elder Gu Yue Zhi's voice grew increasingly excited. This was already the second youth with B-grade Aptitude in a row, a result that delighted him.
Seeing this, Gu Yue Chilian's face showed even more unmasked ecstasy. He looked triumphantly at Gu Yue Mo Chen and provocatively said, "How about it? My Scarlet Vein is not worse than your Mo Vein, is it?"
Gu Yue Mo Chen snorted coldly. Although he was a bit annoyed, he couldn't act on it and could only fiercely wave his sleeve, indicating his disdain for Gu Yue Chilian.
However, amidst this clamor, only Clan Chief Gu Yue Bo's mood seemed somewhat heavy. B-grade Aptitude might be excellent enough for other branch veins, but for the Legacy of the entire Gu Yue Family, it was far from enough. What he hoped for was the appearance of a youth with A-grade talent to shoulder the Family's future.
Unfortunately, it seemed that the two consecutive youths with B-grade Aptitude had exhausted the Gu Yue Clan's luck. The youths who subsequently underwent their awakening, the best of them only had C-grade Aptitude, which deepened the disappointment in Gu Yue Bo's heart.