Ren Zu's flight came to a sudden, desperate end.
He found himself trapped on a narrow ledge of black rock. Behind him lay a precipice so deep that even the sound of a falling stone would be swallowed by the silence before it hit the bottom. Below was a pit of jagged spikes, glistening with the dried blood of ancient beasts.
In front of him, the horde of Predicaments closed in. They did not rush. They moved with the slow, terrifying certainty of a nightmare. Their formless bodies oozed over the rocks, their mouths—cracks in reality filled with jagged teeth—dripped with the saliva of greed.
"I will die here," Ren Zu thought, his back pressed against the cold stone of the cliff face. His knees knocked together, uncontrollable tremors racking his fragile frame. Tears of helplessness streamed down his face. "My life has only just begun. I have not yet tasted the fruits of the world, nor have I seen the ends of the sky. Must it all end here, in the belly of a beast?"
The Predicaments lunged, their shadows stretching out to claim him. Ren Zu squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the tear of flesh and the crunch of bone.
But the darkness did not come. Instead, the sky tore open.
Three beams of light descended from the zenith of the heavens, piercing through the gloomy clouds of the savage wilderness. They struck the ground between Ren Zu and the monsters, forcing the Predicaments to recoil with hisses of confusion.
Floating within the pillars of light were three Gu worms, distinct, powerful, and radiating an aura that made the very air vibrate.
The first was massive and heavy, clad in armor of crimson and black iron. It hovered with a low hum, like the sound of a heavy drum beating in a deep cave. It radiated an aura of absolute dominance and unyielding force.
The second was elegant and slender, its body composed of multifaceted crystal. It shimmered with a complex, intelligent light that seemed to shift and calculate with every passing second.
The third was tiny, dim, and unremarkable. It flickered weakly, looking like a dying ember in a pile of cold ash, easily overlooked.
The three Gu worms hovered before the trembling human, completely ignoring the snarling Predicaments. They spoke in unison, their voices resonating directly within Ren Zu's soul, bypassing his ears entirely.
"Human," they intoned, their voices a mixture of indifference and opportunity. "We can save you. We can grant you the power to sweep away these obstacles."
Ren Zu's eyes snapped open. "Save me! Please!"
"Do not be so hasty," the voices warned. "The Great Dao is fair. The laws of the world are balanced. To gain, one must lose. We are not your servants, nor are we your saviors. We are Gu. If you wish for our help, you must use your own life to provide for us. As long as you pay the price, we will help you overcome this difficulty."
Ren Zu looked at the gnashing teeth of the Predicaments, then at the abyss behind him. The smell of rotting mud and impending death filled his nose. He realized he had no leverage. He was a beggar at the gates of life and death.
"I have nothing but this fragile body," Ren Zu cried out, his voice cracking. "But if I die, I have nothing at all! I agree! Whatever the price, I agree! Save me!"
The large, armored Gu flew forward, pushing the other two aside. It landed heavily on the rock in front of Ren Zu.
"I am Strength Gu," it declared, its voice booming like thunder. "I can grant you the power to shatter rocks, to part rivers, and to crush your enemies into dust. With me, you need not fear any beast. But my appetite is large. In exchange for this power, you must give me your Youth."
"Youth?" Ren Zu blinked. He had only been born a short while ago. He did not understand the concept of time, nor the value of the prime of life. To him, 'Youth' was just an abstract word, a thing he had in abundance. It seemed a small price to pay compared to his life.
"I have plenty of youth!" Ren Zu nodded frantically, offering his chest to the Gu. "Take it! Take my youth, just give me the power to live!"
Strength Gu glowed with a blinding crimson light. "Deal."
It burrowed into Ren Zu's body. Instantly, Ren Zu gasped, his back arching in a silent scream.
He felt a strange, profound sensation—as if a cool, refreshing spring water was being rapidly drained from his very marrow. The softness of his skin, tender as a newborn's, began to fade. It thickened, becoming tough and leathery, like the hide of an old ox. The naive light in his eyes dimmed slightly, replaced by a burning, savage fire.
His muscles, once soft and pliable, began to swell and knot. They hardened into iron, burying his bones beneath layers of raw power. His blood, which had flowed gently, now roared through his veins like a flooding river.
A savage, uncontrollable energy coursed through him. It was a feeling of omnipotence.
With a roar that shook the mountains and caused the loose stones of the cliff to tumble into the abyss, Ren Zu turned to face the Predicaments.
He was no longer the prey.
"Come!" Ren Zu shouted, his voice deeper, rougher.
A Predicament, resembling a giant mud-wolf, lunged at him. Ren Zu did not run. He stepped forward and threw a punch.
BOOM!
The air itself exploded. His fist moved faster than the eye could follow. It struck the Predicament, and the monster did not just die—it disintegrated. The force of the blow shattered its formless body, splashing it across the canyon walls.
Ren Zu kicked out with his leg, and the earth beneath him shattered. The shockwave blasted the remaining Predicaments backward. He moved like a whirlwind of destruction, tearing through the monsters that had terrorized him for so long. He grabbed them and crushed them; he stomped them into the dirt.
Within moments, the ledge was silent. The Predicaments were gone, smashed into dust and nothingness.
Ren Zu stood amidst the carnage, his chest heaving, steam rising from his toughened skin. He looked at his hands—calloused, strong, and deadly. A wild laughter bubbled up from his throat.
"I am strong!" Ren Zu laughed, the sound echoing endlessly into the sky. "I am invincible! With this power, what is there in this world that can stop me?"
He had lost his Youth, but in the intoxication of power, he did not feel the loss. Not yet.