Reverend Insanity
Gu Zhen Ren
Fang Yuan, a 500-year-old demonic cultivator armed with the Spring Autumn Cicada, is reborn to his youth on Qing Mao Mountain in a world where humans cultivate Gu — legendary venomous insects that are the essence of Heaven and Earth. With his Three Views unrighteous, he deceives his clan, slaughters his sect and coldly eliminates anyone who blocks his path to eternal life. From Moonlight Gu to Liquor Worm, every Gu must be fed and refined; every inheritance is a psychological meat-grinder left by ancient eccentrics. Hunted by righteous cultivators and by Heaven's Will itself, Fang Yuan pursues Gu Immortality at any cost, his path soaked in blood, schemes and betrayal.
Progression: Explicit, central Gu cultivation ladder Rank 1 to Rank 9 Venerable is quantified in every arc. Mortal Gu Masters open an aperture and cultivate primeval essence, advancing Rank 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5, each rank unlocking higher-tier Gu worms (e.g., Moonlight Gu, Spring Autumn Cicada rank 6, All-Encompassing Golden Light). Aperture size, essence sea (jade, crystal) and Gu refining success directly gate power, lifespan and combat. Rank 6+ Gu Immortals form immortal apertures, face heavenly calamities and vie for Venerable (Rank 9) — the Demon Venerable Eternal Life. Progress is explicit: rank breakthroughs, Gu refinement/fusion, inheritance trials, beast taming and essence management; every chapter tracks resources, feeding costs, and rank-ups, making advancement the engine of plot, combat and philosophy. The Spring Autumn Cicada enables 500-year time-travel recursion, resetting but preserving rank knowledge.
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