Effort begets results

Legend recalls that on meeting the greatest Predicament of his life Ren Zu created his seventh child, Great Strength True Martial, and was saved by him. Father and son travel on together. Great Strength True Martial asks where they are headed. Ren Zu explains that fate Gu has kept them from the rest of their family, and that they now need freedom Gu to break its hold, starting with a search for wisdom Gu at Qian Kun Crystal Wall. ^{ch. 2117}

Strong Gu, already lodged in his heart, pushes him onto the harder Upslope Road. It promises that good things are often found there. By feel alone he finds and names an invisible Gu, effort Gu, explaining that every expert simply knows effort since no one can see another’s. Ren Zu doubts it is worth much, since his son visibly struggles and sweats climbing, but Great Strength True Martial answers that effort may not guarantee success, only a result, the ground he gains with every step. ^{ch. 2117}

Higher up, the road turns harder still, downslope stretches grow rare, and Predicaments increasingly block the way. Great Strength True Martial gains authority Gu and fortitude Gu, then humility Gu and forgiveness Gu, which follow him on their own as an expert’s authority to begin with. The Upslope Road also awakens ability Gu within him. He calls it effort Gu’s result. Cognition Gu tells Ren Zu there is no easier way, since the more valuable the goal, the more of that road and its Predicaments a person must cross. Ren Zu answers the growing Predicaments with hope alone, but ability Gu insists hope cannot beat a Predicament without it, and Great Strength True Martial then defeats many with his own ability, so Ren Zu admits he has underestimated his son’s effort and ability. ^{ch. 2117}

Strong Gu, hungry for more strength, urges him to kill and eat the Predicaments. He eats their bitter heads for the strength they give, spits out their losses since experts do not swallow losses, and eats their flesh too, growing more muscular as strong Gu grows with him. He shares the meat with Ren Zu, still thin as a rack of bones. Finally he throws ability Gu itself into a tribulation, and hardship only leaves it larger and stronger than before. ^{ch. 2117}