One might imagine the Fate Gu as a spider spinning its web. This intricate net once ensnared the entire world, manipulating all beings within its grasp, and compelling them to adhere to its designs, much like puppets controlled by invisible strings.

From the tiniest insect to the mightiest deity, from the moment of their first breath to the final exhalation, every joy, every sorrow, every triumph, and every terror was predetermined by the patterns of Fate's web. Every creature, every event, every heartbeat was but a puppet dancing to the tune of an unseen master. The air they breathed, the paths they walked, the choices they made—all were guided by an invisible hand. There were no accidents and no coincidences, only the meticulous execution of a grand design...

The only entities possessing a modicum of control over their destiny were the occasional Otherworldly demons emerging from the void. Even they, however, remained partially ensnared by fate's strings, limiting their overall influence and rendering them relatively harmless.

In this analogy, by merging with heaven's will, Star Constellation Immortal Venerable transformed into a spider as well, fighting for control over the web using the Heavenly Court as her sidekick. She meticulously untangled the strands of fate leading to the resurgence of Variant Humans and curbed Fate's inherent inclination to uphold balance in the world. Through this sacrifice, she maintained humanity's prosperity for countless eons.

Alas, since the uprising led by Red Lotus Demon Venerable, Fate Gu resembled a spider whose body had been nearly cleaved in two. Though not entirely lifeless, it moved with sluggishness and weakness, and its ability to ensnare the world greatly diminished.

Consequently, the world witnessed a surge in anomalies, ranging from the apparition of Luck, the phenomenon of people defying death by transforming into zombies, and the existence of more or less unbound Otherworldly Demons. Furthermore, past and future Venerables devised various methods to exploit the weakened state of Fate Gu, further destabilizing the natural order.

In another plane of existence, these factors would converge to give rise to the Heaven Refining Demon Venerable, an entirely unrestrained Otherworldly Demon both in body and soul, liberated from all shackles placed upon his destiny. In the earlier analogy, he would resemble an insect with a body so slick that the threads of fate cannot ensnare it, and his mere presence disrupts the entire web.

'Then, what does this make me?' pondered Gu Yue Qin as he surveyed the room around him.

It was a modest space spanning just 60 square meters. Each of its four walls had embedded square holes, varying in size from as large as an earthenware cooking pot to as small as a fist. Within the myriad square holes lay an array of containers—grey stone basins, verdant jade dishes, intricate grass cages, earthen stoves, and more—housing an assortment of rank 1 Gu. Some of the Gu were silent, while others emitted a cacophony of sounds—chirping, clucking, rustling—blending together to form a symphony of life.

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This was the academy's Gu storage room, from which each student was allowed to take a single Gu which they would then learn to refine.

With an unwavering smile gracing his face, Qin leisurely traversed the room, casting his gaze upon each Gu and the accompanying stone inscriptions detailing their names and functions.

Gu came in a variety of shapes and forms. Some resembled mineral rocks, while others took the shape of worms and insects. There were also those that resembled plants, among many other forms. In Qin's eyes, however, these rank 1 gu were far too feeble for him to care about.

After making a few rounds in the room, he strode purposefully toward the left wall. On one of the top tiers of the holes in this wall, there lay a row of silver plates, each housing a Gu.

Grasping the Gu in his hand, Qin gazed intently at it, as if seeking to unravel its very essence.

This Gu was crystalline and resembled a crescent moon, akin to a piece of blue quartz. Known as the Moonlight Gu, this variety of Gu was indigenous to the Gu Yue clan. Many clansmen favored the Moonlight Gu as their primary Gu. Unlike natural Gu, the Moonlight Gu was cultivated using a secret method unique to the Gu Yue clan. It couldn't be found elsewhere, making it a symbol of the clan's identity...and Qin didn't care about any of that.

What mattered to him, however, was the sensation of control that washed over him the moment his skin made contact with the Gu's shiny surface. The Moonlight Gu shone brightly in his palm, as if ready to activate at a moment's notice, even without expenditure of primeval essence on his part. It felt as though the Gu's will was already his to command, merely awaiting his instructions...this was not a normal occurrence by any means of the word.

Usually, to use a gu, the Gu master had to refine it painstakingly by imbuing the Gu with their own will, turning it into an extension of themselves, and purging the Gu's original will from its body. This was a war of attrition, as the Gu's counterattacks typically slowed the refinement process to a crawl if no special means were used to hasten the process, like using the will of a higher ranked Gu to supress it. The end result was a refined Gu, which the Gu master could then use as they pleased, providing the necessary energy to activate the Gu using their own primeval essence...but this was not what was happening with Qin's Moonlight Gu.

'The reason for that was one and only...The will originally present in the Gu before refinement is Heaven's will, a byproduct of Fate polluted by Star Constellation...yet still part of the web of fate' thought Gu Yue Qin, his smile widening ever so slightly.

'If Fate is a spider, then The Fate Devouring Soul is a disease that consumes it from the inside…growing inside the spider's very core…A disease which cloaks itself even as it spreads, pretending to be part of the organism it is taking over while shaping to its purpose….A malignancy…that can only exist because of the spider's weakened and drowsy state.'

'If Fate retained its former strength prior to the era of Red Lotus, I have no doubt that my presence would have been detected the instant I forcefully expanded my aperture capacity to 98%. However, by utilizing the very strands of fate as material, what I accomplished was not a defiance against heaven, but rather, I only took the path "it" had orchestrated for me, raising no suspicions as long as Star Constelation's gaze isn't directed towards me...' Contemplated the demon in human guise, his smile returning to its usual proportions as he deposited the Moonlight Gu into his aperture and proceeded towards the room's exit.

'As for the Moonlight Gu's will yielding to me... that is only natural, as in its eyes, there is no distinction between Fate and myself...'

Qin's gaze was like a deep, impenetrable pool, reflecting nothing of the thoughts or emotions churning beneath the surface as he continued to move forward, step by step, toward his goal.