"Master," Li Wei called out. Sage Yu was tending to his plants when he found himself besieged by Li Wei's questions regarding why he had not previously informed him about bloodlines. Li Wei passionately argued that had he known about awakening his bloodline when he first entered the sect, his cultivation would have progressed at a significantly faster rate.
Sage Yu countered that he intentionally withheld this knowledge to gauge the extent of Li Wei's potential without relying on his bloodline. He made a compelling argument, but what he didn't mention or chose to keep from Li Wei was that he had taken a gamble. Sage Yu knew how perilous it was for Li Wei to cultivate without his bloodline, so he had balanced Li Wei's training with life experiences to prevent him from constraining himself and descending into madness.
Li Wei was visibly and understandably upset, but after carefully listening to Sage Yu's explanation, he came to understand the reasoning behind his master's actions. However, his desire to awaken his bloodline and become stronger remained unshaken. Before Sage Yu revealed the process, he emphasized that rapid improvement wasn't always beneficial, and sometimes it could lead to permanent setbacks.
With Li Wei determined, Sage Yu informed him that he was in luck because the sect would be conducting a bloodline awakening ceremony for all newcomers in just two months. This ceremony occurred every 30 years due to its expense and the mental strain it placed on disciples, especially those who awakened weak bloodlines. After stressing the importance of rest and enjoying life, Sage Yu assured Li Wei that he would continue to practice new techniques and refine his existing ones.
In the blink of an eye, two months had passed, and Tai Feng had advanced to the 2nd level of the Inner Radiance Realm, surpassing Li Wei. Li Wei congratulated his fellow disciple and vowed to catch up soon.
The long-awaited day had arrived, and Sage Yu could sense Li Wei's pent-up excitement and determination. They made their way to the Hall of Saints, an enormous hall capable of accommodating an entire country's worth of people. Inside, the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation. All the sect's powerhouses and the sect leader himself were present to witness which student would prove worthy of their teachings. This event offered elders the perfect opportunity to discover a gifted disciple to mentor, or as Li Wei playfully noted, to exploit for chores and errands.
After the sect leader explained the awakening process, thousands upon thousands of students stepped forward to awaken their bloodlines. Among them, 600 awakened a martial bloodline, 200 a profound bloodline, and 20 an imperial bloodline. Only one disciple, a girl named Xia Nüying, awakened a king's bloodline, a rare and extraordinary occurrence. She had entered the sect around the same time as Li Wei, and prior to his arrival, she was considered the next genius. With her newfound power, she became a sought-after disciple, eventually choosing Elder Su, the 5th-ranked elder in the sect, as her mentor.
The excitement and commotion surrounding the king-ranked bloodline subsided, leaving the audience in eager anticipation of Li Wei's awakening. As he approached the Supreme Crystal, a relic that had been with the sect for millennia, shrouded in mystery regarding its origins and bloodline-awakening abilities, all eyes were fixed on the young man. His master, the sisters, the sect leader, and his rival Tai Feng, all waited in breathless anticipation to witness the power hidden within him.