"Spiritual energy perception, no mental power, low level."
Looking at the crystal ball-like detection device in front of him, a young boy with white hair, only fourteen or fifteen years old, chuckled self-deprecatingly. He appeared indifferent to the results, but the slight trembling of his shoulders betrayed his true feelings.
"Spiritual energy perception, no mental power, low level. Unable to cultivate battle energy or magic." A middle-aged man next to the crystal ball coldly remarked. He looked at the young boy in front of him with the disdain one might reserve for a beggar on the street.
Behind him, those waiting for the test and those who had already been tested, along with a few family stewards not far away, all shook their heads.
"Worthless, he's just a white-haired brat trying to act cool."
"You can't say that. Who knows what he did in his previous life to incur the wrath of the gods."
"True, if he weren't still a minor, he would have been kicked out of the family long ago, wasting our resources."
"A disgrace to the family. A while ago, members of other families were discussing this, and the family head was furious."
Countless contemptuous and mocking words surrounded the white-haired boy, piercing deep into his heart. However, he still walked alone to the farthest corner of the square, waiting for the test to end.
The white-haired boy watched as younger boys and girls, each about half a head shorter than himself, took their turns on the testing platform. The crystal ball emitted waves of light, and the middle-aged man continued to announce the results. In his eyes, the boy couldn't help but feel envy and a touch of desolation.
"When will my own bloodline awaken? It's been twelve years already," the boy said, gazing at the blazing sun in the azure sky, seemingly unfazed but feeling a hint of discomfort.
If someone were to hear this, they would be shocked.
The white-haired boy's name was He Lian Wu Ji, the seventh son of He Lian Jing Lei, the head of the He Lian family in the Celtic City of the Frost Empire. He was only fourteen years old.
The He Lian family was a small but not insignificant family in the Frost Empire, and the most powerful member was He Lian Wu Ji's grandfather, a ninth-tier swordsman named Dian Fu. He Lian Jing Lei, He Lian Wu Ji's father, was in his late thirties and already at the late ninth-tier swordsman stage, just one step away from reaching the Saint-tier. Despite this, he hadn't made any breakthroughs in nearly ten years.
Five miles outside the Celtic City lay the Cross Mountains, one of the four major dangerous areas on the Qing Ming Continent. On the continent, people pursued one of two paths: becoming a swordsman or a mage. Many legends about gods were passed down on the continent, with the most prominent being the God of Light, spreading beliefs in light and peace. That's why the majority of people on the continent worshiped the God of Light, and as the representative organization of the God of Light, the Holy See held great authority on the continent. People ranked higher than the Red-Cloaked Archbishop didn't even need to bow to kings. In every major city of the continent, there was a branch of the Holy See, and Celtic was no exception.
Of course, there were also people who had their own beliefs. The Orcs from thousands of years ago worshiped their Beast God. The favored Elves worshiped the Goddess of Nature. Some who practiced dark magic or necromancy believed in the Dark Lord and many more.
But these races had gone extinct. Three thousand years ago, to gain absolute control over the continent, a war to eliminate all other races was waged. All the powerful individuals on the continent at the time united for a thousand-year-long struggle for control.
Humanity, with its overwhelming strength, wiped out all other races except for the Dragon race, which claimed to be the lords of the skies and the earth. The Dragons were spared because they rarely appeared on the continent outside their territory, the Dragon Domain, and because many powerful human warriors had perished, it was impossible to launch a campaign against them.
It was precisely because most of the formidable experts had perished at the time that many top-level cultivation techniques for battle energy and magic disappeared. This resulted in very few people being able to cultivate above the God-tier in the past three thousand years, and even fewer reaching the Saint-tier. According to historical records, three thousand years ago, Saint-tier was as common as dirt, and God-tier was everywhere.
He Lian Wu Ji was born with white hair, earning him the title of the "abandoned by God." Every year in July, for the past six years from the age of eight, the results of the new generation of tests in the Celtic City had confirmed this. On the continent, ordinary people could live to be one hundred and twenty years old without any illnesses or disasters. However, if their battle energy perception did not reach intermediate level before the age of fifteen, they would be unable to cultivate for the rest of their lives. Mental power was innate, so magicians were highly respected on the continent. A mage at the eighth tier or higher, when casting an eighth-tier spell, could single-handedly wipe out an army of ten thousand. Therefore, the military strength of every empire was evaluated based on the number and level of their mages. However, the mage system was weak, much like that of ordinary people, so swordsmen still dominated the battlefield. Magicians were only a deterrent and rarely took the field. If they were assassinated in battle, the losses would be greater than losing an entire war.
"Spiritual energy perception, powerful mental power, advanced battle energy cultivation, third-tier swordsman," the middle-aged man's voice interrupted He Lian Wu Ji's thoughts. He looked up at the crystal ball emitting a blinding light, which could rival the sun.
"Oh, another genius is born," a slightly younger boy, who had just descended from the platform, said with a smug look on his face.
"Powerful indeed. I remember he was only at the intermediate level during last year's test," someone else commented.
"Tsk tsk, no wonder he's a direct descendant of the family. His talent is extraordinary. Generally, jumping one level in battle energy perception is considered genius, but he jumped two levels," another person added.
Battle energy perception could change with age and individual aptitude, with some variations that could either increase or decrease. However, decreases in perception had never been recorded.
"I really envy him. Starting tomorrow, he can choose to practice battle energy techniques from the third level of the family's battle hall."
The battle hall was where each family stored their battle energy or magic cultivation techniques. The He Lian family was a small one and didn't have such a hall, so it was clear that the boy wasn't from the He Lian family. Those with access to the battle hall within the family would undergo a retest every year for those under fifteen, hoping for a chance to enter the third level. Although Celtic City wasn't particularly large, there were a few relatively prominent families, albeit in comparison to the He Lian family.
Hearing the envious and jealous gazes of the crowd, the boy felt a smug sense of satisfaction
. Despite having several followers dressed as servants behind him, it seemed he held a high status among the new generation of the family, although He Lian Wu Ji didn't recognize any of them. First, no one wanted to associate with a "waste," and second, he didn't want to know them either.
Amid the compliments from a group of boys, the boy didn't pay much attention. Instead, he turned to look at He Lian Wu Ji, his eyes betraying a hint of cunning. He whispered something to one of his followers behind him and then walked toward He Lian Wu Ji.
Seeing the boy approaching him, He Lian Wu Ji felt a moment of unease, but it quickly dissipated. "As long as he doesn't insult my mother, it's fine," he thought, not caring about the disdainful remarks others made about him.
The humiliations from his previous life and the six years of ridicule in this one had already left He Lian Wu Ji numb, but everyone has their breaking point, and He Lian Wu Ji's was his mother, whether in his past life or this one.
"Hello, Seventh Young Master," the boy said as he reached He Lian Wu Ji's side. Although he addressed him as the seventh young master, his face was filled with arrogance.
"I dare not claim such a title. Just call me by my name," He Lian Wu Ji said calmly, maintaining his usual composure.
"Haha, of course. Are you a waste?" the boy laughed derisively. His followers joined in the laughter.
One of them, slightly thinner, chimed in, "That's right, Young Master Yun is correct. How can a waste bear the title of 'young master'?"
Another, a bit plumper, said, "You tell us, waste, do you deserve to be called 'young master'? In the grand scheme of things, someone like you is not even as valuable as a dog."
"Whether I deserve it or not doesn't depend on me," He Lian Wu Ji replied with an emotionless face.
"Oh?" the boy inquired.
"You probably don't have the right to say either," He Lian Wu Ji cut him off before he could respond.
"Deferring to the owner is a must. Can my people obey your commands?" the one called Young Master Yun said sternly.
"Unfortunately, we are dealing with the illegitimate child of a lowly maid," Young Master Yun continued with a pretense of regret, but his eyes were filled with mockery.
At these words, He Lian Wu Ji, who had remained expressionless, suddenly showed signs of anger. He clenched his fists, his breathing quickened slightly, and he glared at Young Master Yun as if he were a venomous snake eyeing its prey.
Seeing He Lian Wu Ji's reaction, Young Master Yun put on a knowing expression and said, "Oh, I forgot. Our Seventh Young Master despises it when others mention his mother. What a mistake."
He Lian Wu Ji knew that Young Master Yun was a third-tier swordsman, so he gradually calmed down. However, when he heard Young Master Yun's next words, he felt the urge to commit his first murder in this world.