"Luren, now that you have already apprenticed to Elder Yun as your master, you are considered an entry disciple of our Qingyun Sect. Wait on the side, after the assessment is over, I will take you all to the entry area together!" Elder Zhu Tie said, his face black with displeasure.
He had taken in a disciple with a crippled bloodline, and if this were to spread, he feared being ridiculed by the other three major sects.
"Yes, Elder," Luren nodded and, holding the Fire Spirit Sword in both hands, stood on the side of the platform, patiently waiting.
Seeing Luren, the youths in the square felt a mix of emotions. Most of them, hailing from prominent families, had bloodlines of at least fourth rank. How could they have imagined that a crippled bloodline would be the first to join the sect and become the first entry disciple of Qingyun Sect?
"Next, the assessment officially begins!" Elder Zhu Tie announced, and one by one, the young men and women in the square lined up in an orderly fashion to test their bloodlines on the measuring stone tablet.
"Xiao Huohuo, fourth-rank bloodline!"
"Wang Feng, fourth-rank bloodline!"
"Yang Rong, fifth-rank bloodline."
...
Luren looked at the measuring stone tablet, where almost everyone displayed four bloodline indicators, and some even had five. He couldn't help but feel envious. If he also had a fourth or fifth-rank bloodline, he wouldn't have ended up in this world, barely making a living by serving dishes. If it weren't for being taken in as an entry disciple of Qingyun Sect by Yun Qingyao, he feared he would have to go back to serving dishes at an inn. Despite having a treasure tower, it was of little use. His body was too crippled.Compared to ordinary people, there wasn't much of a difference from being disabled.
The testing assessment continued for half an hour.
Nearly three hundred people, all with bloodlines of fourth rank or above, passed the assessment.
At this moment, all the young men and women stood in perfect order on the square.
Elder Zhu Tie's gaze fell on everyone, and he showed a satisfied smile.
In this entrance assessment, ten geniuses with fifth-rank bloodlines were recruited, which was a few more than in previous years.
"From this moment on, you are all entry disciples of our Qingyun Sect. Now, we will issue identity plaques to you. These plaques represent your status as entry disciples of Qingyun Sect and will allow you to freely enter and leave our sect!" Elder Zhu Tie said, and two entry disciples opened a large sealed copper box.
As the copper box opened, neatly stacked inside were hundreds of golden wooden plaques.
Next, Elder Zhu Tie began to issue the identity plaques, personally inscribing the names of the entry disciples on them.
Everyone was extremely excited. They were now disciples of Qingyun Sect, one of the four major sects in Country Jiangyun. Becoming a disciple of the sect could be considered as a leap from a carp to a dragon, stepping out and showing their identity.All the disciples followed Elder Zhu Tie along the iron bridge towards one of the mountain peaks. Soon, they reached the halfway point of the mountain where several elegant courtyards were built.
"This is where you will stay. Each courtyard is for two people. Inside, you will find the 'Disciple's Code' that explains what entry-level disciples can and cannot do," Elder Zhu Tie explained, pointing to the courtyards.
"In addition, tomorrow morning, you will go to the Martial Hall to receive Opening Dan and undergo the opening ceremony!"
"Yes!" The disciples responded in unison, their excitement evident on their faces.
As entry-level disciples, they could receive one Opening Dan each month for a year. If they were unable to successfully open their meridians within the year, they would be expelled from the sect. However, for disciples with four-grade bloodlines like them, only one or two Opening Dans were needed for a chance to break through and cultivate their martial arts skills.Once you are able to successfully open the aperture, you will become a warrior in the aperture realm. As Elder Zhu Tie departed, the disciples hurriedly rushed into the separate courtyards to select their own. These separate courtyards were similar to quadrangles with a gate on one side, dormitories on either side, and a large martial arts practice field in the middle to facilitate training.
Upon arriving at a separate courtyard, Land Ren chose a dormitory. The dorm was very simple, with just a bed, a table, and two books placed on the table - one was "Disciple's Rules" and the other was "Fundamentals of Martial Arts."
Glancing casually at the books, he gained an understanding of the general rules, but it was the "Fundamentals of Martial Arts" that caught his interest. It introduced many fundamental training techniques, such as the hierarchy of martial arts realms from low to high: aperture realm, spirit stream realm, cloud river realm, divine sea realm, celestial pole realm, and so on.
A martial artist in the aperture realm could advance to the spirit stream realm once they opened seven apertures. Just as Land Ren was getting engrossed in his reading, footsteps could be heard approaching from outside.
A slender and elegant teenage boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old entered with a smile on his face. "What's up, senior brother?" Land Ren inquired.
"Land Ren junior brother, I'll cut to the chase. My name is Xiao Huohuo, and I'm here to discuss business with you," the slender youth said straightforwardly.
"Business? What kind of business do we have to discuss?" Land Ren asked, looking puzzled."Tomorrow we are going to the martial hall to receive the Aperture Opening Pill and perform the aperture opening ceremony. Can you sell me your Aperture Opening Pill?" Xiao Huohuo directly stated his purpose.
"Sell it to you?" Land Ren was taken aback.
"Land Ren junior brother, please don't take offense, but due to your defective bloodline, no matter how many Aperture Opening Pills you consume, it is impossible for you to successfully open your apertures. Instead of wasting it, why not sell it to me?" Xiao Huohuo expressed tactfully.
Land Ren did not immediately agree and instead asked, "With your talents, you will eventually be able to successfully open your apertures, right?"
"On the path of cultivation, every moment counts. I am not sure if consuming one Aperture Opening Pill will immediately open my apertures. If you sell it to me, I believe I can successfully open my apertures tomorrow and become a warrior!" Xiao Huohuo's eyes sparkled with determination.
Becoming a warrior one day earlier would give him an advantage over the others. Land Ren was tempted and couldn't help but ask, "What price are you offering?"
Xiao Huohuo held up two fingers and said, "The internal price of the Aperture Opening Pill within the sect is about fifteen thousand copper coins. I can offer you twenty thousand copper coins!""Twenty thousand?" Land Ren was completely stunned. Copper coins were the currency of the Jiang Yun Kingdom, and their purchasing power was similar to the currency in his previous life.
For an average person, earning three thousand copper coins in a month was considered good money. And yet, Xiao Huohuo was offering him twenty thousand copper coins right off the bat.
To put things in perspective, Land Ren had earned only one thousand five hundred copper coins per month as a waiter in an inn, barely enough to cover his own meals.
Seeing Land Ren so surprised, Xiao Huohuo's face showed a smug expression. Judging from Land Ren's attire, he didn't seem like a scion of a prominent family.
Twenty thousand was definitely a large sum for Land Ren. Moreover, as a person with a defective bloodline, he didn't even need the Aperture Opening Pill.
However, Land Ren shook his head and refused, "Not selling."
"Not selling?" Xiao Huohuo's face displayed an incredulous expression as he asked, "Then why keep it?"
Land Ren smiled slightly and replied, "Brother Xiao, since you want my Aperture Opening Pill, I assume other senior brothers also want it. Tomorrow, I will put it up for auction, and the highest bidder will get it, right?"
What he needed most at the moment was money, so he couldn't just sell it to Xiao Huohuo for twenty thousand copper coins.
Upon hearing Land Ren's words, Xiao Huohuo almost spat blood. He realized that Land Ren was a cunning businessman, and he shouldn't have privately approached him for this matter.