Zhang Ruochen currently resided in a nation called the "Yunwu Commandery," one of the thousands of commanderies in the Eastern Region of the Kunlun Realm.
A commandery was essentially the first province of the First Central Empire, required to pay tribute and taxes to the empire each year.
The ruler of a commandery was titled "Commandery Prince."
Zhang Ruochen was the ninth son of the Yunwu Commandery Prince.
Lying on a cold, hard wooden bed, Zhang Ruochen continued to contemplate the sacrificial ceremony that would take place the following day.
"The previous owner of this body hadn't awakened the 'Divine Martial Imprint' by the age of sixteen, clearly forsaken by the gods. How can I increase my chances of awakening the 'Divine Martial Imprint'?"
In the Kunlun Realm, to awaken the "Divine Martial Imprint," one needed the approval of the gods, a concept referred to as divine sanction.
During the sacrificial ceremony, a divine bridge would appear between the celestial realm and the Kunlun Realm, connecting the two worlds. After the gods consumed the offerings, they would bestow the "Divine Martial Imprint" upon certain talented individuals, granting them the opportunity to begin their martial cultivation.
The higher one's talent, the sooner they would receive the "Divine Martial Imprint."
In Zhang Ruochen's previous life, he had awakened his Divine Martial Imprint while still in the womb, marking him as a prodigy.
In this life, however, at the age of sixteen, he had yet to awaken the imprint, which made him virtually a forsaken one. Even if he participated in tomorrow's sacrificial ceremony, the chances of him receiving the "Divine Martial Imprint" were slim.
Unable to sleep, Zhang Ruochen sat up, holding a white crystal shaped like a jujube pit. It was sharp at both ends, transparent, and flawless.
He began to examine the crystal, hoping it might help him gain the approval of a god and awaken the "Divine Martial Imprint."
This white crystal had been a gift from Emperor Ming for his sixteenth birthday.
Zhang Ruochen had no idea what the white crystal actually was, but he had kept it close to his body. Surprisingly, it remained with him even after eight hundred years.
"I might have come from eight hundred years ago to now because of it."
Gripping the white crystal tightly, Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes, picturing his father, Emperor Ming. He wondered whether his father was still alive.
That night, a heavy snow fell over the royal city.
By the following morning, the entire city was covered in a thick blanket of snow, with crimson palaces, pavilions, and towers all dressed in ice and snow.
It was Winter Solstice, the coldest day of the year.
All the martial artists of the royal city gathered outside the ancestral temple under the Commandery Prince's leadership to offer sacrifices to the gods.
An ancient altar, built of massive stones, stood outside the ancestral temple. On the altar were bound thousands of livestock—cows, sheep, and pigs—as well as several powerful wild beasts shackled in iron chains.
The civil and military officials, martial cultivators, princes, consorts, and numerous young men and women, including some infants, all awaited the awakening of their "Divine Martial Imprint."
This was a grand national event, not only for the royal city but also for every city, town, and village within the Yunwu Commandery.
"Ha! Ninth Brother, you're already sixteen. Even if you participate in the sacrificial ceremony, there's no way you'll awaken the 'Divine Martial Imprint.' Why come here to embarrass yourself?" The Eighth Prince, Zhang Ji, sneered coldly, his hands clasped behind his back.
The Sixth Prince, standing beside Zhang Ji with a stern face, added, "They say the dragon has nine sons, each different from the other. Our father is such a heroic figure, yet you, a weakling who hasn't awakened the 'Divine Martial Imprint' at sixteen, have brought disgrace to the royal family. Why are you still alive? Why not just die?"
Though the words were harsh, they reflected the thoughts of several princes present.
Family affection in royal households was notoriously thin, and it was on full display now.
In the Kunlun Realm, not many could awaken the "Divine Martial Imprint"; perhaps only one in ten. Each martial artist held an esteemed position in society.
Of course, this didn't apply to martial elites. With their powerful bloodlines, they could pass on their strength to their descendants, greatly increasing the odds of their children awakening the imprint.
The Yunwu Commandery Prince had nine sons, eight of whom had already awakened the "Divine Martial Imprint." Zhang Ruochen was the only one who had reached sixteen without it, making him the laughingstock of the royal family.
Many referred to him as "the dog born to a tiger father."
There were even rumors suggesting that Zhang Ruochen wasn't the biological son of the Yunwu Commandery Prince. Though just gossip, it still brought shame to the royal family.
Most of the other princes saw Zhang Ruochen as a disgrace to the royal lineage, wishing for his early demise.
Even the Yunwu Commandery Prince had grown distant from Zhang Ruochen and Consort Lin in recent years. After pressure from other consorts and princes, they had finally been driven out of the main palace last night, forced to move to the side palace.
Zhang Ruochen stood silently, ignoring the taunts from the Fifth and Eighth Princes.
Without enough strength, arguing was pointless—it would only make others look down on him even more.
Consort Lin stood among the other royal consorts, heartbroken by the isolation her son faced, yet powerless to do anything about it.
"The sacrificial ceremony begins!"
The national preceptor of the Yunwu Commandery stood atop the altar, holding a scroll from which he began to chant.
Then, great horns blared from the top of the altar, followed by the sound of sixteen different musical instruments, played by palace maids dressed in bright, flowing robes.
Afterward, the sacrificial animals were slaughtered, their blood offered to the heavens.
Whoosh!
A thick pillar of blood energy shot into the sky, piercing the clouds and reaching the heavens.
Suddenly, a speck of starlight descended from the sky, landing on the forehead of a six-year-old boy. The light merged with his body, forming a crimson Divine Martial Imprint.
The crowd gasped. "The young son of Commander Xue has awakened the Divine Martial Imprint at only six years old!"
"An Inferno Divine Martial Imprint, ranked at Grade Four. Incredible! His future is boundless!"
Divine Martial Imprints were ranked from Grade One to Grade Nine, with Grade One being the weakest and Grade Nine the most powerful.
Everyone gazed at the six-year-old boy in admiration.
To awaken a Grade Four Divine Martial Imprint at the age of six was a sign of extraordinary talent, ensuring great achievements in the future.
Among the many military commanders of the Yunwu Commandery, a burly man thumped his chest and laughed heartily, overjoyed. "Excellent! This is my son! Tonight, I'll host a banquet at the commandery mansion. I hope everyone will join me!"
Whoosh!
More starlight rained down from the heavens, falling upon various young men and women, imprinting them with the Divine Martial Imprint.
Most received Grade One imprints. Few were fortunate enough to awaken a Grade Two imprint, while the most talented remained the commander's son with his Grade Four imprint, far outshining the others.
Only about one-tenth of those present were able to awaken the Divine Martial Imprint. Those who did were overjoyed, having finally earned the gods' approval and opened the door to martial cultivation.
Meanwhile, those who failed to awaken their imprints were devastated, with some bursting into tears, a mix of joy and sorrow permeating the crowd.
As the ceremony neared its end, Zhang Ruochen still hadn't awakened the Divine Martial Imprint.
To have not awakened the imprint by the age of sixteen made it almost certain that it would never happen, dooming one to an ordinary life.
Everyone ignored Zhang Ruochen, treating him like an insignificant speck of dust.
At first, Consort Lin held onto a sliver of hope, praying her son could perform a miracle and awaken the Divine Martial Imprint. Even if he couldn't become a martial expert, she hoped he could at least strengthen his body and be free from illness.
But as the ceremony wound down, her hope turned once again to despair.
Just as Zhang Ruochen thought he would fail to awaken the imprint, the white crystal he had been gripping tightly in his hand began to glow faintly.
In the very last moment before the ceremony ended, a starry light descended from the heavens, landing on Zhang Ruochen's forehead, forming a white circular Divine Martial Imprint.
Whoosh!
A surge of heat spread from his forehead throughout his body.
It had awakened!
Zhang Ruochen was filled with excitement. He had finally awakened the Divine Martial Imprint.
As long as he had the imprint, even if it were only a Grade One imprint, he didn't care.
Initially, no one noticed Zhang Ruochen, but the moment he awakened the imprint, all eyes turned toward him.
"Isn't that the Ninth Prince? He's sixteen and sickly, yet he still managed to awaken the Divine Martial Imprint!" People stared at Zhang Ruochen in disbelief, finding the event miraculous.
The Sixth and Eighth Princes, who stood nearby, were equally astonished.
How was this possible?
Consort Lin looked over at Zhang Ruochen, and upon seeing the imprint on his forehead, tears of joy filled her eyes. She rushed to him, embracing his frail body tightly. "Chen'er, you did it! You did it!"
An elderly eunuch by the Yunwu Commandery Prince's side approached Zhang Ruochen, smiling warmly. "Congratulations, Consort Lin. Congratulations, Ninth Prince, on awakening the Divine Martial Imprint! The Queen has requested the Ninth Prince's presence to personally assess the grade of the imprint."
"The Queen?"
Consort Lin's smile froze, and she nervously positioned herself in front of Zhang Ruochen.
"Mother, let's go meet the Queen."
Sensing his mother's unease, Zhang Ruochen thought to himself, "It seems this Queen is not a benevolent person. I'll have to be careful."