The next morning, as Ye Tian rose from his slumber, he was greeted by the sight of a basin filled with the blood of a ferocious beast placed before his door, with none other than his father, Ye Meng, standing nearby.
"Father…" Ye Tian rubbed his eyes, his face alight with excitement as he gazed at Ye Meng.
Ye Meng chuckled and patted Ye Tian's shoulder, saying, "This is the blood of a level six warrior beast, which I obtained from the captain. Use it for your training."
Upon hearing this, Ye Tian was so moved he found himself at a loss for words; he knew that the Beast Hunting Team's captain, Ye Feng, was a man of integrity and fairness, and that his father must have made considerable sacrifices to acquire such a substantial quantity of beast blood.
"Don't worry, not having a martial spirit is no great concern. I'll ensure that you receive beast blood every day, so your strength won't lag far behind those of the warriors!" Ye Meng assured, thumping his chest confidently.
"Thank you, Father!" Ye Tian could only express his gratitude through his heart, silently vowing to become the strongest warrior in Baiyun Town, never to bring shame upon his parents.
"Alright, I must head into the mountains with the captain to hunt ferocious beasts now. Make sure to train diligently at home!" Ye Meng instructed before departing.
"Be careful, Father!" Ye Tian called out after him.
"Mm…"
Ye Meng waved his hand and vanished from view.
Watching his father leave, Ye Tian clenched his fists, his gaze shifting to the basin of beast blood on the ground, fiery determination igniting in his eyes.
"Level six warrior beast blood—this beast is quite formidable. I wonder how much martial energy I can extract from it!" Filled with anticipation, Ye Tian lifted the basin of beast blood and entered the house, shutting the door behind him.
"Meow!"
Inside, the dim light sparked the curiosity of the little white tiger, which awakened from its slumber and let out a soft cry.
"Be good! I'll find you something to eat shortly!" Ye Tian affectionately patted the little tiger's head, then retrieved the sheepskin scroll and began to set up the rituals as outlined within.
This simple form of magic was already familiar to Ye Tian, and the materials mentioned were not rare, easily found in the village; he had gathered them all the previous night.
Practicing magic did not require one to be a warrior; even without a martial spirit, one could become a sorcerer, much like the ancient sorcerer Barata, who had no martial spirit.
Warriors communicate with the heavens and earth through their martial spirits, absorbing the spiritual essence for their own use. In contrast, sorcerers utilize various special items to inscribe complex sigils, thereby summoning the energies of heaven and earth to cast their spells.
The two paths—one reliant on the self, the other on external objects—ultimately converge.
Fortunately, the magic to extract martial energy was not overly complex, and the items required were not precious; the real challenge lay in acquiring the blood of ferocious beasts.
Ye Tian arranged the prepared magical items and began to cast the spell. Although this was his first execution, he was well acquainted with the process, having practiced multiple times beforehand.
Before him, the basin filled with beast blood began to tremble slightly, as a faint wave of spiritual energy permeated the basin, spurred by the sigils made of beast hide.
"Fire, come forth!" At that moment, Ye Tian shouted, waving the prepared oil lamp over the basin, igniting a surge of scorching flames that engulfed the contents.
Sizzle!
The flames consumed the blood rapidly, eventually dying down to reveal an empty basin.
Wait!
There remained a small puddle of blackened blood at the bottom, untouched by the flames.
"What the hell! Is this some kind of joke? Just this little bit of martial energy?" Seeing this, Ye Tian felt his heart sink, struggling to fathom how such a large basin of ferocious beast blood could yield so little martial energy.
Instantly, he was overcome by an urge to smash his head against the wall; after all, this was the blood of a level six warrior beast—extremely valuable—yet it had only produced such a meager amount of martial energy. How much more beast blood would he need to gather even a full jar of martial energy?
"This is utterly unfeasible. My father is merely a level seven warrior; it's unlikely he could hunt a level six beast even once a month. At this rate, gathering enough for a jar of martial energy could take ten years or more."
Ye Tian furrowed his brows, feeling increasingly restless. The door to the warrior path had been cracked open, but how could he squeeze through that opening? He fell into deep thought.
"Forget it, I can't think of a solution right now. I'll just go out for a stroll!"
After pondering for a while without finding an answer, Ye Tian sighed helplessly, stowing away the basin and carrying the little white tiger outside.
After fetching some beast milk from the kitchen to feed the little tiger, Ye Tian wandered through the village.
Ye Family Village was not small, boasting a population of over a thousand households.
With the annual festival approaching, the village was particularly lively, filled with discussions among villagers about the upcoming festivities, most boasting about their children.
"My eldest is already at level eight warrior status! He's sure to shine at this year's festival!"
"Hehe, my second son isn't too shabby either; he's reached level seven warrior. He should have no trouble making it into the top thirty this time."
In the village, children often have peculiar nicknames, as the saying goes, "easy to raise." When they reach adulthood, they will typically adopt a more formal name.
Ye Tian once had the nickname "Little Pidan," but at his strong insistence, he reverted to his birth name, Ye Tian.
"The Annual Festival..." As he listened to the villagers' conversations, Ye Tian's lips trembled, and a hint of despondency crossed his gaze.
On the continent of Shenzhou, martial artists are held in high esteem; martial arts flourish everywhere, including Ye Family Village. Each Annual Festival features a grand competition to encourage the children to learn the spirit of rivalry and cultivate strong warriors for the village.
Ye Tian participated in last year's festival. At just fifteen, he had already attained the peak of a martial apprentice at level ten, easily overpowering his opponents and claiming victory, hailed as an extraordinary talent rarely seen in a century.
Rumors of his brilliance spread even to the other villages in Baiyun Town, making him the talk of the town.
Even the village chief of Lin Family Village, one of the three major villages in Baiyun Town, came to propose a marriage for his youngest daughter.
However, this good fortune did not last long. The revelation of his lack of a martial soul shocked everyone, leading to relentless mockery. The engagement was called off, and the genius was branded a failure.
"Just wait; I will become a martial artist!" Ye Tian clenched his fists, determination blazing in his eyes.
At that moment, a faint, delightful fragrance wafted through the air, refreshing his senses. Following the scent, a graceful figure appeared before him.
"Ye Tian!"
The newcomer was a young woman, around twenty-one or twenty-two, with bright eyes and a radiant smile, adorned in a flowing water-blue dress that accentuated her graceful figure, like a gentle breeze.
Yet, Ye Tian was too preoccupied to appreciate her beauty. A bittersweet smile crossed his face as he bit his lip and asked, "Sister Xue, why have you come?"
"Are you alright?" Lin Xue asked softly, concern filling her beautiful eyes as she observed his downcast demeanor.
"I'm fine; this minor setback won't bring me down!" Ye Tian shook his head, reflecting on why these three sisters, all born to the same parents, exhibited such differing personalities.
The eldest sister, Lin Jiao, was sharp-tongued and snobbish, the second sister, Lin Xue, was gentle and gracious, while the youngest sister, Lin Tingting, was a joyful spirit with a cheerful disposition. The village chief of Lin Family Village cherished these three daughters, renowned for their beauty throughout Baiyun Town.
"Don't blame my sister for the broken engagement; she was locked up by our father," Lin Xue said quietly.
As expected, Ye Tian's expression dimmed upon hearing this. He had suspected as much. After a brief silence, he sighed, "How is Tingting?"
"Not well. She insists that she will only marry you in this lifetime and threatens to take drastic measures if it doesn't happen. Our father is at a loss and has no choice but to confine her," Lin Xue replied softly.
"Tingting..." Ye Tian trembled, biting his lip and clenching his fists tightly.
"If you do not betray her, how can she betray you?"
Slowly closing his eyes, Ye Tian took a deep breath before suddenly opening them wide. Grabbing Lin Xue's hand, he spoke with unwavering conviction: "Sister Xue, please tell Tingting that as long as she is willing to wait for me, I will never let her down. I will ensure she marries me with great honor."
Ye Tian's eyes radiated confidence, momentarily stunning Lin Xue.
"Alright! I will relay your message to her," Lin Xue nodded, a flicker of melancholy crossing her gaze, but it was swiftly replaced by warmth.
"Ah, what a scene filled with deep emotions! What's this? Unable to win my sister over, have you set your sights on my second sister?" Just then, a mocking voice cut through the air.
At the village's entrance, a pair of figures approached, a man and a woman side by side. They were both in their twenties, brimming with vitality—the man was tall and handsome, while the woman was strikingly beautiful.
Upon seeing them, both Ye Tian and Lin Xue frowned. The woman was none other than Lin Jiao, Lin Xue's elder sister. As for the man beside her, Ye Tian was familiar with him; he was Ye Wei, the second genius of Ye Family Village.
Naturally, news of Ye Tian's lack of a martial soul was now widely known. As a result, Ye Wei instantly ascended to become the top talent in Ye Family Village, drawing all eyes upon him.
"Elder sister, you're mistaken," Lin Xue said, frowning.
"Misunderstood? I saw him holding your hand! Don't think I don't know that you've secretly harbored feelings for him. But now he's a waste; do you still intend to protect him? Hmph!" Lin Jiao sneered.
"Elder sister, you..." Lin Xue's face darkened, speechless from anger.
"Lin Jiao, don't go too far!"
Ye Tian furrowed his brow, unable to stand by any longer, and reprimanded her in a low voice.
"What? You, a waste, dare to reprimand me? Hmph! Let me make it clear: as long as I'm here, you will never lay a hand on my two sisters. A wretched frog wishes to eat swan meat!" Lin Jiao retorted scornfully.
"Elder sister, enough! I'll head back now!" Lin Xue shouted, unable to endure any longer. She nodded at Ye Tian before turning to leave.
"Make sure to tell Tingting not to linger on this waste. My father and I have already decided to marry her off to the town chief's son next year!" Lin Jiao called after her, her voice loud enough to ensure Ye Tian heard.
Ye Tian's face turned pale, his eyes ablaze with anger, and the veins in his clenched fists throbbed dangerously.