Ye Tian was oblivious to the thoughts swirling in Li Tian's mind; he simply smiled as he assessed Li Tian, feeling quite astonished that he could once again encounter this centurion. It was important to note that without the intervention of this blood-clad centurion and his men during their visit to Ye Family Village, Ye Tian would not have had such significant opportunities. Thus, he held a deep sense of gratitude toward Li Tian.
"Little brother, are you from Ye Family Village?" Li Tian quickly regained his composure, looking at the young man before him with surprise. This boy possessed extraordinary talent, and he had initially assumed he was a young master from a noble family in Xueyu City, only to discover he hailed from a remote and impoverished village like Ye Family Village. This... seemed almost impossible.
At the same time, a glimmer of hope sparked within Li Tian. If Ye Tian truly was from Ye Family Village, his exceptional talent must be prodigious. If he could unearth this potential and introduce him to the Blood-clad Guards, it would undoubtedly be a great achievement. More importantly, once Ye Tian grew powerful, Li Tian would have a formidable ally.
With this thought in mind, Li Tian's eyes blazed with fervor as they fixated on Ye Tian.
Unaware of the multitude of thoughts racing through Li Tian's mind, Ye Tian nodded with a smile and replied, "Indeed, I come from Ye Family Village. I have come to Xueyu City to participate in the assessment of the Blood-clad Guards."
"Pfft!" A nearby guard of the Blood-clad Guards could not help but laugh, thinking to himself: Just a little brat, and he dares to join the assessment of the Blood-clad Guards? How audacious!
"Hmm?" Li Tian turned back and glared at the guard.
Ye Tian, however, paid no heed to them; to him, these guards were merely bystanders—interchangeable and inconsequential.
The guard who had snickered, intimidated by Li Tian's glare, quickly straightened his expression and dared not look in their direction again.
The other three guards standing by the gate felt a chill in their hearts. They had not anticipated that their centurion would regard this young man with such importance, piquing their curiosity even further.
Li Tian chose not to reprimand the guard any further; he turned back to Ye Tian, a broad smile on his face. "You are quite remarkable for coming to participate in the assessment of the Blood-clad Guards at such a young age. I believe that in five days, you will certainly make a name for yourself in Xueyu City."
"You flatter me, Sir Li," Ye Tian replied modestly with a smile.
The four guards stationed at the entrance were left dumbfounded by Li Tian's words. They each wondered if their centurion had lost his mind to utter such things.
To them, it was impressive enough for someone of Ye Tian's age to reach the third or fourth level of martial arts; how could he possibly pass the assessment of the Blood-clad Guards? As for making a name for himself in Xueyu City, it was rare for even one person to achieve such fame during the assessments of the Blood-clad Guards.
Only those with unparalleled talent could astonish everyone during the evaluations and become renowned throughout Xueyu City.
Clearly, the four guards did not believe Ye Tian to be such an extraordinary genius.
However, their skepticism was of no concern to Li Tian.
At that moment, Li Tian took out a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket, hurriedly writing a note before signing his name. He then handed the paper to Ye Tian with a smile, saying, "Our meeting must be fate. When you arrive for the assessment in five days, present this letter to the supervisor, and he will make arrangements for you."
"Thank you, Sir Li!" Ye Tian was no fool; he could easily deduce that this was a letter of recommendation from Li Tian. Although he was confident in his ability to pass the assessment of the Blood-clad Guards, this letter would undoubtedly make things much easier.
"Good. I will personally attend to observe your assessment in five days. Little brother, you should return and prepare yourself well, gathering your strength," Li Tian said before bidding farewell to Ye Tian and departing.
Ye Tian cast one last glance at the imposing camp of the Blood-clad Guards before he left on his own.
The four guards exchanged astonished glances, their faces reflecting their surprise.
"Could this boy truly be a genius?"
"If he can pass the assessment of the Blood-clad Guards, he is indeed a genius."
"But even so, it's unlikely he will achieve fame among the Blood-clad Guards. After all, there are many who are at the tenth level of martial arts participating in this assessment."
"Let's wait and see; we'll know the truth in five days."
The sky gradually darkened.
With Li Tian's letter of recommendation in hand, Ye Tian decided against further exploring Xueyu City and returned to the "Come Well" inn. Over the next few days, Ye Tian refrained from venturing out, instead heeding Li Tian's advice to conserve his energy. His cultivation progressed from the mid-level of a tenth-tier warrior to the peak of the mid-tier, just a hair's breadth away from reaching the late stage of the tenth tier.
On the morning of the fifth day, Ye Tian abruptly opened his eyes, a glint of determination flashing within them. He leaped from his bed, hurriedly washed up, and exited his room. "From today onward, I shall be a Blood-clad Guard," he declared resolutely as he descended the stairs.
The inn's hall was bustling with people, each armed with blades and swords, emanating an aura of strength. Ye Tian scanned the room and noted the presence of numerous seventh-tier warriors. "To have so many strong individuals in a modest inn suggests a significant turnout for the Blood-clad Guards' assessment," he mused quietly.
The area surrounding Xueyu City encompassed hundreds of towns, each with numerous villages, and given that Xueyu City itself boasted a population of five hundred thousand, it was no surprise to see so many strong contenders participating in the assessment.
After finishing his breakfast and enjoying a cup of tea, Ye Tian prepared to head to the Blood-clad Guards' camp, but someone else was quicker to depart.
"Brothers, let's go! Today marks the day I, Wang Wei, will make my name renowned! Once I become a Blood-clad Guard, I'll treat you all to a feast at the finest tavern in Xueyu City!" a robust man announced, a broad smile on his face.
"Good!" "Good!" "Good!"
Immediately, five or six individuals joined him as they left the inn. People tend to follow the crowd; upon seeing others depart, many rose simultaneously and followed suit. Ye Tian set his teacup down and joined them.
Once outside the inn, Ye Tian observed that a considerable number of people were making their way to the Blood-clad Guards' camp. Most were in groups of three or five, all heading in the same direction.
The Blood-clad Guards' camp, situated near the eastern city gate of Xueyu City, was a vast military compound, the largest in the area. Normally, the imposing camp saw little traffic, but today, the nearby streets were abuzz with activity. Various steeds and luxurious carriages flowed in a continuous stream, and throngs of people filled the area, seemingly stretching endlessly.
Unsurprisingly, these individuals were gathered for the assessment, with some accompanying their children or friends. Many street vendors seized the opportunity to make a substantial profit.
The biannual assessments of the Blood-clad Guards were the most festive occasions in Xueyu City.
"Everyone, please form an orderly line. One at a time, come to register. Those with letters of recommendation, please proceed to this side!" Numerous Blood-clad Guards were stationed at the camp entrance, tasked with reception and registration.
Ye Tian glanced around and noticed two lines; one was impossibly long, while the other was shorter but still considerable. "It seems I'm not the only one with a letter of recommendation!" Ye Tian moved toward the shorter line, feeling a surge of gratitude toward Li Tian. Without the letter, he could only imagine how long he would have to wait.
"Name?"
"Wu Laifei!"
"Name?"
"Duan Hong!"
...
The line for those with letters of recommendation was notably brief, and within half an hour, it was Ye Tian's turn. The supervisor reviewed his letter, found everything in order, and permitted him to enter.
Following a stone path for a short distance, they arrived at an expansive plaza, large enough to accommodate several hundred Ye Family Villages, where a considerable crowd had already gathered.
"To join the Blood-clad Guards, you must possess at least seventh-tier martial skills. We will assess you in order!" a resounding voice echoed, causing everyone's ears to ring.
As Ye Tian queued up, he noticed a middle-aged man standing in the center of the plaza, adorned with a tiger emblem on his chest. Ye Tian felt a jolt of surprise. "It's the Centurion of the Blood-clad Guards!" he thought, astonished. This man must be the most formidable martial artist Ye Tian had encountered thus far.
Beside the Centurion stood a tall, pale stone wall, though Ye Tian could not discern its purpose.
He overheard several conversations around him.
"That's the Xuanbi; I've heard it can accurately test a warrior's level."
"There's only one Xuanbi in all of Xueyu City, located right here at the Blood-clad Guards' camp. I never imagined I'd see it for myself."
"I'm curious about how it works."
A chorus of murmurs arose, and Ye Tian, too, was filled with intrigue.
At that moment, the Centurion bellowed again, "Silence! Approach one by one and use your full strength to strike the Xuanbi. Only those who are seventh-tier warriors or above will pass the assessment."
Instantly, the warriors lined up, and the first in line approached the Xuanbi. He was a middle-aged man with a scarred face, appearing to be in his forties, emanating a fierce aura reminiscent of Ye Meng and Ye Ba.
"Remember, strike the Xuanbi with all your might!" the Centurion coldly reminded.
Initially brimming with arrogance, the scarred man immediately subdued his pride upon facing the Centurion, nodding respectfully before walking up to the Xuanbi.
Taking a deep breath, the scarred man let out a fierce roar, his face reddening as the veins on his right arm bulged, and he slammed his fist against the Xuanbi.
All eyes, including Ye Tian's, were fixed on the Xuanbi, awaiting the anticipated explosive sound. However, when the blow landed, there was no sound at all. Instead, a ripple of golden waves suddenly appeared on its surface, which then stabilized to reveal four golden characters: "Eighth-tier Warrior!"
"So this is how it tests!"
"What a fascinating Xuanbi!" ...
Upon witnessing this scene, many in the crowd gasped in astonishment.
"Eighth-tier warrior, you have passed the assessment! Please proceed to register your name over there!" The Centurion glanced at the Xuanbi, his expression devoid of emotion as he spoke coldly.
The scarred man, elated, hurried to register his name, momentarily forgetting his awe of the Xuanbi.
Many people expressed envy, for starting today, the scarred man would officially become a Blood-clad Guard.
However, the crowd quickly suppressed their envy and turned their attention to the Xuanbi, anticipation evident on their faces.