Wu Qinghu, Bai Shui, and Huang Fei formed their respective teams.
Soon after, Yun Feifei selected her group as well. As a beauty, she possessed an inherent advantage, attracting many followers, primarily young ten-man leaders who harbored fantasies about her.
As for Ye Tian, he found himself with no other choice; the remaining scraps were inevitably his, and he couldn't refuse them even if he wanted to.
Thus, the newcomers were all arranged.
Zhao Dapeng, the thousand-man leader, stepped before them, his piercing gaze sweeping across the crowd. Everyone turned their attention to him, faces solemn, eyes resolute, spirits soaring.
"From this day forward, you shall be members of the Blood Robe Guard. I hope you can soon officially become true Blood Robe Guards!"
With his left hand clasped behind his back and his right fist pressed to his chest, Zhao Dapeng declared in a firm voice, "We pledge to defend Blood Jade City with our lives!"
"We pledge to defend Blood Jade City with our lives!"
The other four thousand-man leaders echoed his gestures and the same fervent pledge, their expressions equally steadfast.
In the martial arts arena, five thousand Blood Robe Guards united in this display, their thunderous voices resounding through the air: "We pledge to defend Blood Jade City!"
"We pledge to defend Blood Jade City!"
Ye Tian and the other newcomers shouted in unison, mimicking the leaders' actions.
This was the military salute of the Blood Robe Guard, signifying a sacred commitment—to protect Blood Jade City!
Ye Tian placed his left hand behind his back, clenched his right fist tightly against his chest, feeling the powerful rhythm of his heartbeat, his eyes as resolute as iron.
The other newcomers were similarly invigorated, their spirits aflame.
…
To the south of the barracks lay a small area designated as the encampment for the newcomers of the Blood Robe Guard, comprising wooden cabins, each newcomer assigned their own.
By this time, twilight had descended, and all the newcomers remained inside their cabins, not a soul stepping out.
They were all absorbed in reviewing their newcomer rewards.
Anyone accepted into the Blood Robe Guard received such rewards. While these might seem trivial to typical wealthy heirs, for someone like Ye Tian, hailing from a humble village, these rewards were exceptionally generous.
At this moment, Ye Tian sat in a chair, examining a pile of items on the table before him.
"A steed token allows one to summon a Black Blood Horse from the stables."
Ye Tian picked up a dark iron token and then set it down.
Indeed, every member of the Blood Robe Guard possessed a Black Blood Horse as their mount—this privilege was exclusive to the Guard.
Regrettably, as mere newcomers, they had yet to receive the standardized attire of the Blood Robe Guard, nor did they possess the distinctive Blood Saber.
However, Ye Tian was unconcerned about these trappings; what truly captivated him was the internal cultivation technique.
With this in mind, his gaze shifted to the two books resting on the table.
Remarkably!
These were not scrolls of beast hide but rather two books, much to Ye Tian's delight. Evidently, in this large city, printing and papermaking had been established—though far too precious, he had never encountered them back in Ye Family Village.
With a beaming expression, Ye Tian lifted the two books.
"Blood Battle Across the Wilderness!"
"Comprehensive Knowledge for Martial Masters!"
The bold titles on the covers made Ye Tian smile. While these books may not hold immense value, they were precisely what he needed at this moment.
Gently picking up the "Comprehensive Knowledge for Martial Masters," Ye Tian began to peruse its contents. This was the thinnest of the two, primarily outlining the ten minor realms of a Martial Master and the considerations for breaking through from a martial artist to a Martial Master.
One could say this book was tailor-made for Ye Tian; it contained the crucial guidance he needed to advance his Martial Master level.
"The martial artist connects ten main meridians, while the Martial Master opens three hundred sixty acupuncture points... So many acupuncture points exist in a human body? Achieving thirty-six open points elevates one to Martial Master level one; my immediate task is to open these points."
Ye Tian focused intently, gradually gaining clarity.
According to his memories from a past life, if the ten main meridians represented the trajectories of celestial bodies, then these three hundred sixty acupuncture points resembled individual planets, together forming a brilliant galaxy.
Each point he opened would enhance his physical strength and increase his vital energy. Once all points were opened, he would attain a sanctified body, capable of walking on air. This was a realm beyond that of a Martial Master, a feat achieved by only the city lord of Blood Jade City.
As he continued to read, Ye Tian discovered detailed descriptions of each minor realm within the Martial Master classification.
Among the ten minor realms, every three levels corresponded to a small bottle, representing Martial Master level four, seven, and ten, respectively.
In Blood Jade City, most Martial Masters were below level four, with only a few surpassing that threshold, and those above level seven were exceedingly rare, each a significant figure within Blood Jade City.
Super-strong practitioners reaching Martial Master level ten numbered fewer than the fingers on one hand throughout the entire city.
Among the hundred-man leaders of the Blood Robe Guard, the majority fell below Martial Master level four, as those above that level often sought opportunities in larger cities or prestigious families, seldom joining the Blood Robe Guard.
The Martial Masters above level four within the Blood Robe Guard were all self-trained, rendering them exceptionally rare.
Gently closing the "Comprehensive Knowledge for Martial Masters," Ye Tian picked up "Blood Battle Across the Wilderness," knowing instinctively that this was the internal cultivation technique he had longed for.
Filled with intense excitement, Ye Tian began to leaf through its pages.
"Blood Battle Across the Wilderness, a low-grade Huang-level technique, comprises ten layers, corresponding to the ten realms of a Martial Master. This book contains only the first three layers; achieving Martial Master level three is necessary to obtain the subsequent techniques."
"Internal cultivation techniques must not be privately imparted to others; failure to comply will result in merciless execution!"
Ye Tian felt a twinge of disappointment; it turned out there were only the first three tiers, indicating that he could only cultivate to the level of a Martial Master Tier Three. However, upon reflection, it made sense—inner martial arts manuals are exceedingly precious, and the Blood-Clothed Guard likely implemented such measures to prevent the leakage of their secrets.
In truth, with so many individuals in the Blood-Clothed Guard, some must have privately disseminated "Blood War Across the Eight Wildernesses," but only the content of the initial tiers was shared. While this entailed some loss, it remained within acceptable limits.
Ye Tian eagerly perused the content of the first tier, which consisted of various mental cultivation formulas that he quickly memorized. He then sat cross-legged, gently closed his eyes, positioned his fingers toward his heart, and concentrated his mind on his dantian.
Internally examining his body, Ye Tian began to circulate his true energy following the incantations of Blood War Across the Eight Wildernesses. Before long, he observed bright points of light emerging around the main meridians.
These luminous points resembled twinkling stars, and at a glance, the scene appeared like a radiant starry sky.
"Is this the acupoints?" Ye Tian's heart stirred, and as he continued to circulate the incantations, he joyfully discovered that the speed at which he absorbed the spirit energy of heaven and earth had increased by a factor of two.
It's worth noting that Ye Tian possessed a green martial soul, which already allowed him to absorb spirit energy at an impressive pace. With this increase, it was nothing short of miraculous.
He was confident that, throughout the entire Blood Jade City, there was unlikely to be another martial artist who could match his speed of absorbing the spirit energy of heaven and earth.
"Truly remarkable is this inner martial arts manual; despite being of the low yellow grade, it produces such effects. If it were a legendary divine grade manual, even an ordinary person with a crimson martial soul would become a genius upon cultivation."
Amidst his amazement, Ye Tian felt a slight shiver; he had always believed that possessing the Devouring Martial Soul placed him above many, marking him as a rare talent.
However, it now seemed that this notion was rather laughable. Setting aside the vast expanse of the Divine Continent, where many individuals are born with advanced martial souls, the availability of these superior manuals meant that even with his Devouring Martial Soul, he paled in comparison to true prodigies.
"The path of cultivation must be approached with utmost caution; during this period, I have been somewhat restless. It's time to focus my mind."
With this resolve, Ye Tian began his practice of "Blood War Across the Eight Wildernesses," preparing to attempt unlocking the first acupoint.
In fact, some martial artists possessing inner martial arts manuals had begun opening their acupoints as early as reaching Martial Master Tier Ten. Those like Ye Tian, who only commenced this process at the late stage of Martial Master Tier Ten, were typically individuals lacking inner martial arts manuals.
With a solid foundation of vigorous true energy and the extraordinary nature of Blood War Across the Eight Wildernesses, Ye Tian easily opened his first acupoint, achieving success in merely half an hour.
Subsequently, Ye Tian continued to unlock additional acupoints. Each time he opened an acupoint, some true energy would be expended, but it was fortunate that Ye Tian possessed a green martial soul, allowing him to endure the strain.
After a night of cultivation, Ye Tian successfully opened six acupoints. At this pace, he believed he could break through to the Martial Master realm within a week.
The next morning, Ye Tian emerged from his quarters feeling refreshed and made his way to the mess hall for breakfast.
As he walked, he noticed the military camp was adorned with decorations and bustling with activity, causing him to pause in surprise before bursting into laughter.
"I almost forgot; today is New Year's Day! I wonder how things are back in Ye Family Village!" Ye Tian mused, realizing that after today, he would be seventeen.
In the past, he had always celebrated the New Year in Ye Family Village, but now, being alone in a foreign land, he could only sigh at the sky.
"Brother Ye, over here!"
As soon as he arrived at the mess hall, Huang Fei's loud voice rang out.
Ye Tian looked over and spotted Wu Qinghu, Huang Fei, Bai Shui, and Yun Feifei waving at him.
This was a designated dining hall for the newcomers, and the five captains naturally sat together. Ye Tian waved back and made his way over to join them.
Before long, a servant brought breakfast.
"Brother Ye, how did it go? How many acupoints did you open?" As soon as Ye Tian sat down, Huang Fei eagerly inquired, and the others looked on with curiosity.
They were all aware of Ye Tian's talent, so they were particularly interested in his progress.
"What about you all?" Ye Tian didn't rush to answer but smiled and asked in return.
"I opened three acupoints!" Huang Fei replied proudly.
"I opened eighteen acupoints..." Bai Shui began but was unceremoniously interrupted by Huang Fei, who rolled his eyes and said, "You've been cultivating inner martial arts manuals for a long time; that doesn't count!"
"Uh..." Bai Shui forced a smile at the remark.
The others laughed heartily.
Ye Tian joined in the laughter, now knowing that Bai Shui was the young master of the Bai family in Blood Jade City. Although the Bai family wasn't a top-tier family in Blood Jade City, it was still considered first-rate, which explained their access to inner martial arts manuals.