Three months later, in a serene chamber within the Lord's mansion of Liu City, Ye Tian slowly opened his eyes.
Instantly, a radiant aura enveloped him, and the potent fluctuations of his true essence radiated outward like rippling water, filling the room with a soft glow.
"At last, I have condensed sixty acupoints!" Ye Tian gradually withdrew his energy, a glimmer of brilliance flashing in his eyes as he sensed the condition of his body, his expression transforming into one of delight.
After three months of sleepless nights dedicated to the cultivation of the Acupoint Condensation Technique, he had finally managed to condense sixty acupoints today.
If Liu Yuan were to learn of this, he might very well be driven to despair, having labored for over twenty years to achieve the same number of acupoints. Yet Ye Tian accomplished this feat in merely three months—truly, comparisons breed envy.
Of course, Ye Tian's remarkable progress was primarily due to his innate talent, his Green Martial Soul, and the earth-grade inner power technique—Blood Demon Transformation.
Nevertheless, despite such advancement, Ye Tian found himself somewhat dissatisfied.
"With only a month remaining until the Star God Sect's assessment, it seems unlikely that I can ascend to the Martial Spirit realm in time," he frowned, realizing he had reached a pivotal juncture in his training.
According to the Blood Demon Transformation technique, to break through to the Martial Spirit realm, he needed to condense ten Golden Pills, which were the hallmark of such an advancement.
Ordinary martial artists only needed to condense a single Golden Pill to attain the Martial Spirit realm.
Certainly, there were some extraordinary geniuses who could condense two or three Golden Pills, but such talents were exceedingly rare.
However, within the Blood Demon Transformation, there existed a secret method allowing Ye Tian to condense ten Golden Pills during his breakthrough to the Martial Spirit realm.
Yet, this method came with a caveat: Ye Tian required sufficient true essence.
"Originally, once I reach the pinnacle of the Martial Master realm, I believed I could condense three Golden Pills. However, if I could perfect the Acupoint Condensation Technique before then, I might have a chance to condense six Golden Pills," he contemplated silently, feeling grateful to Liu Yuan for the invaluable assistance the technique had provided him.
Still, even with this advantage, Ye Tian's true essence was still far from adequate, as he needed to condense ten Golden Pills.
"It appears I must rely on external resources; I hope the Star God Sect won't let me down!" With a gentle sigh, he pushed open the door and stepped outside.
In the Lord's Hall, Liu Yuan and his daughter had long been awaiting him, knowing today marked the day of Ye Tian's departure.
Though the Meteor Mountain Range was not very far from Liu City, with only a month left, it was time for Ye Tian to set forth.
After a lavish banquet, Liu Yiru personally led a contingent of soldiers to see Ye Tian off from Liu City.
Standing outside the city, Ye Tian gazed at Liu Yiru, whose misty eyes were filled with unshed tears, biting her lip to keep from weeping. He couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
Having lived two lives, Ye Tian was no novice; he understood Liu Yiru's feelings all too well. Unfortunately, his heart belonged to another, and currently, he was solely focused on his martial pursuits, not wishing to be ensnared by romantic entanglements.
"Ye Tian, take care! We will meet again!" Liu Yiru suddenly called out, waving her arms as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Ye Tian paused, slightly taken aback as he turned to face her. His lips moved, and after a soft sigh, he nodded silently before turning away.
"Old friend, it seems we are off again!" He patted the Xuan Iron battle blade strapped to his back, raising his arm in a vigorous wave before quickening his pace and racing across the vast expanse before him.
At the city gates, Liu Yiru watched as Ye Tian gradually disappeared down the road, her garments already soaked with tears.
Not far away, a figure stepped forward from the city wall.
"Alas, this young man is exceptionally gifted; not just in the humble Liu City, but throughout the vast Nanlin Prefecture, and even the great Da Yan Kingdom, nothing will impede his progress. Perhaps one day, he will stride beyond the boundaries of the Da Yan Kingdom!" Liu Yuan sighed, shaking his head as he looked at the despondent Liu Yiru at the city gates.
He understood that Ye Tian was not a mere triviality; it was only a matter of time before he soared to great heights, destined to inhabit a realm far removed from their own—merely a fleeting figure in Ye Tian's life.
Perhaps many years hence, when Ye Tian passed this way again, he would find the landscape irrevocably changed and the people long gone.
…
The Meteor Mountain Range lay in the northern wasteland of Nanlin Prefecture, approximately ten days' journey from Liu City. However, burdened by the weight of his Xuan Iron battle blade, Ye Tian only arrived after twenty-five days.
Near the Meteor Mountain Range stood a grand city called Star God City. True to its name, this city was governed by the Star God Sect, renowned for its power and as a venue for welcoming visitors from all quarters.
The assessment of the Star God Sect commenced with sign-ups in Star God City.
Though there were still five days remaining for registration, fearing he might be late, Ye Tian hurriedly inquired about the location for signing up for the assessment as soon as he entered the city, then rushed off in eager anticipation.
Along the way, he noticed many young people, like himself, racing toward the registration point.
Star God City bustled with activity, predominantly filled with young outsiders clearly drawn by the Star God Sect's assessment.
The registration venue was a square, reminiscent of the Blood-clothed Guard's assessment; perhaps due to the sheer number of participants, given the Star God Sect's formidable reputation in Nanlin Prefecture, a multitude of young aspirants had gathered for the event.
However, the square was not overly crowded at that moment, only about two to three hundred people were present. This was likely because the sign-ups had commenced five days prior, with the majority already registered during that period. The remaining individuals, like Ye Tian, had only just arrived in Star God City.
"Everyone, please line up orderly; no cutting in line, or you will not be accepted!" bellowed a young man in a yellow robe at the Martial Spirit realm, his resonant voice echoing throughout the square.
Ye Tian stood patiently at the end of the line.
"I heard this man was once an outer disciple of the Star God Sect. Unfortunately, he failed to advance to the Martial Spirit realm within three years and was subsequently expelled, forced to serve as a menial disciple here," whispered someone from the crowd.
"How could a dignified Martial Spirit stoop to be a menial disciple? Even as a menial disciple of the Star God Sect, his dignity must be in tatters," scoffed a young man with disdain.
"You don't understand; serving as a menial disciple here grants many benefits. Look!" The earlier speaker subtly winked.
The crowd followed his gaze, spotting a young man bowing and scraping as he approached the yellow-clad man, stealthily slipping him a package. In return, the young man was promptly ushered to the front of the line.
The onlookers gasped in astonishment, and Ye Tian found himself momentarily speechless.
"What an obvious act of cheating!"
"Isn't anyone going to expose this?"
"It seems he relied on these bribes to ascend to the Martial Spirit realm!"
"Good grief…"
The crowd was momentarily taken aback, and some individuals even muttered curses under their breath; yet, not a single person dared to step forward and expose the man in yellow.
"Everyone, let us exercise a bit more patience. As the saying goes, it's wise not to offend a troublesome spirit!" the young man spoke again.
This time, Ye Tian scrutinized the young man more closely. He wore a pale white robe and possessed a delicate countenance; his features were well-defined, though not particularly handsome—rather, he appeared as one of many who could easily be found in a crowd.
However, for some reason, Ye Tian sensed an unusual aura emanating from this seemingly ordinary individual.
"Ah!" At that moment, while Ye Tian was observing him, the unremarkable young man noticed Ye Tian and a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.
Having been spotted, Ye Tian responded with a gentle nod and a smile.
The ordinary young man then switched places with the people behind him and approached Ye Tian, revealing a bright smile that showcased his pearly white teeth. "I am Wu Dao. May I inquire about your esteemed name, my friend?"
"Ye Tian."
"What a splendid name! 'A leaf covering the sky'—with such a formidable name, my friend, you are destined to become an extraordinary figure, soaring through the nine heavens!" Wu Dao's eyes sparkled with admiration.
Ye Tian felt somewhat bewildered; the man's enthusiasm seemed excessive. However, having nothing particularly remarkable about himself, he was left puzzled.
"Do you doubt my words, my friend?" Wu Dao asked, noticing the fleeting doubt in Ye Tian's eyes.
"Uh… no!" Ye Tian replied, somewhat taken aback. He hadn't expected his momentary uncertainty to be so perceptively detected; this person's abilities were indeed uncanny.
Why did he find it uncanny?
Because Ye Tian could tell that this man before him was merely at the seventh level of a martial master, a level Ye Tian could extinguish with a single hand.
While it was true that reaching the seventh level was sufficient to qualify for the assessment at the God Star Sect, most of the young individuals present were at the eighth level or above; very few were at the seventh.
Moreover, this young man named Wu Dao appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and achieving only the seventh level at such an age indicated a talent that might struggle to pass the God Star Sect's evaluation.
"It's alright if you don't believe me now; one day, you will. Just remember my name—Wu Dao, 'Wu' for the sky and 'Dao' for the principle," Wu Dao said, winking and smiling mysteriously.
Ye Tian was astonished but nodded, replying, "Wu Dao! I shall remember this name."
In truth, he had already unconsciously committed it to memory.
"What an interesting person!" Ye Tian thought to himself as he began to patiently await the assessment.
Soon, as the sun dipped towards the horizon, it was finally their turn.
A middle-aged man clad in the garments of an inner disciple of the God Star Sect cast a disapproving glance at Wu Dao and coldly remarked, "Seventh-level martial master? And you've only just recently achieved this level? Your chances of passing are quite slim."
"The ancestors of the God Star Sect once said that even the most ordinary stone can one day replace the stars in the sky; I have always believed in that saying!" Wu Dao responded, flashing his bright smile once more.
"This guy certainly has the audacity to say such things!" Ye Tian thought, speechless.
The inner disciple was visibly taken aback by the response.