The country where Zhang Ruocheng currently resides is called "Yunwu County," which is just one of the thousands of counties in the Eastern Region of the Kunlun Realm.
A "county" is essentially the first district of the First Central Empire, which is required to pay tribute and taxes to the empire every year.
The ruler of the county is known as the "County King."
Zhang Ruocheng's current identity is the ninth son of the Yunwu County King.
Lying flat on the cold, hard wooden bed, Zhang Ruocheng continued to think about the upcoming sacrificial ceremony tomorrow.
"The original owner of this body, despite reaching the age of sixteen, still hasn't unlocked the 'Divine Martial Mark,' clearly someone abandoned by the gods. What should I do to increase my chances of unlocking the 'Divine Martial Mark'?"
In the Kunlun Realm, to unlock the "Divine Martial Mark," one must gain the recognition of the gods.
This is called "Martial Power Given by the Gods."
During the sacrificial ceremony, a divine bridge between the divine realm and Kunlun Realm will appear, connecting the two worlds. After enjoying the offerings, the gods will bestow the "Divine Martial Marks" on those humans with talent, opening the gates to martial cultivation.
The higher the talent, the earlier one will receive the "Divine Martial Mark."
In Zhang Ruocheng's past life, even before birth, he unlocked the "Divine Martial Mark," making him a prodigy.
In this life, at the age of sixteen, he still had not unlocked the "Divine Martial Mark," which meant he had essentially been abandoned by the gods. Even if he participated in tomorrow's sacrificial ceremony, it was nearly impossible for him to gain the "Divine Martial Mark."
Zhang Ruocheng couldn't sleep, so he sat up on the bed, holding a white crystal stone shaped like a jujube pit. It was sharp at both ends, three-dimensional in the middle, crystal-clear, and without any impurities.
He began to study this white crystal stone; perhaps it could help him gain the recognition of some god and unlock the "Divine Martial Mark."
This white crystal stone was a gift from the Emperor Ming when he turned sixteen.
Zhang Ruocheng didn't know what the stone actually was, but he had kept it close to him ever since. Surprisingly, even after eight hundred years, it was still with him.
"I might have traveled from eight hundred years ago to eight hundred years later because of this stone."
Zhang Ruocheng gripped the white crystal tightly and closed his eyes, the image of his father, Emperor Ming, appeared in his mind. He wondered if his father was still alive.
That night, heavy snow began to fall in the royal city.
The next morning, the entire royal city was covered with a thick layer of snow, with the red palaces, towers, and pavilions all draped in a layer of ice and snow, like frozen sculptures.
The winter solstice, the coldest day of the year.
All the martial artists of the royal city gathered outside the ancestral temple, where they would perform a grand sacrifice to the gods, led by the county king.
Outside the ancestral temple, an ancient altar was built with giant stones. On the altar were not only tied-up livestock—cattle, sheep, pigs—but also powerful savage beasts chained in place.
The civil and military officials, martial practitioners, princes, concubines, and countless young men and women waiting to unlock their Divine Martial Marks were all present. Even babies still in swaddling clothes were part of the ceremony.
This was a national event, not just for the royal city. Every city, town, and village in Yunwu County also held a sacrificial ceremony.
"Heh heh! Ninth brother, you're already sixteen, and even if you participate in the sacrificial ceremony, you won't be able to unlock the 'Divine Martial Mark.' Why bother making a fool of yourself?" The eighth prince, Zhang Ji, sneered as he crossed his arms.
The sixth prince stood next to him, his face cold. "They say dragons have nine sons, each different. How could our heroic father give birth to a useless son like you? Sixteen years old and still without the 'Divine Martial Mark'... You've shamed the royal family. What are you even doing in this world? Why don't you just die?"
Although this remark was harsh, it reflected the sentiments of many of the other princes present.
The familial bonds within the royal family were the thinnest, a fact made painfully clear at this moment.
In the Kunlun Realm, the number of people who could unlock the "Divine Martial Mark" was rare. Out of ten people, at most only one would unlock it. This meant that those who succeeded in unlocking the Divine Martial Mark held a high status.
Of course, for martial experts, it was a different story. The bloodlines of martial masters were powerful, and their descendants had a higher chance of unlocking the "Divine Martial Mark."
The Yunwu County King had nine sons, eight of whom had unlocked their "Divine Martial Marks." Only Zhang Ruocheng, at the age of sixteen, had failed to unlock his, becoming the royal family's laughingstock.
Many mocked him as the "Tiger Father, Dog Son."
There were even rumors in the court suggesting that Zhang Ruocheng wasn't the biological son of the Yunwu County King. Though it was just gossip, it still tarnished the royal family's reputation.
Thus, the other princes largely considered Zhang Ruocheng a disgrace to the family, never treating him as a true brother. They wished he would die sooner.
In recent years, even the Yunwu County King had grown distant from Zhang Ruocheng and Concubine Lin. Under the pressure from other concubines and princes, last night, Zhang Ruocheng and Concubine Lin were forced out of the main palace and had to move to a side hall.
Zhang Ruocheng stood quietly without responding to the sixth and eighth princes.
Without sufficient strength, engaging in verbal disputes would only make others look down on you even more.
Concubine Lin, standing with the other concubines, felt heartache as she saw Zhang Ruocheng being marginalized, but there was nothing she could do.
"The sacrificial ceremony begins!"
The imperial advisor of Yunwu County stood above the altar, holding a scroll of blessings, and began to recite aloud.
Soon, a large conch horn blew, followed by the sound of sixteen different instruments being played by palace maids in colorful attire, including bells, chimes, and other instruments.
Next, the livestock were slaughtered, and their blood was offered to the gods.
"Whoosh—"
A dense blood-red mist formed a thick column of light that shot up into the sky, breaking through the clouds and rising into the vast heavens.
Suddenly, a speck of starlight fell from the sky, landing on the forehead of a six-year-old boy, merging with his body and turning into a red "Divine Martial Mark."
There was an exclamation from the crowd. "The young son of General Xue, only six years old, has unlocked the Divine Martial Mark!"
"The Crimson Flame Divine Martial Mark, a fourth-tier Divine Martial Mark. Amazing! His future is limitless!"
The Divine Martial Mark is also ranked by tiers, from first-tier to ninth-tier.
The first-tier Divine Martial Mark is the weakest, while the ninth-tier is the most powerful.
Everyone gazed at the six-year-old boy with envy.
He was a natural prodigy, unlocking the fourth-tier Divine Martial Mark at such a young age. His future was definitely bright.
Among the many martial generals of Yunwu County, a burly man, excitedly patting his chest, laughed loudly, "Ha! As expected of my son, Xue Liang. Tonight, the Xue family will host a banquet. You must all come and celebrate! Haha!"
"Whoosh!"
More starlight fell from the sky, landing on the foreheads of many other young men and women, turning into their own Divine Martial Marks.
Among them, most unlocked first-tier Divine Martial Marks, and only a few were able to unlock the second-tier. The most impressive was still the six-year-old boy with the fourth-tier mark, whose achievement left others in awe.
Those who unlocked the Divine Martial Mark were a small minority, around one-tenth of the total number of participants. All of them were thrilled, having gained the recognition of the gods and opened the path to martial arts.
Those who failed to unlock the Divine Martial Mark were dejected and some even broke down in tears, their disappointment clear.
As the sacrificial ceremony neared its end, Zhang Ruocheng still hadn't unlocked the Divine Martial Mark.
At sixteen, it was almost impossible to unlock it now. He was destined to become an ordinary person, leading a mediocre life.
No one paid him any attention, as if he were just a speck of dust in the corner, utterly overlooked.
At first, Concubine Lin still held onto a sliver of hope, wishing that her son could create a miracle and unlock the Divine Martial Mark. Even if he couldn't become a martial expert, at least it could strengthen his body and prevent him from being tormented by illness.
As the ceremony drew to a close, Concubine Lin's hope turned into despair, even hopelessness.
Just when Zhang Ruocheng thought he would never unlock the Divine Martial Mark, the white crystal stone he had tightly held in his hand suddenly gave off a faint glow.
In the final moment of the ceremony, a beam of starlight fell from the heavens and landed on Zhang Ruocheng's forehead, merging with him to form a white circular Divine Martial Mark.
"Whoosh!"
A surge of heat spread from his forehead throughout his body.
He had unlocked it!
Zhang Ruocheng was overjoyed. Finally, he had unlocked the Divine Martial Mark.
As long as he had unlocked it, even if it was only a first-tier mark, he didn't care.
No one had paid attention to Zhang Ruocheng before, but at that moment, everyone's gaze was fixed on him.
"Isn't that the ninth prince? He's already sixteen, and he's frail and sickly, yet he was still able to unlock the Divine Martial Mark!" Many people stared at Zhang Ruocheng in disbelief, unable to comprehend it.
The sixth and eighth princes, standing beside Zhang Ruocheng, also widened their eyes, showing astonishment.
How could this be possible?
Concubine Lin, seeing the Divine Martial Mark on Zhang Ruocheng's forehead, was filled with joy and tears. She rushed over and tightly hugged her son, "Chen'er, you've done it! You've done it!"
An old eunuch from the Yunwu County King's side walked up to Zhang Ruocheng, smiling, "Congratulations to Concubine Lin and the Ninth Prince! His Majesty has sent me to invite the Ninth Prince to the palace to personally inspect the tier of the Divine Martial Mark!"
"The Queen?"
Concubine Lin's smile instantly stiffened, and she nervously shielded Zhang Ruocheng behind her.
"Mother, let's go see the Queen," Zhang Ruocheng sensed the subtle change in Concubine Lin's expression and quietly thought, "It seems that this Queen is not a kind person; I need to be extra cautious."