Progress

Page (1/3)

The students from the Azure Academy stepped onto the stage first. None of those undergoing examinations at the academy lacked some talent or family heritage. Officially affiliated with the dynasty, the Azure Academy was respected, with the five great clans careful not to offend it.

A youth clad in blue and another in white ascended the Rock Cloud Steps, moving forward. The white-clad youth turned left, his gaze fixed on the glowing aura ahead as he slowly extended his hand toward the sensing apparatus. The blue-clad youth glanced at him, seeming to make up his mind, and stretched out his palm toward another sensing device.

The white-clad youth was sixteen years old, with fair skin and a scholarly demeanor.

Within moments, the apparatus on the left reacted. Witnessing this, the blue-clad youth withdrew his hand and turned his head in surprise at the swift response. The white-clad youth infused more spiritual energy. White, blue, purple, red, gold.

The small crystal orb on the device shifted from transparent to colored, emitting a cyan glow that deepened, transitioning from cyan to blue-cyan. Within a few breaths, it radiated a bluish-purple light and then held steady.

The elders of the Li family’s viewing platform all showed expressions of joy. “This is the blood of the Supreme Mystic, possessing consciousness. Our Li family surpasses the rest; what worry is there about flourishing?” one elder exclaimed.

“Li Jiaoyang has truly fathered a fine son,” Zhao Tiangang remarked.

“Brother Dao, why say that? The Zhao family also has many prodigies, while the Li family only seldom produces a few of the Supreme Mystic generation,” replied Elder Li with a slight smile.

Without speaking, Zhao Tiangang turned his gaze toward the blue-clad youth.

Feeling many eyes upon him, the blue-clad youth also extended his hand to infuse spiritual energy.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths... Zhao Qingyi revealed a hint of fear.

Finally, after six breaths of silence, the orb emitted a cyan glow, then one breath later leapt to bluish-purple, and another breath later shifted to violet light! He managed a faint smile, uncertain whether it was out of joy or sorrow.

Zhao Qingyi, a distant disciple, was the grandson of Zhao Dongfeng. Due to his meritorious service, Zhao Jiuyun granted him the Zhao surname and renamed him Zhao Fengqing. Zhao Fengqing had a son named Zhao Yanghong, who married Xie Anni at thirty and had a son: Zhao Qingyi. When Zhao Qingyi was three, Zhao Yanghong and his wife died hunting for spiritual herbs in the Stream Marsh Mountain, falling victim to a demon tiger. That day, Zhao Dongfeng had just completed his foundation establishment at over 130 years old. Upon hearing the news, he coughed blood and soon succumbed to illness.

Before he passed, the ailing Zhao Fengqing confided this to the grand elder. After contemplation, the grand elder personally hunted down the demon tiger in Stream Marsh Mountain. But the old Zhao Fengqing, struck by grief, deteriorated rapidly. After his death, the elder arranged for Zhao Dafeng to foster Zhao Qingyi until he was eight, then sent him to the Azure Academy for study.

At three, Zhao Tiangang noticed a strange aura in Zhao Qingyi’s eyes. Though Zhao Dafeng and Zhao Yier treated him well, he never contended with others. At eight, entering the Azure Academy, the grand elder patted his small shoulder, urging him to study diligently and assigned the sixteen-year-old Zhao Mingzhu to tutor him.

Years flashed by. The grand elder seemed as if it were yesterday, yet the child had grown into a youth—not the same as before.

“Well done, well done,” Zhao Tiangang said. He had long been young and surely understood these things.

The elders and heads glanced at him, then at Zhao Qingyi as he prepared to step down, saying nothing.

After Zhao Qingyi left the stage, Wu Feixue ran over, pounding his shoulder excitedly, “So amazing, Brother Qingyi, a true genius.”

“The heavens simply favor me, perhaps...” Zhao Qingyi thought with a trace of pity, though Wu Feixue remained unaware.

Page (2/3)

“I want to ask Sister Mingzhu; she’s also at the viewing platform.” Saying this, Wu Feixue pulled Zhao Qingyi along. Zhao Mingzhu was an officer of the Azure Academy and the grand elder’s granddaughter.

Two successive Supreme Mystic bloodlines on display stirred mixed emotions among the crowd. The tests continued. “Hurry up, too slow, get on stage,” Elder Xu urged impatiently.

Zhao Jinming stood with the Zhao family’s delegation. Once the Azure Academy’s testing concluded after two days, it would proceed to the Zhao, Li, Sun, Xu, Yang families, and so forth.

Among the many students, no one else reached violet, and few even emitted cyan light.

Those who reached violet light possessed late-stage Golden Core maturity, perfect aptitude, and some even had hopes of becoming True Lords. Over decades, only a few dozen had ever reached pale violet.

The Zhao family had seven powerful Golden Core cultivators—six elders and a clan chief—but only three possessed Supreme Mystic blood.

When a cultivator carries a bloodline above Supreme Mystic, upon reaching Nascent Soul stage, they can manifest a spirit body. Spiritual roots nurture the blood, spiritual blood strengthens the body. The soul grows formidable through body, blood, and roots.

Testing continued day and night without pause.

When it came to the Zhao clan, the first two to step forward were Zhao Jinming and Zhao Fangzhou. Ascending the Rock Cloud Steps, time seemed to slow, filled with both anticipation and tension. Jinming was uncertain about his test results.

“Zhao family youths, those already tested or about to be, listen carefully. The path of cultivation is not fixed by momentary failure; be bold in testing yourselves.”

“The way of the cultivator is not solely fate; most depends on your own choices,” the grand elder encouraged.

The old man, known as Master Lei Fa, was renowned throughout several nearby cities and served as the Azure Academy’s grand elder, a familiar name to all.

Rumor had it that Zhao Tiangang once killed a mid-tier demon with a single thunder technique. Some youths took him as their goal, their hearts ignited, their previous worries and tension swept away.

In earlier years, the grand elder had not spoken so encouragingly.

After hearing this, the two approached the left and right sensing devices. “Brother Jinming, let’s begin,” one nodded, and both pressed their palms down simultaneously. Within moments, light slowly appeared.

Many hoped for good results. Apart from the first two who reached violet, among the thousands at the Azure Academy, very few showed normal cyan.

When talent is rare, people wish for more to appear but also seek to suppress or isolate outliers.

Eventually, both devices stabilized at cyan light, leaving Jinming somewhat stunned.

He couldn’t understand. With such resources and effort—1,404 spirit stones spent on demon blood pills, many pills obtained from elders, and ample spiritual beast meat provided by his parents—he had failed.

Emotions surged breath by breath as memories flew through his mind.

He had forgotten the grand elder’s recent words. He had always succeeded before.

Wanting to cry, he stopped himself. He resolved to study harder, believing some aspects needed improvement. After a moment’s thought, he gathered himself and calmly stepped down with Zhao Fangzhou.

Page (3/3)

The old man on stage seemed to have analyzed his psychological process thoroughly.

“Brother Zhao, it’s tough for you all. Such talent, an extraordinary prodigy of the Qianlong Sect, yet now only foundation establishment,” he said with a hint of questioning, “Are you afraid we might harm him?”

“You should know, the matter with Zhao Manxing was not caused by us but by his unstable Dao heart,” the grand elder expressed slight displeasure.

“Not so, Heaven knows you, the Way of Heaven knows you,” his gaze shifted toward Zhao Jinming, who was now calm but uneasy.

The displeasure faded.

He transmitted a voice message, “How is the legitimate daughter of the Yang family? It’s been a long time since she was seen. My fourth brother has not yet been permitted to visit and propose marriage.” After speaking, his gaze swept over Yang Zongheng.

Originally resting with closed eyes, Yang Zongheng opened them upon hearing this.

“Still well, perhaps in a few years,” he replied to Zhao Jinming’s transmitted message, expressionless, then closed his eyes again.

Among cultivation families, marriages sometimes occurred by mutual desire, sometimes not. Without resorting to force, large clans often used marriage alliances and commercial cooperation for peaceful evolution.

Since these two tested, no Zhao family disciples had achieved Supreme Mystic blood, though the proportion of spiritual blood remained high.

Testing at cultivation families proceeded quickly. Good family foundations limited the number of sixteen-year-olds.

Each bloodline test took over ten breaths. After the five great families completed testing, it would move on to smaller cultivation families and scattered cultivators.

This continued for several more days.

In the end, among all the youths, those from the Azure Academy led with two of Supreme Mystic bloodline aptitude. The academy’s land was favored and home to the Dynasty’s formation masters.

Elsewhere,

At this moment, Jinming was already making plans. He intended to request permission from the grand elder not to study artifact forging or talismans, but to strengthen his physical body and cultivation foundation first.