September

The first floor housed materials used by practitioners at the Qi Refining stage, the second floor contained items for those at the Foundation Establishment stage, and the third floor held materials suitable for the Golden Core stage. It wasn’t that lower-grade materials were unusable; rather, using them when one’s spiritual energy was abundant would be wasteful, as they were primarily meant to purge impurities within the body.

The first floor was guarded by Zhao Yier, the eldest cousin of the fourth generation and the highest in cultivation within that cohort. He was already a steward of the clan, in the late stages of Foundation Establishment, the eldest grandson of the Grand Elder, and the son of the eldest uncle, who himself oversaw the second floor of the Treasure Hall. The clan placed great importance on the Treasure Hall, as behind it lay the family’s storage vault. The third floor housed the Elders’ chamber, where the Third Elder often sat enjoying fine spiritual tea while cultivating.

Another reason for having attendants at the Treasure Hall was that items there were priced at about ninety percent of the cost elsewhere, monitored to prevent anyone from buying in bulk and reselling for small profits.

Jin Ming greeted his elder brother, Zhao Yier looking quite pleased. It was said that the position of leader of the fourth generation would be passed to this eldest cousin, as his character, aptitude, comprehension, and dedication to the Way were all exemplary. Although Jin Ming was far from reaching the stage of receiving his ceremonial cap, he was still knowledgeable about family affairs.

Ascending to the second floor, a dazzling array of treasures and spiritual armors caught Jin Ming’s eye; he desired them all but could not afford them. Within clan transactions, one could use contribution points or spirit stones; Jin Ming often converted his points into spirit stones.

Without hesitation, he went straight to the elixir section.

“Little Mingzi, what kind of elixirs are you looking to buy?” came a familiar voice.

“Elder Uncle, I want to buy more Demon Blood Pills. Could you help me choose?” Jin Ming replied upon seeing him.

Zhao Dafeng often guided and shared his experience with younger relatives he admired, assisting in their selections. Experience was passed down through generations.

The clan was united, and in unity lay strength. Like the Fire Spirit Ants—individually possessing very low spiritual acuity, yet in swarms capable of building ant palaces and cooperating to hunt even mid-level demon beasts. Their individual power was limited, and they were preyed upon by the ant-hunting beasts.

“This is the Demon Blood Pill made from the Golden Money Beast’s blood,” Zhao Dafeng explained. “It contains the energy of metal, belonging to the Metal element. Since your spiritual roots are Fire and Wood, it’s not easy for you to absorb.”

“This is the Demon Blood Pill from the Yada Beast, which lives in water and forest environments. It embodies Water and Wood elements. Fire conflicts with Water, but Wood thrives by borrowing from Water, which nurtures Wood and thus supports Fire. As long as Wood is more abundant than Water, and Water nourishes Wood, it won’t harm Fire. It’s suitable for you.”

“This one is from the Fire Hoof Horse—a fiery and passionate creature with the breath of wind. Wind helps fire grow. This is also a good choice.”

“That one is the Demon Blood Pill from the Spirit Wood Monkey,” he said, pointing to several jade porcelain bottles. “Your Fire-Wood roots are excellent, making it easier to utilize these resources.”

Jin Ming smiled. “How many spirit stones are they, Elder Uncle?”

“The Demon Blood Pills are priced per pill. Second-grade Yada Beast pills are seventy spirit stones each, Fire Hoof Horse ninety, Spirit Wood Monkey eighty. You want six of each—totaling one thousand four hundred and forty spirit stones.”

“Little Mingzi, do you have enough spirit stones on hand? Your great uncle would pay this price too. If you’re short, Elder Uncle will cover the difference.”

Such elixirs were sold by the bottle, with a storage artifact included except for the rarest pills. Though it was only eighteen pills, Jin Ming knew it represented the entire body’s demon blood of eighteen demon beasts at the demon foundation stage, not counting the cost of condensing the demon blood itself. Buying within the clan was profitable.

“I have them, Elder Uncle,” Jin Ming replied, placing the spirit stones in the storage ring on the second floor before bidding farewell.

Returning to the first floor, he greeted Zhao Yier again.

“Cousin, did you find anything you like?”

“Elder Uncle helped me select suitable Demon Blood Pills. Thank you for your concern, Brother Yi.”

“Use them diligently these months. Aim to surpass yourself by September.”

“I will work hard,” Jin Ming promised.

After a brief chat, Jin Ming took his leave.

Back at his small courtyard, he had originally planned to draft a cultivation schedule but decided to keep things simple. Time, after all, slipped swiftly when immersed in cultivation.

“There is no time in immortal cultivation; a century passes in the blink of an eye,” an ancient saying engraved on a distant star.

He consumed pills and spiritual meat, refining them; practiced formation arrays; tried his hand at alchemy; and continued working on talismans.

Three months passed, and he had turned sixteen.

At the end of August, at night, Jin Ming breathed a sigh of relief. With such dedication, perhaps the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment was not far off. Thinking thus, he continued absorbing spiritual energy. At this stage, a daily rest of three hours sufficed.

Yet exhaustion finally overcame him. Even with solid foundations, he could not resist. Slowly, Jin Ming fell asleep.

Come early September morning, he seemed to awaken from the fatigue of the past months. Riding his sword swiftly, Zhao Jinming arrived early at the Qing School Examination Institute.

Outside, the crowd was bustling.

The Qing School Examination Institute had been established by the Qing Dynasty a thousand years ago, funded by the city lord’s office and later expanded by the five great families. To further cultivate and recruit talent, all sides provided ample resources.

Each major city had such an institute, and within each prefecture, a School Examination Supervisor oversaw multiple cities, managing supervision, assessments, and competitions among the institutes. These supervisors, usually in the ranks of half-step Nascent Soul or even Nascent Soul cultivators, were appointed based on the contribution rankings of the entire prefecture.

Upon taking office, these supervisors generally turned a blind eye to the affairs of various prominent cultivation families within their cities, ensuring the institutes remained orderly.

Within Longjiu City of Yi Qing Prefecture, the central institute was the Zeling Examination Institute, headed by Lord Lin Hanye, the prefecture’s School Examination Supervisor.

One of his responsibilities was to oversee the numerous cultivation families and other forces within the prefecture, preventing negligence or malfeasance.

The cultivation world was harsh, yet higher-level grandmasters above the True Lord stage hoped to protect all cultivators with a period of safety. Beyond the institutes’ jurisdiction, intervention was difficult.

The Qing School Examination Institute was consistently ranked third among the six institutes in Yi Qing Prefecture, boasting considerable strength. On this day, a bloodline test was to be conducted.

It was said that having superior spiritual roots was crucial, as they related to meridians that aided the body in absorbing and utilizing spiritual energy. After spiritual energy nourished the body, it also enhanced the blood. Cultivators with spiritual roots hoped to detect their bloodline, classified into five ranks: Mortal Blood, Spiritual Blood, Profound Blood, Nascent Blood, and Divine Blood. Failure to detect one’s bloodline meant it was either Mortal or Spiritual Blood, lacking profound laws.

A cultivator’s bloodline, besides inheritance from parents, was influenced by the power of heaven and earth, celestial phenomena, and rare natural treasures.

Within the world, humans existed at various times and places, each connected to the flow of Qi and destiny. This Qi was elusive and intangible, but when condensed and manifested, it took on celestial phenomena. When a rare material or treasure emerged, it altered the flow of Qi, triggering anomalies.

Outside the venue, many hoped their descendants would soar, revealing exceptional bloodlines. Elders stroked their beards and smiled gently, not overly concerned with results.

At the center of the vast celestial altar of the Qing School Examination Institute stood two bloodline sensing devices. In a few days, tens of thousands of children’s bloodlines would be tested. These devices contained Jiukong Meteor Crystals, and since the seasonal change in September, the appearance of the Morning Star had enhanced the terrace’s sensitivity. However, the sensing left traces of damage on the devices, requiring large sums of spirit stones and months of maintenance.

Several tens of thousands of youths came for bloodline testing, including those from Qingning City and thirteen surrounding towns. Not all were sixteen; some who failed to detect their bloodline previously came again, unwilling to accept mediocrity. This was allowed, for cultivators with unfortunate fates still strove to break free from obscurity.

Though cultivators trained for years and time passed swiftly, their minds and temperaments matured much like ordinary people.

The atmosphere was slightly tense. Ten elders and Yang Zongheng stood solemnly on the high platform. Once known for his humor, Yang Zongheng merely swept his gaze over the crowd and fixed his eyes on the two sensing devices.

According to the order printed on the sheets distributed days before, the first two hours of testing today were arranged in a long queue, filled with youths from the Qing School and the five great families.

The older generation cared deeply about this event, eager to assess the situation.

As the time approached, a signal was given. The Grand Elder Zhao snapped his fingers, and a large bronze bell in a distant pavilion rang out, its sound echoing throughout the venue.

When the bell ceased,

“The hour of Si has arrived. Begin,” Zhao Tiangang stood and issued the command.