Chapter Eight: The Coming-of-Age Test

At this moment, within the Ye family’s martial arena.

No less than thirty young men and women stood scattered across the grounds, their excited voices blending together in a lively chorus that soared up toward the skies.

At the center of the arena rested a large, dark green stone. Its surface gleamed smooth and cold, yet it was renowned for its hardness—making it the ideal instrument for testing the strength of blood-qi realm practitioners. Beside the stone stood a tester, his face impassive and cold.

Most striking of all was the presence of the family elders seated at the front platform, presiding over the event. At the very center sat the patriarch, Ye Hong, flanked by the stern-faced Grand Elder. Beside them were Ye Zhan and several other elders.

Within the arena, those about to be tested wore a variety of expressions. Whether they had condensed the bloodline or not, there was a trace of anxiety and apprehension on every youthful face.

Ye Hong observed the diverse faces in silence, a faint sigh stirring in his heart: I wonder if that bottle of Azure Spirit Elixir will be of any use to Xiao Cheng.

“Nephew, is your father not coming?” the Grand Elder asked, frowning as he turned to Ye Hong.

“Father is at a critical stage in seclusion; I fear he has no time to attend,” replied Ye Hong, unconcerned by the Grand Elder’s form of address. After all, the Grand Elder was the old master’s cousin, and by seniority, Ye Hong owed him the title of elder. Though the Grand Elder doted excessively on Ye Wei, he was always diligent and fair in family affairs.

Hearing this, the Grand Elder simply nodded and closed his eyes to rest.

“Brother, it’s almost time. Only Xiao Cheng hasn’t arrived yet. Has that boy gotten so caught up in training that he’s forgotten the time?” Ye Zhan asked, turning to his brother.

“That child is determined enough, but it’s just a pity about his health. Were it not for that, he might well have rivaled your second uncle’s youthful flair,” Ye Hong replied with a sigh, his gaze drifting toward Ye Ming, who stood scanning the crowd. “If only Ye Ming had half of Xiao Cheng’s perseverance, I wouldn’t have to drive him so hard.”

Ye Zhan, also noticing Ye Ming’s restless glances, chuckled in understanding. “That lad…”

As the two brothers conversed, a sudden commotion rippled through the crowd. All eyes turned toward a small path at the edge of the training grounds, where two figures approached with unhurried steps, undaunted by the stares of the assembly.

Narrowing his eyes, Ye Ming broke into a delighted grin and strode forth to greet the young man in white and the beautiful girl beside him.

Many of the boys in the arena wore looks of infatuation as they gazed at the girl walking alongside Ye Cheng. She was the prettiest in the entire Ye family, and, being not of direct blood, she was even more of an object of secret longing.

Ye Cheng, at her side, was almost wholly ignored. Someone without even a condensed bloodline was not worth a second glance.

Among the crowd, Ye Wei stared at the girl’s lovely face, his eyes burning with barely concealed desire. Noticing her arm linked with the smiling Ye Cheng, his own expression darkened with jealousy and disdain, teeth clenched in silent fury. “Go on, enjoy your triumph while you can. After the test, let’s see if you can still smile.”

Seeing Ye Cheng’s relaxed manner, both Ye Hong and Ye Zhan at the front of the arena were momentarily taken aback, then exchanged knowing smiles. “It seems the Azure Spirit Elixir has indeed had some effect on Xiao Cheng.”

“Quiet down,” Ye Hong called with authority, seeing that all participants had arrived. He nodded to the Third Elder, a man in his fifties standing at the forefront, signaling that the test could begin.

The Third Elder inclined his head, surveying the now-silent youths before raising his voice: “Today's test is the most important day of the year for the Ye family, and I trust it is equally significant for each of you. You all know what is at stake. The rules are simple: each of you will strike the inkstone with your full strength. If you can leave a dent at least half the depth of your fist, you pass and may continue to receive the family’s training. Fail, and you will be assigned to manage the family’s businesses elsewhere.”

He paused, then continued, “As per tradition, there will be a challenge match after the test. Those who fail may challenge those who pass; if victorious, they will be considered to have passed. Likewise, those who pass may challenge others. All who pass will be granted access to the second floor of the Martial Canon Pavilion in half a month’s time, where they may select intermediate martial techniques.”

“Now that the rules are clear, let the test begin.”

With the Third Elder’s declaration, a wave of tension swept through the young men and women. Their fates would be decided here.

The cold-faced tester stepped forward by the inkstone, withdrawing a roster from his sleeve. He began to call names in order.

Each youth called forth stepped from the crowd, mustering all their blood-qi to strike the stone with every ounce of strength.

Sitting cross-legged on the clean cement floor, Ye Cheng watched the expressions of those whose tests had ended in failure, their faces clouded with disappointment. Turning aside, he caught a glimpse of Ye Ling’s limpid eyes shining with envy and was momentarily taken aback.

She had once confided in him that, while others could sense the milky-white spiritual energy in the air during cultivation, she perceived only a crimson mist, which she was unable to absorb. Could Ling’er possess a special constitution as well? I must remember to ask Master next time.

Thinking of the old Mu, who had expended his own soul power to help him, Ye Cheng felt a pang of gratitude. Without Mu’s assistance, he would never be as calm as he was now. He murmured under his breath, “I wonder if Master is all right—he hasn’t appeared in two months.”

Ye Ming, seated beside Ye Cheng and focused on the ongoing tests, caught a faint whisper and asked, “What did you just say? I didn’t catch it.”

“Ah, nothing…”

“Ye Ming,” the tester called.

Ye Ming leapt to his feet and dashed to the inkstone. He stood for a moment, blood-qi surging as crimson lines climbed along his skin—twelve in total, drawing gasps from the other youths. He had already surpassed Ye Wei’s performance from two months prior, though everyone suspected Ye Wei had not remained idle in that time.

The elders on the dais nodded their approval. To reach the minor blood-qi stage at such an age was impressive, and increased his chances of attaining the Yuan Realm in the future.

With a dull thud, his fist struck the stone.

“Ye Ming, minor blood-qi stage—pass.”

The tester nodded in satisfaction at the two-thirds-fist-deep dent, sliding his hand across the roster to make a record before announcing the result.

Ye Ming beamed with delight; he had been forced into seclusion by his father for this test, and had he failed to perform, he could only imagine the scolding awaiting him at home.

“Well done! You’ve improved so much in just a few days—you must have worked hard these past two months,” Ye Cheng congratulated, patting him on the shoulder.

“Heh!” Ye Ming grinned, “My old man nearly drove me mad with all that training, but at least I got stronger. If anyone dares bully you again, I’ll teach them a lesson—especially that bastard Ye Wei. Just seeing his face annoys me.”

Ye Cheng smiled quietly but said nothing. At his current strength, he no longer feared any of his peers in the family, not even Ye Wei, the acknowledged number one.

After Ye Ming’s test, only two of the next ten or so participants managed to pass; the rest were eliminated.

“Ye Wei.”

The tester’s cold voice rang out again. All eyes turned to see whether Ye Wei could outshine Ye Ming and maintain his status as the top of his generation in the Ye family.