Thump...
His chest felt like it would split open from the pain!
Pfft...
A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed onto the ground!
Many drops of blood splattered across the fifty-square-meter arena. A youth, appearing to be around fifteen years old, half-knelt on the ground, clutching his chest. He looked at his opponent not far away, his pale lips curving into a faint, self-mocking smile. A flicker of sorrow passed through his eyes. His hands clenched into fists, knuckles turning white, his heart churning with pain.
However, the self-mockery on the youth's lips slowly intensified, mixed with an indescribable roguishness. He broke into a smile, a truly joyful one.
"Outer Sect Brother, you lost!" Lin Yang, who had just turned nine this year, proudly lifted his head slightly, looking at the half-knelt youth before him with a smug, childish voice.
"Inner Clan disciple Lin Yang wins, obtaining the qualification to enter the Pre-Medicine Hall. Outer Clan disciple Lin Xiao-Tang loses, is not permitted to enter the Pre-Medicine Hall, and shall continue with his foundational cultivation of primal energy!"
In a corner of the arena, a bored old man announced the results, his eyes holding a hint of cold sympathy.
The announcement concluded, the result anticipated, yet it still caused a fierce uproar beneath the arena.
"Useless trash!" Someone in the crowd below cursed.
"I think he should die a hundred times over; he can't even defeat a nine-year-old child!"
"He's a disgrace to the family! He spent ten years cultivating and still hasn't passed the Foundation Building stage. What has he been doing for the past ten years?"
"This kind of trash should be demoted to a family servant early on. What's the point of cultivating? It's completely superfluous!"
"Heh, you can't just blurt out things like that. If the Clan Head hears you, be careful, he might confine you. Any Lin family disciple under seventeen must undergo similar clan trials every year. Even trash enjoys the same treatment. Only those over seventeen can have their promotion or demotion decided by the Elder Council."
"Sigh, I was just talking. Our Clan Head is still known for being fair and benevolent..."
Mockery, sarcasm, disdain – anything that conveyed contempt and disgust was coldly hurled his way.
Similar reactions occurred every year during the trials. The youth had felt anger and frustration the first time, but he had long since become immune to the public's indignation; no matter how much more a person was attacked, ridiculed, or mocked, it only went so far.
Lifting his head and puffing out his chest, completely unfazed by the hundreds of scornful gazes below the stage, the youth smiled nonchalantly as he stepped down from the platform. His eyes showed no ripple of emotion. He brazenly swept his gaze across the faces of the female Lin family disciples, their chests, and their slender, delicate waists. If not for the poor angle, which prevented him from seeing their various shapely derrieres, he naturally wouldn't have let the opportunity pass.
Walking into the crowd watching the fight below, the youth wore a triumphant and clearly lecherous expression, as if he were the victor. Only, a faint trail of blood still seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Pah..."
"Scum!"
"Pervert!"
The soft rebukes of the women continuously rang out, and the hall instantly seemed chaotic.
Several elders on the stage raised their eyebrows, but there was nothing they could do. That troublemaker had always specialized in causing trouble with his eyes; he had never actually laid a hand on anyone. To pin a crime on him, there was truly no method.
“You girls, did this old man even touch a single strand of hair on your necks? Is it wrong to express admiration with my eyes? Heh heh, you’re just using words to label a talentless good-for-nothing like me to prove your own purity and shyness…” With a thick-skinned grin, Lin Xiaotang fearlessly walked towards the crowd behind him, gently wiping the last trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, all the while maintaining a nonchalant smile as he joined the group at the very back.
Only failures stood at the very back. Among this row of youths, every single one looked dejected and dispirited, wishing they could dig a hole and disappear. Only the newcomer, Lin Xiaotang, was different from them. He seemed to be the victor, casually standing at the end of the first row near the aisle. This position offered an unobstructed view, convenient for Lin Xiaotang to continue ogling the beautiful, shapely bottoms of the young girls.
Pessimism! Those two words simply didn’t exist in Lin Xiaotang’s dictionary...
“Next up, Lin Yuxian versus Lin Ping!”
A loud shout instantly silenced the slightly chaotic hall. A stunningly beautiful girl, about fifteen years old, stepped out from the crowd and onto the stage, immediately becoming the center of attention.
Admiration, envy, fervent longing, aspiration—all positive emotions instantly appeared among the younger generation of the Lin family. This formed a stark contrast with Lin Xiaotang’s fate. Comparing people, it truly was infuriating!
Lin Yuxian, the Clan Head’s own younger sister!
Her opponent, Lin Ping, received very little attention. In truth, he was also a prominent young talent in the Lin family, but Lin Yuxian’s radiance was simply too dazzling. As a result, even though he was a direct descendant of the Third Elder, he still appeared overshadowed.
This was a match from the advanced group; the winner would gain the qualification to enter the Pill Refining Hall.
The Lin clan was a family that built its foundation on pill refining. It had once been extremely prosperous; five hundred years ago was its golden age. At that time, the Lin family was a renowned and flourishing clan even in Xuanyuan Capital, an absolute great family. One must know that pill refiners were an extremely popular profession, and the entire clan regarded it as an honor. It was difficult not to be arrogant!
However, after two generations, it gradually declined. Three hundred years ago, it reverted to being a local family, continuously falling into decline, almost to the point of disintegration.
Why did such a great family, with such a noble profession, fall into such circumstances?
Deception, sabotage by others, ostracization by major powers—natural factors certainly played a part, but the main factor lay within the family itself, precisely because a Pill Refiner was such a magnificent and rare profession.
Indeed, a Pill Refiner was truly a noble and brilliant profession, and precisely because of this, the professional standards required meant not everyone could become one. To become a true pill refiner, it was difficult to select even a few suitable individuals out of ten thousand.
Five hundred years ago, the Lin family ancestors only saw the magnificent facade, but failed to realize the hidden dangers behind that splendor. They unilaterally demanded that every disciple of the family must ultimately become a noble pill refiner.
If everyone could become a pill refiner, then that profession wouldn’t be rare at all.
For several decades, the youth of tens of thousands of Lin disciples was wasted. Occasionally, a few stood out, but none could achieve fame. As a result, the golden generation was lost, and within the family, the most powerful alchemists suddenly left to become independent alchemists. Having lost the trust of the Xuanyuan Imperial Family and the backing of the royalty, the Lin family immediately became a paper tiger. All clan members were useless alchemists; the elixirs they refined found no buyers. They wanted to fight but lacked combat power, and they needed money but had none. Disciples from outside the clan accounted for over ninety percent of the population, and feeling the loss of the family’s protection, with even food and drink becoming an issue, they severed ties with the Lin family.
The sun set in the west, never to return; decline was inevitable…
It wasn’t until the family crisis struck that the alchemists of that generation discovered the hidden dangers behind this glamorous profession. Alchemist would forever be a pinnacle profession, but it was by no means a widespread one. A family aspiring to strength could absolutely not rely on a single pillar. If they couldn’t even choose how they died, how could they possibly find a way to survive?
Learning from painful lessons, the Lin family finally abandoned their ancestral teachings and began to develop along a diversified path, encouraging clan members to cultivate other professions, with business as their primary focus. Of course, the alchemist profession, once the supreme occupation, was still maintained by the Lin family, quietly enduring, hoping that one day, relying on its ancient traditions and mysteries, the profession would once again ascend to its glorious peak…
But three hundred years passed. Although the Lin family escaped the shadow of decline and gradually gained a firm foothold, becoming the local overlords of Xinluo City, the alchemist profession within the clan still could not revive. Instead, it fell further and further behind, never managing to break through to the Grand Alchemist rank. In fact, even reaching the level of a Grand Alchemist seemed exceedingly difficult.
In contrast, in the martial arts lineage, a Martial King master rose more than a hundred years ago, bringing considerable prestige to the family…
Thus, cultivating martial arts and alchemy gradually became the family’s supreme and increasingly prosperous pursuits.
In reality, no matter which profession one chose, the initial stages were almost identical. The Foundation Building stage had no professional distinctions; it was merely a matter of inherent quality.
Moreover, alchemists all required abundant origin energy. For martial artists, origin energy was naturally inner force. In fact, anyone from any profession could become an alchemist; it was just that the additional conditions were overly harsh, making the number of those who could achieve it miniscule…
…
“Begin!” the old man below the stage commanded with a shout, and the entire arena fell silent.
Lin Yuxian and Lin Ping moved almost simultaneously. This was a clash of dragons and tigers, or so everyone below the stage believed.
An invisible force around the two slightly rippled. Standing at the edge of the stage, the old man stared intently at the blue Mystic Stone on the table. This miraculous stone could measure the output of origin energy released by both parties.
After several probing attacks, Lin Yuxian and Lin Ping finally grew serious. Their eyes both became incredibly sharp.
Thump, thump…
Each clash erupted with a heavy thud.
For the first few exchanges, both sides seemed evenly matched. After three minutes of intense struggle, to determine victory, they could only contest their inner force.
In the last ten seconds as the two faced each other, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Lin Yuxian's mouth. Lin Ping secretly cried out, "Not good!" but it was too late to withdraw his hand.
The two extended their palms towards each other, but they hadn't yet made contact. Only the internal energy vaguely emanating from their palms clashed.
Bang...
Lin Yuxian remained motionless in her spot, and with a subtle, knowing smile, she said, "Cousin Lin Ping, you're much stronger than last year. I almost couldn't take it!"
Lin Ping was sent flying back seven or eight meters before he could steady himself. His chest heaved with surging qi and blood, and for a moment, he couldn't speak.
The old man overseeing the test on the side was startled. The Blue Demon Stone instantly displayed the data from the test, which moved him deeply. The numbers were truly astonishing. However, the old man quickly regained his composure.
"Inner clan disciple Lin Yuxian, Martial Origin Force value: 110 points. This surpasses the 100-point threshold for Foundation Establishment. Promoted to Martial Attendant, rank: One-star Martial Attendant!"
"Inner clan disciple Lin Ping, Martial Origin Force value: 92 points. This does not surpass the 100-point threshold for Foundation Establishment. Remains at his previous rank!"
"Lin Yuxian wins and gains qualification to enter the Alchemy Hall. Lin Ping will await the next test!"
As the old man finished speaking, a clamor immediately rose from below the stage.
"How formidable! She has already surpassed the Foundation Establishment stage and advanced in rank. Truly worthy of being the clan leader's younger sister. They are indeed 'of the same root and origin'!"
"That's right, she's only fifteen years old. Our Lin clan generation is about to enter a golden age..."
Amidst the continuous astonished discussions, the agile young woman smiled, subtly winked at a few elders, and descended the stage with an air of confidence and ease.
Lin Ping joined the small group, suppressing the surge in his chest. He descended the stage with a calm and composed expression, but a flicker of unwillingness appeared in his eyes. From start to finish, Lin Yuxian had essentially been toying with him...
The young woman calmly enjoyed the admiring gazes and quickly walked off the stage. She was eager to tell her older sister about today's results.
Rushing along, Lin Yuxian occasionally glanced back at the Lin clan disciples who were continuously offering their congratulations...
Thwack...
"Oof!"
Someone wasn't paying attention. Lin Xiaotang, who was lost in thought, was almost knocked flying and landed on his backside, letting out a squeal like a slaughtered pig.
Lin Yuxian frowned slightly, glanced at the person who had fallen to the ground, lightly brushed her shoulder, and said without anger, "Good dogs don't block the path."
"Oh, blocking the way, huh? Otherwise, you'd be a dog. Second Miss, where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?" With a clumsy scramble, Lin Xiaotang stood up and asked impudently.
"None of your business!" Lin Yuxian glared at him, not bothering to say another word, and ran off like a gust of wind.
Lin Xiaotang pouted as he watched her disappearing figure, and muttered to himself, "Stinky girl, just because you're the clan leader's younger sister? Only a pretty figure, huh? This old man will get a look someday."
The incident in the corner didn't attract the attention of the other young men and women, because the next test was extremely dramatic. Although the clan's upper echelons hadn't officially announced it, there were only two people left who hadn't yet stepped onto the stage. There was no need to guess who they were...