Seven Martial Alliance

The gates of the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall stood open, with people coming and going in scattered groups.

Though this was merely one branch of the Outer Hall, the moment one entered, its grounds still felt remarkably spacious. The interior was divided into several different courtyards, with figures moving about everywhere.

From some distant courtyards, even from far away, Wu Ming could sense a faint, invisible scorching presence. It was exceptionally dense Qi and Blood—the intangible aura formed by more than one martial artist cultivating and tempering their Qi and Blood. That blazing aura was far beyond anything Wu Qu alone could compare to. By rough estimate, there were likely no fewer than a hundred martial artists here.

It was said,

that the truly peerless martial masters possessed such vigorous Qi and Blood that, when it erupted, ordinary people might not be able to see it with the naked eye. Yet if they stood nearby and closed their eyes, they could feel as though a blazing sun had appeared in the darkness, dazzling and searing.

Wu Qu led Wu Ming into the courtyard of the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall. Familiar with the place, he guided Wu Ming farther inside. Quite a few martial artists along the way knew Wu Qu and greeted him with smiles.

Before long,

Wu Ming followed Wu Qu to a small north-facing courtyard.

"Oh, Brother Wu Qu, it has been a long time."

A burly man in a green robe stood outside the courtyard. When he saw Wu Qu approach, he greeted him with a hearty smile, then glanced at Wu Ming beside him. "It seems Brother Wu Qu's family has produced another promising young talent."

Wu Qu gave the burly man a slight nod. "This is my distant nephew... Brother Tian Yong, have you come here to send one of your younger relatives into the Seven Martial Alliance as well?"

The burly man, Tian Yong, laughed loudly. "Not a younger relative—it is my useless son. He practiced the Blood Guiding Stance for over half a year before finally forging his Qi and Blood. He only succeeded yesterday, so I brought him here today."

Having said that,

Tian Yong lifted his chin toward a young man in the small courtyard. The youth clearly resembled Tian Yong somewhat. A faint arrogance rested between his brows as he stood alone at one side of the courtyard. He was Tian Yong's son, Tian Hong.

There were more than a dozen other young people in the courtyard, gathered in twos and threes. All were young martial artists who had come to join the Seven Martial Alliance.

Hearing Tian Yong's words, Wu Qu looked toward Tian Hong as well, a trace of surprise appearing on his face. "Forging Blood in half a year? With such aptitude, he should be Mid-Upper Grade, shouldn't he?"

People in this world possessed vastly differing talents for martial arts, and thus there were rankings of high and low. The commonly used classification in Yong Country divided them into nine tiers: Lower-Lower, Lower-Mid, Lower-Upper, then Mid-Lower, Mid-Mid, Mid-Upper... all the way to Upper-Upper.

Most people fell between Lower-Lower and Lower-Upper. Without the support of substantial resources, they basically found it difficult to forge their blood.

At Mid-Lower, even those born into poor families had a sliver of hope of forging their blood. Those born into slightly wealthier households, who regularly ate meat, could basically forge their blood with ease. They might even have a chance at Second Blood Forging, though Third Blood Forging was exceedingly difficult. Wu Qu himself belonged to this tier. He had endured countless hardships in the first half of his life, yet in the end still failed to achieve Third Blood Forging.

Starting from Mid-Mid, such talent gradually became uncommon. Even in an impoverished household, someone with Mid-Mid aptitude could forge their blood easily so long as they had enough to eat. Second Blood Forging posed no great difficulty either, and even Third Blood Forging was possible.

With Mid-Mid aptitude, entering the Inner Hall of the Seven Martial Alliance was basically not difficult.

As for Mid-Upper Grade, that was already exceedingly rare. Let alone the Seven Martial Alliance's seven Inner Halls, even the Two Divisions—the Demon Suppression Bureau and the Cautious Punishment Division, which were extremely strict in recruiting—would generally accept such people. In the future, they would also have a high chance of achieving Third Blood Forging!

How could this be called a useless son?

To give birth to a son like this, Tian Yong was probably already blooming with joy inside.

As this thought crossed Wu Qu's mind, his gaze became complicated. He and Tian Yong were old acquaintances. Tian Yong's circumstances were similar to his own; he was also the Clan Head of a village outside Jingye City. Yet Wu Qu's children were all disappointments. Even with him providing meat for every meal, they had still struggled to forge their blood. Tian Yong, meanwhile, had produced a son who forged his blood in half a year and possessed Mid-Upper Grade aptitude. That changed everything.

Wu Qu was still searching for a way forward for his children's future, while Tian Yong could already see with his own eyes Tian Hong's rise. Once Tian Hong achieved Third Blood Forging, establishing an estate and founding his own household in Jingye City would be no problem.

"Brother Tian Yong truly is blessed."

Wu Qu shook his head as he spoke, though inwardly he let out a sigh.

He did not even hope for his children to possess aptitude like Tian Hong's. He would have been satisfied if they could reach Wu Ming's level.

"Not bad, not bad."

Tian Yong waved a hand, but the corners of his upturned lips simply would not settle.

As Wu Ming listened to Tian Yong and Wu Qu's conversation, his expression remained unchanged. He merely gave Tian Hong, standing alone in a corner of the courtyard, a brief appraisal before quickly withdrawing his gaze. At the same time, several thoughts flashed through his mind.

If aptitude were used as the measure, what tier would I be considered now... Hmm, it would not be easy to compare horizontally. After all, the transformation of my soul and the Perceptive Insight it brought did not actually improve my bones or innate martial aptitude. My body's ability to absorb and digest Qi and Blood has not increased. It is simply that, in a state of Perceptive Insight, I can regulate my body more effectively through the smallest details, make use of every thread of Qi and Blood, and greatly reduce waste.

Just as Wu Ming was mulling it over,

a series of footsteps suddenly sounded from the courtyard ahead.

A middle-aged man in a gray cloth shirt, with a Seven Martial Alliance emblem embroidered over his chest, walked out from the direction of the inner courtyard with several servants following behind him.

At the sight of the newcomer,

respect appeared on both Wu Qu and Tian Yong's faces. They clasped their fists and saluted him. "Steward Zhang."

Steward Zhang.

He was the steward of this branch of the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall. His status in the Outer Hall was second only to the Hall Master, and he was also an expert who had achieved Third Blood Forging. Whether in status or strength, he stood far above Wu Qu and Tian Yong.

Steward Zhang knew Wu Qu and Tian Yong as well, but merely lifted his chin slightly at them. Then he turned his gaze toward the gathered young martial artists in the courtyard. "You are all here to join the Seven Martial Alliance, I presume. You should know the rules already."

Having said that,

he gave a slight signal.

The servants beside him hurried forward. One carried a wooden tray holding writing brushes and ink, while another carried a tray with a stack of booklets upon it.

"Name and age."

The two servants stepped forward and questioned everyone in the courtyard one by one. After receiving their answers, they recorded them in the booklets.

Afterward,

another servant beside Steward Zhang stepped forward, likewise carrying a wooden tray. This tray held small, rough porcelain teacups. Each cup contained less than half a cup of pale red liquid, and the servant handed one to every person.

Wu Ming had entered the courtyard as well and had his name and age recorded. He too received a teacup. He looked toward Wu Qu outside the courtyard, and when he saw Wu Qu give him a slight nod, he drank the liquid in the cup like everyone else.

The liquid was tasteless, but slightly spicy after swallowing.

He did not know what it was made from.