Aptitude

"Everyone, please roll up your sleeves."

After waiting briefly, several servants in charge of registration stepped forward again and addressed Wu Ming and the others.

Wu Ming rolled up his sleeve and looked at his arm. On the inner side, one meridian had turned a deep crimson, the color spreading from his wrist in a pattern resembling flower petals. There were four petals in all, though the fourth was somewhat dim.

After glancing at the others, Wu Ming understood. That liquid was likely some special medicinal powder that could measure the body's efficiency in digesting and absorbing it—in other words, one's aptitude.

Four petals should indicate Mid-Low Grade aptitude, which was largely consistent with Wu Qu's assessment of him long ago.

"Wu Ming, Mid-Low Grade."

The servants who approached saw the pattern on Wu Ming's wrist, nodded, muttered the result, and recorded it in the register.

Very quickly.

The aptitudes of all twelve young martial artists in the courtyard had been tested.

Of them, nine had Low Grade aptitude, one had Mid-Low Grade aptitude, one had Mid-Mid Grade aptitude, and one had Mid-Upper Grade aptitude. That person was Tian Hong, standing alone in the corner of the courtyard with an arrogant expression!

"Oh? Mid-Upper Grade?"

In Jingye City, Mid-Upper Grade aptitude was not extraordinarily rare, but it was still uncommon. When the servants announced Tian Hong's aptitude in surprise, Steward Zhang, who had been half-closing his eyes, abruptly opened them, a trace of astonishment appearing on his face.

He took a step forward and came to Tian Hong's side. Looking at the six-petaled pattern on Tian Hong's wrist, satisfaction immediately appeared on his face. He looked at Tian Hong with approval and said, "Not bad, not bad. What is your name?"

"Tian Hong."

Tian Hong looked arrogantly upon the other young martial artists in the courtyard, but before Steward Zhang, a manager of the Seven Martial Alliance, he answered respectfully.

"Are you willing to join my Azure Serpent Hall?"

Steward Zhang smiled as he spoke to Tian Hong.

Though the Seven Martial Alliance's seven Inner Halls presented a united front to the outside world, subtle competition existed within. The seven halls each formed their own faction and developed independently. Steward Zhang was not only a manager of the Outer Hall but also belonged to Azure Serpent Hall, one of the seven Inner Halls. Now that he had spotted a promising seedling with Mid-Upper Grade aptitude, he naturally wanted to bring him under Azure Serpent Hall's banner at once.

Hearing Steward Zhang's words, Tian Hong did not know how to respond for a moment and could not help looking toward Tian Yong in the outer courtyard. Tian Yong hurried into the courtyard, cupped his fists toward Steward Zhang, and said:

"Manager Zhang, thank you for your favor. My son is naturally willing to enter Azure Serpent Hall."

"Oh, you have raised a fine son."

Seeing this, Steward Zhang's attitude toward Tian Yong shifted slightly, and he revealed a kindly smile.

In recent years, Demons had appeared with increasing frequency. Not only had the Two Divisions come under pressure, but the Seven Martial Alliance was feeling some pressure as well. All seven Inner Halls were expanding their ranks, but the Inner Halls were the foundation of the Seven Martial Alliance and could not recruit casually. At the very least, one needed Mid-Mid Grade aptitude and a certain chance of reaching Third Blood Forging before being admitted into an Inner Hall.

As for those with Mid-Upper Grade aptitude or better, many were taken by the Two Divisions. Within the Seven Martial Alliance, they would provoke competition among all seven Inner Halls. Now that a Mid-Upper Grade talent who could barely be considered one of their own had appeared, Steward Zhang was naturally extremely pleased.

"Enter Tian Hong's name into Azure Serpent Hall's register."

After exchanging a few words with Tian Yong, Steward Zhang gave the order to a servant beside him with satisfaction.

The servant holding the register immediately picked up his brush and marked it down.

At this moment,

Another servant brought over the records and said quietly, "Manager, what about these two..."

Steward Zhang glanced at the record. Two names had been specially circled: one was Liu Hao, with Mid-Mid Grade aptitude; the other was Wu Ming, with Mid-Low Grade aptitude. The other nine with Low Grade aptitude had all been set aside.

"Liu Hao stays."

Steward Zhang merely glanced at Liu Hao's Mid-Mid Grade aptitude in the record before directly checking his name with his brush. Then he looked at Wu Ming, a contemplative expression appearing as he saw the Mid-Low Grade aptitude listed after his name.

Then, following the servant's indication, Steward Zhang looked at Wu Ming in the crowd and glanced at the petal pattern on Wu Ming's wrist.

"The fourth petal is rather dim... barely Mid-Low Grade, then. It's a little lacking."

After a brief consideration,

Steward Zhang crossed out Wu Ming's name with his brush.

With Mid-Low Grade aptitude, there was still a sliver of a chance to reach Third Blood Forging, but it was exceedingly difficult. This sort often consumed vast resources in training, yet very few ultimately reached Third Blood Forging.

Moreover, Wu Ming had no background to speak of. With two pieces of jade already before him, there was no need to keep Wu Ming.

"All right. You are now members of the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall and may disperse. Tian Hong and Liu Hao, remain behind."

Having made his decision, Steward Zhang addressed everyone in the courtyard.

As his words fell.

The young martial artists in the courtyard exchanged glances, then looked at Tian Hong and Liu Hao, who were staying behind, with either envy or jealousy before following the servants out of the courtyard.

Outside, Wu Qu looked at Wu Ming as he emerged with the others, and a trace of regret flashed through his eyes.

"What a pity."

Though those with Mid-Low Grade aptitude were rarely recruited by the Seven Martial Alliance's Inner Halls, there was occasionally still a slim chance. It was not like the three categories of Low Grade aptitude, which were never considered at all. Unfortunately, it had still not worked out in the end.

Although with Mid-Low Grade aptitude, even entering an Inner Hall would not necessarily mean reaching Third Blood Forging in the future, the treatment in the Inner and Outer Halls was as different as heaven and earth. The Inner Hall had all kinds of resources and Martial Masters offering personal instruction, while the Outer Hall could only rely on itself.

"There's no need to lose heart just because you didn't enter an Inner Hall."

Wu Qu stepped forward, patted Wu Ming on the shoulder, and comforted him. "Your aptitude has reached Mid-Low Grade. Even without entering an Inner Hall, you will still have a sliver of a chance to reach Third Blood Forging someday. The Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall has had people like that."

There truly were some who had risen from the Outer Hall to Third Blood Forging, but their numbers were vanishingly small and they were exceedingly rare. Wu Qu knew these words were only consolation, but he had to leave Wu Ming with a little hope. After all, he himself had come through the same way back then.

In truth, Wu Qu considered Mid-Low Grade aptitude fairly good. Although the first step of Blood Forging was somewhat more difficult, once one completed First Blood Forging and became a martial artist, Second Blood Forging was not especially hard. Back then, his circumstances had been much like Wu Ming's, and it had taken him more than two years to complete Second Blood Forging.

Second Blood Forging was still far from enough to establish an estate in Jingye City, but at the very least, one could become the Clan Head of a village like him and carve out a small patch of land for oneself.

"Mm."

Wu Ming answered and followed Wu Qu out.

His heart was quite calm. Given his aptitude, failing to enter an Inner Hall had long been within his expectations.

In fact, with his current abilities, if he displayed methods such as Inner Vision and Perceptive Insight, he might not have been unable to enter the Seven Martial Alliance's Inner Hall. But those abilities involved evil entities entering his body and the Black Emperor's Demon Subduing Diagram. Even he did not fully understand them. One poor explanation could stir up even more trouble, so after weighing the pros and cons, caution was naturally the wiser course.

There was no need for him to hide the fact that he had become a martial artist. But things like Inner Vision and Perceptive Insight, which he could not yet understand or explain, were naturally unsuitable to reveal. For now, being able to enter the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall and have the gates of martial arts thrown open before him was already enough.