The Seven Profound Martial Mansion, located in Tianyun City, the capital of Tianyun Country, was nestled against Dazhou Mountain. It had been established by the Seven Profound Valley, a Martial Arts Sect with a six-hundred-year legacy.
As the Martial Mansion of a Great Sect, the Seven Profound Martial Mansion possessed numerous legacy Martial Arts and had Martial Arts Masters as instructors. It naturally became the Martial Arts Sacred Land in the hearts of all the young people in Tianyun Country who aspired to Martial Cultivation. Of course, the requirements for accepting disciples were correspondingly high; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say only one in ten thousand was chosen.
On a scorching summer day, at the foot of Dazhou Mountain, a teenage boy with cloth strips wrapped around his fists stood bare-chested in a grassy clearing. He was in front of a tree with a trunk so thick one could barely wrap their arms around it, striking it again and again with heavy punches.
THUD! THUD! The dull sounds echoed through the forest. The bark of the tree was visibly dented where he struck it, revealing the grayish-white wood beneath, which was speckled with blood.
The boy's name was Lin Ming, and he possessed a Third-Grade Martial Talent.
In Tianyun Country, half the population had no Martial Arts Talent at all, making them completely unsuited for cultivation. Of the other half, over eighty percent only possessed a First-Grade Martial Talent; even if they practiced Martial Arts, they would never amount to anything. Of the small fraction that remained, about ninety percent had a Second-Grade Martial Talent. If they trained diligently, they might achieve some minor success, but their hopes of becoming a Martial Arts Master were slim to none.
Lin Ming's Third-Grade Martial Talent could be considered superior, making him, just barely, one in a hundred. However, this level of Martial Arts Talent was still a far cry from what was needed to enter the Seven Profound Martial Mansion!
Lin Ming was well aware of this. A beautiful girl named Lann Yunyue, who had grown up and practiced Cultivation alongside him, also possessed a Third-Grade Talent. Thus, the two of them had made a pact to test into the Celestial Fate Martial Mansion, an institution that was a considerable step down from the Seven Profound Martial Mansion.
The Celestial Fate Martial Mansion was affiliated with Tianyun Country and had only been established for eighty years. Its Cultivation Techniques, legacy, and foundation were all limited. For a Martial Artist, the legacy of a Martial Arts Technique is of utmost importance. Without a good one, completing the Body Cultivation Stage and achieving Meridian Condensation to advance to a higher Martial Arts Realm was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
The Meridian Condensation Stage was a Realm yearned for by countless Martial Artists. It was also the first major turning point on the path of Martial Cultivation. Once a Martial Artist achieved Meridian Condensation, their lifespan would increase dramatically. Moreover, they could be ennobled as aristocrats, destined to live a life of luxury and bring fortune to their descendants.
In terms of nurturing Meridian Condensation Martial Artists, the gap between the Celestial Fate Martial Mansion and the Seven Profound Martial Mansion was simply too vast.
Lin Ming was wholeheartedly devoted to the Martial Arts and naturally dreamed of attending the Seven Profound Martial Mansion. Since his talent was lacking, his only hope was to impress the examiners with his diligence and perseverance. The chances of success, however, were not high. Moreover, failing the Martial Mansion's entrance exam meant wasting half a year waiting for the next one, and for a Martial Artist, time was incredibly precious.
For this reason, and also because of Lann Yunyue, Lin Ming had decided to enter the Celestial Fate Martial Mansion.
Lin Ming and Lann Yunyue had spent many years practicing Cultivation and enjoying their time together. Although they were still too young to discuss marriage, a budding affection had already blossomed between them. Lin Ming's parents were also very fond of Lann Yunyue and often invited her over for dinner.
The affection between Lin Ming and Lann Yunyue was mutual. There was only a thin paper screen left between them, and they were just waiting until they were a little older to break through it.
Lin Ming took their pact very seriously. He was determined that even at the Celestial Fate Martial Mansion, he would break through to the Peak of Meridian Condensation Realm!
However, on the day of the Celestial Fate Martial Mansion's entrance exam, Lann Yunyue never appeared.
At first, Lin Ming assumed something had prevented Lann Yunyue from coming. Only later did he find out that she had entered the Seven Profound Martial Mansion. The one who had sponsored her to become one of the Martial Mansion Disciples was none other than Vermilion Flame, the genius young master of the Zhu Family, the number one family in Qingsang City.
Although Lin Ming was only fifteen, he had traveled and faced the world with his parents from a young age, so he was far more mature than his peers. He knew exactly what it meant for Vermilion Flame to sponsor Lann Yunyue's entry into the Seven Profound Martial Mansion.
When choosing a wife, disciples from a great family like the Zhu Family considered not only a woman's looks and disposition but also her Martial Arts Talent. After all, talented parents had a much higher chance of producing a talented heir. Although Lann Yunyue came from an ordinary background, her Third-Grade Superior Talent was considered quite outstanding for a girl.
It wasn't as if the Zhu Family couldn't find a girl with even greater talent, but Lann Yunyue herself was beautiful and possessed an exceptional disposition. Thus, it was only natural that Vermilion Flame would take a liking to her.
And for Lann Yunyue, there was simply no comparison between the Seven Profound Martial Mansion and the Celestial Fate Martial Mansion, whether in terms of opportunity, glory, or potential future achievements. The temptation of reaching the Peak of Meridian Condensation Realm, which could extend one's youth by decades, was especially irresistible to a young woman.
Faced with such a temptation, it wasn't just Lann Yunyue; perhaps most girls would have made the same choice and picked Vermilion Flame. After all, Vermilion Flame himself was handsome, and his family background and prospects were far superior to Lin Ming's.
Although he understood all this, it was impossible for the matter not to be a blow to Lin Ming. He locked himself in his room for three days. Afterward, he emerged and resumed his life of eating, sleeping, and practicing his Cultivation—only he trained even more arduously than before.
Even before Lann Yunyue left him, he had resolved to break through to the Meridian Condensation Stage and pursue higher Martial Arts Realms. Lin Ming's goal was still the same now. But if he had held any reservations before, her departure had only served to strengthen his martial heart.
He decided to test for the Seven Profound Martial Mansion instead, even though the path would be fraught with hardship.
THUD! THUD! The dull thuds of fists striking a tree trunk continued to echo through the forest. This type of tree was called an Ironwood. Not only was its bark incredibly tough, but it also had powerful regenerative abilities. Many beginners in Martial Arts chose this kind of tree for Refining Power.