A Martial God's Bloodline

The Li clan's annual year-end tournament was the one chance for the Li clan's descendants to prove their worth.

Whoever that had the most talent would be much more valued in the eyes of the clan! Glory, splendor, wealth, and rank were the minimum that would be accorded to them. The crux, however, was in the upgrade of their status, not to mention the clan's utmost effort undertaken to nurture them!

Therefore, whenever it was that time of the year, distant descendants flocked there. Opportunities were limited, yet people still showed up undaunted by the dangers that may await them.

"Who's first?!"

The man known as the Sixth Master called out from atop the battle stage. A few well-built servants then pushed a large piece of obsidian over. The stone measured about three meters tall and two meters wide.

Obsidian was a very peculiar mineral in Cloudveil Continent, for it was stronger than diamond! Even steel that was refined a hundred times over was unable to form a proper match with it, while Masters who have perfected their Level Nine state might not be able to crush it! The material was best suited to creating divine weapons and armor.

It was also an important tool used by many of Cloudveil Continent's clans and sects to assess the progress of their disciples' strength.

"The rules are the same as always! Anyone who can leave their palm print on the rock will pass the first test!"

Such a large piece of obsidian would at least be worth a hundred million gold coins! Despite that, a clan as great and as wealthy as the Li clan made use of the obsidian to test their descendants, rather than molding them into divine weapons.

"I'll do it!"

As soon as those three words were uttered, a robust eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy soared up from the crowd and landed on the stage.

"Report your name." Sixth Master Li nodded after seeing the first arrival. With eyes that were unfeeling, he handed over a small booklet to the boy.

Li Ye looked closely and saw that it was the Li clan's family tree. More than ninety percent of clan members would have their names recorded inside.

"Li Zhong! Just turned eighteen!"

The young man spoke resoundingly and although he looked violent, his temperament was quite exceptional. Sixth Master Li nodded in approval and said, "The first test isn't that hard for you. Go on."

Clearly, it was not the first time many of them participated in the event. Their past achievements have been recorded as well.

"You flatter me too much, Sixth Master!"

There was glee in Li Zhong's eyes. For Sixth Master Li to remember him—even if it was from a notebook—was worthy of receiving glory.

Everyone else below was showing envy!

"HMM!"

Li Zhong took in a deep breath before placing his fist directly on the huge slab of obsidian.

Li Ye knew that the large piece of obsidian was filled with countless palm prints, left behind after countless years of testing.

Boom!

Li Zhong retracted his hand, revealing the palm print beneath it to everyone. It was a very thin layer, not deep at all, possibly about just over a millimeter in depth.

"The obsidian is really hard!"

Li Ye was approximately able to estimate the entire situation. Li Zhong's strength was not weak at all, around Level Four at least, yet it was only capable of leaving a faint print on the stone.

"Mm, not bad! You've raised yourself by one state compared to last year. Go ahead and wait there."

Sixth Master Li nodded but his mundane expression made Li Zhong slightly disappointed. He had exerted all of his might earlier! There was some dissatisfaction over Sixth Master Li's expression but he did not dare to make any comment about it. He walked over to the side of the stage in silence, at the same time he had a look of pride as he looked at the others below him.

"Li Zhong was only at Level Three last year! I didn't think he'd be able to raise his state within just one year. I think he has a chance to make the top five hundred this time!"

People were beginning to make their own analysis of the situation. Li Zhong did not appear to be just a random distant descendant, as there were plenty of those who knew of it.

"Next up!"

Sixth Master Li remained unemotive. Soon enough, people began going up to the stage in succession; some managed to leave a print, while others failed to do so.

After observing ten or so people, Li Ye was roughly able to pick up the knack of it.

"So, only those who are at Martial Spirit Level Three can leave their palm print on the obsidian."

In other words, the first round weeded out those who were below Level Three! It was very cruel indeed. According to Li Ye's estimation, at least seventy percent of people would be eliminated in the end!

Very quickly, already a hundred people went forth to take the test. Those who passed it successfully, however, numbered less than thirty!

The Li clan expanded its roots for more than a hundred years and its clan members were plenty. Those who had true cultivation talent were but a few and those who could cultivate upward of Level Three were fewer still.

Anyone who could manifest their bloodsoul by the age of sixteen and begin cultivating from Level One were already considered quite excellent.

Each year, the Li clan's tournament limited the age gap to those between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one!

"Li Yanyan!"

A girl that looked about sixteen or seventeen jumped up onto the stage. Her crisp voice was like a Black-Naped Oriole, prompting everyone to do a double-take at her. She was a charmingly attractive girl. Although she was not exceptionally pretty, she had a youthfulness and heroic spirit. She clearly looked eye-catching given that the rest of the crowd were mostly boys.

Li Ye was in awe as well after seeing that she was a girl.

Although many people practice martial cultivation in Cloudveil Continent, the innate talent of a man was much stronger than a woman. Among the thousands of descendants in the Li clan, girls made up only one-tenth.

A few girls had earlier gone on stage but not a single one was able to successfully leave their prints on the obsidian.

"Not bad."

Sixth Master Li looked at the young woman before him and smiled slightly. Fleeting though the smile was, observant individuals noticed it at once. One of those keen-eyed people was Li Ye, and it was obvious that Sixth Master Li had praise for the girl before him.

A delicate roar was heard and the young girl was seen extending her hand out. Accompanying that action was a surprising burst of fiery vital force.

"Battle techniques!"

Someone exclaimed from below the stage! She was displaying her battle techniques!

Li Ye was rather shocked as well, since Li Yanyan was the first one to wield battle techniques. Even if the technique was a weak one, there would still be an increase in one's might. However, the battle technique wielded by Li Yanyan did not look remotely like a Yellow Rank Primary technique!

That was the reason everyone began exclaiming in shock. Few, if any, of those distant relatives would possess Yellow Rank Intermediate techniques. Even within the main family, there were only a small number who had it! Li Yanyan was a distant descendant, so how did she get those techniques in the first place?

Sure enough, she wielded her technique and left a crisp print of her palm on the obsidian. Amongst the others, hers seemed to be the deepest! It was just under a millimeter, and at that point, was considered the most stellar result.

She raised her fair neck proudly and looked over everyone else with disdain.

"Hmph! She only managed to get those battle skills due to her good looks. What's there to be proud of!"

Someone made a derisive remark that immediately turned Li Yanyan's expression sour.

"Who said that?! Show yourself!"

The person did not speak too loudly when making that remark but plenty of people managed to hear it. Quiet whispers soon ensued, and from that, Li Ye found out that Li Yanyan was born to a father that was very distantly related to the main family, separated by about four or five generations. She did, in fact, use her good looks to charm one of the main family's young masters, gaining a sizable amount of benefits that included the battle skill she just displayed!

As for that main family's young master, Li Ye finally realized who it was after seeing Li Xuan's rather unsavory expression.

A bitter laugh sounded within Li Ye's heart. Such was reality. Other clans did the same thing and the Li clan was no exception. Chances were slim for distant descendants to make a name for themselves unless they had a ridiculous amount of talent. Some girls used their good looks to get what they wanted, usually by seducing the main family's young masters. After all, with so many generations separating them, consanguineous relationships were no longer deemed to exist. Cloudveil Continent upheld Earth's olden tradition of consanguineous marriages—cousins marrying cousins were common.

"If you had the gut to do such a thing, can't other people point that out? Funny, and disgraceful!"

It was the same voice as earlier, which everyone then pinpointed to a seventeen or eighteen-year-old young man. Contempt was basically pouring out from his handsome young face.

"Hey, isn't that Li Ergou? He was rumored to be Li Yanyan's childhood sweetheart and was engaged to her before, but Li Yanyan unexpectedly ditched him for one of the main clan's young master. He definitely hates Li Yanyan to the bone now! I heard she cucked him and angered his parents really badly, so they just gave up on her."

Discussions and murmurings were rife around Li Ye, all of which had been heard by him. He was not of the opinion that Li Yanyan did something wrong and neither did he feel the need to condemn Li Ergou. It was simply the cruelty of their world!

"Li Ergou! You and your slander!"

"You know best whether it's slander or not!"

The atmosphere turned tense, and that was the moment that Sixth Master Li reacted.

"ENOUGH!"

The two youngsters kept quiet, but they shot hateful gazes toward each other.

Li Yanyan breezed through the first round, but she being at Martial Spirit Level Four was no difference than those who came before her. It was exciting only because she used her battle skills.

Li Ergou went up next and he similarly showed a significant amount of strength by leaving his palm print on the obsidian. He did not use any battle techniques, however, and was also slightly weaker than Li Yanyan as he was only at the initial phase of Level Four.

More than thousands of people went up to try their luck for about half a day. Many others decided to give up, as they were below Martial Spirit Level Three. Those at peak Level Two attempted to leave the palm print but failed, and the rest of them who saw that thought it best to leave instead of making a fool of themselves.

"Next!" Sixth Master Li called out firmly in his unruffled expression.

"Me!"

A child's crisp voice was heard. A little boy, roughly about the age of ten, stepped onto the stage.

"Nonsense!"

Upon seeing who it was that came onstage, Sixth Master Li's face went blank and he berated the boy.

"Father, I wanna try too!"

The little boy turned out to be Sixth Master Li's son. His hair was tied up in a braid that faced the sky and was innately cute, although there were traces of stubbornness in him.

"Get off! Don't be ridiculous!"

There was a tinge of loving care in Sixth Master Li's eyes but he shook his head nonetheless. Clan rules dictated that only those who reached fourteen could get on the stage!