Jang Yue slowly opened his eyes. His senses became much clearer.
Everyone in the outer sect grounds, including the elder, marveled at what they saw. They could not believe their eyes.
What had just happened was nothing short of a miracle.
Triggering the Heavenly Dao was almost impossible, even for cultivators who were about to enter the ascension stage.
Yet a seventeen year old disciple by trial did it on his first try.
Suddenly, a series of texts that only Jang Yue could see appeared.
[ Bing! ]
[ You have successfully created blood roots! ]
[ You are now eligible for the demon cultivation path. ]
Jang Yue was filled with excitement, yet he did not show it on the outside. No, it was more like he could not do so for some reason.
"Kid, what is your name?"
The elder asked as he approached, his voice stern and his posture filled with confidence.
"Ugh… my name is Jang Yue."
"Jang Yue, heh! Why are you a disciple by trial with such talent?"
The elder pressed his hand against his temples in thought.
"Trial disciple Jang Yue, may I access your martial talent?"
Jang Yue nodded in agreement and stood up on his feet.
However, the impurities that unconsciously seeped out of his body became so unbearable that disciples shouted in protest, saying he should at least freshen up before having his talent checked.
"Haha, alright… I will wait for you here, Jang Yue."
Jang Yue nodded and left.
"BA, can I see my appraisal panel?"
[ Name: Jang Yue ]
[ Age: 17/134 ]
[ Species: Vampire ]
[ Blood Root Attributes: Fire, Metal, Lightning, Darkness (Top Notch) 9 inches ]
[ Cultivation Talent: Top Notch ]
[ Bloodline: Lesser Blood ]
[ Lineage: None ]
[ Cultivation Realm: None ]
[ Martial Techniques: None ]
[ Divine Abilities: None ]
[ Flaws: Solar Polarity, Holy Energy ]
[ Traits: Demonic Heart, Lunar Amplification, Blood Absorption, Blood Appraisal Petals, Low Blood Manipulation, Top Notch Beauty (New) ]
[ Blood Addiction Chance: 22% ]
Jang Yue widened his eyes in shock. His flaw for flames had disappeared. Was it because the blood roots possessed Yang attributes?
And most importantly, he now had a nine inch blood root.
He could not believe how much he had progressed in just three weeks.
"Outstanding!"
That was the only remark he could give himself. However, Jang Yue was not ungrateful.
"Thank you, BA."
He said with utmost honesty.
[ It is my duty to assist the host in all progression details he requires. ]
[ Additionally, host, I have gained a new ability called Providence. ]
"Providence? What do you mean?"
[ I can see people's Providence, their past lives, and the probabilities of those destined for greatness. ]
"Probability?"
[ The path to greatness is uncertain. I can predict the future of a heaven chosen, but I cannot control it. ]
Jang Yue nodded as if he understood.
Yet he was still a little confused about what Providence truly was.
"So what else did you gain?"
[ A relationship tab. ]
"What is that?"
[ You can add people who matter to you into the relationship tab and monitor them in real time. However, this will require you to refill blood more often than usual. ]
"I understand."
Jang Yue returned home and refreshed himself in a hot bath.
Moments later, he returned to the outer sect cultivation grounds.
The elder from before was patiently waiting for him.
"Oh! You have returned."
The elder spoke, his voice noticeably gentler than when they first met.
"Yes, Elder."
Jang Yue replied respectfully.
Suddenly, the elder removed a scroll.
"Place your hand on this scroll."
Jang Yue nodded and placed his hand upon it.
The scroll ignited in different colors of red, black, and yellow.
"How can this be?"
The elder was shocked.
"A nine inch spirit root with four elements."
"It is called a blood root, Elder."
Jang Yue corrected him. He figured that if he were to have vampires as disciples in the future, and if he needed to create a lineage, things had to be clear and concise.
"Blood roots? What is that?"
Jang Yue's lips curved into a bright, genuine smile. He was happy to explain how blood roots worked.
After all, who would not boast about their accomplishments?
"Blood roots function like spirit roots, but they are for different races. Just like spirit roots are for humans, blood roots are for vampires like me."
Jang Yue explained.
"Hmm… I did not know such a thing even existed. Nor did I know you were a vampire. I thought you were some noble elven race."
Jang Yue shook his head.
"No sir, I am a vampire."
The elder smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I have seen your talent. I would like to recommend you to the inner sect. It would be both a disappointment and a loss to the sect if you were to die in the outer or inner sect trials that will take place soon."
Suddenly, Jang Yue realized what that meant.
Earlier, he had noticed that the disciples did not even flinch or look at him while he was cultivating. Perhaps this was the reason.
Regardless, Jang Yue did not waste the opportunity and accepted the recommendation.
"Follow me."
The elder said as he led Jang Yue toward the inner sect registration hall.
Walking beside the elder was awkward.
They barely spoke, and within moments, they arrived at the inner sect registration hall.
Inside, a young woman dressed in simple red and black robes was seated.
She appeared to be eighteen years old, though Jang Yue considered the possibility that she might be much older.
The elder bowed before speaking.
"Elder Yang Zhu, how have you been?"
"Better than you."
Elder Yang Zhu retorted.
"What brings you here?"
She asked in a poised voice.
"Heh! This young man behind me possesses top notch cultivation talent, so I wished to recommend him to the inner sect."
"I would not know until I check him myself."
She said as her gaze shifted toward Jang Yue.
"Come and touch the talent scroll."
Jang Yue stepped forward and did as instructed.
A series of lights ignited across the scroll once more.
Elder Yang Zhu's eyes widened in shock.
"This… this talent. It is top notch."
She raised her head and looked at Jang Yue.
"The boy will stay. As for you…"
Her gaze shifted to the elder who had brought Jang Yue. After a moment of silence, she concluded.
"Return to your post."
The elder's joyful expression faded as he bowed and left.
Elder Yang Zhu then took Jang Yue's jade slip and threw it aside.
"You will receive a new one once you enter the inner sect. However, only the sect leader can officially take you in, so you must wait until he returns."
'My hard earned points are in that jade slip.'
Jang Yue muttered internally, but he said nothing.
He noticed the awkward tone in Elder Yang Zhu's responses. He suspected that she might be the outer elder's fiancée, or someone close to him. Perhaps they were even having an affair.
Jang Yue kept his thoughts to himself and smiled faintly.
He knew that love would never find him regardless.
Moments later, Jang Yue was placed inside a small cave abode where he was instructed to cultivate until the sect leader arrived.
However, he remembered what the sect leader had told him before he became a disciple by trial.
If he did not reach Foundation Establishment within twenty years, he would be expelled.
In fear, Jang Yue took out the divine breathing technique Gu Changsheng had given him.
The Azure Breathing Technique.
He opened the manual and read it. After a few moments, he closed the book and shut his eyes in meditation.
The Azure Breathing Technique accelerated Qi absorption.
The first step was to learn how to breathe. To do so, Jang Yue had to forget his natural way of breathing.
The second step was breathing itself. Breathing was not simply inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. It involved mixing Qi with the oxygen drawn into the body.
Qi was the essence of the heavens and earth.
To successfully breathe, Jang Yue began to feel his surroundings.
He tried to recall the energy he felt when creating his blood roots.
Jang Yue took his first step.
His senses were ten times stronger than when he had first arrived in the cultivation world. In no time, he sensed the supernatural energy around him.
The luminous energy mixed with the oxygen he inhaled and slowly seeped into his body.
He continued this process for a long time, attempting to form a dantian and enter the Bone Tempering Realm.
But nothing worked.
No matter how much he tried, he could not condense a core.
It was useless.
"Why can I not condense a core, BA? What am I doing wrong this time?"
[ ….. ]
The Blood Assistant did not respond. Instead, it attempted to analyze the situation, but even its advanced analysis failed.
Jang Yue began to sweat. His hands trembled in distress.
"Did the blood roots I created fail?"