Long Huang looked ahead and saw a girl who appeared to be 16 years old, with bright blue eyes that shimmered with curiosity. Her long, jet black hair coiled elegantly into a bun, with two long braids that framed her jade-like face as she stood in front of his house.
This little girl was his senior sister, Huang Min, and his only friend.
"Why is the fifth elder looking for me?" Long Huang asked.
"How would I know?"
"Hurry, let's go. If we take too long, then father will scold us!"
When Long Huang heard this, he smiled and pinched Huang Min's cute little cheeks before saying,
"Alright, let's go."
Huang Min pouted, then said angrily, "Hey! I'm your senior, have some respect."
"I told you before, don't pinch my cheeks, damnit!" said Huang Min, chasing after him, screaming.
"Come on, take your beating like a man for once!"
"I'm a boy, not a man!"
"Junior brother, don't run, I promise I won't kill you!" she said as she cracked her knuckles with an agitated expression.
"Get over here, you bastard."
"Try and catch me, old lady!"
"Now you've done it."
"Haha"
The two frolicked down the mountain, laughter and the muffled sounds of someone being punched could be heard.
Soon, they got close to the fifth elder's manor entrance. Long Huang made his way directly to the main hall of the manor. Upon arriving, his gaze was drawn to the people sitting across from each other at the center of the hall.
One was a scholarly-looking middle-aged man with a short, neat mustache and goatee. He seemed to be in his mid-thirties, dressed in a white robe, as he sat in the head seat.
Next to him was an extraordinarily beautiful woman with eyes similar to Huang Min's. This was the fifth elder, Huang Peng, and his wife, Su Yan, who appeared to be made for each other.
As Long Huang walked into the hall, he stopped and bowed towards the couple and asked.
"Fifth elder, you were looking for me?"
Huang Peng furrowed his sword-like brows. "Kid, why are you practicing so late at night?"
"Didn't I speak to you about it!"
"I...I...I...I "
"Don't frighten the child, dear." Su Yan interjected with a loving smile,
"Don't mind him, he's just concerned about your health."
"And as for the reason you were called was for what's coming up soon."
"Oh? What's coming up?"
"Huang, in a few days, you will be 14 years old, right?"
"Yes, madam Su."
"We are planning to bring you over to the Martial Hall for the bloodline awakening ceremony after your birthday."
"Bloodline awakening?" Long Huang blanked for a moment.
In this world, almost every human awakens their bloodline at 14, and some a bit earlier, and even in some rare cases, a special body constitution. The talent and grade of these bloodlines are closely related to a human warrior's strength and cultivation achievements.
The higher one's bloodline level was, the higher the talent they had to absorb the world's spiritual energy, and the grade of the bloodline also gave the individual additional strength.
These bloodlines also granted unique abilities, but most of these abilities weren't apparent until the Qi Converging Realm. And gained physical form at the Profound Xiantian Origin Realm.
Nevertheless, there were also people born without bloodlines, making it difficult to train past the Qi Condensing Realm.
And in this world where the strong ruled and the weak suffered, not having a bloodline meant doom sooner rather than later.
"Bloodline."
He muttered as a light flashed across Long Huang's eyes, for he, too, wanted to know if he possessed any bloodline in his body, and if he did, what grade and bloodline would it be?
These were questions he always had at the back of his mind since finding out about bloodlines and cultivation.
"Yes, so stay here until then, okay," said Su Yan with a gentle smile.
"Okay, moth.. madam Su."
"Come, you must be hungry after all that training, Huang."
"I want something to eat too," shouted Huang Min.
"When do you ever not want something to eat?"
Long Huang said with a mischievous smile before following behind Su Yan.
"Hmph, lucky my parents are here."
"Suuure," said Long Huang, dragging the word.
"Why! You little..."
Seeing this scene, Huang Peng couldn't help but smile while shaking his head.
"Kids."
Thus, Long Huang stayed at the manor, for it would allow him to arrive at the Martial Hall of the sect early for the ceremony.
A few days passed.
On the morning of the ceremony, they arrived at the outer area of the sacred hall a bit before sunrise, but they found it already packed with people waiting with their children to awaken their bloodlines.
"Damn, and I thought we were early," said Long Huang.
"Ugh, why are we so early?" said Huang Min.
Long Huang then mumbled under his breath while rolling his eyes.
"Lazy ass."
"Huh, what did you say?"
"Speak up!"
Said Huang Min while bringing her ear closer to Long Huang.
"You heard me," said Long Huang with a smug look.
"Kids, that's enough."
"That's not the behavior of the Azure Lotus Sect." Huang Peng said in a stern voice with a fierce gaze.
Other than members of the sect who were present, there were also citizens of the city who attended the ceremony either to support their child or to represent their family.
Today, even the Sect Leader Chi Qide exited his closed-door retreat earlier than planned. Usually, the Sect Leader wouldn't make an appearance during the bloodline awakening ceremony; however, this year was special because of Chi Wei, his son.
Chi Qide smiled, then nodded his head at Huang Peng's group before turning to face the rest of the Sect's people. But his eyes flashed a hint of something that was being suppressed.
He then smiled and said,
"Welcome, all, to the Azure Lotus Sect awakening ceremony."
"I thank you all for attending."
"Don't mind me, I just came to have a look."
Chi Qide walked to the front of the main hall, his eyes darted around the hall before finally stopping on an old man in a gray robe.
"Since everyone is already here, let's begin."
"Yes, Sect leader."
The old man in a gray robe answered respectfully, and then he walked to the center of the hall. The old man was the sect's Chief Elder Chen Ying. Long Huang heard that Chen Ying had been a follower of Chi Qide's grandfather for a long time, even before Chi Qide was born.
Chen Ying stood at the center of the hall, a light glowed in his hands, spreading an overwhelming pressure across the hall. It was no shock as everyone knew Chen Ying was a Ninth-stage Qi Condensing realm with a Mid-level Variant grade bloodline.
Long Huang's eyes lit up as he thought to himself.
"So this is the aura of a Ninth-stage Qi Condensing Realm expert. So strong!"
With Chen Ying channeling his qi, suddenly, in the center of the hall, a bright light shone, forming a beam.
"Chi Wei, you first." Chi Qide looked at Chi Wei.
"Yes, sect leader."
Chi Wei answered and stepped forward, walking to the light beam. Before he entered the beam of light, he shot a glance at Long Huang and smirked.
As the beam of light fell on Chi Wei, everyone in the hall focused on him.
"What's his deal?"
Huang Min asked, observing that Chi Wei's gaze was directed at Long Huang.
"If I had to guess, jealousy."
"Or it could be something else entirely if you remember." Long Huang playfully said.
"Oh, is he still sore about that?" asked Huang Min.
"Beats me," said Long Huang, shrugging his shoulder as he honestly could care less about that idiot Chi Wei.
While they were talking, Su Yan looked at Huang Min, her eyes speaking for her. Seeing this, Huang Min hurriedly spoke;
"Anyway, I have to go. Good luck with your awakening."
Watching Huang Min and Su Yan leave Long Huang couldn't help but ask.
"What are they up to?"
"Nothing for you to worry over," said Huang Peng, his eyes still glued to Chi Wei in the middle of the hall.
Meanwhile, Chi Qide's face showed a faint trace of tension as he watched his son.
The beam of light wrapped around Chi Wei for a brief moment before a black light took over, enveloping him. Finally, the black shadow of a tiger gradually emerged from behind Chi Wei.
It was a black tiger with wings. As the shape of the black tiger condensed and became more corporeal, a ferocious tiger's roar echoed in the main hall, stunning everyone.
Chi Qide stared at the black shadow behind his son Chi Wei; his eyes shone brightly as he let out a big laugh, as he was tremendously pleased.
"Hahah haha!"
"This...this is"
"Low-level Earth grade bloodline, the Winged Black Tiger!" Chi Qide shouted, his voice filled with excitement and shock.
A Winged Black Tiger bloodline was considered one of the top among the low-level Earth grade; it was infinitely close to being a mid-level Earth grade bloodline.
Chi Wei's bloodline turned out to be an Earth-grade bloodline. It was a big shock as no one expected to see an Earth-grade bloodline.
"Earth grade?" someone in the crowd asked, seemingly not believing what they heard.
"It's an Earth-grade bloodline!!" someone else in the crowd shouted.
Earth-grade bloodline, this was among the top-level bloodlines in the Western Province; heck, even the whole Eastern Sun Continent.
Anyone with an Earth Grade bloodline would immediately gain the status of an official disciple of any top-level sect in the Eastern Sun Continent and a Core disciple in other sects.
Bloodlines were graded as Ordinary, Variant, Earth, Heaven, and Emperor. They are further divided into low, mid, and high.
If someone with an Earth-grade bloodline was considered talented, Heaven-grade bloodlines were geniuses among geniuses.
While someone with Emperor-grade was a monster, and as for the grade above Emperor-grade, no one has heard of it, but there were some speculations.
So, an Earth grade appearing in Blossom City shocked everyone, even Chi Qide, for his own bloodline was a high-level Variant grade bloodline. This was nothing short of a miracle.