Han Xuhan stood among dozens of kids around his age. The test would begin anytime. None of them was familiar with each other. But he could tell that they all had a first-level invitation, meaning they were less important to the examiners compared to the second and third-level invitees. He didn't mind though. As an orphan, it was almost impossible for him to achieve something as grand as entering a famous sect for cultivation. He had been so happy when he received the invitation. He remembered the jealous yet admiring faces of his friends when they saw it. It filled him with pride as well as a sense of emptiness. The head of the orphanage was a kind man who treated him especially well because of his academic prowess. He really wanted to become someone so awesome as an immortal but he also felt conflicted about leaving his normal life behind. Although his chances of passing were low, he still fantasized about epic scenes in his mind. As he imagined how powerful he would become after reaching the peak of cultivation, a heated dialogue between two kids brought him back to the present.

" Wang Da, you don't know what you're talking about. I am absolutely sure that Ji Qing is in the fourth layer of Physique Transformation realm. I came with the Ji family here, you know?"

-"But I am pretty sure that Nian Yi said Ji Qing is in the fifth layer. He fought him just last week at a friendly exchange between the great families."

-"Nian Yi probably said that because he was too embarrassed to admit that he lost to a guy with lower cultivation."

The other kids who were watching the heated argument started giving out their own opinions. Han Xuhan wasn't very familiar with the Nian or Ji families. But he had heard about the tournament between the great families in the fifth region. As far as he knew, The Physique Transformation was the first great realm of cultivation. In this realm a cultivator would undergo the process of transforming their own body into a vessel that could survive apotheosis, in other words, it was a process of turning mortal flesh into immortal. Of course, Han Xuhan's knowledge could be called minuscule when it came to these matters. An average mortal could hardly find the chance to research about cultivation. What he knew was just general knowledge known to everybody. Han Xuhan watched the kids nearly get into a fight and thought about the unfair advantage the children of great families had over normal kids like them. He barely knew anything about cultivation yet those kids from the great families were already in the middle stage of the first realm. How would he contend against them?

"All of you, shut up! I, your examiner am here already and you don't even acknowledge my presence?"

A somewhat shrill yell made the dozens of kids jump in fright. Han Xuhan noticed an old man bent from age standing a few meters away from their group. He almost mistook the man for a beggar.

The man, despite sounding infuriated, had an amiable, grandpa-next-door face. He looked nothing like the images of a proud elder cultivator in his imagination.

The man had successfully attracted everyone's attention with his yell. He scrutinized their group for a few moments before speaking.

"You all are first-level invitees, which means you neither have a great family backing you nor a bearer of significant bloodlines. You either got lucky or got the invitation because someone didn't need it. So stop acting like a bunch of proud peacocks and get in a line. "

The kids all scrambled to follow his order, Han Xuhan included. He stood at the last place to avoid trouble. After the commotion settled down, the old man spoke again-

"The first test is to check your bloodline and potential. It will determine your significant ancestry in the world of cultivation and how that affects you."

Then he took out a small knife and pointed at the first guy in the line and ordered," you, come here and stand in front of me. Don't scream like a chicken when I cut you. Some of those pansies from the great families almost drowned me in tears and saliva."

The boy visibly trembled but walked up to the man resolutely. The man wiggled his eyebrows while looking at his palm and the boy presented his hand in front of him. Everybody could see his hands shaking. The old examiner shook his head and before anybody could predict his actions, drew an invisible arc in the air with his knife.

The boy hissed in pain as blood splattered the knife's blade. The examiner took out a vial from his robes and placed the blade in its mouth. Then he took out a bottle full of purple liquid and let the liquid fall on the blade which carried the blood inside the first vial.

The droplets of blood, as they fell inside the vial, changed colour. Everyone could see a golden hue emitting from the vial after being half-filled.

The old man nodded as if it was expected.

"A descendant of the blue sword ancestry, with thirteen percent concentration!

Not too bad. But that's barely enough to guarantee an average potential. Go stand behind me. Next!"

Although no one had any idea what the old man was talking about, they silently looked at the boy who seemed to have passed the first test.

The next person, a girl, walked up to him with a pale face. The same procedures were performed. Her blood shined yellow. The old man scrutinized the vial for a moment before laughing.

-"Not bad at all. You have a mixed ancestry of the blue sword family and golden earth dynasty. Quite remarkable concentration too. I have high hopes for you. Looks like it's my lucky day today."

The girl held her bleeding hand which was as red as her blushing face. The old man took a good look at her face before calling the next person.

By now everybody felt excited. So it wasn't that hard to pass this test!

But their hopes were shattered as the next nine kids were tested.

"Hmph, black scorpion bloodline, not worthy!

Red sun family, not worthy!

Saber soul family, why are you even here?

What the hell is this? One percent concentration? Not worthy!"

The nine shocked teens stood together with haggard, aggrieved expressions. The old man didn't even leave them with a shred of dignity, insulting their ancestry in a vulgar manner.

The test continued. But only one more teen, a boy, was found with a passable bloodline among the next twenty kids.

In the end, only two kids remained. The girl in front of Han Xuhan stepped up.

-"EMERALD DRAGON FAMILY!" The old man's scream made them all jump. The pulsing light inside the vial was blinding white with specks of green mixed in.

"Heavens! I haven't seen this bloodline in a century! And the concentration is so high! The sect master will be so happy, hahaha..."

The old man looked truly ecstatic. He started asking the equally excited girl about her origins as well as personal details. Everyone felt a twinge of jealousy.

After that, it was Han Xuhan's turn. All the kids watched him closely as he stepped up with countless thoughts clouding his mind.

The old man slashed. Blood splattered his arms. But Han Xuhan could hardly feel it. The blood and the purple liquid mixed together, falling inside the vial.

Nothing happened.

No colours, no blinding lights, no shout.

The old man frowned. To Han Xuhan, everything else had become still, silent and heavy. He couldn't even breathe.

The old man slowly took out a smaller vial from his pocket and opened it. It was full of white watery potion with a heavenly aroma.

A drop fell inside the vial, it touched his blood.

The vial shattered. A Black, frothy substance spewed out. It stank, it was the most horrible smell he had ever smelled.

The old man stood still as if thunderstruck.

A long silence ensued.

"You...p-pass. Stay right there and don't move out of my sight." The old man's voice shook.

Han Xuhan felt elated. Yet, in a corner of his mind, he noted the strange gaze of the examiner.

Something was wrong.

Han Xuhan felt a bad premonition.