Shangjing.
The Cloud Mist Mountain in the night appears exceptionally tranquil.
Cloud Mist Mountain, as its name suggests, is renowned for its mist. Every time the morning sun rises, the entire mountain is surrounded by mist, appearing dreamlike and illusory as if a fairyland.
Speaking of this Cloud Mist Mountain, not only in Shangjing, but likely everyone in the nation is familiar with it.
This fame is not merely due to its unique misty scenery, as such landscapes are quite common; many large mountains have them. Cloud Mist Mountain is famous for the luxurious villas built along its slopes.
The villas uniformly stand three stories high on the exterior. Apart from being somewhat exquisite, there's nothing particularly special except for one word: expensive!
Cloud Mist Mountain has over three hundred villas built on it, becoming more costly the higher they are situated.
Even the one villa near the mountain base, offered at the lowest price, demands fifty billion New Coin. Without certain status, even if one has money, it might not be obtainable.
A villa set at a minimum of fifty billion sounds insane to anyone who hears it.
Fifty billion, even in a place like Shangjing teeming with hidden talents, not many can fork out that much money at once.
Of course, no one is foolish; the steep price naturally has its reasons.
Although Cloud Mist Mountain seems merely an ordinary peak on the exterior, it is a legendary cultivation blessed land.
Since the emergence of the Otherworld, the concept of cultivation blessed lands came about, having a commonality of dense spiritual qi.
However, most of these lands are in remote areas, where Demon Beasts appear, making them unusable by humans.
It's exceptionally rare for one to be found near a Base City.
And Cloud Mist Mountain is one such place.
Professional institutions have estimated that the spiritual qi content of Cloud Mist Mountain is a fifth higher than the normal external value, and at the summit of Cloud Mist Mountain, the spiritual qi concentration is a quarter higher than the normal external value.
For cultivators, practicing here for four days is equivalent to practicing outside for five days. Although it seems insignificant, cumulatively over a long period, the difference becomes measurable in years.
A year ahead could very well spell the difference between excellence and genius.
Even those without martial arts talent residing here long-term can strengthen their bodies and prolong their lives.
Currently at villa number 46 halfway up the mountain.
"Speak."
In the brightly lit room, the rising wisps of blue smoke curl around, sandalwood fills the air, a large huanghuali marble desk is piled with various celebrity's calligraphy works, ten treasure inkslabs, various penholder styles, imbuing the room with an ancient fragrance; a robust figure stands quietly by the window, gazing at the brightly lit night scene in the distance.
As the words fell, the figure turned around, revealing an elderly gentleman.
The elder is wearing a beige tang suit, looking to be in his fifties, extremely tall, approximately 1.9 meters by initial guess, very robust, with jet-black dense long hair and smooth skin, showing no signs of aging.
Before the elder, a middle-aged man in a gray suit stands respectfully, as straight as a spear, flipping through a notebook in his hand he replies: "This investigation includes 47 people, three reached the assessment criteria, two evaluated as B, and one rated A."
"Oh, there's still an A this year?" The elder raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of interest.
"From which family?"
"It's the second young master's, named Yang Jingming."
After speaking, the man continues with the introduction: "Yang Jingming, male, sixteen, in third year senior high school, Eighth Rank Body Cultivator, academic score: 168, physique score: 295, practical score: 135, total score: 598 points, excellent performance, reaching the standards of Nine Elite Joint Schools."
"First time participating in Awakening Day, refined an Eighth Grade Howling Moon Wolf."
"Personality Evaluation: Resolute and determined, with clear planning towards goals."
"Personality flaws: Overly extreme, ruthless character."
After the middle-aged man finished speaking, the room fell into silence again, and after a while, the elder spoke:
"Talent is decent, with three months to cultivate and prepare, he should be able to enroll in Hero Academy. Since he still uses the Yang surname, likely considering returning to the family. Quickly bring him back to the family for training."
The elder's tone is calm, caring only about talent, overlooking the personality flaws mentioned by the middle-aged man.
The stronger the martial artist, the more vigorous the qi and blood, while also tending towards competitive aggression.
Years of hunting Demon Beast, lingering on the edge of life and death, makes for poor temper, and who doesn't have personality flaws, just differing forms; as long as it's not an abnormal character, it's fine.
Being rated A-grade meets the standards for entry into the Three Heroic Academies.
As for B-grade, that meets the standard for entry into the Nine Elite Joint Schools.
For many families, a child's admission into the Nine Elite Joint Schools is the start of prosperity; the majority of families consider it a worthy investment, but for a Glory Race like Yang Race, it's merely decent talent.
Two rated B-grade, despite good talent, don't warrant his attention, and the middle-aged man clearly understands this, thus says no more.
"Alright, I understand."
The middle-aged man replies.
"By the way, I recall Thirteen also has an illegitimate child? How old is he this year?"
After a while, just as the man was about to step out of the room, the elder suddenly asked.
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man stopped in his tracks and lightly flipped through the notes in his hand: "Lin Feng, male, sixteen years old this year, body cultivator of seventh rank, cultural score: 189 points, physique score: 212 points, combat score: 150 points, total score 551 points, above average, did not meet the qualification for Nine Elite Joint Schools admission."
"First time participating in Awakening Day, awakening failed."
"Personality assessment: firm in character, mature and stable."
"Personality flaw: slightly reclusive, not sociable."
"Overall evaluation C grade!"
After speaking, the man stood silently waiting.
"C grade, such a pity."
The white-haired elder shook his head, his tone showing a slight regret: "Lin Feng! With mother?"
"Achieving body cultivation seventh rank without resource support is quite impressive, but lacking the soul cultivation talent inherited from the seventh, unable to refine demon spirit, no value for cultivation."
After speaking, the elder waved his hand: "Go out, bring back those three boys, as for others below B grade, there's no value for cultivation, the person responsible for assessment can be called back."
"Yes!"
The man nodded, understanding what calling back implied.
In a large family like the Yang Race, because of the family's offspring's dalliances or other reasons, there are many illegitimate children not accepted by the family, wandering outside. When these children grow to sixteen years old, the family sends out specialized personnel for assessment. Only those who reach above B grade can return to the family.
Those with too poor aptitude are completely abandoned by the family starting today, no longer given attention.
To this, he felt no emotional fluctuation; he reported these matters once a year and had long grown used to it.
...
The pitch-black night seemed like endless thick ink heavily smeared on the horizon, devoid even of the faint light of stars.
At two in the morning, the temperature suddenly turned cold. In his sleep, Lin Feng frowned deeply, his expression somewhat uneasy.
In a daze, a flow of cold surged from his chest, increasingly freezing, as if ice cubes were placed there ready to numb him.
At this time, the ears seemed water-clogged, the heart's beating echoed in his ears.
"Again!"
With a shiver throughout his body, Lin Feng immediately awakened from sleep, his eyes clear with no trace of drowsiness.
First, he turned on the desk lamp, the light was very faint, not attracting demon beasts' attention. He first checked that the door was bolted, then relaxed.
Lin Feng took off his shirt, his fit physique didn't appear very robust, yet his form flowed like a leopard, each muscle exuding a feeling of solid rock-hardness, wearing just boxer shorts he stood nearly naked, looking down at his chest.
Just then, on Lin Feng's abdomen, a fist-sized shadow quietly appeared, growing clearer, like a black shadow incessantly struggling.
"Damn nightmare, coming so many times in one night." In the silent night, Lin Feng cursed with a dark face.
Today on Awakening Day he used the Sealing Evil Seal, which caused severe blood loss. After a meal and a brief chat with his mother, Lin Feng washed up and, unlike usual, didn't cultivate but returned to his room and fell asleep shortly after.
Because during sleep, the body's recovery rate would be faster.
But to his surprise, almost every hour, a surge of violent and cold emotion suddenly appeared in his mind, tossing him awake each time.
Insomnia led to his terrible mood, irritable and easily angered.
"Must refine it soon!"
Looking at the struggling shadow on his abdomen, Lin Feng felt a slight chill within.
Though with his current strength he couldn't introspect, he could sense the Sealing Evil Seal had started to loosen.
The blood-red cage formed of blood and spiritual power was gradually crumbling, likely not lasting much longer.
"Must refine it within two months, or the consequences will be severe." Lin Feng's expression became grave.
Initially, he thought even if unable to refine this nightmare, at most he'd lose some essence blood, spend some time and effort to regain it, without life-threatening danger.
But now he realized he was wrong.
Terribly wrong!
Now on his abdomen at the dantian, the dark shadow had already absorbed some eerie blood threads, those threads roamed the shadow's body.
The nightmare had already assimilated part of his blood.
At this point, he couldn't simply separate it.
This meant that if he couldn't refine it, nor could he expel it from his body, there was a real possibility of being refined by that nightmare.
Things had spiraled beyond his control.