Bai Su giggled. “My reaction was the same as yours, grandpa,” she said. “I also couldn’t believe that someone other than the ninth prince and the fifth princess had the martial talent of above A-rank and two bloodlines.”

Bai Qin’s heartbeat hastened when he heard Bai Su’s words. He closed his eyes. Then, he took in a slow deep breath through his nose, held it in for a few seconds as he attempted to calm himself down and slowly breathed out of his mouth before opening his eyes and looking at Xiao Feng. “Just like your father, you have the martial talent of above A-rank. But unlike him, you have two bloodlines when he had zero. Unlike him, you have the right to stand with and against the royal family.”

Bai Su and Xiao Feng tilted their heads in confusion.

“You know my father?”

“Grandpa, you know Xiao Feng’s father?”

Xiao Feng and Bai Su said in unison.

“Yes, I know him,” Bai Qin said. “And so does everyone who was in the peerless sect fifty years ago.”

“My father was in the peerless sect fifty years ago? Then, why did he forbid my sister from entering it when he was a part of it? Was he afraid that she would die from its entrance trials like his son and my brother did? No, my sister wouldn’t have died from Bai Qin’s or any other elder’s trials. She would have passed them as I did,” Xiao Feng thought and Bai Su spoke out his first question out loud, “Xiao Feng’s father was in the peerless sect fifty years ago?”

“Indeed he was,” Bai Qin said. “Xiao Feng. For having an A-rank martial talent, the sect gives you ten Qi elixirs that boost Qi absorption rate by 5% and one skill or technique from the core disciple library or a weapon crafted by the head elder of the blacksmith’s peak. For having a bloodline, the sect gives you another ten Qi elixirs that boost Qi absorption rate by 5% and one skill or technique from the core disciple library or a weapon crafted by the head elder of the blacksmith’s peak. For having two bloodlines, the sect gives you nothing. But I will give you one skill or a technique from the divine peak.”

Bai Su gasped and looked at Xiao Feng. “Congratulations, senior brother Xiao Feng!”

Xiao Feng tilted his head in confusion. “The divine peak?”

“The divine peak is the ninth peak, senior brother Xiao Feng,” Bai Su explained in an excited voice and Xiao Feng looked at her. “And the only people that are allowed to take skills and techniques from this peak are the sect master, the royal family, the nine elders of the divine peak and the strongest core disciple.”

Xiao Feng nodded his head in understanding. He looked at Bai Qin, covered his right fist with the palm of his left hand and bowed his head. “Thank you, elder.”

Bai Qin glanced at Bai Su. “Little Su, wait for us here.”

Bai Su looked at Bai Qin and nodded her head. She looked back at Xiao Feng. “I will see your later, senior brother Xiao Feng.”

Xiao Feng looked at Bai Su. “See you later.”

“Follow me, Xiao Feng,” Bai Qin said.

Xiao Feng looked at Bai Qin and said, “Yes, elder,” before following him through the massive black door into a long wide corridor.

“Xiao Feng, do you have a cultivation technique? And if so what is its rank?” Bai Qin said.

“I don’t have a cultivation technique,” Xiao Feng said.

Bai Qin nodded his head in understanding. “Then, you will choose a cultivation technique.”

Xiao Yuuma’s words appeared in Xiao Feng’s head when he heard Bai Qin’s words and he spoke them, “As a cultivation technique is by far the most important thing for a cultivator.”

“A cultivation technique is the second most important thing for a cultivator. Not the most important,” Bai Qin said. “The most important thing for a cultivator by far is his or her martial talent. If a cultivator’s martial talent is of F-rank, then he or she will never go past the body refinement realm, no matter what cultivation technique he or she has.”

Xiao Feng nodded his head in understanding.

…

Bai Qin and Xiao Feng stopped in front of a massive black double door.

“We have arrived,” Bai Qin said and pushed the double door open.

Looking into the room which laid past the opened double door, Xiao Feng saw that it was a small room. In its centre, he saw a table and on it, a small black jade box.

“Let’s go inside,” Bai Qin said.

Xiao Feng and Bai Qin walked into the room and up to the table.

Bai Qin took out a white jade slip from his robe and placed it onto the small black jade box. A clicking sound sounded. He removed the white jade slip from the small black jade box and put it back into his robe. Then, he opened the small black jade box and the white jade within it was revealed. It was glossy and there was nothing written on it.

“Take it, drip some of your blood onto it and choose a cultivation technique,” Bai Qin said.

Xiao Feng took out the white jade slip from the black jade box with his right hand and examined it. It was thin, white and glossy. And there were no words written on its back side just as on its front side. “It’s the same as that black jade slip in the Xiao family’s mansion. But instead of black, its white,” he thought and dripped some of his blood onto it. His surroundings changed and he was now surrounded by complete whiteness.

“Welcome,” a girl’s voice sounded from the direction of the north. “You can choose one of the following: a cultivation technique, a body strengthening technique, a movement technique, a weapon skill or a barehanded skill? Now choose!”

“Welcome,” a boy’s voice sounded from the direction of the south. “You can choose one of the following: a cultivation technique, a body strengthening technique, a movement technique, a weapon skill or a barehanded skill? Now choose!”

“Welcome,” a young woman’s voice sounded from the direction of the north-east. “You can choose one of the following: a cultivation technique, a body strengthening technique, a movement technique, a weapon skill or a barehanded skill? Now choose!”

“Welcome,” a young man’s voice sounded from the direction of the south-west. “You can choose one of the following: a cultivation technique, a body strengthening technique, a movement technique, a weapon skill or a barehanded skill? Now choose!”

“Welcome,” a middle-aged woman’s voice sounded from the direction of the east. “You can choose one of the following: a cultivation technique, a body strengthening technique, a movement technique, a weapon skill or a barehanded skill? Now choose!”

“Welcome,” a middle-aged man’s voice sounded from the direction of the west. “You can choose one of the following: a cultivation technique, a body strengthening technique, a movement technique, a weapon skill or a barehanded skill? Now choose!”

“Welcome,” an old woman’s voice sounded from the direction of the south-east. “You can choose one of the following: a cultivation technique, a body strengthening technique, a movement technique, a weapon skill or a barehanded skill? Now choose!”

“Welcome,” an old man’s voice sounded from the direction of the north-west. “You can choose one of the following: a cultivation technique, a body strengthening technique, a movement technique, a weapon skill or a barehanded skill? Now choose!”

“I want a cultivation technique!” Xiao Feng loudly proclaimed.

“Very well!” the eight voices said in unison and an SSS-rank cultivation technique by the name of the world appeared in Xiao Feng’s head. His surroundings changed again and he was back in the small room with Bai Qin.

“Let’s return,” Bai Qin said.

“Alright,” Xiao Feng said.