C2 Baptism Ceremony

"Alright, let's begin the baptism ceremony for our young grandson," Loong Ming announced, capturing everyone's attention.

The crowd in the hall fell silent at his words, their eyes riveted to the center where the ceremony was about to take place.

A priest from the Holy Church stepped forward, his voice rising in a complex incantation. Soon, a brilliant white light enveloped Aotian.

In that moment, Aotian felt a comforting warmth suffuse his body, as if he were in a dream. Visions of his long-deceased mother appeared before him, her voice calling out to him, though it was all a blur. The light eventually faded, and the hall returned to normal.

The purpose of this baptism was for the Holy See to determine if an individual had the potential for martial arts training. Aotian's abilities also included a healing function; the church's magic could speed up recovery from injuries. Despite the Holy See's lack of powerful warriors, their revered status on the continent was undisputed due to their healing magic. However, mastering such magic was incredibly challenging, requiring exceptional talent—so rare that it appeared in only one out of a million people. With a population of over 800 million on the continent, the Holy See's numbers were few, with less than a thousand priests capable of this magic. Their esteemed position made them highly sought after by all powers.

The crowd waited with bated breath for the priest's verdict, anxious to see if Loong Aotian possessed the same exceptional gifts as his kin in the Loong family.

With all eyes on him, the priest finally spoke, "Loong family head, Young Master Aotian's physique is that of a martial arts prodigy!" He paused, then added somberly, "However, his meridians are obstructed. I regret to inform you that, based on my experience, Young Master Aotian has the rare Nine Yin Meridian and is unable to pursue martial arts." With a respectful nod to Loong Ming and the other three family heads, the priest made his exit from the hall.

Wow, the revelation certainly set off a bombshell. It was only then that everyone came to the shocking realization that Loong Aotian was, in fact, incapable of practicing martial arts—a true disappointment. The Nine Yin Meridians were somewhat known to all; those afflicted with this condition had severely blocked meridians, making the cultivation of martial prowess impossible. And as a result of these blockages, their bodies were frail and weak.

The embarrassment that washed over Loong Ming, Loong Yiming, and the rest of the Loong family was palpable. To be descendants of the "War God Family" and yet unable to wield martial arts was not only laughable but deeply humiliating. A flicker of murderous intent flashed in Loong Yiming's eyes. If he could, he would undoubtedly extinguish the life of this despised nephew with a single blow.

With a heavy sigh, Loong Ming turned to Elton and the Hwa family patriarch, "Look at this mess. Perhaps we should call off the marriage alliance."

"No, we can't just call it off. Haven't we already agreed? What does it matter if Aotian can't practice martial arts? He can still have a career in politics!" Hwa Feng, the head of the Hwa family, interjected.

"I'm with Hwa Feng on this one," Hiri chimed in.

"Then perhaps we should consider having him train in that ancient martial art. Didn't two individuals with the Nine Yin Meridians manage to become Divine Level masters after practicing it thousands of years ago?" Loong Ming suggested, though his voice lacked conviction.

"How could we consider that? You're well aware of the dangers of that martial art. Over the centuries, countless practitioners have perished from the agony without even reaching the first stage. And those few who did advance to the second stage—didn't they die during their training as well? It's not meant for mere mortals. Aotian is your grandson; can you really stand to put him through that? You know the success rate of mastering this martial art is less than 5%. If he fails, it could ruin his life, or worse, cost him his life," Mordor argued.

"Hey, what can we do, then?"

"Let's drop it. Not being able to practice martial arts isn't a death sentence," Elton Hiri finally spoke up.

At that moment, Aotian stood there, his face etched with confusion.

"I'm the Nine Yin Meridian! I am the Nine Yin Meridian! I am the Nine Yin Meridian! I can't learn martial arts. I'm worthless!" The sneers and pitying looks from the crowd below nearly drove him mad. The expressions of his grandfather, father, and uncle only deepened his distress. Was there truly no hope for him? Was martial arts forever out of his reach? His mind was a whirlwind of turmoil.

"I guess I've been abandoned," a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind, bringing with it a mix of resignation and mockery. The resignation stemmed from his inability to learn martial arts, while the mockery was directed at the fate that awaited him in a world that revered martial prowess. It all seemed so abrupt, so absurdly comical.

As he absorbed the stares and smirks of the onlookers, Aotian left the hall, feeling as though everyone was mocking him, as though they were all in on the joke but him. He was overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness, of utter exhaustion.

Yet, within the hall, no one took note of his departure. All eyes were on the Loong family, speculating on their next move, wondering how they would handle this unpopular child, this source of shame. Thus, Aotian's exit went unnoticed by all, including the Loong family members themselves.

Back in his small courtyard, Aotian ignored Aunt Maria's calls and retreated to his room, slamming the door behind him. His mind was a void, devoid of thought. All he craved was a restful sleep, to be free from the weariness that weighed on him. He longed to forget it all, to wake up from what he hoped was just a nightmare. Yet, he fought back tears, remembering Aunt Maria's words: "A true man's tears are not shed lightly."

As Aotian lay in bed, sleep overtook him unawares. And as he drifted off, the pocket holding the stone glowed with an eerie, fiery red light, more intense than before, as if something within was struggling to break free. But Aotian was deep in slumber, his brow furrowed even in his dreams.

The next day, the entire Imperial Capital was abuzz with news about Loong Aotian! Everyone was discussing the events that had unfolded at the Loong family the day before.

"Have you heard? The Loong family's young master is nothing but a weakling who can't practice martial arts!"

"Yeah, I know. They say he's got the Nine Yin Meridian. It's such a shame for the Loong family to have someone like that."

"You all know what this means, right? This young master, already overlooked, is now completely out of favor!" one person said with a hint of schadenfreude.

"That may not be the case. Isn't he betrothed to both the Elton and Hwa families?"

"True, but I bet the engagement will be called off soon. Neither the Hwa nor the Elton families would want to tie the knot with a dud!"

"I agree! They wouldn't stand for such a thing in their own families!"

The capital was alive with chatter about what they deemed the most significant news.

Meanwhile, our Aotian was lost in thought, gazing at the forest from the family's mountain retreat. He was replaying the previous night's conversation he overheard between his siblings in the courtyard: "Did you hear? Our third brother can't practice martial arts because of his Nine Yin Meridian!" the eldest uncle's son announced. "Yeah, I've heard. No wonder Dad's in such a foul mood today, and even Grandpa looks upset. He scolded me today, too! It serves him right!" his little sister Loong Ruolan remarked. "Ruolan, how can you speak about your own brother like that? He's still your brother," Loong Yu, the second brother, chided. "Hmph! I couldn't care less. His mother is just a maid, and Dad barely pays him any attention. Why should I?" she retorted.

"Little sister, that's not right. He's our brother, your elder brother. You shouldn't speak about him that way ever again, understand?" Loong Qian admonished.

"Yeah, little sis, don't be mischievous," Loong Yu added gently.

"But did you know there's a type of martial arts he can practice? It's the Body Refining Technique. I've heard it's designed to strengthen the body. Some have practiced it before, and two even reached the Divine Level. But it's been nearly abandoned in recent centuries because it's so perilous. The pain is intense, and a single misstep could be fatal. That's why no one has pursued it for the last hundred years. I only learned about it today after overhearing Grandpa and Dad's conversation," their cousin Loong Ying revealed.

"Really? There's a martial art that incredible?" "But isn't it too risky? I've read about it in books!" Loong Yu interjected with his concerns.

"Yeah, but I doubt Grandpa would allow him to pursue it. It's way too dangerous. I've heard the survival rate is a mere 5%, and only a handful of people can even reach level 6. Beyond that, there are hardly any, except for those two at the Divine Level," Loong Qian explained.

"Hmph, who cares? I refuse to recognize him as my brother!" Loong Ruolan sulked. "It's not fair that he's better looking than me!"

"Come on, that's not our concern. Let's drop it, or we'll be in hot water if Grandpa and Dad overhear us!"

"Mm-hmm."

Loong Aotian was still replaying that conversation in his head. His sister's disdainful attitude towards him was deeply unsettling. Why should they look down on me just because my mother was a maid? I've always felt like an outsider with them; they never wanted to play with me. It all boiled down to my mother's status as a maid and my own lowly position. Why, why?! 'No, I must become a master. They said I could still train in martial arts, right? I can do this!' 'I refuse to be scorned by you all for the rest of my life!' With that resolve, Loong Aotian slammed his fist into the tree before him with such force that his hand tore open, blood streaming down to the ground. A trace of blood stained his white clothes crimson. Yet, he felt no pain. His mind was consumed with the single thought of growing stronger.