C1 Ye Xiangyang!

In Zhenhai City, within the Black Tortoise County of the Jiuzhou Empire, the Ye family was a hive of activity. The Emperor had issued a decree to each descendant of the five marquises of the county, a matter that could determine the Ye family's fate. The family patriarch wasted no time, rallying every available resource and person to prepare for the imperial messenger's arrival.

With tears brimming in his eyes, the Ye family patriarch said, "The Emperor has been so kind to us. He has finally remembered our family."

It wasn't until the imperial messenger was out of sight that the patriarch returned to his home to pore over the imperial edict with great care. "Marquis Zhenhai once earned illustrious merits for our nation, and I have not forgotten," the edict read. "Should the Ye family's descendants place in the top three of the Martial Competition within two years, I will reinstate the title of Marquis Zhenhai, to be passed down for seven generations."

Chief Ye, hands shaking, reverently placed the edict before the ancestral tablets and knelt solemnly. "Ancestors of the Ye family, I pray you watch over us as we strive to revive our legacy and reclaim our past glory. Whatever the cost, we, your descendants, shall have no regrets."

Ye Xiangyang let out a pained groan, his eyes slowly fluttering open, revealing a bright, steely gaze. His expression was one of unwavering resolve, a testament to his stubborn and resolute character. "Ye Xiangxiao," he declared, "if I fail to avenge this wrong, I am no longer human." He enunciated each word with deliberate intensity.

Clad in a gray linen robe, tattered and worn, his body was a tapestry of bruises, a sight to behold. These wounds were the work of Ye Xiangxiao and others, inflicted upon Ye Xiangyang after he had demonstrated his martial talent at the Ye's Compound.

The previous morning, upon receiving the imperial edict, Ye Yongqing had issued an order for the family test to commence a year early. Children aged ten to fifteen were eligible to prove their martial talent.

Martial talent was the measure of one's potential longevity on the path of martial arts. Those with Grade 1 talent could ascend to the rank of Profound Warrior; Grade 2 talent could rise to become a Profound Master; and those with Grade 3 talent had the potential to reach the esteemed rank of Profound General.

Individuals with martial talent could harness Profound Strength, and only with Profound Strength could they master martial skills; those lacking such talent could, at best, become formidable soldiers.

This distinction elevated the status of the talented far above their less-gifted counterparts.

Every parent dreams of their child's success.

The Ye Family's associates seized the chance to have their children tested. Upon receiving the news, they wasted no time in escorting their offspring to the Ye's Compound.

In Zhenhai City, the Ye Family reigned supreme, their forebears honored with the title of Marquis Zhenhai, which in turn lent the city its name. The Ye's influence extended over a fifth of the city, encompassing both immediate and extended family members.

Over the last century, the Marquis Zhenhai's lineage had swelled to tens of thousands. The Ye Family's records showed a total of 33,656 members.

Over a thousand children arrived at the family's Inner Courtyard to undergo the talent examination.

All harbored hopes that their children possessed martial talent, for the gifted were cherished by the family, lavished with resources, cultivation methods, and martial techniques to forge them into exceptional individuals.

Out of the throng, eighty-nine children demonstrated Grade 1 martial talent.

Parents of children without this gift couldn't hide their disappointment, their faces etched with envy and jealousy as they watched the fortunate eighty-nine.

The final contender for the talent assessment was Ye Xiangyang, alone without his parents who were toiling for the family and couldn't be by his side.

Clad in a worn gray linen jacket, Ye Xiangyang's eyes sparkled with determination, his handsome features undimmed by his attire.

"Isn't that the notorious pauper, Ye Xiangyang? How could he possibly possess martial talent?"

"Exactly, his father is the most ineffectual man in our Ye Family, utterly incapable and desperately poor. A parent's genes can influence a child's talent. His father didn't even have the courage to accompany him here."

Ye Xiangyang's fists clenched in silent defiance; his father was no failure.

He approached the testing platform and pressed his forehead to the column. A red glow began to ascend slowly. He possessed Grade 1 talent! Onlookers stared at the column, their astonishment palpable.

"I never imagined Ye Xiangyang would possess Grade 1 talent."

"Ye Xiangyang has been bright since childhood."

The glow kept climbing.

Many onlookers widened their eyes in disbelief that Ye Xiangyang actually had such astonishing Grade 1 martial talent.

"He's a prodigy! Who would have thought Ye Wentian would have such great fortune? They're set for life."

"Indeed, a genius has emerged in the Ye Family."

"I'm so jealous. I need to go tell Ye Wentian."

After the test, a Ye Family elder beamed at Ye Xiangyang, "My boy, join us at the Inner Courtyard for training tomorrow morning. You show great promise."

Ye Xiangyang bowed respectfully, "Rest assured, I'll arrive bright and early."

Overwhelmed with excitement, Ye Xiangyang hadn't anticipated his own Grade 1 martial talent. Now, his parents' days of hardship were numbered.

"Dad, Mom, I'm going to ensure you live in wealth."

Eager to share the news, Ye Xiangyang headed home.

Out of nowhere, a group of about a dozen people emerged, led by a slightly portly man in green silk.

He was Ye Xiangxiao, son of the Second Young Master, Ye Xingyue, favored by the family head for his Grade 2 martial talent.

He regarded Ye Xiangyang with a mocking air. "I see potential in you. You have two choices: become my follower, hand over half your monthly resources for my protection, or take a beating that ends your cultivation here and now."

Defiant, Ye Xiangyang would never submit.

With a cold smile, Ye Xiangxiao said, "You'll come around."

At his signal, a group of Ye's Compound kids, all trained Martial Warriors, charged at Ye Xiangyang. Malnourished and frail, he stood no chance against them.

Ye Xianghui's father, a Martial Warrior in the Ye Family known as Hairy for the tuft on his cheek, had Grade 1 talent too, but he was a slow learner.

He delivered a kick to Ye Xiangyang. "If you refuse, expect a beating every time we cross paths."