Chapter 5

A drop of dark red essence blood fell into the Palace of Crimson Gold, quietly yet harboring incomparable divine mysteries.

Tan Weiran was shaken, not because his mind was not steady enough, but because anyone else would have been greatly shocked.

The mystery of the dark red essence blood was not something that could be explained in a few words. However, this drop of quiet essence blood was the result of the heart's blood, extremely profound and infinitely useful.

The middle dantian, also known as the Palace of Crimson Gold or the Heart Mansion, is the body's central hub. The circulation of blood and qi in the five organs all pass through this place, making it a vital point in the body, crucial for life and death. The heart's blood condensed here cannot be taken lightly.

Though it seemed to be just a small drop of essence blood, every martial artist would treat it as a treasure.

"With my first level cultivation, there's no reason for me to condense the crimson blood at this time."

It's not surprising that Tan Weiran was puzzled. Often, a martial artist, sooner or later, would eventually condense the crimson blood, with varying degrees of difference among individuals. However, no one could do so within the nine levels of the Human Gate.

Tan Weiran pondered, "Is the first drop of essence blood coming out now, indicating that I should open the Palace of Crimson Gold?"

When a martial artist produces their first drop of essence blood, it marks the arrival of an extremely significant stage.

Opening the middle dantian.

Even with the experience from his previous life, it was impossible to judge, as there were no precedents of someone opening the Heart Mansion so early.

After some calm reflection, he made a decision: "Put it aside for now; there's no need to rush."

It had been almost two months since he entered the outer sect. Apart from a few self-important individuals, most of those who had initially complained and grumbled gradually realized the importance of focusing on cultivation.

Tan Weiran, in addition to his daily cultivation, spent most of his time reading books with great interest. Occasionally, he would take a walk with the new disciples in the outer sect, which was a pleasant way to relax.

Seeing familiar new disciples, he could nod in greeting. With the good karma he had formed during the entrance examination, he gradually got to know more people than in his previous life.

Despite his background as a scion of a noble family, Tan Weiran had surprisingly good relationships with others.

From the entrance examination, the opposition between the children of poor families and those of noble families was evident, naturally forming two distinct groups. The rest, who didn't belong to either, formed a middle group.

Tan Weiran understood that the current opposition was the most innocent, without any real hatred.

In a few years, when they grew up and matured, the poor children who focused on cultivation would gradually realize that the path of martial arts, no matter how many words were spoken, ultimately relied on personal strength, and there was no need to fear the background of the noble children.

Then, more conflicts and even hatred would develop.

This was the current situation in the Xing Tian Sect, and also the situation in major sects. However, due to the腐朽气息 (decaying atmosphere) of the Da Zhao Empire where the sect was located, the contradictions faced by the Xing Tian Sect were greater and deeper.

After cultivating to the second level a few days ago, Tan Weiran was in a good mood and casually held a copy of the "Qingjing Jing," sitting leisurely under a willow tree by the pond.

"Man and gods love clarity, but the heart disturbs it; the heart loves stillness, but desires pull it; if one can dispel desires, the heart will naturally be still; if one can purify the heart, the spirit will naturally be clear."

The reading voice was melodious. With Tan Weiran's cultivation and understanding from his previous life, if someone listened carefully, they would understand the profound meaning. Unfortunately, no one was listening, so no one could grasp it.

Under the willow tree, the handsome young man lay half-reclined, reading a book, his bare feet gently touching the pond water, presenting a harmonious scene.

Unfortunately, a person rushed into the courtyard, shouting and disrupting the atmosphere: "Brother Weiran, you're so relaxed, reading books when there's already a fight outside."

"Quickly put on your shoes and come with me to watch the commotion. I heard someone is fighting."

Tan Weiran showed a mix of helplessness and amusement, and was dragged by Chen Haisheng to the eastern part of the outer sect. The outer sect had many disciples and occupied a large area.

Soon, the sound of commotion could be heard. Tan Weiran was surprised: "Those seem to be the martial examination disciples. Who would dare to provoke them?"

Martial examination disciples were those who joined the sect with pre-existing skills, entering through a specially established "martial examination" path. Any one of them could be at least the seventh level of the Human Gate, capable of defeating at least ten new disciples.

Chen Hai looked puzzled and grabbed a familiar disciple to ask. The disciple was brief: "Someone challenged Wei Kun, but he wasn't there. A disciple bumped into them and was beaten out of anger."

It was just a fight, after all. Tan Weiran lost interest. Even in the five peaks, private fights were common, and serious injuries were occasionally seen.

Just as he was about to leave, Chen Hai pulled him into the inner circle. He caught a glimpse of a youth being beaten on the ground, and felt a sense of familiarity, but couldn't recall where he had seen him.

The youth looked to be about eighteen years old. Being held down by several people and beaten, he only protected his head, revealing a strange gaze that Tan Weiran found familiar.

"Kong Ting is really unlucky. Just a bump at a corner, and he got the anger vented on him."

"What's so great about Pan Wenjun? If he has the ability, he should challenge Cao Kun or Tan Weiran. If he can't, he just vents his anger on others. He's a real scumbag."

People nearby whispered, lowering their voices to avoid being heard by Pan Wenjun.

Kong Ting? Kong Ting?

I must have heard this name before. It must be from my previous life. Who is it? Who could it be?

He focused his gaze on the youth with blood on his face, whose eyes were filled with unexpressed anger. This hidden, enduring gaze was...

"It's him!" Tan Weiran's heart was shaken, and he exclaimed.

The future Kongque King, who would rise to fame and dominate a region, emerging from the Huangquan War with his exceptional abilities, forcibly carving out a territory from the mouths of countless lords. He experienced three defeats and three victories, turning the tide multiple times, seizing vast territories. Truly admirable and touching.

Unfortunately, that was not the era of the lords of the myriad worlds.

The Kongque King, with his indomitable spirit, resisted the Divine Court from beginning to end, refusing to submit until his death. The several great battles with the Divine Court were earth-shattering. Despite his many abilities, he ultimately met a tragic end under the power of the Divine Court.

Even in defeat and death, the Kongque King was a worthy hero of his generation.

...

However, the future Kongque King, one of the lords of the myriad worlds, was now being beaten and humiliated by several disciples.

Tan Weiran shook off Chen Haisheng, pushed through the crowd, and stepped forward, turning a disciple aside: "Stop."

The crowd immediately became excited, and someone whispered:

"Oh, someone is challenging. I recognize him; he's Tan Weiran."

"The one who scored sixty-six on the test? He looks only eleven or twelve, but to achieve such a score at his age is impressive."

"Pan Wenjun scored sixty-three, and I heard he is arrogant, always dissatisfied with Wei Kun and Tan Weiran being above him."

The crowd exchanged glances with expressions of anticipation. Although Tan Weiran was low-key and rarely appeared, he was quite famous among the new disciples. After all, among this batch, the top performers were these few.

Pan Wenjun, instead of being angry, was delighted: "You're Tan Weiran!"

Tan Weiran helped the future Kongque King to his feet, and images of the future Kongque King being besieged by the Divine Court flashed before his eyes.

In the great era to come, countless heroic and tragic events unfolded. The scene of the Kongque King's defeat and death, deliberately allowed by the Divine Court to be witnessed by many, was particularly unforgettable and moving.

During the siege, the leader of the Divine Court personally promised that if the Kongque King submitted to the Divine Court, his status and treatment would remain the same.

The Kongque King stood proudly, laughed to the sky, and replied: "I will not submit! I will not surrender! I will not live!"

Then, he fell.

So proud, so indomitable!

The familiar, indomitable gaze bridged the gap between the future and the present.

Composing himself, Tan Weiran patted the young and innocent Kong Ting, handing him a handkerchief to wipe the blood.

Throughout, Tan Weiran seemed to have ignored Pan Wenjun's words. Pan Wenjun's joy turned to embarrassment: "Tan Weiran, are you deaf when I'm talking to you?"

As others said, Pan Wenjun was arrogant. Among the new disciples, only three had natural meridians reaching sixty or more. He was third, not first.

Unwilling to be second to anyone, he was determined to challenge Wei Kun, the top performer in the meridian test, and didn't take Tan Weiran, the second, seriously. Unfortunately, Wei Kun was not there today, and Tan Weiran just happened to be there.

Finally, Tan Weiran turned, looked up, and Pan Wenjun felt a sense of pity in the young man's eyes, which ignited his anger. What right did this little brat have to pity him!

It was pity.

Seeing Tan Weiran about to leave, Pan Wenjun shouted angrily: "Stop! I must settle this with you today!"

Kong Ting looked worried at the young man beside him, who was even younger than he was.

Tan Weiran looked at him with a playful expression: "I'm twelve, you're fourteen or fifteen." He paused. "Do you really want to fight me?"

The crowd suddenly realized something was off; the age difference was significant: "How shameless, picking on someone younger. If you have the ability, challenge Wei Kun."

The strange looks from the crowd made Pan Wenjun feel ashamed and angry, and he roared: "Fight, now!"

Tan Weiran laughed, pursing his lips: "Fine. I'll oblige you."

"Take this!"

The handsome young man stepped forward, delivering a straightforward punch to the chest, without any flashy moves.

Tan Weiran, at twelve, was small, with a white and tender fist, looking both cute and comical, but not at all fierce.

Pan Wenjun sneered, preparing to block the punch, thinking he could easily knock down this hateful boy.

Unexpectedly, the moment he blocked the white, tender fist, the small, handsome youth exuded a ferocious aura like a tiger, almost suffocating Pan Wenjun. The moment they touched, Pan Wenjun was involuntarily thrown against the wall.

One punch, and he was sent flying.

That was all.

The crowd gaped in silence.

The handsome young man blew on his fist, casually saying: "I'm at the second level of cultivation."

{Piaotian Literature}