Chapter 70

In the courtyard of the Lian Clan, Yao Yuan squinted his eyes and looked at the large characters in the sky. He remembered that these large eagles were called Divine Wind Eagles, which were specially raised by the Jinlong Guards.

Divine Wind Eagles were raised from a young age on the meat of fierce beasts, making them highly intelligent and extremely agile, capable of flying in the vast wilderness.

Before the Jinlong Guards explored the map, they had already identified the location of every small clan nearby. Now, these members of the Jinlong Guards were driving the eagles to various small clans to convey the news of the Divine Nation's grand selection!

The large characters in the sky remained for a full incense stick's time before slowly dissipating.

At the back mountain of the Lian Clan, Yi Yun leaned against a large rock, looking at the characters in the sky, with a blade of grass in his mouth.

"Ten slots... to be determined internally by the clan!"

Yi Yun chewed on the meaning of these words. Clearly, the Jinlong Guards intended to hold a concentrated warrior selection in the Tao Clan. For small clans like the Lian Clan, there were only ten slots. To simplify the process, the ten slots would be selected by the clan itself!

"Internal selection by the clan? Heh!"

Yi Yun sneered. It was obvious that these ten slots would be filled by Lian Chengyu with the most trusted members of the warrior training camp. As for Yi Yun, he was already a "dead man" in the Lian Clan. No matter how the selection was made, it was impossible for Yi Yun to be chosen.

Yi Yun spat out the grass in his mouth, a sharp light flashing in his eyes, "At noon three days from now... I will come to take this slot myself!"

...

At the same time, in the courtyard of the Lian Clan, snowflakes slowly fell. Lian Chengyu lay on a soft fur blanket, warming himself by a fire, squinting his eyes at the large characters in the sky.

After failing to break through to the Purple Blood Realm, Lian Chengyu had lain in bed for many days. His face had been pale, and his blood and qi were deficient, giving him the appearance of a sickly scholar.

Due to his weak body, he had been lying on a wicker chair piled with soft fur blankets, being carried in and out of the house by servants, and wherever he went, maidservants attended to him.

At this moment, four young maidservants were standing by Lian Chengyu, all around sixteen or seventeen years old. Each of them held a plate of dried meat, a tray of wild fruits, and a basin of charcoal.

It was very cold, and these four young maidservants had been standing in the snow for two hours.

They were far from the fire, unable to enjoy its warmth. Their small faces, ears, and hands were all frozen red. Because of the snow, their hemp shoes were wet, and the inside of the shoes felt like an ice cellar. Their feet were already numb.

However, they still stood straight, not daring to stamp their feet or rub their ears, holding the fruit trays and dried meat firmly, even though their arms were already sore.

The maidservants bit their lips, feeling almost faint, but they stubbornly held on, knowing that if they moved, their fate would be terrible!

These days, they had been serving the seemingly sickly Lian Chengyu, who had become unpredictable and terrifying!

Three days ago, one of Lian Chengyu's personal maidservants accidentally spilled the porridge she was serving, splashing it on Lian Chengyu's fur blanket. As a result, Lian Chengyu broke her limbs, tied her hands and feet, and hung her in the woodshed for two days and two nights without food or water.

Now, this maidservant was probably close to death.

But no one dared to look at her, let alone give her a drink of water.

In the past, although Lian Chengyu would beat and scold servants, he would not easily take lives. But now, in the eyes of these maidservants, Lian Chengyu seemed like a wild beast ready to devour anyone, and the most terrifying thing was that before he killed, there was no trace of it on his face.

He might be smiling one second and the next, suddenly draw a knife and stab out your eyes, cut out your tongue, and turn you into a human stick, putting you in a jar.

"Chengyu, the grand selection will begin in three days!"

At this moment, a person walked out of the courtyard, dressed in a green short coat, looking to be in his thirties or forties.

In the entire Lian Clan, there were very few people who could call Lian Chengyu "Chengyu," mostly the clan elders. As for outsiders with this privilege, there was only the head of the warrior training camp, Yao Yuan.

"Uh-huh, I saw it."

Lian Chengyu responded weakly. He never thought he would end up in such a state.

The failure of the Essence of Wasteland Bones and the failure to break through to the Purple Blood Realm were a huge blow to Lian Chengyu!

He had gathered all his hopes and spent all his wealth in a desperate attempt, but what he received was a merciless destruction.

His seventeen years of life and ten years of martial arts dreams seemed to be just one step away from success due to the Divine Nation's grand selection, but at the last moment, he completely failed!

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Lian Chengyu's anger and spitting of blood on the altar were a clear indication of this.

"Chengyu, you are angry to the point of injuring your heart meridians. This injury is not light and requires a period of rest. During this time, you cannot practice martial arts, cannot circulate your internal energy, and it's best not to get angry, otherwise, it might cause permanent damage to your heart meridians."

Yao Yuan said, glancing meaningfully at the four young maidservants by Lian Chengyu's side.

Lian Chengyu wrapped himself in the fur blanket and said, "I understand, Instructor Yao. Do you think my body will be fully recovered by the time the grand selection begins?"

Yao Yuan replied, "You have already recovered a lot. In another four or five days, it should be fine. The Jinlong Guards will take you to the Tao Clan, arrange your accommodation and the examination venue, which will take at least one or two days. By the time of the grand selection, you should be back to your best condition."

"Uh-huh, that's good."

Lian Chengyu's voice was calm, but as he spoke, his eyes flashed with a chilling light!

It was a mixture of resentment, unwillingness, and hatred for the world.

It was hard to say what Lian Chengyu's mindset was after failing to break through to the Purple Blood Realm.

He seemed to hate everything around him.

Why should I suffer so much and face so many obstacles on the path of martial arts?

Why, when I put everything on the line, does heaven still take away my last hope!

If there really is a heaven, I curse you to be destroyed in both form and spirit! If there really is a god, I curse you to be struck by five thunderbolts!

Seeing Lian Chengyu's expression, Yao Yuan didn't know what to say. He could only offer some comfort, "Chengyu, don't lose heart. Although you failed to break through to the Purple Blood Realm, you still have a good chance of passing the Divine Nation's grand selection. The grand selection mainly looks at potential, not how high your cultivation is."

He didn't avoid the maidservants when he said this. These four young maidservants would never dare to gossip.

"Uh-huh, I understand. Instructor Yao, please find nine people from the warrior training camp. They will go with me to the Tao Clan."

Hearing Yao Yuan's comfort, Lian Chengyu was still not very enthusiastic. Originally, he not only wanted to pass the grand selection but also wanted to make a name for himself, gain the attention of the Jinlong Guards' upper echelons, and become a candidate for "National Scholar" or a hundred-house or thousand-house in the Jinlong Guards.

Now, he couldn't even guarantee passing the grand selection, let alone advancing further in the short term.