Ashes Of Heaven Book 1 : Solar Calamity

The test could begin anytime now.

Han Xuhan stood inside one of the roomier tents, among dozens of kids around his age. None of them was familiar with each other.

The only thing they had in common was the first-level invitation in their hands, meaning they were less important to the examiners compared to the second and third-level invitees.

He didn't mind though.

As an orphan, it was almost impossible for him to achieve something as grand as entering a famous sect for cultivation. He had been so happy when he received the invitation. He remembered the jealous, yet admiring faces of his friends when they saw it. It had filled him with pride as well as a sense of emptiness.

The head of the orphanage was a kind woman who treated him especially well because of his academic prowess. That woman held a lot of hope for him.

He really wanted to become someone as awesome as an immortal cultivator from the folk-tales, not the ordinary run-of-the-mill sort!

His chances of passing were low, he had fantasized in his mind, coming up with scenarios after scenarios full of grandeur and then he had compared them with the life of an average, ordinary orphan. The conflict he had felt about leaving his current life had been swept clean from his heart.

As he imagined how powerful he would become after reaching the peak of the Soul Reformation Realm, an old man in tattered robes passed by him, entering the tent with his hands outstretched, palms open.

Where did this beggar come from?

Anyway, Han Xuhan was too poor to be giving alms. He chose to move away in case the beggar turned towards him. Being unable to help the elderly made him feel quite embarrassed.

From where he was standing now, a heated argument between his fellow tent-mates entered his ears.

"Wang Da, you don't know what you're talking about. I am absolutely sure that Ji Qing is in the third layer of the Physique Transformation realm. I came with the Ji family here, you know?"

"But I am pretty sure that Nian Yi said Ji Qing is in the fourth layer. He fought him just last week at a friendly exchange between the great families."

"Nian Yi probably said that because he was too embarrassed to admit that he lost to a guy with lower cultivation."

The other kids who were watching the heated argument started giving out their own opinions. Han Xuhan wasn't very familiar with the Nian or Ji family. But he had heard about the tournament between the great families in the fifth region.

As far as he knew, The Physique Transformation was the first great realm of cultivation. In this realm a cultivator would undergo the process of transforming their own body into a vessel that could survive apotheosis, in other words, it was a process of turning mortal flesh into immortal.

Of course, Han Xuhan's knowledge could be called minuscule when it came to these matters. An average mortal could hardly find the chance to research about cultivation. What he knew was just general knowledge to everybody.

Han Xuhan watched the kids nearly get into a fight and thought about the unfair advantage the children of great families had over normal kids like them. He barely knew anything about cultivation yet those kids from the great families were already in the middle stage of the first realm. How would he contend against them?

"All of you, shut up! I, your examiner, have been standing here for so long and you don't even acknowledge my presence?"

A somewhat shrill yell made the dozens of youths jump in fright.

Han Xuhan noticed the old beggar in tatters standing in an inconspicuous corner of the huge tent. His hands were still outstretched, striking a perfect begging pose...except, a volunteer from the sect was patiently wiping those hands with a wet towel, his conduct exuding respect and affection.

The man, despite sounding infuriated, had an amiable, grandpa-next-door face. He looked nothing like the images of a proud elder cultivator in his imagination.

"Elder Fan, this robe cannot be worn anymore. I'll send someone to bring you a new one," said the volunteer as he finished wiping off the man's fingers with utmost care.

"I'll wrap up the examination here in that time, disciple Zhi. Go aid master Jun for now," the old man replied.

"Celestials above, thank you for making me broke," Han Xuhan muttered for the first, and hopefully the last time in his life.

Had he tried to hand that old man a coin or two...ahem.

The elder had successfully attracted everyone's attention with his yell. He scrutinized their group for a few moments before speaking.

"All of you are first-level invitees, which means you neither have a great family backing you nor do you bear a significant bloodline. You either got lucky or got the invitation because someone didn't need it. So stop acting like a bunch of proud peacocks and get in a line. "

The kids all scrambled to follow his order, Han Xuhan included. He stood in the last place to avoid trouble. After the commotion settled down, the old man spoke again-

"The first test is to check your bloodlines, roots and potential. It will determine your significant ancestry in the world of cultivation and how that affects you. Our sect values talent, but we will not foster the descendants of any unfriendly forces, no matter how great your bloodline, ancestry, or potential is."

Then he took out a small knife and pointed at the first guy in the line, saying, "Oi you, come here and stand in front of me. Don't scream like a chicken when I cut you. Those snot-eaters from the big clans drowned this old man in tears and spit. Damned weaklings...kids used to be so much hardier fifty years ago!"

Visibly trembling, the boy walked up to the man resolutely. The elder wiggled his eyebrows while looking at his palm and the boy presented his hand in front of him.

Everybody could see his hands shaking. The old examiner shook his head and before anybody could prepare themselves, he drew an invisible arc in the air with his knife.

The boy hissed in pain as blood splattered the knife's blade. The examiner took out a vial from his robes and placed the blade in its mouth. Then he took out a bottle full of light purple liquid and let the liquid fall on the blade, drop by drop, which carried the blood inside the first vial.

The droplets of the bloody liquid, changed their color as they fell inside the vial from the tip of the knife. Everyone could see a golden hue emitting from the vial after being half-filled.

The old man nodded as if it was expected.

"A descendant of the blue sword ancestry, with thirteen percent concentration!

Not too bad. But that's barely enough to guarantee an average potential. Go stand behind me. Next!"

Although no one seemed to have any idea what the old man was talking about, they silently looked at the boy who seemed to have passed the first test.

The next person, a girl, walked up to him with a pale face. The same procedures were performed. Her blood shined yellow. The old man scrutinized the vial for a moment before laughing.

"Not bad at all. You have a mixed ancestry of the blue sword family and golden earth dynasty. Quite remarkable concentration too. I have high hopes for you. Looks like it's our lucky day today."

The girl held her bleeding hand which was as red as her face. The old man took a good look at her before calling the next person.

By now everybody felt excited. So it wasn't that hard to pass this test!

But their hopes were shattered as the next nine kids were tested.

"Hmph, black scorpion bloodline, not worthy!

Red sun family, not worthy!"

"Saber soul family, why are you even here? Your great-grandfather was an asshole. Get out!"

"What the hell is this? One percent concentration? Not worthy!"

The nine shocked teens stood together with haggard, aggrieved expressions. The old man didn't even leave them with a shred of dignity, insulting their ancestry in a vulgar manner.

The test continued. But only one more teen, a boy, was found with a passable bloodline among the next twenty kids.

In the end, only two youngsters remained. The girl in front of Han Xuhan stepped up.

"EMERALD DRAGON FAMILY!" The old man's yell made all of them jump. The pulsing light inside the vial was blinding white with specks of green mixed in.

"Heavens! I haven't seen this bloodline in a century! And the concentration is so high! The sect master will be happy, hahaha..."

The old man looked truly ecstatic. He started asking the equally excited girl about her origins as well as personal details. Everyone felt a twinge of jealousy watching a competitor forming valuable connections without even trying.

After that, it was Han Xuhan's turn. All the kids watched him closely as he stepped up with countless thoughts clouding his mind.

The old man slashed. Blood splattered his arms. But Han Xuhan could hardly feel it. The blood and the purple liquid mixed together, falling inside the vial.

Nothing happened.

No colours, no blinding lights, no shout.

The old man frowned. To Han Xuhan, everything else had become still, silent and heavy. He couldn't even breathe.

The old man slowly took out a smaller vial from his pocket and opened it. It was full of a white watery potion, giving off a heavenly aroma.

A drop fell inside the vial, it touched his blood.

The vial shattered. A Black, frothy substance spewed out. It stank, it was the most horrible smell he had ever smelled.

The old man stood still as if thunderstruck.

A long silence ensued.

"You...p-pass. Stay right there and don't move out of my sight." The old man's voice shook slightly.

Han Xuhan didn't know whether to feel elated or not. In a corner of his mind, he noted the strange gaze of the examiner.

Something was wrong. Definitely, definitely wrong...

Han Xuhan felt a bad premonition growing in his heart.