Growth (Part 1)

The spring wind had turned the poplars around the training ground east of Wushan Town green. A group of youths trained there with great energy. A year and a half had passed since Linley's Dragonblood Warrior bloodline had been tested, and he was now eight years old. Over that year and a half, Hillman had clearly seen that Linley was training harder than ever.

“Very good, Linley. Hold on. Hold on!” Hillman called from the side.

Linley wore only trousers. Sweat covered his bare upper body as he held himself taut against the ground like a drawn bow. His hands were planted firmly on the earth like the roots of an old tree; supported only by his hands and the tips of his toes, he did not move at all.

Static Tension Training!

It was a simple yet effective exercise. Anyone who could hold that position for an hour would no longer need to fear ordinary blades.

Drip.

Sweat ran from Linley’s forehead past the corner of his eye. His right eye stung, and he narrowed it.

“Linley's really amazing. He's only eight, yet his Static Tension Training already matches that of thirteen- or fourteen-year-olds.” Some of the children who had already given up watched Linley and talked among themselves.

“Linley, keep it up! Do it for us—beat those big thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds!” the blond Hadley shouted from the side.

“Keep it up, Linley!” the other children called as well.

Linley got along very well with the other youths. Though he was a noble child, he treated the commoners' children kindly and often helped them train.

Hold on. Hold on, Linley kept telling himself.

His father's words from a year ago echoed in his mind: “Linley, we are the Dragonblood Warrior Clan. As a member of that clan, you have advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that even if the concentration of Dragonblood Warrior bloodline in your body is not enough for you to become a Dragonblood Warrior, your body will still be much stronger than an ordinary person's. Others may find it difficult to reach the sixth rank through physical training alone, but it will be easier for you.”

“But you also have a disadvantage. The descendants of the Dragonblood Warrior Clan cannot cultivate Battle Qi Manuals. The Dragonblood Warrior bloodline in their bodies is suited only to the Dragonblood Manual and rejects every other Battle Qi Manual. Yet the Dragonblood Manual can be cultivated only by someone whose Dragonblood bloodline has reached a certain concentration. Therefore, you cannot cultivate Battle Qi.”

“Furthermore, ordinary people can theoretically reach the sixth rank through physical training alone, but that is only theory. In reality, such people are exceedingly rare. We are different. Even a thin Dragonblood Warrior bloodline gives us a higher starting point than others. Through physical training alone, we can reach the sixth rank. Your great-grandfather even reached the seventh rank through physical training alone.”

Linley remembered his father's words clearly.

I am stronger than others now because I carry Dragonblood Warrior bloodline. But I cannot cultivate Battle Qi. I can only work harder and harder! My great-grandfather reached the seventh rank through physical training alone, so I... may be able to become an eighth-rank warrior, or even a ninth-rank warrior. Nothing is impossible.

An eighth-rank warrior!

A ninth-rank warrior could be considered the foremost expert in the Kingdom of Fenlai. Even if becoming an eighth-rank warrior could not restore the clan's glory of five thousand years ago, it could greatly improve the family's circumstances.

Hold on! Linley gritted his teeth.

His arms ached as though countless ants were biting them. His entire body trembled, every muscle quivering so distinctly that he could feel each separate twitch.

After a long while, at last—

Thud!

Linley collapsed onto the ground, utterly spent.

That feels good.

Pressed against the ground, his whole body relaxed. A numb, prickling itch spread through him as his muscles began to grow after training. One or two sessions showed little change, but with time, the improvement would become obvious.

Hillman nodded in satisfaction.

Then he looked at the fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds, his expression turning cold. “Keep holding it! Linley is only eight, and you are nearly adults. Don't let an eight-year-old surpass you.”

******

After morning training, Linley said goodbye to his friends and returned to the Baruch Clan estate as usual. At eight, he looked eleven or twelve to anyone who did not know him.

The descendants of the Baruch Clan truly were different from ordinary people.

“Big brother!”

Sturdy little Wharton spotted Linley and rushed toward him at once.

“All right, Wharton. I'm covered in sweat. Let me wash up first.” Linley pinched Wharton's cheek and smiled.

Wharton gave a snort. “I know. After you wash up, you have to go study with Father.”

As a noble child, Linley had to receive a noble's education from an early age. The Baruch Clan was an ancient family with more than five thousand years of history, and it was even stricter about education than the kingdom's great noble houses.

“All right, Wharton. I'll play with you at noon,” Linley said with a smile.

Wharton was still a child, while Linley was far more mature.

After washing and changing into clean clothes, Linley entered the living room. His father, Hogg Baruch, sat ramrod-straight at the dining table near the wall. Three thick books lay before him.

“Father.” Linley bowed respectfully.

Hogg nodded coldly, and Linley went to stand a short distance from him.

“Yesterday, I told you about every country on the Yulan Continent. Recite them now,” Hogg said coldly.

This was the Hogg Linley knew best.

The time he had held Linley in the ancestral hall had been very rare. Usually, Hogg's demands on Linley could only be called strict. In all matters, Hogg pursued perfection and would not allow Linley the slightest mistake.

“Yes, Father,” Linley replied calmly.

“The Yulan Continent has three great danger zones: the greatest mountain range, the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts; the second greatest mountain range, the Sunset Mountain Range; and the greatest forest, the Forest of Darkness. All three cover vast areas. The Mountain Range of Magical Beasts runs nearly from north to south across the continent. It stretches for more than 5,000 kilometers and contains countless Magical Beasts, including Saint-level Magical Beasts with the power to destroy heaven and earth. This mountain range has shaped the continent into its present divisions.”

“West of the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts are twelve kingdoms and thirty-two duchies. Among the many kingdoms and duchies west of the range, there are two main factions: the Holy Alliance, led by the Kingdom of Fenlai, and the Dark Alliance, led by the Black Lion Kingdom. One belongs to the Radiant Church and the other to the Dark Church, so the Holy Alliance and the Dark Alliance are constantly at war.”

“East of the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts are the Four Great Empires, six great kingdoms, and many duchies. The Four Great Empires are the most powerful. They are not influenced by the Radiant Church or the Dark Church; within them, imperial authority is supreme. Any one of the Four Great Empires can rival the Holy Alliance.”

“The Four Great Empires are the Yulan Empire in the center, the Rhine Empire in the southeast, the Rohault Empire in the east, and the O'Brien Empire in the north.” Linley recited all of this in one breath, then quietly let out a sigh of relief.

“Is that all?” Hogg's face darkened.

Linley immediately tried to continue, but Hogg cut him off. “Tell me: how many kingdoms and duchies are there in our Holy Alliance?”

“Our Holy Alliance has six great kingdoms and ten... ten...” Linley suddenly furrowed his brow.

How many duchies were there within the Holy Alliance? Linley was uncertain. It seemed to be fifteen duchies, but perhaps it was seventeen kingdoms. For the moment, he could not be sure.

“Hmph.”

Hogg's expression darkened. He took a thorny switch from beside him, and Linley obediently held out his right hand.

The muscles around Hogg's eyes twitched. With a sharp crack, the switch struck Linley's right hand solidly, leaving a bloody welt across his palm. Linley merely gritted his teeth and endured it without making a sound.

“Linley, remember this: we live in the Holy Alliance, so we must know the Holy Alliance's affairs best.” Hogg looked coldly at his son. “The Yulan Continent has six major powers: the Four Great Empires and the two great alliances.”

Linley nodded.

His father's explanation was simple, but it made the matter easy to understand.

“The Holy Alliance borders the O'Brien Empire in the far north, while the Dark Alliance borders the Yulan Empire in the south. Under the Radiant Church's leadership, the Holy Alliance is no less united than the Four Great Empires.”

Linley agreed with what his father said.

The day before, he had also read quite a few books. Clearly, the Holy Alliance could be regarded as the artistic center of the Yulan Continent. Its economy could also stand alongside that of the Yulan Empire, the continent's leading economic power.

With the Radiant Church behind it, the Holy Alliance truly was very powerful.

“Today, we will study art.” Hogg's voice was cold. “As a noble, you must master art. Art can cultivate a noble's inner bearing.” He took out a book as thick as a fist from beside him and opened it.

“In the year 3578 of the Yulan calendar, the great Grandmaster Sculptor Proulx was born in...”

Hogg continued his strict instruction while Linley worked hard to memorize and understand, doing his utmost to meet his father's expectations.