“This place is a heavenly grotto meant for training in the alliance. The first-ranked half-demons can stay for three days each month. Second rank, seven days. Third rank, fifteen days. Fourth, twenty days. Fifth, they can stay as long as they want.”
“Of course, those with special contributions can choose to come here to train too for a reward.” Feng Wanxia quietly said: “Geezer Mu is a fifth-ranked half-demon, he’s also the watcher of this training grotto. He’s quite strong.”
Feiyun had read some books about half-demons and knew about the rankings. Cultivation realms didn’t determine their rank but rather, their contribution to the alliance.
For example, Meng Taiyue, Ye Xiaomu, and Feng Wanxia were third-ranked half-demons. Some first-level Nirvana cultivators were still in this rank too.
The two of them met Elder Mu – an old man with beard and hair touching the ground. His skin looked like dried bark. His hidden eyes were actually quite bright. Each strand could pierce through Feiyun.
The latter’s skin became tense as if he was transparent. Everything about him could be seen. The old man was as strong as Sacred Palace Lord.
The guy would be able to crush ten thousand miles with his power outside of the city.
“Hmm, what a strange fella. How are you hiding your demonic energy?” Elder Mu stopped looking and stroked his beard, clearly confused.
“Just a method to completely hide one’s aura, I can offer it to the alliance if it so desires.” Feiyun answered.
“Completely hide the demonic presence?” Several cultivators opened their eyes and stared intensely at Feiyun.
Feng Wanxia was astonished too. ‘There’s an art that can do that. No one will know that I’m a half-demon so I won’t have to face disdain and limitations anymore. It can’t change the fundamental truth but it’ll be much better.’
The alliance had methods of hiding the aura too but it was impossible to hide everything.
The powerful elder became startled. This method would be too valuable for half-demons.
Feiyun, on the other hand, thought nothing of it. He wrote down the method using spirit energy.
Elder Mu was strong and had enough mental fortitude to calm down. He carefully read the scroll before deeply bowing towards Feiyun: “I thank you on behalf of all half-demons.”
“It’s no big deal, no need to be so polite, Senior.” Feiyun helped him up.
The elder took another look and said: “May I ask where you got it from?”
“From my mother.”
“You must be a first-generation half-demon?” The elder pulled on Feiyun’s hand.
“I should be.”
The elder became more excited and stared at Feiyun as if he was very valuable. It creeped Feiyun out.
The majority of the cultivators present became interested in both the energy-shrouding method and a first-generation half-demon. They looked at Feiyun with peculiar eyes.
The bloodline of a first-generation half-demon was extremely pure, one half each. This would allow them to cultivate to a high realm.
Of course, they still couldn’t make it through Heaven’s Emergence but this was already excellent relative to other half-demons.
Moreover, they should have a demonic innate talent. Their physique was far stronger too. Thus, they were the noblest of their kind.
Furthermore, because human kingdoms forbade humans and demons from getting together, the demons captured on the battlefields were used as materials for blacksmithing and alchemy now.
Therefore, there were fewer and fewer first-generation half-demons around.
“A first-generation? Where?!” An old man looking like a beggar ran into the grotto and rushed all the way up. He was as thin as a monkey and barefooted.
He looked old without many teeth left. He had two sections of red beard to the sides of his mouth. Half of his hair was gone; his eyes were large and brown. They spun around continuously to look for the first-generation half-demon.
‘Such powerful demonic energy… no, it’s a demonic affinity.’ Feiyun felt a high-level demonic affinity on this old man.
Of course, it was still far inferior compared to the phoenix bloodline. The latter was ranked first among the four grand demon races.
He couldn’t see the bloodline of this old man so he became quite curious.
“Grandpa Yu, why are you here?” Feng Wanxia recognized him.
He was famous in the alliance and usually ran around the grottos. He was quite old and had mental deficiencies after failing to cultivate a profound merit law. He no longer knew who he was.
The alliance didn’t know who he was either. However, his beard looked like the beard of a fish so they called him Grandpa Yu. [1]
“You’re a first-generation half-demon? Mmm? Amazing bones only seen once in ten thousand years, you’re not bad, young man. Good talents and pure bloodline too, who’s your mom?”
The old man rubbed Feiyun’s hands while speaking. The first part was fine but the second was too intrusive.
Elder Mu and Feng Wanxia had a strange expression. She said: “He only wants to ask which race you’re from.”
“I’m not quite sure, this demonic bloodline is unique.” Feiyun answered.
“It’s fine, half-demons are hated by all, it's ok to be abandoned at birth, that’s not rare at all. We have a way to check your bloodline as long as it isn’t too high.” Elder Mu said. He assumed that Feiyun was abandoned and didn’t know his bloodline.
He ordered someone to bring a green jewel over and told Feiyun to spill a drop of blood on top.
Feiyun cut a tiny wound on his fingertip. A drop of blood came out with a fiery light, even brighter than the jewel.
“Boom!” The jewel seemed to have consciousness and started shaking violently. Its light became bright and blinded everyone in the hall.
The half-demons were shocked while looking at the floating jewel. They have never seen anything like this.
The jewel had a hard time containing the demonic energy in the blood and was on the verge of exploding.
Eventually, the light subsided. The drop of blood still stained the jewel like early-morning dew.
“The jewel couldn’t absorb it… your bloodline has to be one of the thirty-six ancient sacred bloodlines!” Elder Mu’s eyes changed again as he stared at Feiyun.
Feng Wanxia also stared at Feiyun, unable to hide her astonishment.
A first-generation half-demon with an ancient sacred bloodline left the crowd speechless.
Feiyun could sympathize with them. The thirty-six sacred races were nobles only inferior to the four divine races in the ancient era.
Each was immensely stronger than humans. They rarely lost on the battlefields so they didn’t become prisoners.
The appearance of this bloodline here in a human kingdom was quite shocking.
“Wow! You actually have an ancient sacred bloodline, no wonder, no wonder why your mother left you a shrouding method. She must have been a great master.” Feng Wanxia tugged on Feiyun’s sleeve.
“This must be kept a secret, if anyone dares to divulge this, the alliance will hunt them down.” Elder Mu understood the significance of this bloodline.
Nonetheless, he still didn’t believe that this was the truth and wanted to do more testing on the blood.
He was shocked more times today than in the last several thousand years. He put away the blood and gave Feiyun a third-ranked badge before hurriedly leaving.
He wanted to find a more prestigious examinee in the alliance to check the blood.
1. Yu means fish
