Written in Blood

The Assessment 1

Fire and water.

Earth and Air

Chaos and Order

Darkness and Light

Soul and Body

Each of these represents the core aspects of Ki with hybrid and multinatured Ki existing throughout the world of cultivation. No single nature or attribute being more powerful than another.

The various clans and sects of the realms all specialized in one or possibly two attributes. While there were sects who didn't care, few of auch sects became powerhouses in their own right.

Tang Wen looked down upon the rooftops of Firedawn city the sun had hit them perfectly this time of day giving them a glow like hot log from a fire. He personally always loved this time of day.

Looking down upon the plebeians whom his clan along with a handful of others controlled. Tang Wen was the patriarch of the Tang clan and one of the top four clans in Firedawn. While his clan was weakest of the four it was also the newest. He was the second generation of the Tang clan and thus was also the youngest of the four patriarchs himself. While the more senior clans looked down at him with their words their actions showed they begrudgingly accepted him as one of the top powers in Firedawn.

"What are you thinking of dearest?" A familiar voice came from behind him.

Turning around he saw Yu Tong, his wife.  He met her when his own clan was still on equal status with her own Yu clan and in an effort to establish a foundation Tang Wen's father establish a marriage with the Yu clan. Thankfully him and Yu Tong already were very compatible and had similar ambitions. Thus far their marriage had produced three children and the oldest of their children had just reached the age in which they could be accepted into a sect.

"The twins need to choose a sect today. I wonder which they will choose?" Tang Wen said, his face showing slight concern. While each sect had it's focus and advantage his children had learned mostly Tang family martial skills so he was unsure about if they would continue down his families traditional path of sword lightening attribute arts or go down a different path. It was best to allow a martial artiat typically to forge their own path within limits.

"We can go to the assessment and watch dearest we must allow them to forge their own path. Tang ChaoXing and Tang BoLin will choose wisely. Also even if they do not their little brother seems to have a strong affinity towards lightening attribute arts so we don't need to worry about your legacy."

Tang Wen smiled gently at his wife who was as always a firm and level support for him.

"You are right! Let us be off! The assessment starts in an hour." Tang Wen let put a single sharp whistle and grabbed his wife's hand as they stepped up into the balcony as if to jump off, howeber their feet landed on top of a thunderbird a tamed demonic beast that was common among lightening attribute cultivators to travel with.

As they both settled in it's back the thunderbird crowed and darted towards the arena near the center if Firedawn.

…

Ao Ruang walked alone towards the assessment he wasn't certain what was going to await him there, but when he asked Ding Liling to go with she was slightly dizzy from his last feeding. He wanted ti make sure he was extra good so his red eyes would turn black. He noticed that the bigger his hunger the more blood red they became and he had no intention of revealing his unusual eye color to people who might guess his nature.

The line for the assessment wasn't enormous, but with a city of several million their was always a decent number of young Ki cultivators who showed up. The rules were fairly straightforward one had to be under the age of fifteen and at least of the Iron Warrior rank, but that was only to qualify. It didn't guarrentee any of the big sects would pick you. Ao Ruang wouldn't have qualified had he not gained this power to cultivate blood he consumed.

A senior disciple of the various sects managed the registration and held a simple soul stone which measured one's Ki levels. If they were Iron warrior at least they would be fine to enter.

Ao Ruang looked around nervously as most of the people here were quite young. Clearly much higher talents than himself. If his realm was peak of the Iron warrior realm, but Ding Liling's blood was becoming less and less potent in advancing his rank so he couldn't make the push into the Black Iron realm yet.

Grabbing the stone it quickly shined and showed a single ring with a second ring barely visible show he was quite nearly Black Iron.

The disciple in front of him wore gray robes with a emblem of a ghostly hand holding a rose. Which represented the Ghostly Whisper Sect. The sect he needed to get into. Unfortunately he looked far from impressed.

"Pass move on inside and await for further orders." He said with no enthusiasm.

"Thank you." Ao Ruang bowed and moved past the table into the large arena where several hundred other potential recruits for the sects lay.

After several minutes the last of the accepted candidates filtered in making the total number of kids just over a thousand.

Before Ao Ruang could size up his peers, an old man who bore a long white beard and red and yellow robs stopped upon a large pavilion above them.

"Hello young people. Today is a big day and I am sure you all are excited to join a sect, but for the sake of those who may jot be familiar. Let me explain the purpose and rules of the assessment."

Ao Ruang couldn't contain his pure excitement. Never would he have dreamed of leaving his hometown let alone joining a major sect of a city many many times larger than his home.

'Let's do this.' Ao Ruang thought with a smile.