Chapter 1: Qin Zheng

Chapter 1: Qin Zheng
The sky was dimly lit at dawn, dew-drops decorating the flowers and grass as they swayed in the wind.
In the Jade Lotus Courtyard of the Donghai Prince’s Mansion, within the Great Yan Empire, a young man in blue robes named Qin Zheng stood by the Jade Lotus Pond, staring blankly.
“Three hundred times now!”
“This is the three hundredth time. Why is this happening?”
“Will I, Qin Zheng, be stuck at the lowest tier of the Martial Path—Physical State—my whole life?”
“No, I refuse to accept that!”
“If three hundred times isn’t enough, then four hundred. If four hundred isn’t enough, then five hundred.”
Determination flashed in Qin Zheng’s eyes as he snapped out of his daze. That unyielding spirit of his—the kind that would charge stubbornly down a single path without ever turning back—kept him going even after three hundred failed attempts.
Calming himself, he turned and began cleaning the Jade Lotus Courtyard.
This was his duty, for he was a servant in the Donghai Prince’s Mansion.
Qin Zheng’s father had been the personal attendant of the late Old East Sea King, who died saving the Old East Sea King. Because of this, Qin Zheng’s status was somewhat better. On his deathbed, the Old East Sea King had personally appointed Qin Zheng to manage the Jade Lotus Courtyard. Of course, Qin Zheng wore many hats: he was both caretaker and servant of the courtyard. The task was heavy, for nowadays, he was the only person in the Jade Lotus Courtyard.
Once he finished cleaning swiftly, Qin Zheng left the Donghai Prince’s Mansion.
He had a secret to test.
It involved his blood!
On the Divine Martial Continent, might ruled supreme. Cultivating the Martial Path required a Martial Vein. Only those with a Martial Vein could break through the Physical State, connect with the Heaven and Earth Energy, strengthen the body, forge True Essence, harmonize with heaven and earth, shatter human limits, and become gods as eternal as the sun and moon. Without a Martial Vein, one would be stuck at the Physical State forever, achieving little.
The Martial Vein stored power within the body and served as the bridge connecting humans to the Heaven and Earth Energy.
Qin Zheng had no Martial Vein.
He was destined for mediocrity. Yet, as someone raised in the Donghai Prince’s Mansion—one of the Great Yan Empire’s most powerful families, where even the lowest servant practiced the Martial Path—he had witnessed the awe-inspiring might of true experts and heard countless legends of Martial Path heroes “Defying Heaven and Slaying Gods.” Such an environment never let him be content as just an ordinary man.
But his relentless drive had another source: his blood.
“Others without a Martial Vein can’t even reach the Physical Martial Realm. But I’m different.”
“I’d broken through the Physical State to the Physical Martial Realm three hundred times, but also fallen back into the Physical State three hundred times. That’s one difference.”
“Also, each time I fell, the power I’d built up cleansed my blood.”
“My blood… Well, since I’ve broken through and fallen back yet again, Yan Tingyu should be able to see if there’s a true internal change this time.”
Yan Tingyu was an absolute master Weaponsmith. Her weapon-forging methods were incredibly unique. With the same materials, she made weapons far superior to those forged by other Weaponsmiths. Becoming the greatest Weaponsmith on the Divine Martial Continent was her lifelong dream.
Qin Zheng and Yan Tingyu met because of blood.
Specifically—Qin Zheng’s blood.
Brimming with nerves and hope, Qin Zheng arrived at a small courtyard in the southwest corner of the Great Yan Imperial Capital.
He pushed the gate open.
The courtyard was neat. A breeze carried the refreshing scent of flowers.
He saw Yan Tingyu, her black hair cascading down her white dress, sitting on the steps before the main room. Chin in hand, lost in thought, she seemed like a figure straight out of a painting amidst the elegant surroundings.
“Qin Zheng!”
Hearing footsteps, Yan Tingyu looked up. Seeing it was Qin Zheng, her bright eyes instantly lit up. She leaped to her feet and dashed to him. “Finally you’re here! Without your blood, I lost all interest in forging. Hmm, you must’ve reached your three hundredth breakthrough by now, right?”
“Yes. Three hundred times.” Qin Zheng didn’t hide it. The matter of his lack of a Martial Vein yet still breaking through only to fall back—only the two of them knew.
“You’re incredibly fast! Only thirteen days since your last breakthrough?” Yan Tingyu smiled; her crescent-moon eyes sparkled, looking utterly adorable.
“After the hundredth attempt, each time gets a bit quicker,” Qin Zheng sighed. “If only I didn’t fall back afterward.”
Yan Tingyu covered her mouth, laughing lightly. “If that happened, others would die of envy. With your speed, if you had a Martial Vein, you’d probably be as strong as the current East Sea King now, at your age!”
As they talked, they entered the side room.
Inside stood a Weapon Forging Furnace.
Yan Tingyu, well-prepared, expertly activated the furnace and threw in materials. They were ordinary materials for forging common weapons—used solely to test Qin Zheng’s blood.
Nearby, Qin Zheng watched and waited for Yan Tingyu’s signal to drip one drop of his blood into it, shaping the weapon.
“After the two hundred and ninety-eighth breakthrough, my blood accidentally got into Yan Tingyu’s furnace. This produced a weapon superior to her past creations.”
“After the two hundred and ninety-ninth, that single drop carried the weapons quality to a whole new level.”
“I wonder what change the blood from this three hundredth breakthrough, and fall, will bring?”
Staring at the Weapon Forging Furnace, Qin Zheng’s heart—which had weathered three hundred such disappointments and grown steady—tightened with nerves again. Calm eluded him.
The Weapon Forging Furnace stood about one meter tall. Etched with strange patterns, it rested on three legs. The open lid released waves of faint blue light. Bathed in its glow, Yan Tingyu seemed even more ethereal. Each movement while forging was natural, fluid, like she’d become one with the furnace.
It wasn’t long before Yan Tingyu said, “Get ready.”
Qin Zheng moved closer.
Inside, he saw swirling flames like lava, pale blue in color. Within this spinning vortex were metallic liquids shifting shape—sometimes forming a longsword, other times a sharp blade. This was the weapon Yan Tingyu was crafting.
Qin Zheng cut his right palm and extracted a single drop of blood.
While Qin Zheng’s blood aided her forging, there was a catch: only the essence of his blood worked. Not all his blood could do this. This was their discovery after many experiments.
“Alright.”
Moments later, Yan Tingyu gave Qin Zheng a nod.
Qin Zheng let the drop of blood fall into the furnace.
Outside the furnace, it looked like any ordinary drop. But as it fell into the fire, something changed.
The crimson droplet began to turn transparent. Faint, blurry silhouettes seemed to swirl within it.
They peered closely, but the shapes were indistinct, unclear.
“Ding!”
The blood droplet fell into the metallic liquid, letting out a clear chime, like spring water dripping.
As the two connected, the metallic liquid transformed instantly.
Previously shifting between blade and sword, now, as the blood touched it, it coalesced into the hazy form…
It resembled Qin Zheng!
“What’s this?”
“After three hundred breakthroughs… it seems your blood has changed! A transformation in quality maybe?”
Both Qin Zheng and Yan Tingyu were stunned.
A drop of blood transforms into a human figure!
After the shock, excitement surged.
Qin Zheng understood clearly: Three hundred failures. Three hundred cleansings coursing through his Bloodline. This must be the result of that foundational transformation!