Legend of the Divine Archer

In the dim light of his room, Yan Jin carefully examined the gift left behind by the City Lord. The iron blood token felt cold and solid in his hand, radiating a faint energy that hinted at its significance. Alongside it were three notebooks, their covers worn but sturdy, filled with knowledge that could shape his future.

Curiosity piqued, Yan Jin decided to test the Sphinx Eye, the peculiar gift from Wei Xi. He made a small cut on his fingertip, allowing a drop of blood to fall onto the lifeless object. The moment the blood touched it, the Sphinx Eye sprang to life, wriggling and vibrating as if awakening from a deep slumber.

It glowed a vivid red before transforming into a beam of light that shot into Yan Jin's palm. A hieroglyph of an eye appeared, tattooed on his skin, glowing faintly with a mysterious power.

When Yan Jin activated the symbol, a bright light emanated from his palm, scanning the room. In his mind, a projection formed, capturing the outlines of the objects around him. Although the images lacked color and vitality, they were clear enough to read and visualize the world with new clarity.

He glanced at the notebooks and recognized their titles: "Basics of Blood Cultivation," "Records of Bloodlines," and "Collection of Unusual Treasures." A smirk tugged at his lips as he thought, "I've truly obtained a treasure from the Wei family."

Settling down, Yan Jin began to read.

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"If the Awakening Realm is about accumulating energy into the blood, making it dense enough to house the inherited bloodline, the Purification Realm serves two purposes: cleansing the blood of impurities and raising its quality, also known as refinement. Each refinement cycle is marked by the appearance of a halo wheel in the navel, which improves blood circulation throughout the body."

The descriptions captivated Yan Jin. He continued to read, "A three-halo refiner is called a Purified Lord, a six-halo refiner is named a Purified King, and a nine-halo refiner is known as a Purified Celestial. Ten halos result in an Imperfect Celestial, eleven halos in a Quasi-Perfect Celestial, and twelve halos in a Perfect Celestial."

The complexity of blood cultivation fascinated him. The concept of the blood navel, the core of blood cultivation, intrigued him the most. "The blood navel is usually composed of a blood river and the materialization of your inherited bloodline,"*the notes explained. "Bloodline warriors develop in two paths: Blood Spiritualists and Frame Fighters.

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Blood Spiritualists use blood energy as a source for incantations, spells, conjuring, and more, while Frame Fighters use blood energy to enhance their bodies. Depending on your blood type, you could be either. Type A for spiritualists, Type B for frame fighters, and Type AB allows a choice between both paths."

Yan Jin noted the absence of any mention of Type O blood and continued reading. The text emphasized the importance of auxiliary professions for bloodline warriors, such as bloodsmiths for forging blood tools and bloodmancers for healing.

"Although bloodline grades play a crucial role in development," he read, "they are not the only metric of power. A mid-grade deer bloodline would struggle against a low-grade wolf bloodline due to the wolf being its natural predator. Blood tools and congenital frames are also important factors."

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As the first rays of sunlight filtered through his room, warming the cold, dark space, Yan Jin realized he had spent the entire night engrossed in the notes. The scent of fresh morning air began to chase away the lingering odor of burnt candles and sandalwood incense.

Yan Jin's mind was buzzing with the new information he had absorbed. The notes had filled gaps in his knowledge of cultivation and bloodlines, providing him with insights he hadn't previously considered. He sat in meditation, feeling the dim light within him grow brighter as he opened his blood navel.

His navel space had transformed significantly since he first unlocked it. The once sparse area was now a vibrant purple, teeming with blood energy. In the center of this space, the gargantuan nine-headed hydra rested on an altar supported by a pillar that extended deep into the sea of blood.

The pillar, carved with vein-like patterns depicting an ancient bird, rotated slowly, harnessing energy from the blood sea to nourish the hydra. A golden halo floated around the hydra, casting a pristine light that highlighted the beast's ancient majesty.

Above it all hovered the pair of closed eyes, aloof and commanding. Yan Jin couldn't help but wonder, "What could be the origin of these eyes if even an ancient bloodline like the Gwi could be subdued so easily?"

He recalled the notes and assessed his own progress. "According to the notes, I would be a one-refinement cultivator. Although the pillar is stable, building anything on top of it without further refinement would be suicidal." The pillar, representing his foundation, could support up to nine structures, each necessary for his future cultivation.

As he initiated his cultivation, the halo spun, funneling blood energy through the pillar, converting it into refined blood. A small vortex formed in the sea of blood, and as the pillar spun, it released new blood while absorbing impurities. These impurities were expelled through the halo and eventually pushed out of his lungs.

After several hours of cultivation, Yan Jin stood up and exhaled a cloud of black smoke, expelling the impurities from his body. His joints cracked audibly as he stretched, his body feeling rejuvenated but far from satisfied. "This is really inefficient," he thought with a sigh. "Relying solely on cultivation is absurd. The progress is so slow.

Even after spending six hours, I haven't seen the outline for the second pillar. And on top of that, time has to be made for training techniques, strategies, and auxiliary occupations. I understand now why resources and a clan are so vital."

He pondered his next move, his thoughts turning to the upcoming Iron Blood Cells Tournament. "The best course of action is to secure a spot in the tournament. I'm sure the other big clans have their own methods for collecting resources to support their offspring."

Yan Jin sighed again, feeling the weight of his responsibilities pressing down on him. "Since the City Lord is aware of my identity, I suppose the rats have already begun their quests. I can't help but think I'm missing a big piece of the puzzle."

"But for now"* he resolved, "let's focus our energy on the tournament. There's still so much to do."

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As the days progressed, Pine City became increasingly lively. The streets buzzed with excitement as people from all corners of the region poured in, eager to compete for a chance to participate in the ranking trials. The city's atmosphere was electric, filled with anticipation and the scent of opportunity.

Martial artists, traders, and nobles filled the streets, each one vying for a place in the upcoming tournament, each one with their own hopes and dreams of glory.

As he walked through the crowded streets, Yan Jin could feel the undercurrents of ambition and rivalry sweeping through the city. Every clan, every participant was vying for an advantage in the upcoming trials. They all sought the power of the Iron Blood Cells, and the competition would be fierce.

He reached his stop accompanied by Lan Zhan, it was the Treasure Pavilion, the usually plain and demure pavilion was now adorned with decorations, and lights. A full regiment of golden warrior was seen checking the identities of the customers as well as ensuring the safety of the goods. Tonight was a giant auction in prelude to the Iron Blood Cells trials.

He had to admit that Xiao Lan was really good at making money, she had a flair for opportunities and was good a keeping connection, a true merchant at heart. As soon I he stepped into the entrance hall, he was greeted by Wei Xi who was apparently waiting for him.

During the past month Wei Xi would often visit him and chit chat, he had to admit the child was growing on him, he had an endearing personality, very much golden retriever like. " Big Brother Jin, You are finally here, let go to my section" Wei Xi said excitingly dragging Yan Jin toward his reserved suite.

On the way they encountered Yan Family group. Led by the eldest, Yan Li; and the youngest, Yan Ming, next to them was Yan Bai and the new Captain of the Golden Warriors Nie Li.