“Ho Guang!” Among a group of a dozen or so people standing by one of the doors, an elder greeted him warmly.

“Ban Shan! The Kaiyang family is already conducting their bloodline tests this early?” Ho Guang asked.

“I have business to attend to tomorrow, so we had to advance the testing,” Ban Shan replied, his eyes landing on Dick. “What's this? You only brought one disciple for bloodline testing? Haha! Your Yaoguang family might be strict in training, but surely it can’t be this sparse, can it?”

“Stop the nonsense! This is a child lost outside and now returned,” Ho Guang responded.

“Found on his own? A fourth-level warrior already? Seems like the bloodline purity must be above average then. Quite rare, and good news for your stubborn old Yaoguang clan, isn't it?” Ban Shan chuckled.

“Each family has its own beliefs. And your so-called new faction hasn’t produced a Saint yet either, has it?” Ho Guang snorted.

Well, Dick could tell now—these two elders represented opposing sides, the old and the new.

“Ho Guang, cultivating a bloodline consumes vast amounts of precious resources…”

“That’s none of your concern!”

Without another word, Ho Guang ignored Ban Shan and led Dick to the testing door of the Yaoguang family.

Dick wasn’t sure what to expect from the bloodline purity test, but he decided to just go along with it. Inside the door, the space was small, just enough to stand in. Soon, the heat inside the room began to rise, and a thick, blood-colored mist gradually filled the air.

“Ho Guang, you’re truly generous. Bloodstones are rare, and it’s such a waste to use one on a mere fourth-level warrior,” Ban Shan teased as he approached again.

“These are the rules of the test,” Ho Guang retorted. “Unlike you, I’m not stingy. You’ve embezzled quite a few bloodstones yourself, haven’t you, Ban Shan?”

“Ridiculous!” Ban Shan scoffed. “I simply don’t see the need for unnecessary extravagance.”

As the test continued, the fact that Dick could absorb the energy emitted by the special chamber proved his bloodline belonged to the Yaoguang family. According to tradition, since this was his first time, he was allowed to absorb as much bloodstone energy as possible. This old-fashioned practice was designed to stimulate the potential of bloodline cultivators, solidifying their foundation.

Ho Guang had already placed more than ten intermediate-level bloodstones, confirming that Dick's bloodline was of high purity. A smile appeared on Ho Guang's face. With a bloodline purity above the average tier, Dick would be eligible to train in the family’s bloodline techniques, and the higher the purity, the greater the potential for cultivation.

The test revealed that Dick was only eighteen years old, still quite young. Despite his time spent training outside, his cultivation speed had not been hindered, much to Ho Guang’s satisfaction.

As the test concluded, it showed that Dick’s bloodline purity was in the upper-middle tier—an impressive result. In the Yaoguang family, where the number of bloodline practitioners was limited, only thirteen other young disciples had achieved such high purity.

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“Well done, Dick,” Ho Guang said with gratification, patting Dick’s shoulder. A fourteenth high-purity bloodline youth had emerged.

“Thank you, Elder,” Dick responded. After being infused with the bloodstone energy, the slight restlessness in his body had dissipated. He felt invigorated, as though something new had awakened within him—a good sign, no doubt.

“Call me Third Elder.”

“Yes, Third Elder!”

“Come with me.”

Without giving Ban Shan another glance, Ho Guang led Dick out of the reception hall.

“Our Yaoguang family has one ninth-level warrior, two eighth-level warriors, and three seventh-level warriors. I am one of the eighth-level warriors—Ho Guang…” As an eighth-level powerhouse, Ho Guang carefully introduced Dick to the internal structure of the Yaoguang family.

Indeed, the Yaoguang family was the weakest among the seven great families of the Seven Stars Fortress. Their adherence to traditional bloodline cultivation had left them with fewer core disciples remaining within the fortress. Only those with a bloodline purity of at least mid-tier were allowed to stay and train.

By contrast, the new Kaiyang family had over three thousand disciples with decent aptitude (including sixth-level warriors and below), while the Yaoguang family had fewer than three hundred.

Of those three hundred, over two hundred were bloodline warriors below the third level.

As for the lower-purity disciples, Ho Guang didn’t mention where they had gone—likely exiled to the outer towns, given that they weren’t a priority for the family’s cultivation efforts.

Among the Seven Stars Fortress's seven families, there were a total of eleven ninth-level grand knights and eleven ninth-level grand magicians. With only one such figure in the Yaoguang family, it was no wonder they were the weakest.

Dick even wondered if the Yaoguang family would be expelled from the Seven Stars Fortress if their sole ninth-level knight passed away.

“Third Elder, I also practice magic.”

“Hmm?” Ho Guang frowned.

Dick had expected this reaction. Elders with old-fashioned views often favored specialization and might not allow him to practice magic alongside bloodline cultivation.

“Third Elder, cultivating magic enhances mental strength, which significantly benefits the practice of combat aura,” Dick explained, hoping to ease his concerns. After all, his jade pendant space was primarily used for magic training—it couldn’t be abandoned.

“I’m not so rigid,” Ho Guang replied. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with your bloodline aura training, dual cultivation is permissible.”

Hearing this, Dick breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re a second-level magician, aren’t you?” Ho Guang asked, sensing his magical aura.

“Yes, I’ve been training magic at the Royal Magic Academy in Dayan’s capital, but I’ve been stuck at a bottleneck for several years.”

“Hmm, your bloodline purity is excellent—just be careful not to lose focus.”

“Of course, Third Elder. I prefer cultivating combat aura, and it's also my primary mode of fighting,” Dick replied truthfully. Currently, his aura abilities were stronger, so he relied on them in battle.

“Your killing intent is weak, which suggests you lack combat experience. When you begin training with the family, I’ll arrange for more battles to hone your skills,” Ho Guang observed astutely. Indeed, since surviving the hunt in the Monster Mountains, Dick hadn’t been in any serious fights.

Dick had a steady income from his high-paying sparring jobs, so there was no need to risk his life in the Monster Mountains.

“I’ll do my best!”

As for his mother, Mary Yaoguang, Ho Guang showed no interest in mentioning her. Well, it made sense—Dick’s current strength was insufficient, and he held no status within the family. They wouldn’t investigate his mother’s situation just for him.

Once he became stronger and established himself within the family, perhaps then he could look into it.

The Yaoguang family only cared about bloodline practitioners, and those without sufficient bloodline purity were abandoned, left to fend for themselves outside. It was likely that his mother had suffered the same fate due to her low bloodline purity.

But if her bloodline purity was insufficient, how had she gained access to the family’s advanced bloodline cultivation techniques? Wasn’t it said that those with low purity couldn’t train in those techniques?

Upon entering the Yaoguang family’s territory, Dick was awestruck. They occupied an entire mountain, with the first level designated for low-level warriors and the second for mid-level warriors. The lush green hills and pristine waters made it a breathtaking paradise, a heavenly sanctuary hidden from the outside world.