Chapter 2, Which youth is not sentimental

I am sorry!" Zhen Man said softly with her head down, secretly sighing in her heart, as she quickly walked past Di Jiu and moved away.

In the blink of an eye, Di Jiu turned ninety-six, and his worries became a reality. At the age of sixteen, Di Jiu underwent the third martial root test, and once again, the result was none.

At this moment, not only was Di Jiu anxious, but even his father was worried. Di Jiu had completely lost interest in continuing to learn about science and technology. His previous efforts to study scientific knowledge were merely to make use of the time others spent practicing martial arts. Now that he had failed the test for martial roots twice in a row, he had no mood left to study.

A master of the medical path who can allow even those without martial roots to cultivate is an existence far more esteemed than the king of Ji State, and such a being may not even exist in the entire Aylon continent; what Xue Tuo spoke of is merely a legend.

However, during the second test at the age of twelve, Di Jiu still did not possess any martial roots

Although Di Shan had six sons, five of them perished in the service of the king, leaving only Di Jiu. It is not to say that Di Jiu was always strong-willed and studious; even when he was idling away his time each day, if his son took a liking to a girl from a certain family, he would personally go to propose marriage.

Even though her face still appears somewhat youthful, her perfect figure has already taken shape. One can imagine how radiant she will be in a few years. Everyone in the academy knows her, the most beautiful woman in Mingzhu City, Zhen Man

He could not be unaware of the meaning behind Zhen Man's words; he knew that Zhen Man's martial arts talent would eventually lead her to leave the Kingdom of Ji, but he did not expect it to happen so soon. In martial arts training, as long as one enters the warrior realm before the age of 20, they can leave the Kingdom of Ji and head to the Luyuan Empire

The young man in the blue shirt watched the group of boys and girls rushing out of the academy gates, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes. Soon, he concealed this envy and began to search for someone among the crowd

The master of medical arts, Xue Tuo, once stated that the highest-level masters of medical arts can enable martial artists without innate talent to cultivate their skills. Di Jiu's study of medical arts is a way for him to secure a fallback option. In the event that he still lacks innate talent by the age of sixteen, he hopes to carve out a path in martial arts for himself through his medical expertise

In response to Di Shan's proposal of marriage, the Zhen family neither agreed nor refused, but merely stated that the children should get to know each other first

The education in Ji State is not merely theoretical knowledge, but rather the integration of practical technology and theory. Before the age of twelve, Di Jiu spent eight years and nearly completed what others would take twenty to thirty years to learn. He even designed a new type of aircraft

Di Jiu's father advised him not to be anxious, as there would be a third martial root test when he turned sixteen

At the entrance of Mingzhu Academy, a young man dressed in casual attire was eagerly staring at the academy's gate. As the music signaling the end of classes played, the gate of the academy opened, and a group of young boys and girls rushed out.

The time at which each individual exhibits martial roots is not fixed. The testing of martial roots encompasses several age levels, with the first test occurring before the age of 5. If an individual is found to possess martial roots at this stage, it is generally considered to be an exceptional martial root.

The Di family is inherently wealthy and noble, and Di Shan is the foremost war god and the greatest general of the nation. Di Jiu, being Di Shan's only son, can have any medical book he desires.

The first test may not reveal a martial root, but that does not mean one cannot practice martial arts. For some individuals, their martial root may appear at the age of twelve. If the martial root has not appeared by the age of twelve, one must wait until the final test at the age of sixteen to determine the presence of a martial root

In the Aaron Continent, one must possess a martial root to learn martial arts. Without a martial root or if the martial root has not manifested, no matter how hard you strive, you can only strengthen your body and cannot become a true martial arts master

Di Jiu was exceptionally intelligent from a young age and was once regarded as the greatest prodigy of the nation. His father, Di Shan, placed all his hopes for the prosperity of the Di family's martial arts on Di Jiu.

Di Jiu's hand trembled, and a bouquet of fresh flowers fell from his grasp, scattering on the ground

In four years, Di Jiu had nearly read through all the medical books available to the Di family and had also apprenticed under renowned physicians such as Xue Tuo, Wan Chuan, and Fang Xilin. Coupled with Di Jiu's inherent intelligence, his medical skills, after four years of study, surpassed those of several esteemed physicians.

Watching his peers diligently practice martial arts, once companions who were just like him gradually distanced themselves. Di Jiu could only devote all his energy to studying, believing that his martial foundation would eventually emerge, albeit later than others.

Whether it is the nation of Jiguo or the continent of Aaron where Jiguo is located, martial arts flourish immensely. Although the level of technology here is also very advanced, the true path is only through martial arts. All technological talents serve the martial arts, and in this place, the rulers of any nation must be strong in martial arts.

At the age of ninety-five, Di fell in love with a girl, the most beautiful woman in Jiguo Mingzhu City, Zhen Man.

She did not fail to give Di Jiu an opportunity; she waited for Di Jiu. Unfortunately, Di Jiu failed the third martial root test again. In fact, even if Di Jiu had performed slightly better in the third test, she would not have left Jiguo so soon

Di Shan is the foremost general of the State of Ji, commanding over seventy percent of its military forces. He can be said to be a figure who stands above all others, second only to one. His personal visit to the Zhen family to seek a marriage proposal can be seen as a significant gesture of respect.

Di Jiu, who had not even informed his father of his own purpose in studying medicine, revealed to his father his feelings for Zhen Man. He hoped that his father would go to the Zhen family to propose marriage on his behalf

Moments later, the boy's eyes brightened, and he hurriedly ran in front of a long-haired girl dressed in a purple floral dress, handing her a bouquet of flowers and saying, "Manman, this is for you"

Di Jiu studied medicine not because the status of the medical path is second only to that of the martial path, but because he was worried that he would still lack the martial root during the third test at the age of sixteen

The young girl came to a halt, her skin as fair and smooth as if it had been bathed in milk. When she lifted her gaze towards the young man, her beautiful visage instantly dimmed the radiance of the surrounding boys and girls. Describing her as a crane standing among chickens would be inadequate; however, her mere presence here indeed caused the surrounding youth to lose their youthful brilliance.

Zhen Man looked at the young man in front of her, who seemed to love her to the core, but she did not take the flower from his hand. Instead, she remained silent for a full ten seconds before gently saying, "Di Jiu, I have just crossed the realm of a warrior today, and I will soon be leaving Ji Country. Please take care of yourself, and may we meet again if fate allows."

He has never told anyone such words, because once such words are spoken, they can only invite ridicule

... ...

However, Di Jiu was unwilling to continue waiting for luck, so he began to study medicine

He just completed the martial arts test for sixteen years old yesterday, and still failed. This news should not be mentioned to Zhen Man; it is likely that the entire Pearl City is already aware of it

The first time Di Jiu saw Zhen Man, he fell deeply in love with her to the core. Whether it was due to the youthful passion of a young man or because Zhen Man was simply too beautiful, from the moment he laid eyes on her, he could never forget her.

In the continent of Aaron, technological talents are undervalued and hold the lowest status, while the status of the medical profession is second only to that of martial arts. Achieving accomplishments in the medical field is even more respected than that of an ordinary martial arts expert

Regarding Di Jiu's pursuit, Zhen Man neither rejected nor accepted it; she merely walked a little closer than usual.

If one has not awakened their martial root by the age of sixteen, it signifies that they cannot practice martial arts. Throughout the entire Aaron Continent, there has been no record of anyone awakening their martial root after the age of sixteen

There is a saying that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. During the first test, Di Jiu surprisingly had no martial roots, and lacking martial roots signifies the inability to practice martial arts