Chapter 1: The Sea and the Sky

Upon hearing Haiyun's question, everyone in the hall immediately turned their attention back to Haitan. However, Haitan seemed not to have heard, keeping his head down and remaining silent

"No need, Father, I am fine." Hai Tian smiled faintly, indicating that he was not seriously harmed

At the entrance stood a slightly smaller boy, who immediately complained upon seeing the boy inside come out: "Tian Ge, you really are something. Today is the important day for selecting martial arts techniques, how can you be so careless?"

Upon the arrival of Hai Tian and Xiao Yu, the head of the Hai family, Hai Wuya, sitting in the foremost position, brightened his eyes and said with a hearty laugh: "Alright, Tian and Xiao Yu have also arrived, and now all ten of you are present."

At this moment, Haiyun's face lost its composure, and he suddenly raised his voice: "Second brother! Did you not hear me speaking?"

Haitian did not resist; instead, he allowed Xiaoyu to pull his arm and follow the main group forward

The red light on the gate of Zhenhaige gradually faded away. Hai Wuyou quickly retracted his right hand and turned to the crowd, saying: "What you just saw, that red light, is a technique set up by our Hai family's ancestors. Without the correct method, if one attempts to forcefully intrude, the consequences could range from serious injury to death. I hope you all remember this."

However, these conversations sounded quite harsh to Haiyun, who believed that Hai Wuyou's concern for Hai Tian was clearly greater than his own. Gradually, a hint of hatred appeared in his gaze directed at Hai Tian

He cast a satisfied glance at the crowd in the hall, and Hai Wuyā specifically paused for a moment on the faces of Hai Tian and Xiao Yu. He understood that those collateral relatives would absolutely not dare to act recklessly; he was just worried that Hai Tian and Xiao Yu might mischievously attempt to break in and access the forbidden books, so he decided to give them a heads-up in advance

He is the elder brother of Haitian, Haiyun. Having practiced for only three years, he has already attained the sixth level of sword power, which is the fastest cultivation speed among the younger generation of the Hai family

The collection of nature is also very rich, and Zhenhai Pavilion is the place where they display and practice their cultivation methods.

At this point, Hai Wuyá paused and said: "I believe you all know that today is the day you choose your cultivation methods. However, there are a few issues I need to clarify in advance. First, once you enter the Zhenhai Pavilion, you are only permitted to access the first floor and are not allowed to approach the second floor. Anyone who violates this rule will be immediately expelled and their chosen cultivation method will be confiscated"

Alright, since everyone is ready, let us proceed to Zhenhai Pavilion. With that, Hai Wuyá immediately stood up and strode out of the hall.

That is the Wutian Sword God who once roamed the Soul Sword Continent!

"It seems that the Hai family is not an ordinary small family after all?" A smile suddenly blossomed on Hai Tian's calm face as he strode inside

Before long, Haitan and Xiaoyu quickly arrived in the hall

Today marks the annual day for the Hai family, when young disciples who have just turned ten enter the Zhenhai Pavilion to select their cultivation techniques. Although the Hai family does not hold a prominent position across the entire Soul Sword Continent, they still possess considerable influence in this small territory of Blackstone City.

"Is it a technique?" A trace of sorrow flashed across the boy's face in the room. "Xiaoyu, let's go." He then stepped out.

Brother Tian! Brother Tian! Have you woken up yet? Uncle is calling us to gather quickly! A burst of childish noise came from outside the door, making it impossible for the boy in the room and the one in the books to continue sleeping.

Before he could speak, Hai Wuyā took the initiative to ask, "Tian'er, you seem to be in poor spirits. Are you feeling unwell? Do you need to take a break?"

The young boy referred to as Brother Tian by that youthful lad is named Hai Tian, the second son of the head of the Hai family, one of the three prominent families in Blackstone City. However, what no one knows is that Hai Tian actually possesses another identity

Opening his eyes to see the not-so-high ceiling, the young man slowly sat up. His face did not reveal the innocent smile typical of youth; instead, it bore a hint of subtle bitterness.

Everyone was curiously examining the building before them, their eyes shining with excitement, realizing that the cultivation techniques they were about to choose were all contained within this first level

The boy outside the door also let out a soft "oh" and then fell silent, quietly waiting for the boy inside to come out

The boy indoors looked up at the sunlight streaming through the window, closed his eyes, and after a while opened them again, softly sighing: "Is it really impossible? Must it completely disappear like this?"

"Xiao Yu, I understand. Please wait for me for a moment." The young man replied in a nonchalant manner.

The young boy behind stared with wide eyes, murmuring to himself: "Strange, why isn't Tian Ge excited at all? Today is a significant day for us to choose our cultivation methods"

"Tian Ge, Tian Ge, what is wrong with you?" Seeing that Hai Tian did not respond, Xiao Yu couldn't help but call out twice more.

Secondly, each of you can only choose one cultivation technique. Once chosen, it cannot be taken away; you may only transcribe it on the spot and then bring the transcription back to hetushucom.com. Lastly, I would like to mention that your elder brother, Haiyun, has already reached the sixth level of sword power within a short span of three years. I believe that in less than two years, he will become a formal swordsman, and you should learn from him

As soon as these words were spoken, the collateral relatives immediately shrank back in fear, as their parents did not belong to the true core of the Hai family, primarily managing businesses outside.

At this moment, Haitian finally came to his senses, shook his head and smiled: "Xiaoyu, I'm fine. Alright, the door is open, let's go in."

The young boy shook his head and immediately followed, saying: "Tian Ge! Wait for me!"

If one wishes to enter the core ranks of the Hai family, one must demonstrate a certain level of strength and potential. Therefore, these collateral descendants are all exceedingly earnest, and no one dares to defy Hai Wuyou's words

It was only due to some special reasons that it fell from the mainland and unexpectedly arrived within the body of this young man

Upon hearing these words, everyone was so frightened that they broke out in a cold sweat. Especially Xiao Yu, who had originally planned to come here to have some fun in the future, but after Hai Wuyā said this, he certainly did not want to joke with his own life

Xiao Yu saw Hai Tian still with his head down, and quietly tugged at Hai Tian from behind, which finally brought Hai Tian back to his senses

Feeling the envious and jealous gazes of the crowd, Haiyun raised his eyebrows with satisfaction, relishing this sensation

The younger boy, named Haiyu, is the son of Hai Tian San Shu and also his cousin. In this large family with a rather complex network of relationships, he shares the closest bond with him

Xiao Yu also noticed Hai Tian's unusual behavior and hurried back, grabbing Hai Tian's arm and exclaiming, "Tian Ge, what are you still doing standing here? Hurry up and leave, or you won't be able to choose a good cultivation method!"

Only Haitan stood there with his head lowered, appearing indifferent.

However, when he raised his head, he found that only one person in the hall was not looking at him, but instead kept his head down. This made him quite displeased, and he spoke up: "Second brother, what are you thinking about? Why didn't you hear what Father said?"

Even so, Hai Wuyá shook his head with considerable concern and said, "Why don't you take a rest today and choose your cultivation technique tomorrow?"

The one who kept his head down without casting jealous and envious glances at Haiyun was none other than Haitian

"Xiao Yu, why are you pulling me?" Hai Tian inquired in confusion

The right hand rested on the main gate, and suddenly the entire gate was illuminated by a red light, causing the young disciples to exclaim in surprise. Haitian also raised his head to look at the red light on the gate, and a hint of astonishment appeared on his calm face as he murmured in a voice as faint as a mosquito's: "This is a restriction! How could a small family like the Hai family have such a restriction in place?"

Before Hai Wuyá finished speaking, everyone in the hall, including Xiǎo Yǔ, turned their gaze towards a young man in white seated to the right of Hai Wuyá.

Whether it is Xiaoyu or those collateral relatives, each one is excitedly following behind.

Brother Tian, this method is quite terrifying; it possesses such power. No wonder Uncle usually doesn't allow us to come here, nor does he assign anyone to guard it. It turns out there is such a theft prevention method, truly impressive. Little Yu gazed at the large door with lingering fear.

Before long, they quickly arrived at a large building in the backyard of the Hai family. This building is approximately three stories high, and above the main entrance hangs a plaque inscribed with the words "Zhenhai Pavilion" in large characters

Seeing the eager expressions of the crowd, Hai Wuyá no longer hesitated, but directly walked towards the main door

As soon as he spoke, Haiyun's expression darkened even further. It seemed that despite his lengthy speech, Haitan had not heard a single word. This left him, as the elder brother, with no face to speak of

However, as he passed through that grand gate, Hai Tian's gaze was fixed upon it, his mind continuously pondering. Throughout the entire Soul Sword Continent, even those few super aristocratic families might not possess such a restriction, yet the Hai family does!

This is the place where our Hai family stores its treasures. Hai Wuyou explained to the crowd while pointing to the Zhenhai Pavilion behind him. It is important to note that this area is a forbidden zone belonging to the Hai family, and ordinarily, no one is allowed to enter.

With a sigh, the young man immediately put on his clothes and walked out the door

Even for Haitan and Xiaoyu, who live at the headquarters of Haijia, this is their first time here, let alone for those external relatives.

Xiao Yu turned his head and saw that Hai Wuya had already opened the door. The collateral relatives were lining up to enter one by one. He immediately grabbed Hai Tian and ran over, fearing being left behind by others

At this moment, seven or eight young boys were already standing in the hall, all appearing to be about the same age as Hai Tian and Xiao Yu. However, Hai Tian understood that these boys were all his distant relatives, belonging to the collateral branch of the Hai family

This doesn't seem very good; I would rather be with everyone. Hai Tian did not want to make it so special and directly refused.