Silence. A silence as heavy as death.
Blood—on the ground, on the trees, on the people—splattered everywhere.
No one dared to breathe deeply, as if an invisible hand had clamped around their throats.
"Jiang Yan, what have you done?!" Ye Yiran shouted in terror.
Amid the rain of blood, a young man stood, draped in red, holding a crimson oil-paper umbrella. A faint, serene smile curved his lips. "I killed," he said softly.
Behind him loomed ten vague, terrifying figures. They pressed on the minds of everyone present, twisting thoughts, shattering composure, as if standing at the gates of hell.
Those were the legendary Ten Hells Yama…
Gradually, the spectral images faded, merging into the ten ghostly talismans at the boy's waist.
The red cloak around him dissipated, revealing the blue-and-white uniform of a high school student.
He turned and walked away. Over a thousand onlookers didn't dare approach him.
Who could? After witnessing the awakening of the Ten Hells Yama, no one would even think of stopping him.
The memory of hundreds of ghosts devouring a living person still shook them.
Screams of tormented spirits surrounded Guo Chun, who had awakened an S-class divine artifact. Despite his desperate cries, the horde tore him apart, leaving not a single bone.
…
"Recently, a thousand rays of sunset light were reported atop Mount Guwang, suggesting the discovery of ancient ruins. Authorities have sealed the area and evacuated local residents."
"Experts report that Lin Aotian, Party Secretary of Haidong Province, shows signs of breaking through the seventh tier, qualifying him to serve as Guardian Officer."
"The 25th Martial Arts Examination is about to begin. Those who have reached the second tier of divine gifting can enter without exams and be guaranteed admission to the Provincial Divine Martial Academy. Limited spots available—apply promptly…"
Beep—!
Jiang Yan turned off the TV and rose from the sofa. He stepped onto the dimly lit balcony, shielding his eyes from the sun.
Crimson eyes scanned the busy streets below.
"The Qiankun Alchemy Workshop closed! The owner ran off with his niece! Only medicine can pay wages! Qiankun's Righteous Pills are on clearance—fifty thousand each!"
"Tianyuan Martial Arts Academy is enrolling! Third-tier coaches provide one-on-one training, advancing one tier per year! Guaranteed admission to Wu University!"
"Please help! Three of my family members were slaughtered by beasts. My only son had his leg crushed. We urgently need three hundred thousand Daxia coins—any kind soul?"
This world is called Blue Star, blessed by the gods.
It has divine-gifted individuals and ferocious, rampaging beasts.
Every person, upon reaching adulthood, can undergo the Divine Gift Ceremony at official institutions to become a divine-gifted individual.
Divine gifts fall into two categories: Divine Abilities and Divine Artifacts.
Lightning, fire, ice, darkness, light—these are divine abilities.Swords, axes, staves, blades, shields—these are divine artifacts.
Divine gifts have ranks, from F at the lowest to SSS at the highest.
Few know that above SSS lies a level recognized by the world government: the Forbidden.
A divine gift's rank determines its wielder's ceiling.
Most ordinary people awaken only E or F-level gifts, serving as small cogs in society.
C- and D-rank divine-gifted individuals can rise as elite professionals.
B-rank is rare—one in a thousand—a prodigy in a small county, fit for military service.
A-rank is extraordinary—one in ten thousand—a key talent cultivated by the city, with a bright, limitless future.
S-rank is extremely rare; even a large province may not produce one. Across Daxia, active S-rank individuals do not exceed a thousand.
SS and SSS ranks are even scarcer, totaling fewer than a hundred.
A single Divine Gift Ceremony can decide a person's entire life.
No matter how brilliant your early years—winning competitions, provincial awards—if you awaken only an E or F-level gift, you fall into the abyss.
Awaken an A-rank gift after twelve years of miserable schooling, and you shine as the city's new star.
It's a world unfair to the extreme, yet absolutely fair—where only strength speaks.
Tomorrow is the Divine Gift Ceremony, and Jiang Yan has waited a long time.
"Eighteen years," he murmured. Since arriving in this world, he had waited eighteen full years.
From the moment he transmigrated, he had awaited that fateful ding—from birth until now. Eighteen years, and it never came. He understood: as a transmigrator, he was not meant to have a system.
Jiang Yan pinched his chin. "I guess the system is jealous of my face—it refuses to appear because I'm too handsome."
If that's the reason, so be it.
"Time to bloom! Time to sprout! Time for spring rain to pour!" His phone rang abruptly.
Answering, Zhou Peng's loud, excited voice blared: "Jiang, Linjiang No. 1 High had its Divine Gift Ceremony today. Tomorrow it's our turn at No. 2!"
"Linjiang No. 1 produced an S-rank artifact user, guaranteed direct admission to Qingming Martial Academy! The school is keeping it secret, but I got the info from a friend."
Indeed, the school concealed the news to protect the student until the martial exam concluded. Personal information would remain confidential.
"Quite a few S-rank prodigies this year." Even through rumors, at least ten S-rank divine-gifted individuals have appeared in Linjiang Province alone, not counting secret SS and SSS ranks.
In previous years, a province producing even two S-rank individuals was exceptional. Daxia rarely produces one SS-rank annually.
SSS-rank? Once in a decade. Forbidden, above SSS, hasn't appeared for centuries, maybe millennia.
Hanging up, Jiang Yan sat on the sofa, a current of determination in his eyes.
A golden era of divine-gifted prodigies was arriving. To avoid being swept aside, one path remained: grow stronger.
"No system? Fine. I, Jiang Yan, will use my talent as a key to crush today's prodigies and rise to the pinnacle of this brilliant era!"
"Red umbrella—!"
Crimson flickered in his eyes. In his hand appeared a red oil-paper umbrella, a divine artifact imprinted on his soul from birth. Jiang Yan didn't know its rank.
The canopy was deep crimson, as if soaked in blood. The black handle bore strange, eerie patterns. From afar, it looked ordinary—but Jiang Yan knew better: this umbrella, awakened from birth, was no ordinary object.
He gripped the handle and pulled gently.
Hum—!
A sharp sword cry erupted, shattering the glass in the room.
The black handle revealed a ghostly blade, entirely crimson, suffused with swirling blood energy.
As the ghost sword emerged from the umbrella, blood energy spiraled around him, solidifying into a vivid red robe. It fluttered and shifted on its own, perfectly mirroring the umbrella's canopy.
The image of Jiang Yan drawing his red umbrella—the canopy transforming into a flowing crimson robe—was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Standing there, cloaked in red and wielding the blood-infused ghost sword, he exuded an overwhelming presence, the kind that seemed capable of cleaving gods and demons alike.