BLOODLINE TEMPERING: Transforming From Worm To Dragon

Chapter 11: Ridiculous Physique!

Morning.

This was Chen Tu's first day here in this Blood Refining Grotto as its outer disciple.

Although he was already here the previous afternoon, it couldn't be accounted for because the registration alone took almost the entire afternoon. It was already evening when he was guided to the disciple's accommodation building.

Because he missed the chow time last night, Chen Tu woke up starving. After ensuring where the disciple's canteen was, he made his trip to the building in a hurry.

Chen Tu was the first to wait outside the canteen. The waiting lasted for a while until the door to the canteen was opened by those on duty.

He immediately went to where the cooks were waiting.

It was quite a long meal distribution counter with several options. There are plenty of choices, from steamed buns to congee, sweet cakes, flatbreads, and crepes. But surprisingly, everything here is made from rice, wheat flour, and eggs.

There's barely any seasoning added to the food, making them taste bland. Even the food prepared in the Chen Family's kitchen is more flavorful.

But things like this were a norm out here.

After all, the number of outer disciples alone in this Blood Refining Grotto is around ten thousand. And this is just on the Outer grotto.

The number of disciples for the Inner grotto was a tenth of what the outer was.

From what was shared, the number of applicants alone was between five to six thousand annually whenever the Blood Refining Grotto opened its door for new disciples. But each time, only one-fifth to two-fifth of them were accepted.

This alone explains how strict the requirement was for them to be accepted into the Outer Grotto.

One of the requirements was to reach the third level in the Body Refining Layer before turning ten. Anyone who hardly comes to this requirement is considered low potential or worthless for grooming.

Looking at everyone in this canteen, Chen Tu's cultivation was at rock bottom, with the strength of the first level in the Body Refining Layer. It was obvious that he had come here through a certain opportunity.

Being the first to arrive allows Chen Tu to pick two more steamed buns and the other choice available. Although there's no limit on how much food the disciple can take, they're subject to the rules of no wastage.

As long they don't waste the food, they're allowed to go for the second, third, fourth, or fifth rounds. Of course, if they managed to get a queue amongst the ten thousand disciples here.

Their chow time lasted for three hours. Those who failed to turn up in between would have to starve throughout the day until it was time for dinner.

After finishing the food on his plate, Chen Tu took the opportunity to familiarize himself with his surrounding. Because he's illiterate, all he could do was follow the others wherever they were heading to see what that location was all about.

Although this place is considered the Outer cave of Blood Refining Grotto, there's no compulsory subject to be taught. Everything inside here follows the rules of bartering and exchange, where the disciples would work and complete tasks available all over the faction for contribution tokens.

Depending on their accepted task, a disciple would be paid with a contribution token. Menial duties like sanitary tasks would grant them between one to three points daily, while some harder jobs, like farming and cooking, would be paid more.

Unfortunately, the higher the pay, the more it was sought after.

Furthermore, there's a limited number of positions daily. Except for some tasks like cooks, door guards, and night patrols, most were open for grabs that same morning. This means those like Chen Tu, who went to the canteen first, would definitely be left with jobs nobody wanted.

After remembering where the Mission Hall was, Chen Tu followed the others until he arrived at a place where two facilities stood side by side.

The Book Pavilion and Training Hall.

This place is where the teacher and martial elders live.

By spending the contribution token earned, a disciple could exchange them for time to view the book of martial arts, cultivation, history, and plenty of precious records inside the pavilion.

The disciples could also spend their contribution tokens inside the Training Hall to exchange for a one-to-one lesson or classes opened by the teachers a few times weekly.

Unsure which one he should go for, Chen Tu went to ask the disciples nearby. Most of them were considered friendly and happily shared their thoughts with Chen Tu. However, there were still a few snobbish individuals born with the eyesight of disapproval.

Being unable to see how irritated the other party was by Chen Tu's question, a fight happened. Because he was a mere first-level Body Tempering Layer, Chen Tu was bullied by three other disciples in their third level.

Of course, they only taught Chen Tu a lesson for irritating them. Since everyone was standing on this ground of Blood Refining Grotto, they adhered to the rule of not heavily injuring a fellow disciple or killing.

For any misunderstanding and more intense rivalry, they had the option of settling the grudge in the Training Hall, on the Heaven and Earth Stage. But to use this stage, a prior appointment had to be made, and a form of payment was collected to ensure nobody renegade the result after the fight.

"Ouch... These people are just the same as the others..." Chen Tu stood and left the place after he noticed them going. Although it was painful to be ganged by stronger disciples, he could only blame himself for not realizing it, correct?

Still, Chen Tu failed to notice that the others were staring at him like he was a freak. The sight Chen Tu was pummeled by three disciples on the third level and still capable of dusting himself before leaving was a surprise.

(Did they pity this idiot, or he's born with a ridiculous physique? How can he simply stand and leave like nothing happened?)

It was bewildering to the others.

If they were the ones who got beaten, nine out of ten people here would assume they'll have to crawl back to their room.