The Growth of a Titan
Chapter 272- There Is An Advantage In Numbers

Chapter 272: Chapter 272- There Is An Advantage In Numbers

The flying boat arrived at the venue where the Coming-of-Age Ceremony was taking place.

It was a large clearing that was covered in stone tiles.

From Sol’s perspective, this place looked like a city center. And this was almost confirmed by the amount of destroyed building foundations he passed to get here.

’There’s a history behind this destruction. Is it connected to the Barbarian Race losing the Giant Race bloodline?’

Sol couldn’t help but make this connection as he disembarked from the boat, which Mar-Yue placed back into her storage bag before walking next to him.

Sol’s focus soon landed on the main attraction of this place, and that was the humongous stone monument that was situation smack dab in the middle of this clearing.

’Is it that?’

Sol wondered if this was the thing agitating his Holy Crest, but it didn’t seem to be it.

’It’s more agitated here, but I don’t see what the cause could be.’

Sol glanced around before his focus went back on the stone monument.

Judging by looks alone, it should be around thirty to forty meters tall, and about ten meters wide.

"This looks like the stone monument in the Runes and Formations venue in the Martial Alliance Academy."

Sol spoke his thoughts aloud, and Mar-Yue nodded before saying.

"That is an imitation of this stone monument. But they are both different. The one in the Martial Alliance Academy tests one’s physical strength, but this stone monument tests our bloodlines."

Soon the two came to a stop in front of the stone monument, where there was a simple stage constructed.

A few children were on this stage looking nervous while their parents below tried to encourage them.

"What exactly happens during the Coming-of-Age Ceremony?"

Mar-Yue explained.

"It isn’t that complicated. On the day a child turns thirteen they are tested for our Giant Race’s bloodline, and afterward they’re sent out on their own in the Eternal Desert to hunt Spirit Beasts. This training lasts for a week."

"Are they protected in secret?"

The Eternal Desert was known to be almost as dangerous as the Demonic Forest next to it. Just the environment would deter someone from entering, much less the terrifying beasts that had adapted to this desolate lifestyle, thus becoming more vicious and bloodthirsty than normal Spirit Beasts.

Mar-Yue shook her head.

"They aren’t. They’re on their own for those seven days."

Sol’s expression changed. He paused, then asked.

"Do deaths occur?"

"Of course they do. But death is something that we must live with."

Hearing Mar-Yue’s matter-of-fact tone, Sol didn’t know what to say.

Upon seeing Sol’s silence, Mar-Yue glanced at him and paused before saying.

"Perhaps I didn’t explain that properly. It’s not as if we send these children into the Eternal Desert without protection. They are trained extensively from birth to handle the dangers of the Eternal Desert. Deaths do occur, but they are extremely rare. The last time a death had occurred was several decades ago."

Sol hearing this realized he was overthinking things once again. This was the Barbarian Race’s home that they grew up in from birth. If anyone could survive in this place, it’s them. Even a child.

Sol then thought back on the children he met like Mar-Tai. They were young but they were more experienced than children their age in Jianghu.

’If the Barbarian Race wasn’t separated or crippled as a race by losing their bloodline and Blacksmithing Legacy, they might have been the most powerful of the three races.’

After thinking this, Sol couldn’t help but recall Mar-Du’s words.

He could understand why he was against Mar-Yue and him being together.

Sol soon released a sigh, but suddenly he heard a familiar voice.

"Uncle Sol!"

Sol turned to see Mar-Tai waving at him. He hurried over with someone by his side, Mar-Amato, Mar-Tala’s son.

Sol smiled as the two came up to him.

"So, you’re here to watch the Coming-of-Age Ceremony? Look, my older sister is one of the participants too."

Mar-Tai said pointing at one of the six girls out of the fourteen children on stage.

Sol glanced at this girl and realized she was one of the few kids that weren’t nervous.

"Uncle Sol, how old are you?"

Mar-Tai suddenly asked, and despite Sol wondering why he had asked, he still answered.

"I’m fourteen."

"That means you’re only a year older than my sister. You might be stronger, but I think if she was the same age as you, she could spar with you and not lose out in strength!"

"Is that so..."

Sol said as he glanced at Mar-Tai’s sister once again.

Seeing Sol’s reaction, Mar-Tai huffed.

"You might not believe me, but I’m telling the truth!"

"Haha, okay."

Sol said as he patted Mar-Tai’s head.

Sol wasn’t being arrogant, but he knew there were only a few people who could battle the current him, and that was without him removing his second bracelet and using his bloodline. Well, that number might increase in the coming future. However, that’s the very reason he was planning on going into seclusion.

His father always said complacency births stagnation, and stagnation was the death of growth.

"Sol, I’m leaving to go talk with my friends."

Mar-Yue said pulling on Sol’s sleeve.

Sol glanced at the group of girls that had just arrived and nodded.

After Mar-Yue left, Sol noticed that the once sparse clearing was now being filled.

At the same time, Mar-Du suddenly appeared floating above the stage.

"Let’s start the Coming-of-Age Ceremony."

Immediately after he said that, the crowd erupted into cheers before surging to the front of the stage to get a closer look.

This was a big event. If one of these kids awakens their Ancestral Bloodline, then they might produce another Mar-Tala.

Mar-Dule and Mar-Yue were known to be geniuses of that level, but the number of geniuses they had to compete with on a similar level that popped up in Jianghu and the Land of Shadows in the past years was simply ridiculous.

But if they can’t beat the two races with one overwhelming genius, then they could just use the one thing they had over the two, and that was their numbers.

If they could give birth to multiple geniuses then they could stand tall in this generation. However, this was easier said than done.

After Mar-Du formed a hand seal, the tall stone monument lit up with runes before releasing fourteen golden rays of light that landed on each child on the stage.

But one by one these rays of light faded, not having detected the Giant Race bloodline.

Everyone in the surroundings felt like a hammer had just slammed into their chest, while disappointment overcame them.

Every year, whether it was a single child or a hundred that turned thirteen, everyone in the Tribe would be filled with hope. But every time that hope would be crushed.

However, everyone immediately started clapping and cheering at the children, trying to lift their spirits. The ones who would feel the most disappointed were not them, but these kids.

The ones who were cheering the loudest were the adults.

These kids were the younger generation, as the older generation, it was their duty to nurture them into dragons and phoenixes.

_______________

Hey guys, don’t forget to vote with Golden Tickets and Power Stones to support the book!!