Chapter 24: Embracing the Blood Banner (Part 1)

As the sun ascended higher, its harsh light revealed every scar and secret in the courtyard. The murmurs of the gathered disciples faded into a tense silence as the time for choice drew near. Zhang Yan stood amid the throng, his eyes fixed on the spear-bearing envoy of the Blood Banner... A woman whose steely gaze seemed to dissect every hidden thought.

For hours, he had lingered in the shadows, watching the factions declare their allegiances. The weight of potential destiny pressed upon him. His darkened shadow, a silent testament to the power of the Devouring Nine Shadows, writhed at his feet. It was a restless reminder of the darkness he had embraced, and it called to him like a hungry beast.

The Blood Banner was not merely a faction; it was a way of life forged in the crucible of endless battle. They were warriors, raiders, and hunters who sought freedom in the chaos of warfare. Their path was marked by ruthless loyalty and the promise of blood-soaked triumph. In their eyes, glory was won through combat, and strength was measured in the scars borne from relentless conflict.

Zhang Yan's thoughts churned like storm-tossed seas. He had no patron, no lineage to lean on; only the manual and the dark power it had awoken within him. In that truth lay his resolve. He understood that to survive in this cutthroat world, he must harness his own ambition, turning his inner darkness into a weapon. And so, as the murmurs of the courtyard grew into a low, expectant hum, he took his first step.

With deliberate resolve, Zhang Yan moved forward from the periphery of the crowd. Every step felt like a defiant heartbeat against fate. The Blood Banner envoy's eyes narrowed, her gaze sharpening as if she had long awaited this moment. The murmurs around him subsided into a heavy silence.

The envoy's voice, low and measured, cut through the stillness. "Child, step forward." Her tone carried both command and challenge; a summons to prove his worth...