Sa Min, not intimidated in the least, finally spoke up, "disappointment you asked me? No, I am not disappointed, I am not embarrassed either, Elder."

That creepy smile of his—the one that never touched his cold eyes—began to form. “Why would I be? This is what my ancestors gave me, and I’m grateful for it. Shouldn’t I be?” He nonchalantly scratched at his nose, fully aware that his smile was about to get even creepier. "Aren't we all important pieces of our clan?" he mockingly added.

Elder Sa Yu Guo’s beady eyes narrowed at that,. “You…” He hesitated, studying Sa Min for a moment before letting out a weary sigh. What could he possibly say to such words, especially in front of the clan’s members?

“You’re right; I let my emotions get the best of me. I apologize,” the elder finally said, patting Sa Min on the shoulder. “"I apolo… let me see your sea core, son, just to ease this old man’s worries,” He added out of nowhere with a gentle smile on his face. “No issues, right?”

“Of course not, Elder. No issues at all,” Sa Min replied evenly, his faint smile vanishing.

He didn't bother checking anyone's sea core before me... and tossing it out like that, trying to catch me off guard. Hmm, he's definitely wary of me, Sa Min calmly thought to himself.

Sea Cores were... more private to cultivators than their private parts, and for very good reasons. Asking a cultivator to let you see his sea core was extremely inappropriate.

But Elder Sa Yu Guo wasn't asking, and Sa Min was too weak to push back against it.

From the elder's sea core, through his force gate, a Ka surged forth and landed in his palm. It was a tiny, square mirror about the size of an egg, dangling from a long, thin bamboo stick.

The Bamboo Mirror Ka, Sa Min recognized the item in Elder Sa Yu Guo’s hand. This rank 1 Ka worked only with rank 1 Gentle Peek Yantra; a well-known Yantra that all kinds of organizations utilized, be it academies, clans, armies, mercenaries, and others.

Its ability allowed its wielder to see inside another cultivator's sea core for a limited time, but this could only work if the concerned cultivator allowed it to enter. It could not force its way in.

With a tap of his index finger, Elder Sa Yu Guo activated the Yantra and the Ka's bamboo stick stretched out, entering Sa Min's force gate. He then turned his attention to the mirror in his hand, scrutinizing the reflection of Sa Min’s sea core, searching for anything suspicious.

When he finally found nothing out of the ordinary, he let out a sigh and the bamboo stick shrank back down with a screech. He then casually dropped the Bamboo Mirror Ka back into his sea core.

Looking up at the remaining crowd, he declared, "Sa Min, ordinary-sea core, 1-star aptitude!"

The few people still hanging around in the stands, those who had been clutching onto a thin thread of hope, turned and began to drift away as the Elder's clear words reached them.

Sa Min glanced over at the participants' section. Only a handful of young cultivators were there, and as they departed, they shot him contemptuous and mocking looks as they left. Sa Juan was the only one still sitting; her face was filled with shock and disbelief as she stared at him.

There was no obligation for the participants to stick around after awakening their sea cores, and most had quickly left after watching Sa Min's failure to fully absorb the second force apple—they had just opened their sea core, and they were naturally eager to begin cultivation.

Not too far off, Sa Min saw the womanizer patriarch strolling out of sight, followed by his two female servants. One by one, the elders left, throwing scornful glances at Sa Huiqing, who was still hiding his face in his arms.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Slowly, the noise in the arena faded away.

Elder Sa Yu Guo, still frustrated, snatched the blue belt from the guard and tossed it at Sa Min. "That's enough. You're done here," he said, turning his wrinkled face toward the nervous Sa Juan in the stands. "Sa Juan. Your turn."

Caught unprepared, Sa Juan nearly tumbled off her seat. "Y-Yes Elder!" she stammered, hurriedly making her way down the steps.

Sa Min walked off the stage. Having a 1-star aptitude meant he had to compete in the outer competition tomorrow to earn a spot in the inner circle. There were only twenty seats for first-year disciples, with reserved spots for those with 2-star aptitude. The remaining seats would be filled through the outer competition.

But before that, I need to check what the hell happened to my back.

***

“Brother…” Sa Juan’s voice barely escaped her lips as she watched Sa Min stride past her, not even sparing a glance in her direction. It was as if she wasn’t even there. That’s…

She continued walking, but her mind reeling from what she had just witnessed. Sa Min’s expression remained the same—calm, indifferent, like nothing mattered to him at all. His light blue eyes were cold and emotionless, like shards of ice, reflecting nothing but emptiness.

How could he be so unbothered? Wasn’t he worried? A 1-star aptitude should have crushed him. Didn’t he care about what Father would say? The shame it would bring to the family?

Questions raced through her mind as she glanced back at her brother’s retreating figure.

Isn’t all this attitude because he thought he had a Grand-sea core? That he’s a genius—

A frightening thought struck her head then, sending a wave of dread into her chest. If Sa Min—with whom she had lived for many years; she saw how unique he was—only had 1-star aptitude, what did that mean for her, and she was just…normal?

Her heart raced. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she stepped onto the stage. She glanced at Elder Sa Yu Guo, who ignored her completely, sitting in his chair with his head down in his book. She bowed anyway, picked up two force apples, and headed to the circular spot.

Taking a deep breath, Sa Juan settled onto the ground, crossing her legs with a mix of hope and nerves. She closed her eyes tightly, blocking out everything around her as she grabbed one force apple and dove into her usual prayer. ‘Please, Heaven, the Higher One, dear Ancestors,’ she pleaded in her heart. Please, please, I beg you, I’ll do anything; just don’t give me the Unfortunate-sea core…

Moments later, the first force apple was completely absorbed, and a wave of overwhelming joy washed over her heart as she released she had escaped the Unfortunate-sea core. I’m like Sa Min now… she thought, her spirit lifting.

Even though one-star aptitude was so common among cultivators, the mere thought of her not being below Sa Min was a huge boost to her morale.

Her hand reached for the second force apple with no expectation of fully absorbing its primal force.

So when she did absorb the second force apple, a jolt of shock coursed through her, leaving her momentarily frozen. 2-star aptitude? A Solid-sea core? The implications ignited in her mind like wildfire, and she couldn’t help but laugh internally.

Wasn’t Sa Wen the only one in the clan with 2-star aptitude this year? With this aptitude, wasn’t it possible for her to reach the True Master stage and become an Elder in the clan, just like her father?

A surge of joy like nothing she had ever felt before filled her as she imagined her family's reaction to her aptitude. She wanted to open her eyes, to let out a triumphant cry and bask in the attention of those who had belittled and mocked her. However, she held herself back and grabbed the third force apple instead.

What if—what if she possessed 3-star aptitude. The thought seemed ridiculous, but the possibility was too thrilling to dismiss.

The primal force kept flowing into her force gate until a chilling sensation—the one cultivators felt when they opened their sea core—enveloped her. In disbelief, she snapped her eyes open, finding the force apple utterly drained.

She blinked, unable to believe her eyes. A 3-star aptitude? Was it even possible? Surely, this couldn't be true. There had to be some mistake. This was simply too much.

Doubt wrapped around her like fog, but it all melted away when she closed her eyes and gazed upon her newly opened sea core with her inner sight. It was truly Elite-sea core.

Hahahah…

The joy bubbled over, and it was too much for her to contain this time. She leapt to her feet, eyes wide, scanning the crowd with desperate anticipation.

Where was Sa Min? She craved to witness his reaction, to see his arrogance humbled for once.

However, beyond the faint murmurs of five scattered spectators, the stands were empty—no joyous exclamations, no applause. Sa Min was nowhere to be found, nor were her father and those who had sneered at her appearance.

There was only silence, and Elder Sa Yu Guo, who approached her with his eyes wide with disbelief.

The smile on Sa Juan's face slowly faded away.