Unaware of Sa Juan's situation, Sa Min continued walking towards the house. What had happened to his back was still troubling him. However, he knew that no amount of speculation would help; he just needed to wait until he could see it with his own eyes.

As he moved down the busy main street, he heard people hurling insults at him. Sa Min ignored them, turning into a narrow alley and approaching a very small, humble cultivation shop.

At the counter, there were already three young cultivators who had just opened their sea cores and were waiting. The moment they saw him, their faces twisted with scorn.

"Well, if it isn’t the so-called ‘heavenly miracle,’ or should I say, the trash son of the traitors," one of them jeered.

"Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be hiding back on the mountain? Or do you really think the patriarch’s pardon still matters?" another spat.

"Look at him, still pretending to be cool. Let me…let me bring you back to reality," the third said, annoyed by Sa Min's indifference before he stepped forward. But before he could do anything stupid, the shopkeeper saved him.

"Hey, no fighting in front of my store." He placed six large glass bottles of gray liquid on the counter. "Here’s your stuff."

"Don’t you have any bags?"

"We’re out of bags," the shopkeeper replied with a smile.

Grumbling, they grabbed their bottles and left. "This is the last time we’re coming to this poor store..."

The one who was bothered by Sa Min turned his head, shooting Sa Min a threatening glare. "We’re not done yet. See you at the outer competition," he said before leaving.

Sa Min sighed and stepped up to the counter.

"Soul Liquor too?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Yeah, the large size."

"Give me a second." The shopkeeper disappeared into the back and returned with two bottles.

"Here you go."

"Just one," Sa Min said, pulling out the only force apple he had brought with him.

The shopkeeper snatched the apple from his hand. "Haven’t you just awakened your Borned Ka? You need two of these to fully nourish it. You know that, right?"

Sa Min smiled. "I already have one at home," he said as he summoned his Volcanic Black Rock Ka through his force gate.

The Ka hovered over the counter, its small holes glowing with orange light.

Sa Min could sense it was only at 5% of its energy, as expected from a newly awakened Borned Ka.

The shopkeeper’s eyes widened. "You’re planning to feed it here?!"

"Why not?" Sa Min uncorked the bottle and poured the gray Soul Liquor.

Instantly, the Volcanic Black Rock Ka began absorbing every drop eagerly; not a single drop spilled onto the counter.

After drinking the whole bottle, the Volcanic Black Rock's energy was still at 5%, but Sa Min wasn't surprised. Soul Liquor always left Natural Kas in a brief drunken state.

Kas were super crucial for cultivators since they serve as keys to activating Yantras. Every Yantra required a specific Ka or Kas that the cultivator had to possess in order to activate it—this was common knowledge. Without the right Ka, activating the Yantra was simply impossible

It didn't matter the rank of the Yantra or what Highway or Smallway it belonged to, it was just impossible to be activated without its corresponding Ka. Some Kas simply needed to be within the cultivator's sea core or on their body to get the Yantra working, like this Volcanic Black Rock Ka.

Others, such as the Six-lines White Ring Ka, had to be physically placed on the opponent for the Yantra to perform. And then there were those Kas that actually played a part in the Yantra's ability, like the Pointed Jade Box Ka and the Square Paper Ka.

There were two types of Kas: Natural Kas and Created Kas, and both needed to be fed regularly. Feeding Natural Kas was quite straightforward— it was Soul Liquor, which was produced in places like the Drinks Barns.

Before the patriarch pardron's arrival, the Sa Clan's Drinks Barn had been managed by Sa Huiqing.

Rank 1 Natural Kas, Borned Kas among them, needed to drink Soul Liquor every three days to maintain peak energy. Each time, they required two large bottles.

"Young man, you’ve just awakened your Borned Ka. Let me give you some advice…" the storekeeper said in a serious manner. "Never reveal your Borned Ka in public. It's your lifeline. If someone damages or steals it, you’re in deep trouble."

Sa Min nodded. The old man was right. Everyone knew this. In fact, cultivators rarely revealed their Borned Ka, even in battle, unless it was absolutely necessary. But Sa Min wasn’t worried—this wasn’t his Borned Ka.

"Thanks for the advice," Sa Min said with a smile as he summoned his Ka back, then turned to leave. He had barely taken a few steps when he sensed a sudden surge in the Volcanic Black Rock Ka’s energy—it had jumped to 50%.

----------------------------------------

As soon as Sa Min stepped into his room, he quickly shut the door and closed the window, casting the place into darkness. He flicked on the oil lamp on his desk, then stripped off his robe and headed straight for the long bronze mirror hanging behind the door.

A frown instantly formed on his face as he laid his eyes upon his reflection.

Five big words were etched in black across his slender back.

“What the hell...” he muttered, confused.

Running his fingers over the marks, he felt as though they were old wounds carved into his flesh.

Sa Min’s frown deepened. This had to be some kind of Yantra—there was no other explanation. But what Yantra was this? Who the hell had done it? And why? Was it those bastards from the Heavenly Union? Had his identity been exposed this early?

Taking a long, deep breath, Sa Min tried to calm the torrent of doubts swirling in his mind. He plopped down behind his scarlet wooden writing desk, determined to figure this shit out.

Alright, let's think this through step by step, he thought to himself. What kind of Yantra can engrave words on someone’s back?

How was he supposed to know? The amount of Yantras out there was unimaginable. Even at over 600 years old and having reached the True Immortal stage, Sa Min felt his knowledge of Yantras, Kas, recipes, and everything else was just a drop in the vast ocean of what existed.

All he could figure was that this Yantra was probably a communication type. Beyond that, he had no clue about its rank, its corresponding Ka, or how it even worked.

Sa Min could feel himself getting frustrated. Who would send him a message in this way?

Could my identity have been exposed already? The thought nagged at Sa Min, but he quickly brushed it aside. If the heavenly union had discovered his whereabouts, they wouldn’t be so foolish as to send him a message telling him that. No, they’d keep him in the dark until they were right in front of him.

What if it was someone else who knew his true identity? A chilling unease settled in his gut. But…unless they had used some method he was unaware of, there was no way they could trace him.

He had successfully disposed of the tracker embedded in his body once and for all, thanks to the Yellow Mind Swap Yantra.

The tracker on his Borned Ka, the Ominous Snake Stick, was blocked by a Sealing Formation he had set up in a hidden spot.

The tracker on his Ba wouldn’t work so long as it remained in the Ba House (in his mind) and didn’t go to the Sea of Knowledge.

Even if someone somehow figured out that he had used the Yellow Mind Swap Yantra, how would they ever find out who he had switched bodies with?

But who could have sent this message? Could it be tied to the original owner of this body? That seemed like a more likely possibility. The immortal who had delivered him to the Liu family had called him ‘Young Master,’ which meant his family must be some powerful force.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Sa Min sat there, thinking over and over, but no answers came. He just didn't have enough information to piece it together. Frustration surged through him, and he let out a long, exasperated sigh. He despised this feeling of being manipulated by others. Like a slave.

With another deep breath, he shifted his focus to the content of the message. No need to check his back again—he could still see those five words clearly in his mind: Key. Wings. Colored eyes. Blood.

To cultivators in the lower and middle Realms, the idea of a Key might be unfamiliar, but in the immortal realm, Keys held a special place. When an immortal—a cultivator in the immortal realm—died, a Key to their Inner Domain would form naturally in the outside world.

The Wings were a torn family that had arrived in Tetra Blessing City a few years ago, and Sa Min knew them. Their young master was an outer disciple at the academy—a dissolute young man with unkempt hair who had never undertaken a mission in the outer academy.

Colored eyes… Sa Min muttered, his thoughts immediately flashing to the incidents of colored-eyed people who had been mysteriously disappearing

Then, when he reached the last word—Blood—a grin slowly spread across his face. That one simple word was all he needed to tie everything together in his mind.

Don't tell me...there’s a Key in the city… and its passcode is the blood of the colored-eyed people.

This had to be it. Now that Sa Min thought about it, the disappearances of the colored-eyed people had begun three years ago—the same time the Wing family had come. That could not be a coincidence.

And since people were still vanishing, it meant one thing: They haven’t found the Key yet.

Sa Min could feel himself getting excited. This was a rare opportunity, one he might never encounter again in the near future. With his limited aptitude, his cultivation progress would be painfully slow.

However, if he could get his hands on that Key, if he could access the Inner Domain… it would change everything. It would definitely change his plans entirely.

But then, his grin faded, and his face went indifferent again. His doubts about who had sent the message and why resurfaced again.

It could be another party interested in the Key, Sa Min thought. Someone who wants me to expose the Qings family or can’t somehow take it by themselves…or maybe too afraid of being caught by the authorities, and they’re using me to retrieve it and then planning to take it from me afterward.

But why him? Why choose a poor outer disciple who hadn't even opened his Essence Core or his second and third meridians yet? And how did they know that he knew what a Key meant?

None of it made sense.

The Wings, whoever is messing with me, and who knows how many others are after this Key, Sa Min thought, rubbing his left eye. I'm just a lowly 1st-transformation Beyond Mortal cultivator who knows nothing about the Key and its background. Getting involved in this hunt for the Key feels like walking straight to my death.

His strength was far too lacking, and the risks were overwhelming.

But again…

Sa Min reached for his back, feeling the words etched into his skin. A helpless sigh escaped his lips. Like it or not, he was already drawn into this, like it or not—that If the information was true, which he needed to verify first. Someone had dragged him into this without his consent, and now he had to deal with the consequences.

Sa Min kept thinking of ways to turn this situation to his advantage, all while staying clear of any potential danger.

“Master Sa Min.” After a while, a familiar voice called out from outside his door. “May I come in?” Hou Qing, his personal slave, spoke in a strange and sultry voice.

Sa Min raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t summoned her, but it didn’t matter. He was planning to call for her anyway. “Sure, come on in,” he said after he slipped his robe back on.

The door opened, and Hou Qing stepped inside, closing it behind her. Despite nearing her forties, she still looked stunning.

But something felt different this time. Her pale yellow robe hung loosely, exposing nearly all of her breasts, and her flawless white legs were visible up to her thighs. It was obvious she wasn’t wearing any underwear.

"You haven’t eaten since morning, so I thought I’d bring you something," she said, attempting to maintain a seductive face despite her obvious fear.

Sa Min smiled knowingly. He understood her intentions. “Sure, why not? Just put it down over there and wait for me. I’ll be done in just a few seconds.”

Hou Qing ogled at him as she placed the loaded tray on a nearby low table with trembling hands, then gently settled onto the cushion, letting out a soft moan.

Knowing that Sa Min still looking at her, she deliberately dropped her robe further, fully exposing her breasts.

Sa Min’s indifferent expression didn’t change, but internally, he felt the stirrings of desire as his snake began to wake up. This was not good. He glanced down at it before letting out a hopeless sigh. It had been almost a year since he’d bed a woman.

I think I need to revisit the brothel again, he mused.

He always considered his snake, his stomach as slavery chains that their only purpose was to remind him that he was a slave. What purpose did they serve, really?

At least Kas offered some value in return when you fed them. But these things? They felt utterly pointless.

Realizing where his thoughts had wandered, Sa Min rubbed his left eye, which often itched, then grabbed a quill and some yellow parchment, and he began to scrawl furiously, not pausing for a second.

As someone with colored eyes myself, I need to make sure I won’t end up as a sacrifice for the Wings family or anyone else searching for the Key, Sa Min sneered in his heart.

Before the Awakening Ceremony, the reports of missing children with colored eyes hadn’t bothered him much. He had been cautious, certainly, but he never truly grasped the seriousness of the situation.

Now, he had to take precautions in case they came for him as well.

After a few moments, Sa Min paused, scanning the words he had written. Satisfied, he nodded to himself and carefully rolled the parchment tightly, tucking it into his robe.

Sa Min then turned his attention to slave Hou Qing. "So, what’s your next move?" he asked coldly.

Hou Qing’s head turned sharply. "W-What?" she said, terrified.

"You clearly came here to seduce me. So, what’s next?"

An intense silence filled the room before Hou Qing broke it with a forced chuckle. “Forgive me, Master,” she said, her hands trailing over her body in a suggestive manner. “All the female slaves have done this for their masters. Fifteen is the legal age for sex, yet you’ve never touched me. I started to wonder if I was the problem and if I should have been the one to—”

"Take off your robe."

Hou Qing's face twisted for a second. “Of course,” she said, standing up and casually loosening her belt as she approached him. Just as she was about to take off her robe, she suddenly pulled a blade from a pocket and recklessly charged at Sa Min.

Sa Min easily swatted her arm away, sending the blade clattering to the floor. Then, with a powerful slap, he threw her onto the yellow wooden floor.

"You think I didn’t notice the blade?" he sneered, looking down at her with his icy blue eyes.

"Please, please, I don't want to die…" Hou Qing began to cry in desperation.

Mortals like Hou Qing were humans who weren't born with Force Gate, nor Imprints Gate on their body. They had no Sea Core, no Essence Center, and no meridians. And instead of Kas, they possessed souls.

They could not cultivate, but like everything in the world, they still had a role to play. It’s just that their role was... well, let’s just say they weren’t enjoying it.

Their souls were literally the food of Natural Kas, making them valuable resources for cultivators.

How cultivators treated mortals varied depending on the place. For instance, in the Xi Empire, mortals enjoyed a degree of relative freedom within their own mortal cities, experiencing a way better life compared to some other places.

However, their lives were still controlled. Mortals were registered under the cultivation city they were in, and their lifespan was decided for them. On the exact date of their death, Harvesters would come and take them to Drink Barns, where their souls would be turned into bottles of Soul Liquid.

Mortals were also valuable as slaves or cheap labor, often used in cultivation stores and other businesses.

Watching Hou Qing plead, Sa Min snorted and summoned the Volcanic Black Rock Ka.

At the sight of the Ka, Hou Qing, like a rabbit seeing a wolf, instinctively leaped towards the door. She knew that begging would be useless now, but she hadn’t realized that running would be as well.

Before she could take even three frantic steps, the Ka caught up to her. She crumpled to the ground immediately, her body convulsing violently. Her legs kicked out, and she gurgled loudly as a thick, gray liquid oozed from her mouth, eyes, and every orifice.

Her soul was being violently sucked away by the Volcanic Black Rock Ka.

Most male cultivators took female mortal slaves to satisfy their base desires. That was the reality. So, when Hou Qing noticed that Sa Min never attempted anything like that with her, she likely feared he'd either sell her or sacrifice her to his Ka, now that he had awakened it.

Perhaps that's why she lashed out against him so recklessly.

Sa Min never allowed mortal slaves to stay close to him, nor did he ever have sex with them.

Despite them being utterly weak and having no way of crafting Yantras or activating Powercubes, Sa Min still considered them dangerous.

He’d heard of cultivators who got slain by mortal prostitutes right in their own beds—a moment of vulnerability—all because of revenge, or by the order of other forces.

They were dangerous because they had nothing to lose, knew their time was running out, and would gladly take someone else down with them if they could, out of helplessness, despair, and desperation.

Unless a cultivator used some kind of Yantra to keep them in line, he’d have no idea when they might turn on him.

That’s why Sa Min had figured he’d just feed her to his Ka before he even knew attention.

Hou Qing's body was growing darker and darker, emitting a stench more disgusting than that of shit.

That’s why they had Drinks Barnes and Soul Liquor bottles. If every cultivator started feeding their Natural Kas directly from mortals, this world would be a total nightmare.

And though it’s illegal to feed Natural Kas directly from mortals, the authorities really couldn’t care less. To them, they were just mortals, resources to be used; as long as you cleaned up after yourself, no one batted an eye.

Sa Min just sat there, watching her until all the life had drained from her eyes. Then he called the Volcanic Black Rock back into his palm.

Moments later, the Ka energy increased to 100%