After hours of wandering through the dark, narrow streets, Sa Min glanced at the sky. The faint light of dawn was beginning to brighten the sky. They had scattered blood all over a huge part of a neighborhood, but there was still no reaction.

Sa Min wasn’t disappointed in any way as he hadn't expected to stumble upon the Key on the first day.

Time to see if I can find some good powercubes, he thought, letting out a sigh.

His initial plan was to visit the Long Zhang Store. He had been doing business with them for years, selling low-tier, 1st-grade Body Cleansing Powercubes. The shopkeeper knew him well, and Sa Min believed he could negotiate a better price for some of the powercubes he needed.

But earlier, during his conversation with Wing Lian, Sa Min had casually mentioned his interest in buying some powercubes, mainly to get close to him. In response, Wing Lian suggested a store just three blocks from where they were—supposedly, it offered incredibly low prices on powercubes.

Five Skies Under Store. Sa Min had heard other disciples talk about it, but he never gave it much thought. Now that he was in the cursed area, why not check it out?

They rode to the store on Wing Lian's bike, and soon enough, they were standing in front of it. The building was plain and a bit worn, with a wooden sign creaking slightly in the breeze. It looked like any other mid-level store—nothing too special from the outside.

“Hurry up,” Wing Lian muttered, rubbing his eyes. “Class starts in an hour.”

Sa Min shot him a sideways glance, beads of sweat on his forehead. They were both exhausted from walking all night. “We’ll probably pass out during the lecture anyway,” he said with a half smile. “Appreciate you waiting for me.”

“Just make sure to make it quick.” Wing Lian yawned, leaning his weight against the bike. “If we skip class without a convincing alibi, we'll get unnecessarily punished.”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t take long,” Sa Min muttered, dragging his feet toward the door.

After the long night, Sa Min had made a careful effort to bond with Wing Lian. He’d shared some personal stories, all of them made up, and even thrown in a few jokes, all with one goal in mind: to get Wing Lian to open up.

Sa Min felt like he’d made some progress. Not enough to gain his trust completely, but enough to get a little closer.

Wing Lian, on the surface, looked a lot like Sa Min—aloof, keeping to himself, doing things solo. But Sa Min could see through the act. Wing Lian wasn’t as lone wolf as he pretended to be.

He only stayed alone because he believed no one really understood him, that he carried a burden no one else could see.

Sa Min had picked up on that, and he focused on making Wing Lian feel like they weren’t so different after all—that they shared the same burdens. So far, it seemed to be working.

Pushing open the door, Sa Min stepped into the dimly lit store and took in the rows of shelves brimming with powercubes of all types and grades.

He had heard that this place was usually buzzing with cultivators, often forming long lines outside just to get in. But today, only six people wandered the aisles. Perhaps it was too early.

“Welcome to Five Skies Under, young master.” A female attendant appeared almost immediately, her voice smooth and professional. “Feel free to browse, and let us know if you need anything.”

Sa Min nodded and made his way straight to the section with blue powercubes. He wasn’t here to waste time.

Powercubes were classified into 9 grades, each represented by a distinct color. Blue for 1st-grade, green for 2nd-grade, and yellow for 3rd-grade...

Each grade had three tiers: low-tier, mid-tier, and high-tier. A cultivator could easily tell the grade and tier of a powercube by sensing the primal force it emitted.

Given the limits of Sa Min’s sea core and his meager supply of force apples, his options were naturally restricted to 1st-grade powercubes.

He looked around the shelf before him. Dozens of powercubes were neatly arranged in small boxes, each with a unique symbol inscribed on it. Beside each powercube, a tag displayed its name, tier, smallway, ability, and price.

His eyes landed on a powercube called Explosive Smoke. It was a 1st-grade high-tier Earth-smallway.

This powercube could create a thick cloud of smoke that exploded outward, disorienting enemies within a five-meter radius. It was perfect for creating chaos, either for escape or to gain a tactical advantage in close combat.

Sa Min barely paid attention to the rest of the specifics, as the price caught his eye.

65 force apples? he thought, frowning. That’s way too cheap.

Suspicious, he put the powercube back and reached for another.

Bolt Arrow Stick, a 1st-grade high-tier Lightning-smallway, could unleash three shots of lightning, each capable of striking targets up to 10 meters away. It was useful for ranged attacks and just as deadly up close.

Something is not right… Sa Min’s frown deepened as he saw the price. 53 force apples? This should be at least 86 force apples, if not more.

Powercube after powercube, the pattern was the same. The prices didn’t match their abilities; everything was cheaper than it should have been.

Sa Min picked up another powercube called Bright Fire and began inspecting it closely. He turned it over, running his fingers along the surface, searching for…

Then he saw it.

There, beside the symbol unique to the cube, was a very small number—the expiration date.

Sa Min’s face twisted into a grim smile. Of course.

These powercubes were all nearing their expiration. That’s why the prices were so low. While they were still functional, their effectiveness would soon fade, leaving little time to make use of them.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Unlike Natural Kas—which include Borned Kas or those born from the female Seed Core, as well as those formed directly from nature, all of which have natural lifespans—Created Kas and powercubes come with expiration dates.

Created Kas and powercubes are items entirely refined by cultivators skilled in the art of Refining. Their expiration dates depend on several factors, such as the type of powercube, the recipe, the materials used, and other variables.

Ultimately, though, the final decision regarding expiration comes down to the Refiner or the Association's discretion.

The closer a powercube was to expiring, the cheaper it became.

A powercube set to expire next year was worth a much higher price than the same one expiring next month.

Sa Min hadn’t checked the expiration dates right away, assuming, like most powercubes, that they’d have at least three months left. It was rare to find anything with less time than that.

But as he inspected the powercubes more closely now, he realized what was happening. The expiration dates were all short—some had only a few weeks left, while others had just days.

Setting the Bright Fire Powercube back down with a soft thud, Sa Min shook his head. This is a smart strategy, he thought. They’re playing on quantity, not quality. With prices this low, it made sense why the place was so popular.

The prices were extremely tempting, and the short expiration dates meant customers would have to return frequently, buying more powercubes to replace the ones they used or that expired.

The sound of Wing Lian’s bike horn echoed from outside, drawing Sa Min’s attention. He glanced around the store, noticing that more cultivators were trickling in.

Not wanting to waste time, he went back to looking for what he came here for.

As a cultivator at the lowest transformation of the Beyond Mortal stage, Sa Min believed that defensive and movement-type powercubes were the natural options for him.

He turned his attention to the nearby defensive powercubes and quickly set his sights on the Body Fiery Shield.

This basic 1st-grade, mid-tier powercube created a protective barrier around the user, capable of absorbing up to 50% of a rank 1 attack.

Priced at 57 force apples, it was a solid choice, though it was set to expire in a month.

Next, he shifted his focus to the movement powercubes.

There were only a few options available, but the one he had in mind was there—a commonly known 1st-grade, low-tier powercube called Swift Step. This powercube that was worth 34 force apples could double his speed for 10 seconds.

And like Body Fiery Shield, it only had a month left before becoming useless.

Let’s see if I can find something else, Sa Min thought as he strolled through the aisles. After a while, he found himself back in front of the Explosive Smoke Powercube he had seen earlier.

Despite its shorter lifespan—set to expire in just two weeks—the price of 65 force apples was still a solid deal, especially considering the usefulness of its ability.

With this powercube in hand, he could even pass on the Body Fiery Shield entirely.

Sa Min took a moment to consider his options. The Body Fiery Shield for defense, Swift Step for escaping, and Explosive Smoke for disorienting enemies—any of them could be crucial, depending on what came his way.

He nodded to himself, having made up his mind. 162 force apples for all three... With the one he had used last night for cultivation, that would leave him with 358 force apples. It was a heavy price, but necessary.

With all the conspiracies going in the city, he didn’t want to stay defenseless until he opened his essence core. That would take a month or more.

Force apples aren't meant to be hoarded, Sa Min thought as he walked to the counter, feeling no remorse over the apples he was about to spend. I just need to save enough for when I open my essence core. After that, I'll find a way to get more.

With that thought, Sa Min reached the counter. "I'd like to reserve some powercubes until tomorrow," he told the shopkeeper. He hadn’t brought any force apples with him to this dangerous, cursed area—certainly not 162.

The shopkeeper, a man in his thirties with a blank expression, opened a ledger and picked up a pen. "Which ones?"

Sa Min listed them.

“And under what name should I register the order?”

“Sa Min.”

The shopkeeper glanced up. “If you don't collect them by tomorrow, the order will be voided.”

Sa Min simply nodded and headed outside. He found Wing Lian slouched against his bike, half-asleep as he waited. Without a word, they climbed onto the bike and took off, riding back to the academy.

….

The Inner Circle Academy had three mandatory classes each week for first-year inner disciples: Cultivation, History and Geography, and Demonic Beasts. There was also the Training Class, which began once most disciples managed to open their essence cores.

Today, in the Lecture Hall, Senior Hu Guo stood at the front, teaching. She had been assigned by the administration to lead another session.

“…and that is how His Majesty Emperor Xi Feng Zhou survived,” she concluded. “That’s all for today. The Instructor will likely continue the story of how the emperor defeated the rebellion backed by the Heavenly Union next week.”

A collective sigh of relief swept through the hall as the disciples started packing up their things.

Hu Guo glanced around at their tired faces. “How’s your cultivation coming along? Have you noticed any progress in clearing the blockage in your essence cores?”

Ta Chen had instantly raised her arm, a proud smile spreading across her face. She was clearly pleased with herself.

Senior Hu Guo nodded at her in acknowledgment.

Some fellow disciples watched her with admiration, while others couldn’t hide their jealousy.

Beside her, Sa Juan clenched her fists, frustration bubbling inside her. I need to try harder. I can’t afford to fall behind—I have 3-star aptitude. It would be embarrassing if I didn’t break it first… I can’t let my parents down after all the force apples they gave me yesterday.

Sa Wen and Duo Jinhai were silent, but inside, a fire of determination burned within. Both understood the disadvantage that came with possessing a weak Ba, and both were desperate to claim that Spherical Coin and avoid the suffering they were now facing.

“It’s only been two days. It’s perfectly normal if most of you haven’t seen any progress yet,” Hu Guo reassured the class as she walked toward her desk. “Just keep cultivating and strengthening your Ba. Sooner or later, you’ll all open your sea cores. Just don’t be like—”

She paused, grabbed a pen from the desk, and hurled it to the back of the hall. "These two!" she snapped. "Wake up, you drunks!"

The disciples turned to the back, where Wing Lian and Sa Min were slumped over their tables, the strong stench of alcohol drifting from them.

A murmur of whispers rippled through the hall—some mocking, others pitying.

Sa Juan glanced at Sa Min with complicated feelings, while Ta Chen watched with a satisfied grin.

Senior Hu Guo shook her head. I can understand Sa Min. He’s probably still reeling from his shameful downfall, going from Heaven’s Genius to the City’s Disgrace . But Wing Lian was different. He had an aptitude only few blessed with. What could possibly be going on with him?