After a time of walking, Sa Juan and others found themselves on the main street.

Trying to simmer down her anger, Sa Juan took a deep breath, lifting her gaze from the piece of shit Sa Min in front of her to the bustling street.

The high buildings of tetra blessing city stood proudly, at least two stories high, their rooftops elaborately decorated with colorful tiles and intricate carvings.

Though carriages were absent, the cobbled street was alive with cultivators flocking toward the arena, all wearing colorful robes and decorated with talismans. The dusty ground was littered with old journals and wanted posters, and the air buzzed with chatter and excitement.

Today was no ordinary day. Was it not true that a member of Sa Clan was about to open his Grand-sea core? The anticipation was evident as everyone yearned to bear witness to this moment, a moment that hadn't happened in hundreds of years.

"Hey, look! Isn’t that Sa Min?" a young cultivator exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's him! Check out his eyes, man! They're like two pools of ice. Chilling."

"Look at his expressionless face. Maybe those rumors about him killing a mortal when he was just five are true...maybe he's really a little devil."

"I've heard he got visions from Heaven in the form of Yantras..."

"Doesn't matter; he's still a descendant of a traitor…"

Voices filled with shock and awe and jealousy echoed around Sa Juan as people began to recognize Sa Min. Each praising word she heard felt like a needle stabbing her heart, making it harder and harder for her to breathe.

As though enjoying the attention, Sa Min moved forward with a leisurely walk, flanked by five guards, as the crowd parted to clear his path.

Seemed people were already seeing him as the next patriarch.

Seeing all this, Sa Juan’s face twisted with hatred and jealousy; her breathing growing heavier and heavier as no one seemed to notice her existence —all attention was on her little brother.

This is unfair. This is so unfair, Sa Juan, she whispered to herself, struggling to contain the tempest of emotions inside her. She knew that if she collapsed, the crowd would simply trample over her in their rush to follow that "worthless devil."

Please, Heaven, she pleaded in desperation.They don’t know the truth about him. I do; I see it clearly. Please don’t let him receive the legendary sea core—he doesn’t deserve it. I do. I truly do…

Glancing around at the many admiring eyes on him, Sa Min felt nothing. His expression remained indifferent. The loud praises and the envious whispers surrounding him couldn't reach his stone-cold heart, let alone touch it. He would be a fool if they did.

Who, after all, takes joy or pain from the opinions of others?

There are few things I've found enjoyment in during my life, Sa Min scoffed in his heart, but seeking attention has never been one of them, even in my foolish days.

What if they see him as handsome or ugly, strong or weak, righteous or evil? So what? What significance do their opinions hold, except for further restricting his already limited freedom?

People in this world often try to make themselves forget the harsh truths that surround them. Why are they here? Who put them here, and for what reason? They try to distract themselves with... useless things like people's admiration and attention, friendship, love, cultivation, family, because they don't have the courage to question their reality.

They don't want to see that their family, their love, their emotions, people around them, and everything, literally everything are merely chains that enslave them to a certain path. They surrender to their chains because they are too weak to see them. In a world like this, how can I be attached to such distractions when I know they will only distract me from my purpose?

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It didn't take long before Sa Min and his five guards arrived at the main courtyard— Sa Juan was likely behind somewhere… If she hadn't gone missing in the crowd.

Calmly, Sa Min looked around, disregarding the many curious onlookers and their noises.

The main courtyard sprawled before him, a spacious space where the cultivators of the sa clan trained their Yantras and cultivated. At its heart stood a large six-story pagoda, serving as the residence of the patriarch and a gathering place for the Clan's elders.

Beside the pagoda was a circular, medium-sized arena; a huge black canopy was above it, floating, shielding it from the sunlight.

“Young master, I know you’re eager to take your seat, but first, you must see Elder Sa Yu Guo to check your force gate,” said the leading guard as they reached the arena. “Don’t worry—I’ll show you the way.”

Sa Min merely nodded, his face showing no excitement whatsoever, as he followed the guard.

Inside the shaded arena, the stands were divided into three sections. The largest was for spectators, still filling with people, while the areas for participants and elders looked smaller and were already packed.

The boisterous noise of the crowd suddenly quieted as they noticed Sa Min entering. For a moment, the place fell into a hush, but then the noise returned, louder and charged with excitement.

As though there was no crowd, Sa Min continued on walking, his unflinching eyes fixed on the elder's area.

On the upper tier of the stands sat a slender middle-aged man with a thin beard reaching down to his stomach. Sa Min recognized him. He was Sa Clan’s Patriarch, a Late-Transformation True Master Cultivator.

In the world of cultivation, there were nine stages spread across four realms. Beyond Mortal was the first stage in the lower realm, followed by True Master and then Golden Ancestor. Each cultivation stage had six Transformations, from the First Transformation to the Last Transformation.

This means that even if two cultivators were at the same stage, it didn’t mean they were equal in power.

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That patriarch was one of the five most powerful cultivators in the city. He sat away from the other elders, flanked by two elegantly dressed women, one of whom had gray eyes.

At that moment, he casually grabbed one of the women’s buttocks and, without any shame, smelled it while smiling.

The Womanizer Patriarch, Sa Min thought as he watched. Maybe the rumors aren't rumors after all.

Sa Min had heard stories and stories about the Sa Clan's Patriarch and his infamous habit—how he supposedly needed to bed a woman every three hours to avoid madness. While people often exaggerated, there seemed to be some truth to it.

Not that Sa Min cared.

Upon reaching the high, yellow arena floor, Sa Min saw an old man with wrinkled face sitting on a rickety chair at the edge of the stage, tapping his foot impatiently.

Sa Min knew him. He was Elder Sa Yu Guo, the head of the sa clan's guards and also the mentor of sa clan's cultivators.

Not just anyone could enter the inner circle of the city’s Foundational Academy. In fact, most people couldn’t even dream of affording a spot in the outer circle. Cultivators without access to the academy’s resources had only themselves to rely on for their cultivation.

Without the academy's support, opportunities for worthwhile missions were scarce, rewards were less, and resources were expensive. Unless one was willing to take the dangerous route of joining a mercenary band, cultivation was incredibly challenging without the backing of the Xi Empire.

However, in the major three clans—big families as well—cultivators could still manage to progress. While it couldn’t compare to the academy, there were enough resources available.

They had mentors, and members who entered the academy would occasionally come back to share their knowledge. They also had libraries filled with Yantra manuals.

This was one of the clan's key advantages.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the arrogant Sa Min himself!” Elder Sa Yu Guo said in a sarcastic tone. “Were you walking on eggs or something? The participants have been here for ages!”

Sa Min smiled and stepped onto the stage, the wooden boards groaned and complained beneath his leather boots. "Elder," he offered a convincing greeting, bowing formally with his fists pressed together, "I apologize for being late. The crowd was—".

“Tut! Always with the excuses.”

The guard who had led Sa Min then stepped forward. "Please forgive me, Elder. It is my fault. I didn't walk fast enough," he said, lowering his head.

Elder Sa Yu Guo gazed into both of them with his small, beady eyes before releasing a heavy sigh. He waved the guard away and turned to Sa Min. “Alright, get over here! Take off that filthy robe—let’s see if your force gate has truly formed!”

Complying silently, Sa Min slipped off his belt and gray robe, standing bare-chested before the crowd. He felt the elder’s cold, calloused fingers checking the black, round mark just above his navel.

Finishing his inspection, the elder jotted down notes in his book. “So, the force gate is established,” he said with satisfaction. “But listen to me, boy; stop this arrogance. Aptitude is undoubtedly a great help, but you still have to work hard in your cultivation. Now, get to your place.” He gestured with his head toward the participants' area. “And await your turn... You happen to be the last one to—”

“I’m—I’m still here… please…”

A desperate voice cut through the air.

Sa Min turned to see Sa Juan, disheveled and soaked in sweat, rushing toward them, tears streaming down her face.

Sa Min wondered indifferently about what had happened to her until suddenly, his expression froze, eyes widening in shock. What the hell...

A sharp pain shot through his back, like someone was jabbing a nail into him.

Confused, Sa Min ignored the tremendous pain and swiftly put his robe back and tightened his belt. He gave the elder a quick bow and, as if nothing was happening to him, headed to the participants' area.

The pain sensation continued gnawing at him, like an invisible hand was chiseling away at his flesh, etching a mark on his back.

Despite all this pain, Sa Min’s face was as blank as ever, showing no hint of what he was experiencing. In the Infernal Pit Prison, he'd learned to endure way worse without even a grunt.

In the participants' area, about seventy young people awaited their inevitable moment. Most of the men were bare-chested, flaunting their muscles, while the young women beautified themselves in elegant dresses.

All their eyes silently followed Sa Min as he approached.

“Sa Min, Welcome back!” Sa Wen stood up, his chest covered in hair, a genuine smile lighting up his face. “I knew the clan wouldn’t keep someone with your talent away.”

Sa Min forced a smile through the pain. “Thank you, brother Sa Wen. I appreciate it.”

He and Sa Wen had finished many outer circle missions together, getting into all sorts of dangerous situations. While Sa Min didn’t really care about Sa Wen, Sa Wen truly regarded Sa Min as a brother. Throughout their missions, Sa Wen had come to respect and admire him for his impressive fighting skills, sharp mind, consistently allowing him to take charge of their group.

Continuing his walk, Sa Min approached a seat at the far edge, which offered a perfect view of both the stage and the elders’ area. Someone was already occupying it—a young woman. But that didn’t concern him.

“Get out of the fucking seat,” he said coldly, paying no mind to what Sa Wen or anyone else might think of him; instead, he squinted sideways towards the near elders' area.

The elders were gathered there, some elderly, some looked young, laughing and chatting amongst themselves. A few cast glances in his direction, including Sa Huiqing. But Sa Min couldn't hear a thing, as though a shroud of silence enveloped them.

Some sort of concealing Yantra must be at work, preventing others from hearing their words, Sa Min thought with a sigh, shifting his attention to the stunned young woman who was still in his seat.

She stared up at him, mouth agape. “What…?”

“Please,” he added, offering what he thought was a gentle smile, but it only made him look more intimidating.

The woman gulped hard under his glare, quickly standing and walking away.

As he settled into the seat, Sa Min briefly glanced over his shoulder. The pain in his back had stopped, and he had this nagging urge to check what the hell had just happened to his back. But he knew better than to act hastily—there might be Kas recording the event, and drawing unnecessary attention would only cause unnecessary troubles.

Those who rush, die early… he reminded himself. I’ll check it when I get home.

He turned his gaze toward Sa Juan, who had just arrived and was searching for a seat. He gave her a faint smile before refocusing on the elders, trying to see if he could make out anything from their mouths.

If something went wrong and he didn’t make it into the inner circle of the cultivation academy, he'd stick with the clan for his cultivation. That’s why he was curious about the elders. He needed to understand how things worked within the clan to navigate his future.

“Playtime’s over, kids. Listen up!”

At that moment, the voice of Elder Sa Yu Guo thundered across the arena, snapping everyone to attention.

“Eyes front before I plow them out of your skulls…”