The children fell silent at once. Everyone knew Elder Sa Yu Guo, and no one doubted his seriousness.

"This is an important moment for each of you,” the Elder began, his voice firm. “It will shape your future in the clan and in the world. However…"

He paused, scanning the tense faces of the participants with his beady eyes.

"Make no mistake. Every single one of you will go home today with your sea core opened. You will all begin cultivating," he continued, pushing his chair back and standing up. "Yes, some of you have greater potential and will rise higher than others. But remember this: whatever transformation you reach in the Beyond Mortal stage, or or the True Master stage, each of you plays a vital role in keeping our clan strong. The foundation, the breaks, the pillars, the summit are all important for the house to stand. You're all important pieces of our clan.”

The Elder opened the book in his hand. "You’ll take whatever aptitude you're given and be grateful to the ancestors for it. Now, let's see who's up first..." He glanced at the page and called out, "Sa Gou Wen!"

Every head in the arena turned to watch a massive young man stand up. With his patchy beard and huge frame, it was hard to believe Sa Wen was only eighteen.

Sa Wen, whose family name was Gou, was the son of Sa Gou Song, the leader of the most powerful faction in the clan—the Gou family.

Sa Min had heard plenty about the Gous family from how much Sa Huiqing had talked about them at home. He despised them like he despised no one. And for good reason.

Sixty years ago, when Sa Huiqing's father, the leader of the rival Liuo family, had disappeared under mysterious circumstances, it was the Gous family who had pushed for the Liuo family's banishment. The two factions had always been at each other’s throats.

And clearly, they still were. Sa Min noticed Sa Li Huiqing glaring at Sa Gou Song with such intensity that it looked like he wanted to strangle him right there.

Sa Wen greeted Elder Sa Yu Guo and then followed him to the heart of the stage.

A circular spot was there, covered with a finely crafted silk covering, and it was slightly elevated and designed for only one person to sit. Beside it stood a big wooden receptacle, intricately engraved and filled with white apples— force apples.

"Grab four force apples and sit over there," commanded Elder Sa Yu Guo. "I trust you know what to do."

Sa We nodded, snatching four of the force apples up and putting them on a nearby wooden plate before making his way to the designated circle. Sitting cross-legged, he placed the plate before him.

Everyone in the arena carefully watched him in silence.

He then closed his closed eyes, picked up one of the apples, and gingerly positioned it before his force gate. Instantly, the force apple shivered, releasing a white mist of energy that flowed into the Prime Meridian in his force gate.

The more primal force came out of the force apple, the weaker it became. It continued like this for some time before the apple became lifeless in his hand, all shriveled like a dead leaf.

Closing his fist, it slipped from his hands like dust.

"One apple," announced the Elder Sa Yu Guo, his voice echoing in the arena. “He has escaped the non-aptitude.”

The arena remained silent.

Without opening his eyes, Sa We's hand reached out for another force apple, the same size as the first—they were all the same size. And again, he placed it before his stomach and absorbed its primal force.

The apple dried again, and the Elder announced with great joy, "two apples! He has escaped the 1-star aptitude."

The crowd roared, and the looks on the participants' faces were filled with shock.

1-star aptitude was what the majority of cultivators possessed. Safe to say that out of every 100 cultivators, 80 would have a 1-star aptitude, while 19 would have no aptitude at all, and only 1 would have a 2-star aptitude. That’s how rare a 2-star aptitude was.

In fact, the Sa clan hadn't seen a cultivator with 2-star aptitude in the last three years.

Now, most of this year's participants, if not all, didn't really expect to have a 2-star aptitude; their tenseness and nervousness stemmed only from the fear of having no aptitude at all.

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So, when the first participant to open his sea core revealed a 2-star aptitude, it left everyone stunned.

Sa We reached for the third force apple and began absorbing its primal force yet again. But this time,he only managed to absorb a bit before his face twitched slightly, as though someone were tickling his feet. Then, a slow smile spread across his face.

He couldn’t absorb the third force apple, which meant he only possessed 2-star aptitude.

“Sa We, 2-star aptitude, Solid-sea core,” Elder Sa Yu Guo announced, and the crowd erupted in noise. This year's participants watched with open mouths, a look of disbelief on their faces.

Meanwhile, in the elders’ section, Elders were congratulating Sa We's father, Sa Gou Song.

Sa Min could see two frail twin girls clapping joyfully besides Sa Gou Song — they must be his little sisters he often spoke about

A cultivator's aptitude was determined by the type of sea core they possessed, as well as the number and quality of their meridians—ranging from no aptitude to 5-star aptitude.

Those with an Unfortunate-sea core, the lowest, had no-aptitude. They had only one meridian, the Prime Meridian, which ran through their force gate. Cultivators with no-aptitude would never be able to open their Essence Core through normal means, and that meant they could not craft Yantras — an critical aspect of cultivation.

An Ordinary-sea core indicated a 1-star aptitude. Reaching the Last Transformation Beyond Mortal stage would be difficult with this aptitude.

Then came the Solid-sea core, marking a 2-star aptitude—Sa We’s aptitude. These cultivators, with enough resources and hard work, could reach the True Master stage in a few years. They were rare and important. In clans like the Sa clan, those who reached the True Master stage were promoted to the position of Elder. Currently, the Sa clan had only six Elders.

Above them were those with an Elite-sea core, possessing a 3-star aptitude. These cultivators were even rarer, and their potential was immense. They had the opportunity to enter the prestigious Cultivation Academy of their province directly, where they could train to become Golden Ancestors.

With time and resources, they could even break into the middle realm and awaken their Ba. In Tetra Blessing City, only two people possessed this aptitude: the city lord, who was now at the Golden Ancestor stage, and Sa Qiao, the patriarch’s son—though Sa Qiao was now crippled.

Golden Ancestor cultivators held significant positions in the Xi Empire — or any other place— whether in government, the military, the investigation and justice office or any other office.

Some, however, chose to stay in their clans rather than getting involved in imperial affairs.

As for 4-star and 5-star aptitudes: the Grand-sea core and Legendary-sea core, they were almost mythical in Tetra Blessing City. No one in the city had possessed them in hundreds of years. Cultivators with aptitudes were immediately enrolled in the Nobility Cultivation Academy in the Xi Empire’s capital.

Sa Wen, with his 2-star aptitude, had the potential to reach the True Master stage and become an Elder of the clan—as long as he cultivated with dedication. That was why the crowd was both shocked and thrilled.

Elder Sa Yu Guo raised an eyebrow. "You must have awakened your born Ka," he said, eyeing Sa Wen with interest.

Sa Wen nodded, rising to his feet with a grin stretching across his face. "Should I summon it, Elder?" he asked, his voice filled with excitement. And before the Elder could respond, a Ka shot out from Sa Wen's force gate—a strange black creature resembling an eye with delicate butterfly wings, flapping madly, its white pupils darting around terribly fast.

"The Mad Flying Eye Ka," Elder Sa Yu Guo said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Interesting… this Ka works with two Yantras—the Bone Armored Yantra and…"

The Flying Spike Yantra, Sa Min thought, observing the Ka from a distance.

The Kas were enigmatic beings that inhabited this world. They were invisible to the cultivators' eyes. Untouchable as well. They only manifested when they sought to satisfy their hunger or when refined by a cultivator. These mysterious creatures served as invaluable resources to cultivators.

There were three types of Kas. One of them was the Borned Ka — the Ka that was born with cultivators.

Elder Sa Yu Guo turned to a guard standing just outside the stage. "Bring the belt," he commanded. And a guard came forward, holding a well-arranged blue belt with both hands.

Each time a cultivator ascended to a higher stage, they were honored with a new belt of a different color that signified the new stage. It was a tradition among the tree clans, much like wearing the clan’s emblem—it was mandatory.

The blue belt symbolized the Beyond Mortal Stage. With it, a cultivator could receive an allowance of 5 force apples monthly as support from the clan.

Elder Sa Yu Guo took the belt and turned back to Sa Wen, his face stern and solemn.

Understanding the significance of the moment, Sa Wen bowed deeply, accepting the belt with great reverence. After receiving some encouraging words from the Elder, he stepped off the stage and made his way back to his seat amidst a wave of applause from the audience.

The Elder Sa Yu Guo raised his weathered hand, signaling for silence, and the crowd slowly hushed. His scowling gaze then shifted to the participants who waited nervously for their turn.

"You all know what to do by now," his voice boomed over the murmurings. "When your name is called, I want to see you run over here and open your sea core quickly. Do you understand?"

The participants nodded, and the Elder squinted at the book in his hand.

"Second is…Sa Xiu Lan," he called out.