Light clouds drifted across the sun, casting shadows on Tetra Blessing City.

Once Sa Min walked out of his usual inn, having satisfied his hunger, he promptly set forth to the house in the mountains.

He had to start walking now, if he wanted to arrive on time.

Though Tetra Blessing City was at the bottom among the nine cities of Shaanxi Province, it's still not small by any means. And since he's not allowed to set foot within Sa Clan's territory, he had to take the long route through the northern gate of the city.

The main street was bustling with people and wagons. And from time to time, he'd spot a bike. If he had one of those, life would be much easier. But those things were rare in the city.

All the nations of the Eastern Plane, especially the Xi Empire where he'd found himself, prohibited the making, trading and the use of any kind of technologies. Except for bikes and anything that didn't need electricity, of course.

Having a technological device here was pretty much a treason act.

A taboo.

Just last month, a rank 9 official in the Tax Bureau had been found with an MP3 Player, and he'd been sentenced to be crucified naked by his shoulders in public after cutting his limbs.

This place was literally everything the Heavenly Union despised, still holding on to the traditional values.

Sa Min loved it; the Heavenly Union had no control over it, and that's exactly what made it perfect for him.

After some time, by the evening, Sa Min eventually arrived at the house. The door was open and he entered directly, heading straight to ancestors room.

In the hallway, beside the room, he saw a young woman wearing a decorated red upper garment with long sleeves and a red skirt. She was kneeling, her head deeply bowed, her arms hugging a book—the book that was illegal to read in other planes. She was nervously muttering something: "Our ancestors in heaven, please, please, please ask the higher one to give me a good sea core, please… "

She seemed to be so submissive in prayers that she didn't notice Sa Min squatting beside her.

Sa Min glanced around to see where this father was before turning his attention to his 'young sister', Sa Juan.

How could this sister understand that the sea core has already existed in her since birth and she is only going to open it? And no matter how much prayer and tears she shed, nothing can change it.... Besides, what help could the dead offer her anyway?"

He watched her for a moment before loudly clearing his throat.

Sa Juan hastily looked up. "Brother," she said, shocked as though she'd seen a demonic beast. She quickly stood up, adjusting her beautiful robes. "Good morning, senior brother," she anxiously said with a forced smile.

"What the hell was that back in the outer circle?" Sa Min coldly asked.

"I didn't ask her…I tried to stop her.."

Her long black hair was braided and decorated with pearl hairpins. Her skin was flawless. Her innocent eyes were beautifully black and wide and she had a small nose.

So far, everything was good; everything looked beautiful.

Sa Man's eyes slowly lowered, landing on her big, too big-lips with a brown, ugly pimple at their sides. He smiled that annoying smile of his. "How can I bully you if I only tell the truth…."

Embarrassed, she swiftly put back her red veil. But he could still see them trembling, her big lips. They always did, every time he looked at her big lips.

"Pardon me please, I forgot something in my room," she whimpered, her eyes looking defeated.

Sa Min calmly nodded, and she scampered out of sight.

Sa Min let himself fall on the ground, leaning against the wall, waiting for the Elder to show up. He didn't mind waiting. He had nothing else to do anyway. However, as soon as he opened his sea core, all this free time would disappear.

I might have succeeded in getting rid of the body tracker but there is still a tracker on my Borned Ka and my Ba. The heavenly union still knows I'm alive. I need to ascend back as fast as possible. But that all depends on the aptitude of this body. If….

Sa Min was lost in thoughts when Sa Huiqing, the father of this body, appeared. He had a short-gray beard and smiling eyes.

Sa Min stood up and noticed that Sa Huiqing was by himself. Is the Elder not here yet? he thought.

"Oh, my son." Sa Huiqing clapped Sa Min's shoulder, faking a smile as usual. "I apologize I'm late; I had something to do. But I didn't expect you to be waiting for me. Are you excited?"

"Sure, sure, it's an important day, my father" replied Sa Min, faking a smile in turn. "How am I not excited?''

Sa Huiqing cast his glance around. "Where is your sis—" And before the last word could escape his lips, a voice cried out from behind him, answering his incomplete question. "I'm here, Father. I'm comi..." shouted Sa Juan as she scurried to stand beside Sa Min, her voice trailing off as she watched the smile on her father's face curdle into a scowl.

She bowed, greeting her father with both fists pressed together. "Father, I was w—" she began, but Sa Huiqing cut her off with a derisive snort. "Did you take your time? You dressed well? Or should we wait a little longer until?"

"No, no, I was her—" She tried to explain, but Sa Huiqing interrupted yet again. "Ah heaven, what is this daughter you gave me, this foolish daughter." He sighed angrily, shaking his head from side to side. "Can't you just try to pretend to make us proud for once? Why are you like this..."

"I was—"

"Can't you be like your brother? He was waiting here for a long time," he rebuked her, nodding to Sa Min. Sa Min nodded back. He had no interest in backing her up.

"Yes, my father. I will do my best," Sa Juan resignedly muttered, seemingly accustomed to such treatment.

Sa Min looked into her sorrowful expression and noticed smoldering anger in her eyes.

In the first days, after he'd been handed to this family by that Immortal, the parents had hated him; they'd still treated him well, though. But only out of fear of the immortal's threatening words.

Sa Min knew that fear didn't intend to last forever, and he had no intention to rely on it forever.

Knowing the family situation in the Sa Clan, he'd decided to take another approach to make them care about him and accept him.

Sixty years ago, after an incident with Sa Huiqing's father, Sa Long, this family, which was a really important and influential family in the Sa Clan, was banished. So even though Sa Huiqing was rank 8 ka wielder, he's not considered an Elder, and he hadn't any say in the clan decisions. Hence, he couldn't even enter the clan's territory.

He was still a member, though, as he was the head of Sa Clan's Drinks Barn, which was located in the mountains near their house.

The wages he received were low compared to the Elders—rank 8 wielders— and he only had B-grade aptitude, so he had neither the resources nor the talent to advance in his cultivation.

In other words, there was no way he could dream of returning to the clan, Sa Min believed.

But what if his son had A-grade aptitude, huh? The B-grade aptitude in itself was very rare. Only a handful of ka wieder had it. And A-grade aptitude, the Grand sea core? No one in Tetra Blessing City had it.

That showed how precious and rare it was.

If his son had such talent, the Sa Clan would undoubtedly welcome him with wide arms.

The moment Sa Min learned of the circumstances, he began straightaway to show those signs—signs that people believe only heaven-gifted children would show. He began walking at the earliest possible moment, talking like some old wise man as soon as he used the dialect of the eastern plane, claiming he received visions and revelation from Heaven, showing his natural knack for kung fu, and so on and so forth.

And indeed, as he'd presumed, the parents began looking at him differently—no longer as a suffocating bomb that had been forced into their throat, but as a luminous gem that could resolve all their troubles.

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And while they kept carefully and cautiously caring for this invaluable treasure, Sa Juan appeared to them as a mere dull stone that was not worth their attention.

They barely noticed her presence.

"Be more like your brother," her parents constantly reminded her in an admonishing manner. "Learn from your exemplary brother."

She'd tried. Sa Min was witness to it. But she'd failed every time. Sa Min had seemed to her as…what's the word? Special, unique, destined for greatness? Someone she could never compete with.

And after all this time, she's still hoping to prove herself, to impress them. How pathetic she can be!

Sa Huiqing took a frustration puff and turned towards Sa Min. "I think you all know why I called you here," he said; the fake smile returned. "You know the situation of our Liuo family. Since you can't participate in the Awakening Ceremony, the clan will send an Elder with force apples to supervise the opening of your sea cores and awakening your Kas, just like how I opened my sea core."

Sa Huiqing lifted his arm and looked down at the watch on his wrist.

"He should be here by now…" Sa Huiqing raised his arm and glanced at the watch on his wrist. "When will the outer circle competition take place?" He suddenly asked.

"Thursday, after the awakening ceremony by a day," muttered Sa Jua with a depressed tone.

"Three days..." Sa Huiqing repeated, clapping his hand on Sa Min's shoulder as if he's the one who had answered him. "I'm sure you won't need to fight in the competition anyways. With your aptitude." His smile wined. "You will go directly to the inner circle."

Sa Min smirked in his heart. He's absolutely hoping for a good aptitude. The better his aptitude, the faster his cultivation would be, obviously. But what if he hadn't? Sa Min couldn't help but imagine this man's reaction.

Sa Huiqing then looked at Sa Juan with cold eyes, beckoning towards the room at their side. "And you, go, go ask the Higher One in heaven his blessings, may they grant you a good sea Core or at least help in the competition.

"Yes, father." With teary eyes, Sa Juan gave a little bow and made haste inside.

Sa Min watched her as she crossed the threshold of that dim room. It was filled with smoky incense burners and flickering candles. At the front, ancestral plaques were placed on the altar.

As Sa Min turned, Sa Huiqing suddenly approached him and put an arm around his shoulder. "Son, I want to speak with you about something important," Sa Huiqing said tenderly. "If you don't mind, of course."

This tone. I know this tone, Sa Min thought. A faint smile crossed his face. He will try again, hehe. How many times now—nine, ten? But I have to give it to him, he's persistent

And as if to conform his thought, something came out of Sa Huiqing's sea core, and Sa Huiqing hastily grabbed it as though he were afraid someone would see. It was the Pointed Jade Box Ka.

"My son, my righteous son," breathed Sa Huiqing in a sorrowful voice. "You already knew our sad predicament, and you fully understand how unlocking this Ka could really help our family." He paused, silently gazing at Sa Min with hoping eyes. "Won't you try activating it once more?" he asked gently, handing him a knife.

"Yes, of course father," said Sa Min tranquilly. "I'll do everything to help the family."

The Black-slowed Hold Ka was ranked 8, the same Ka the mysterious immortal had handed it to Sa Huiqing to give to Sa Min when he opened his sea core.

Its Yantra was one of those Yantras that activated not by Pure Force but by blood. The blood that activated the Yantra— It could be anyone's blood—- would be the sole individual capable of unlocking its Ka. If the blood the Ka Yielder employed to activate the Yantra belonged to any other, even to the ka wielder himself, could not unlock the Ka.

And the Ka that Sa Huiqing held required the blood of Sa Min himself to unlock it.

When the greedy parents had overcome their dread of the immortal, they'd attempted to unlock it using the infant Sa Min's blood. But much to their astonishment, they hadn't succeeded.

To open the Ka, one did not need merely the blood of its owner, its owner must also be not unwilling to open it. This wasn't why the parents were shocked, though. This particular Ka was well known and Sa Huiqing knew of this requisite. What shocked them was how a baby who knew nothing of the Kas could be unwilling.

They tried many times, and each time they failed. And when little Sa Min arrived at a point when he appeared to comprehend things, Sa Huiqing began relating a story of his own invention to induce him to unlock it.

In this story, Sa Huiqing's brother, was researching high and low for what caused their unexpected banishment from the clan.

He eventually found some evidence that could prove their innocence. However, he faced a grave threat from a dangerous enemy. To hide the evidence he'd found in the Black-Slowed Hold Ka activating its Yantra with the blood of Sa Min before leaving.

And the man disappeared after that.

This was the story Sa Huiqing had made up.

"My righteous son, the family has no honor now. We are a disgrace to the clan. Do you know what they call us? The traitorous family. There is only one way to show them we're not. You will have to unlock this Ka. I know you can open it. You are the only one," Sa Huiqing had kept telling him.

But damn if the Ka would unlock!

Though Sa Min would give them his blood, though he would give them that willingness expression, it would not unlock. And here was Sa Huiqing again, hoping in vain that Sa Min could open the Ka.

Sa Min cut his finger and let his blood fall on the Ka. Sa Huiqing watched; he waited with bated breath. One second. Two seconds. Ten seconds later, nothing happened. The Ka did not glow; it did not budge.

It did not unlock.

"I'm sorry, father, I don't know what is wrong," Sa Min said with a sheepish tone. "I do just as you told me to, but-but—"

"It's okay, it's okay," said Sa Huiqing in a pleasant tone. Sa Min could see the man's face twitching, barely managing to keep up his amiable front. "Don't blame yourself. Maybe it's because you haven't opened up your Sea Core yet. We'll try again once you do. Go, son."

"Thank you, father," said Sa Min and he strolled away.

Just as Sa Min vanished from behind him, the smiling mask of Sa Huiqing dropped, revealing an ireful, frowny face behind.

He let out an exasperated sigh, composing himself before he made his way to his study room.

He flung open the door aggressively and slammed it shut behind him as he went in.

"This little bastard…this little bastard is still trying to play stupid with me," he said wrathfully. "Does he think I am stupid?"

"Still refusing to open it?" Sa Qiao, his wrinkled-looking wife, who had been waiting eagerly in the room, asked scowling.

"This boy is too smart." Sa Huiqing sighed heavily. "I don't know what he thinks it contains, but he clearly doesn't trust us."

"What are we going to do, then?" she said. "We tried everything with him. Maybe..maybe we force him?"

Sa Huiqing looked sharply at her. "Are you stupid?" His face reddened from anger. "This boy had the talent to reach rank seven, fucking rank seven! This boy will become an important figure in the empire. How can we make an enemy of such a person? That's without mentioning his… powerful background…If we force him, we must ensure he dies before he becomes stronger than me, but if we kill him, the Ash Leaf Ka will burn, and who knows what will happen then."

"So we're just going to give it to him?" Lin Qiao's face looked unwilling.

"No chance," Sa Huiqing firmly said as he walked to the small wooden window. "The reason he's like this is because he thinks he needs no one but himself. He's arrogant and proud. But that won't last for long. Not after tomorrow. When he opens his sea core, he'll come to know how valuable we are."

The gentle drizzle of spring began falling again.