Sa Min, not intimidated in the least, finally spoke up. "Disappointment you asked me? No, I am not disappointed, I am not angry either, Elder.” 

That creepy smile of his, the one that never touched his cold eyes began to form. “And why would I. This is what my ancestors gave me, and I’m grateful for it, shouldn’t I? Beside…” 

 

Sa Min nonchalantly scratched at his nose, knowing very well that his smile was about to get even creepier. “Aren't we all important pieces of this house?” He mockingly asked.

 

Elder Sa Yu Guo's beady eyes sharpened at that before furrowing in a frown. "You..." He stared at Sa Min for a moment, then let out a defeated sigh. What could he say to words like those in front of everyone?

 

"You’re right, I was a little emotional; I let my hopes run wild, I apologize." He patted Sa Min on the shoulder. "I apolo… let me see your sea core, son, just to ease this old man's worries.” He gave Sa Min a gentle smile. “You have no problem, do you?" 

 

“Of course not, Elder. No problem at all,” Sa Min evenly replied, his smile vanished.

 

He didn't bother checking the sea core of anyone before me… and tossing it out like that, trying to catch me off guard. Hmm, he's definitely suspicious of me, Sa Min calmly thought to himself

 

Sea Cores were... more private to Ka wielders than their private parts, and that for very good reasons. Asking a ka wielder to let you see his sea core was more inappropriate than asking to let you see his ass, that's for sure. 

 

But Elder Sa Yu Guo here wasn’t asking, and Sa Min was too weak to resist even that.

 

Out of the elder's sea core, through his force gate, a Ka surged forth, landing in his palm. It was a tiny square mirror in the size of an egg, dangling from a long, thin wooden bamboo stick.

 

The Bamboo Mirror Ka, huh, Sa Min thought, recognizing the rank 10 Ka. It was a well-known Ka that all kinds of organizations had, be it academies, clans, armies, mercenaries, or anywhere else. 

 

Its ability was to see inside a ka wielder's Sea Core for a limited time, but it could only work if the concerned ka wielder allowed it to enter. It could not force its way in.

 

With a tap of Elder Sa Yu Guo’s index finger, the Ka’s bamboo stick stretched out, entering Sa Min’s force gate. The elder carefully watched the reflection of Sa Min’s sea core in the mirror in his hand.

 

Finding there was nothing suspicious, he let out a sigh and the stick shrunk down to its original size with a screeching sound. He then casually dropped the Bamboo Mirror Ka back into his sea core and looked around, shouting to the remaining crowd: “Sa Min, Average sea core, C-grade aptitude.”

 

The few people who remained in the stand, the ones that had been clutching onto a thin thread of hope, turned and began to drift away as the elder's clear words reached their ears.

 

Sa Min's gaze shifted towards the participants' section. Only a handful of children were there, and they were now leaving, casting contemptuous looks his way. Sa Juan was the only one still sitting, staring at him, her face covered with shock and disbelief.

 

It was not really obligatory for the participants to remain after awakening their own sea core.

 

The only reason people stayed until now was to witness the awakening of the legendary sea core — the sea core that they only heard of in myth and books.

 

However, after watching Sa Min’s failure to fully absorb the second force apple, most of the participants start leaving—they had just opened their sea core, so they were naturally eager to begin cultivation.

 

Not far away, Sa Min could see the womanizer patriarch walking away from view, followed by his two female slaves. One after the other, the elders left, casting scornful glances at Sa Huiqing, who still hid his face between his arms.

 

Gradually, the noise in the arena faded away.

 

"To which clan do you belong?" Elder Sa Yu Guo mumbled in a disappointed tone, his beady eyes on the approaching belt holder

 

“The ca clan,” Sa Min indifferently responded.

 

The elder, finding it a waste of time, grunted and snatched the blue belt from the ka wielder's elegant hands and, without further questions, tossing it to Sa Min. “That's enough. You're done here,” he scornfully said, turning his wrinkled face to the nervous Sa Juan in the stand. “Sa Juan! Your turn."

 

Caught unprepared, Sa Juan nearly tumbled off her seat in shock. "Y-Yes Elder!" she stammered, hurriedly and awkwardly descending the steps.

 

Sa Min immediately walked off the stage. Obtaining a C-grade aptitude meant he had to fight in the outer competition tomorrow to secure his spot in the inner circle. After all, the inner circle's first year only had twenty seats, which were reserved for those with B-grade aptitude and above. The remaining seats would be filled through the outer competition.

 

But before that, I need to check what the hell happened to my back.

***

“Brother…” Sa Juan’s mouth hung open as Sa Min passed by without so much as a glance. “That’s…” 

 

She couldn't believe it. His face…

 

His face was as always, calm and indifferent, seeming to not give a damn about anything.

 

His light blue eyes were cold and bland.

 

His walk was slow and measured.

 

How can he be this calm? Isn’t it merely a C-grade aptitude? Isn't he afraid of what our father’s reaction would be? 

 

Countless questions spinning around In My Head  as she watched her brother's retreating back.

 

Isn't all of his coldness coming from the idea that he has the Legendary sea core? That’s he is geni—

 

A frightening thought struck her head then, sending a wave of dread into her chest. If Sa Min, that genius— and she’d lived with him all these years, she knew very well how genius that little devil was— only had an average sea core, what sea core could she possibly possess, and she was just…normal?

 

Her heart started pounding.

 

Sa Juan took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then stepped onto the stage. She glanced at Elder Sa Yu Guo, but he paid her no mind, sitting in his chair with his head down in his book.

 

She nodded to him anyway and carefully took two force apples from the receptacle and proceeded to the circular spot.

 

Taking another deep breath, Sa Juan sat down and crossed her legs.

 

Then, closing her eyes tightly, she began her usual begging: "Please Heaven, dear Ancestors, dear the Higher One, please, please, please, I beg you, I’ll do anything, I’ll do..." 

 

The first force apple was absorbed completely, safely escaping the ordinary sea core. 

 

She grabbed a second force apple, and luckily for her, she managed to entirely absorb it as well.

 

A wave of overwhelming happiness washed over her heart. Thank you, thank you Heaven, I have the average sea core. I’m like Sa Min now…she thought, her eyes still firmly shut.

 

She reached for the third force apple. Another one, please, please, just this one and I’ll start giving one force apple to the poor monthly, I swear, please…

 

And the third force apple was completely absorbed.

 

Haha, Elite sea core, I had Elite sea core, thank you, thank you! I'll never forget this. I can become an elder, I can reach rank 7, just like father. Haha, my father will be proud of me...

 

A feeling of joy like she had never experienced before coursed through her body.

 

She wanted to open her eyes and let out a loud cry. And why not? Only one Sa Men possessed an Elite sea core this year. And now she was the second—that was unique. She was unique!

 

Oh, how much She wanted to scream that.

 

However, she held herself back and grabbed the fourth force apple instead. Once more, she began to whisper: Just this one, if...

 

The primal force began flowing into her force gate.

 

This time, though, she wasn't really expecting anything. She would be content with Elite sea core… it would definitely be enough to make people notice her, right?

 

Besides, the grand sea core was something rare and unique; only the special few had it. Wasn’t the only one who possessed it in hundreds of years the patriarch's son, Sa Qiao?

 

At that moment, the primal force stopped flowing and the chilling feeling she had heard the Ka wielders had when they opened their Sea Core enveloped her.

 

This is… 

 

She couldn’t dare to believe it. The A-grade aptitude? Could she possibly possess a Grand sea core? Surely, this couldn't be true. No, no, this was overwhelming. This was simply too much! 

 

Disbelief enveloped her thoughts. However, all her doubts were washed away as she gazed on her sea core with her inner sight.

 

Hahahah…

 

This time, the overwhelming joy was too much for her to contain. She opened her eyes and screamed as loudly as she could: “This is the Grand sea core! I have A-grade aptitude. Look at me!” 

 

She hysterically stood up, looking around the stands like crazy. “Look at me! I have A-grade aptitude; I have the Grand sea core!”

 

However, apart from the faint chatter of five people over there, there was no reaction, no shouts of joy, no applause. Sa Min wasn’t here, nor were her father and all those bastards who had mocked her.

 

There was only silence, and the Elder Sa Yu Guo who stood clutching his head. His old eyes widened in complete shock.

 

The smile on Sa Juan's face slowly faded away.