As the sun rose, one could see a small figure slowly getting off his knees, gaunt and weak from the time he spent there.
As Ye BaiCai rose, he trembled and shuddered, barely able to support his body weight after such a time. His joints and bones popped, if one was standing a meter away they could hear the faint popping sound.
He looked once more at the blood-stained courtyard, tears dried on his face, and said with the conviction of an grown man, "I will avenge you mother, father. No one can get away with hurting my family. They look can run, but they can't hide."
Five hours later, in the city square, you could see a sea of children, albeit separated by clothes. The rich stood together with their families, bragging about how they were the most talented. While the poor huddled together, all hoping that they had some semblance of talent, realizing that even having a chance to cultivate would change their and their families lives.
Ye BaiCai looked around, tears starting to form in is eyes as he sees all the children his age with their parents, happy almost without a care in the world. "I have to be the best, I must become strong, stronger than the Heavens themselves."
As time passed, an old man appeared on the stage, almost as if he teleported, behind him were other people, most likely cultivators with high influence, hoping to catch a disciple or two. "Cough cough, welcome children to the monthly awakening ceremony, where whether you are a dragon or a worm will be determined."
Another old man stepped forward, " when we call your name please step onto the stage and put your hand on..." he waved his hand and a pure white monolith appeared, separated into 10 segments, each aligning with a talent level. "... this monolith, and you talent will be determined, and possibly your innate skill awakened!"
Ye BaiCai watched anxiously as child upon child was called forward, some leaving in tears others with beaming smilies. However, the old people seemed to be rather unhappy, as no one particularly outstanding had appeared, most barely deviating from the average, or even worse being completely trash, scoring a 1.
Even more so, no one yet had awakened a innate skill, which was quite disappointing as all of the greatest experts all had a innate skill, even the old people, as the skill grew with you as you grew, becoming stronger and stronger.
At last, after hours of waiting in anxiety, and in what seemed to be a small pile of bitten of nails, Ye BaiCai was called forth to the stage. The old man, now revealed to be Wang XiaoTou, warmly said, "put your hand on the monolith young child, and let your talent be seen."
Ye BaiCai approached the monolith, and started to reach his hand forward. Right when he was about to touch it, he hesitated for a moment, thinking about how much his talent level would effect him. He started to think about how if his talent was low, he had virtually no chance of avenging his parents, and all of his promises to their souls would be unfulfilled.
Finally, after the brief moment of hesitation, he moved his hand again, and made contact with the monolith. The first thing Ye BaiCai thought of was how smooth the monolith was, and cold yet warm at the same time. Bright light came out of the monolith, and Ye BaiCai expectingly looked at it, revealing that his talent was...