Tak—! Tak—!
Xu Kai's soles hit the golden sand as he ran through the streets, maneuvering through the sparse crowd.
It was summer, a period when the inhabitants of Emerald Island were most active. Most shops were open-door, but there were only a few, as many spent their time fishing or searching for herbs in the mountains.
The latter could foster a connection with the lineage families, but uncovering a treasure brimming with Spirit Qi was almost insurmountable and occasionally required venturing beyond the protected area into the realm of fierce creatures.
Bamboo trees formed the doors, walls, and even the windows of the ancient buildings.
The abundance of bamboo forests gave the island its name, or at least that was the story Xu Kai heard.
As the wind blew against his face, whipping his torn clothes into the air, a smile graced Xu Kai's face. He ran so fast that he felt like a phantom.
His senses had grown keen, so voices near and far fell into his erect ears.
"I heard there's an anomaly in this year's awakening."
"Oh? What happened?"
"It's Elder Feng! He finally appeared and brought a beggar to participate in the awakening ceremony."
"Pfft! What?!"
The corner of Xu Kai's lips twitched. 'I never said I was a beggar. Did they only address me as one because of my clothes? Haven't those arrogant, plump faces heard that powerful practitioners sometimes resemble beggars?'
After a short while, a fatty garbed in blue served a man and his son two bowls of rice noodles with a smile.
"Ah, Fatty Tian, your meals are getting better. I don't think your meals are worth 10 bronze coins anymore." After a bite, the man commended him with gleaming eyes.
"Hahaha, you praise me too much." Fatty Tian cupped his hands and turned to his pots, only to see Xu Kai running over.
Instantly, his mood turned sour. 'This brat!'
A gust of wind blew against his face when Xu Kai screeched to a halt right before the shop and flashed a shameless smile, exposing his white teeth.
"Tch! You're a beggar. How are your teeth still white?"
Xu Kai leaned against the shop, beckoning for Fatty Tian to come closer. "Fatty Tian, you know, just because I am a beggar does not mean that I do not brush my teeth or take a bath." He cocked his eyebrows at Fatty Tian and said, "I still have a future."
"Future? This is why you starve! Stop brushing and bathing, and people will pity you more!"
Xu Kai scowled. "I came to eat, so..." He revealed a hopeful look, only for Fatty Tian to scoff.
"Did you bring money this time, great martial arts practitioner?" His eyes flashed. "Eh, before I forget, where did Elder Feng take you two days ago?"
"Give me three bowls and I'll tell you." Xu Kai responded.
"Three!"
"Okay, okay, give me two bowls."
"You…!" Fatty Tian raised his wooden spoon high. "Go beg other people. I'm not feeding you today!"
After much pleading and negotiation, Xu Kai ended up by the side of the shop, washing bowls, but he didn't stop babbling about his wonderful future and how Fatty Tian would regret his actions.
"So you will eventually depart from this island and wed the most stunning woman on the mainland?" Fatty Tian cocked his head.
"Of course! My name will spread to the four corners of Tian!" Xu Kai bellowed with enormous spirit.
"I see. That's for the future. Now you're washing my bowls, so be quick!"
****
Some time later, Xu Kai dashed through the forest, heading for the shores. This part was much bigger than where he secretly lived.
The moment he came out, his eyes met a crowd of commoners chatting and whispering as they gazed at their island's elites.
Standing before three Elders were twenty-five youths.
Among them, two figures were the center of attention, and they were both from the Shui family.
Shui Mei Er wore a similar outfit to her elder brother, Shui Long Yan, but a skirt ran from her waist and ended after her knees. However, her white, long silk boots, which covered her knees to her foot, prevented anyone from seeing her fair skin.
The young, blooming flower tied her hair into a fluffy bun, revealing her slender neck. Besides her, there was a taller youth with a slender build. Shui Long Yan, who turned 16 this year, has already reached the Bodiless Realm, which is two realms higher than the Marrow Cleansing Realm!
This 16-year-old youth was only second to the Elders!
"Is everyone here?" Cheng Wei asked calmly.
At that moment, Xu Kai squeezed through the crowd and joined the group. When they saw him, the youths quickly moved away, causing Xu Kai to scratch the back of his hair in frustration.
'Is it because I did not take my bath this morning?' He pondered.
Shui Long Yan and Shui Mei Er glanced at Xu Kai, then averted their gazes. They were the only two who refused to leave their positions.
"What are you doing here?!" Cheng Yi pointed at Xu Kai.
"I'm here to participate in the competition for the jade tags." Xu Kai pointed his index finger at the three flat jades, which had images of sea waves hanging on a wooden wall.
"Is this a joke?" One of the youths scowled.
"You didn't even awaken a talent, and yet you stand there, aiming for the skies! Have you no shame?" A girl wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Not everyone is satisfied with being weak like you," Xu Kai sneered, causing the girl's eyes to widen. None of them expected Xu Kai to retaliate.
"Xu Kai, are you sure you want to participate in this competition?" Shui Ling asked.
In response, Xu Kai cupped his hands. "Yes!"
"Humph! You must first be able to lift at least a 55 kg stone." Elder Cheng Wei sneered.
"Go lift the stone," Cheng Yi beckoned for him to do while wearing an excited expression.
Unwilling to waste his time, Xu Kai grabbed the stone with both hands and lifted it to his chest level, trembling badly.
"You can't even lift it properly!" Cheng Yi chuckled.
Thud—!
The stone hit the ground.
"I passed." He said it with a light gasp, turned, and went back to his position.
'What a shrewd kid. His strength is definitely more than what he showed,' Feng Shaofang's eyes twinkled.
Some time later, the youths were split into five groups and given five fairly large boats that had wooden gear mechanisms.
Xu Kai looked at his group members, all of whom could only lift a 55-kg stone, albeit barely.
'So I was attached to the weakest group. Shouldn't there be someone who has broken into the Marrow Cleansing Realm to increase the chance of this group gaining a chance to win? Or have we already been cut out of the competition?!'
While his thoughts ran, a youth, a member of his group known as the gray group, walked toward them.
"We're going to hunt a Skylark Shark."
"W… What did you say?!"