The crowing of the rooster breaks the dawn, and dew descends from the vast sky.
A vast square was already teeming with people. As the first rays of dawn appeared, it could be seen that all those standing in the square were teenagers, both boys and girls, creating a lively scene.
In front of the square, on the steps, there is a small pavilion-like structure. Inside the pavilion stands a huge stone block as tall as a person. The stone block is engraved with some profound runes all over its surface. Occasionally, there seems to be a flash of light, which is truly magical. Beside the stone stood a thin middle-aged man in splendid attire, with his hands behind his back and a very serious expression. On either side of him were two young boys, each holding a pen and paper as if they were ready to take notes.
With a cold snort from the middle-aged man, the square fell silent instantly. Everyone seemed to be very afraid of this middle-aged man before them.
Satisfied, he nodded his head and then began the stereotypical opening remarks. After a few words, the rest of the time was left to the young people present.
According to Zhongnian, today is once again the day of the annual disciple trial for the Smith family. This is an important method for the family to test the progress of each disciple's cultivation over the past year. And that huge stone engraved with runes is the tool the family uses for the test - the trial stone.
Most of the disciples below the stage had gone through several or even a dozen trials, and they all felt quite familiar with the process. However, each time they still had feelings of excitement and unease. The level of their cultivation and the speed of their progress were symbols of their status within the family in the future.
Under the arrangement of the middle-aged man, the teenagers went forward one after another in an orderly manner to undergo the trial.
The method is very simple. Just place both hands on the trial stone. The trial stone will respond and emit light. The brightness and color of the light will vary depending on the disciple's cultivation level, thereby determining the disciple's cultivation level.
In no more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, over a dozen disciples had already gone up. Their cultivation levels varied, and the colors and brightness of the light emitted by the trial stones were also different.
Some of the disciples were elated, while others were dejected. Their attitudes towards the results of their year-long arduous practice also varied.
When a disciple finishes the trial, the middle-aged man would ask the two disciples beside him to record down his name and the level of his cultivation.
"Liam." The middle-aged voice suddenly changed, and his expression also altered slightly.
A somewhat thin and slender young man slowly walked onto the stage among the crowd. The faint light of the sky fell on his face, revealing a complexion that was rather pale and waxy. His features were well-proportioned, with arched eyebrows and bright eyes. However, he lacked the childishness that was typical of his age. His eyes gave off an extremely profound impression, as if they could see through everything in the world. Such an expression was not something that a teenager should possess. Only those who had lived for more than half a century could have such an intense gaze.
"Is that him? What's this good-for-nothing doing here again?"
I don't know how he has such a thick skin to come for the trial again.
You don't know this. As the old saying goes, a dead pig is not afraid of boiling water.
"Since we are all of the same clan and brothers, it's better to leave some leeway for each other," one of the disciples said somewhat reluctantly.
"Yeah, actually he's been working very hard, it's just..." The words trailed off, leaving only a sigh.
"..."
Hearing the jeers and a touch of pity from the fellow disciples below, every word felt like a sharp thorn to Liam. His hands were clenched tightly, and his slightly sharp nails dug deeply into his palms. Liam seemed oblivious to the pain, his steps heavy as lead as he moved towards the trial stone.
Liam didn't even know how he had made it this far. Looking at the trial stone before him, a complex expression flashed in his eyes, and his outstretched hands began to tremble slightly.
The people below also fell silent all at once. They were eager to see what the outcome of Liam's trial would be this time.
After hesitating for a long time, under the repeated urging of the middle-aged man, Liam finally placed his hands on the trial stone, and his expression immediately became tense.
After three breaths, the trial stone finally reacted, but the light and color were extremely dim. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't notice the change of the trial stone at all.
"Liam, he was born with the ninth level of talent," the middle-aged man said indifferently.
Hearing the middle-aged man's words, Liam felt as if a thousand sharp thorns were pricking his heart. His teeth clenched tightly, his hands' veins bulged, and a bitter smile flickered at the corner of his mouth. He muttered to himself, "Still the same outcome?"
It should be known that the innate realm is the basic condition for an ordinary person to become a martial artist. Only by surpassing it can one gather the essence of heaven and earth into one's own true qi and be regarded as a true martial artist. Otherwise, one is no different from an ordinary person.
"Haha, just as I thought. This good-for-nothing's cultivation has remained stuck at the ninth layer of the Xian Tian realm for the past year."
It's been like this for five consecutive years. It seems that I'll never become a true martial artist in my lifetime.
I wonder what the patriarch and the elders are thinking. Such a good-for-nothing should have been kicked out of the Smith family long ago to avoid bringing shame to the family.
You have no idea. They have the support of the Three Elders.
So what if the Three Elders are backing him up? In another year, he'll be fifteen. By then, according to the family rules, if his cultivation level hasn't reached that stage, even the Three Elders won't be able to protect him.
Such a good-for-nothing should leave as soon as possible. Staying in the family will only harm others and himself.
If it were me, I'd probably have ended my life somewhere by now.
"Actually, he's still of some benefit to us. At least with him around, I'll never be the last one in the family trials again," one disciple said with malicious glee.
"Get out of here, you spineless fellow! What are you comparing yourself to a good-for-nothing for? You're a normal person."
"True enough, keeping this good-for-nothing in the Smith family is nothing but a waste of food."
Liam listened to these extremely harsh words, his teeth clenching his lips, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. But Liam seemed not to feel the pain at all; he just turned around and coldly sized up these so-called brothers and sisters of the same race before him.
Five years ago, which one of these people wouldn't have been fawning and flattering to them?
In fact, Liam was once a renowned genius throughout the Silvermoon Valley five years ago. At the age of nine, he had successfully broken through to the ninth layer of the innate realm, becoming the youngest in a thousand years to reach this level in the Silvermoon Valley. He was full of hope to become an unparalleled powerhouse.
At that time, Liam was the apple of the Smith family's eye. They doted on him so much that they were afraid of dropping him if they held him in their hands and melting him if they put him in their mouths. For a while, his brilliance outshone all his peers in Silvermoon Valley.
The Smith family also spared no effort in providing him with all the best cultivation resources. Anyway, if there was anything good, even if the clan leader needed it, they would have to wait a while. Liam didn't need to be forced; they would still give it to him.
All the disciples of the Smith family fawned over him and flattered him. To them, Liam was the future supreme warrior. By building a good relationship with him now, they were sure to get the greatest rewards when they all rose to power in the future.
But all the beauty was ruthlessly shattered. Liam found that no matter how hard he tried, his cultivation wouldn't increase even a bit. Even the elixirs that were supposed to directly boost his cultivation had no effect at all. He felt like a deflating balloon; no matter how much celestial energy he absorbed, it would all vanish in the end.
This discovery completely shocked the entire Smith family. Even the elder who had been in seclusion for many years came out of his retreat upon hearing the news. After being observed by a group of elders, no one could figure out what was going on, and there was no solution to be found. Such a strange situation had never been recorded in ancient books.
After trying countless treatments, there was still no hope of Liam's recovery. Gradually, the attitude of the entire Smith family towards Liam began to change.
From being a cherished treasure at the beginning, Liam became a nobody that no one wanted to pay attention to. The various cultivation resources he received gradually decreased, and eventually, he was given nothing at all. His master completely gave up on him. Even the fellow disciples who used to flatter him endlessly began to distance themselves from him. As time went by, they openly ridiculed and mocked him. Not to mention the former respectful attitude, not even the slightest bit of the usual fellow disciples' affection could be seen.
Despite being ridiculed and ignored, Liam never lost heart. His stubborn nature constantly reminded him to rise again from where he fell. If he were to give up his training because of these people's cold stares and jeers, he would never be at peace for the rest of his life. Only by regaining his former glory and standing at the peak once more could he make all these snobbish people shut up.
Frowning slightly, Liam couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in his heart: Could it be that there is truly no sense of kinship left in this world at all?
His gaze was slightly cold as he scanned each person's face. Liam firmly committed these people to memory. If one day his lost talent returned and he reached the peak, all these insignificant people would regret their shortsightedness.
Perhaps because they knew they had gone too far, many of the disciples, when Liam's gaze swept over them, deliberately or inadvertently avoided eye contact with him, and their faces also became somewhat abnormal.
However, there were still some people who didn't care about Liam's opinion and spoke ill of him.
"You good-for-nothing, what are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen someone with higher cultivation than you?"
"Is that so? Do you still think you're the genius you were five years ago? Now, you're probably not even as good as a dog," one of the disciples sneered.
I hate it most when people look at me like that. If it weren't for the rule in the family that forbids disciples from fighting each other privately, I can guarantee that I would surely punch your eyes out. Another disciple had a fierce look in his eyes and was rubbing his fists together on the side, as if he couldn't wait to rush over and give Liam a good beating in the next moment.
"Don't be angry. Just wait another year. When that good-for-nothing is kicked out of the Smith family, won't we be able to do whatever we want?" another disciple said mockingly.
"Hehe, that makes sense. After hearing you say that, I actually do hope time passes a little faster."
"What are you looking at? Get out of here right now! Do you really think we won't teach you a lesson?"
"You're such a good-for-nothing. You still haven't left after the test. You're really wasting our time."
"..."
Hearing the endless jeers and a few sighs, Liam's already pale face turned even paler, but his eyes became more resolute. He struggled to lift his feet and walk down the steps, pushing through the crowd and heading towards the outside of the square.