Page 17: Getting Attention

The glowing lines and spaces in the array platform sure was a delight to the eyes of the crowd. It was like watching a laser show in modern world if Long Bai is to describe it. Once the patterns stops glowing, comes the moment where the materialization of the core shows up above their head like a 3-D hologram. This is the manifestation that an essence core is established inside the person's low abdominal area. Knowing that a person has developed one is good however its not the most anticipated part of the ceremony. What makes the crowd go the most curious is when the crystal ball on the table will be touched. It was a person's cultivation judgement. Since it will determine one's affinity, it would tell a person's talent and future prospects.

"First candidates, proceed to the platform!" the inner sect disciple announced.

Before the platform, another sect disciple who was wearing an oversized robe was holding a bag. This was where candidates would present their essence shards. Since the array uses one shard per person, the minimum requirement for someone to try is basically one shard of any grade. However, in the case of these prominent families, giving more shows respect and face to the sect elder and the sect itself.

The first three went in front of these men and presented their amounts.

"Senior, this is the Chen household's fee for the ceremony. The Chen household gives their humble greetings."

The crowd was looking at the bag and it was full. The bag must have at least a thousand low grade shards. A thousand shard for a commoner would allow him to buy a place to live in and become more respectable in the society but to these families, this amount must be a month's worth of work. After the Chen household was the Hu household and the merchant union who gave the same amount as the first. For the Zhou, Feng and Li, each did dropped 500 red shards on the bag.

Now a minute after entering the array platform, the first three young ones are done with the array. The three looked at each of their family members and received their slight nod of recognition from successful awakening. However that was not everything. Once they'll touch the crystal ball, it could determine their household's future.

The three first batch walked five steps towards the crystal ball, lift their dominant hand and have them rest on top of it. This is the moment when everyone who wishes for good fortune become as one. Wishing that a miracle will happen to chance the fates of the family members. In this place, hoping to become strong is not wrong wether you yourself become one or you benefit from a family member's achievement.

After resting their hands on top of the crystal ball, two different reactions simultaneously occured. On the first table, the crystal ball glowed with white light while the 2nd and 3rd table had a murky glow in them. With this, the disciple who was presiding over the ceremony made the first announcement.

"Table 1, core grade, Average! Table 2 and 3, Ordinary!

Please take your entry badges. If you choose to enter the sect, present this upon entry. Giving these to others would be useless since you have your own soul imprint in it which was registered after awakening. Be reminded!"

The three took off from the testing area, give their salutations and took their badges. They were wooden with an inscription depicting the sigil of an outer disciple. For these kids, the outcome was already satisfying. Entering the sect will already increase their resources and influence even though its to be an outer disciple of the sect.

The second and third batch continued and so far, everyone was successful. Since they've out up more effort in nurturing them such as providing them high level beast meat and expensive herbs, the chances of developing the core is higher. In terms of the grade of their essence core, everyone developed an average one.

Looking at the trend, it is obvious that the first ones might have been offered with fewer resources compared to the later ones. Every household might just be holding the best for last, and they are the young masters. The direct descendants of the family heads, or the most talented in the household. As for the merchant union, the remaining kids must be the children of the most influential leaders in the union.

It is already the fourth turn. The next ones who just came to the platform does not look ordinary compared to the previous ones. One of them, a young one with a masculine build, catches everyone's attention.

#4

"That child came from the Chen household isn't it? Look at his build. He doesn't look like a ten year old kid but like someone in their 15's. He must be the family head's son, right?"

#5

"You're wrong. That's not the family head's son. That's the rumored child that they adapted from another city. Rumor says that he might be an illegitimate child of the Chen's but some said that its a child the head took fancy due to his extraordinary physique. Being a child and yet possesses the strength of a young adult. Who wouldn't be interested. Lets see how he would fare."

The fourth candidates stepped on their respective platforms and the initiation started. All eyes were at one person, waiting for a surprise. If his physique really is something else, it would be a record breaking feat. It has been a few hundred years since someone with a surprising talent came out of the merchant city. The last one was the previous sect leader of the six star school. As of now, everyone believes that the previous sect leader has entered the main continent and vanished but some believes that he might just be in seclusion somewhere waiting to enter the immortal realm.

Again, even this time, everyone succeeded in developing a core. Now the three approached the crystal ball. Everyone in the audience was quiet that making a feint sound may come awkward.

Two crystal balls shined with white brilliance while the table where the adapted child of Chen was, shined with a silver halo around the crystal ball. Everyone in the crowd was amazed by the result. It was a high grade essence core that has manifested in the child. Everyone in the crowd, the other household and the merchant union to be exact gave their congratulatory gestures to the Chen Household. After the loud commotion was done, they heard the inner sect disciple announced the entries.

" Table 2 and table 3, receive your entry badges. Table 1 will receive a silver badge."

Hearing about the silver badge, people started giving gasps of amazements. What could a silver badge signify aside from being able to enter the sect as an inner sect disciple? For commoners, this kind of news is like ascending to heaven if it was them who was in the receiving end. However, in the case of Chen household, their reactions doesn't tell any big surprises but instead as if they were expecting it.

The fifth entries are now approaching the array platform. This is the the main show which everyone was waiting for. To see how each of the Chen, Hu, and the merchant union's sons would become.

Now the stage became bright again.