The ceremony was quiet under the cloudy sky on Twin Fang Island. On the stone platform, fifteen-year-old clan children stood, faces flushed with nervous excitement. Today was the day of their aperture awakening — the moment every child had awaited since birth, the moment that would decide their fate.
The clan's Hope Gu writhed beneath Xue Han's skin, a dull pulse spreading from his palms into his core. He clenched his fists, sweat breaking out as the invisible ladder of primeval essence rose step by agonizing step inside his aperture. But just past the 26th rung, the light flickered and dimmed.
No matter how he forced his will, the flow stalled. His aperture would fill only to 57%, a clear sign of C-grade talent — a disappointment crushing enough to silence the noise around him.
The ceremony moved on, others' apertures glowing faintly in dull hues, with only a handful reaching the modest heights of B rank — and once again, the elusive, almost mythical A rank was nowhere to be seen in the Ye Clan for many cycles.
The ceremony ended with some smiling faintly, their faces betraying relief or quiet satisfaction, while others looked crushed—shoulders slumped, eyes cast downward, like the weight of failure had sunk deep into their bones.
Ye Xue Han sat alone later, lampooning in his mind.
"I was reborn in this devilish world of Reverend Insanity, expecting a golden finger, some miraculous edge to set me apart. But what do I have? A measly C-rank talent. Just 57% of my aperture filled. Not a single step beyond the mediocre."
He clenched his fists.
"After all this time, after all these years waiting and hoping, nothing. No divine chance, no secret inheritance handed down. Just an ordinary, forgettable existence. Maybe this world really does spit on those who aren't lucky enough."
Later, in the Ye Clan's ancestral hall, the clan leader Ye Shui Jin and the five elders gathered around the long stone table, faces shadowed by worry.
"We have no A ranks again this year," Ye Shui Jin said gravely, voice heavy with regret. "Only three B ranks, and the rest... below."
Elder Ye Lan Bo shook his head. "Without strong bloodline talents, the prosperity of Ye Clan will only decline. The Zhi Clan across the island grows stronger every day."
"The three B ranks… they all come from the households of our elders. Ye Lan Bo's eldest son, Ye Mu Heng's niece, and Ye Rong Shui's grandson," she reported cautiously.
Ye Lan Bo nodded solemnly. "Their talent gives us hope, but it's a thin hope. If they cannot break through to Rank 3 soon, the clan's foundation will crumble under the pressure from the Zhi Clan."
Ye Mu Heng's voice was firm. "We must focus all resources on nurturing them—training, rare Gu, and spiritual guidance. If they can ascend to Rank 3 quickly, they might carry the clan forward."
Ye Rong Shui added, "Time is against us. The Zhi Clan's recent advancements are no secret. Their leader, Zhi Bing Xuan, has just reached Rank 4 Middle, and his strength grows daily. If we delay, the gap will only widen."
Ye Shui Jin's eyes darkened with resolve. Though he himself was only a Rank 4 Initial stage, he understood the burden his clan carried — the future resting on these young talents' shoulders. "Then it is settled. We will pour all we can into these three promising talents. They are the pillars that might yet uphold the Ye Clan's legacy. Fail, and our clan's future is bleak."
The elders exchanged grave looks but nodded in agreement.
Outside the ancestral hall, the weight of expectation pressed heavily on the shoulders of Ye Xue Han and the entire clan — the fate of the Ye Clan resting precariously on a few fragile young lives.