The Shen family dining hall fell silent as Kai entered.
Twelve people sat around the long table, and every eye turned to him with expressions ranging from pity to contempt. His father, Shen Zhu, sat at the head—a stern Core Formation cultivator whose disappointment in his youngest son was legendary throughout the Thunder Peak Region.
Kai took his seat at the far end without a word, noting the positions of his three older brothers, two sisters, his stepmother, and various cousins. In his previous life, he'd felt small in this room, diminished by their judgment.
Now he felt nothing but mild irritation at the waste of time.
"I'll be direct," Shen Zhu announced, his cultivation aura pressing down on everyone present—a casual display of dominance. "The Azure Sky Sect examination is in three days. Our family has three candidate slots."
He gestured to Kai's eldest brother, Shen Wei, and second brother, Shen Jian. "Wei and Jian will obviously represent us. For the third slot..." His gaze fell on Kai, and something like regret flickered in his eyes. "I had hoped my youngest son might qualify. But after years of stagnant cultivation, I must be realistic. Cousin Shen Rui will take the third position."
Shen Rui, sitting two seats down from Kai, tried to hide his smirk and failed.
In his previous life, this moment had broken something inside Kai. The public declaration of his worthlessness, delivered by his own father in front of the entire family.
Now, looking at his father's expression, Kai recognized something he'd been too young to see before. Shen Zhu wasn't disappointed—he was grieving. Grieving the son he thought would never amount to anything.
*I'm sorry, Father,* Kai thought. *In my previous life, by the time I proved myself, you were already dead. This time, I'll give you something to be proud of.*
"I want to test for the examination slot," Kai said quietly.
The table froze. His stepmother, Lady Chen, actually laughed—a sharp, cruel sound. "Test? Dear child, you've been stuck at Foundation Establishment first level for two years. The examination requires third level minimum."
"I reached Foundation Establishment third level last night."
More silence. Then his brother Shen Jian snorted. "Impossible. Two years of stagnation doesn't magically disappear overnight."
"Test me, then."
Shen Zhu stood slowly, his expression unreadable. "You're serious." He walked toward Kai's end of the table. "Give me your hand. But know this—if you're lying to save face, you'll be disinherited tonight and sent to the Eastern Wastes."
"I understand."
His father grasped his wrist, and Kai felt the crude probe of spiritual energy enter his meridians. He could have blocked it—even at his current cultivation, his control was infinitely superior to his father's—but he let the examination proceed.
Shen Zhu's eyes widened. His grip tightened. "This... your core..."
Around the table, his siblings were standing now, sensing something monumental in their father's reaction.
"It's not just third level," Shen Zhu whispered. "Your core has an aspect. Void aspect. At Foundation Establishment." He released Kai's wrist and took a step back, something like awe in his expression. "How is this possible?"
"I had some insights during meditation," Kai said simply.
His father stared at him for a long moment. Then, slowly, the grief in his eyes transformed into something Kai hadn't seen since childhood: hope.
"You'll take the third examination slot," Shen Zhu declared. "Rui, you'll wait for next year."
"But Father!" Shen Rui's face flushed red. "I've prepared for months—"
"Silence." The word cracked like thunder. "This is not negotiable. My son has proven himself."
*My son.* The emphasis on those words made something in Kai's chest tighten. In his previous life, he'd spent decades trying to earn the right to be called that without qualification.
"All three of you will spar this afternoon," Shen Zhu continued. "I want to see what my youngest is truly capable of."
As breakfast resumed in stunned silence, Kai felt that strange resonance again—the echo of another Void cultivator somewhere in the world.
*Can you feel me too, Yuhan?* he wondered. *Are you preparing for our meeting, knowing what it will mean this time?*
The Void energy in his core pulsed in response, carrying with it a sensation that felt almost like anticipation.