Three Sins Against Heaven

"Metal Two, Wood Five, Water Three, Fire One, Earth Four."

In the blue stone plaza, a young man dressed in black looked expressionlessly at the boy in hemp clothes before him, withdrawing his hand from the boy's top of the skull.

"None of the Five Elements Spirit Roots are outstanding."

The boy in hemp clothes was thin and ordinary-looking, with the only noticeable feature being his clear and bright eyes.

However, upon hearing these words, the light in the boy's eyes instantly dimmed.

He didn't quite understand what spirit roots and the Five Elements were, but he could grasp the underlying meaning of the black-clad youth's words.

Mediocre aptitude!

The black-clad youth didn't notice the change in the boy's eyes, and even if he had, he wouldn't have cared due to the disparity in their statuses. He handed the boy a wooden plaque engraved with the words "Inferior" and waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing him away.

"Next."

More hurtful than contempt is indifference.

The boy tightly gripped the wooden plaque, his hand clenching with hidden strength, and walked past the other boys who had yet to be tested.

Seeing the "Inferior" plaque in the boy's hand, the crowd cast mocking and disdainful glances at him.

The boy lowered his head and quickly walked toward a distant, pre-divided area, his eyes filled with unwillingness.

This area was divided into three sections based on aptitude: superior, medium, and inferior. Naturally, the inferior section was the most crowded, almost full to capacity.

In contrast, the medium section had far fewer people. As for the superior section, only a handful of individuals stood there, making the large area seem quite empty.

The division of areas seemed to suggest that fairness still existed, as the three sections were equally sized, with no distinction in aptitude.

Or perhaps, the better one's aptitude, the more resources they would receive.

Regardless of the intention, once they stood in their respective sections after the aptitude test, their future paths were already determined.

Before he could enter the inferior section, a round-headed boy stood on tiptoe, excitedly waving at him.

"Dylan, Dylan, over here!"

The boy in hemp clothes was named Dylan Chen, twelve years old. The round-headed boy was named Tiger Li, nicknamed Little Tiger, a friend Dylan had met on the way, and his only friend.

Little Tiger's actions drew angry glares from the crowd. They had just been rated as having inferior aptitude, their spirits at rock bottom, and couldn't tolerate anyone being cheerful, not even a loud call.

A tall boy nearby shouted angrily, "Shut up! What are you yelling for? Aren't we humiliated enough?"

Little Tiger scratched his head, chuckled foolishly, and didn't take it to heart. He pulled Dylan to the back and took out half a steamed bun from his pocket, breaking it into even smaller pieces and handing one to Dylan.

"I saved this from yesterday. Eat it."

Dylan, having just been rated as having inferior aptitude, had no desire to speak. But facing the simple-minded Little Tiger, he forced a smile and pushed the small piece of steamed bun back, whispering, "I'm not hungry, you eat it."

Little Tiger softly said "Oh" and started eating by himself, his face still wearing that silly smile. He was about the same age as Dylan but far less mature, which was why his parents had sold him.

In fact, most of the boys in this group hadn't come here willingly; some were kidnapped, others sold for money.

Dylan had been sold by his gambling-addict father to a casino for two taels of silver, and the casino had then sold him for ten taels.

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The man who bought him was named Dennis Li, an Immortal, at least in Dylan's eyes. Dennis could fly and perform many incomprehensible feats, just like the Immortals in stories who could fly and escape.

On the way, Dennis had bought many boys, and that's when Dylan and Little Tiger met. Later, Dennis had flown them to this distant and unfamiliar place, where they saw more boys brought by other Immortals.

Dennis had left them here, telling them this was the Demonic Extreme Sect, and if their aptitude was good enough, they could become disciples like him.

Upon arrival, they were immediately subjected to an aptitude test.

None of them really understood what this so-called aptitude meant, but they could see the distinction between high and low.

The disciples of the Demonic Extreme Sect looked at those with inferior aptitude differently than those with better aptitude.

While Dylan was lost in thought, a sudden exclamation came from afar.

"Gold and Fire Spirit Root, perfect! What terrifying aptitude!"

Everyone turned to look, their gazes almost simultaneously falling on a boy with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes.

With this exclamation, the other Demonic Extreme Sect disciples conducting the tests also looked at the boy, exclaiming in amazement.

"Incredible, incredible! Two perfect spirit roots, such terrifying aptitude, I've never seen anything like it."

"Tsk tsk tsk, with his aptitude, it won't be long before he surpasses us."

"Indeed, such a person is destined to become a powerhouse of the Demonic Extreme Sect. We should make friends with him."

Dylan looked at the boy, his eyes filled with envy. The boy's name was Mark Ye, and he had been brought here by Dennis Li, just like Dylan.

Despite the praise from everyone, Mark's eyes remained calm, showing little emotion.

He was the kind of person destined to shine no matter where he was. While others were saddened by their sudden separation from their parents, he remained calm, even indifferent.

On the way here, Dennis had praised Mark endlessly, firmly believing he was a rare genius suited for cultivation.

Now it seemed, his words had come true.

Amidst the envious and jealous gazes, Mark was led to the superior aptitude section, standing at the very front, his head held high, never glancing at the other boys.

From the blazing sun to the setting dusk, the aptitude tests for thousands of boys were finally completed. The inferior section was already overcrowded, with rows extending further back. The medium section was almost full, but the superior section remained sparse.

Fewer than twenty boys were rated as having superior aptitude, with Mark still standing at the forefront. Undoubtedly, he had the highest aptitude among them.

Based on their aptitude, the boys were taken to different places. Leading the inferior group was a stern man, whose mere gaze made the boys tremble with fear.

The stern man didn't even look at them, turning and walking away, leaving the boys to follow quickly.

***

When a dilapidated cluster of houses appeared before them, all the boys' faces changed. Even though they knew they wouldn't receive good treatment as those with inferior aptitude, they hadn't expected to live in such a place.@@novelbin@@

The stern man stood before them, pointing at a red line on the ground, and said coldly, "My name is Brian Qin. Without my orders, you are not to step out of this area. Violators will be executed. Find your own rooms. Gather at Mao Hour Four Quarters tomorrow. Do not be late."

"No dinner?" Little Tiger suddenly asked.

Brian frowned and said coldly, "Eat, eat, all you think about is eating. No wonder you're just inferior aptitude, useless trash. Why don't you just die?"

For a moment, everyone was silent, and their gazes towards Little Tiger grew even more hostile.

Dylan quickly tugged on Little Tiger's sleeve, signaling him with his eyes to stay quiet, then nervously bowed to Brian.

"Senior Brother, please forgive us. We just arrived and don't know the rules. If we've offended you, please be lenient."

"Senior Brother" was a term Dennis had taught them before leaving, saying it was appropriate to address any unfamiliar adults this way.

But upon hearing "Senior Brother," Brian sneered, his eyes filled with disdain.

"You're nothing more than a disciple, a glorified servant. You think you deserve to call me Senior Brother?"

Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan