novelnext Chapter 776 - Ranked First, Yet Again
Chapter 776 - Ranked First, Yet Again
Chapter 776 - Ranked First, Yet Again
All eyes followed after Liu Wuxie stepped into the Gate of Heart. After all, his test would be deemed a failure if he couldn't light up six scales.
But barely half a breath after Liu Wuxie stepped in, an uproar rose from the crowd.
"Quick, look at the scale!" someone yelled, and a commotion erupted with countless gazes locked on the scales.
The first scale lit up brilliantly and surged upward with astonishing speed, reaching the fifth scale in the blink of an eye. Unlike the gradual progression seen in others, Liu Wuxie's levels soared at a pace never before witnessed, only slowing down after hitting the fifth.
The examiners stared in shock. Although they had held the recruitment test multiple times, this was the first time they had seen something like this.
"Could there be a malfunction with the Gate of Heart?" asked a female examiner in an uncertain voice.@@@@
"That's impossible! The gate connects directly to heaven and earth, and there would be spatial disturbances if it malfunctioned!" refuted another examiner.
This meant the gate was functioning normally; the anomaly was Liu Wuxie himself. It was a mystery how he could light up the scale so rapidly.
Amidst everyone's discussion, the scale continued to rise until the eighth scale was lit up. This instantly made Ning Hai feel uneasy as he was the first to light up the eighth scale, making him wonder if he would be surpassed by Liu Wuxie again.
The eighth level lit up swiftly, glowing brighter than anyone else's had before. The brightness of the levels reflected the stability of one's heart— the more radiant, the steadier and purer the heart.
The scales released a dazzling radiance that made no one dare to look at them directly. Shortly after, the ninth scale lit up, and the entire platform fell into a deathly silence.
Shortly after, a series of gasps echoed from the platform. The lit-up ninth scale meant that Liu Wuxie was a monstrous prodigy. Those who had mocked Liu Wuxie earlier were now left with bitter expressions. Their attempt to stir Liu Wuxie's heart with their mockery had failed.
It was as if a resounding slap had landed squarely across their faces. Even Miao Hanxuan's face became grim with disbelief. He also felt a burning sting on his cheek.
"How is it possible for him to light up the ninth level?!" The crowd struggled to grasp the reality before them. It would have been easier to accept if someone in the True Profound Realm had achieved it. After all, the ninth level had been lit during past recruitment tests, but without exception, those who succeeded had already reached the True Profound Realm.
Liu Xiucheng clenched his fist in triumph, his chest swelling with pride. His grandson's talent had far surpassed that of the other participants, and he was confident that the academy would never let go of such a prodigy.
Though Liu Wuxie's cultivation was relatively low, his young age was his greatest advantage. If he were given a few years, it wouldn't be an issue for him to surpass all the prodigies present.
Millions of people on the platform watched Liu Wuxie with mixed emotions—envy, admiration, resentment...
"Wait, something isn't right. The tenth scale is flickering!" Everyone was still shocked by the ninth scale and didn't notice the faint flashes from the tenth scale. This outcome even shocked the ten examiners.
The ninth scale was shocking enough, but that was only to it, as there would be prodigies who lit up the ninth scale every few batches. However, the tenth scale was on a whole new level, unprecedented since the academy's founding.
"It has lit up! The tenth scale has lit up!" All ten markers on the arc-shaped gate lit up, and the Gate of Heart began to revolve independently. The unexpected motion left the examiners stunned, as none of them had ever witnessed such a phenomenon before. They could only wonder what the Gate of Heart's rotation signified.
A mysterious palace lay concealed within the depths of the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, where Qu Su delivered his report for the day.
"I have witnessed everything today!" declared an old man with snow-white hair, seated in a high chair. His eyes shone with a brilliance and sharpness that surpassed even the keenest youth.
"Grandmaster," Qu Su began, frowning, "should we halt the assessment? I fear Liu Wuxie may become the target of malicious intent from other participants.".
"There's no need," the grandmaster replied. "Every chosen one must face trials and tribulations to earn the recognition of the heavens. We won't shield him from trouble—in fact, we'll create obstacles to temper him." Judging from this man's appearance, he was the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's ruler and had lived for at least a millennia.
"This..." Qu Su stammered. He couldn't comprehend what the grandmaster was trying to do. Shouldn't such a prodigy be protected and nurtured? So, why should they create obstacles for him?
"You'll understand in time," the academy master said, waving his hand and dismissing Qu Su.
While alone in the palace, his gaze pierced through the void and reached the platform.
At that moment, Liu Wuxie's eyes shot open as he felt an invisible force scanning his body.
"What's that aura?" The mysterious force had come and left swiftly.
"Interesting...he managed to detect my presence," said the grandmaster with a smile rising on his lips.
"For the first time in ten millennia, the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy has finally produced a chosen one. We have to open the Astral Domain Path before the Dragon Emperor Academy," muttered the old man. He had recently received news from the Dragon Emperor Academy that a chosen one had emerged among their ranks, but that individual's talent paled compared to Liu Wuxie.
Though that individual had also managed to cross the Bridge of Heaven and light up all ten scales on the Gate of Heart, he also had a much higher cultivation than Liu Wuxie. By contrast, this proved that Liu Wuxie's potential was much higher.
Liu Wuxie was utterly unaware that someone had scanned through him.
The night passed in the blink of an eye, and a new day arrived. Today's assessment would put the participant's talent to the test with a slight touch on cultivation. However, these were merely preliminary tests, and the final test would be the actual test of strength.
When everyone awakened from their meditation, they were more motivated by Liu Wuxie's performance. After all, Liu Wuxie had been meditating or cultivating since they first saw him.
The ten examiners also arrived on time when the first gleam of sunlight shone on the platform. They rode the clouds as they hovered mid-air.
"Today, we will assess your innate talent, and those who score below six stars will be eliminated," Qu Su announced, his voice echoing across the platform. The innate talent assessment was ranked from one to ten stars, and only those who obtained six or more would pass.
In most sects, achieving five stars would be sufficient to qualify, but the academy's standards were far more demanding. The test would measure a combination of cultivation potential, physical constitution, and inherent talent.
Once they had finished explaining the details, the ten examiners began forming seals.
This time, a large crack appeared on the ground, and a stone pillar emerged from the depths, reaching a towering height of fifty feet.