The old man raised his voice once more, deep and firm, reverberating through the platform.
"Step forward one by one. Place your hand on the pillar and channel your spiritual power. The number of rays it emits will reveal your talent. To pass, you must light at least three complete rays of light."
A ripple of excitement passed through the crowd. The youth lining the front — all Spirit Refining Realm geniuses — quickly began forming lines. The stronger one's cultivation, the further ahead they stood.
As for those like Luo Yang, still stuck in the Body Practitioner Realm, they weren't even included in the main line. A small handful of them lingered at the back, waiting for a final chance — not because anyone believed in them, but because the rules allowed anyone under eighteen to try.
Luo Yang sighed, walking away from the crowd to sit cross-legged on a large stone slab near the edge. From there, he could observe the test in peace.
The first test-taker stepped forward — a youth dressed in ornate robes, his manner arrogant and refined. A typical young master.
He placed his palm against the golden pillar. For a moment, nothing happened.
Then — whoosh — a red light flared across the gems. Three stars lit up on the surface of the pillar, one after the other. A thin, unimpressed murmur spread across the crowd.
"Barely passable," the old man commented blandly.
Luo Yang watched with interest as more candidates followed. One after another, boys and girls stepped forward — each placing their hands on the divine pillar, channeling their power.
And yet… very few succeeded.
"One in ten," Luo Yang muttered. "Maybe less."
Some had high cultivation but failed completely. Others, with modest levels, lit up three or even four stars. Clearly this test judged potential not current strength. That explained why a sect as powerful as Cloud Mist would accept weaker cultivators — they wanted those with true talent.
Only twice did someone barely light up a dim fifth star — enough to earn whispers of admiration. But it remained rare, and even then, the stars pulsed weakly.
"System," Luo Yang asked inwardly, "can this thing detect my unawakened physique?"
"You? Hah. You're not even at Spirit Refining Realm yet. What do you expect — for your physique to jump out and do a dance?"
"So it's useless?"
"Let's just say… enjoy the show. There are some juicy prey here."
Luo Yang frowned. Prey?
Just then, a new youth stepped up to the pillar. He was dressed in pale silver robes embroidered with dragon, clearly from a prestigious family. His aura was sharp and heavy, a peak Spirit Refining Realm cultivator, and his every step dripped with pride.
The moment his palm touched the pillar, a blinding blue light exploded from the gems.
Boom!
The first five stars lit up in a blink — the sixth glowed faintly at the edge, pulsing with restrained might. The platform buzzed.
Even the elders' expressions shifted slightly, and a few nodded in appreciation.
"Excellent talent," one murmured.
"Powerful affinity with ice element… solid foundation."
The boy stood tall, basking in the admiration, his chin slightly raised. His eyes swept the crowd with disdain. He was enjoying the attention.
Ding!
"Villain Character Detected: Tang Sen"
Luck Points: 560
Luo Yang nearly choked. "Five hundred and sixty?"
"Now that's a villain," the system chuckled. "Of course he's arrogant. Look at that start. You know the drill — heroes don't get smooth beginnings unless they're surrounded by powerful villains."
Luo Yang's eyes narrowed. So Tang Sen was a major stepping stone in someone's destiny. The question was... whose?
He didn't have to wait long. Just as the crowd began to settle, the pillar flared again — this time with a piercing golden light that cut through the haze like a blade. The sixth star blazed fully to life. Gasps echoed in crowd as luo yang sat up straighter.
"Finally…" he grinned. "The protagonist has arrived."
A youth in simple robes stood before the pillar, his figure straight, his eyes calm. He wasn't dressed like a noble, nor did he carry any arrogant airs — but he had the look. Handsome, clean-cut, and with an aura like a drawn sword. His cultivation was high, near the peak of Spirit Refining, and his talent showed in the sharp aura of his light.
The sixth star pulsed like a sword unsheathed. Even the old man's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Sword affinity," he said aloud, voice tinged with approval. "Strong comprehension. He'll be favored by one of the inner elders for sure."
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Who is he?"
"He's dressed plainly. Maybe from a remote mountain sect?"
"Plain? More like low-key if I've ever seen one."
Luo Yang smiled darkly.
Ding!Protagonist Character Detected: Xu Yan
Luck Points: 1500.
Luo Yang was stunned.
"Fifteen hundred?! That's insane!"
He watched as Xu Yan, dressed in plain robes, smiled politely at the elders and walked away after his test. Calm and humble — the typical good guy.
But when he passed by Tang Sen, the air grew cold. Both of them looked at each other with sharp eyes, full of hidden anger. Luo Yang saw it clearly.
"Ah… so the main character and the villain already hate each other. Classic."
More people came up to take the test. Luo Yang watched with growing boredom. Only a few passed, and most just lit up three or four stars. Once in a while, someone got close to five stars, but no one lit the sixth again.
Then finally, the ones in the Body Practitioner Realm were called up. Most people didn't care. The elders didn't show any reaction either. After all, people at that level rarely passed.
Luo Yang's turn came.
He walked forward slowly, standing in front of the big glowing pillar. Up close, he could feel a strange pressure coming from it. But it wasn't too much.
He placed his hand on the pillar and started channeling his spiritual energy. One second…Two seconds… Nothing happened.
"System, what the hell?!"
Even the elder in charge frowned a little. The crowd began whispering.
"Another no-talent.""Why did he even come up?""A waste of time."
Just then, a boom echoed — and the pillar lit up all at once!