A Bloom of Elements, The Fourth Trial
After a tense ten-minute wait in the hushed antechamber, their turn arrived.
"You may enter as a group," the guide instructed, opening the door.
The room within was spacious and soberly elegant. Directly opposite them sat a row of examiners behind a long, polished table. In the center was an elderly woman with hair the color of iron and eyes that held a piercing, youthful sharpness—Elder Cai. Flanking her were two serious-looking middle-aged men, their gazes analytical and reserved.
"Proceed," Elder Cai said, her voice carrying a gravelly warmth that still managed to sound like a command.
Yao Xuan glanced at his teammates. "Who wishes to begin?"
"I will." Xie Xie stepped forward, offering a respectful bow. Without preamble, he activated his soul power. His third soul ring flashed, and from his form, three clones of brilliant light and three of deep shadow split off—the Dual Dragon Clone. He set them into a choreographed skirmish against each other, a display of multitasking and phantom techniques.
After thirty seconds, he dispersed the clones and bowed again. "My demonstration is complete."
Elder Cai observed him for a moment. "A twin martial soul of complementary aspects. Adequate. However, your spiritual strength lags. The clones move in overly synchronized patterns; true independent control eludes you. Your Ghost Shadow Step, likewise, grasps the form but not the essence. Recommendation: dedicate yourself to spiritual cultivation. Reach the Spirit Sea realm within three years, or your path will narrow considerably. Score: seven points."
Her critique was direct, surgical, and left no room for argument. Xie Xie absorbed the words, his face flushing not with anger but with the heat of revelation. He bowed deeply, sincerely. "Thank you for your guidance, Elder."
"Next."
Xu Xiaoyan came forward. She explained her unique Starlight Soul Skill, the mutation of her staff under night conditions, and referenced its use in the previous trial. Elder Cai listened, nodded once. "The Xu family's stellar affinity is a documented phenomenon. A valid and distinctive skill. Score: eight points."
Xu Xiaoyan retreated with a relieved exhale.
Tang Wulin stepped into the center. "Honored examiners, my special skill pertains to physical strength augmented by a unique bloodline." As he spoke, a faint golden light ignited in his pupils. His right arm swelled slightly, golden scales shimmering into existence across the skin. Behind him, defying all convention, a radiant golden soul ring materialized.
A ripple of surprise passed through the room. Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Xie gasped. Even Gu Yue's eyebrows lifted a fraction in analytical interest. A golden ring was the stuff of myth—a million-year soul ring.
Elder Cai leaned forward, her sharp eyes narrowing. "No… this isn't spirit-derived. This energy… it's born of blood and qi. Explain."
"You are correct, Elder," Tang Wulin admitted freely. "It is a bloodline soul ring, and it confers a soul skill."
"Demonstrate its effect."
Tang Wulin nodded. The golden ring blazed. A low, resonant draconic hum filled the air as his body was sheathed in a corona of golden light—the Golden Dragon Body.
"Golden Dragon bloodline… fascinating, given your primary Blue Silver Grass martial soul," Elder Cai mused, a spark of genuine curiosity in her eyes. In a blur of motion, she was before him. "Strike me. Three times. Use your full might."
The subsequent exchange was a blur of power. Three thunderous punches were thrown; three times, Elder Cai stopped them with effortless, palm-up blocks that resonated with deep, final thuds. On the third, a gentle push of her own sent Tang Wulin sailing back to lightly thump against the far wall. In that brief display, the staggering, mountain-like pressure of a Title Douluo had been briefly, clearly revealed, leaving Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan wide-eyed.
Throughout, Gu Yue watched dispassionately. Tang Wulin's power was noted, catalogued as data relevant to her broader observations, but it stirred no particular concern. He was a comrade, a piece on the board, not a focus of her emotional core.
"A potent and rare bloodline evolution. The defensive and empowering qualities are clear. Score: ten points," Elder Cai declared, returning to her seat.
As Tang Wulin moved back, Yao Xuan gently nudged Gu Yue with his elbow, a subtle, encouraging touch. 'Your turn,' his eyes said. He wanted her to shine first, to establish her brilliance unquestioned. If any minor scrutiny followed his own demonstration, it would pale next to hers.
Gu Yue gave a nearly imperceptible nod and glided forward. She bowed slightly. "Honored Elders."
Her three brilliant purple soul rings rose. With a graceful, almost artistic flip of her wrists, pale yellow light bloomed in her palms. The earth element coalesced, not as a crude lump, but as a delicate, nine-petaled flower of solid stone, rotating slowly in the air—a testament to breathtaking spiritual control and elemental finesse.
Elder Cai nodded, approval evident. 'Precise. Elegant. Top-tier control.'
Then Gu Yue continued. Blue water, shimmering wind, and flickering fire emerged in sequence, weaving themselves into the stone flower. The four distinct elements didn't clash; they danced, intertwining to form a complex, harmonious, and stunning elemental blossom suspended in mid-air.
Elder Cai's eyes widened. She leaned forward. "Excellent! Truly excellent!" she murmured, unable to contain her admiration. Four-element control. It was a theoretical peak, a synergy seldom even dreamed of. The difficulty wasn't additive; it was exponential. This was the mark of a once-in-an-era genius.
But Gu Yue wasn't finished. A fifth glow, pure and radiant—the element of light—joined the symphony. It wove into the existing matrix, and the flower blazed with an inner, multifaceted luminescence.
Five elements.
For a moment, Elder Cai's professional composure cracked. Her lips parted in silent astonishment. The two male examiners exchanged a stunned glance. This transcended genius; it defied conventional understanding of elemental affinity.
Gu Yue did not launch the flower as an attack. Instead, she guided it in a slow, respectful orbit around herself, a silent showcase of absolute mastery, before allowing it to dissipate into motes of harmless, multicolored light. She bowed again, her expression calm, as if she had merely performed a simple exercise.
The room was silent for several heartbeats.
Elder Cai finally let out a long, slow breath. The look she gave Gu Yue was one of profound respect and undisguised excitement. "Child… your talent is extraordinary. With such a presentation, you bypass the remaining assessments. I am recommending you for direct entry into the Inner Court. Your place there is assured."
She then turned her gaze, still alight with the afterglow of what she'd witnessed, to the final candidate. "And you, young man? What do you have to show us?" All eyes in the room now settled on Yao Xuan. The atmosphere was charged. How could one follow an act like that?