The second terrace was quieter.
Those who had failed the first trial were gone, carried away or dismissed without comment. The remaining candidates stood in loose rows beneath a canopy of pale stone pillars. The air here felt different—not heavier, but sharper, as if Qi had been refined by distance alone.
Yan Xuan noticed immediately.
Pressure was no longer the test.
Responsiveness was.
A Cloudfall Sect elder stepped forward, sleeves embroidered with faint silver lines. His gaze swept across the candidates, impersonal and thorough.
"The second trial," the elder said, "tests Qi sensitivity."
Several candidates straightened unconsciously.
Yan Xuan did not.
Stone pedestals rose from the ground in front of them, each bearing a fist-sized, dull-gray crystal. The crystals looked unremarkable—opaque, lifeless.
Spirit stones.
Yan Xuan recognized them from observation, not experience.
"When you place your hand upon the stone," the elder continued, "it will react according to your body's affinity and responsiveness to Qi. The reaction will be recorded."
No encouragement.No reassurance.
Only procedure.
Candidates were called forward one by one.
The first stepped up, pressed his palm to the stone, and closed his eyes dramatically. Qi surged outward in an uncontrolled wave. The crystal flared bright blue—too bright. Cracks spidered across its surface.
The elder frowned.
"Excessive force," he said. "Unstable."
The next candidate was more cautious. The stone glowed faintly, steady and pale. The elder nodded once.
"Acceptable."
Yan Xuan watched carefully.
Most reactions followed patterns:
Bright but erratic
Dim but stable
Occasionally dull and inert
Each response earned murmurs, approval, or quiet dismissal.
When Yan Xuan's name was called, the plaza grew subtly attentive.
He stepped forward and placed his hand on the stone.
He did not push Qi.
He did not guide it.
He simply allowed his body to respond.
The warmth beneath his skin shifted faintly. Qi brushed his awareness, then flowed—thin, precise, almost reluctant.
The stone responded.
Barely.
A soft gray light pulsed once, then settled into a muted glow.
Silence followed.
The elder leaned closer, eyes narrowing slightly.
He waited.
Nothing changed.
The stone did not brighten. It did not crack. It did not dim further.
It simply remained… steady.
"Hm," the elder murmured.
He straightened.
"Response recorded," he said. "Low output. High stability."
A mark was made on a tablet.
Yan Xuan withdrew his hand and stepped back into line.
Around him, reactions were mixed.
Some candidates scoffed quietly.
"Too weak," someone whispered."Probably just scraped through the first trial."
Others looked uncertain.
The elder did not comment further.
But his gaze lingered on Yan Xuan for half a breath longer than necessary.
As the final candidates completed the test, Yan Xuan reviewed the result calmly.
Low output.
That aligned with expectation.
His Qi was not abundant. Not expressive. Not eager to display itself.
It moved only when required.
Efficiency, he realized, looked unimpressive to those who valued spectacle.
That was acceptable.
The elder raised his hand.
"The second trial is complete," he announced. "Those whose names are called will proceed to the final evaluation."
Several names followed.
Yan Xuan's was among them.
He felt no satisfaction.
Only confirmation.
As attendants guided them toward the third terrace, Yan Xuan glanced once at the spirit stone he had touched.
It still glowed faintly.
Not fading.
Not brightening.
Just… enduring.
Yan Xuan turned away.
If Cloudfall Sect measured worth by reaction, then he would let the stone speak honestly.
It had said exactly what he needed it to say.