Translator: AnubisTL
Stepping into the Talent Assessment Hall felt like entering an entirely different realm.
The hall's interior soared to dizzying heights, its vaulted ceiling shimmering with faint, starlike lights. The sheer vastness of the space pressed down, making one instinctively feel insignificant.
The hall wasn't empty; various bizarrely shaped devices, each radiating distinct energy signatures, were arranged systematically in different zones.
Academy staff guided the young candidates into several lines, directing them toward separate testing stations.
"Mental power strength test, next!"
The junior wizard overseeing the process spoke in a deep, resonant voice that echoed clearly through the immense hall, audible even in the furthest corners.
Jieming advanced with his group, his eyes darting around to observe the unfamiliar testing devices.
The first zone featured a massive crystal orb that pulsed with blue light. Candidates had to place their hands on the orb, which would glow with varying intensity based on their mental power strength. The final numerical value would then appear on a nearby plaque etched with runes.
He watched a young man step forward nervously and place his hand on the crystal ball.
The crystal ball glowed faintly, almost imperceptibly, and the number "2" flashed on the display. The young man's face drained of color as he stumbled away at the staff's gesture, looking utterly dejected.
"Mental sea depth test, next!"
The second area featured an ancient, heavy stone platform. Candidates had to sit on it and allow their mental power to sink into the stone.
Intricate runes carved into the platform's surface would light up sequentially. The more layers illuminated, the greater the depth of the candidate's mental sea.
Jieming watched a young woman take her turn. Only a shallow layer of runes lit up, and the display showed "Depth Scale: 3."
She bit her lip, her eyes rimmed with red, as she rose and left.
"Soul purity test!"
"Elemental affinity test!"
"Mental power condensation test!"
"Willpower test!"
The testing categories far exceeded what Jieming had learned from the lord. They covered every dimension essential for wizard cultivation: the strength, depth, and condensation of mental power; the purity and resilience of the soul; innate affinity for various elements; and even assessments of willpower and latent potential.
Lines formed before each testing area, the atmosphere thick with tension. Almost no one spoke, save for the faint hum of the devices and the low, guiding voices of the wizards.
Jieming joined the queue for the mental power condensation test.
The device resembled an intricate metal astrolabe.
Candidates placed their hands at the astrolabe's center, and light began to radiate outward from the center.
Jieming noticed that most people's light appeared scattered and diffused, spreading slowly and ultimately stopping at lower gradations.
"Next, Jieming!" The cold, echoing voice called out his name again.
Jieming's spirits lifted, and he strode briskly to the astrolabe.
The wizard overseeing the test was young and casually glanced at Jieming before gesturing for him to place his hand on the device.
Focusing his mind completely, Jieming steadily pressed his right hand into the groove at the astrolabe's center.
Activating the Inner Circulation Method to its peak, he momentarily felt as if his entire being had become a self-contained world, severing all connection with the outside.
But such complete isolation wouldn't work for the test. Sensing the foreign power invading his mind, Jieming gradually relaxed his control over his mental power.
The runes at the center of the star chart lit up, and the light began to spread outward.
Unlike the scattered glows emitted by most candidates, Jieming's mental power shone with exceptional focus, like a straight beam of light that climbed swiftly and steadily along the star chart's scale.
One mark... two marks... three marks... The speed was astonishing!
A flicker of surprise crossed the wizard's eyes. This score already surpassed that of most other candidates in his cohort.
The light continued to climb: four marks... five marks... At the fifth mark, the light's ascent slowed slightly, but it maintained its steady forward progress.
Six marks!
The light finally stabilized at the sixth mark, radiating a restrained yet brilliant glow.
The wizard overseeing the test showed clear admiration. He glanced up at Jieming, seemingly surprised by the young man's achievement.
"Mental power condensation level: Six," the wizard recorded, then gestured for Jieming to proceed to the next testing area.
Jieming withdrew his hand with feigned composure, inwardly relieved.
The effects of the Inner Circulation Method were truly astonishing. It could completely conceal excess true essence and mental power, leaving no trace even as the machine's energy surged wildly through Jieming's mental sea.
Jieming's decision to display this level of talent was the result of careful deliberation.
In the Wizard World, the Talent Assessment scale ranged from one to ten.
The gap between each talent level was significant. A level five talent was already considered exceptional by ordinary standards, while a level six talent surpassed ninety percent of the students taking the assessment.
However, while a level six talent was respectable, it paled in comparison to the monstrous talents at the higher tiers.
Jieming wasn't in a benevolent world. In environments like the academy, talent was essentially equivalent to status. If he displayed mediocre talent, he would easily become a target for bullying.
Yet, displaying excessive talent would draw too much attention. Therefore, a mid-to-high-tier "prodigy" level was the most suitable.
It wouldn't attract undue attention, minimize potential trouble, and allow for future displays of exceptional ability to be easily explained.
Jieming felt a bit more relaxed, but then surprise washed over him.
Though he had concealed his true strength, he knew that based on the required growth for each talent level, even if he unleashed his full power without reservation, he would only reach the eighth level at most.
After over a decade of painstaking cultivation to reach the first layer of qi refining, his maximum refinement level barely reached the eighth level...
What kind of monsters were those who could naturally test at the eighth, ninth, or even tenth level without any cultivation?!
In the subsequent tests, Jieming's performance fluctuated, but generally remained around the sixth level.
After completing all the tests, the final results were comprehensively evaluated by a central device in the hall. A cold, mechanical voice echoed through the space:
"Apprentice Jieming, comprehensive talent rating... Sixth Level!"
A wave of gasps rippled through the hall.
Sixth Level!
The sixth level was enough to cross the threshold of "genius," indicating he could effortlessly ascend to the rank of formal wizard and would undoubtedly earn the admiration of the academy's higher-ups.
Countless gazes—some envious, some jealous, some curious—once again focused on him.
Jieming maintained his composure on the surface, but deep down, he felt a considerable sense of relief.
This meant he had indeed passed this stage, at least for now. He no longer had to worry about being strapped to a surgical table as an experimental subject in the immediate future.
"Next!" The guiding wizard seemed unfazed by the sixth-tier talent. While impressive, such talents weren't entirely uncommon.
As Jieming stepped down from the testing platform and was directed to the next area, he heard a much louder uproar erupt from an adjacent section.
"Oh my god! Mental sea depth... eighth tier!"
"Elemental affinity, lightning element, ninth tier!"
"Soul purity, ninth tier!"
"Holy shit! What kind of prodigy is this?!" Hearing these announcements, even Jieming couldn't help but turn his head.
Several young men and women were surrounded by onlookers, their faces brimming with pride.
"A ninth-tier talent... it's the young lady of the Augusta Family! Her reputation is well-deserved!"
"And Young Master Horn, with his eighth-tier talent! He possesses an extraordinary affinity for transmutation magic, destined to become a powerful spellcaster!"
"That one with ninth-tier soul purity? Rumor has it he's already been internally selected by a soul-based mentor!"
Gasps of awe rippled through the crowd as the testing instrument announced the results. Jieming's heart tightened slightly.
This world truly teemed with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. His sixth-tier talent paled in comparison to these true monsters.
Good, he thought. Standing in the shadows cast by these dazzling luminaries would make him even less likely to be noticed.
The Talent Assessment continued, the hall filled with exclamations of wonder and the dejected sighs of candidates with lower aptitudes.
However, before these young people could savor their successes or dwell on their failures, a cold, urgent voice cut through the air like a rallying horn.
"All apprentices who have completed and passed the Talent Assessment, proceed immediately to the central plaza! Major specialization selection is about to begin!"
The voice echoed through the hall, carrying an undeniable air of authority.
(End of the Chapter)
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