Elder Cassius used a small pin to prick the baby's hand painlessly, then let his hand touch the rod. The response was immediate.
The rod lit up with a fiery red color, then rose. One ci, two ci, and finally three ci.
"Toma Larson. Three ci - Fire Affinity. Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Larson."
He congratulated them, much to their delight. The parents beamed in joy, happy that their son could become an Advanced Stage Cultivator or even reach the Master Stage if he was lucky enough.
Not wanting to waste anyone's time, they moved to the side, allowing the next couple to come forward.
Elder Cassius repeated the same process.
One ci, two ci, three ci. He announced the results. Just like Toma, the baby had an affinity to fire element, a very potent element.
In a matter of minutes, over ten babies had been tested and Elder Cassius was pleasantly stunned.
Among the ten, they already saw four kids with three ci aptitude and the others were two ci except one who had one ci.
This had never happened in their clan history! Receiving four out of ten kids with aptitude of becoming Advanced or Master Stage Cultivators was stunning.
"Haha. It seems we have been blessed by lady luck!"
He laughed boisterously after confirming that the eleventh kid to be tested had four ci aptitude.
'Is the Aptitude rod broken?'
His eyes narrowed after more tests were conducted. Among twenty five kids, five had four ci aptitude! This was utterly ridiculous! Since when did such talents start appearing in their clan? Especially in the same batch. He couldn't help but suspect that these kids were imported from the bigger clans.
However, that was just a foolish suspicion. He was confident his clan members wouldn't even try such a thing as despicable as kidnapping.
Finally, it was Seraph's turn and the elder looked at him. He was quite surprised.
"Rainbow eyes? Mr Skye, your son is truly amazing. C'mon. Let's test him."
He pricked the boy's finger, then placed his little hand on the rod.
Seraph quietly observed the rod, its faint hum resonating with something deep within him. He wondered if this glittering toy could truly measure worth.
At first, nothing happened, much to the onlookers' confusion. Abruptly, the rod shone. Red, blue, pink, yellow, green...
Several colors shone from within the rod as the guage rose rapidly. One ci, three ci, five ci…
Elder Cassius was shocked, his mouth wide open. The guage didn't stop. It passed the five ci, entered the six ci, and then the seven ci.
Elder Cassius' jaws dropped in shock. He instinctively let go of Seraph's arm, as if he had made a mistake by touching something so... divine.
All around, the other parents were taken aback.
"Rainbow color? What element is that?"
"Forget the color! He reached seven ci. This is great news for our clan!"
"Yes, yes! It is undoubtedly great news. Hahaha, luck is upon us this year."
Even Clem was surprised. He was only an Initial Advanced Stage Cultivator, only reaching three ci in the Aptitude Test. How could his son reach the seventh ci?
"Ahem." Elder Cassius cleared his throat awkwardly, then turned to one of the guards standing nearby.
"You. Please continue the test for the remaining children."
The guard nodded, stepping forward.
"Excuse me, Mr Skye, but we have to go see the Patriarch quickly."
Clem nodded, carrying Seraph in his arms and following the elder.
Before they left, Elder Cassius turned to the other parents.
"Please ensure that this information doesn't leak out. Else it might bring dangers to our clan."
They all nodded, now realizing how much greed such a talented child could awaken in larger powers.
_______
'They must want to keep it a secret, right? This... is actually fun to watch.'
Seraph thought while being carried to the Patriarch's main residence. His eyes moved around, marking the landscape for future reference.
Finally, the three stopped outside a door which the elder knocked.
"Nephew, there is an urgent matter."
In a few seconds, the door swung open and Seraph finally caught sight of the reputable patriarch.
The man looked young, like he was in his mid-thirties. He had silver hair and sharp brown eyes that held a deep intensity.
"Uncle, what is the matter?"
He asked the elder while casting a glance at Seraph and his father. There was neither respect nor disrespect in his tone, making one realize they were quite close.
However, Elder Cassius shook his head.
"It is inappropriate if we speak outside. Let's talk inside."
Patriarch Gomen nodded, and invited them into his personal study. It was like a mini library with lots of books stacked into the shelves.
"So what is this about?"
He asked, casting another glance at the child. He could already tell that that was the reason for his uncle's panic.
Instead of explaining, Elder Cassius asked. "Do you have the second Aptitude Test Rod with you?"
Gomen nodded, then quickly brought it out.
His uncle cut a tiny slit on Seraph's hands and placed it on the rod. The result was the same.
Patriarch Gomen's expression changed. He didn't display shock or let his mouth hang open like... cough, cough, like a certain someone.
Instead, his expression turned grim and he fell silent.
Seeing their reactions, Clem was getting worried. Was something wrong with his son? He didn't doubt that the Moonstone family would lay a hand on his son to eliminate him—they weren't the type of tyrant who'd kill anyone with the potential to threaten them.
"Do you understand now?" Elder Cassius asked, his voice heavy.
Gomen nodded. "If word spread out that we have a seven-ci-aptitude child, the bigger clans and even those cultivation sects will definitely crush us to obtain him."
After all, such children were rare in the outer region of the Orchid Province.
"We can only keep it a secret right now." Gomen sighed, rubbing his temples. "As for the witnesses, tell them it's actually a five ci aptitude. We have tested it again. Also tell them not to spread foolish rumors. They should know what negative impact it'd have on our clan."
Elder Cassius nodded. "I already warned them. I'll go deliver your message. Still, I'll suggest you assign a few guards to the Skye home secretly. We don't know what other small clans like us might do after they hear of a five ci."
Gomen nodded, then turned to Clem while Cassius prepared to leave.
"You must also understand our predicament, so please keep it a secret from your wife and even your son himself. Ignorance is bliss."
Clem was naturally a smart man. If it were any other clan, they could have sold his son to the bigger clans so as to curry favor from them. He hurriedly nodded, then thanked the Patriatch for his consideration. Carrying his son, he stepped out of the room.
At the door, Cassius paused, then glanced at Gomen with a mysterious smile.
"Gomen, you'll be surprised when you see the remaining results of today's tests."