Chapter Nine: Could This Be a Glitch?
Hearing Wei Qing’s call, Yun Yi paused for a moment before stepping forward.
Suddenly, he felt an intense gaze and looked up, just in time to meet Mou Qian’s furious, narrow eyes.
Yun Yi shook his head helplessly and smiled faintly; he had no desire to waste words on such a fool.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Yun Yi strode up to the crystal.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his arm and gently placed his palm on the crystal’s surface.
One breath...
Two breaths...
“Hahaha! Kid, you don’t have a single bit of talent, do you?” Mou Qian pointed at Yun Yi, laughing mockingly, his eyes full of scorn.
Wei Qing’s face showed doubt, for without talent, it would have been impossible for Yun Yi to have reached his current level of cultivation. Yet, it couldn’t be a problem with the testing crystal either.
“Kid, get down! Go back home and farm the land!”
“Don’t waste time! Hurry up and leave!”
Those still waiting for their tests jeered at Yun Yi, their voices overlapping. They had feared being at the bottom this time, but now it seemed certain.
Yun Yi’s expression also showed confusion.
“That shouldn’t be…”
Just as laughter erupted throughout the hall, something unexpected happened.
The talent crystal slowly began to glow under everyone’s astonished gaze.
One star...
Two stars...
It kept shining until seven stars appeared!
And it was still glowing!
At the sight, everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief. Even Wei Qing’s face was tinged with surprise—no one understood better than him what seven stars represented.
The last person with a seven-star talent had become the current dean of Yingtian Academy.
Just as Wei Qing and the others were stunned, the seven stars on the talent crystal suddenly extinguished right before their eyes—none remained.
“This…”
Wei Qing was dumbfounded. After so many years, this was the first time something like this had happened.
But soon after, the crystal lit up again, this time displaying spiritual root attributes.
“This! Is this real?”
“Is the crystal malfunctioning?”
Seeing the colors flashing from the crystal, everyone was baffled and incredulous.
Even Wei Qing was unsure of what to make of it.
Within the crystal, flashes of purple lightning crackled, white gales howled, and bursts of red and blue hues swirled about—an awe-inspiring spectacle that stunned all onlookers.
---
However, this spectacle lasted only a moment before the light faded again.
“This…”
Yun Yi looked toward Wei Qing, his face filled with doubt.
“Uh…”
“Continue the test!”
Hearing Wei Qing’s command, Yun Yi placed his hand back on the crystal ball.
As expected, the unexpected happened once more.
All the stars on the crystal lit up.
“Kid, did you break the testing tool?”
“You broke it! How are we supposed to test now?”
The crowd grew restless, believing the crystal was damaged and blaming Yun Yi.
Yun Yi was equally baffled. How could his tests always show full stars only to vanish afterward?
At this moment, Wei Qing was transmitting a report to the higher-ups about the unusual situation, as such an event was a once-in-a-century occurrence.
Seeing Wei Qing’s silence, Yun Yi asked him with a puzzled expression, “Elder Wei, is this okay now?”
Wei Qing took a deep breath. He had just received a reply from above, confirming that Yun Yi would be allowed to stay but was barred from entering the advanced class.
Wei Qing glanced at Yun Yi and nodded. “Due to the anomaly with the testing crystal, Yun Yi’s data is invalidated. Whether he can enter the academy depends on subsequent tests.”
The announcement ignited laughter throughout the hall.
“I thought he was so amazing! Turns out it was just a malfunction!”
“Hahaha, what rotten luck to encounter an opportunity like this.”
Despite their taunts, Yun Yi paid them no mind.
“Why invalidate the results? Elder Wei, perhaps Yun Yi can retake the test?”
Lei Ling’er anxiously pleaded with Wei Qing.
Feeling a warm surge from Lei Ling’er’s support, Yun Yi smiled softly.
“Ling’er, it’s fine. Even without this score, I can still enter the academy.”
“Well…” Lei Ling’er hesitated, looking at Yun Yi’s resolute gaze, and remained silent.
Behind Yun Yi stood Qian Duoduo and Qian Mo not far off, their eyes shimmering with thought as they observed him.
Hailing from prominent families, they had seen much and naturally did not believe such a flimsy excuse.
“Hahaha! Yun Yi, so that’s your name! With test results like that, when you’re eliminated, I’m going to break your legs!”
Mou Qian looked at Yun Yi with excitement, taunting him with threats.
Yun Yi responded coolly with two words: “Imbecile.”
Those words struck Mou Qian hard—he knew it was an insult but did not understand its meaning. His anger flared anew.
Yun Yi ignored him, instead pondering the strange occurrences he had just experienced.
---
The test soon came to an end.
Looking at everyone who had completed the tests, Wei Qing announced, “The second test is over! Those with less than three stars are disqualified and eliminated!”
As soon as the words fell, the crowd erupted again—some rejoicing, others fretting.
“Elder Wei! What about him?”
“Yeah! What’s the verdict on him?”
Voices rose from the crowd, pointing at Yun Yi and sparking widespread jealousy and malice.
“Silence!”
Wei Qing’s spiritual power surged, instantly calming the scene. Looking over the assembly, he slowly said, “Yun Yi’s data will be reconsidered after the next stage. If he passes, he will return to the academy for further testing. If not, he will be eliminated.”
“Any questions?”
Wei Qing’s eyes burned with stern authority as he scanned the crowd.
After this round, the number of candidates sharply decreased, leaving only three hundred.
With the crowd now subdued, Wei Qing continued, “Eliminated candidates, please depart. The next stage, the temperance test, begins.”
As he spoke, the eliminated were swiftly cleared away. The remaining candidates each received a stone.
“Temperance is the key to becoming a strong cultivator. What you hold is a Tempering Stone. You will face the darkness within your hearts. Good luck.”
With that, everyone began to meditate, immersing themselves in their stones.
Looking at the stone in his hand, Yun Yi was curious about what trials awaited him.
Observing the candidates already absorbed in their stones, Wei Qing glanced at Yun Yi before commencing his readings.
“That kid… really is the young master of the Qian family…”
Wei Qing was somewhat bewildered by Qian Duoduo’s mental state.
The projection above Qian Duoduo’s head revealed nothing shameful—only money.
In the scene, Qian Duoduo sighed endlessly about having too much money to spend.
Seeing Qian Mo’s state, Wei Qing was at a loss.
In the projection, Qian Mo tossed his green hair wildly, acting mad against his elders’ orders to keep a low profile; when told to behave humbly, he longed to show off.
Observing Lei Ling’er’s mental landscape, Wei Qing’s expression grew surprised.
Her projection showed her questioning and arguing with her father.
“Also a child of hardship…”
Wei Qing sighed softly and turned to examine Yun Yi’s state.
“Huh! How is this possible?”
Wei Qing stared at the projection above Yun Yi’s head in disbelief.