In the Cultivation World, there were many types of Elements, each with its own unique properties and manifestations.
The most common were the Five Basic Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. These formed the foundation of many cultivation techniques and spells, and were considered the building blocks of the Universe.
However, as ancient cultivators delved deeper into the mysteries of the Heavens and Earth, they discovered more complex and rare Elements.
Beyond these five, there existed numerous other Elements, some rarer and more potent than others.
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The Thunder Element, like that displayed by the petite girl earlier, was one such example. It was a far more volatile and powerful Element. Those born with Thunder affinity were often blessed with incredible speed and destructive potential, their Dao techniques capable of shattering mountains and splitting the heavens.
Other rare Elements included Wind, which granted unparalleled agility and control over air currents; Ice, a derivative of Water Element that could freeze entire lakes in an instant — there were even rumors that Extreme Ice Element could even freeze air particles making it feel as if the flow of Time had stopped.
And Darkness, a mysterious Element…
At this moment, as the crimson flames danced around Lucian’s hand, he immediately thought of his [Child of Fire] Innate Fate.
He had known, of course, that he possessed a strong affinity for fire because of this Fate Movement, but the intensity of this reaction surpassed even his wildest expectations.
The heat emanating from the stone was so intense that the grass around Lucian’s feet began to burn and smoke!
But it didn’t last long, after all this fire had no continuous Energy supply, so it soon died down.
But the shock it had given to onlookers yet to subside.
Nex, momentarily stunned, composed himself.
“Cough!” After taking everyone’s attention, he continued, “G-good. We’ve a good seed this year. Your fire affinity is indeed good. Go, and stand with the others.”
Lucian nodded and and under the envious gazes of the other candidates, he made his way to join the group of those who had passed. As he walked, he could feel countless eyes upon him, a mixture of awe, jealousy, and curiosity, but he ignored them all.
The recruitment process continued, with more participants stepping forward to test their fate against the Heavenly Stone. Some passed with varying degrees of elemental affinity, while others were turned away, their dreams of cultivation shattered in an instant.
As Lucian stood among the successful candidates, he noticed two familiar faces approaching.
Ardian and Rex, having just managed to pass the test, eagerly ran towards him, their eyes shining with excitement and a hint of caution.
“Senior Brother Lucian! Congratulations!” Ardian called out, his voice filled with exaggerated enthusiasm, even his way of addressing Lucian had changed compared to yesterday, “Such an incredible display! Truly, you are blessed by the Heavens. You’ll sure be promoted to an Inner Sect disciple within a year.”
Seeing Lucian’s indifferent and uninterested expression, Ardian and Rex exchanged nervous glances.
“Senior Brother,” Ardian said bowing, his voice filled with anxiety, “We… we hope there are no hard feelings about what happened before. We were foolish and short-sighted. Please forgive us!”
However, Lucian’s gaze swept past them as if they were merely air, his attention focused on the ongoing examination.
Realizing that Lucian seemed to be ignoring them, Ardian and Rex breathed sighs of relief.
“Brother,” Rex whispered, “Perhaps it’s best if we don’t draw attention to ourselves. Let’s quietly move away.”
Rex nodded in agreement, “You’re right. We shouldn’t risk angering him. Who knows what kind of influence he’ll have in the future?”
“Senior brother, then we won’t disturb you. If you need anything, please just contact us,” Ardian said with a forced smile, backing away slowly with Rex.
For Lucian, these two idiots were now useless. If it wasn’t for Ardian’s mother, he already had the thought of killing them when the opportunity presented.
But now he wouldn’t because of Lyra. He still had to completely make her his woman. However, if they dared to act foolishly again…
…
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, casting long shadows across the field, the selection process finally drew to a close.
Among the 150 participants who had gathered at the foot of the Azure Sword Mountain, only 60 young men and women had managed to pass the test of the Heavenly Stone.
Even if one managed to reach the Body Strengthening Realm, it didn’t necessarily mean that they had the cultivation qualification, after all staying in a Spiritual Energy blessed land day and night and eating Spiritual Energy infused foods occasionally could even make a pig enter Body Strengthening stage.
This was a well-known fact among knowledgeable cultivators. The Body Strengthening Realm was merely the first step on the long path of cultivation, a realm where one’s physical body was enhanced by absorbing the Spiritual Energy of the world.
It was a foundation, but not a guarantee of future success.
Nex, the Inner Sect disciple overseeing the examination, stepped forward once more, his voice carrying across the field, “The first stage of the examination is complete. Those who have passed, gather before me. The rest, your journey ends here. Leave this sacred ground immediately.”
…
As the last of the unsuccessful participants left, Nex continued, “You guys, wait here. An elder will soon come and continue the second part of the examination.”
He gave Lucian another glance, before leaving the place.
The successful candidates stood in silence, their hearts pounding with anticipation. The vast mountain stood before them, its peak shrouded in mist and clouds, as if hiding the secrets of cultivation that they all sought to uncover.
In about the time it took to boil a pot of water, a shimmering streak of azure light suddenly appeared in the sky, startling the gathered youths.
Even Lucian’s eyes widened, for this was the first time he had witnessed a human flying on a sword!!
The azure light descended swiftly, revealing an old man standing atop a white longsword. freewёbnoνel.com
His white hair and goat-like beard flowed in the wind. He wore an azure-colored elder’s robe, adorned with golden threads. Near his chest, a golden sword symbol indicated his status within the Azure Sword Sect.
As the sword neared the ground, it slowed down, letting the old man step off smoothly, like he had done it many times before.
As he landed, the old man waved his right hand in the air. In an instant, the white longsword shimmered and vanished, as if it had never existed!
The candidates gasped in awe at this display of mystical prowess, their eyes wide with wonder and reverence.
But they soon felt a pressure descend upon their shoulders, as if the heavens themselves were bearing down upon them, forcing them not to look at this old man’s face directly, and even Lucian was no exception. He felt as if he was standing in front of death, and any slight mistake could end his life!
The old man’s piercing gaze swept over the gathered youths. When his gaze fell upon Lucian, it lingered for more than a few heartbeats, a flicker of interest passing across his weathered eyes.
The intensity of his stare made Lucian feel a little uneasy, as if the air around him had grown heavier. This was the first time, he had felt something like this since coming into this world.
Controlling the pressure that his body had unintentionally released, elder Feng’s voice carried across the field, gathering attention from all present, “I am Elder Feng of the Azure Sword sect, an outer elder in charge of Outer sect disciples. So all of you who pass this examination will be under my jurisdiction.”
He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing, “From now on, the recruitments will be different from previous ones.
Also as the Secret Realm is set to open soon, our sect has decided to expand our ranks. Instead of the usual ten, we will be accepting twenty new disciples.”
A wave of excited murmurs spread through the crowd. For them, the Secret Realm was legendary, a place full of Heavenly and Earthly treasures and countless opportunities. The chance to enter such a sacred ground made the competition even more enticing.
Elder Feng raised a hand, silencing the whispers, “However, do not think this means the test will be any easier. In fact, it’ll be harder than simply to fight amongst each other.”
Elder Feng’s old eyes glinted with a fierce light as he continued, “The test will be simple, yet brutal. You will all enter a specially prepared array of Five Elements. This array will not only test your strength and spiritual energy, but also the very foundation of your cultivation.”
However, at this moment, before the old man could wave his hand to unveil the Five Elements array formation, an old feminine voice entered his ear, startling him.
The voice, carried an unmistakable authority that made Elder Feng’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Send that white-haired young man to my pavilion.”