Ye Fan's palm rested firmly against the cool, smooth surface of the Qualification Test Stone. The milky white light within its crystalline structure pulsed gently, a silent, ancient sentinel guarding the gateway to the path of harnessing spiritual energy. For a breathless second, nothing changed. The sneers on the faces of Wang Que and Shen Yun stretched wider, their eyes alight with malicious anticipation of his utter failure. The crowd, which had momentarily quieted, began to stir with renewed, derisive whispers.
"See? Just as I said! Completely incapable!" Wang Que hissed, his voice carrying clearly in the tense silence.
"Three years without a shred of spiritual power, always incapable!" Shen Yun added, his words dripping with contempt, his arms crossed smugly.
Even the Outer Sect Elder, his expression weathered and impassive from observing thousands of such tests, seemed ready to dismiss Ye Fan and gesture for the next hopeful to step forward.
Then, it happened.
A faint, almost hesitant flicker emanated from the core of the Test Stone. It was subtle at first, like a dying ember struggling against a gust of wind, threatening to be snuffed out. But then, with a sudden, almost defiant surge, the light within the stone didn't just glow – it flared. It wasn't a dim, uncertain luminescence indicating a bare minimum ability to sense spiritual energy. This light was clear, vibrant, and unmistakably robust, pushing outwards from the heart of the Test Stone with a confident, almost arrogant energy. It painted Ye Fan's outstretched hand, and indeed his entire figure, in a surprisingly brilliant white sheen.
"Possesses strong aptitude for cultivation!" The attendant nearest the Test Stone, whose face had been set in an expression of bored expectation, announced the result with a perceptible jolt of surprise, his voice cracking slightly. The light wasn't the blinding, world-shaking radiance of a once-in-a-millennium prodigy destined to ascend to legendary heights, but for someone who had been publicly labeled a "cripple," a "waste" whose connection to spiritual energy was rumored to have been irrevocably severed, it was nothing short of a miracle. The intensity of the glow indicated a natural talent for gathering, channeling, and refining spiritual power that was significantly above average, a clear sign of excellent innate potential.
A wave of stunned, disbelieving silence crashed over the section of the crowd that had been so vocal in their mockery. Wang Que's jaw, which had been stretched in a smug, derisive grin, hung agape. The sneer froze on his face, making him look utterly foolish. Shen Yun's boisterous laughter died in his throat, replaced by a strangled gasp, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Strong aptitude? Impossible!" Wang Que finally stammered, his voice a shocked whisper that was far too loud in the sudden quiet. His eyes darted between Ye Fan and the glowing Test Stone as if he couldn't reconcile what he was seeing. "He… he was a cripple! His meridians, his connection to spiritual energy… it was gone!"
"How can this be?" Shen Yun echoed, his face draining of color, his earlier arrogance vanishing like smoke. "Is the Test Stone… malfunctioning? It has to be!"
The Outer Sect Elder, a man whose spiritual senses were far more acute than any of the surrounding aspirants, raised a single, skeptical eyebrow. He discreetly extended his own potent spiritual sense towards Ye Fan. While he refrained from an intrusive probe, he could clearly sense a nascent, albeit currently weak, reservoir of spiritual energy stirring within the youth – the distinct signature of someone whose innate ability to interact with and cultivate spiritual power was not only present but actively reawakening, or perhaps, had never truly been extinguished, merely lying dormant, suppressed by some unknown factor.
"The Qualification Test Stone does not err in such fundamental assessments," the Elder stated, his voice firm, cutting through the renewed, incredulous murmurs that were now rippling through the crowd. "This youth possesses a notably strong aptitude for channeling spiritual energy. He is qualified! Proceed to the right."
Ye Fan inwardly allowed himself a moment of grim satisfaction, though outwardly he merely let a look of humble relief, mixed with a touch of quiet, determined pride, settle on his features. A strong aptitude. Just as Master advised. Enough to shock these fools, enough to secure my place, but not so overwhelming as to draw the immediate, unwanted attention of the true behemoths of this Holy Land. His original innate talent, before the 'incident,' was far superior, capable of producing a far more dazzling display. But for now, this was perfect. It was the ideal foundation for his "fallen genius makes a comeback" narrative.
He offered a respectful bow to the Elder, then, with a deliberate, almost theatrical slowness, he turned his gaze towards Wang Que and Shen Yun. His eyes, cold and sharp as shards of glacial ice, locked onto theirs. There was no overt threat in his expression, no shouted words of anger, just a chilling, silent promise of future retribution, an unspoken vow that every sneer, every mocking word, would be repaid a thousandfold, in blood, tears, and utter humiliation. He then let his gaze sweep disdainfully over the other youths from Azure Sky City who had been part of the jeering chorus, including a few distant cousins from the Aan family. Their faces, moments before alight with malicious glee, were now a fascinating tapestry of shock, disbelief, and dawning unease.
Aan family, Ye Fan's thoughts seethed, a venomous bitterness coiling like a serpent in his heart. Though you did not raise your voices in mockery today, your silence, your tacit approval of my humiliation, your daughter's cruel, public betrayal… you are all complicit in my suffering. Aan Chinner, you will live to regret the day you scorned Ye Fan. I will make you kneel before me, and your entire family will grovel for forgiveness at my feet!
Wang Que and Shen Yun flinched visibly under the sheer intensity of Ye Fan's piercing gaze. The arrogant bravado that had characterized them moments before seemed to evaporate like morning mist under a harsh sun, replaced by a palpable, dawning apprehension. This wasn't the broken, dejected Ye Fan they had taken such pleasure in tormenting for the past three long years. This was a spark, a dangerous, flickering ember of the arrogant, formidable genius they vaguely remembered from their childhood, a spark they had foolishly believed had been extinguished forever.
"He… he actually is qualified," Wang Que mumbled, his voice barely a whisper, a noticeable tremor running through it.
Shen Yun swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "That light… from the stone… it was definitely stronger than mine…" (His own test had revealed a rather common, average aptitude for cultivation). A cold seed of genuine fear began to sprout and take root in the depths of his heart. He had mocked a sleeping tiger, and it seemed the tiger was beginning to stir.
However, not all of the mockers were so easily silenced or intimidated. Some, recovering from their initial shock, attempted to salvage their pride and reassert their perceived superiority.
"Hmph! So what if he has a decent aptitude for cultivation?" one youth scoffed, though his voice conspicuously lacked its earlier confident swagger. "Look at him! He barely has any accumulated spiritual power! He's practically a novice! He wasted three whole years! By the time his actual power level is anything to speak of, we'll already be established practitioners, perhaps even on our way to becoming core disciples!"
"Exactly!" another chimed in, emboldened. "Aptitude isn't everything if you're starting so far behind with so little actual power. He's just a qualified nobody right now, a slightly less useless piece of trash than he was yesterday!"
Ye Fan heard these renewed, though noticeably weaker and more desperate, taunts, but he paid them no further mind. Their words were now like the buzzing of insignificant, irritating insects, easily ignored. He had achieved his initial, crucial objective. He turned his back on them, a gesture of silent, utter dismissal that was, in its own way, more insulting and infuriating than any scathing verbal retort could ever be. With a confident stride, he walked towards the designated area on the right side of the plaza, where the other qualified aspirants were gathered. Their faces were a curious mixture of excitement at their own success, palpable relief, and a newfound, intense curiosity as they watched him approach, the subject of so much recent drama.
He found a spot slightly apart from the main throng, his expression unreadable, projecting an air of aloof self-assurance. He had no interest in their excited chatter or their clumsy attempts at early networking. His mind was already racing ahead, focused on the next steps of his meticulously crafted plan, on how to leverage this small but significant victory, on the myriad opportunities that he knew awaited him within the vast and resource-rich Tianshang Holy Land. The path to regaining his former strength, and then surpassing it by leaps and bounds, was now open before him, and he would walk it with an unbending iron will, prepared to crush anyone and anything that dared to stand in his way.
The fierce, predatory light in his eyes was momentarily unmasked as he cast one last, lingering glance back towards the section where Wang Que, Shen Yun, and the other scions of Azure Sky City still stood, their faces now a delightful, satisfying canvas of shock, disbelief, and a rapidly growing.
Just you wait, Ye Fan vowed silently, a cruel, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. This is merely the overture. Soon, all of you will understand what it truly means to incur the wrath of Ye Fan. My speed of cultivation, fueled by my innate talent and my master's guidance, will leave you choking on my dust, wondering how you ever dared to look down upon me.