The Sun and the Dust

The first wizard rose from the circular ripples spreading across the surface of the Spirit Lake, surrounded by glowing crystals of purple, red, and blue.

Then came the second, and the third. More and more wizards participating in this selection trial emerged from the Three Towers, each surrounded by three-colored crystals, some bright and some dark.

Soon, countless rays of light burst forth on the vast Spirit Lake, as if a boundless sea of stars were slowly rising from the lake.

At this moment, the Spirit Lake Wizard, who was in charge of presiding over this trial and selection, stepped forward from high in the sky, and his majestic voice, enhanced by magic, resounded in the space.

"Those with a soul aptitude rating of five stars or above and an overall rating of ten stars or above... may enter my Spirit Lake."

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his staff, and some Rune Array appeared in the void. A powerful, invisible force quickly descended to filter them.

In an instant, the magnificent sea of stars was shattered, and a large number of wizards were sifted down.

Blue cracks appeared in the void around the lake, opening like eyes, just as when they were first brought in. Every wizard who was sifted out quickly fell into the cracks and was teleported out.

Some people continued to rise, each surrounded by more than ten tri-colored crystals.

The more numerous they are, the more dazzling the light of each individual crystal becomes, as if they are surrounded by stars, constantly rising upwards.

The sea of stars separated into upper and lower parts, and the many Spirit Lake wizards located above the sea of stars silently watched this scene, but everyone's gaze was fixed on the lake surface at the bottom, as if they were tacitly waiting for something together.

As time went by, more and more people gathered around the "stars" above the Spirit Lake. At one point, the once calm surface of the Spirit Lake suddenly surged with huge waves! A huge whirlpool was created in the center of the Spirit Lake, the water broke apart, and then indescribable brilliant light burst forth from it.

The waiting Spirit Lake wizards all turned their eyes on the location where the strange phenomenon had appeared.

Even the three gray-robed figures standing at the very top lowered their gazes, their calm demeanor concealing a certain expectation.

Finally.

The light within the vortex fully shone.

In an instant, it was as if a series of dazzling suns were rising.

Nine purple suns, nine crimson suns, and seven deep blue suns.

A total of twenty-five "Great Suns" surrounded a tall and slender figure with extraordinary bearing, who walked out of the Spirit Lake step by step.

A series of violently fluctuating mental energy waves rippled through the high sky. The wizard figures standing in the void, the mainstays of the three major schools, were silent, yet seemed to have just experienced a huge uproar.

The spectacular sight of twenty-five "great suns" rising simultaneously made the entire "sea of stars" appear dim and lifeless.

The figure surrounded and protected by twenty-five "great suns" seemed to be radiating boundless light. Everyone participating in this trial looked up at him, completely becoming a foil to highlight his brilliance.

"No wonder the Black Wizard King had such high hopes for him..."

High above, a gray-robed man holding a staff as tall as a man had a deep emotion in his eyes as he spoke softly, "Juventus is even more amazing than the Black Wizard King of yesteryear. With his current foundation, his Yuanling rank should be able to reach eight stars."

Even reaching the legendary Supreme Nine Star Elemental Spirit realm is not impossible.

The man in the gray robe holding the staff looked to both sides, and one of the men beside him let out a soft snort, "In the end, it's still the advantage of bloodline."

The gray-robed man with the cane didn't answer. After his gaze calmed, he said calmly, "Since you're already here, you might as well watch it all before you leave."

At this moment, the wizards from the three major schools of Spirit Lake beneath the three men, after experiencing a brief tremor, also calmed down and refocused their attention on the trial and selection itself.

The figures gradually changed.

Those who rose from the Spirit Lake, after a round of selection, and whose number of "stars" around them was remarkable, were chosen by wizards from the three major schools who descended from the sky and entered the corresponding school with great joy.

Talented individuals were continuously "guided" up to the corresponding area of the school of thought.

The rising sea of stars gradually dispersed, and the number of people decreased, like a galaxy splitting into three directions.

Standing alone at the highest point of the starry sea, surrounded by twenty-five great suns, Juventus remained undisturbed, like a lonely king sitting alone on his own throne.

This process of selecting and dividing people lasted for a long time. The wizards of the three major schools had a special understanding with each other, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

The fragile harmony was finally shattered when yet another whirlpool arose from the Spirit Lake.

All eyes turned to the location where the second vortex had appeared.

Compared to Juventus' previous appearance, this whirlpool was significantly smaller, but it was still incredibly eye-catching on the lake's surface, which was covered in circular ripples.

A woman with long, emerald-green hair emerged from the vortex.

She wasn't particularly beautiful, nor did she look young like a girl, but surrounded by eight purple "stars" representing soul qualities, she seemed to possess an unparalleled radiance that no other female wizard in this space had.

After a brief silence, several figures streaked down from the sky like shooting stars, all heading straight for the woman's position.

It's not uncommon for several wizards from different schools of thought to take a liking to the same trial participant, but in the past, the situation was resolved quickly and amicably. This time, however, things have reached a stalemate.

Several wizards who had just left the arena stopped not far from the green-haired woman, their consciousnesses constantly fluctuating, causing even the void in that area to tremble slightly, as if a secret and intense dispute was taking place.

The three gray-robed figures at the very top watched this scene indifferently, without offering any words of intervention.

Juventus, who held a superior position among the trial participants, glanced at the eight purple "stars" surrounding the green-haired woman, as well as the four crimson and deep blue crystals, before naturally shifting his gaze to the several Spirit Lake Wizards who were currently "arguing."

He seemed more interested in the wizard with an eight-star soul aptitude who appeared in this trial than in the wizard himself.

Just as the debate over the ownership of Eight-Star Soul Aptitude candidate was about to reach a conclusion, suddenly... "Boom!"

A loud bang echoed from the lake.

The sudden noise brought the vast Spirit Lake space to a standstill, and everyone stopped moving, instinctively looking in the direction of the sound.

Immediately following was a sudden contraction in the pupils of countless eyes.

On the calm surface of the Spirit Lake, amidst countless naturally rippling waves, a colossal vortex, almost comparable to the one previously created by Juventus, was quietly forming.

It was as if you could hear the increasingly rapid breathing of countless people.

High above, three gray-robed figures simultaneously lowered their gazes, their [Penetration] layers of void, becoming as solid as a tangible object.

Juventus, surrounded by the suns, rose from their "throne," their faces expressionless as they turned toward the direction from which the vortex had arisen.

Dazzling!

Dazzling! An unprecedentedly intense light burst forth from beneath the waters of the Spirit Lake, followed by ten blazing, deep blue suns, their light almost condensed into the shape of flames, rising slowly from beneath the lake's surface.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and countless rapid breaths stopped abruptly.

A dazzling light shone in Juventus' eyes. Standing at the very top of the Spirit Lake, to the left of the man in the gray robe holding the staff, the gray robe on one of the men was billowing silently, and a powerful spiritual force was about to burst forth from his body.

Beneath him, the Spirit Lake Wizards, belonging to the Deep Sea Faction, almost mobilized as a whole after realizing what was happening.

However, in the next breath, behind the ten orbs of light that resembled the blazing sun of the Deep Sea, three dim and tiny purple crystals, almost unconsciously overlooked, were revealed.

Everything went out within a second.

The gray-robed man's billowing robes fell down, his spiritual energy receded, his gaze lowered, and his expression remained calm as if nothing had happened.

Juventus "sat" back on their throne, shifting their gaze from facing the enemy directly to looking down from above.

The Deep Sea halted, and the restless flames and the wizards of the Black Moon schools returned to the distance.

Everything happened suddenly, and ended even faster.

"Pity."

Someone sighed softly, and everyone cast sympathetic and regretful glances at the young man, who was surrounded by ten blazing suns, both incomparably dazzling and dim as dust.

In a short period of time, the emotions of almost everyone in the room underwent dramatic changes, but the person in question, who was the focus of everyone's attention, remained completely calm, just like the smooth, mirror-like waters of Spirit Lake.

"Nine-star soul aptitude, nine-star magical ability, and even a seven-star rating in knowledge."

Ronan squinted at the figure overhead, whose features were obscured by light, and muttered to himself, "Juventus... Is this the talent possessed by the First Generation of the seventh-level [Declining Blood]?"

"He has a great chance of surpassing his bloodline's giver and completely shedding the name of '[Declining Blood]'."

Alazan said calmly, "Your soul aptitude is still lacking, falling short of their requirements by a full two stars."

If you had listened to me and stopped after the third dream entry, and taken the soul test again, the treatment you received would have been vastly different from what you're experiencing now. You don't seem worried at all that you might not even qualify to begin?"

"Spirit Lake is not a must-visit destination."

Ronan withdrew his gaze from Juventus and said calmly, "But for me in the Mist stage, this may be the only opportunity to comprehend the Primordial Spirit Writing."

"I almost forgot how unwavering your will is; even Four Lifetimes of Reincarnation couldn't shake it..."

Alazan's voice sounded somewhat listless; he seemed to long to see Ronan looking anxious and flustered.

Ronan was probably the last trial participant to emerge from the Three Towers; after him, the Spirit Lake never rippled again.

The wizards who were eliminated were quickly teleported away by the power of the magic circle, and those who passed the selection were being rapidly "picked up and divided up".

The power of the selection array did not fall on Ronan, nor did any wizard from any school take him away.

Ronan, like Juventus, became one of only two players on the field who were ignored.

He remained calm and had anticipated this outcome.

He observed the trial participants who were "chosen" and the process by which they were chosen.

Although the entire trial was conducted using the standards of the Three Towers, theoretically, the scores of the three trials should have equal weight in the final result.

However, the wizards of Spirit Lake, regardless of their school of thought, still tend to favor disciples with outstanding soul aptitude.

Soon all the successful candidates were selected, and the woman with an Eight-Star Soul Aptitude was finally admitted to the Black Moon Faction.

Many eyes fell on Ronan, but after a moment of scrutiny, they moved away again. Ronan felt as if he were a commodity displayed on a stall for passersby to choose from. Some of his "flaws" made everyone who was interested in him hesitate to approach him.

One of the Flame Faction wizards even approached Ronan, his gaze lingering on his ten deep blue suns and five crimson stars, but he ultimately shook his head and turned away.

"It's a pity, even if your soul aptitude were just a little bit better, even if it weren't at this time..."

Ronan was well aware of the hesitation and ambivalence the other party was displaying.

Soul aptitude is not something that cannot be improved through acquired means, but in this period of turmoil and empire turmoil, many wizarding forces that have opened their doors wide and recruited disciples are in dire need of resources.

The intense "turbid" aura emanating from the depths of Ronan's soul made him appear to many high-ranking wizards like a "bottomless pit" that required a great deal of resources to fill, with no clear return on investment.

There is a certain degree of competition between forces, schools of thought, and wizards.

A single wrong decision can lead to defeat in a competition.

So nobody wants to take that risk.

Ronan noticed that Juventus had been observing him closely, and everything happening to him seemed to be of great interest to this man who was born to stand on high.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!