The Radiant Church's clerics promptly emerged from the cathedral to maintain order, allowing the magic test to proceed normally.
Everyone entered the cathedral, and the boys and girls underwent testing one after another.
Most of them failed. Their elemental affinity was average or below average, and their spiritual force was generally less than five times that of their peers.
Very few possessed the aptitude to become magicians. It was already good if one out of every ten qualified.
"Next."
It was Lena's turn.
Lena held Liewen's hand, looking somewhat nervous.
"Lena, don't be afraid. Just follow the cleric's instructions," Liewen said softly.
Lena nodded and walked up to the crystal ball for testing. Following the cleric's directions, she placed her hand on it.
At once, the crystal ball emitted a dazzling white radiance, making everyone nearby narrow their eyes.
Seeing the crystal ball shining as brilliantly as the sun, everyone was stunned.
The cleric conducting the test was a white-haired old man. When he saw Lena's elemental affinity, he said in a trembling voice, "Elemental affinity: super-grade light element!"
"Super-grade?" Even Liewen was somewhat surprised. When he had been tested years ago, his light-element affinity had merely been high-grade.
"She's Duke Andrew's younger sister, isn't she?"
"Duke Andrew is a 9th-level expert, and his younger sister has such high elemental affinity too. How enviable."
The people in the cathedral began discussing it.
"Quiet!" shouted the cleric responsible for maintaining order. Only after the cathedral had fallen silent again did the test continue.
"Please enter the magic array over there. Remember, the longer you hold out, the better." The white-haired cleric spoke to Lena far more gently than he had to the others.
Lena nodded and walked into the magic array at the center of the cathedral.
White light began to glow from within the magic array.
Light magic—Intimidation.
This was a spell that oppressed the soul. The longer one could endure beneath it, the stronger one's spiritual force was.
When Liewen had taken the test years ago, he had only lasted a short while before collapsing.
Now, seeing Lena standing in the magic array, Liewen grew nervous as well. If Lena's spiritual force failed to meet the minimum requirement for becoming a magician, it would be such a pity.
Second by second, time passed. Lena stood in the magic array without the slightest reaction. Instead, she appeared utterly at ease, like a fish returned to water.
Her originally pale-blue eyes turned white, and her expression became detached, making her resemble an angel depicted in one of the cathedral's murals.
Crash!
The white-haired cleric in charge of the test abruptly rose from his chair. He moved so hastily that he knocked the chair over.
"That is enough. No need to continue the test!" The white-haired cleric stared fixedly at Lena, his expression excited.
The white radiance in the magic array vanished, and Lena's eyes returned to normal. She looked around in confusion, somewhat at a loss.
"Lena, come back," Liewen said.
Hearing this, Lena hurriedly ran back to Liewen's side.
"Brother Liewen, how was it? Can I become a magician?" Lena asked anxiously.
Liewen did not know how to answer either. He had never encountered anything like what had just happened.
What puzzled him most was that the white-haired cleric conducting the test had actually stopped it midway.
The ones being tested were all children. Logically, no matter how strong their spiritual force was, there should be a limit. Only by testing them to the end could a result be obtained.
Among Linley's cohort at the Ernst Institute, the one with the strongest spiritual force had been Delia's older brother, Dixie, whose spiritual force was sixty-eight times that of his peers.
Even with such powerful spiritual force, he had been tested to the very end rather than stopped midway.
Liewen looked at the white-haired cleric conducting the test. The man's excited expression made it clear that he knew something.
"Cleric, may I ask what my sister's spiritual force score was?" Liewen asked.
Seeing that it was Liewen asking, the white-haired cleric bowed respectfully. "Duke Andrew, Lena is exceptionally suited to studying light magic. Would you be willing to let her go to Holy Island? The Radiant Church's finest light magicians are there, and they will certainly spare no effort in training her."
When Liewen saw that the white-haired cleric had avoided answering and was instead eager to send Lena to Holy Island, he became somewhat wary.
"No. For now, I have no intention of letting Lena leave my side," Liewen said flatly.
"Your Grace, should we not hear Lena's opinion?" The white-haired cleric was unwilling to give up.
Lena held Liewen's hand and pressed herself tightly against him. "I'll listen to Brother."
"Since the test is over, we will take our leave first." Holding Lena's hand, Liewen prepared to leave the Radiant Cathedral.
The white-haired cleric clearly panicked and blurted out, "No, you cannot leave!"
"Oh?" Liewen turned back and looked coldly at the white-haired cleric. The man clearly had another motive.
"May I ask why the cleric needs us to remain?"
The white-haired cleric knew he had acted rashly. His gaze shifted evasively. "No, it is nothing. Please take care, Your Grace."
Liewen gave him a deep look before leaving with Lena.
Watching Liewen and Lena's departing backs, the white-haired cleric beckoned another cleric over and whispered a few instructions into his ear. Then he hurried toward the back of the cathedral.
"Alright, continue the testing!" The other cleric called out, and the tests resumed.
Liewen and Lena boarded their carriage and returned to the manor.
The more Liewen thought about it, the more something felt wrong. He looked at Lena. The little girl was leaning against the carriage window, curiously watching the streets outside. Her pale-blue eyes were clean and clear, without the slightest impurity.
Could it be... A thought suddenly struck Liewen. Could Lena also be someone with a pure soul?
The original novel had never described in detail how the Radiant Church searched for people with pure souls, but after all these years, the Radiant Church must certainly have a way to determine whether someone possessed a pure soul.
Otherwise, how could it search the entire continent for them?
Thinking of the magic tests conducted every year, Liewen could not help wondering whether that magic array also had the ability to test the purity of one's soul.
He could not be certain, but the unease in his heart would not fade.
"I should take Lena away."
After all, Hess City was Radiant Church territory. Though Liewen was confident he could fight an ordinary Saint Realm expert, the Radiant Church had dozens of Saint Realm experts. He could not contend against them yet.
His physical strength had now reached the peak of the 9th level. Beast magicite cores below the Saint Realm were of little use to him, so there was no need to remain in Hess City any longer.
Fortunately, he had already instructed the servants to pack their luggage two days ago. They could set off immediately.
When Liewen returned to the manor, the white-haired cleric ran to a quiet room behind the cathedral.
The Radiant Cathedral was enormous. Aside from serving as a place for magic tests and worship by believers, it was also where the Radiant Church personnel in Hess City lived.
The white-haired cleric knocked on the door of the quiet room.
"Lord Gilmer, Erwin has an urgent matter to report."
"Come in."
Erwin pushed open the door and entered. Gilmer was cultivating inside the quiet room.
Erwin did not waste words and immediately said, "Lord Gilmer, we discovered someone with a pure soul during the magic test!"
Before you continue