The Genius Lynn

Under the watchful gaze of the priest, Lynn calmed his heart and stepped forward. He placed his palm, slightly stiff, onto the crystal ball, his expression tense as he waited for the verdict of fate.

"Whoosh~"

As his palm made contact with the crystal ball, it suddenly erupted like a sun, radiating a dazzling orange-red light that was clean and pure.

The bright glow shone upon faces filled with astonishment; everyone in the hall stood stunned as they watched the crystal ball transform into a miniature sun.

After about two or three seconds of silence, the black-robed priest acting as the proctor finally snapped out of it. With an excited expression, he looked at Lynn's file and announced loudly:

"Age seven, elemental affinity, fire-type super grade!"

"A genius!" The black-robed priest felt his heart pounding violently.

As everyone knew, in the Coiling Dragon World, the elemental affinity of most mages was merely average; high grade was already quite rare, and those reaching super grade were as scarce as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

For a genius like Lynn whose elemental affinity reached the super grade, even if his spiritual energy were insufficient to become a mage, he could still reach the level of a high-level warrior at an incredibly fast speed by switching to the path of a warrior, provided his battle qi attribute was compatible. If his comprehension was good, there was even a significant probability of him becoming a Saint-level expert!

Geniuses with super-grade elemental affinity were few and far between in the Roland Empire, appearing only once every few years, and all major factions scrambled to recruit them. If the black-robed priest could recruit Lynn into the Church of Light, he would not only receive rewards from his superiors but also secure a powerful patron for his future.

"Not bad!"

"Next, let's test your spiritual energy." The black-robed priest revealed a look of anticipation.

In the waiting area on the other side, as Lynn displayed his super-grade elemental affinity, the previously contemptuous gazes of the nobles changed. There was astonishment, jealousy, and hostility, but mostly, there was envy.

Compared to the "ignorant" commoners, the nobles understood better. Super-grade elemental affinity meant one could accumulate magic power or battle qi in a shorter amount of time, saving the majority of one's time to polish one's spiritual energy and physical body. Whether walking the path of a mage or a warrior, the future achievements would be limitless.

Among the crowd in the waiting area, as Lynn's test results emerged, Leo's previously hunched back had straightened. Especially when he noticed the envious looks cast toward him by the nobles who had looked down on him earlier, the corners of Leo's mouth couldn't help but curl up. He held his head high with pride, as if to say, "That's right, this is my precious son."

Inside the magic formation, as a warm white light lit up, Lynn felt a faint sense of pressure acting upon the depths of his soul.

Light-element magic—Deterrence.

"The pressure isn't much; my assessment is that it's not as bad as pulling an all-nighter." As the test began, in the initial stage, Lynn even had the leisure to complain to himself.

However, as time passed, the light in the magic formation grew brighter and the level of Deterrence gradually increased. The pressure Lynn felt grew steadily; cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his body began to sway.

Seeing Lynn reach the final stage, the surrounding crowd held their breath.

Inside the magic formation, Lynn stood alone against the Deterrence. Heavy breathing echoed continuously, and the powerful pressure weighed down on him like a mountain. At this moment, Lynn felt his head spinning; he couldn't control his body at all, swaying left and right, and he looked like he might collapse at any second.

Yet, even so, Lynn would not give up easily; he was still desperately holding on.

"Hold on, just a little longer. The longer I persist, the higher the probability of getting a tuition waiver. Time is money, and this moment is the time to cash out."

"How can a mere magic test stop me from making money?"

Lynn roared in his heart, struggling to control his body. However, when the pressure of the Deterrence reached a new height, Lynn ultimately reached his limit. Unable to hold on, he dropped to one knee, bracing himself with both hands on the ground.

Everyone turned their eyes toward the black-robed priest.

The black-robed priest was beaming, his voice trembling with excitement as he shouted: "Thirty-seven times! His spiritual energy is thirty-seven times that of his peers—super-grade spiritual energy!"

"Super grade in both elemental affinity and spiritual energy; this child's future is limitless!" a noble sighed.

"My son Lynn has the potential of a Saint-level expert," Leo danced with excitement.

Without waiting for Lynn to react, the black-robed priest quickly approached him. "Your name is Lynn, right? Would you be willing to join the Church of Light?"

"As long as you join, I can guarantee you that with your talent, you can enter the Church headquarters directly to undergo systematic training alongside countless other geniuses. The teachers responsible for your instruction will be at least seventh or eighth-rank Great Mages, there will be public lectures by ninth-rank Great Mages every month, and occasionally, there will even be guidance from Saint-level experts. If you are lucky, it is not impossible to be taken as a disciple by a Saint-level powerhouse!"

Listening to the grand promises painted by the black-robed priest, Lynn sneered inwardly. The way he paints these pictures, one after another—he truly is a priest; his silver tongue is impressive.

The old man has said so much, but he hasn't talked about money or resources. What a waste of time, Lynn complained crazily in his heart, though he didn't show a hint of it on the surface.

"I listen to my father." Words can lead to mistakes; facing the invitation from the black-robed priest, Lynn, who was only seven years old on the surface, pushed Leo forward as a shield, not daring to speak too much for fear of exposing the secret of being a transmigrator.

"Apologies, Priest, but compared to traveling thousands of miles to the Church of Light headquarters, I would prefer my child to join the Imperial Capital Magic Academy," Leo walked over and, after understanding the situation, politely declined the black-robed priest.

Hearing Leo bring up the Imperial Capital Magic Academy, the black-robed priest frowned slightly, knowing that he likely couldn't recruit Lynn.

Although the Church of Light behind the black-robed priest held significant appeal for geniuses, there were others on the continent that could compete with it, and the Imperial Capital Magic Academy, backed by the Roland Empire royal family, was one of them. Even purely within the scope of the Roland Empire, the allure of the Imperial Capital Magic Academy for mages was a step above the Church of Light.

Seeing that Leo's mind was made up, the black-robed priest did not continue to persuade him. After handing a piece of parchment to Leo, the black-robed priest turned to look at Lynn. "This is your test certificate. It mainly introduces your identity information and test results, which can be used for enrollment in the magic academy and the warrior academy. With your talent, the Imperial Capital Magic Academy will likely not refuse you."

As the black-robed priest said this, he paused. After thinking for a moment, he finally couldn't help but add, "Just in case... I mean, is there a possibility... that the recruiters at the Imperial Capital Magic Academy are fools and don't accept you? Actually, the Church of Light is also quite good, how about..."

Lynn: ...

What a "just in case"—I almost believed you.

Under the reluctant gaze of the black-robed priest, Lynn and Leo left the Church of Light.

At the end of the Holy Radiance Road, the two figures, one tall and one short, gradually disappeared.