Truth-Speaking Art

"Ni... ninth grade?"

"Seven-colored rainbow light, this... this..."

"My heavens..."

"Wh-what kind of bizarre talent is this?"

The entire venue fell deathly silent.

Everyone stood slack-jawed and dumbstruck, staring at that seven-colored rainbow for a long while, unable to speak.

Su Wenyuan's expression was incomparably grave. He looked quietly at Li Yuan, his gaze complicated.

Ninth-grade seven-colored rainbow light.

This had exceeded everyone's understanding, shattering records throughout the history of Divine Martial Academy and even all of Chang'an City. It might even... overturn some accepted truth.

Yet the youth who had unleashed this entire storm still had his eyes tightly closed, his palm pressed against the stone's surface.

It was as if he had already sunk into another world, utterly unaware of the raging waves he had stirred.

The seven-colored rainbow light slowly began to fade, finally vanishing into the Spirit-Appraising Stone.

The plaza remained silent as a tomb, every gaze fixed upon that thin figure.

Li Yuan's face was pale as he slowly opened his eyes, a trace of lingering tremor still in them.

Without betraying anything, he withdrew his hand and steadied himself, calmly meeting the varied gazes around him—shock, scrutiny, jealousy, and, more than anything, utter bewilderment.

No one had ever seen such a phenomenon, much less could anyone define this talent.

The instructor in charge of recording had gone pale. The hand holding his brush shook violently as he stared at the blank paper, unable to write for a long time.

At last, he looked toward the dean as if pleading for help.

After pondering for a moment, Su Wenyuan said to the instructor, "For now, record the talent type as mutated, and its grade as nine."

"Mutated type, ninth grade!"

The instructor's voice trembled. To witness such a legend firsthand was an honor he shared.

Chen Shuo said nothing. His sharp eyes quietly assessed Li Yuan, his gaze unfathomably deep, impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Li Yuan's heart gave a jolt, and vigilance rose within him. He could not shake the feeling that this man's gaze seemed intent on seeing straight through him.

"Li Yuan," Su Wenyuan's voice pulled his attention back, "come with me."

Without further explanation, Su Wenyuan turned and headed into the academy. Chen Shuo glanced at Li Yuan and followed.

Li Yuan drew a deep breath and silently followed behind the two men.

After passing through several courtyards, they arrived at a quiet study. Su Wenyuan dismissed everyone else, leaving only Chen Shuo at his side, then pointed to a chair nearby. "Sit."

Li Yuan sat as instructed, his back straight and manner respectful, yet without the slightest trace of servility.

Su Wenyuan sat behind the desk, pulled a document from a stack of papers, and flipped through it quickly. His brows could not help but furrow slightly.

Li Yuan guessed it was his file. His reputation was poor, so the records inside were surely nothing flattering.

Setting the file down, Su Wenyuan looked at Li Yuan and slowly began, "Li Yuan, you should know that ninth-grade talents are exceedingly rare. In the more than four hundred years since the academy was founded, the number of ninth-grade talent holders with clear records can be counted on one's fingers."

"Each appearance signified the opening of a new era."

He deliberately paused after speaking, observing Li Yuan's response. Yet the youth before him was calm to an excessive degree, entirely unlike what the file described.

"You should understand that those with extraordinary abilities may benefit all living beings, but may also bring calamity upon the world. I have reviewed your file, and there are some blemishes, but they are all in the past, so we shall not mention them for now."

At this point, his gaze instantly sharpened. "Today, I wish to ask you this: having awakened such a talent, what aspirations do you have for the future?"

Li Yuan met Su Wenyuan's gaze and smiled faintly. "This student's aspiration is to slay demons and suppress devils, safeguarding the peace of the Great Tang."

Su Wenyuan was clearly dissatisfied with such a perfunctory and vague answer. "Slaying demons, suppressing devils, defending the nation, and bringing peace to the people—this is great righteousness, and it is also the foundation upon which the academy stands."

"Anyone can speak such words, but not everyone possesses such an original heart."

As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly, and a faint purple radiance seemed to swirl deep within his eyes.

"Li Yuan, look at me."

Li Yuan felt a strange force within those eyes, making him unable to think in an instant.

"Tell me. Cast aside all those grand principles. When you were younger, before you even knew what talent was, what was the thing you most wanted to do?"

An irresistible force quietly invaded along with his voice, plunging Li Yuan's consciousness in an instant into some bizarre illusion, as though he truly were an innocent little child at that moment.

Back then, he had still been in the modern world. Three generations of his family had served in the military, and he had grown up listening to tales of his elders' heroic deeds. He had not yet become rebellious.

"I wanted to be a general."

"To command thousands upon thousands of troops, defend my home and country, expand our territory, and ensure that wherever Huaxia's banners pointed, no enemy would dare invade."

He spoke with absolute conviction, his eyes shining brightly. Clearly, this was the truest thought in the depths of his heart.

Su Wenyuan and Chen Shuo exchanged a glance, and the concern in their eyes dissipated. In all the world, those who could resist his Truth-Speaking Art could be counted on one's fingers, much less a youth who had not yet stepped onto the path of cultivation.

"Good! What a fine resolve to defend home and country. Such a heart is pure indeed. This old man believes you."

He stroked his beard with a smile. With such a foundation of character, even if there had been some blemishes in his past, he could still be shaped and polished.

"Your talent has never been recorded before. Its exact attributes can only be known after future exploration."

"For many years, neither Divine Martial Academy nor the entire Great Tang has produced a ninth-grade talent holder. The last one with a clear record was General Yuchi Feng, the Heavenly Thunder General, sixty years ago. His talent was Nine-Heavens Thunderforce, unmatched in its fierce might. He now guards the northern frontier, commanding countless troops and terrifying demons and barbarians alike. He is a pillar of the Great Tang."

A ninth-grade talent was actually this badass? Li Yuan sighed inwardly. He had never expected himself to be so fortunate.

The reason he had appeared overly calm was mainly because his mind had been affected by that palace. Besides, his soul belonged to a soldier who had once weathered countless battles, and his nature had always been steady.

Now he gradually came back to himself, and a youthful excitement appeared in his eyes.

"The other," Su Wenyuan said, looking toward the silent Chen Shuo, "was Ye Hongyu, the Fleeting Bloom of an Instant, forty years ago. Her talent involved the power of time and space, profound and unfathomable. She is now one of the youngest deputy commanders of the Demon Suppression Bureau, and also a pillar of the nation."

His gaze returned to Li Yuan, filled with expectation. "A ninth-grade talent means endless possibilities, but it also means greater responsibility and a more perilous road."

"I hope you will not betray your gifts. Cultivate diligently without cease, and one day become a pillar capable of safeguarding our Great Tang."

"This student will bear the dean's teachings in mind."

Li Yuan sprang to his feet and bowed deeply.

"You are tired today as well. Go back and rest first. Report to the academy in three days; arrangements will be made for you then."

Su Wenyuan waved his hand.

Li Yuan bowed once more and withdrew from the study.

Chen Shuo had not spoken a word from beginning to end. Only after Li Yuan had left did he slowly say, "This matter has likely already spread, drawing the covetous eyes of those demons and devils."

"This old man will send people to protect him in secret, and while they are at it, investigate the boy's character."

Naturally, Li Yuan knew nothing of any of this. Rather than leave through the main gate, he asked an instructor for directions, then secretly departed Divine Martial Academy through a concealed side entrance.

Taking only back roads, he returned to the small courtyard in Changning Alley.

After confirming that no one had followed him, he shut the door. Without lighting a lamp, he sat in the shadows at the corner of the room, his back against the cold wall, and sank into long contemplation.

Before his eyes once again appeared the vast river of stars beyond the bronze palace doors. Though he had seen it only in a fleeting glimpse, it was enough to leave him shaken.