All eyes were on Lin Yun. After the stele and the wolf, his every move was scrutinized.
He stepped forward. He assumed the basic stance for the Shattering Rock Palm. Then he began.
His movements were not flashy, but they were unnervingly precise. Every shift of weight, every extension of his arm, every pulse of spiritual energy was executed with a perfection that seemed almost unnatural. It was as if he were not performing a newly learned technique, but one he had practiced for ten thousand times.
He channeled his spiritual energy, and his palm glowed with a solid, earthen light. He thrust it forward in a short, explosive motion. The air cracked with the force, and a visible shockwave of energy, small but distinct, shot from his palm.
The evaluating teachers stared, their eyes wide.
"This... this is near-perfect execution," one of them murmured. "The energy flow is optimal. The form is flawless. He's grasped not just the movements, but the very essence of concentrated force."
The head evaluator, after a moment of stunned silence, announced, "Lin Yun. Near-perfect comprehension and execution of the Shattering Rock Palm. Score: 96!"
A wave of shock rolled through the avenue. 96! He had beaten Ji Xuan! He had won the comprehension test!
Wang Kun's face, which had been smug after his own score, turned purple with jealousy. "Impossible! How?!" he spat under his breath.
Ji Xuan's cold smirk vanished, replaced by a look of pure, icy hatred. Being beaten once was a fluke. Twice was a pattern. Thrice was a declaration of war.
Nangong Qing'er's serene mask finally cracked, her eyes narrowing into cold, calculating slits as she looked at Lin Yun.
But Lin Yun barely registered their reactions. His attention was caught by Elder Yan Song.
The Head of the Armament Pavilion was looking directly at him. And on his face was not surprise or approval, but a faint, mysterious, knowing smile. It was the smile of a fisherman who had just felt a tug on his line.
A chill, cold and sharp, ran down Lin Yun's spine.
Could it be...?
The thought was terrifying. The random assignment to the pillar... the hidden Soul Transformation Realm technique, perfectly concealed yet accessible to his unique sight... Elder Yan's unusual presence... his deliberate "test" with the frenzied wolf...
It wasn't a coincidence. It was a trap. A beautifully laid, incredibly generous trap.
Elder Yan hadn't just suspected his ability; he had designed a way to confirm it. He had planted a treasure he knew Lin Yun's "talent" would be irresistibly drawn to, a treasure that would consume all his attention and prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Lin Yun could perceive things no one else could.
And Lin Yun had taken the bait. He had fallen for it completely.
He had the Nine Heavens Sword Art, yes. But Elder Yan now had confirmation of his secret. The cost of the treasure was the exposure of his greatest advantage.
Elder Kong stepped forward to deliver the final verdict for the entire Martial Arts assessment. He held a jade slip that glowed with the compiled data from all three segments: the Prowess Stele, the Profound Beast combat, and the Comprehension Pillars.
"After combining the scores from all three stages of the Martial Arts assessment," Elder Kong's voice boomed, "the final rankings are as follows."
He began from the bottom, building the suspense. The names of the lower-ranked students were called, met with sighs of relief or disappointment.
Hua Mengyan was announced in sixth place, a solid position that brought a happy smile to her face. Wang Kun was called for fifth, his expression a mix of satisfaction at his placement and lingering bitterness towards those above him. Bai Chenfeng took a calm fourth.
Then came the top three.
"In third place, Nangong Qing'er!"
A polite smattering of applause followed. Nangong Qing'er accepted the result with a graceful nod, though the cold calculation in her eyes had not diminished.
"In second place... Lin Yun!"
This announcement was met with a much more complex reaction—stunned silence, followed by hesitant, scattered clapping. Second place. He had been first in two of the three segments, but his sixth-place finish in the combat round, facing the frenzied wolf, had pulled his average down just enough to place him behind one person.
Elder Kong paused, letting the significance sink in before delivering the final result.
"And in first place for the Martial Arts assessment... Ji Xuan!"
A wave of cheers, primarily from the Ji Clan and their allies, erupted.
Ji Xuan remained calm and composed as it was within his expectation. Although he lost to Lin Yun twice, his score was pretty much consistent.
Lin Yun, however, felt nothing. No jealousy, no anger, not even disappointment. The ranking was irrelevant. His mind was a thousand miles away, trapped in the web of Elder Yan's scheme.
He returned to his seat beside Hua Mengyan mechanically, his body present but his spirit elsewhere.
"Second place is amazing, Lin Yun!" Hua Mengyan said, her enthusiasm genuine. "And you were first in two tests! Everyone is talking about you!"
Lin Yun offered a faint, non-committal hum in response. His thoughts were a chaotic whirl.
He knows. Elder Yan knows I can see things others can't. He laid a trap with a Soul Transformation technique as the bait, and I walked right into it. I have the Nine Heavens Sword Art, but at what cost?
The sword art was a magnificent treasure, a key to unimaginable power. But it was also a chain. If he ever tried to practice it, to manifest even a wisp of its intent, Elder Yan would be watching. It would be the final, undeniable proof. The technique was both a gift and a cage.
"The next assessment will be Alchemy," Elder Kong announced, interrupting Lin Yun's spiraling thoughts. "You will have one hour to rest, meditate, and prepare yourselves. We will reconvene at the Alchemy Practice Hall."
The announcement was a welcome distraction for most. Students began to disperse, some heading to retrieve recovery pills, others finding quiet corners to meditate and clear their minds after the intense martial trials…