Chapter 154 : Kamar-Taj test, crushing pass!
For Li Yu, Kamar-Taj's entrance exam was never difficult from the start.
As early as when he awakened his Sixth Sense, abilities like telekinesis, mind-reading, and precognition had already become as ingrained in his instincts as eating and drinking.
During his promotion to Gold Saint and the awakening of his Seventh Sense, he further activated the essence of the Aquarius constellation, gaining control over Absolute Zero, capable of freezing all things.
Let alone a mere entrance test for a magic apprentice, he was confident he could easily crack even high-level magic traps.
But Li Yu knew very well that to meet Strange or the Sorcerer Supreme as quickly as possible and find the whereabouts of the Soul Stone, he had to display sufficiently shocking potential—preferably an invincible talent that would make even the Sorcerer Supreme's heart flutter, making her wish to immediately entrust him with the position of Sorcerer Supreme.
Along the way, he keenly noticed that the Sanctum Sanctorum was embedded with countless alternate dimensions, and the fluctuations of the spatial barriers were far more complex than imagined.
Li Yu secretly congratulated himself for not choosing to force his way in; otherwise, with Kamar-Taj's mastery of spatial magic, if they truly hid the Infinity Stones, he might never find a trace of them.
Soon, the black-robed mage led him to a stone chamber.
The stone chamber was built from light gray celestite, its walls covered with Strange runes that glowed faintly. The light inside the chamber was soft yet not dim, and a fist-sized crystal ball that constantly changed colors floated in the center. The air was filled with a faint aura of magic energy.
"Master Miles, this is the thirty-ninth applicant today. Please conduct the test."
The black-robed mage finished speaking to the person in the stone chamber and then hurried away, apparently to greet the next applicant.
Li Yu looked up. The one in charge of the test was a one-armed mystic, his left arm empty, the sleeve neatly rolled up to his elbow, revealing several scars of varying depths.
Hearing footsteps, Miles slightly raised his head, his gaze briefly resting on Li Yu before falling back to the crystal ball, his expression showing a hint of weary indifference.
He formed a hand seal with one hand, golden runes glowing at his fingertips, and said softly.
"Kamar-Taj entrance exam, first stage: Mirror Dimension. You need to find your way out and come to me."
As soon as his voice fell, the scene in the stone chamber suddenly twisted!
The originally flat walls folded and stretched like crumpled paper, instantly transforming into a window to an boundless starry sky. The ground beneath his feet was reduced to a half-meter square rock, surrounded by churning crimson lava, a scorching heat assaulting him as if it would devour him in the next second.
"A warning: one wrong step and you'll fall into the lava, leaving no trace of your bones."
Miles clasped his single hand behind his back, his tone flat, devoid of emotion.
Li Yu nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.
Kamar-Taj's spatial mysticism was indeed exquisite, completing spatial folding in a mere instant. Miles, who was originally directly in front, now appeared behind him to his right.
But for him, who had awakened the Eighth Sense Cosmo, this spatial alteration was like a child's trick.
He could easily shatter this Mirror Dimension with a single burst of divine thought.
However, he was playing the role of a newcomer with infinite potential, so he naturally had to follow the rules.
Miles watched the black-haired young man in front of him silently, his heart filled with a sigh.
Once upon a time, Kamar-Taj never needed an enrollment brochure to recruit apprentices; seekers of knowledge came in an endless stream.
But ever since the Scarlet Witch Wanda attacked, Kamar-Taj outposts worldwide lost hundreds of elites. His left arm was lost in that battle, and Kamar-Taj's power was unprecedentedly weak.
They were responsible for protecting Earth from the Dark Dimension's invasion, especially the threat of the evil lord Dormammu. Now, with a shortage of personnel and no one to mend the gaps in their protective net, the Sorcerer Supreme was anxious to replenish with new blood.
The life-and-death illusion he set up seemed perilous, but in reality, the lava was an illusion.
The first stage truly tested basic perception of dimensions and mental stability.
Last time, the Scarlet Witch Wanda exploited the weakness of a timid mystic by amplifying his fear, thereby breaking through Kamar-Taj's grand formation and causing heavy casualties.
So this time, a courage test was added to the assessment. Even if one could discern the direction, they had to walk across the lava.
Moreover, the illusion would simulate a realistic burning pain, and many applicants would stand on the rock, afraid to move, simply because they feared the pain.
But the young man in front of him was completely different.
Other applicants either showed panic and froze in place or frantically probed around. Only he, after a calm glance around, lifted his foot and stepped directly into the churning lava!
"This is..."
Miles' pupils constricted, the indifference on his face instantly replaced by shock.
He knew very well how real the pain of the illusion was. Previous applicants, even if they gritted their teeth and took one step, would immediately retract their foot due to the intense pain. Yet, after this young man stepped into the lava, there was not the slightest change in his expression, as if the scorching lava was merely cool stream water.
What shocked him even more was that the young man showed no hesitation whatsoever, walking steadily along the correct path, crossing the lava area in just a few seconds and standing before him.
When their eyes met, Miles even felt a hint of embarrassment.
His carefully prepared test had been so easily cracked.
"You passed."
Miles composed himself and raised his hand to dispel the illusion.
The twisted space instantly returned to its original state. The lava and starry sky disappeared, and the stone chamber reverted to its initial appearance.
"Can you take me to see Strange now?"
Li Yu's tone was calm, without the slightest joy of having passed.
Miles suppressed the surging waves in his heart and pointed to the crystal ball in the center.
"There are three stages to the assessment; this was just the first. For the next stage, touch the crystal ball, inject your mental will into it, and guide the internal energy flow to form a stable shape. A perfect circle is best."
This was the core project for testing magic talent.
The crystal ball contained Kamar-Taj's pure runic magic energy, which needed to be combed, guided, and shaped with mental power.
The higher one's magic affinity and the stronger one's mental power, the clearer and more stable the shape created. A circle was the most perfect shape; triangles and squares could also count as passing.
Li Yu, however, did not walk over. He simply stood in place, his gaze calmly directed at the crystal ball.
The next second, an astonishing scene unfolded!
Inside the originally crystal-clear crystal ball, the golden runic energy suddenly became agitated, then condensed into shape at an astonishing speed.
First, a perfect circle, then it transformed into a sharply angled square, then a stable triangle, a polygon, a hexagonal prism. The speed of the shape changes grew faster and faster, finally coming to a halt in the center of the crystal ball, condensing into a phoenix made of pure light!
The phoenix had smooth, lifelike lines. Its wings vibrated slightly, even emitting a clear, soul-piercing, silent cry. It circled gracefully, radiating warm and sacred light, illuminating the entire stone chamber with a holy glow.
"Divine creature?"
Miles gasped in surprise, his voice trembling with disbelief, his pupils contracted to pinprick size.
He had tested dozens of people with this crystal ball; at most, someone could create a blurry geometric shape. No one had ever been able to mold energy into a living creature, let alone imbue it with such realistic vitality!
The shock in his heart was like a raging storm, unable to subside for a long time.
"Is that enough?"
Li Yu's voice pulled Miles back to reality, his tone still calm, as if it wasn't he who had just created the luminous phoenix.