"What?!"
"Origin?!"
Even the parents, who had tried to remain composed, could not hide their shock. Some leaned forward instinctively, while others exchanged stunned glances, as if confirming the reality of what they had seen.
Chen Kuo's gaze sharpened slightly, the calm authority in his eyes deepening. "Excellent."
Bi Xinya froze for the briefest moment, then she turned quickly, her steps light, trying—and failing—to hide the smug curve of her lips.
"Told you," she whispered as she returned to the line, her voice low but filled with satisfaction.
Lin Yuan said nothing, though his gaze lingered on the jade disk a moment longer.
Several more children stepped forward after her, each placing their hands upon the jade with nervous anticipation. The results returned to normal, the light flickering weakly and unevenly as the elder called out the same verdict again and again.
"Heavenly."
"Heavenly."
"Heavenly."
The earlier shock began to settle, replaced by a quiet tension that hung over the courtyard. Then—
"Su Tianya."
She stepped forward slowly, far less composed than Bi Xinya had been. Her shoulders were slightly tense, and her hands trembled faintly as she raised them toward the jade disk.
For a moment, nothing happened. The surface remained still, the faint patterns unmoving. Then—
A flicker.
The light gathered, hesitated, and then surged outward in a smooth, flowing wave. Unlike the scattered ripples of Heavenly roots, this radiance formed clear, continuous streams, circling the disk like a quiet current.
"Origin root."
The courtyard exploded once more, louder than before.
"Two?!"
"There are two?!"
"That's impossible in one generation!"
Chen Kuo did not raise his voice, yet the noise gradually died down under the weight of his presence. He nodded slowly, his expression unreadable.
"Rare."
Su Tianya stood frozen where she was, her face pale and her eyes wide with disbelief. It took her several breaths before she managed to step back.
Only two.
Out of all the children present, only those two had reached that level.
The line shortened gradually as the remaining children stepped forward one after another. The results continued without variation, the jade responding faintly with each touch before returning to stillness.
"Heavenly."
"Heavenly."
"Heavenly."
At last, only one remained.
Lin Yuan stood at the end of the line, his posture relaxed, his expression unchanged. To most, his presence carried no weight at all, merely the final formality before the test concluded.
"He will certainly be of the Heavenly grade."
"Huh, who knows… maybe there is something even lower."
"Just finish it already."
Lin Yuan stepped forward.
His movements were unhurried, his gaze steady as he approached the jade disk. The courtyard quieted slightly, not out of anticipation, but simply because the end had come.
He raised his hand.
Just before his fingers touched the surface—
The jade dimmed.
The faint patterns across its surface faded instantly, as if erased by an unseen force. The soft glow vanished completely, leaving behind nothing but a dull, lifeless stone.
A ripple of confusion spread through the crowd. The sudden change broke the lingering rhythm, drawing uncertain murmurs from all sides.
"What happened?"
"Did it break?"
Chen Kuo's brows furrowed slightly.
Lin Yuan paused, his hand hovering just above the surface. His expression did not change, though a faint shift passed through his thoughts.
This… is unexpected.
Bi Xinya leaned forward, her earlier pride forgotten as confusion replaced it. "Why did it stop?"
Su Tianya frowned slightly, her gaze fixed on the unmoving jade. Even she seemed unsettled by the sudden interruption.
Chen Kuo stepped forward slowly, his eyes never leaving the jade disk. He observed it in silence for several breaths, as if confirming something.
"The root detecting jade will have to be readjust again, we will move to the second stage temporarily."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan's expression did not change much, yet a faint sense of relief rose quietly within him. He knew his own condition far too well—Uncle Lin had already made it clear that his spiritual root was broken beyond repair.
If it had been his choice, he would not have come at all. This entire trip was only for the pendant, and thinking of it now, he could not help but curse inwardly.
Chen Kuo lowered the jade disk carefully, as if concluding a ritual, and raised the bronze mirror in its place.
"The second stage is the Inner Sun."
"The spiritual root determines how you absorb spiritual energy," he continued, his gaze sweeping across the children. "But absorption alone is meaningless."
He placed his palm over his chest, his expression turning slightly more serious.
"The Inner Sun determines whether you can keep it."
"If the root is the bridge…"
"…then the Inner Sun is the vessel."
Chen Kuo stepped forward slightly, raising the mirror higher. "Watch carefully."
He motioned to a child. The boy approached nervously and placed his hand against the back of the mirror.
At first, nothing happened. Then, slowly, a faint glow appeared at the center—weak, flickering, like a candle struggling against the wind.
"Mortal grade," Chen Kuo said calmly. "A stable Inner Sun, but limited capacity."
He gestured again. Another child stepped forward. This time, the glow appeared slightly faster, but it remained dim and unstable, unable to expand beyond a small radius.
"Mortal."
A third child stepped up. The light formed again, but it trembled more noticeably, thinning at the edges as if it could collapse at any moment.
"Mortal."
Chen Kuo lowered the mirror slightly, addressing the crowd once more. "A Mortal Inner Sun allows one to live a full life. With a stable body, four hundred years is not impossible."
Several parents visibly relaxed, their shoulders easing as quiet relief spread among them.
"But…"
His voice dropped slightly, enough to draw every bit of attention back to him.
"…without reaching Spirit grade, cultivation is impossible."
"Without a stable vessel, spiritual energy cannot remain within you," he continued. "No matter how strong your root is, it will scatter like mist."
Lin Yuan's thoughts moved quietly, connecting each word to his own condition.
Bridge… vessel.
If the bridge does not exist… then what of the vessel?
Or… if the vessel is something else entirely?
The testing resumed as the courtyard gradually settled, though a lingering tension still hung in the air. One child after another stepped forward, placing their hands against the mirror with quiet anticipation, yet the results remained unchanged.
"Mortal."
"Mortal."
"Mortal."
The steady repetition created a rhythm that dulled the earlier excitement, and many of the onlookers began to relax again. It seemed as though the earlier surprises had been nothing more than rare exceptions.
Then—
"Su Tianya."
She stepped forward once more, her earlier shock still evident in the stiffness of her posture. Her breathing was uneven, and her fingers trembled slightly as she raised her hand toward the mirror.
For a moment, nothing happened, and the surface remained dark and still. Then a faint glow appeared at its center, weak and flickering just like the others.
"Mortal—"
Chen Kuo's voice halted mid-sentence, his expression sharpening as something changed. The light did not fade or waver as expected, but instead began to grow.
It intensified steadily, expanding outward in smooth layers that formed a stable, radiant core. The glow burned bright and unwavering, like a flame shielded from all wind.
"…Spirit grade."
A heavy silence fell over the courtyard, pressing down on everyone present. It was not the chaotic shock from before, but something deeper, something that made even breathing feel difficult.
"What…?"
"Spirit grade…?"
"That girl has both?!"