At the aptitude test, which was situated roughly two hundred meters separately from the other tests, the two elders in charge were discussing about the unrest that has been going on for twenty minutes now.
"We haven't heard such ruckus in seventy years now. Do you remember old Fu?"
"Seventy years ago?" elder Fu asked. "Ah, old Mu, you are talking about that time when we discovered a remarkable talent, the one who is now grand elder's disciple!"
"Yes, that one! He was indeed a hidden jewel in a group of rocks. Back then, we would discover a promising one at least once every disciple recruitment." said elder Mu, fondly remembering that time. "But since then, finding even one capable enough to be considered remarkable has been hard as finding a needle in a pile of haystack." he lamented right after.
"Huh... you are right. Let's hope this ruckus is a signal that we have found another hidden jewel, so we can finally break out of the misfortune that plagued the recruitments for the past few decades." elder Fu hoped.
"What are you saying?! We don't even need a rare genius. Just a fairly remarkable one would be just fine!" corrected elder Mu.
.....
By the time they finished speaking, the guiding disciple was heading over to them with the candidate following closely behind. When they finally stopped before them, the guiding disciple came forward to them.
"Greetings to the two elders." Disciple Tang greeted the two elders with the proper stance and respect their seniority deserved - they were more powerful than the other elders in the other tests and held higher ranks.
"Mm" nodded elder Fu.
"Disciple Tang, right? What is the matter?" asked elder Mu, finding it odd for the disciple to step up and voluntarily speak to them during the tests.
"Esteemed elders, the thing is... Well, it would be hard to believe..." disciple Tang began to speak but was hesitating.
"What is hard to believe? Get on with it disciple, the tests shouldn't be delayed for even a second! If it is about the candidate behind you having excellent results on the previous tests, we already summarized that from all the ruckus." After looking at each other once, the strict with the rules, elder Mu, pressed disciple Tang to finish his sentence.
"Ah yes, there were good results indeed.... but it is not what I want to tell you about elders. The thing is… this candidate seems to not understand our language. You will need to demonstrate what he has to do in this test."
"What?! How is that even possible?" elder Mu immediately asked, full of incredibility.
"Explain." said elder Fu.
"Yes, elder!" "For starters, he only said one word through this entire duration of the tests, which was his name. In the strength test he only moved when he saw the physical strength elder demonstrate with specific movements the actions required for it. Excluding the gravity test where there wasn't a need to explain anything to the candidate, in the absorption test, he needed once more for the elder in charge to physically demonstrate for him to act."
Disciple Tang explained in a few words, the inability of the candidate to understand the tests' introductions and instructions from their assigned elders.
After hearing disciple Tang, they looked at each other and pondered. For any other candidate, they wouldn't move a muscle and instead shoo them out. It was unbefitting of their position to demonstrate anything for a mere mortal.
But. Considering the ruckus, they heard from the other tests earlier and the possibility of finally getting an adequate disciple after so long, they had to shallow their pride and go with it.
Although it sounded unbelievable to them, the two elders had to abandon the introductory part of the test and instead show the candidate what to do.
The calmest of the two, Old Fu, stepped in front and started the demonstration.
He placed his palm inside the shallow depression and began focusing his energies. After the depression's magic lines lit, the meter at the center of the stele started being lit little by little.
He let it rise for a moment and then stopped. Going back to his position at the left of the stele, he gestured for the candidate to try it himself.
The two elders and disciple Tang watched as the candidate stepped up to the stele.
Their eyes were glued to the candidate's palm when the lines beneath it lit up almost instantly. Immediately after, the line at the middle of the stele representing the meter started to gradually be lit up too. Its speed was fast, not something you would expect from a candidate's magical energies' measurement.
Soon, it reached the first checkpoint, marking the candidate's passing of the test. But of course, the elders didn't stop the candidate, because from there on would be where it really mattered.
Right after, the second checkpoint was also reached, and then the third. The progress of the line and symbols being lit was quick and stable. The meter was continuously lit without any pause.
At first, the elders were unimpressed. Although the sect didn't receive any talents for the past decades, the passing candidates weren't few.
But as the meter was being gradually lit, so were their expressions being morphed. From stoic to content and from content to jubilant. From jubilant to amazement and from amazement to shock. Finally, when the meter lit up in all its entirety, their expressions turned from shock to total disbelief.
Disciple Tang didn't fare any better either. Even if he was already numb from this candidate's previous performances, witnessing the meter fully being lit was a shock of an entirely different level, its magnitude was something he had never experienced before.
By sheer will alone, he managed to write the results down in time, just before his brain couldn't take the shock anymore and he froze, losing the strength on his legs. His knees bent and with a thud he hit the ground.
Disciple Candidate #197
Name: Pete
Strength Test: Passed
Size of damage caused: Testing Boulder pulverized
Time taken: Instant (with two seconds of delay after the impact)
Gravity Test: Passed
Level of difficulty for the test taker: None
Time endured: Until the end
Absorption Test: Passed
Degree of absorption: Total
Time Taken: 1st one - two seconds, 2nd one - three seconds
Aptitude Test: Passed
Talent: Heaven Defying!