Just as Master Chang Shi was about to say something further, a group of guards came running in, whispering something urgently in his ear.
His face turned pale.
Without saying much, he leaned over and whispered something to Master Zu Gushion, asking him to remain with the students. Then, Master Chang Shi left immediately with the soldiers.
Soon after, a high-level emergency council of esteemed officials and master-teachers was convened inside a secret library
A room with no windows, sealed tightly with incantations.
Only ten individuals were present.
Every face had turned a ghostly shade of white.
From among them, one Distinguished Grandmaster spoke in a deep, serious tone, as if delivering news of impending disaster:
"How could we have made such a mistake...?
One student is not in the academy.
The invitation scrolls that were retrieved from the students were carefully counted...
But something's off.
A scroll encountered in the calculation is missing.
We must locate that student immediately."
Master Chang Shi added:
"This ceremony only occurs once every eight years...
If it begins without that student,
They may never meet their spiritual beast… ever again.
he said taking a deep breath
"But if we delay the ceremony too long,
Thousands of other students will lose their only chance."
The matter grew more urgent with every passing word.
The council continued to argue intensely for hours.…...
While a special search unit scoured the academy grounds.
---
Meanwhile, Master Zu Gushion had brought all the students to a divine realm of spiritual energy forest
A place that looked nothing short of heavenly.
Soft, ticklish grass covered the ground.
It was dotted with countless radiant flowers.
Tall, thick trees surrounded them
But these weren't ordinary trees.
They bore no leaves
Instead, they were draped in violet-colored blossoms,
Swaying gently in the breeze,
Whispering sweetly to the wind.
Butterflies, vibrant and vivid,
Fluttered across the landscape like living jewels,
Filling every corner with color and joy.
Adorable rabbits leapt gleefully over the soft grass,
As if celebrating the beauty around them.
The entire sight was magical...like a dream.
These trees were considered sacred
Known to bloom only during autumn,
When the world begins to shed and rest.
But instead of withering,
These trees blossomed.
Their violet flowers were unlike any other.
They resembled saffron blooms,
And were known to awaken immense powers
In a spiritual beast
So that they would never grow weak again.
---
But amidst all this divine beauty…
Someone was missing.
Someone had sneaked out of everybody's sight
Joye.
Everyone's attention had been captivated by the blooming trees.
But Wang Gung, Ming Heng, and Zhi Yao....
Their eyes were constantly scanning the horizon.
They were searching for Yu Sui.
---
In front of all the students,
A large stone platform had been placed.
On it, rested five divine stones
Not mere stones,
But elements.
Each stone was attuned to one of the five elemental energies of the soul.
When a student placed their hand above it,
The stone would absorb the aura
And glow in response to the most active element within that individual.
Whichever stone shone the brightest
That would be the student's dominant spiritual element.
From that moment onward,
The academy would begin categorizing and assigning students into their respective elemental groups.