Just then, from the remaining crowd, Joye stepped forward.
Her face was calm....eerily calm, like water frozen solid in the peak of summer.
At the sight of her, Shu Bi Suan let out a long, shaky breath, as if a mountain had lifted from his chest. A sense of deep relief washed over him. She was there...in the crowd, among them.
But something wasn't right.
His eyes dropped to her white robes... there was dirt on them.
He looked around, scanning the ground beneath their feet. Not a speck of earth anywhere....just soft, lush, velvet-like grass stretching to the horizon. The land was clean and sacred, untouched by even a whisper of dust.
Then why the mud on her dress?
His heart may have found peace, but now his mind raced. A thousand thoughts surged through him. He knew his sister. She would never disappear like that, not without him. Something had happened, and it wasn't ordinary. His face froze in a blend of concern and confusion, eyes glued to Joye as she walked ahead.
Joye bowed respectfully before the five elemental stones and extended her hand.
The moment her palm hovered over the stones, the Fire Element ignited.
But it didn't merely glow. It blazed.
The flame surged alive, a clear sign that Joye wasn't just attuned to fire....she had control over it. She could bend it to her will.
From a distance, Wang Gung, Ming Heng, and Zhi Yao stood silently. Their faces carried the same shadow of dread and grief. The thought haunted them: What if Master You Sui isn't here today?
Not only wang gung, ming heng and zhi yao, but also joye and shu bi suan had this fear deep inside.
But this wasn't the only thing that was bothering Shu Bi Suan.
Shu Bi Suan's mind continued to spiral. Where had his sister gone? She must've been somewhere… but where?
Meanwhile, Joye's name was recorded in the Fire Element Scroll, and she was assigned to the Fire faction.
The ceremony resumed.
Another name echoed: Ming Heng.
He stepped forward, bowed with quiet reverence, and held his hand up.
The Air Element activated.
Tiny droplets of water began to swirl around him, dancing in the air....a sign that he could manipulate water through the wind.
His name was written down in the Air Element Scroll, and he joined the Air group.
Shortly after, Zhi Yao was called.
He advanced, lowered his head with pride, and extended his hand.
The Earth Element responded, and sharp, spiked stone formations emerged around it. It meant he could manipulate minerals and metals as raw power.
He was officially recorded under the Earth Element Scroll and added to its group.
Then the name rang out:
"Wang Gung!"
He stepped forward, the white robes adorning his frame fluttering gracefully in the breeze. He bowed humbly before the elements, then raised his hand.
The Fire Element activated.
But something extraordinary happened.
This wasn't the usual flame....it erupted into a divine white fire, intense and pure. And as it flared up, everyone felt an almost sacred stillness, like something ancient had just awakened.
The five appointed officials and even the one reading out names fell into stunned silence. This… this was unheard of.
For many students, this was their first time seeing such a sacred manifestation....white fire.
Master Zu Gushion's astonishment knew no bounds. No one had ever imagined that a fire element could turn white, or even hold such divinity.
This wasn't just a rare element. It was an anomaly.
Clearly, a separate discussion would be needed before any decision could be made. Wang Gung's name was not placed in any scroll. He was set apart from the rest.
And yet, Wang Gung remained unmoved.
For him, this incredible display meant nothing. His soul continued to crumble, piece by piece, with every passing moment.
Because in all this time, he still hadn't seen even a glimpse of Yu Sui.
At last… the final name was called:
"Fui Lon."