Xu Changsheng glanced coldly at Gu Siyuan and strode forward. He wanted to prove his talent through his actions and put an end to Gu Siyuan's arrogant demeanor.
Xu Changsheng was eager to see Gu Siyuan's reaction. If Gu Siyuan discovered that Xu Changsheng's talent surpassed his own, would he still maintain that smug, arrogant expression?
Approaching the awakening crystal, Xu Changsheng took a deep breath and placed his left hand on its surface. A cool sensation spread from his palm to his heart, then surged to the deepest recesses of his mind.
A wondrous voice echoed in his thoughts:
"You have awakened an A-level talent: the Eye of Evolution!"
Eye of Evolution (A-level): Your beast has a chance to gain talent improvement upon advancing.
"Unknown energy intrusion detected..."
"Talent has fused with unknown energy and has been greatly enhanced..."
"Your ultimate talent is now SSS-level: Eye of the World!"
Eye of the World (SSS-level): Grants insight into all things in the world; every evolutionary path is revealed to you.
Buzz buzz buzz—
The once-quiet awakening crystal began to tremble violently. A brilliant green light flashed across its surface, then shot skyward, piercing through the dark clouds above. The spectacle was far more extraordinary than the phenomenon that accompanied Gu Siyuan's awakening. The crowd in the awakening square stood in stunned silence, awestruck by the display.
Then, an uproar erupted in the square.
"What? That color... an A-level talent? How is that possible?!"
"My god! Xu Changsheng awakened an A-level talent! Doesn't that mean he's destined to become at least a diamond-level expert?"
"Changnan City produced such a talent?!"
However, before the murmurs could fully take hold, the green light vanished as if it had never appeared. Only the cleared clouds and the bright sun hanging in the sky remained as evidence of the phenomenon.
"What's going on? Why was the vision for an A-level talent so brief?"
"Could it be... Xu Changsheng failed to awaken?"
"It's possible. There are rare historical cases of failed awakenings. What terrible luck Xu Changsheng must have."
The crowd's chatter grew louder, their voices tinged with schadenfreude. People seemed to relish the idea of their peer falling short rather than surpassing them.
Gu Siyuan, in particular, let out a relieved breath. The green vision had momentarily shaken him, but now his pride was intact. A contemptuous smile crept back onto his face.
Ignoring the discussions behind him, Xu Changsheng closed his eyes and remained silent.
"Xu Changsheng, what happened with the green light? Did you awaken a talent? What level is it?" the teacher overseeing the awakening asked anxiously.
If he could claim credit for a student with an A-level beast-taming talent, his bonus would be substantial.
Xu Changsheng slowly opened his eyes and sighed. He had not only awakened his talent but also unlocked a system—a quintessential boon for a transmigrator.
"System activation: The host has successfully awakened a beast-taming talent. The achievement system is now bound."
"The beast control space has been transformed for the host."
"The Mythical Blood Pool has been integrated into the host's beast control space."
Mythical Blood Pool: Allows contracted beasts to undergo blood baptism and acquire mythical bloodlines.
"For additional functions, please explore independently..."
The barrage of notifications had left Xu Changsheng momentarily dazed.
Hearing his sigh, the teacher sighed in return, his hopes deflating. In a small city like Changnan, an A-level talent seemed too good to be true. His dreams of a bonus evaporated.
"Don't be discouraged if you didn't awaken,"the teacher said, waving a hand.
"Ordinary beast masters can still have a future—"
"Teacher, I did awaken," Xu Changsheng interrupted. "An A-level talent."
"What? You didn't awaken—wait, you did? And it's an A-level talent?!" The teacher's squinting eyes widened, gleaming with excitement.
Xu Changsheng raised his right hand, and a dense aura of beast control power gathered at his fingertips—a hallmark of a successful awakening. This high concentration of power allowed beast masters to more easily contract high-potential beasts. The greater the talent and potential of a beast, the higher the quality of the master's beast control power required.
"Good! Excellent!" the teacher exclaimed, barely containing his enthusiasm. As a beast master of over ten years with only a C-level talent, he could sense the exceptional purity of Xu Changsheng's beast control power—far superior to his own.
Eagerly, the teacher pulled Xu Changsheng aside to help him complete the necessary paperwork, his attitude markedly warmer than it had been toward Gu Siyuan.
Gu Siyuan, standing at the edge of the crowd, watched the scene with gritted teeth. His face burned with humiliation. He had never imagined that Xu Changsheng, whom he had dismissed as ordinary, possessed such extraordinary talent. The memory of calling Xu Changsheng a "waste" now gnawed at him, filling him with unease.
"Fortunately, only a few people know about that," Gu Siyuan reassured himself, though he couldn't suppress the anger and jealousy simmering within.
But the ordeal wasn't over. After completing the paperwork, Xu Changsheng didn't blend back into the crowd. Instead, he cleared his throat and spoke loudly:
"It's strange, isn't it? How can an ordinary kid like me have greater talent than some scion of a prominent family? Could it be that someone is a complete failure, unable to awaken a decent talent despite all their resources?"
Though he didn't name Gu Siyuan directly, everyone in the square knew exactly who he meant.
"Oh my god, Xu Changsheng is fearless! He's calling out the second son of the Gu family?"
"With an A-level talent, he's on par with—or even above—the Gu family's status!"
"I've been sick of Gu Siyuan's arrogance for ages."
"Yeah, acting so high and mighty with just a B-level talent. What a joke."
Whispers rippled through the square. The derogatory remarks and insults pushed Gu Siyuan to the brink of rage. His face flushed crimson, then drained to a deathly pallor as he scanned the crowd, finding only mocking glances.
As the pampered second son of the Gu family, accustomed to deference and flattery, Gu Siyuan had never faced such public humiliation. The sting of it was unbearable.
Xu Changsheng, watching Gu Siyuan's ashen face and fiery eyes, felt a wave of satisfaction. With a calm stride, he returned to his place in the crowd, no longer bothering with the defeated clown.