The morning sun illuminated the backyard of the Noctis family home, creating perfect patterns of light and shadow through the leaves of the Spirit Willow tree in the backyard. Lux, now six years and a few months old, sat cross-legged on a flat rock that had become his favorite training spot over the past year.
"Focus, worm. Coefficient 0.99872... maintain," Mobius' voice echoed in his mind.
In front of Lux, a glass of water trembled slightly. With full concentration, he maintained the micro-distortion in the water's coefficient. After a year of intensive training since the formation incident, his control abilities had improved dramatically.
At this point, Lux could consistently distort ΔCoR 0.00003 while maintaining the distortion for 15 seconds. The energy trace was almost undetectable,
but he could only sustain a maximum of 2 distortions per day without backlash.
"0.99872... 0.99873... 0.99874..." Lux returned the water coefficient to normal right at the 15th second. He took a deep breath, feeling satisfied with his improving control.
"Adequate," Mobius commented, by the way little worm. "The aptitude test will begin next week. Are you ready?"
Lux wiped the sweat from his forehead. "As ready as I can be. But I'm worried they'll detect... you."
"They won't find me. Their primitive tools are incapable of detecting my presence. But your meteor heritage... that's another story. The traces of the gray meteor will be obvious to those who know how to see them."
"I understand," said Lux as he lay on the ground.
That afternoon, Noctis returned early from his routine patrol mission. His usually tense face looked brighter today.
"Lux! Look what Father brought you." Noctis took out a green jade that emitted a subtle aura. "This is Protective Jade. It can hide your aura during the test later. Here, try it on."
Lux accepted the jade carefully. Its coefficient of 0.99945 was quite stable and strong. "Thank you, Father."
Then Lumina approached, carrying herbal tea. "Your father is right, dear. The jade will help you. But what's more important is your mental preparation."
That night, Lumina told her about her talent test experience 19 years ago. "I only showed pure fire affinity back then. But look at me now, I have five Pillars." Her eyes sparkled with pride.
However, behind the warm family conversation,
Lux noticed something that worried him. As he pretended to be asleep, he heard his parents whispering in the living room.
"...I heard that three children in Emerald Valley City showed strange talents last week," whispered Noctis.
Lumina replied with a worried voice, "The Shadow Viper Sect is rumored to be kidnapping gifted children. We have to be more careful with Lux."
"Listen carefully, worm," said Mobius. "The world is starting to pay attention to children like you. This could be a blessing or a curse."
"I'll keep that in mind," said Lux.
Then Lux gazed at the night sky through his bedroom window. The stars twinkled as if holding secrets. He remembered his five missing friends and wondered if they were also facing similar tests somewhere in this vast world.
Next week's talent test wasn't just about becoming a cultivator. It was about understanding who he really was, and uncovering the mystery behind the gray meteor that had changed his life forever.
The day of the talent test arrived with a clear blue sky that seemed to hide the tension behind it. The main courtyard of the Burning Sky Sect's Flame's Crest branch was filled with crowds of families bringing their children, whether they were cultivators or ordinary people. Over fifty children aged 6-10 gathered with mixed expressions—some nervous, some confident, some on the verge of tears.
Lux stood among them, clutching the Protective Jade his father had given him. Noctis and Lumina were in the parents' area, giving encouraging smiles from a distance.
According to Lux's estimates, there were around 50+ children aged 6-10 who had come with their guardians or parents to wait for the results of this test.
The atmosphere in the courtyard was tense and full of hope. Then Elder Feng, as the city supervisor and also an elder of the sect who was an 8th layer Core Forging cultivator, led the way to begin the assessment process with 4 other elders.
Spirit stones and measurement formations were carefully prepared to activate the formation.
From what Lux saw, the Test Arena consisted of a giant spirit stone crystal platform with several colored segments, each representing a basic element, with a complex energy pattern measurement formation sparkling on the marble floor of the hall surrounded by several cultivators who served as guards and formation supervisors. The Elder Observers, five elders sat on a high platform, observing every detail of the assessment. There was also a Waiting Area where parents or guardians observed from behind an energy barrier.
At that moment, Lux silently activated his measurement ability to try and gauge the platform and its formations. In Lux's observation:
The Crystal Platform's Coefficient of Resonance (CoR) was 0.99975, indicating a very stable condition. He then shifted his focus to the Formation, measuring a CoR of 0.99930, which showed a complex but controlled coefficient. Also, the Spirit Stones had a CoR of 0.99950-0.99980, varying based on the element type.
"Don't use your measurement too often; some worms might sense it through your declining energy," Mobius remarked.
The Procession ceremony began with Elder Feng's deep and authoritative voice echoing throughout the courtyard.
"Young ones, today may be the beginning of your cultivation journey. This test not only measures talent but also determines the direction of your life's path. But remember, whatever the result, it is a destiny you must embrace with pride."
After a brief speech from Elder Feng, each child was called according to their lottery number, and Lux received number 27.
While waiting for his turn, Lux tried to observe some of the other children and attempted to interact with them.
Lux started by greeting a child who appeared to be around 8 years old, with a chubby appearance and wearing luxurious clothes. "Hey there, I'm Lux Noctis, what's your name?" Lux called out.
"Ah... hello, my name is Jian from the Li family, nice to meet you," Jian replied.
"By the way, Jian, are you confident you'll pass the test?" Lux asked. "Of course, my father has prepared the best resources. I will definitely become a Direct Disciple, or at least a core disciple," he answered firmly.
"Good, you're very confident, good luck, buddy," Lux replied.
After finishing his conversation with Jian, Lux noticed some other children, such as:
A young woman with blue hair, around 7-8 years old, dressed simply but cleanly. She was quietly practicing breathing in the corner of the courtyard.
And there was also a boy whose eyes were full of determination. He said silently, "I will prove that background does not determine the future."
"Pay close attention, worm; they could be your future rivals and allies," Mobius commented, but Lux ignored him.
As the test progressed, Lux also noticed some patterns:
Children with dual affinities immediately became the center of attention.
Some children with high spiritual talent excited the elders.
But no one showed the strangeness he felt.
When Jian Li's turn arrived, the Crystal Platform shone brightly with red and gold colors.
"Fire and Metal! Above-average talent!" exclaimed one of the junior elders.
Next, Mei Lin, a child with blue hair, showed an affinity for Water and Wood - a moderate but balanced talent.
And Xiao Chen only showed an affinity for Earth, but his strong determination made some elders smile.
When number 27 was called, Lux felt his heart pounding. This was his turn.
"Relax, worm, let fate run its course," Mobius tried to calm him.
Lux stepped towards the Crystal Platform, unaware that his life would change forever in the next few minutes.
Lux stepped onto the Crystal Platform with a pounding heart. The cold marble beneath his feet felt like ice, and the energy flowing from the formation made his skin tingle. He took the Spirit Stone offered by the supervising officer, a clear crystal stone with a CoR of 0.99960.
The officer explained the test mechanism.
And as explained, the formation would read:
Elemental Affinity (Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, Wood, etc.)
Spiritual Talent (Soul strength, meridian capacity)
Growth Potential (in the future)
"Don't resist the energy flow," Mobius whispered. "Let them see what they want to see."
Lux nodded almost imperceptibly, then focused on the Spirit Stone in his hand. Initially, everything went normally. The Crystal Platform began to shine with a steady red color, a fire affinity just like Lumina.
"Fire Affinity, medium strength..." noted one of the junior elders.
But then, something strange began to happen....
The crystal platform's red color suddenly shifted to metallic gray.
The Spirit Stone in Lux's hand trembled uncontrollably, his CoR also dropping drastically from 0.99960 to 0.99890.
Then the measurement formation on the floor began to flicker erratically.
The unstable CoR Platform dropped from 0.99975 → 0.99920, the energy fluctuating wildly between all elements and rapidly changing colors like a mad rainbow before finally settling on a deep gray.
Elder Feng, who had been sitting calmly, suddenly stood up, his eyes narrowing. "What's happening there?" he said to the other elders.
One of the elders, Elder Youm, looked confused and said, "The formation is becoming unstable; it seems the platform can't read his affinity!"
"That's right, the affinity reading formation is completely messed up!" exclaimed Elder Johan.
"The energy... it's like space, but not space. There's something else," analyzed Elder Xian.
"This is similar to reports from other sects about... a star child," Elder Luu chimed in.
Lux heard all of this in a panic. In his mind, he shouted, "Mobius! What's happening?"
"Relax! It's just a reaction between the effects of that gray meteor shower slightly altering your body's condition; their measuring devices can't possibly measure it accurately. I've also hidden my presence, so just relax," Mobius replied.
From the elders' area, Noctis and Lumina looked worried. Lumina held her husband's hand tightly, while Noctis watched with a wary gaze.
Elder Feng descended from his platform and approached Lux, saying, "Young man, try releasing the Spirit Stone."
Lux obeyed, and instantly the Spirit Stone stopped trembling. But the Crystal Platform remained gray, and the measurement formation still showed strange patterns.
"Move to the Backup Platform!" Elder Feng ordered.
The result was still the same. Every platform Lux stepped on turned gray, every Spirit Stone he held began to tremble wildly.