"Yes."
Zhu Ximen stepped forward without hesitation. His movements were steady as he placed his broad palm upon the surface of the crystal orb.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
The sphere trembled intensely. A brilliant stream of starlight surged upward, gathering above the hall before condensing into nine radiant star phantoms.
"Nine-star Aptitude! Excellent! Truly excellent!"
The Human Origin Peak First Seat burst into laughter, clapping his hands in delight. This time, Human Origin Peak had secured both an eight-star Genius and a nine-star Genius. With proper cultivation, they would undoubtedly shine in the next Four Peaks Tournament and bring immense glory to their Peak.
"Next, Ye Beichen."
Steward Liu’s voice rang out once more.
Boom.
Ye Beichen walked forward calmly and placed his palm upon the Aptitude Measuring Orb. The instant his hand touched its surface, a powerful vibration erupted from within the sphere. A brilliant torrent of starlight exploded upward, illuminating the hall.
In the air, nine star phantoms gradually formed.
"Ye Beichen also has nine-star Aptitude?"
"That cannot be right. His strength clearly surpasses Zhu Ximen’s. His Aptitude should be higher."
"Wait. Look carefully. Something is happening."
Whispers rippled through the crowd as they stared upward.
Then, under countless watchful eyes, a tenth star phantom began to materialize.
However, unlike the previous nine, this one appeared dim and unstable. Its light flickered uncertainly, as if it might fade at any moment. The faint star hovered in the air, trembling on the edge between existence and disappearance, leaving the entire hall holding its breath.
"This is ten-star Aptitude! It is comparable to the Aptitude of Martial Ascension Immortal Master, the founding ancestor of our Martial Ascension Gate!" someone cried out in astonishment.
"No, that is not entirely correct," another voice interjected with a more careful tone. "Look closely at the tenth star. Its light flickers and wavers as if it might vanish at any moment. That cannot be considered true ten-star Aptitude. At most, it should be described as quasi-ten-star Aptitude."
Indeed, Ye Beichen’s result clearly surpassed nine stars, yet the tenth star remained unstable and incomplete. It hovered on the threshold but did not fully solidify. Strictly speaking, it could only be classified as above nine stars yet below ten.
"Above nine-star and below ten-star. Quasi-ten-star Aptitude," Steward Liu declared after a brief observation. It was evident that he had witnessed similar cases before and could judge the situation with certainty.
"Excellent. Truly excellent!" The Earth Pillar Peak First Seat laughed heartily. Although it did not match the true ten-star Aptitude of the founding ancestor, being only slightly inferior to him was already astonishing. To obtain a genius whose Aptitude approached that of the Immortal Master was a triumph beyond expectation. Even someone as seasoned as he could not conceal his delight.
Ye Beichen gazed at the nine steady stars and the faintly trembling tenth star above him. A trace of pride appeared in his eyes.
With an Aptitude only marginally below that of the founding ancestor, he indeed possessed the confidence to stand tall.
Meanwhile, whispers spread through the hall.
"What kind of Aptitude do you think Li Yun will reveal? Can he surpass Ye Beichen?"
"Li Yun defeated Ye Beichen despite being at the first level of Xiantian Realm while Ye Beichen stood at the sixth level. His Aptitude must be even higher."
"If he surpasses quasi-ten-star Aptitude, then his potential must at least reach true ten-star. It might even approach eleven-star or twelve-star."
"That is impossible. The Southern Martial Domain is far too backward. Throughout history, ten-star geniuses can be counted on two hands. As for eleven-star or twelve-star Aptitude, such figures have never appeared."
The hall buzzed with discussion as everyone speculated about the level Li Yun’s Aptitude would reach.
’So this orb measures Aptitude rather than physique,’ Li Yun thought to himself. ’In that case, I should at least have a decent result.’
With that in mind, he stepped forward toward the Aptitude Measuring Orb.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
As the newly crowned New Talent King, Li Yun had become the center of attention. Every movement he made drew countless eyes. When he approached the crystal sphere, the entire hall grew quiet. Even the Four Peaks First Seats watched him closely, anticipation evident in their expressions.
After all, he had defeated Ye Beichen, a sixth level Xiantian Realm Martial Artist, while standing only at the first level himself. Such a feat defied common sense. If Aptitude truly reflected potential, then his result should at least reach ten stars.
Li Yun took a slow breath to steady himself. Then, under the expectant gazes of the crowd, he placed his palm gently upon the surface of the Aptitude Measuring Orb.
The crystal felt smooth and cool beneath his hand. Almost immediately, a faint stream of cool qi flowed from the orb into his palm. It entered his body and began circulating through his meridians, limbs, and bones.
Li Yun focused carefully on the sensation.
’It releases a strand of energy into the body, lets it circulate through the limbs and bones, and then analyzes the physical potential based on the response. That must be how it determines Aptitude,’ he reasoned silently.
Boom.
Under normal circumstances, once the cool qi completed its circuit, it would withdraw back into the orb, which would then produce a result based on the feedback it received.
However, just as the cool qi was about to retreat from Li Yun’s body, something unexpected occurred.
From deep within him, a sudden and overwhelming suction force erupted without warning. It wrapped around the cool qi like a whirlpool seizing prey and began dragging it inward.
Li Yun’s expression changed instantly.
"What is going on?"
The source of that violent suction was the globe of chaos qi within Li Yun’s body, which remained in a gaseous state deep inside him.
"What is this?" Li Yun’s heart trembled. "Why does my chaos qi want to devour this cool qi flow?"
He could not understand what was happening. He hadn’t encountered anything like it before ever in his life.
What Li Yun didn’t know was that the chaos qi within him had always been incredibly greedy. Whenever any form of energy entered his body, it would instinctively attempt to absorb and devour it, as though driven by some primal hunger he could not fully comprehend.
Although the cool qi from the Aptitude Measuring Orb felt unique, it was still a type of energy, and a remarkably pure one at that. Naturally, the chaos qi globe showed no intention of letting it escape.
Li Yun immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.
If the chaos qi completely swallowed the cool qi flow, the Aptitude Measuring Orb would not be able to complete its assessment properly. That might affect the final result and create unnecessary complications.
He quickly attempted to suppress the chaos qi, commanding it to release the incoming energy. However, while his reaction was swift, the chaos qi was even swifter.
In the span of a single breath, the once finger-thick stream of cool qi was reduced to a thin wisp. It was now so faint that it was less than one-tenth the thickness of a strand of hair.
Li Yun’s lips curved into a helpless smile.
With effort, he restrained the chaos qi globe and forced it to release the remaining trace of cool qi. That fragile wisp slowly withdrew from his meridians and returned to the Aptitude Measuring Orb.
Outside, murmurs began to spread.
"Why is Li Yun’s test taking so long?"
"Has something gone wrong?"
Nearly a full minute had passed. For most disciples, the test required no more than five or six seconds. Yet Li Yun remained standing with his palm on the orb, and there had been no visible response.
Confusion rippled through the crowd.
Then, just as the whispers grew louder, the previously silent Aptitude Measuring Orb finally trembled and reacted.

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