After breaking through the ninth step, John immediately stepped onto the tenth, which tested his dantian talent. If his dantian compressions were too low, there was a threat of his dantian shattering unless he retreated. However, the pressure on his dantian was only great enough to threaten a ten dantian compression cultivator, which he eclipsed by two times.
The pressure was almost negligible, and John immediately stepped forward onto the eleventh step, which tested meridian talents. Meridian talents tested not only the strength of the meridians themselves, but their natural pathways. Meridians were incredibly complex and intricate, and each cultivator had a difference in meridians somehow.
Some would have terminal meridians, which did not go all the way to where it needed to, resulting in a suboptimal Qi flow. Others would have thin meridians, which would only allow for a small amount of Qi flow when compared to more talented cultivators.
As he stepped on this step, another small smile appeared on John’s face.
‘I was unsure of exactly how high my meridian talent was, as I’ve never tested it before. But this pressure on the eleventh step is almost negligible as well. My meridian pathways not only are incredibly strong, but the pathways seem to be the most optimal as well. I guess I can thank my true mother and father for blessing me with such a perfect body.’
After thinking this, John stepped onto the twelfth step almost immediately after, shocking the Grand Elder and Iris who were watching. However, his steps came to a halt as he felt the formation pressure change, almost as if it became another language he didn’t understand.
He could brute force the previous steps, as they relied on body talent, but this step required more delicacy. John had to comprehend the new, strange energy, and devise a way to pierce through it. Only by doing this could he truly advance to the next level.
‘Based on the early steps, I thought this talent testing formation would only test dantian compressions, but I guess I was wrong. Oh well, time to see just how talented my comprehensions truly are.’
John closed his eyes and calmed his mind as he felt the strange energy wash over him. The energy was chaotic and jumbled, which John could not make sense of at the moment. His soul and divine sense flared out as he studied the pressure and did his best to comprehend it.
Using the principles he had devised when learning the three profound Daos of Power, Annihilation, and Destruction during the Divine Talent Trial, John slowly but surely identified the main principles of the energy washing over him, and how to counteract those principles. However,
After standing there for a short while, his eyes snapped open as his smile returned to his face. The chaotic and jumbled energy, which prevented him from moving forward just a minute ago, seemed to part before him as he countered it with his own energy, allowing him to advance freely.
Bang!
His foot slammed onto the thirteenth step, quickly followed up by his entire body. The Grand Elder, who had just been interrupted by John’s actions once again, decided that watching in silence was the best thing going forward.
Bang!
Bang!
John once again surged forward without any pause on the next two steps, which was the same that had happened in the previous dantian talent and meridian talent steps. Iris, who was already stunned speechless from John’s actions, could only stare at John with awe.
Meanwhile, the Grand Elder’s expression turned from one of surprise to one of seriousness as he watched John ascend the talent testing steps. He had brought John to these steps originally as he had witnessed his combat prowess in the entrance exam, and figured he would be able to reach eight steps.
However, John’s actions had shattered those expectations, and was now already far beyond any other talent within the sect as far as the step count was concerned. A small sound transmission disk appeared in his hand for a moment as the Grand Elder sent a message, before he put it away to once again focus on John.
…
In a large chamber, a lone figure sat on a golden throne, glowing radiantly. Several documents were in his hand as he perused through them, before his attention shifted and a small transmission disk appeared in his hand.
“What is it, Grand Elder?” the man asked, his voice deep and commanding.
“Sect Leader Thunderfist, I would suggest you place your attention on the talent testing steps,” the Grand Elder replied respectfully.
“Hmm?” the man hummed, before his gaze shifted to the side as he stared at one of the walls of his chamber. However, his gaze seemed to pierce through rock and earth as it focused on a spot several miles away.
The man’s gaze locked onto the Talent Testing Steps, at which point his eyes widened slightly before returning to normal once again.
“The fifteenth step? Has the one my brother sought out to find finally arrived?” the man replied.
“It appears as though that may be the case,” the Grand Elder replied. “Which means your brother should be returning to the sect shortly as well, as his self-appointed mission seems to have been completed.”
The gaze of the man on the throne hardened for a moment as his fists clenched tightly around the documents he was holding, ruining them.
“Then we’ll have to see if he still has the strength to reclaim his position,” the man replied, his voice slightly cold. “In the meantime, keep monitoring this boy on the steps, and make sure no one disturbs him.”
“It will be done,” the Grand Elder replied quickly, before ceasing the communications. The man on the throne put his transmission disk away, before resting his chin on his fist as he stared at John on the steps miles away.
“If my brother truly was right about everything, then today marks the starting day of our sect returning to its former glory, or its eradication. There is no middle ground, but only time will tell if this boy truly is the one my brother was searching for.”