Duan Louheng...

Five years ago, the youth had shocked the Warring Twilight Region with his Unfolding Heaven grade Crossed Soul Sword Physique and a dual Unfolding Heaven Spirit qi affinity of both metal and space. The sects had given him a direct invitation, and finally, the Malignant Moon Sword Sect came out on top.

The last time such a shocking talent appeared was when the Flareful Empress rose to prominence with her Amaranthine Torch Dragon Physique. Historically, most of the past holders of such talent had reached the Unfolding Heaven 3rd realm at the least, and Harmonious Heaven was not a problem for the diligent.

The Duan heir's sword-like eyes narrowed, and a half smile widowed his face. Unconcerned, decisive. He had beaten Chao to an inch of his life a year ago. Never again would Chao allow such humiliation to fall upon him.

Before, Chao had been honestly impressed that Yung could offend a powerhouse such as the Flareful Empress so nonchalantly. But then again, the younger boy was banking on Su Nanya's favour. A man relying on a woman's authority. There was something plainly wrong about that, about such unmanly cowardice. It bothered him to the very core, and as the thought came, Duan Louheng fled his mind.

So much for not taking advantage of her. Does Brother Yung not see his hypocrisy? He dares to say that me nurturing Fairy Su's yin is improper, and yet he does the—

"A-Amaranthine Torch Dragon Physique, U-Unfolding Heaven! Fire, smoke, poison Unfolding Heaven grade Spirit qi triple affinities with poison major!"

The announcer shouted at the top of his lungs. His shocked face was cast upon the mirror artefact in the sky, and the venue burst into loud chaos as even Chao had to do a double take.

"Impossible!"

"Isn't that the same physique as the Flareful Empress?"

"What happens now? She left with such gusto."

“The Youjin Clan is blessed! Unfolding Heaven again, that is two Unfolding Heavens!”

Noise rose from the crowd of onlookers, from the long line of candidates, and from the amphitheatre with the sect and clan representatives discussing their next move with greed-filled souls.

The timid waitstaff Chao had seen many times working in the Dim Gold Hotel had her palms upon the testing sphere, which glowed with the colours of sparkling fire and toxic smoke.

The girl was confused, her head darting left and right like a bunny. Her legs shuddered, and sweat dripped down in buckets. But a broken smile coloured her face as she instinctively realised that she had done something extraordinary.

"No way…" Chao said, the words leaking involuntarily.

“Jealous cripple, manwhore of nine step-fathers. Go fuck your fox.” And Ziyou Ling raged again. Chao took in a deep breath. He knew he deserved the curses.

Xiu Jiujiu looked up at the sects, where the discussion had morphed into a large debate, then a shouting match. They did not even use transmission tokens.

"The Flareful Empress said she won't pick any candidate from the Westmoon Kingdom!" said the elder from Victorious Tide Island.

"And you want to offend her?" asked Han Xinglou from the Malignant Moon Sword Sect.

"Guahaha! I can't imagine the loss of face if that woman comes back. I say we wait and see. Hahaha!" laughed Uncle Gengxin from the Selenosilver Valley. “Let’s see her beg.”

Chao would guess that not every member of the Dawn Dragon Throne's affiliate sects had left. Some were definitely lurking in the crowd, giving their bosses updates.

For the second time that day, the tests came to a standstill.

Ziyou Yung reached over and whispered something in Su Nanya's ear. The vixen smiled, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons.

Chao's teeth clattered. He rued the fact that Ziyou Yung wouldn't take the test. Maybe then Fairy Su could realise who was truly superior.

"We claim that maiden. Come sit at our feet, oh lost rabbit," Su Nanya spoke, her voice drifting through the wind with the aroma of apples and grapes. The waitstaff yelped, then took a step back.

The chatter from the other sects died down. But no one dared to raise complaints despite the obvious avarice oozing from their being.

The announcer said something to Xiu Jiujiu, and the girl nodded. She wobbled her way to the amphitheatre and sat with the entourage of the fox yao.

"Wang Gangbao, come forward!" the announcer said, his voice echoing through the whole city.

The boy, perhaps in his late teens, walked with a confident gait. Did Xiu Jiujiu's bombastic success give him confidence? Everyone held their breath.

Chao felt the pressure mounting. His turn would be soon.

"Bone age 16. Hybrid Imperfect Heaven Physique. Mixed Imperfect Heaven affinity with water major," the announcer said, and the boy deflated like a balloon. The girl behind him got nervous too.

Hybrid physique meant that no particular bloodline from the boy's mixed ancestry stood out enough to eventually activate with yaunqi cultivation, not by easy means at least. The overwhelmingly vast majority of renyao had such mixed heritage. Through aeons of intermingling with other kinds of renyao, spirit beasts, and hominid chaosfiends, every ren was basically a cesspool of bloodlines, each vying for dominance and effectively cancelling the rest out.

Mixed affinity meant that the boy had Spirit qi affinities in more than three kinds of Dao principles, commonly called elements, whether complex or basic. Water major told that amongst all the affinities the boy had, his affinity with water was the relative highest. Affinities could be any Dao principle the Renyao’s spirit root was attuned to. Whether it was a natural element like fire and earth, a weapon, an action, or even an emotion.

Ren usually had one major affinity at least at the Imperfect Heaven grade, whereas Yao had one major bloodline active to give them their signature clan physique. It's why ren were the most well-versed in Spirit qi cultivation and Yao for Origin qi.

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No major sects invited the boy to at least participate in phase two. Wang Gangbao walked away with shoulders slumped, spice drifting out of his chef’s garb.

The next candidate was called, a girl named Ding Shi wearing another waitmaiden uniform similar to Xiu Jiujiu, and the crowd’s hopes were raised once more.

“Bone age 18. Hybrid Imperfect Heaven physique. Mixed Imperfect Heaven affinity with fire major.”

And then the hopes were dashed. The sect recruitments went on, and the line gradually moved forward.

“Bone age 12. Hybrid Imperfect Heaven physique. Mixed Imperfect Heaven affinity with spear major.”

“Bone age 23. Hybrid Imperfect Heaven physique. Mixed Imperfect Heaven affinity with fist major.”

“Bone age 15. Hybrid Imperfect Heaven physique. Mixed Imperfect Heaven affinity with leaf major.”

Most went back despondent. But the local organisations such as the gangs and the dojos would still try to recruit those with major affinities in line with their own cultivation techniques.

“Bone age 19. Hybrid Imperfect Heaven physique. Water and bone double affinity with water major.”

This person had a dual Spirit qi affinity, which was seen as at least better than people with triple or mixed affinities. She was called by a minor sect in the region that specialised in manipulating and refining fiend bones into artefacts.

“Bone age 24. Hybrid Imperfect Heaven physique. Fire and sand double affinity with sand major.”

And some, like this young man barely below the bone age threshold, was recruited by the Royal Westmoon Academy situated at the capital and would probably be nurtured as a retainer for the Xiyue clan.

“Bone age 9. Hybrid Imperfect Heaven physique. Metal, bludgeoning, and fury triple affinity with bludgeoning major.”

The luckiest ones, like this little boy with a grumpy face, had a workable affinity that aligned with one of the big five. He got an invitation from the Selenosilver Valley.

“Bone age 17. Vicious twilight monkey physique, Imperfect Heaven. Mixed Imperfect Heaven affinity, wood major.”

Very few ren had a physique; where they did, it was usually a common one with low potential. But it was better than nothing.

The girl with the Vicious Twilight Monkey physique went to the Malignant Moon Sword Sect after they won a bidding war against the Twilight Blood Palace. The commoners really did not have the same choice to choose as Youjin Chun.

But one would be foolish to nitpick on such details, as Brother Yung was doing, currently reprimanding the sects for skipping the process of giving the girl the actual freedom to choose. She still decided on the Malignant Moon Sword Sect, so Chao had to wonder what the point behind Brother Yung's strange actions was.

Any candidate invited by one of the Big Five, or Big Four in today's case, would be guaranteed a place in their sect. The sects won't give them up after all the hassle they were going through, sending representatives all over the Warring Twilight Region, bargaining with other powers and spending large swathes of spirit stones. Surely they would find some use for them?

But their performance during phases two and three would decide their stations, such as if they would study under the common outer sect or be picked by one of the specialised halls, or maybe earn the tutelage of a sect elder.

After a hundred-fifty odd people, only seven had gotten invitations from the Big Five. And about twenty were called by the other minor sects in the region. The discrepancy in talent between the clan scions who were prepared from within the womb to be cultivators and the mundane commoners was startling.

Finally, it was Chao’s turn.

He took a harried breath, stepping onto the pedestal. Now was the time, and there was no need to hesitate.

His long fingers touched the testing sphere.

A cold Qi rushed into his body, and he felt the pain of severed meridians flare up. The Qi went from his arms and then split in three, each strand going into each of the cracked dantians.

Chao kept his face steady, biting down the pain. For the first time in ten years, he felt the familiar feeling of his True qi stirring, and he was shocked, because none should have been left.

The qi released after a painful squelch, and the testing sphere… didn’t glow.

“Huh?” The announcer was confused. He looked at the reading on his jade slip.

“No physique, no affinity. That can’t be right.”

Chao released his death grip from the sphere. His worst fears had come true.

He heard a snicker from the amphitheatre and saw Duan Louheng sitting there with his impassive face. It was the elder Han Xinglou who had smirked.

"You have exceeded my expectations," Han Xinglou said, "Your talent in cultivation is beyond my understanding. Is it to my knowledge that the former Youjin clan heiress broke her promise to join our sect for you? This cripple?"

The Duan heir gave one last look, then turned to look at Youjin Chun with confusion in his eyes. Chun had broken her engagement to Chao for Duan Louheng, then broke her promise to the latter using Chao as an excuse.

They’re mocking me! Chao bit his lips so hard that blood flowed down.

“Test again,” Uncle Gengxin yelled, the worry in his voice apparent. “The sphere should show something.”

They repeated the procedure two more times.

“Strange.” Uncle Gengxin scratched his head.

Discontent voices were rising from the line behind, and the murmur from the crowd of onlookers tore at Chao's ears like needles. Especially Ziyou Ling's 'Serves you right, clown.' Did she really have to hate him so much? Well, yes, he had broken his promise.

But not like this. Were the heavens really so unfair?!?!

His breath quickened, and the stench of sweat assaulted his nostrils. There was something wrong. His innate vision was swimming as though the world was a mud pit, and his heart was about to stop its beat.

“I thought he had something, but we were duped.” He heard the voice of Youjin Hong, the fat bastard laughing through his nose.

"A-at least he can work as an alchemist." Ziyou Maque muttered; the disappointment in his voice was evident too.

"Do we know how he was crippled? If he had a bit of potential left, the testing sphere would tell us that." Rose the voice of another man from one of the sects.

"Your turn is over, Chao'er; go back." The announcer said with a complicated sigh. As a Youjin Clansman, he of course knew Chao's situation.

But Chao was frozen in the spot with a pale face. His ears buzzed, and his eyes were open wide, stretched so much as if his eyeballs were falling off. He took a shaky step back, then another.

T-The Flower Hound poison shouldn’t be that strong! Mother said I could recover my cultivation. S-She…

"Hurry up, boy. This is your lot in life, and now I've got my own fate to grasp. Stop wasting our time!" The candidate after Chao, a youth probably in his mid-twenties, said.

They’re mocking me! Chao screamed a silent cry. He wanted to run. Hide. He refused to believe he had no cultivation—

“Wait,” A melodious voice cut through the rising complaints, and all the noise went silent. Like bells upon a clear night sky, with crystal raindrops hitting against a copper vase. With the scent of grapes and desire, the voice allowed no disturbance. “You shall take this.”

Su Nanya raised her palm towards the announcer, and another testing sphere appeared, floating down like the sun. Gold, red, and with auras unbound.

A collective breath was taken, and the elder from the Victorious Tide Island whispered, “Harmonious Heaven grade artefact.”

The new sphere was set upon the pedestal as though dropped off by an immortal phoenix. It shimmered with the light of the firmaments, its illumination spread throughout the city by the mirror in the sky.

“Oh wicked man of Yang,” Su Nanya’s willowy voice commanded, “Touch the sphere. Let us see by what gall you dare desire the heavens, for our servant speaks of your unmatched talent. Shame him not. You have but one chance.”

Chao exhaled; his ears stopped buzzing, and cold shivers lined his spine. The world had gone out of focus except for that one golden maiden sitting in the sky. He could not understand what she said, but he knew she had given him another chance.

At this test. At cultivation and his revenge. And, at life!

There was no one in the world left. Only him, and her, and the golden sphere.

Chao placed his palms upon it, and a soft golden light entered his very being. The process started anew, until the qi released, this time with a comfortable whisper of affection so soft that Chao could not help but moan.

The sphere glowed with blood and fire. It burned, scorched as if the lifeblood of a living sun had been trapped within this small foxy sphere.

The announcer read the jade slip. He read it again. And again, forgetting to even announce Chao’s bone age. He took a step back, and the jade slip dropped from his hands.

“P-Physique, an u-unknown Yang-type assimilation bloodline, H-Harmonious Heaven! Yang, blood, and fire triple affinities with Yang major. A-All Harmonious Heaven!"