"Okay, so by now, you've all been cut down. We've gone from... however many we had first to seven. That means the trials will go from purely assessment-focused to a little more beneficial. This round is where it begins.

"This is one of the unique places in the kingdom. We call it the Cloud Court, and it is a remnant of the ancient empire that was razed to the ground, for whatever reason, and by whatever means. What's important to all of you is that if you pass this round, you'll come out significantly more capable than you came in. So, follow me, and I'll explain this place a little bit, no?"

The Absolute gestured, prompting Yi Qiang and the rest to follow him as he walked down the small white hill they were currently standing on. The marksman froze the image of the Cloud Court from his current vantage point in his mind.

The surroundings seemed to be solely the equivalent of plains, but where instead of grass on the ground, there were clouds. It stretched on beyond how far the eye could see, and a sprawling, open-air obstacle course was the only thing that occupied the area.

From the height he was at, Yi Qiang could see the state of the course. While still visibly functional, it was evident that the Cloud Court had seen better days. Unfortunately, he was unable to discern what exactly would be tested in the course. If it was pure agility, the marksman doubted it would qualify for the third round. No, it had to be an effect that the kingdom couldn't recreate.

While he was unable to make guesses on how the course would challenge its undertakers, Yi Qiang could still surmise a few things. Firstly, there was an array of nine identical courses. This hinted that the Cloud Court was either built so that nine people could participate at the same time or that there was some difference between the separate tracks. As to what that would be, it was impossible to guess.

I suppose I'll find out soon enough.

The Absolute quickly led them to sprawling gates, made of the same golden material that the rest of the course was. It contrasted nicely against the fluffy white landscape and created a dignified air.

This empire definitely had a few things going for it.

With a light, backhanded slap on the doors, they opened, grandly ushering in the Absolute and his entourage.

They entered a room with nine gates, each identical to the other.

"This should be a good time to explain everything.

"If you enter one of those gates, you will be led to another room. Here, you get to choose a difficulty from five. Brute, Layman, Expert, Artisan, and Attuned is what we've decided to call them, and each will lead you to a more challenging course, with harsher requirements and more unrealistic expectations. Though the first two names are a little... abrasive, be assured that even someone capable of passing the Brute course would rank rather high in terms of skill level in the royal army, and that's including the upper echelons. As for Layman, successfully passing that obstacle course would all but guarantee you a spot in the royal guard, or, in your positions, a position as one of the kingdom's greatest young geniuses.

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"The best part of all is that it's entirely fair. The part we've consistently been incapable of replicating is the Cloud Court's mystical ability to suppress the body's fitness. That is, anyone who enters, no matter how powerful, will be pushed down to the same level of physical capability. Hence, the obstacle course is a measure of skill and nothing else.

"To pass the third round, all you have to do is get through the obstacle course. It doesn't matter which difficulty, but that you get through it. Do keep in mind, though, that the course will train you as you go through it. If you learn quickly enough, you could pass pretty easily. However, the higher the difficulty, the stronger you will come out. So that's the really fun part - are you going to play it safe, or risk it all for the sake of self-improvement?

"Oh, one last thing before I let you all go play. The last person who passed the Artisan test was my grandmaster and the man renowned for being the greatest in the kingdom before he retired - Kubre Sol. As for the Attuned test... it's never been done, and we're pretty confident it never will be. Just saying. Now, shoo!"

The Absolute flicked his wrist, and everyone was sent flying into a door of their own by an invisible force, Yi Qiang included.

As he passed through one of the gates, darkness briefly surrounded him before it gave way to brilliant light, illuminating his surroundings.

  The light took a moment to fade before a magnificent chamber appeared before Yi Qiang's eyes, covered with golden inscriptions with sacred-looking marble walls, elegantly furnished.

  But by far, the main attraction in the large chamber was the five palm prints directly across from the marksman. They looked the same except for the large, sparkling gems above each of them.

  Above the first was a deep, earthy brown jewel, not particularly eye-catching but reassuring in its simplicity.

  Above the second was an emerald gemstone, perfectly circular, sparkling with what seemed like all the colors of the forest.

  Above the third was a brilliant blue jewel, tear-shaped and shining with pure blue light, gentle and overwhelming at the same time.

  Above the fourth was a bright white gem, shaped like a diamond and emanating a soft white light that seemed a manifestation of divinity.

  Above the fifth was a golden scale, oppressive, tyrannical, an existence of pure power. When Yi Qiang's eyes fell upon it, he was almost knocked off his feet.

  The color is identical to Shenyu's scales.

  Is that... the remnant of another Empyrean dragon? 

  In the scale, Yi Qiang could all but see the spirit of its owner. Unyielding and majestic, the Empyrean dragon ruled with its might.

 The marksman's very blood resonated with it, and his link with Shenyu trembled even more. As if overcome by a spell, the marksman walked toward the handprint below the scale. In his eyes, it seemed to morph from the hand of a human into that of a dragon, with incomparably tough scales and deadly-sharp talons.

  His body and his mind were not under his control as Yi Qiang's arm reached up to place its hand into the palm print, a soft golden glow emanating from it the same color as the scale.

  The moment after Yi Qiang disappeared, the scale trembled slightly before returning to its previous state.