Prophecy Of The Stars

16. THE FOURTH AND FINAL TEST

The fourth test began on the fourth day.

In the first part of the test, their intelligence and wisdom would be tested.

Scrolls containing series of questions, about cultivation and other disciplines were given to them. The contestants needed to write down their answers in a paper, arranged for them, beforehand.

In the second part of the test, they would be arranged into teams and a task would be issued. This tested the unity and trust between the teammates.

For Wan Huang, the task given to her,  was to eliminate a three headed boar. It was a demonic beast at Earth level 2.

The cultivation level and strength of  beasts differed from that of humans. While the levels of cultivation at every stage was divided into only three levels for beasts, the strength at each level was equal to three levels combined in humans.

Just like now, an earth stage level 2 demonic beast's strength would be the same as of a cultivator at profound earth stage level 6.

Battling such a powerful beast alone, was  impossible, but if their strengths are combined, they might have a chance to take down the beast.

In the end, not only their unity and trust were tested, but also their quick response, wits, skills and strength.

Wan Huang, was somehow mysteriously transported to a place, where she met up with her teammates.

Their team of four were comprised of three girls and one boy.A shy introverted girl named Ren Weilin, Wan Huang, Wan Fang and the boy Yun Shan.

Wan Huang was a bit surprised to see Wan Fang participating in the selection test and being in the same team with her. Although both of them didn't have much interaction, as Wan Fang left the manor years ago. Wan Huang had a good impression of her.

Wan Fang and her mother never harmed Wan Huang and her mother, and also helped them sometimes secretly, whenever they were bullied at the manor. Later, Wan Fang left home after she was accepted as an apprentice, by an anonymous master and Wan Huang never saw her again for eight years until now.

Four of them greeted each other and exchanged their names. Before they could talk any further they heard a squalling sound.

Turning around, they saw a wild, three headed boar. It had a solid body, three pairs of angry red eyes and  two canines projected out as hard tusks from each head.

On seeing them, it felt threatened and rushed out at great speed towards them, kicking up mud. Startled by its speed and aggressive behaviour, four of them blanked out for a second before collecting themselves.

They wanted to spread out and trap the beast in the middle, but as if, it understood their intentions, the beast didn't give them a chance to regroup, instead attacked them fiercely.

Four of them thus continued to remain in a passive state in the attack. They couldn't inflict any harm on the beast due to its hard body and also couldn't figure out its weak point.

Wounded, tired, and desperate they continued attacking. Seeing their pitiful condition, xiufeng reveled the beast's weak point to Wan Huang who then relayed it to her teammates.

Getting hold of the vital information, they changed their battle tactics. Instead of attacking it head on, the three girls distracted it, while Yun Shan took this opportunity to cut through the boars underbelly.

Panicked and furious, the boar charged towards Yun shan. Wan Huang, Wan Fang, and Ren Weilin attacked it together with their maximum strength.

Being weakened by the injury, they easily killed the boar and took out its demonic beast core.

The battle came to an end with the team's victory.

They took out the spiritual QI recovering pills and the wound healing creams given to them before the test began. Applying it, they found a place to rest and recuperate.

After resting for a while they regained their energy. 

The tolling of the bell announced the start of the final test and a door appeared before them, opening which they entered the venue for the final test.

Each team entered the hall in the order of their win. Twenty teams participated in the fourth test, out of which only eighteen teams passed.

Wan Huang's team finished third in the fourth round. When they entered the hall they saw the first two teams standing there.

Wan Huang saw Wan Chao and Wan Chun among the team that qualified first.  It was not much of a surprise for her to see the siblings qualified in the test as she knew both of them were talented.

The fourth team entered next and Wan Bei was present with them.

Looking at the first three teams, she saw Wan Chao and Wan Chun in the first team and Wan Fang in the third team. Even though she put on a calm face, the jealousy in her eyes were as clear as a day.

Chu Tian Yin entered the hall with the fifth team. Soon, all eighteen teams convened in the hall.

One of the  master from the supervising group came to preside over the fifth test with something in his hands.

It was the elven crystal mirror that gauged the aptitude core of cultivators. It had 8 pillars surrounding it, that reflected the cultivation stages and each pillars had ten segments that showed their cultivation stage level.

He beckoned the first team to take the final test.

Wan Chao went first. Placing his hand over the crystal mirror and injecting his spiritual QI, the ball shone in blue colour which filled the first two pillars climbing upto the eighth segment of the second pillar.

This indicated he had a blue ranked aptitude core and his cultivation was at profound EARTH stage level 8.

Wan Chun followed next. She also had a blue ranked aptitude core with cultivation at profound EARTH stage level 6. The other two teammates had the same result as her.

The second team consisted of members who had blue ranked aptitude core and cultivation at profound EARTH stage level 6.

In the third team, Yun Shan went first with green ranked aptitude core and cultivation at profound EARTH stage level 5. Wan Huang had the same result, while Wan Fang and Ren Weilin had green ranked aptitude core with cultivation at profound EARTH stage level 4.

Completing as the fourth team, Wan Bei strutted forwards. Her talent made everyone gasp in astonishment. She had a cyan ranked aptitude core with cultivation at profound EARTH stage level 5.

Everyone started seeing her as a prodigy with worshipping eyes. Her other teammates had blue ranked aptitude and cultivation at profound EARTH stage level 6 and 7.

Chu Tianyin was in the fifth team. He had blue aptitude core and profound EARTH stage level 7 in cultivation.

All in all, there were thirty-four blue ranked aptitude core cultivators, thirty-seven green ranked aptitude core cultivators and one cyan ranked aptitude core cultivator in this year's selection.

Wan Bei was initially jealous about Wan Fang, Wan Chao and Wan Chun passing through the test, and entering the Celestial Jade Sect. But now she scorned at them for their lower ranked aptitude cores.