Supreme Taming Authority-Chapter 59: Chaos Spirit Root of Ancient Mystery

Then a young woman stepped up to a station. She placed her hand on the sphere, and it blazed with brilliant red light.

"Third grade fire element spirit root!" the examiner called out. "Excellent!"

Excited murmurs spread through the crowd. Third grade was rare, indicating genuine talent.

The testing continued. Most applicants fell between ninth and fifth grade. Occasionally someone would achieve fourth or third grade, drawing attention and praise.

Then Xian Tiandi heard a familiar name called.

"Number forty-seven, Xian Tiandi. Step forward."

He walked calmly to his assigned station. The examiner there was a middle-aged woman with kind eyes. She gestured to the Spirit Measuring Stone.

"Place your hand on the sphere," she instructed. "Relax and let your spiritual energy flow naturally."

Xian Tiandi placed his palm flat against the cool crystal surface. He didn’t restrict his spiritual energy, allowing it to flow freely into the testing array.

The sphere exploded with light.

Not just one color, but a swirling vortex of every element. Fire. Water. Earth. Wind. Lightning. Light. Darkness. All merged together in a chaotic dance that seemed to pulse with infinite potential.

The formation arrays around the base flared so brightly that several people had to shield their eyes.

Numbers appeared above the sphere, glowing with intense radiance.

The examiner’s eyes went wide with shock. She read the results twice, then a third time, as if unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Peak heaven ranked spirit root!" she shouted, her voice cracking slightly. "Chaos element affinity!"

The entire training ground went silent.

Every head turned toward Xian Tiandi’s station. Even the Golden Core examiners on the platform stood up, their spiritual senses focusing on him with laser intensity.

Peak heaven ranked was legendary. There were perhaps a handful of such cultivators in the entire Red Leaf Kingdom. And chaos element affinity was something from ancient records, not modern cultivation, many don’t even believe it exists!

Of course, ’This serves my purpose more easily,’ Xian Tiandi had a plan in mind, a secret one.

Elder Zhang himself descended from the platform, moving with shocking speed. He appeared beside Xian Tiandi’s testing station and examined the readings personally.

"Chaos element," he muttered. "I’ve never seen this in all my years of conducting trials. The legends speak of cultivators with this affinity reaching unimaginable heights."

He looked at Xian Tiandi with new eyes. "What’s your name, boy?"

"Xian Tiandi," he replied calmly, as if causing this commotion was perfectly normal.

"You’re Yu’er’s brother," Elder Zhang said, recognition dawning. "The one who saved her at the Crimson Ruins."

"I am," Xian Tiandi confirmed.

Elder Zhang nodded slowly. "The sect leader will want to see your results personally. This changes everything."

The testing continued, but the atmosphere had completely shifted. Everyone kept glancing at Xian Tiandi, whispering about the unprecedented talent that had just been revealed.

Several more applicants were tested. None came close to Xian Tiandi’s results, though a few managed respectable showings with second or first grade spirit roots.

Then Ying Yue’s number was called.

"Number fifty-one, Ying Yue. Step forward."

Ying Yue approached her testing station with visible nervousness. She placed her hand on the Spirit Measuring Stone, and Xian Tiandi watched carefully.

The sphere lit up with dual colors. Brilliant red fire intertwined with vibrant green wood. The intensity was incredible, nearly as bright as Xian Tiandi’s display though not quite as overwhelming.

The examiner at her station studied the readings with growing amazement.

"Dual element affinity!" he announced. "Mid-level heaven ranked spirit roots in both fire and wood!"

More gasps rippled through the crowd. Dual element heaven ranked spirit roots were extraordinarily rare. And the combination of fire and wood was perfect for alchemy, one of the most valuable auxiliary cultivation paths.

Elder Zhang turned his attention to Ying Yue as well. "Another exceptional talent. You’re from the Xian Clan as well?"

"Yes, Elder," Ying Yue said respectfully.

"The Xian Clan is blessed this generation," Elder Zhang muttered. He made notes on a jade slip, clearly marking both Xian Tiandi and Ying Yue as priority recruits.

The testing continued. More applicants showed their talents, but after Xian Tiandi and Ying Yue’s displays, everything else seemed ordinary by comparison.

Finally, Xian Long’s number was called.

"Number sixty-three, Xian Long. Step forward."

Xian Long approached his testing station. Xian Tiandi could see the nervousness in his younger brother’s movements. The pressure of following such exceptional results was clearly weighing on him.

Xian Long placed his hand on the sphere. It glowed with bright yellow light, the color of lightning element.

The examiner read the results. "Peak first grade spirit root, wind-lightning dual elements. Excellent aptitude!"

Xian Long let out a breath he’d been holding. Peak first grade was very impressive in this era.

While it couldn’t compare to heaven ranked spirit roots, it was more than sufficient to become an Outer Court Disciple and easily advance further with hard work.

The remaining applicants were tested. None produced results that compared to the highlights of the day. When the last applicant finished, Elder Zhang returned to the platform.

"The talent assessment is complete," he announced. "All applicants have been evaluated. Results will be factored into your final acceptance decisions."

He consulted the jade slip in his hand. "However, I will announce several exceptional performances. Xian Tiandi, peak heaven ranked chaos element spirit root. Ying Yue, dual element mid-level heaven ranked fire and wood spirit roots. Chen Wei, first grade metal element spirit root. Liu Yan, first grade water element spirit root."

The named applicants stood a bit straighter, pride evident on their faces despite their attempts to remain humble.

"These applicants have demonstrated extraordinary talent," Elder Zhang continued. "They are already guaranteed acceptance into the sect, barring catastrophic failure in the remaining trials. For everyone else, you must perform well in combat evaluation and character judgment to earn your place."

He gestured toward a different section of the compound. "All applicants will now proceed to the western training grounds for combat evaluation. You have one hour to rest and prepare. Use it wisely."

*Gong!*

The bell rang again, signaling the end of the talent assessment phase.

The crowd began dispersing toward the rest areas. Xian Tiandi, Xian Long, and Ying Yue moved together, away from the curious stares and whispered conversations that followed them.

"Big Brother," Xian Long said quietly. "That was incredible. Peak heaven ranked. I didn’t even know that was possible."

"You did well too," Xian Tiandi said. "Peak first grade shows excellent potential."

Ying Yue was still processing her own results. "Mid-level heaven ranked. Dual elements. I never imagined I had such talent."

"You always had it," Xian Tiandi said. "You just needed the opportunity to reveal it."

He had sensed it long ago but never told her. He thought it’ll be more interesting for her to find out this way.

They found a quiet spot to rest. Elder Feng and the other Xian Clan members found them there, all wearing expressions of amazement and pride.

"Peak heaven ranked," Elder Feng said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Young Master, you continue to exceed all expectations. The Patriarch will be overjoyed when he hears this news."

"And Miss Ying Yue," Steward Han added. "Your talent is remarkable as well. The clan is blessed to have cultivators of such caliber."

They talked quietly about the results and what to expect in the combat evaluation. But Xian Tiandi’s mind was already moving ahead, planning for the next phase.

The talent assessment had revealed their potential. Now they needed to demonstrate the strength to match it.

The trials were only beginning.