Invincible Beyond Heavens: Cultivating With A Broken EXP System - Chapter 145: Retesting Aptitude!

Chapter 145: Retesting Aptitude!

Heaven Mandate Peak, Heaven Mandate Hall.

Within the vast and solemn hall, only two figures were present. One sat calmly at the head seat, his bearing dignified and composed. The other stood below with respectful posture.

They were none other than Li Yun and the Heaven Mandate Peak Head.

The Heaven Mandate Peak Head spoke in an even tone.

“Li Yun, as we agreed, since you have chosen to join Heaven Mandate Peak, I will grant you fifty times the cultivation resources of an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple. You will have unrestricted access to the martial arts of Heaven Mandate Peak, and I will personally guide your cultivation. I will not go back on my word.”

As his voice faded, he flicked his sleeve lightly. A storage pouch flew through the air and landed steadily in Li Yun’s hands.

“The resources I promised are inside that pouch. There is also a Heaven Mandate Token within it. That token represents my authority. With it, you may freely enter the Martial Arts Pavilion of Heaven Mandate Peak.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“As for personally guiding your cultivation, I have certain matters to attend to over the next two days. Come find me in five days.”

“Thank you, First Seat.” Li Yun accepted the storage pouch and cupped his hands respectfully in gratitude.

After a brief hesitation, he lifted his head and looked at the Heaven Mandate Peak Head with confusion in his eyes.

“First Seat, may I ask something?”

“Speak freely,” the Heaven Mandate Peak Head replied.

Li Yun took a steady breath.

“I do not understand. Although I hold the title of New Talent King for the one hundred and ninety seventh batch of Martial Ascension Gate, my Aptitude has been measured as one-star. In the eyes of others, I am nothing more than a waste. Why would you still go to such lengths to recruit me into Heaven Mandate Peak? It does not seem logical.”

A subtle smile appeared at the corner of the Heaven Mandate Peak Head’s lips.

“That is because,” he said slowly, “I have already seen through you.”

“You saw through me?” Li Yun’s expression stiffened for a moment. He forced a faint smile and bowed slightly.

“First Seat, please forgive this disciple’s ignorance. I do not understand what you mean.”

The Heaven Mandate Peak Head looked at him calmly, a trace of amusement in his eyes.

“Others may not have noticed what you did during the Aptitude test, but it did not escape my sight. I cultivate a sixth tier secret art known as Heavenly Spirit Divine Eyes. With this technique, I can perceive subtle changes that others cannot. When the Aptitude Measuring Orb sent that Qi flow into your body, I saw clearly what occurred.”

His gaze sharpened slightly.

“That stream of Qi did not return intact. It was devoured.”

Li Yun paused for a brief moment before nodding slowly.

“So that is the reason.”

Everything suddenly made sense.

No wonder the Heaven Mandate Peak Head had insisted on recruiting him even after the Aptitude test displayed only one star. It turned out the Head had witnessed the abnormality and understood that the result did not reflect Li Yun’s true potential.

A quiet breath escaped Li Yun’s lips. The tension he had carried since the test finally eased.

If the Heaven Mandate Peak Head had truly believed him to possess only one-star Aptitude, yet still offered such extraordinary resources, Li Yun would have been wary. He would have suspected hidden motives. Now that the reason was clear, the unease in his heart dissipated.

The Heaven Mandate Peak Head studied him with curiosity.

“Even with my cultivation, I cannot interfere with the Qi flow of the Aptitude Measuring Orb. That stream is specially refined for testing a martial artist’s potential. Yet once it entered your body, it was consumed. Tell me, what exactly happened?”

Li Yun hesitated.

This matter involved his Primal Chaos Body and the existence of chaos qi within him rather than ordinary qi. That was one of his greatest secrets. He could not casually reveal it to anyone.

At the same time, standing before someone of the Heaven Mandate Peak Head’s cultivation level, fabricating a lie would be extremely risky. If the Head used his Heavenly Spirit Divine Eyes again, any falsehood might be exposed instantly.

For a brief moment, Li Yun found himself caught in a dilemma, unsure how to respond.

“Hehe. If this concerns something personal and you find it inconvenient to explain, then there is no need to speak of it. I was merely curious. It is not something I must know.”

The Heaven Mandate Peak Head’s gaze was sharp and perceptive. He had already sensed Li Yun’s hesitation and chose not to press further.

Every cultivator carries secrets of their own. Some matters cannot be shared lightly, and there is no reason to force them into the open. If he were to compel Li Yun to reveal something he wished to conceal, it might only create distance between them. The Heaven Mandate Peak had finally secured a promising disciple. There was no need to risk driving him away over mere curiosity.

In truth, the Head’s interest in the devoured Qi flow from the Aptitude Measuring Orb was just that, curiosity. He did not require the answer.

Hearing that the matter would not be pursued, Li Yun felt the tension ease from his chest. He cupped his hands respectfully.

“Thank you, Head.”

“There is no need for such formality.”

The Heaven Mandate Peak Head waved his hand dismissively before continuing in a calm voice.

“Although I can choose not to inquire about how you devoured that Qi flow, I must know your true Aptitude. Li Yun, would you mind undergoing the test again?”

“I do not mind.”

Li Yun shook his head. A faint glimmer of anticipation appeared in his eyes. He himself wished to know the truth. What level of Aptitude did he truly possess?

“Very well. Then we shall test it again.”

The Heaven Mandate Peak Head raised his hand. A beam of light shot from his sleeve and traced a brilliant arc through the air before stopping in front of Li Yun. As the light faded, a crystal clear orb appeared, radiating a subtle and mysterious glow. It floated gently before him, rising and falling as though alive.

“Whew.”

Li Yun let out a slow breath and steadied his mind before placing his palm firmly against the surface of the Aptitude Measuring Orb.

A soft clatter echoed.

The orb trembled, and a familiar cool stream of Qi flowed into his body through his palm.

The moment that Qi entered, the mass of chaos qi within Li Yun’s dantian stirred violently. It reacted as though it had sensed prey, surging restlessly and attempting to swallow the foreign energy. The instinct to devour was immediate and fierce.

Fortunately, Li Yun had already anticipated this reaction. Drawing upon his previous experience during the public test, he focused his will and suppressed the chaos qi before it could erupt. Under his firm control, it quieted reluctantly and remained contained.

With no interference from the chaos qi, the test proceeded smoothly.

Seven or eight breaths passed in silence. The cool stream of Qi that had circulated through Li Yun’s meridians gradually withdrew and returned to the Aptitude Measuring Orb through his palm.

Then everything changed.

A deep rumble filled the hall.

The orb began to vibrate violently. Countless intricate runes surfaced across its once smooth exterior, glowing and weaving together in rapid succession. Suddenly, with a thunderous burst, a dazzling beam of thick, radiant light shot upward from within the orb and pierced toward the ceiling.

The entire hall was illuminated.