My Professions Have Too Much Personality - Chapter 334 - 200: Inside the Cauldron 2
The red-haired phantom shook his head. “I am not Venerable Red Sun, only a Spirit Fragment. My consciousness is incomplete, so I just act according to my original body’s last wishes. I cannot interfere too much.”
’A Spirit Fragment… so it’s basically a semi-AI,’ Su Chen realized.
Wan Chen then asked, “Can only one person pass this trial?”
“That is not the case,” the phantom explained. “As long as you are qualified, you will have the chance to face the Spiritual directly.”
He then asked, “Are there any other questions?”
Everyone shook their heads, and only then did he speak. “In professional advancement and development, Talent is the first and foremost priority.”
The moment he finished speaking, everyone felt the space around them shift. They found themselves rearranged from a horizontal line into a single file, and standing at the very front was none other than Ni Bin.
’His Talent is higher than mine?’
Wan Chen stared in astonishment at Ni Bin’s burly back.
’I should have expected this. Since Ni Chuan sent his son, the man’s Talent was bound to be high… but I never imagined it would be Dual Profound Purple.’
’A Talent like that would be the center of attention even in the Holy Hall.’
’And I’ve never even heard his name. The Royal Court’s hidden reserves run deep indeed.’
The excited expression on Lin Yue’s face had long since faded. She suddenly realized her chances of becoming the chosen one were dwindling.
’Dual Profound Purple…’ Jealousy flared in Lan Hao’s heart. He could accept the Morning Star Tier Spiritual entity being taken by the Royal Court, but he couldn’t stand seeing someone become the chosen one right before his eyes, be it Wan Chen or this Ni Bin.
’Not so simple…’ Su Chen withdrew his gaze from Ni Bin, turning to glance at Ming Lin behind him. One was last, the other second to last. No one was paying them any attention.
……
“So that’s how it is…” Qing Cang watched the giant screen from the outside, his tone tinged with astonishment as the voice came through.
’Uncle Red Sun’s Spirit Fragment can actually influence a Morning Star Tier Spiritual entity? I’ve never heard of such a method before.’
’Then again,’ he thought, ’Uncle Red Sun’s situation was unique. It’s rare for a normal Morning Star Tier to leave behind a Spirit Fragment upon death.’
’Still, the degree of influence can’t be that high. If it could truly decide at will, its faction wouldn’t need to hold a grand selection every time a Morning Star Tier perishes.’
’But even if it’s not much, that little bit of influence could be the difference between being acknowledged and being chosen.’
And when the phantom’s declaration of “Talent is the first and foremost priority” faded, Qing Cang saw Ni Bin standing at the head of the line. His expression changed dramatically. He looked directly at Ni Chuan and said in a heavy voice, “You’ve hidden him well.”
“It’s just a blessing from the Ni Family’s ancestors,” Ni Chuan said with a wave of his hand, though he was inwardly wondering how much of the Spirit Fragment’s words could be trusted. ’Will it really not play dirty?’
A flicker of worry crossed Qing Cang’s eyes. ’So Ni Bin actually has a Dual Profound Purple Talent.’
’If he really becomes the chosen one, should I move to eliminate him?’
He hesitated. If he made a move, the Royal Court would surely not let the matter rest, and it could even shatter the current unspoken peace.
’But if I don’t, am I supposed to just watch Ni Bin walk away unchallenged?’
’There’s still a chance…’ He silently retracted his gaze, hoping Wan Chen could overcome the slight difference in their Talent.
But while he was lost in his deep concerns, he failed to notice the peculiar glances exchanged between Chong Jingtian and Xia Hanshi.
“This situation is a little unexpected,” Chong Jingtian secretly communicated to Xia Hanshi, unable to suppress the hope in his heart. “With the Ancient King present, if Su Chen really displays his extraordinary affinity for the Great Venerable Red Flame Thunder Resonator, he might just have a meteoric rise.”
’If it were just Qing Cang, I’d be nervous. But the Ancient King is different. He’s the supreme Commander of an entire power.’
’A person of his status shouldn’t be the type to kill Su Chen just because his Talent is too low, simply to free up the position of the chosen one.’
’Besides, with the Ancient King aware of him, Su Chen’s safety should be much more secure. Others would have to be more considerate.’
“Su Chen will probably want to take the gamble,” Xia Hanshi replied, his expression worried and not at all optimistic. “But I’m afraid this trial won’t be easy to pass.”
…
Inside the cauldron, Ni Bin was already growing impatient. “Venerable, what’s next?”
“After Talent, comes the Heart,” the Red Sun phantom said unhurriedly. “Between those of equal Talent, if you slacken by one measure, you become one measure weaker than your opponent. Slacken by two, and you become ten times weaker.”
’Heart?’
Everyone grew pensive. ’Talent is easy enough to test, but how can you verify one’s Heart in such a short time?’
“The Heart is difficult to measure. Before dying, my original body had to leave behind a few special methods.” The Red Sun phantom paused, seeing the inquisitive looks on their faces.
He stretched out a hand, and six inky black streams shot out to hover before him. Faint, desperate wails could be heard from within them, and they looked utterly sinister.
“Deceitful God’s Power?” Ni Bin looked horrified and couldn’t help but stumble back a few steps.
Wan Chen swallowed hard, and Lan Hao’s face turned deathly pale.
’This Venerable Red Sun… how vicious,’ Su Chen thought, his brow twitching. The black streams felt familiar, very much like Black Tuo’s Power.
’Deceitful God’s Power is inherently corrosive to the mind, and Black Tuo in particular loves to bewitch people and lure them into depravity.’
’The few human traitors I’ve encountered—from Southwind and Ying Feng to the Pang Family and Wei Yinsuo—were basically all Black Tuo’s handiwork.’
’With these two effects combined, the corrosive power is magnified. Using this stuff to test one’s Heart is certainly an effective method.’
’If you can endure it, the fortitude of your Heart would be beyond question.’
’But at the same time, the danger is immense. If you can’t endure it and become one of the Deceitful God’s Followers, it’s an immediate death sentence.’
“Wait…” Ni Bin shouted hastily. ’Why are we suddenly risking our lives?’
However, the Red Sun phantom gave him no chance to speak. An inky stream had already shot out, eagerly wrapping around Ni Bin and sinking into his body.
His eyes rolled back, and he instantly collapsed, his face contorted in agony as cold sweat poured down.
“Venerable… I… I…” Wan Chen’s heart pounded with terror. Before he could get another word out, the black smoke rushed at him, pouring in through his eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth.
“Aargh!” he shrieked, and began to writhe on the ground.
Lin Yue was next, followed by Lan Hao, who was enveloped before he could even utter a word of surrender.
Su Chen, in contrast, seemed perfectly calm. He stared intently at the black smoke rushing toward him. The moment it made contact, it sank into his body, and a panel popped up—
[External power invasion detected. Tamed. Acquired one portion of Mid-tier Black Tuo Power.]
’Just as I thought. My system just swallowed it whole. And it’s even Middle-tier Divine Power… He’s truly ruthless,’ Su Chen grumbled inwardly. He smoothly lay down, putting on a pained and contorted expression.
After Ming Lin collapsed with a pained expression, chaos erupted among the spectators outside.
The upper echelons of the four cities looked at each other in dismay. This was too vicious. Using Deceitful God’s Power to test one’s Heart… could anyone really withstand that?
’How could it come to this…’ Chong Jingtian looked up, his heart tightening with both concern for Su Chen and regret for sending Ming Lin in.
He didn’t even dare to turn and face You Shan, who was staring at him with a cold, grim expression.
Only Xia Hanshi’s expression looked strange for an instant, but it quickly settled into one of worry.
Ni Chuan’s face was thunderous as he cursed, “Is that Red Sun out of his mind? Using Deceitful God’s Power to test people’s Heart? This is murder!”
Qing Cang was also overcome with anxiety. He didn’t dare to imagine how he would explain it back home if Wan Chen and the other two became Deceitful God’s Followers.
But hearing Ni Chuan’s outburst, he still retorted coldly, “You sent your own son in. No one forced you. The process is fair and impartial, and it isn’t specifically targeting him.”
“You son of a…” Ni Chuan seethed, grinding his teeth. “Who could possibly pass a test of Heart like this? If Ni Bin really dies in there, this won’t be over until one of us is dead!”
Qing Cang ignored him, looking up at the cauldron and asking, “Master, isn’t using Deceitful God’s Power to test their Heart a bit too… severe?”
“And for it to corrupt Wan Chen and the others, it must be Middle-tier Divine Power. How resilient must one’s Heart be to withstand that?”
Low-tier Deceitful God Power wouldn’t be enough to corrupt them, and the corrosive power of a Middle-tier force can affect even those at Tier Six.
“My junior brother always had his own way of doing things,” the Ancient King’s calm and placid voice drifted over. “However, he also left countermeasures in place. It won’t kill them. The goal isn’t to endure it completely, but to see how long they can last… hmm?”
Before he could finish, the Ancient King’s voice faltered, a hint of surprise in his tone, as if he had just noticed something.
At that very moment, under the shocked and bewildered gazes of the crowd,
the figure of Su Chen on the giant screen began to stir. He staggered to his feet, rubbing his temples with the look of someone who had just survived a terrible ordeal.
