Chapter 91 - 89: Black Wizard and Elemental Storm

Chapter 91: Chapter 89: Black Wizard and Elemental Storm

The branch was located on a medium-sized Floating Island in the Sky Layer of the Truth Continent. The architecture featured a typical Elemental Storm style.

Its silver-white metallic framework was inlaid with Four-color Crystal Stones in red, blue, yellow, and cyan, representing the four Basic Elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. A giant Rune Array hovered over the dome. The Array Pattern rotated slowly, changing color with every revolution.

At this moment, many people were already standing at the entrance, gathering in twos and threes and speaking in hushed voices. Judging from the insignias on their chests, they were likely from various laboratories. Their ages ranged from fifteen or sixteen to their thirties or forties. Most were First or Second Level Apprentices, with an occasional Third Level Apprentice scattered among them.

Chen Shang walked up to the front desk and handed over his Identity Card. The staff member verified it and handed him a Crystal Plate.

"The written test is in the second-floor hall, and the practical test is on the third floor. You must take the written test first and pass before proceeding to the practical. Good luck."

The questions on the written test were simpler than he had anticipated. Mainly because they were straightforward—there were no trick questions or obscure topics. It was all about the basic theory of Elemental Witchcraft. For example, the calculation method for Element frequency, resonance conditions between different Elements, and the Energy loss formula for Element compression...

During his research on the Water-Fire Model and the Samadhi True Flame, Chen Shang had already mastered this knowledge thoroughly. He answered the questions quickly, turning in his paper in less than an hour. The system graded it on the spot: 93 points. The passing mark was 60, and anyone above that threshold could advance to the practical phase.

Chen Shang then headed up to the third floor. The third floor was an open-concept hall, much larger than the second floor—likely the result of some Spatial Witchcraft. In the center of the hall were numerous massive Rune arenas. Surrounding each arena stood four Crystal Stone pillars, corresponding to the four Elements. The surfaces of the arenas were completely carved with protective Runes, capable of withstanding the full-force attacks of a Third Level Apprentice. Around the arenas were spectator seats, occupied by over a dozen examiners and staff members clad in Elemental Storm robes.

The remaining candidates sat on the other side, waiting for their numbers to be called. A projection lit up at the edge of the arena, displaying the order for the practical test. Chen Shang was currently seventh in line. The candidates ahead of him stepped onto the stage one after another, showcasing a wide variety of skills. Witchcraft, Potions, Alchemy, Creation... Anything that utilized elemental techniques counted. After each candidate finished their demonstration, the examiners would record their scores on their Crystal Plates.

When it was Chen Shang’s turn, he stood up from his seat and walked toward the arena.

"Master, I choose to demonstrate Witchcraft," Chen Shang reported to the examiner.

The examiner didn’t speak, simply nodding to indicate he could begin.

Standing on the stage, he didn’t rush to act. Instead, he closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his Second Magic Spring. The faint golden halo on the surface of the spring was slightly brighter than it had been a few days ago. The frequency of the Samadhi True Flame pulsed clearly in his perception, stable and fully under his control.

The next moment, he opened his eyes and extended a hand, curling his fingers into a loose grip. The faint golden halo on the surface of the Second Magic Spring gave a violent jolt. The Samadhi True Flame was drawn out from the depths of the spring, surging along his meridians toward his palm. A cluster of pale golden Flame sprang from his loosely clenched palm. It was only the size of a fist, its surface continuously churning with scorching ripples.

He didn’t stop. His Spiritual Power transformed into an invisible giant hand, compressing the Flame inward. The Flame emitted a low hum, roaring like an unyielding beast. The temperature skyrocketed, but the surface of the Samadhi True Flame conversely grew calm. Chen Shang continued to compress it. The pale gold shifted to a bright gold, and the volume of the Flame shrank from the size of a fist to an egg, and then to a walnut...

By the time the Flame had shrunk to the size of a fingernail, the protective Rune Array on the arena began flashing frantically. Streaks of Blue light patterns spread from the edge of the arena toward the center, reinforcing the stability of the protective Space.

Someone in the examiners’ section stood up.

The bright golden speck of light hovered above Chen Shang’s fingertip, no longer flickering. It seemed completely still, emitting not a trace of heat nor a wisp of smoke, as silent as a star frozen in a vacuum. However, the Space around it was slightly distorted. This wasn’t merely caused by heatwaves; rather, its mass was too concentrated.

Chen Shang raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the examiners’ section. A faint halo glowed around the edges of his pupils, almost imperceptible against the reflection of the dark golden Flame. In the state of the Eye of True Sight, his control over the Element had escalated to another level.

The next moment, he pushed the speck of light toward the testing target. The speck hovered just above the target’s surface for a fraction of a second. It didn’t explode. Instead, it descended slowly, like a feather alighting on the surface of a lake. The moment it touched the target, a PFFT could be heard across the entire arena. Then, a finger-thick circular hole appeared on the target. Like a hot knife slicing through butter, the edges were as smooth as a mirror, without a single scorch mark.

Ultimately, the Flame pierced straight through the target. Through the hole, one could see the Rune Circuit still operating at the bottom of the arena, its faint Blue Energy patterns flickering in the dark.

The spectator stands fell silent for several seconds.

Chen Shang was purely showing off his technique. Explosions were nothing; the true rarity lay in control. And he had displayed his Control Power over the Samadhi True Flame to the absolute fullest.

In the examiners’ section, a Witch wearing a deep red robe stood up. She walked to the edge of the arena and looked at the slowly dissipating pale golden halo.

"Are you Chen Shang?"

"Yes."

"This Flame of yours... and the compression technique, did you research them yourself?"

"Yes."

"Not bad!"

The Witch nodded, jotted down something on her Crystal Plate, and then turned to return to her seat.

The other examiners also recorded their evaluations on their Crystal Plates. Some nodded, some pondered deeply, and some remained expressionless. A moment later, a number appeared next to "Chen Shang" on the projection: 97 points.

Someone in the audience gasped. This was the highest score in the practical segment so far.

Chen Shang stepped down from the arena. As he passed the candidate waiting area, several gazes landed on him.

"Friend, want to add me as a contact? We could exchange some pointers."

Chen Shang welcomed all comers, refusing no one.