**Chapter 2: The Aptitude Test**

The moment Jie Ming stepped into the aptitude test hall, it felt as if he had entered an entirely different realm.

The hall stretched upward, its ceiling shimmering with glimmers resembling real stars, the immense space pressing down, making one feel their own insignificance.

The hall wasn’t empty; various bizarre devices, each radiating distinct energy fluctuations, were neatly arranged in different sections.

The young candidates were guided by academy staff, split into several lines, each heading toward different testing stations.

“Mental strength test, next!”

The low-ranking wizard in charge had a deep voice, laced with a strange resonance that echoed clearly through the vast space, audible even from the farthest corners.

Jie Ming moved with the line, constantly observing the unfamiliar testing devices.

The first area featured a massive crystal orb glowing with blue light. Candidates placed their hands on it, and the orb would shine with varying intensity based on their mental strength, displaying a specific value on a rune-covered plaque nearby.

He watched a boy step forward nervously and place his hand on the orb.

The orb’s glow was so faint it was barely visible, and the plaque displayed a value of “2.” The boy’s face drained of color, and at the staff’s gesture, he left, looking utterly defeated.

“Mental sea depth test, next!”

The second area had a rustic, heavy stone platform where candidates sat, sinking their mental strength into it.

Complex runes on the platform’s surface lit up in sequence; the more layers illuminated, the deeper one’s mental sea.

Jie Ming saw a girl sit down. Only a shallow layer of runes lit up, and the plaque showed “Depth Scale 3.”

She bit her lip, eyes red, and left.

“Soul purity test!”

“Elemental affinity test!”

“Mental strength refinement test!”

“Willpower test!”

The tests were far more extensive than what Jie Ming had learned from the lord, covering every dimension required for wizard cultivation—mental strength, depth, refinement, soul purity and resilience, elemental elasticy to elements, and even evaluations of willpower and potential.

Each testing area had a queue, the atmosphere tense and silent, broken only by the faint hum of the devices and the low instructions of the guiding wizards.

Jie Ming was in the line for the mental strength refinement test.

This was a metallic device resembling a complex astrolabe.

The candidates before him placed their hands at the center, and the light spread outward.

Jie Ming noticed most people’s light was scattered and spread slowly, stopping at lower scales.

“Next, Jie Ming!” The cold, echoing voice called his name.

Jie Ming perked up and stepped briskly to the astrolabe.

The young wizard overseeing the test glanced at him casually, motioning for him to place his hand.

Focusing intensely, Jie Ming pressed his right hand firmly into the astrolabe’s central groove.

He maximized the Internal Circulation technique, his body becoming a sealed world, cut off from external connections.

But that wouldn’t work for the test. Feeling the probing force in his mind, Jie Ming slowly relaxed his control over his mental strength.

The runes at the astrolabe’s center lit up, and the light began to spread outward.

Unlike the scattered light of most candidates, Jie Ming’s mental strength shone with remarkable focus, like a straight beam, climbing rapidly across the astrolabe’s scales.

One scale… two scales… three scales… the speed was astonishing!

The wizard beside him showed a flicker of surprise; this value surpassed most of the other candidates.

The light continued climbing—four scales… five scales… At five, it slowed slightly but pressed forward steadily.

Six scales!

The light stabilized at six, radiating a restrained yet dazzling glow.

The testing wizard’s eyes flashed with clear approval, glancing at Jie Ming as if surprised by his performance.

“Mental strength refinement, level six.” The wizard recorded the number and gestured for Jie Ming to move to the next area.

Jie Ming withdrew his hand calmly, inwardly relieved.

The Internal Circulation technique was remarkable, perfectly hiding his excess true essence and mental strength, leaving no flaws despite the machine’s probing.

He had carefully chosen to display this level of aptitude.

The wizard world’s aptitude test scale went up to ten.

Each level represented a significant gap, with level five already considered excellent and level six surpassing ninety percent of the candidates.

But six was not the top tier compared to the true monsters.

In this unforgiving world, aptitude equaled status in the academy. Too low, and you’d be trampled; too high, and you’d attract unwanted attention. A mid-to-high “small genius” level was perfect.

It kept him under the radar, avoiding trouble, and allowed room for future standout moments to be plausible.

Jie Ming relaxed slightly, though he was also surprised.

Even if he went all out without hiding his strength, he estimated he’d only reach level eight based on the scaling requirements.

A cultivator who had painstakingly reached Qi Refinement Stage One after over a decade could only hit level eight…

What kind of monsters were those who naturally tested at eight, nine, or even ten?!

In the subsequent tests, Jie Ming’s performance fluctuated but generally stayed at level six.

When he completed all the tests, the final result was evaluated by a central device in the hall, its cold voice echoing through the space:

“Apprentice Jie Ming, comprehensive aptitude rating… level six!”

A wave of gasps and murmurs erupted around him.

Level six!

Level six was the threshold of “genius,” ensuring an easy path to becoming an official wizard and earning the academy’s favor.

Countless eyes—envious, jealous, curious—turned to him.

Jie Ming maintained a calm exterior, but inside, he felt a weight lift.

He had passed this hurdle, at least avoiding the immediate threat of becoming an experimental subject.

“Next!” The guiding wizard, accustomed to level six talents, seemed unfazed, as they were impressive but not unique.

As Jie Ming stepped down from the platform, heading to the next area, a louder outburst of exclamations came from another section.

“My God! Mental sea depth… level eight!”

“Elemental affinity, lightning element, level nine!”

“Soul purity, level nine!”

“What kind of immortal is this?!” Even Jie Ming couldn’t help but turn to look.

A group of youths was surrounded by a crowd, their faces brimming with pride.

“Level nine aptitude… that’s the young lady of the Augusta family! Her reputation is well-deserved!”

“And the level eight Horn young master! He has an extraordinary affinity for evocation magic, destined to be a powerful caster!”

“The one with level nine soul purity has already been pre-selected by the soul magic mentor!”

The exclamations continued, and Jie Ming’s heart tightened as he listened to the announcements.

This world was truly filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. His level six aptitude was nothing compared to these true monsters.

Beautiful, standing in the shadow of their brilliance made it easier for him to go unnoticed.

The aptitude tests continued, the hall filled with gasps of awe and sighs of disappointment from those with lower scores.

But there was no time for the candidates to savor their results or mourn their failures. The cold, urgent voice rang out again, like a rallying call:

“All apprentices who have passed the aptitude test, proceed immediately to the central plaza! The selection of major disciplines will begin shortly!”

The voice echoed through the hall with an undeniable authority.