"What extraordinary power."
The Heaven Mandate Peak Head’s eyes widened in astonishnt. His calm composure cracked for a mont before excitent surged across his face.
"With such intensity, Li Yun’s Aptitude cannot possibly be low. It must surpass Ye Beichen’s quasi ten-star Aptitude. It seems I truly chose the right disciple."
His voice trembled slightly with exhilaration.
Although he had relied on his Heavenly Spirit Divine Eyes earlier to discern that Li Yun’s Aptitude was not as simple as one star, he had not been completely certain without retesting. If he had been mistaken and Li Yun truly possessed only one-star Aptitude, the resources he invested would have been wasted.
Yet the overwhelming display before him erased all doubt.
Not only had he judged correctly, but he had gained far more than expected.
After years of quiet decline, Heaven Mandate Peak had finally welcod a prodigy of extraordinary caliber. The thought alone was enough to fill the Heaven Mandate Peak Head with irrepressible excitent.
Amid his excitent, a trace of vigilance surfaced in the eyes of the Heaven Mandate Peak Head.
For a fleeting mont, he felt the urge to announce Li Yun’s true Aptitude to the entire sect and watch Mo Xuanyu and the others choke on their own arrogance. The thought of seeing their faces twist with disbelief was undeniably tempting.
However, reason quickly prevailed.
Li Yun’s real Aptitude could not be revealed at this ti.
Mo Xuanyu, the head of the Earth Pillar Peak, was narrow minded and vindictive. His hostility toward Heaven Mandate Peak had never been concealed. If he were to discover that the so called one-star waste who joined Heaven Mandate Peak was in truth a prodigy who surpassed Ye Beichen’s quasi ten-star Aptitude, there was no telling what underhanded sches he might resort to.
To protect Li Yun, secrecy was the wiser choice.
In any case, the Four Peaks Tournant would be held in half a year. That stage would provide the perfect opportunity. When Li Yun revealed his brilliance before everyone, Mo Xuanyu and the other short sighted fools would have no choice but to witness the consequences of their own misjudgnt.
The Heaven Mandate Peak Head allowed himself a faint smile.
He was almost looking forward to the expressions that would appear on their faces.
With a sweep of his sleeve, a vast surge of qi poured outward. It spread through the hall and ford a translucent crystalline barrier, sealing the entire spacious chamber within a layer of protective light.
At that very mont, Li Yun’s thoughts mirrored the Head’s intentions.
The instant he saw the Aptitude asuring Orb erupt with such terrifying power, his first instinct was not pride but caution. He understood too well the principle that a tree that grows too tall in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind.
Until he possessed absolute strength, keeping a low profile was not weakness. It was survival.
This was an unbreakable rule of the cultivation world.
"Since the Heaven Mandate Peak Head has already taken action, there is nothing for to worry about."
Seeing the crystalline barrier seal the hall, Li Yun withdrew the qi that had unconsciously gathered in his palm. He lifted his eyes and quietly watched the unfolding scene in the air, anticipation rising in his heart. He wanted to know the truth. What level of Aptitude did he truly possess?
A deep thud resounded.
The blazing beam of light shot upward and struck the crystalline qi barrier covering the do of the hall. The impact sent waves of energy rippling across the surface of the barrier in widening circles.
Yet that was all.
The Heaven Mandate Peak Head’s cultivation was unfathomable. Even a casual movent from him produced a defensive barrier of terrifying strength. The fact that the beam could cause visible ripples was already extraordinary.
Unable to break through, the beam finally exploded.
Light burst outward like a radiant tide before gradually gathering and condensing in the air.
One astral projection ford.
Five astral projections.
Ten astral projections.
Eleven.
Then twelve.
The twelfth projection shimred faintly. Compared to the previous eleven, it appeared dimr and less stable, as though it existed on the edge of solidity.
"Quasi Twelve Star Aptitude."
The Heaven Mandate Peak Head could not restrain his astonishnt. Even a figure who had weathered countless storms found himself shaken.
The founding Ancestral Master of Martial Ascension Gate, Martial Ascension Immortal Master, had possessed only Ten Star Aptitude.
On the surface, the difference between Ten Star and Quasi Twelve Star seed like two simple levels. In reality, the gulf between them was vast beyond asure. The Ten Star Aptitude of the Ancestral Master was utterly overshadowed by Li Yun’s Quasi Twelve Star Aptitude.
When speaking purely of innate talent, there was likely no one within the entire Southern Martial Domain who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Li Yun.
Quasi Twelve Star Aptitude was unquestionably at the pinnacle of Martial Dao talent in the Southern Martial Domain.
Even across the broader Eastern Martial Domain, only a handful might rival such Aptitude. Perhaps only within the legendary Central Mainland, revered as the Holy Land of Martial Dao, could one find geniuses capable of matching him.
And even there, the number would be exceedingly small.
The Heaven Mandate Peak Head could no longer suppress his laughter.
"Mo Xuanyu obtained Ye Beichen with Quasi Ten Star Aptitude and strutted about as though he had grasped the future of the sect. Yet I have gained Li Yun, who possesses Quasi Twelve Star Aptitude. A re Quasi Ten Star Aptitude cannot even be compared in the sa breath. This ti, I have truly uncovered a treasure."
His eyes shone with anticipation.
"For many years, Heaven Mandate Peak has declined. But with Li Yun’s extraordinary talent, as long as he is nurtured properly and allowed to mature, Heaven Mandate Peak will surely rise again. Its forr glory will be restored in his hands."
He seed to glimpse that future already, and his laughter carried both relief and hope.
Li Yun, however, was focused on sothing else.
The Primal Chaos Body truly defies heaven, he thought.
Under normal circumstances, given the bloodline of the Li Family, his Aptitude would likely have reached no more than five stars. Yet because of the Primal Chaos Body, his innate potential had been elevated to a level so terrifying that even he found it difficult to believe.
A faint excitent stirred within him, but it was tempered by clarity.
The history of the Martial Dragon Continent spanned millions of years. Throughout that vast stretch of ti, countless brilliant geniuses had erged. Yet not all of them reached the summit of Martial Dao. Many had fallen along the way, extinguished before their light could fully bloom.
Aptitude was undeniably important, but it was not the sole determinant of how far one could advance. Determination, opportunity, temperant, and countless unforeseen variables all shaped the path of a Martial Artist.
If he were to allow his extraordinary Aptitude to breed arrogance and contempt for others, then what awaited him would not be the peak of Martial Dao, but ruin.
Li Yun understood this clearly.
"Li Yun, your Quasi Twelve Star Aptitude must never be revealed lightly."
The Heaven Mandate Peak Head’s tone turned grave.
"Although Martial Ascension Gate stands as one of the Four Great Sects of the Southern Martial Domain and appears to command awe, we are far from invincible. We have many powerful enemies. If word spreads that a super genius with Quasi Twelve Star Aptitude has erged within our ranks, those forces will never allow you to grow in peace."
His eyes grew distant as he continued.
"High Aptitude is both a blessing and a curse. It draws envy. It provokes fear. Our rivals would not hesitate to use any ans to eliminate you before you mature."
Over the years, he had witnessed nurous dazzling geniuses rise. Very few had survived long enough to fulfill their potential. Most had fallen before reaching the summit.
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