Lin Xi pushed aside the heavy curtain and stepped into the tent where seven elders of the academy were gathered, and the sight that greeted him took him aback.
On a tall, intricately carved long table lay a plethora of items: various hues of refined iron, an array of parchment scrolls, peculiar plants, hay, an assortment of silver vessels, and a diverse collection of weapons. Among these weapons were daggers, spears, swords, and oddly shaped armaments reminiscent of Emei daggers, as well as bows and arrows.
However, the most unsettling sight was the transparent vials containing viscera and eyeballs.
Dozens of transparent bottles filled with dark red potions housed an assortment of peculiar organs and bulging eyeballs of various sizes, presenting a rather gruesome spectacle.
Seated behind these potion bottles was a kindly-looking middle-aged woman, her affable demeanor starkly contrasting with the eerie contents of the vials.
Beside her sat an elder with brown eyes and a bushy grey beard, his expression stoic and serious.
Next to the grey-bearded elder was a tall, handsome man with jet-black hair, styled in an ancient bun, whose appearance immediately reminded Lin Xi of Fei Xiang, the singer of "A Fire in Winter." Yet, Lin Xi found it peculiar that the age of this striking man seemed to be a riddle; though he appeared youthful, Lin Xi instinctively sensed that he was quite old, and the cold, hollow gaze in his eyes resembled two dark tunnels.
The moment their eyes met, Lin Xi felt a slight sting in his own.
As he subconsciously turned to avoid the black-haired man's gaze, he caught sight of a one-armed elder sitting in the corner, noting that although he wore the same black academy robe, distinctive qilin and mandarin duck insignias adorned his chest and cuffs.
"Are you Lin Xi? Have you ever cultivated soul power?" At this moment, before Lin Xi could fully observe the other three elders behind the long table, the examination had already commenced.
The first to speak was the coldly imposing black-haired man.
His voice was barely above a whisper, seemingly unwilling to waste any time as he gestured sternly towards the array of weapons before him. "Come examine these weapons and choose the one that feels most suitable to you."
"I am Lin Xi, and I have not cultivated soul power."
Lin Xi steadied himself, no longer scrutinizing the other elders, and stepped forward to closely examine the weapons arrayed before the black-haired man.
The academy's uniqueness, coupled with the enigmatic presence of the legendary Director Zhang and the wager with the golden-spooned youth, compelled Lin Xi, who had initially intended merely to glimpse the outside world, to resolutely decide to enter Qingluan Academy.
These are all soul weapons... This thought flashed through Lin Xi's mind.
Like Zhang Ping's dagger, the ten or so weapons, including the black longbow, were all forged from a type of black refined iron, intricately engraved with a layer of marvelous patterns.
"Hurry, choose one!" the black-haired man suddenly urged.
Lin Xi's brow twitched, and he instinctively selected a sword from the assortment.
The sword measured about six feet in length, its blade remarkably thin, seemingly no thicker than a few stacked bamboo leaves, yet it exuded an extraordinary resilience. Besides the intricate patterns, the blade was adorned with layers of forged cloud-like designs, dense and ethereal.
The black-haired man nodded coldly. "Good, put down the sword."
Confused, Lin Xi released the sword he had just grasped; it was surprisingly light, weighing only about ten pounds.
"Now, examine these items and the patterns on the scrolls. Which of these do you feel matches the patterns best? Place the ones you believe are compatible together." At this moment, a voice suddenly interjected, raspy yet equally serious.
Lin Xi turned to face the speaker.
It was one of the three individuals he had yet to scrutinize, an elderly woman in black robes, her disheveled grey hair tinged with a burnt yellow at the tips. She was small in stature, her face lined with wrinkles, and her small triangular eyes slightly sunken, her skin bearing a yellowish hue. Most notably, her nails were somewhat darkened, giving Lin Xi the immediate impression of an old witch.
She spoke of four squares of refined iron and four unfolded parchment scrolls.
The squares were all roughly the size of a fist, two black, one crimson gold, and one silver. The patterns on the four unfolded parchment scrolls were all distinct, two resembling twisted vines, one akin to a phoenix's tail feather, and another resembling rippling water.
"These must be the patterns used to forge soul weapons; each type of refined iron has its most suitable pattern, correct? Are you testing my intuition in selecting the most fitting patterns for these materials?" After a moment's contemplation, Lin Xi refrained from immediately pairing the items and instead gazed earnestly at the old woman in black, posing his question.
The elderly woman's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure evident, yet her gaze towards Lin Xi carried an unusual intrigue. "You are correct; only by pairing the appropriate symbols with the corresponding refined iron can one forge soul weapons."
"Symbols... That term is familiar, though I wonder if it's the original name or one coined by Director Zhang," Lin Xi mused with a hint of playful curiosity. Before anyone could accuse him of rambling, he quickly added, "This should also serve as a test of talent. If I were to answer incorrectly, would you be willing to share the correct answers with me? I've traveled an entire month from Lulin Town… Even if I fail, I would at least learn something from you, thus avoiding significant regret."
"Very well." The old woman regarded Lin Xi and nodded. "I will tell you the most fitting answers afterward, but for now, you must begin immediately."
Lin Xi smiled warmly, realizing that the old woman's heart was not as fearsome as her appearance suggested. Without hesitation, he placed the two scrolls depicting twisted vine patterns beside the two black squares of refined iron, then positioned the scroll with the phoenix tail feather pattern next to the crimson gold iron, leaving the remaining scroll with the water pattern beside the silver iron.
"Utterly misguided." The black-robed woman immediately scolded, her initial favor towards Lin Xi seemingly evaporating in light of his actions. "This is Black Water Gold; only the Water Cloud Pattern can match it. This is Black King Iron, which requires the Golden Phoenix Pattern for compatibility. Red Iron pairs with the Evergreen Pattern, while Silver Radiant Gold matches with the Ancient Vine Pattern."
She pointed out each correct answer, glaring at Lin Xi with irritation. "Even if you were guessing, you should have gotten at least one right. I never imagined you would be completely wrong... It seems you possess not a shred of talent and are utterly unsuited for 'Tian Gong.'"
"Not a single one right?" Lin Xi scratched his head sheepishly; this was indeed rather disappointing.
Before he could respond, the middle-aged woman surrounded by transparent vials and various plants and hay spoke up. "Look over here."
"Do you see clearly?"
Lin Xi's gaze had barely shifted to her when the kindly-looking woman abruptly waved her hand, covering all the vials, jars, plants, and hay with a large white cloth.
"Now, tell me how many herbs there are, what they look like, and where they are positioned on my table, excluding those jars." The middle-aged woman inquired, her eyes fixed on Lin Xi.
Lin Xi was taken aback. Was this a test of memory? His attention had been solely on the woman and the vials, leaving little room for him to notice the herbs displayed on the table.
After a moment of hesitation, Lin Xi shook his head decisively. "I didn't remember a single one."
The middle-aged woman's expression shifted slightly, her mouth opening as if to speak, but after a deep breath, she ultimately said nothing, merely shaking her head in silent frustration.
In truth, she had been somewhat pleased with Lin Xi's earlier composure; among the many candidates who had entered before him, he had been the calmest in the face of the gruesome items she had deliberately presented. However, his current performance left her profoundly disappointed.
An elderly voice echoed, "Among these five eggs, only one is alive and can hatch; see if you can identify it."
The speaker was one of the two academy elders Lin Xi had not yet thoroughly examined—a wiry old man with braided golden hair, small in stature, his face lined with wrinkles, yet his hair appeared impeccably clean and smooth.
Before him lay five eggs of varying sizes, the largest resembling an ostrich egg, with a dark green shell, while the smallest was sparrow-sized and brownish-grey.
"It seems you are in charge of the spiritual ritual examination," Lin Xi said with an innocent smile. "If I guess incorrectly, would you be willing to reveal the correct answer to me?"
The wiry elder glanced at Lin Xi, offering no further words, merely nodding.
"I'll guess this one." Lin Xi pointed to an egg resembling a red-shelled chicken egg.
The wiry elder looked at Lin Xi with an impassive expression. "That egg is an ordinary chicken egg... it has already been boiled; it is the only one that is cooked."
"Cough, cough…" In the midst of the extremely serious atmosphere, only one person managed to suppress a laugh at the elder's comment.
The sole individual who refrained from laughing was a stern middle-aged man wearing a grey leather hat. He had a long, flat face, pale complexion, and maintained an unchangingly expressionless demeanor.
"You seem to find this amusing," the wiry elder remarked, unable to contain his laughter as he looked at Lin Xi, shaking his head in disappointment. "The largest egg is the only one that can hatch."