The murmurs of the gathered crowd fell into a hush as Lin Xun stepped forward. His steps were measured, steady, yet beneath each motion his heart throbbed like a war drum. For a month he had endured whispers of pity, scorn, and doubt. Today, with the entire clan gathered, he would finally be weighed.
Children of thirteen years were brought to the testing altar, one after another, their roots and bloodline displayed before the clan. Some left with pride, others with shame, but all knew this day would shape the rest of their lives. Lin Ming had already astonished the crowd, his Fire and Metal roots blazing bright at a seventy-to-thirty ratio. Elders praised him openly, calling him a seed of the future. His smirk had been sharp, his gaze venomous, as he stepped down. Now all eyes turned to Lin Xun, the boy they once named a genius, then dismissed as crippled.
The testing platform stood at the center of the grounds, carved stone etched with runes. At its heart rose a monolith of crystal jade, ancient yet humming faintly with power. Before it lay a basin of clear water, faint threads of spiritual light coiling within. One would place their hands upon the jade, and the roots would shine forth in color and brilliance. Then a drop of blood would fall into the basin, awakening the depth of lineage.
Lin Xun reached the stone, his gaze calm though tension coiled in his chest. He could feel the eyes of the elders pressing down like mountains. His father, Lin Zhentian, watched silently, his brows knit yet his stance unyielding. His mother, Lin Xiuying, clasped her hands tight, her lips moving in a whisper of prayer. Lin Ming sneered from the side, already imagining Lin Xun's humiliation.
He laid his palms upon the crystal. At first there was silence, only the faint pulse of the jade. Then, suddenly, a gleam of metal light shone within, silver and sharp, filling the stone with a metallic hum.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Metal root…" someone whispered. "So he was not entirely useless after all."
But before their words settled, a crimson flame burst forth, dancing beside the silver glow. Fire blazed, hot and pure, pushing back the cold metal.
The onlookers froze, then erupted in cries.
"Two elements! Metal and Fire together?"
"Look at the purity that should be impossible… at least not so pure!"
The elders leaned forward, their expressions grave. Lin Ming's smile faltered.
Yet the light did not stop. A deep green radiance flared, strong and vigorous, the hue of Wood. Then a sapphire wave rippled out, the mark of Water, cool yet commanding. And at last, an earthen gold-brown surged forth, heavy and unshakable as mountains.
Five lights rose together, swirling as one, each so vivid they seemed alive. The jade monolith trembled, as though unable to contain the force it revealed. The air turned heavy, then light, then hot and cold in the span of breaths, the cycle of nature spinning in chaotic harmony.
"This… all five elements…"
"No, look at the brightness, the purity!"
"Impossible! A false root of five elements should be scattered and dim, yet this shines brighter than any root I've ever seen!"
The brilliance grew until the testing grounds themselves were drenched in color. The elders' robes glowed with the reflection, children shielded their eyes, and even the distant pavilions seemed lit by the divine glow. It was as if the heavens themselves had descended to bless the boy.
Lin Xun's heart pounded, yet his gaze remained steady. He felt the resonance within his body, the merging of two souls now bound in unshakable harmony. He was no longer the mediocre student of Earth, nor merely the injured heir of the Lin Clan. He was something greater, a vessel that bore both past and present, given this one chance to rise.
The elder overseeing the test staggered back, his hands trembling. "Never before… not in the records of this clan, nor in the annals of the province… Five-Element Root, of highest grade! Better than any Heavenly Spiritual Root heard of … A prodigy beyond legend!"
The uproar was deafening. Some cheered, some doubted, some whispered in fear.
Lin Ming's face twisted, pale and dark all at once. His earlier triumph crumbled into dust. The boy he had mocked, the rival he wished dead, now stood as something untouchable. Hatred burned in his chest, searing deeper with every heartbeat.
"Bloodline test," the elder croaked at last, his voice hoarse.
Lin Xun drew in a breath, then pricked his finger. A drop of crimson fell into the basin. Ripples spread, faint at first, then violent, as though a storm had descended into the water. From its depths rose the phantom of a blazing phoenix, its wings veined with fire yet crowned in all five colors. Its cry pierced the air, reverberating through every chest, making even seasoned elders stumble back.
"Bloodline concentration… full awakening… this is no ordinary heir… This is as if the founding ancestor himself has returned!"
Some fell to their knees, others trembled in disbelief. The clan had expected many things that day — mediocrity, perhaps faint sparks of talent — but not this.
Lin Xun stood tall upon the platform, light swirling about him, his figure sharp against the brilliance. He felt the weight of destiny pressing close, yet he did not shrink. The hardships of his past life, the cruelty of his death, the near loss of this one — all of it forged into his resolve. He would not squander this chance. He would live for both lives. He would ascend.
From the crowd came mixed cries.
"A divine blessing!"
"Too much power for one boy…"
"Will this bring fortune, or calamity?"
Lin Ming clenched his fists until blood dripped from his palms. His teeth ground, yet his parents' sharp gazes silenced him. Their expressions were unreadable, their eyes narrowed like blades measuring prey.
Above all, the light of five elements burned on, casting its shadow over every heart present.