Ace followed Steward Jesper through the ornate staircase that spiraled upward. The air grew increasingly dense with Spirit Qi as they ascended, a faint golden shimmer visible on the walls.
Although Ace was curious about where they were going, he suppressed his urge to use his law sense since Steward Jesper might not appreciate it.
Furthermore, he knew this old man was unfathomable, and doing anything might incur suspicion, but he knew there was something Steward Jesper noticed that made him bright here.
After a few moments, they arrived at a grand chamber radiating an ancient aura. The chamber was circular, its walls adorned with intricate runes and glyphs glowing softly with golden light. At the chamber's center, three distinct pedestals were arranged in a triangular formation, each holding an artifact that pulsed with unique energy.
At this moment, Steward Jesper gestured for Ace to step forward. "This is the Prosperity Evaluation Chamber created by the founder upon the sect's establishment. Here, we evaluate those with special traits and unknown abilities. Only the other sects on the same level as us have such methods, but ours are the most authentic and accurate.
"There will be three tests to determine your Physical Talent, Soul Talent, and finally, Unique Traits. These tests will help me to put you in a suitable Prosperity Division of sect. If you are suitable for more than one, you may choose one path you want to follow.
"Each test will evaluate a specific aspect of your foundation. Do not fear the results; they will guide us in understanding your capabilities."
Ace nodded, his expression calm but inwardly vigilant because he had a feeling that those tests weren't as simple as Steward Jesper making them, especially the third test, about unique traits.
Furthermore, he wasn't here with his main body, which has a system to hide his secrets. Although Avatar of Holy Twilight was as real as it could get, it was
extraordinary, unlike natural bodies, so he wasn't sure what kind of result these tests would bring.
Steward Jesper pointed to the first pedestal. "This is the Martial Resonance Orb. It evaluates the depth and purity of the physique. Now, I know you are a soul cultivator, but sometimes people will have hidden physiques, unique under heaven; we call them Fantastic Physiques.
"Legends state that Fantastic Physique is a gift of Martial Path, and anyone with one is blessed by the Martial Path.
"I won't go into details since, without having a physique, this information will only hinder you. All you need to know is that people with Fantastic Physiques need unique resources or requirements to awaken them.
"There are 9,999 Fantastic Physiques, and they were all ranked from rank 1st most powerful and all the way to rank 9,999th, the most ordinary ones. Lastly, Fantastic Physiques have their own tiers depending on their ranking.
"But unfortunately, no one in the Mortal Ascension Heaven has a complete record of them and traits because they are ancient and have existed since time immemorial. We only have accurate records from Fantastic Physiques from rank 1,000th to 9,999th, and any fantastic physique in four-digit rank is Mortal Tier."
Steward Jesper's eyes shimmered with a peculiar glint as he looked at Ace full of anticipation, making Ace's heart beat slightly. Ace had never heard such a profound explanation about Fantastic Physiques before, but now not only does the PHW King Sect have such a deep knowledge of them, but he can also identify them. Now he started to understand why this old man brought him here.
'Why would he suspect I have a Fantastic Physique? Could it be the Avatar of Holy Twilight? However, the system never told me the Avatar of Holy Twilight has a fantastic physique, so it shouldn't be a problem to take this test.' Ace's mind was reeling as new information brought more questions.
Nonetheless, he couldn't confirm them, show doubts in Steward Jesper's presence, or ask sensitive questions. So he pretended to be shocked before being excited and full of ambitious desires.
He acted like someone who had learned a huge secret and had a desire to possess one of these mightily physiques.
Steward Jesper smiled faintly in approval, and looking at Ace's impatience yet anxious expression, he took him like any other youth who wanted to rise among his peers and in the path of cultivation. This kind of attitude was greatly admired since only those with the ambition to rise to the top can truly strive for it.
Furthermore, there was another purpose for him to bring Ace here, which he couldn't reveal since it was the most guarded secret of the sect, which not even the Sect Leader was privy to.
He chuckled and said, "Alight, I can see your eagerness. Go ahead and place your hand on the orb, and it will reveal the nature and strength of your physical foundation." Ace didn't tarry and moved towards the first pedestal, where a large orb was placed on top. The orb was a crystalline sphere filled with swirling motes of neon gold.
As Ace approached, he felt a gentle pull, as if the orb were alive and calling to him. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on its surface; he immediately felt a soothing yet probing energy washing over him.
At this moment, the swirling motes within the orb intensified, forming a whirlpool of golden light before condensing into a brilliant radiance that illuminated the entire chamber, making Steward Jesper's eyes shine brilliantly.
'He has it!' His mind reeled as an inexplicable expression appeared on his face, and he waited for the orb's verdict, for the orb would announce what kind of fantastic
Ace, on the other hand, was startled before his heart raced since he wasn't expecting this kind of reaction at all. If anything, he became worried and even doubted the system's judgment. Still, when he considered the origin of his avatar, he knew there were too many variables to blame the system.
If anything, he knew there wasn't anything like the system that could accurately evaluate myriad things, so he knew this could be the error made by this Martial Resonance Orb, which couldn't comprehend the depth of his avatar and took it as something completely different.
But at this moment, Steward Jesper's expression flickered when the light from the orb started to become even more intense, almost like the sun, and the orb suddenly began to tremble before the entire chamber shook.
Ace was flabbergasted as he could sense something was wrong and wanted to remove his hand, but to his dismay, he found he couldn't as an extremely powerful force was keeping him in check.
"Something is wrong!" He could only call for Steward Jesper.
However, Steward Jesper didn't need Ace's warning since he could also tell something had gone awry, and he was about to move when a melodious voice filled with authority rang in his mind, "Leave it!"
Steward Jesper was shocked, but he didn't move anymore. He continued to look with an incredulous look in his eyes, and Ace's anxiety continued to mount because of Steward Jesper's lack of response.
At this moment, 'crack... 'snapping sound crept into the chamber, and Ace was dumbfounded when he noticed the orb had started to crack, and his hand was finally freed!