Chapter 940: Part 2: Test Chapter 940: Part 2: Test From MC’s Perspective: When I stepped into the room, the air seemed to thicken, tension radiating from every corner.
Two new faces sat behind the main desk, their expressions unreadable but intense.
Across from them sat the Federation Head, his usual calm demeanor masking the weight of the moment.
Their gazes locked onto mine the moment I entered.
A creeping dread coiled in my chest, tightening with each passing second.
I didn’t know what to think, let alone what to do.
Something about their presence made me feel exposed, as if every secret I carried was laid bare.
They were studying me now.
Not just looking at me-but through me.
Their eyes felt like needles, sharp and probing.
It was unsettling, like they could peel back the layers of my existence with a mere glance.
The silver ring on my finger, usually a reliable safeguard against prying eyes, seemed utterly powerless in their presence.
I felt a pang of vulnerability as their stares deepened, probing beyond what should be possible.
Clinton’s gaze flickered, a subtle shift as if he had discovered something hidden beneath the surface.
His brow furrowed ever so slightly, and I could sense him reaching a conclusion.
His eyes had found the truth-red skeleton.
A look of surprise rippled across his face as he seemed to peer even further, noticing the intricate, almost imperceptible runes etched across every inch of bone.
“What is this?” he thought, his curiosity deepening.
A moment passed before his expression shifted again, realization dawning in his eyes.
“Bone strengthening,” he muttered internally.
But even that didn’t explain everything.
The red color of the skeleton-that wasn’t typical of any bone-practice he’d seen before.
His heart raced as the answer hit him.
Blood element.
A rare and powerful force, even more elusive than the coveted lightning element.
Clinton had encountered plenty of lightning element warriors in Tier-4 regions, but blood element warriors?
Those were near mythical.
History books spoke of an age where multiple blood element warriors roamed the lands.
But that era had long since passed.
Nowadays, finding even one was a rarity, a legend almost forgotten.
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Earlier, Clinton and Sally had been debating his potential, weighing the decision to recruit him based on his lightning affinity alone.
They had discussed subtle methods to bring me into their fold.
But now?
The discovery of the blood element erased any doubts.
The lightning element was powerful, yes, but the blood element-it overshadowed everything else.
Clinton’s thoughts raced.
He knew the University Elders would scramble to recruit me unconditionally if they knew.
“If this kid gains access to blood element inheritance, no one will be able to stop him,” he marveled, trying to mask his shock.
He shifted his focus to my dantian.
Among the familiar purple essence of the lightning element, something else caught his eye.
A small amount of mixed brown-green essence swirled within, faint but unmistakable.
“Another element?” he thought, eyes narrowing.
“Healing…
It has to be.” His lips parted as if to say something, but he stopped himself, the weight of his discovery too great for words.
On the other side, Sally was equally floored.
Her composed exterior cracked as she processed the overwhelming reality.
She, too, had detected the presence of three elements-blood, lightning, and healing.
Though she couldn’t fully comprehend the cultivation method I was using, she could feel the raw potential coursing through me.
“Blood, lightning, and healing,” her mind echoed, the enormity of it all sending shockwaves through her thoughts.
Her gaze flickered toward the Federation Head, suspicion creeping in.
She had noticed something else-the silver ring on his finger.
A ring designed to shield him from the senses of warriors up to the Silver Rank, and to some extent, even from Gold Mark Warriors.
Why hadn’t the Federation Head mentioned it?
Did he not know, or had he deliberately concealed it from them?
Her doubts lingered, but considering his recommendation of him, the second option seemed more likely.
The Federation Head knew more than he let on.
“Federation Head, could you give us a moment?” Sally’s voice broke the silence, though it was polite, there was an edge of urgency to it.
“We would like to speak with him alone.” Clinton nodded in agreement.
He, too, was eager to dig deeper into the mystery of Zack Lockwood.
The questions burned in his mind, and he could hardly wait to unravel the answers.
“Okay,” the Federation Head said as he rose from his seat.
His movements were unhurried, his face calm, as if expecting nothing more than a routine conversation about the trial.
He seemed confident that everything would go smoothly, unaware of the deeper revelations about to unfold.
With a final glance toward Zack, he exited the room, leaving me alone with Clinton and Sally.
“You’re Zack Lockwood, right?
Please, take a seat,” Sally said, her smile warm but hiding something sharper beneath.
There was an air of calculation about her, a politeness laced with a desire to know more.
I nodded and moved to sit opposite them.
As I settled into the chair, I could feel their eyes on me again-probing, questioning, searching for answers I wasn’t sure I was ready to give.
The room felt smaller somehow, the air thick with unspoken tension.
Sitting there, I realized this wasn’t just a conversation; it was an interrogation cloaked in formality.
Clinton leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but direct.
“So, you have three rare elements?” My heart skipped a beat at the question, a brief moment of shock rippling through me.
But I wasn’t truly surprised.
Their earlier penetrating gazes had told me everything I needed to know-they had seen through the protective layers of my cultivation.
I quickly realized that these two were far stronger than the Federation Head, their powers far more advanced.
“Yes,” I replied, keeping my voice steady despite the tension in my chest.
“I have three elements.” Clinton’s eyes gleamed, but it was Sally who spoke next.
“Your skeleton is red,” she began, her tone almost casual but her eyes sharp, “Is that because of the blood element, or is it a result of the bone strengthening method?” I turned to her, my gaze meeting hers.
There was something unsettling about her, as if she could see even more than she was letting on.
“It’s due to both,” I answered carefully, “the blood element and the bone strengthening method.” Sally nodded, her expression neutral, but I could tell she was processing every word, analyzing it.
“And the third element-is it healing?” Her voice was soft, but her eyes were intense, as if she already knew the answer.
I took a slow breath before responding.
“Yes, it’s healing.” Sally didn’t hesitate before launching her next question.
“Where did you get a cultivation method for three elements?” Her question hung in the air, weighty and filled with implication.
I could feel the intensity of both their gazes, and for a moment, I considered my answer carefully.
These two didn’t seem like the type to be easily satisfied with vague responses.
“I got the bone method from a library book at my home town academy,” I began, my voice steady as I laid out the truth, or at least, part of it.
“The lightning element method was given to me by my teacher, and the healing element…” I paused briefly, remembering the old man’s wrinkled face, his weathered hands offering me the knowledge.
“The healing element was passed down to me by an old healer at the outer post academy.” I could feel their reactions even before they spoke.
Clinton’s interest was piqued, and Sally’s mind was racing with possibilities.
I knew I had to be careful now.
Their curiosity was no longer just professional-it was personal.
I had become more than a candidate in their eyes.
I was a puzzle they needed to solve, a potential they couldn’t afford to overlook.
But how much more could I reveal?
And how much could I afford to keep hidden?
Clinton’s composure remained intact, but deep inside, he was startled.
As he examined the red skeleton further, he realized that the bone-strengthening method Zack mentioned was far from ordinary.
The runes etched across Zack’s bones seemed to pulse with an ancient power, a forgotten energy that carried the weight of ages.
Clinton could feel it-the breath of something far older than anything in the modern cultivation world.
It was as though the skeleton resonated with the echoes of a long-lost era, and that realization sent a wave of awe through him.
Sally, sitting beside him, was thinking along similar lines.
Though Zack’s words seemed almost casual, she knew better.
She didn’t doubt what he said, not for a moment.
This world was ancient, spanning countless eras, each with its own cultivation techniques, secrets, and hidden knowledge.
It wasn’t uncommon for forgotten methods to resurface, especially ones tied to something as powerful as the blood element.
Still, she was quietly astounded by how much potential lay before them.
As I sat there, watching their silent contemplation, I had no idea what thoughts were running through their minds.
They hadn’t spoken for several moments, their expressions contemplative, perhaps even intrigued.
But inwardly, I felt a small wave of relief wash over me.
Their probing gazes, sharp as they were, had failed to uncover my greatest secret: the ancient blood drop hidden deep within my body.
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