The so called special talent can be measured in four grades, from superior grade to low grade. A low grade talent youth would at most be able to become a peak Bone Forging Realm cultivator in his lifetime.
As for a medium grade talent youth, after two to three years of cultivation, they would usually be able to become a peak Elemental Stage expert, becoming the clan backbone. An individual with high grade talent must be nurtured properly. They often become future clan elders, and with six to seven years of cultivation, they can become Core Formation Realm experts.
When it comes to superior grade, such an individual would bring great prosperity to the entire clan. Great care must be given. With this talent, in about eight to nine years, they can become a Spirit Realm martial master. At that moment, they would be able to compete for the position of clan head.
In other words, as long as Su Ming is given enough time to cultivate and grow, he would be one of the main candidates for the position of clan head, having full control over the village and becoming its most stable pillar.
One hour later, almost ninety percent of the youths had already walked through the mystical pond. There were a large number of low grade and mid grade talents among them, while twelve to thirteen of those youths had no talent, and three high grade talents also emerged among them.
The elders in the dark were conversing happily. Their originally dull expressions were replaced by bright smiles and satisfied looks.
"Bai Ming." The academy elder spoke loudly. He thought secretly, 'Bai Ming. Is he not Bai Li's grandson? It is best if he has inherited his grandfather's talent, unlike his father, who was only a medium grade cultivation talent.'
Bai Ming, who was waiting for his turn, suddenly heard the elder call out his name.
He took a deep breath before stepping forward. At that instant, countless eyes were on him. Bai Ming was expressionless. He ignored the crowd's gazes as he entered the formation.
The instant he entered the formation, Bai Ming felt a slight layer of pressure on him. This pressure came from the dense spiritual qi in the air. This spirit spring produced spiritual qi along with the first tier formation, which absorbed the surrounding qi into the area. Because the qi here was too rich, it caused a crushing pressure.
As Bai Ming continued to move forward under the pressure of the dense spiritual qi, the pores in his body gradually opened as pure spiritual qi infiltrated his body and spread throughout it like flowing water.
'So this is spiritual qi. It is warm and feels really comfortable. The pressure from earlier has vanished completely. This is truly divine.' His thoughts ran wild for a moment before he forcefully calmed himself.
"Just four steps away from the first pole." Bai Ming muttered softly as he continued walking.
Stopping before the first pole meant there was no cultivation talent. Crossing the first pole meant low grade talent. Crossing the second pole meant mid grade talent. Walking past the third pole meant one had high grade talent. Passing the fourth pole implied superior grade talent.
The deeper one went, the denser the spiritual qi became. The denser the spiritual qi, the greater the pressure. The reason a person with higher talent could go farther was simple. A person with higher talent could absorb more spiritual qi than someone with lower grade talent. Absorbing more spiritual qi provided more strength to endure the pressure and move forward.
At this moment, Bai Ming had already crossed the first pole. He was just a dozen steps away from passing the second pole.
'The pressure has increased again. After every step I take, it keeps stacking up. The pressure now is at least twenty times greater than when I first stepped inside this formation. But I can keep going forward.' Bai Ming withstood the pressure as he kept walking.
After a minute passed, Bai Ming crossed the second pole.
Mid grade talent.
Bai Ming first let out a sigh of relief. He then gritted his teeth and continued to move forward. Step by step, he slowly pushed ahead. In this manner, he walked another fourteen to fifteen steps. He was still quite a distance from the third pole.
Bai Ming was reaching his limit. He slowly took eight more steps before coming to a stop.
'Come on. Just a few more steps and I will cross the third pole. I cannot stop here. Medium grade cannot satisfy me. Without at least high grade talent, how will I truly become strong?' Bai Ming clenched his teeth as he encouraged himself.
The cruel memories of his past life on Earth flashed before his eyes. Those days of starvation. The times he suffered mental, physical, and sexual abuse in the slums from those stronger than him. The weakness and helplessness he felt when he was forced to watch his innocent sister be raped again and again. The crystal clear memory of his childhood best friend being chased and bitten to death by rabid dogs for dirtying a person's clothes. These incidents had already turned him into a cold individual with an insane thirst for power.
In this life, the image of his sweet mother lying on her deathbed, waiting helplessly for death, surfaced in his mind. The image of his father begging others to find a way to heal her was firmly imprinted in his soul.
He questioned the heavens for being so cruel. He felt hatred toward the clan for being so heartless. His mother was injured fighting against the beast tide to protect the village, yet they would not even spare a lowly pill. They gave his father a suicidal task, knowing full well he was not capable of completing it, and in the process caused him to lose his life. All these events made his will firmer, and his cold heart only grew colder, fueling the flames of ambition in his heart.
"Ahhhh!" Bai Ming roared loudly as his blood boiled. He used all the strength in his body to painstakingly take a small step forward.
Miraculously, he managed to move ahead. But the moment he took that single step, the pressure intensified further.
Bai Ming was incapable of handling such intense pressure. He fell forward, his face plunging toward the spirit water. He was completely drenched in the mystical water. Like a dog, he used all four limbs to endure the pressure. He looked pathetic and miserable. Some youths smiled at the scene, while others showed disdain and contempt, yet none felt an ounce of sympathy.
The elder in charge saw Bai Ming's miserable state. He knew Bai Ming had reached his limit and was about to announce the result, but he suddenly stopped. His eyebrows rose slightly as he continued watching.
Bai Ming, who had been motionless a moment ago, slowly began to crawl forward. His face twisted as he inched ahead. Blood began to flow from his nose, falling onto his reflection in the spirit water.
He was just thirteen crawling steps away from the third pole. He moved forward inch by inch. The pressure increased again, but Bai Ming persevered as he always did, stubborn until the end.
'Persevere. Persevere.' he roared in his heart.
Thirteen steps. Twelve steps. Eleven steps. Seven steps.
Splash.
When only seven steps remained, Bai Ming collapsed and lost consciousness.
He could not cross the third pole. Bai Ming had failed.
The elder quickly moved, bringing Bai Ming out of the pond. He glanced deeply at him before handing him over to the medical personnel.
Bai Ming was still bleeding from his ears, nose, and mouth. He had lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss.
Sometimes in life, merely having a firm will is not enough to succeed. One needs both luck and talent.
After all, fate is heartless, reality is harsh, and the truth is often bitter.
Even if Bai Ming had passed the third pole through sheer perseverance, what benefit would there have been? It would not have made a difference. If he had passed while harming his own body, his success would not have been due to his spirit root but solely to his perseverance. His spirit root would not change because of it.
Somewhere deep in his heart, he knew his efforts were futile and even foolish. Yet at the end of the day, he was human and possessed genuine emotions. These fragile emotions, bottled up through years of suffering and misery, were unleashed all at once, erupting like a violent volcano.
Those unrestrained emotions made him go against his logic. He chose to side with his heart instead of his mind, and he received the outcome of that choice. It was completely fair.