The moment Fang Lin, Ling'er, and Mu Chen stepped into the Azure Sword Hall, dozens of eyes instantly turned toward them.
Whispers spread like ripples through a quiet lake—some curious, some mocking, some filled with undisguised disdain.
On the high wooden platform stood Elder Baishan, his long grey robe flowing softly as he observed the hall with cold authority.
But as soon as his gaze fell on the trio, his expression shifted.
At first, he looked directly at Mu Chen.
A faint glint passed through Baishan's eyes.
*"Mu Chen… from the Mu Family.
A supporting branch loyal to the Tian Family for generations.
Their craftsmanship has aided our Tianjian Clan for decades…
From swords to other battle tools, their work reaches all major families.
They are loyal… yes.
But unfortunately, no one from their family has ever awakened a top-grade Sword Master talent.
Always stuck at C-aptitude."*
Baishan let out a quiet breath.
"Let's see… what this boy awakens today."
But the moment his gaze moved to Fang Lin, Baishan's mood visibly darkened.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and a single cold word echoed in his mind:
"Useless."
He didn't even try hiding the disappointment on his face.
Ling'er received only a brief glance—her trial had already been completed earlier, and she had failed, so Baishan barely cared.
With a sharp voice that echoed through the entire hall, Baishan announced:
"You two—step into the formation.
The awakening formation will close soon."
Fang Lin and Mu Chen nodded and started walking toward the massive circular array glowing in the center of the hall.
But behind them, the whispers grew louder—sharp enough to cut skin.
"Hey, isn't that the kid who tried to… harm himself earlier?"
"Yeah, Fang Lin—the second elder's son of fang family."
"Hah! What's he doing here? He's a coward.
He'll fail even before the formation activates."
The boys snickered, not even trying to lower their voices.
Some pointed at Fang Lin's back as if he were some kind of joke.
Fang Lin kept his face calm, but his steps grew quieter, more precise—a sign that the new will inside him was controlling every reaction to avoid suspicion.
At that same time, not far away, a mysterious man dressed in dark blue robes lazily waved a folding fan in his hand.
His eyes half-closed, expression unreadable.
He murmured with mild boredom,
"Hmm… only two left.
Looks like this generation won't produce a single A-aptitude sword master either."
His fan snapped shut with a soft tak.
"Disappointing."
And with that, all eyes slowly shifted toward Fang Lin and Mu Chen—
As Fang Lin walked toward the glowing formation, anger churned quietly inside him.
Those mocking whispers behind his back… the laughter… the insults…
All of it scraped against his patience like a blade.
But he forced himself to ignore them.
The formation would close any moment—he couldn't afford distraction.
And above everything else, only one thought kept piercing his mind:
"Who caused the old Fang Lin's death?
Who spread these rumors?
Someone must have wanted him gone."
That suspicion burned hotter than any insult tossed his way.
Ahead of him, Mu Chen entered the formation first.
His name had already been called earlier, but almost no one paid attention.
After all, he didn't come from any of the Five Big Families.
His entry was quiet—unnoticed.
But when Fang Lin approached the edge of the formation, the atmosphere in the hall changed.
Those who were about to leave actually stopped.
Because Fang Lin belonged to the Fang Family—
the second strongest among the Five Big Families.
Everyone wanted to see what aptitude their family would produce this year.
Some had already awakened and left earlier, but many stayed behind just to witness Fang Lin's result.
Even the ones who thought he was useless still watched with curiosity.
Clothes rustled.
Whispers faded.
Hundreds of eyes turned toward him.
Some gleamed with expectation.
Others with ridicule.
Fang Lin could feel them all piercing into his back like thorns…
yet he walked steadily, expression calm, step by step, into the massive circular array.
The blue sword-mark formation began to glow brighter—
And the hall turned silent.
Everyone waited to see:
Would this "coward" become a sword master?
Or fail before he even began?
The moment Mu Chen stepped into the centre of the glowing formation, the sword marks beneath his feet lit up sharply.
A few breaths later—
A soft red aura rose from his body like a gentle flame.
Gasps rippled through the hall.
Red aura meant C-grade aptitude.
Not high… but for the Mu Family, who rarely saw even C-grade sword talents, it was already a great achievement.
When Mu Chen stepped out of the formation, his face was bright with happiness.
His fists were clenched with excitement, and his shoulders looked lighter than ever.
He turned toward Fang Lin, eyes glowing with trust.
"Fang Lin, I believe in you," he said with a wide smile.
"You will definitely awaken a higher grade than me."
Fang Lin, still standing at the edge of the formation, gave him a faint, polite smile.
But inside, his thoughts were calm and analytical:
"I think… I will probably awaken C-grade as well.
If I'm lucky… maybe even B-grade."
He inhaled softly, staring at the glowing formation that was waiting for him.
Fang Lin took a slow breath and stepped into the awakening formation.
At first, a tight knot formed in his chest.
He didn't know whether the formation would reject him…
or harm him…
or expose him.
After all, he wasn't the original owner of this body.
He had come from another world—
and the doubt in his heart whispered that the formation might sense this and push him out.
But nothing happened.
The glowing lines accepted him quietly, as if he belonged there.
Fang Lin couldn't understand why…
but the formation allowed him to move forward.
He walked toward the center.
The first circle passed without any resistance.
So did the second, and then the third.
His confidence rose slightly.
But when he stepped into the fourth circle, his legs trembled.
A heavy pressure pressed down on his shoulders,
as though invisible weight was testing his very existence.
His knees felt weak,
and it seemed like he might not be able to stand for long.
Still, Fang Lin clenched his teeth and steadied himself.
Inside his mind he murmured:
"So… this is the circle where the body releases blue aura.
This means… B-grade aptitude."
His heart thumped once, strongly.
He had made it—
into the circle that separated the ordinary from the talented.
But this was only the beginning.
The formation continued to hum around him,
as if waiting to see how far he could go.
As Fang Lin stood trembling within the fourth circle, the hall erupted with whispers.
One man leaned toward his companion and murmured,
"I didn't expect Fang Lin to have such strong willpower.
He actually made it to the fourth circle."
Another nodded quickly,
"True… I heard he faced a serious breakdown recently.
Who would've thought he'd reach this far?"
A short distance away, the mysterious man with the folding fan narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know whether the rumors about him were true or not," he thought,
"but this much is certain—
the boy is about to awaken B-grade aptitude…
Yet something feels wrong."
His gaze sharpened.
"Why is he still standing there?
And why hasn't any blue aura appeared around him?"
---
Across the hall, the elders of the Five Great Families stood upon an elevated platform.
They too had noticed something strange.
Their expressions turned serious as they observed the unmoving boy in the fourth circle.
Even Fang Qing, Fang Lin's older brother by one year, frowned deeply.
His eyes narrowed.
"So… you finally reached my level," he muttered under his breath.
"You've become quite the obstacle, brother."
Beside him stood Fang Qinxian, the Head of the Fang Family—
Fang Qinxian was the father of Fang Qing and the uncle of Fang Lin. He stood among the elders, calmly watching the awakening ceremony unfold.
A cold, ambitious smile crept over his lips.
"Just a little more time…"
"Once the next Awakening Ceremony is finished,
our Fang Family will rise above all others."
"We will become the strongest in the Tianjian Clan."
The greed in his eyes made the surrounding elders uneasy.
Among the crowd, Fang Hanbo and Su'er had also come to see their son, Fang Lin. Watching his determination as he stepped deeper into the formation, their faces filled with pride. Tears gathered in their eyes, the kind that only appear when parents truly witness their child's courage.
---
Not far from them, Ling'er stood among the group of youths who had already failed their trials.
She crossed her arms, a hint of disbelief clouding her expression.
"I can't believe it…"
"That foolish boy reached the fourth circle?"
Her face showed disappointment, but her thoughts were restless.
---
Meanwhile, the host of the ceremony—
Elder Baishan, who controlled the awakening formation—
felt an unusual uneasiness.
"He is still standing…"
"Reaching the fourth circle is impressive…
but why is the blue aura not appearing?"
His brows furrowed sharply.
"Could it be…
is he trying to push past even the fourth circle?"