Torvin, engrossed in the ancient script on the colossal stele, failed to notice Bai Ji approach from behind until the older man's sharp intake of breath registered. Bai Ji's eyes were wide, his mouth agape in an 'O' of disbelief.
'Tao Te Ching? Or a fragment thereof? Here? Fascinating. Cross-dimensional seeding of philosophy, or a convergent evolution of thought?' Torvin's analytical mind briefly considered the implications.
Before he could delve deeper, Bai Ji slapped him forcefully on the shoulder, startling him out of his contemplation. "Young Friend Li!" Bai Ji exclaimed, his voice tight with barely contained excitement, "You… you can decipher the inscription?!"
'This old man...' Torvin internally noted, rubbing his shoulder with mild irritation. His approaches are consistently lacking in subtlety. A potential vulnerability to exploit later, perhaps. Outwardly, he adopted an air of casual indifference. "Yes. What of it?" He cast a sideways glance at Bai Ji's fervent expression. "It's merely Small Seal Script. Archaic, yes, but legible with effort. Why the excessive reaction, Elder Bai? Are literacy rates truly this low among cultivators?"
The implication hung in the air: 'Is Elder Bai an illiterate admirer of knowledge?' A faint, almost undetectable smug touched Torvin's lips. He extended a hand, patting Bai Ji's shoulder in a mock-consoling gesture. "Do you require tutoring, Elder? Perhaps later."
Bai Ji, however, seemed oblivious to the subtle mockery. His mind was racing, envisioning grand scenarios: 'This newcomer, capable of reading the ancient script, perhaps even the core techniques hidden within the Doctrine Pavilion's restricted levels could be read! Lanyue Palace's power could soar! The sect could flourish!'
Seeing Bai Ji lost in his optimistic projections, Torvin clicked his tongue softly. Easily distracted. He turned away, intending to continue his reconnaissance of the plaza. His attention was caught by two young disciples approaching the stele. He paused, curiosity piqued. 'What is the standard interaction protocol with this artifact? Observation is required, that is for certain.'
The two disciples stopped before the stele. One, slightly taller, offered words of encouragement to the shorter one, who nodded nervously, taking several deep, centering breaths. He stood motionless for a long moment, eyes closed. Just as Torvin's limited patience began to wear thin, the shorter disciple's eyes snapped open. He slowly, hesitantly, extended his right hand towards the crystal surface, his arm trembling visibly.
'Hesitation invites failure.' Torvin critiqued silently.
Finally, the disciple's palm made contact.
Buzz.
Instantly, the entire thirty-meter stele pulsed with a vibrant green light. The intensity startled Torvin, causing him to take an involuntary step back.
'Objective assessment: Significant energy reaction triggered by physical contact. Color correlation: Green.' He filed the data point.
"Acceptable. Mid-tier aptitude," Bai Ji's voice cut through Torvin's analysis. The older man had now regained his composure, stroking his beard with an air of knowledgeable assessment.
"Mid-tier?" Torvin prompted, turning to Bai Ji. "Explain the metrics."
"This Aptitude Stele gauges innate potential for Qi cultivation," Bai Ji elaborated. "The colors displayed correspond to talent levels. Red is lowest, followed by orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet being the highest."
'A crude but functional talent sorting mechanism.' Torvin processed. Red to violet spectrum. Seven tiers. Green is medial. Then, an inevitable thought arose, driven by the inherent Viltrumite competitiveness buried beneath his calculated exterior: My own potential? The System confirmed no Qi cultivation aptitude, but Viltrumite potential was a different metric entirely. 'Could this stele measure that?' Unlikely, but the possibility, however remote, demanded testing. Data acquisition was crucial.
The thought took root, overriding caution. He found himself walking towards the stele, drawn by the need to quantify, to know.
"Young Friend Li? What are you—" Bai Ji began, then realization dawned. "Wait!"
But it was too late. Torvin, moving with none of the previous disciple's hesitation, placed his hand firmly against the cool crystal surface.
BOOM!!!
The sound wasn't a mere buzz; it was a deep, resonating boom that shook the very air, echoing across the entire plaza and beyond. The crystal stele didn't just glow; it vibrated violently, radiating waves of palpable energy. Dust shook loose from nearby structures.
Every disciple on the plaza froze, heads snapping towards the source of the commotion. Even those within the Central Pavilion likely felt the tremor.
System analysis? Torvin queried internally, bracing against the vibration.
[Bio-Interface: External energy field detected. High intensity. Analyzing resonance… Analysis inconclusive. Field interaction does not align with known Qi cultivation metrics. Caution advised.]
'Inconclusive? Interesting.'
Bai Ji stared, utterly dumbfounded. 'Impossible! I checked him thoroughly! No roots, no Qi sensitivity! How can he cause such a reaction? This surpasses even peak violet displays!'
The violent vibration continued, intensifying. Disciples and even Elders, drawn by the unprecedented disturbance, began converging on the central plaza from all directions, their expressions a mixture of shock and anticipation.
"Who is that Outer Disciple?"
"Never seen him! The stele hasn't reacted like this in centuries!"
"Such power! Could it be… a legendary physique? A dormant bloodline?"
"This child shows heaven-defying potential! Our Peak claims him!"
"Impudence! Such talent belongs to us!"
Arguments erupted even before the phenomenon concluded. The air crackled with excitement and avarice.
Then, just as abruptly as it began, as the crowd reached its peak density, the booming vibration subsided. The violent shaking slowed, then ceased entirely. The stele returned to its inert, crystalline state. No color displayed. No light lingered. Nothing.
Silence descended upon the plaza.
'Malfunction?' Torvin removed his hand, examined the stele, then placed his hand back firmly. Nothing. He tried again. Still nothing. 'Operational failure after extreme energy input? Or incompatible energy signature resulting in system crash?'
The assembled crowd stared, bewildered. All that commotion… for nothing?
Bai Ji slapped his forehead, groaning inwardly. 'I knew it. I bloody knew it. A fluke. A reaction to his alien physique, perhaps, but no actual aptitude.' The fallout from this would be… inconvenient.
Derisive murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.
"Hah! So it was just a malfunction?"
"All that noise for a dud? What a waste of time."
"Trash is trash, even if he makes the furniture rattle."
"How did someone with zero aptitude even get onto the Palace grounds?"
Torvin ignored the commentary, methodically placing his hand on different parts of the stele, testing for localized responses. Still nothing. 'Confirmed: Non-responsive.' He stepped back, analysis complete. The stele couldn't measure his potential, or perhaps broke trying. Either way, the result was functionally zero in their system.
Nearby, two Elders who had been vying for him moments before were now nearly trading blows.
"Your 'chosen one' seems to have fizzled out, Elder Chen!"
"Hmph! Better than your peak's last 'genius' who couldn't even pass Foundation Establishment!"
"You dare insult my peak?!"
"Want to settle this on the sparring platform, old turtle?!"
Bai Ji moved swiftly to Li Qiye's side, keeping his voice low. "Young Friend Li, it is best we depart soon. Lingering in place invites… complications."
However, Elder Bai's hushed tone didn't escape the nearby disciples.
"Look, Peak Lord Bai is shielding him!"
"Definitely his bastard son! See how protective he is?"
"Now that you mention it… same square jaw! They are spitting images of one another!"
'Spitting images?!' Bai Ji felt his blood pressure spike. This was escalating poorly. He was about to physically drag Li Qiye away when a voice, clear, cold, and imbued with absolute authority, silenced the entire plaza. It carried effortlessly to every ear, demanding immediate attention.
"Attend! The one known as Li Qiye stands under my auspices. He is… my intended consort."
It was the voice of Wu Qingcheng, the Palace Master.