The crystal floated slowly until it stopped in front of Yan Hui.

Everyone watched in absolute silence as he raised his hand and touched the bluish surface.

The moment he made contact, the crystal's light increased abruptly.

Yan Hui's expression changed in the same instant.

The doubt disappeared from his eyes as if it had been ripped out by force.

His shoulders relaxed. The muscles of his face softened. And soon, a small smile appeared, involuntarily satisfied.

He closed his eyes and held the crystal firmly.

The light grew increasingly intense as it pulsed at irregular intervals.

Yan Hui's breathing became heavy after a few minutes, but even so, he kept his hands locked on the crystal.

The hall was silent.

Only the sound of Yan Hui's loud breathing filled the space.

One minute passed. Then two, three.

His forehead began to sweat.

Then four minutes. Five.

The smile faded. His expression began to tremble.

Six minutes. Six and a half minutes.

When the seventh minute arrived, Yan Hui finally let out a long and gasping breath, as if he had been strangled from the inside.

He opened his hands and let the crystal float on its own.

Then he raised his face.

His expression was horrible.

"I… really failed? What the hell…" the whisper escaped involuntarily.

There was disbelief and indignation mixed together as those seated beside him felt the air grow hotter.

But he had no time for anything else.

Blue runes appeared beneath his feet. The light grew, ready to expel him. But, just like before, the blood energy took control, tearing the blue runes apart into crimson symbols.

Yan Hui vanished in a red pulse.

The tension in the hall increased.

The crystal then flew toward the next person. A girl with brown hair and a sickly gaze, from the Six Poisons Sect.

She touched the crystal without hesitating.

The light shone strongly for a few seconds.

She held on for five whole minutes, her fingers pressed firmly against the crystal.

When she let go, she muttered a simple and irritated.

"Tsk."

Blue runes appeared… and again, were swallowed by the red force.

The girl disappeared in the same instant.

The rhythm then continued.

The crystal passed from person to person.

Most lasted between three and five minutes. Few came close to Yan Hui's mark.

One by one they disappeared. Each with different expressions.

Disbelief, frustration, anger, and resignation.

Until it was Mo Xia's turn.

She took a deep breath before touching the crystal, and the moment her fingers touched the surface, her eyes trembled slightly.

Kyrian clearly saw the change on her face. Joy appeared right at the beginning. But she struggled fiercely, keeping the crystal firm.

Five minutes passed.

Five minutes and thirty seconds…

She released the crystal with a satisfied smile, but Kyrian noticed something in her. It was frustration, a desire left unfulfilled. She wanted more.

The blue runes acted, being overtaken by the red ones right after.

Mo Xia then disappeared.

Next was Wu Jian's turn. He held steady for five full minutes.

Sweat ran down his face, but he held on as long as he could. When he let go, he was panting, but without any sign of regret.

Soon after, he too disappeared under the red light.

Only fourteen people remained in the hall.

And then, the crystal approached Shen Yu.

As soon as he touched the smooth surface, the light exploded.

Not a moderate glow, not pulses.

But an incandescent brightness that filled the entire hall.

Kyrian and the others immediately sensed that something was different this time with Shen Yu.

The Qi in the air began to move along with the crystal, as if the environment itself were responding to Shen Yu's touch.

He, however, closed his eyes and remained completely calm and still.

His body did not seem tense. His breathing didn't falter, and his face didn't contort.

He seemed, in fact… comfortable.

Time began to pass.

Two minutes… three.

Four.

Five.

Those in the hall were restless now. While the others, upon reaching five minutes, already looked exhausted, Shen Yu was far too well.

The sixth minute arrived, then the seventh…

Most hadn't even come close to seven minutes. Yet even so, Shen Yu didn't seem tired.

By the eighth minute, a smile appeared on his face. Slow, natural.

As if he had found something he had been waiting for a long time.

Kyrian and Mo Tianhai watched in silence. Attentive.

Nine minutes.

Ten.

That was when Shen Yu opened his eyes.

They were shining, literally.

The blue light intensified around him.

Before they could say anything, the runes arose beneath his feet.

This time, they were not red.

They remained blue. Pure and stable.

Shen Yu disappeared under blue light instead of red like all the others. The meaning was clear.

Shen Yu had passed.

The first to be accepted by the core.

The hall fell into heavy silence for a few seconds.

People swallowed hard, their expectations completely shifted.

Others tried after him, all failed.

Soon, the crystal stopped before Mo Tianhai.

Tianhai placed his hand on the crystal calmly. The light increased significantly, similar to Yan Hui, but still far from Shen Yu.

He resisted well, his face almost expressionless, only his eyebrows furrowed with effort.

Five minutes. Six and thirty seconds.

Finally, seven full minutes.

And he still managed a few seconds more before letting go of the crystal, breathing heavily.

He said nothing, but Kyrian saw the disappointment in his eyes.

Tianhai wanted to go further.

Blue runes appeared, and since he had failed, the red ones took over.

Only three people remained besides Kyrian.

And then, finally, the crystal came to him.

The crystal moved slowly, stopping in front of his chest, floating firmly.

Kyrian then touched the crystal with his fingertips.

At the exact moment of contact…

A soft, feminine voice echoed in his mind.

"This crystal is my core. What remains of it."

Kyrian kept his hand firm.

"It can nourish the physique, purify Qi, refine the meridians, and solidify the foundation of those who absorb its energy."

The voice was calm, distant. It sounded extremely ancient.

"Absorption depends only on talent and affinity with the energy of my core."

Kyrian took a deep breath.

"Absorb the energy for ten minutes, and you will be qualified for the next test."

The information entered his mind as if it were pushed inside, it lasted only a second, and Kyrian understood.

Now everything made sense.

The happiness of those who touched the crystal before.

The effort and exhaustion.

And, as everyone suspected, Shen Yu truly had been the only one accepted.

He had been the only one able to endure the core's energy for ten minutes.

Kyrian then closed his eyes and tried to absorb even the smallest fragment of energy.

But nothing happened.

The crystal remained dim.

There was no pulse.

There was no flow of Qi. Nothing.

His body didn't react. No core energy entered. Just as he expected.

He tried to concentrate his will and tried using his eyes to pull the core's energy. He tried to force the crystal to release something.

But nothing moved.

After a few seconds, the blue runes appeared beneath his feet.

And in the same instant, as happened with all who failed, the blue runes transformed into blood red.

He didn't even have time to attempt another approach. Kyrian was swallowed by the red energy and disappeared.

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