She cast a concerned glance at Ji Zilun while appropriately masking the triumph gleaming in her eyes.
Regarding the twins of black and white, rumors concerning the Black Child were certainly numerous, but those surrounding the White Child were hardly few either. The most prevalent one was that upon birth, his head of white hair had grown wrapped around him like a silkworm cocoon.
Now that she saw him in person, his hair was indeed exceptionally long. It was tied near his waist with a blue silk ribbon, then braided all the way down near the ends before being securely fastened with silk. Viewed this way, that head of hair was practically sweeping the floor. If he were to let all his hair down… tsk tsk, washing it wouldn’t be an easy task either, would it?
What a pity, Helena Winnie calmly glanced at Ji Ziran, who sported the exact same hairstyle and similar hair length, and sneered inwardly: No matter how exceptional one’s talent is, having a twin who is a Black Child is enough to make His Majesty treat him with cold indifference. Judging by His Majesty’s current attitude, it was even worse than mere indifference.
Corain Allen wiped the sweat from his brow internally, then said to Ji Aotian, “Your Majesty, do you think… we should begin now?”
Ji Aotian pulled King Yue toward the holy temple and said, “Let’s begin. As for other matters, we can save them to discuss slowly at another time.”
Corain thought to himself that Your Majesty could talk about it whenever you pleased, as long as it wasn’t right here in the holy temple.
The cliffside, the holy temple, and the suspension bridge leading to the temple guards were stationed at every single location. Meanwhile, the Emperor, imperial concubines, and others who had accompanied them sat down in the holy temple at a spot specifically designated for observing the talent tests. Viewed from above, those four princes standing on the holy altar looked so small that they seemed as though they might be blown away by the mountain winds sweeping between the cliffs.
Holding a staff taller than himself, Corain slowly levitated into the air directly above the center of the holy altar.
Everyone braced themselves; the talent tests were about to commence.
Chapter 017: The Little Bun’s Journal — The Results (Part 2)
Speaking of the talent tests that day, not a single person present failed to change their expression.
Even Ji Aotian and the Saint of the Holy Temple, Corain Allen, were unable to control the expressions on their faces.
Corain Allen held the staff passed down through generations of Saints, performing a lengthy series of praises and various preliminary rituals in accordance with ancient rites and customs.
Among these, the part least lacking was the princes performing bows and salutes according to ancient protocols…
Although Ji Ziran had listened earnestly to Xueyi Wright’s instructions and desperately wanted to follow Corain Allen’s cues, after spinning around a few times and taking a few steps, he completely lost all sense of direction.
The whistling wind blew continuously past his ears, making it impossible to distinguish which direction Corain Allen was actually in.
Even so, this was not the time for him to show weakness. Ji Ziran vividly remembered every single word spoken earlier by Ji Zilun, King Yue, and his imperial father. He could feel the profound malice harbored by those people amidst that heavy silence, as well as an attitude even more wounding than malice one of detached indifference paired with smug, self-righteous disdain.
Before such people, how could he possibly show even a flicker of distress or vulnerability!
Gritting his teeth, Ji Ziran relied on his general sense of direction and was about to take another step forward when the hand hanging at his side was grasped.
Ji Ziyu sighed inwardly in his heart. Seeing Ji Ziran’s bright yet completely unseeing eyes, his usually smiling face pulled taut into a tense expression, for some inexplicable reason he simply could not bear to watch Ji Ziran walk all alone through the darkness and uncertainty, out here on this suspended holy altar howling with the sounds of the wind.
Perhaps there truly was a special connection between twins? Or perhaps it was because the four years of time spent living alongside this person exceeded that of anyone he had known across two lifetimes combined…
Ji Ziyu did not know what this emotion called an inability to bear it truly meant.
Especially when his hand clasped Ji Ziran’s which was bone-chillingly cold yet drenched in nervous sweat this feeling caused Ji Ziyu to knit his brows slightly out of unfamiliarity.
No one would interrupt this test, so they could only watch as those two tiny figures, one clad in black and the other in white, held hands and slowly bowed and paid respects.
When the ancient teachings were finished and the ancient rituals completed, the four princes had already arranged themselves in a single row according to age. Corain Allen, suspended high in the air, drew four identical, egg-sized transparent crystal spheres from his wide sleeves.
A single drop of his own blood was placed onto each of the similarly levitating crystal spheres. Strangely, the droplets of blood passed directly through the crystal spheres and came to rest right in their interiors.
The four crystal spheres lined up in a row, and after a blinding burst of brilliance erupted from the top of the staff, they flew toward each of the princes respectively.
The princes also dropped their own blood into the crystal spheres, allowing the two drops of blood to merge together. At the same time, a crystal sphere hovered directly above each prince’s head. As the blood inside merged and vanished, the crystal spheres shattered into countless particles of light.
Traditionally, this was the moment to observe the talent of the test subject.
Those light particles would transform into different colors, indicating which bodily attributes the subject’s affinity leaned toward. At the same time, the volume, brilliance, and duration of these light particles would serve as indicators of the strength and potency of the test subject’s innate abilities.
Just as everyone opened their eyes wide, eager to clearly witness each prince’s innate talent even King Yue, who had consistently appeared languid, raised his eyelids with a hint of interest and watched lazily a bizarre phenomenon suddenly erupted!!
Chapter 018: The Little Bun’s Journal — The Results (Part 3)
Whether it was because Ji Ziyu and Ji Ziran were standing too close together, or because this was an inevitable reaction between twins, the scattered crystal fragments that should have orbited separately around Ji Ziran and Ji Ziyu suddenly twisted together between the two of them. Before anyone had time to react, those two bands of light with completely contrasting colors had already rapidly intertwined.
To everyone’s eyes, those black and white bands of light were tightly bound together yet remained distinctly separate, resembling an unopened flower bud surrounded by a circle of colorful light spheres. Truly, it looked quite delicate and aesthetically pleasing.
Compared to the bizarre situation unfolding over by Ji Ziran and Ji Ziyu, the other two princes appeared far more normal. From above the head of the 15th Princess, Ji Zixin, cascaded yellowish-brown fine threads resembling a light drizzle that nearly reached the ground. Meanwhile, for the 16th Prince, Ji Zilun, it was a crimson curtain resembling a waterfall.
Both princes possessed exceptionally impressive talents; whether in terms of density or coverage, they ranked high among gifted individuals. Particularly in Ji Zilun’s case, this talent would be welcomed in virtually any academy, making him a standout among the talented.
However, compared to the situation of Ji Ziyu and Ji Ziran right beside them, Ji Zilun’s display was clearly not worth mentioning.
Helena Winnie excitedly turned her head, intending to say to Ji Aotian with gentle and exquisite tenderness, “Look at our little sixteenth, he’s truly a genius,” or something similar. However, the moment she turned her face, the smile froze on her lips.
Ji Aotian was holding King Yue’s hand, using his other hand to wrap around it as if afraid the other might be cold. Furthermore, his gaze was clearly not directed toward his own little sixteenth, but rather toward that pair of twins!
The keen interest revealed in those eyes almost made her drop the gold-inlaid hollow hand-warmer she was holding.
She forced herself to maintain composure as she turned her head back, trying to concentrate on the events transpiring in the arena.
Right at that moment, the light spheres that had been orbiting and enveloping Ji Ziran and Ji Ziyu suddenly seemed to lose all control, darting explosively in every direction and striking crisp, resonant blows against the magical barrier surrounding the holy altar.
Corain Allen’s complexion drained instantly. Raising his staff, he began chanting an incantation while simultaneously encasing every noble and important person inside the holy temple within a milky-white protective barrier. Following that, he waved his staff once more, causing everyone to levitate into the air.
Next, he barely had time to shout a warning: “Everyone, be careful…!”
The word “ful” was swept past everyone’s ears by the mountain wind, carrying an indescribable sense of urgency and sharpness.
Then, the quick-reacting guards with top-tier abilities executed mid-air flight, grabbing nearby comrades and leaping toward the cliff faces. Those slightly slower reinforced themselves with battle qi and scrambled upward along the rock walls, while the slow-to-react or less capable ones felt a massive shockwave before their feet lost contact with solid ground. From various angles, they watched as the crystal-clear, naturally formed ice paths, ice bridges, and icicles shattered into sharp, glittering fragments.
And then, they felt nothing more. In a mere fraction of a second, those high-level experts who could be considered top-tier across the Zeya Continent were pierced like hedgehogs and smashed into pulp.
As for the guards who had climbed swiftly and reached the edge of the cliffs, mindful of their loyalty, they protected the Emperor and the Saint while retreating continuously, blocking the razor-sharp wind blades and ice blades surging endlessly from below.
Propelled by a violent surge of force, the cliff face cracked apart and collapsed as well.
This was quite literally the destructive power of a forbidden spell!
They retreated and ran backward for their lives, lacking even a second to turn their heads and look at the situation behind them. They only knew that countless more individuals had tumbled to the bottom of the abyss due to insufficient strength or speed. Screams, terrified cries, and the sound of flesh being sliced by sharp blades blended together into a chaotic din where every noise remained chillingly distinct.
When the oppressive pressure behind them finally subsided, the crowd was finally able to halt. The milky-white protective shield guarding Ji Aotian and the others flickered a few times before vanishing completely. Corain Allen leaned his weight upon his staff, his complexion looking even paler than the snow itself. Everyone’s faces were drained of color, unable to process what had just happened.
However, when the group turned around and beheld the scene behind them, their expressions ceased to be merely pale. Corpses likely possessed better complexions than they did at that moment.
Chapter 019: The Black Child Who Invites Misfortune (Part 1)
The devastation was utterly catastrophic!
The towering holy temple and the delicately carved, expansive holy altar had both vanished completely. The ice bridges and icicles that had filled their field of vision earlier were now entirely shattered and fallen away. Sharing this same fate were the edges of the two cliffs, where spherical gaps two kilometers in diameter had appeared on each side.