Chapter 1
"Why should I step down? The Sanctum of Mystical Scrolls selection is open to allmon
Protégés of the Cobalt Strike Guild, and that includes me!" vin stood defiantly on the raised
tform, confronting the beautiful, haughty female Elder before him. But his resolve was met with
her indifferent gaze and the scattered snickers from the crowd below.
"Save yourself the embarrassment and step aside," Elder Jaslinmanded coldly for the third
time.
"I ept the first round of trials! Elder Jaslin, if you may?" vin didn''t care about the stares from
the crowd; he held his head high with pride.
"Foolish boy!" Elder Jaslin scoffed. Her hand rose as an overwhelming aura of energy enveloped
vin. Like a hundred-pound boulder falling from the heavens, it crashed down upon him with a
heavy thud.
vin grunted, bracing against the force, unmoving at the center of the tform. He nced at the
candle burner nearby; if he could withstand this for the duration it would take to burn half a candle
stick, he would pass the first trial and then join the subsequent challenge topete for one of the
thirty coveted spots in the Sanctum of Mystical Scrolls.
Elder Jaslin’ face remained expressionless as she increased the pressure of her aura,yering it
until it reached the force of three hundred pounds. vin clenched his teeth, resisting stubbornly,
still not budging an inch. The sneers from below slowly turned into gasps of surprise. Was he
actually withstanding it?
Elder Jaslin watched vin with detachment as her aura grew ever stronger, like a series of giant
stones continuously pounding down on him.
Three hundred pounds? Four hundred? Five hundred? Six hundred...N?velDrama.Org owns this.
vin stood firm and defiant under strain. His eyes locked on the Elder before him. But when the
weight reached eight hundred pounds, his body began to tremble, his eyes reddened, and a
crimson trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"What is fate? This is your fate," Elder Jaslin said with disdain, ready to put an end to this farce.
Yet...
"My destiny is not for you to dictate." A brilliant flow of energy burst forth from within vin, sending
dust swirling at his feet. His legs trembled, his body shook, and as the energy surged, arcs of
lightning suddenly sparked across his body.
"Magic manifestations?" The crowd erupted in shock, hands covering their mouths in astonishment.
"Magic manifestations, and the tempering of spirit into might. Has he truly broken through the rank
of Apprentice?"
"Was that lightning? His magic can manifest as lightning?"
"Well done,d, you’re truly an exceptional talent!"
The Protégés in the distance were taken aback. Their eyes widened with disbelief. They watched
the stubbornly enduring vin and shook their heads in sympathy. “What is all this for? You know
full well you cannot pass this test, and you shouldn''t havee here to bring shame upon yourself.
This is fate, your fate.”
The young men and women in the crowd shook their heads secretly. Today''s trial was open to all
ordinary Protégés of the organization,peting for a ce in the Sanctum of Mystical Scrolls. It
was a treasure trove of the Cobalt Strike, filled with an abundance of Combat Magic, usually only
essible to Elite Protégés. But every half year, it was opened once to ordinary Protégés, offering
them a rare opportunity. Thousands vied for entry.
It was such a precious chance, and everyone wanted to seize it. How could it possibly be handed to
the son of a criminal?
vin was excellent, better than most. But what does it matter? He’s the son of a criminal. He was
here to suffer, not to gain experience.
Elder Jaslin looked at vin. Her eyes were filled with pity but mostly coldness. "For thest time,
do you give up?"
"Never! I can endure it for half a candle stick and pass the test! By passing the test, I can move on
to the second stage." vin stubbornly withstood the crushing force she released. The bright
lightning arced chaotically over his body. He nced at the candle burner at the center of the arena;
it was almost time.
However...
Elder Jaslin''s raised right hand suddenly clenched, and a visible wave of force burst forth. A
tremendous pressure, like a small mountain, crashed down upon vin.
"Ugh!" Blood sprayed from between vin''s teeth as he fell heavily to the ground. His face flushed
with exertion, and his inner energy tumbled chaotically.
"You have failed!" Elder Jaslin, from her elevated position, dered vin''s fate.
"You..." viny on the ground, gasping for breath.
ording to the rules of the trial, the presiding Elder was supposed to suppress the challenger with
her aura, typically using about twenty percent of her strength, enough to test the challenger''s
potential and endurance. The challenger needed only to withstand the aura for the burn time of half
a candle stick and disy an exceptional performance to pass. But she had surely unleashed
seventy to eighty percent of her aura just now.
“You, a Master Mage, are bullying a Novice Mage?”
The path of Combat Magic was divided into ranks: Novice Mage, Advanced Mage, Master Mage,
Archmage, Supreme Archmage, Grand Archmage, Legendary Archmage, and many more. Before
advancing to Novice Mage, one had to undergo a long process of tempering the spirit. Only after
completing this tempering could one formally condense their energy and step into the rank of
Novice Mage.
Each rank was as different as heaven and earth, with insurmountable gaps in between. For the
children under fifteen, enduring the aura of a Master Mage for the burn time of half a candle stick
was already the limit. Still, Elder Jaslin had forcefully attacked, clearly giving vin no chance.
"ept your fate. You shouldn''t covet what does not belong to you, nor should youe to a ce
where you don''t belong. You''ve failed the first round; you will have no second chance. Leave, return
to your storeroom, and resume your servitude," Elder Jaslin said, turning to walk away.