Retest

The luminous pearl hung on the radiant breast of heaven. Occasional tweets were the only audible sound. Most of the immortal masters spent the night there before setting out tomorrow. Several rooms were still bright. Hence, Mu Yu took a detour.

Upon hearing faint voices, Mu Yu quickly climbed up a tree. He saw two sixteen year old youths working at the academy pass by. The two had clearly chosen to stay at the academy. They griped Jiuhua Sect's elder summoned them so late at night.

"I heard the elder has a foul temper. You know, he sent one of our senior brothers flying with a palm strike after our senior brother accidentally spilt some tea on him. Our senior brother can't cultivate anymore due to the damage to his dantian." The youth shivered.

"Quit whining. Most of the elders have horrible temperaments. We just need to be cautious. To be fair, our senior was absentminded at work, so…"

The grey rank disciples didn't dare to defy those superior to them regardless if it was an unjust circumstance or not. Essentially, they were used to being bossed around. In all fairness, it wasn't as if they had what it took to put up a meaningful defiance. Nobody would bat an eye even if they were offed for aggravating an elder.

Mu Yu hopped off the tree once the two youths left. He dug his fingernails into his palms, vowing to never bow and be relegated to the subservient life as the two youths were. He needed to find out what his true potential was; he wanted to prove to himself he was also gifted.

The side of the courtyard Mu Yu was in was peaceful; nobody would kick up a fuss there at night with adept immortal masters around unless he was trying to commit suicide. He turned a corner and crossed a courtyard, then made his way to the place the boulder was located based off his memory. Though the door was locked, there was a tree next to the wall. He was able to easily get over walls as long as there was a tree within the vicinity. He spotted the boulder from atop the wall. Plagued with a phobia of heights, he scaled down the wall. Eventually, he slipped and dropped to the ground. He picked himself up and dusted himself. He used the shadows as cover and checked to make sure nobody was present. Going onto his toes, he sneaked over to the boulder.

The grey boulder that weathered nature's beatings year round had a bizarre tinge underneath the moonlight. An argument could be made for storing it away due to its value. Nevertheless, moving a boulder twice Mu Yu's side was probably a pain. Moreover, Mu Yu was unaware it required natural spiritual qi and essence. The golden and silver orbs provided elements to sustain its spirit.

Mu Yu wrestled with himself again. Sure, producing green would catapult him into the world of cultivation with a bang, but what else did he gain? There wasn't anybody around to witness his talent. Nobody could testify he produced a colour besides grey. The previous immortal master's indifference toward his test results further dampened his motivation. He didn't realise it was a simple matter of his pride not allowing him to be resigned to the fate of a grey rank disciple. There was no heavier burden than never realising one's true potential.

Mu Yu recomposed himself and touched the boulder. As long as he could produce something other than grey, he would continue to have hope for his future.

Again, the warm sensation transferred from the boulder to every corner of his body and seized control of his body. His five senses were amplified again. He saw the vegetation earlier in the day bloom again. It was beyond him to stop their growth. He could see plants sprouting out of the ground, much to his delight. He was a fan of spring. The qi he didn't notice existed in his body transferred over to the boulder. The warmth from the boulder gradually receded. The gentle breeze swayed the plants that stopped growing. Crickets called out to each other.

Nervous, Mu Yu didn't open his eyes. He was confident he wouldn't see disappointing grey again. He didn't think he'd go beyond yellow – that was already a blessing to him. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Upon seeing the colour before him, his eyes opened faster and faster, wider and wider.