"Who's there?!" Draco Malfoy demanded, looking to his right. The empty lane was between him and Firenze – but more importantly, it was to his right! That meant, whoever it was had a better performance than him!
Back then, the empty lane had been to his left. No one paid it any attention, thinking perhaps it was just a random space between two competitors. But now, everyone realized that there was actually a person standing there! Only, he or she was using some kind of technique to hide their appearance.
On the test of strength, this invisible person was able to reach the 9th level of the Qi Absorption Realm or the 1st level of the Core Formation Realm. That put them tied for either 2nd or 3rd place. But on the test of determination, they actually withstood the third level of pain – maybe even the fourth! That put them tied with Firenze, on the 12th step, and ahead of everyone else but Harry.
"Bastard, show your face! How dare you hide during the competition!" Draco shouted.
There was no response from the empty lane. Others also grew curious, some looking at the invisible man with inquisitive eyes, others with an unfriendly glare. Harry could understand their hostile expressions – not only was the invisible man beating them, he even disdained to show his appearance. That meant he was either hiding something, or thought he was better than everyone else.
"Malfoy, I advise you to watch your tone," Firenze suddenly stated. Strangely, he didn't seem upset about the invisible man at all.
"You know him? An ally of the centaurs?"
"I didn't say that. I am just advising you for your own good," Firenze ominously said.
Draco looked like he was about to retort something, then suddenly his eyes widened. His mouth formed an O-shape, then he closed it.
"You?" he half-exclaimed, half-yelled, looking at the empty lane with surprise.
Obviously, he had figured something out, though Harry had no clue what was happening. Across the room, Harry noticed that some other people seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion as Draco. But a good number of them looked just as confused as Harry.
Before Harry could ask, Rowena Ravenclaw's voice sounded once again.
"The third test is the test of comprehension. As cultivators, we cultivate and fight with our cultivation techniques. How well you have a comprehended a cultivation technique plays an important role in your strength, and that is the subject of this test."
"You all will take the test one by one, starting from the right. When the stairs beneath your feet light up, you must display a cultivation technique you are practicing, and I shall judge its grade and your proficiency in it. Depending on that, you will be able to move up a certain number of steps."
"If you have comprehended an Ordinary Grade technique, you may move up one step."
"If you have comprehended an Earth Grade technique, you may move up two steps."
"If you have comprehended a Heaven Grade technique, you may move up three steps."
"If you have comprehended a Spirit Grade technique or higher, you may move up four steps."
"Begin."
The steps on Harry's section of the staircase brightly lit up, indicating it was Harry's turn. He would start, then it would go down the line.
'Display a cultivation technique, huh?' Harry thought. 'Well, I only practice one...'
Ring of Elements!
Behind Harry's back, the resplendent five-colored ring appeared. The five sections of green, red, brown, gold, and blue shimmered brilliantly in the air, throwing its light across the room. Of the five sections, the blue segment was the brightest by far, while the green segment was brighter than the remaining three. They represented Harry's progress with the Five Medium Accomplishments.
Everybody else intently examined the ring behind Harry's back, captivated by its beauty. Even though the majority of people hated James to the bone, when he brought out the ring, all of them felt a sense of awe. Once they laid their eyes on it, they got the feeling they were witnessing a profound cultivation technique. No matter who it was, the brilliant ring took their breath away.
This ring that James summoned was different from all the techniques they had seen or practiced. It wasn't clear what use the ring had, whether for cultivation, combat, or something else. Nor had they seen or heard of any similar technique before. Despite its mystery and breath-taking appearance, one thing was clear.
"It's Earth Grade," Draco categorically stated.
"Right, it's Earth Grade," Felix agreed.
"Everyone can sense the Qi, it's Earth Grade. So, only two steps," Zacharis Smith said with a hint of relief.
Though he sounded relieved, he, along with everybody else, secretly felt worried. Even if it was only two steps, that would put James on the 17th step!
The closest two competitors, Firenze and the invisible man, were only at the 12th step. At most they knew Earth or Heaven Grade techniques, so at most they could reach the 15th step. Due to James' massive lead, they still wouldn't be able to catch up.
More worringly, the 17th step was just three steps away from the top of the stairs. The last test, the test of talent, would decide everything. If James managed to climb those last three steps, then the treasure would actually be his!
Though the rest of the room had judged the Ring of Elements, strangely, Rowena Ravenclaw had yet to say anything. Harry stood waiting for the verdict.
And as the seconds dragged onto a minute, Harry began to frown. Why hadn't his cultivation technique been judged yet? The silence lasted for so long that Harry almost thought the formations had stopped working, and then –
"Cultivation technique – grade cannot be judged. You may climb four steps."
Four steps! Harry couldn't resist a grin at this unexpected stroke of luck.
Part of Harry wasn't surprised that even this advanced inheritance test couldn't judge the Nameless Technique. It was just too profound, in a world of its own. Though the ring may appear to be Earth Grade, that was just due to his own cultivation. Harry knew the actual technique was much more powerful.
But as for everyone else...
"What – you cheated!" a dozen voices screamed at once.
"CHEATER!" Rodolfo Rowle's voice was so loud that his neighbors clapped their hands over their ears.
"LOWLY HUMAN, HOW DARE YOU!" Firenze roared with all his might.
"That's – that's obviously Earth Grade!" Felix Rosier spat.
"Damn it, James, you're despicable!" Draco screamed. "You cheated your way to the – to the – 19th step!"
When Draco realized James got to the 19th step, he thought he was going to faint. If not from shock, then from sheer rage. All the blood was rushing to his head as his face warped into a hideous glare.
"You cheated on the test of strength! And you cheated on the test of determination! We couldn't prove it, but we knew you were cheating! But now we have proof! That ring was obviously Earth Grade!" Draco furiously ranted.
"Right, everyone could tell that was an Earth Grade technique! You did something to Rowena Ravenclaw's formations, didn't you?"
"Despicable human! Your lowly human race only knows how to cheat and play dirty tricks!" one of the centaurs accusingly pointed at Harry.
From all across the room, cries and accusations of "cheater!" flew towards Harry.
Though part of Harry wanted to protest, he knew it would be futile. He may be able to fight against a crowd, but it was absolutely impossible to argue against one. With so many people criticizing him at once, there was no way Harry could have gotten a word in. Here, he actually felt a bit powerless.
Without bothering to argue, Harry ignored the rest of the room and headed up the stairs.
16!
17!
18!
19!
Once he was on the 19th step, the locking feeling settled back in, and Harry was unable to climb anymore. Just a single step more, and Harry would get Rowena Ravenclaw's last and final treasure!
And seeing James standing there, tall and proud, ever so tantalizingly close to the top of the stairs...
"JAMES OUR ENMITY IS IRRECONCILABLE!" Draco incoherently screamed.
"I SWEAR, MY MALFOY SACRED CLAN WILL HUNT YOU TO THE ENDS OF THE EMPIRE!"
"My Crabbe Sacred Clan too!"
"My Goyle Sacred Clan too!"
"My Bulstrode Sacred Clan too!"
"My Parkinson Sacred Clan too!"
"My Flint Clan too!"
"My Warrington Clan too!"
"My Rosier Sacred Clan too!"
"My Rowle Sacred Clan too!"
"My Avery Sacred Clan too!"
"My Yaxley Sacred Clan too!"
"My Jugson Sacred Clan too!"
"My Gibbon Sacred Clan too!"
"My Travers Sacred Clan too!"
"My Smith Sacred Clan too!"
"My Goldstein Sacred Clan too!"
"My Macmillan Sacred Clan too!"
"Our Star Scrying Centaur Clan too!" all the centaurs roared together.
'Damn... I really pissed them all off, didn't it?' Harry sighed as he stood on the 19th step. This time, he had thoroughly angered a good number of the strongest powers of the empire. He came to the Winter Fold Forest due to its remote location in hopes of not offending anybody – so how did things turn out like this?
After all, there were only 28 Sacred Clans in the empire. Right in this room were 15 Sacred Clans, over half! And Harry had a sneaking suspicion the invisible man was also from a Sacred Clan – why else had Draco looked frightened?
Somehow, in one fell swoop, Harry had pissed off 15 or 16 Sacred Clans!
'There better be a really good treasure at the end of this!' Harry scowled. If the treasure ended up useless to him, then he might actually just lose himself to rage.
The lane Harry was standing in dimmed back to its original appearance, and then the steps on his left, the ones Firenze was on, began shining.
"My noble Star Scrying Centaur Clan has the ability to read the stars, and predict the future! Behold what a real Spirit Grade cultivation technique is," Firenze arrogantly stated, while emphasizing real and shooting Harry a look of disgust.
The centaur clapped his palms together, as if he were about to offer a prayer, then closed his eyes and started mumbling something under his breath. Qi rose out his body, then swirled itself into a twisting map of the night sky. Though it was a crude outline, Harry could roughly make out the various stars and constellations above Firenze's body.
The more Firenze chanted, and the more Qi that came out of his body, the more clear the image of the stars became. The humans could sense a mystical force building up, and they watched with rapt attention. This was normally a secret technique of the centaurs, one they would absolutely not permit a human to witness, but due to the special circumstances, they were given a rare glimpse into the secret.
"Your comprehension is at the Heaven Grade level. You may climb three steps," Rowena Ravenclaw immediately said. This time, there was barely any delay between when Firenze showed his technique and when Ravenclaw judged it.
That only reinforced people's belief that Harry was cheating. For a character like Rowena Ravenclaw, she was able to discern someone's mastery of a cultivation technique with just a glance. Even if it was a Spirit Grade technique, it would only take her seconds to recognize it. She could even tell how much of the technique Firenze understood. For her to take over a minute to judge James' technique indicated he had cheated. Perhaps James had done something to the formation to confuse it.
Next, the light moved to the left once again, onto the invisible man. Nothing seemed to happen, and people carefully watched in case he showed his appearance -
"Your comprehension is at the Heaven Grade level. You may climb three steps," Rowena Ravenclaw said. Whatever technique he was using to hide himself couldn't escape Ravenclaw's detection – or perhaps, Ravenclaw had judged his stealth technique itself.
Next, it was Draco's turn. Wordlessly, he summoned his silver armor from before, which flowed over his body like water. Though it looked like an unassuming set of silver armor, Harry knew this was actually a powerful defensive technique that could boost the user's defense to the next realm.
"Heaven Grade. You may climb three steps," Rowena Ravenclaw said once again.
Crabbe, Goyle and Rowle displayed the same technique they used earlier in the test of strength, the one that inflated their bodies and increased their physical power. To Harry's great surprise, they were actually Heaven Grade techniques! Harry never imagined the beefy but retarded cultivators could have comprehended a Heaven Grade technique, but they had.
'What is going on?' Harry couldn't help but stare. Maybe the Sacred Clans had their special methods to impart cultivation techniques, because there was no way those idiots had learned a Heaven Grade cultivation technique the natural way.
Then it was Felix Rosier's turn. He summoned his Magic Spirit out again, that creepy and gross eyeball, which hovered behind his body and fixed its unblinking stare at the back of Felix's head. The eyeball rotated in place, and something about Felix's body felt different, though Harry couldn't quite put his finger on it. Perhaps, if these walls of light didn't exist, he would be able to tell.
"Heaven Grade. You may climb three steps," Rowena Ravenclaw said.
Wordlessly, but with an ugly look directed at Harry, Felix dissipated his Magic Spirit then joined the others on the 14th step.
'That – was that a tailor-made Heaven Grade technique?' Harry thought in surprise. Most cultivation techniques were general techniques that anyone could learn after enough practice and resources. But surprisingly, Felix's technique actually involved his Magic Spirit. That was proof the technique was customized for Felix and his Magic Spirit – and it was a Heaven Grade technique no less! It was very difficult to create such a thing, and spoke volumes about the power of the Rosier Sacred Clan.
After that, it was time for those on the 10th step of the staircase. First, the other five from Felix Rosier's group went, followed by Milicent Bulstrode, Marcus Flint, and Cassius Warrington from Draco Malfoy's group. However, they only knew Earth Grade techniques, and landed on the 12th step.
Then there were the five centaurs. All of them displayed the same technique as Firenze – since he had already shown it, it was no longer a secret of their clan. But of the five, none of them had anywhere close to Firenze's level of mastery. Everyone could tell the star chart they drew wasn't as detailed, and it lacked the mysticalness present when Firenze did it. They were judged as Earth Grade, and only climbed up two steps, joining the other eight humans on the 12th step.
Next, it was Daniel's turn.
Out of his body, a cold wind started blowing. Qi, lots of it, poured out, then wrapped around his body and hands like a cocoon. The temperature dropped a bit, and then it dropped a lot, suddenly plunging the whole room into chilliness. Snow formed above Daniel's head, drifting down like flower petals, followed by a biting wind. Frost formed on the barriers of light separating Daniel from his neighbors.
Whatever cultivation technique he used, it was very powerful, and Harry's impression of Daniel grew. Though he was a wandering cultivator, he wasn't weak at all!
"Heaven Grade. You may climb three steps."
Surprisingly, Daniel also knew a Heaven Grade technique!
But the biggest surprise was...
Out of Sullivan's body, an eerie, red, vapor-like substance emerged. Harry almost thought it was blood, but it definitely wasn't liquid, rather, it was a strange sort of red Qi that rose out of Sullivan's body like steam. Strands of it twisted then coalesced into a glistening red shape – a perfect, skeletal replica of the human arm. From the humurus to the tiny bones that made up a hand, they were all there. The only difference was, the skeleton was pure red, as if the bones were drenched in blood. Once formed, the entire thing moved of its own will, clenching its fist and rotating the elbow – almost like Sullivan's third arm.
Though seeing bones wasn't uncommon in the cultivation world, there was something unsettling at work here, an off-putting sensation that this cultivation technique was unnatural. Just like Daniel's icy cultivation technique, Sullivan's would also caused people to shudder – just in a different way.
"Heaven Grade. You may climb three steps."
'What the – how?' Harry was utterly confused. Just how in the world had Sullivan of all people learned a Heaven Grade technique?
Harry knew it wasn't an easy feat at all, especially in the Qi Absorption Realm. In fact, it was very difficult. If one could achieve it, then it was definitely a sign of their strength. Not even most of the heirs of the Sacred Clans could do it!
Though people like Draco Malfoy or Felix Rosier were able to do it, it was because they received the best tutoring and resources and techniques that a junior could possibly obtain. But for Daniel and Sullivan, they were wandering cultivators. It didn't seem like they came from a Sacred Clan or some similar power. So just where did these two pick up Heaven Grade techniques?
More than that, why did the genial, cheerful Sullivan know such a creepy cultivation technique? At least Daniel's cultivation technique somewhat matched his personality.
'First Crabbe and Goyle, now even Sullivan?' Harry marveled. Daniel and Sullivan, that pair was full of surprises. Evidently, Harry wasn't the only one shocked.
"Who are you two?" Draco Malfoy demanded. "How can two rogue cultivators know Heaven Grade techniques?"
"None of your business," Daniel shot back.
"Right! None of your business, hah!" Sullivan declared.
Draco snorted, then looked away, disinclined to argue further. Unlike Harry, these two were a step below him, so perhaps he couldn't be bothered to deal with them. The test of comprehension continued.
For the other five from Yellow Hero City, each of them only knew Earth Grade techniques. After it was their turn, they ended up on the 10th step. Their faces were beyond ugly. Three of the four tests had been completed, and they were only halfway up the staircase. The chance that the fourth test would allow them to climb up the remaining ten steps was basically nil.
And especially when they saw James, high up on step 19, the five of them felt incomparably angry. It was like a personal insult, as if James was there to deliberately affront them.
The last to go was Pansy Parkinson. Harry didn't quite understand her cultivation technique, but it was related to formations and methods of creating them – whatever it was, it was quickly judged as Earth Grade. She started the test of comprehension in dead last, and remained in dead last, only at the 9th step. After Rowena Ravenclaw judged her, she just stood there silently, too ashamed to make eye contact with anyone else. Her comparatively horrible performance left her without any face to look at anyone else.
After the test of comprehension finished, the rankings were as follows.
In first place was Harry, standing on the 19th step, well ahead of the pack.
In second place was a tie between Firenze and the invisible man, standing on the 15th step.
In third place was a five-way tie between Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Rosier, and Rowle, standing on the 14th step.
In fourth place was an two-way tie between Daniel and Sullivan, all on the 13th step.
In fifth place was a thirteen-way tie between Avery, Yaxley, Jugson, Gibbon, Travers, Bulstrode, Flint, Warrington, and the other five centaurs, on the 12th step.
In sixth place were the five from Yellow Hero City – Anthony Goldstein, Zacharias Smith, Ernest Macmillan, Terry Boot, and Michael Corner. They were only on the 10th step, and pretty much gave up any hope of getting Rowena Ravenclaw's inheritance.
Finally, there was Pansy Parkinson, only on the 9th step. She could only manage to shoot looks of anger at James, who cheated and managed to reach 10 steps higher!
From these rankings, it could be seen that the strongest groups were definitely Felix's and Draco's, though it seemed like Felix's group was better. Felix had seven Sacred Clans, while Draco only had five, a clear difference. In addition, Draco also had the deadweight known as Pansy Parkinson. But in terms of the top rankings, Draco had Crabbe and Goyle while Felix only had Rowle. In the end, it was difficult to pick out the stronger group.
The centaurs were also a very powerful group. Firenze was doing better than both Felix and Draco, but it could be seen the other five centaurs weren't as good as the other heirs of the Sacred Clans. However, the centaurs were just from a single clan, while Draco's and Felix's groups were made up of seven allied clans. From that, Harry could determine the strength of the centaur clan wasn't low at all.
Then finally, these was the group from Yellow Hero City. They were the most disappointing to Harry. Though their cultivation level was high for their age, they weren't particularly determined, nor had they grasped powerful cultivation techniques. And in terms of character, they were among the worst. As it turned out, not all the Sacred Clans were equally powerful – at least, not the junior generation.
And of course, the most surprising were Daniel and Sullivan, just rogue cultivators but somehow outperforming the majority of the heirs of the Sacred Clan. There was definitely something mysterious about those two, but Harry couldn't dwell on that right now.
Everyone but Harry looked upwards with glum expressions. Perhaps Firenze and the invisible man still had a chance, at the 15th step, but for everybody else, things weren't looking good. The last test was the test of talent – and although "talent" could be a subjective measure, it was Rowena Ravenclaw doing the measuring. All the competitors nervously awaited for the rules of the test of talent.
"The test of talent is the simplest test of them all. For the humans, bring out your Magic Spirit. For the centaurs, activate your bloodline power. The rank of your spirit or bloodline power is how many steps you will advance."