The Linggen Test Crisis

  The multicolored swirl of light within the jade platform pulsed like a chaotic heartbeat, casting an eerie glow on John’s face.

  He felt the weight of a hundred scrutinizing eyes, each glance a pinprick of doubt and suspicion.

  Master Wu, his expression unreadable, stroked his long white beard, the silence amplifying the tension in the air.

  “Trickery!

  ” Elder Zhang’s voice boomed, echoing through the vast hall.

  He jabbed a bony finger towards John.

  “Explain this… *abomination*!

  No legitimate cultivator displays such a chaotic Linggen signature.

  You’ve defiled the sacred platform!

  ”

  John swallowed hard.

  *Defiled the sacred platform?

  Seriously?

  I just stood on the thing.

  * He felt a surge of that familiar, modern-world exasperation.

  Back on Earth, a glitching computer would be less dramatic.

  He opened his mouth to explain, to somehow convey the concept of a soul from another world inhabiting this body, but the words caught in his throat.

  How could he explain something so utterly… *unbelievable*?

  Liu Feng, a lanky youth with a sneer permanently etched on his face, seized the opportunity.

  “Just as I suspected!

  ” he declared, his voice dripping with feigned righteousness.

  “This peasant must have used some forbidden technique to manipulate the platform.

  He’s clearly not worthy of joining the Qingxuan Sect!

  ” Liu Feng shot John a venomous glare, a flicker of jealousy in his eyes.

  *This country bumpkin, stealing my thunder…*

  A murmur rippled through the assembled disciples.

  John could practically feel the whispers coalescing into a tangible force, pressing down on him, suffocating him.

  He risked a glance at Zhao Yun, a friendly face amongst the sea of hostile stares.

  Zhao Yun offered a subtle nod, a small gesture of support that, strangely, gave John a sliver of hope.

  “Silence!

  ” Master Wu’s command cut through the murmuring like a sharp blade.

  He fixed John with a piercing gaze.

  “Boy,” he began, his voice calm yet laced with authority, “explain yourself.

  What manner of sorcery is this?

  ”

  John's mind raced.

  Sorcery?

  He knew as much about sorcery as he knew about rocket science… which, admittedly, was quite a bit, thanks to late-night Wikipedia binges.

  But explaining *that* wouldn’t help his case.

  He had to play along, somehow…

  He took a deep breath, forcing himself to project an air of confidence he certainly didn’t feel.

  "Master Wu," he began, his voice surprisingly steady, "I assure you…"

  He paused, a mischievous glint entering his eyes.

  “This is no sorcery…”

  "...This is *science*."

  A wave of confused murmurs washed over the hall.

  Science?

  What strange new sorcery was this?

  Even Master Wu’s brow furrowed in bewilderment.

  John pressed on, emboldened by their confusion.

  “In my homeland,” he began, weaving a tale that blended truth and carefully crafted fiction, “we understand the workings of the universe through principles and laws.

  We call it… science.

  This… Linggen, as you call it, is simply my unique energy signature, a manifestation of my inherent potential.

  ”

  He gestured towards the swirling colors within the jade.

  “These colors,” he explained, “represent different elements interacting within me.

  It’s not chaos, it’s… *complexity*.

  Think of it like… like a rainbow.

  Multiple colors, yet a single phenomenon.

  ”

  Some of the younger disciples, their minds more open to new ideas, began to nod slowly.

  Zhao Yun even offered a small, encouraging smile.

  Elder Zhang, however, remained unconvinced.

  “Preposterous!

  ” he scoffed.

  “A rainbow?

  You dare compare your… *abomination* to the majestic beauty of a rainbow?

  You continue to spout nonsense!

  Prove it!

  Show us this ‘science’ of yours!

  ”

  John’s heart hammered against his ribs.

  *Prove it?

  How the hell am I supposed to prove quantum physics to a bunch of medieval… cultivators?

  *

  “Very well,” he said, forcing a calm he didn’t feel.

  “I will demonstrate.

  But I require a controlled environment.

  No outside interference.

  No accusations of trickery.

  ” He met Elder Zhang’s gaze head-on.

  “If I succeed, will you accept that this is not sorcery, but something… *different*?

  ”

  Elder Zhang’s eyes narrowed.

  “If you succeed in replicating this… *phenomenon* under strict observation, I will concede that it is not conventional sorcery.

  However,” he added, a cunning glint in his eye, “if you fail, you will be banished from the Qingxuan Sect, and branded a charlatan.

  ”

  John felt a chill run down his spine.

  It was a gamble, a huge one.

  But he had no other choice.

  He nodded curtly.

  “Agreed.

  ”

  Master Wu, who had remained silent throughout this exchange, finally spoke.

  “Elder Zhang, prepare the isolation chamber.

  We will conduct this… *experiment* under the strictest scrutiny.

  ”

  He turned to John, his expression serious.

  “Boy,” he said, his voice low, “this is your final chance.

  Do not disappoint.

  ”

  As John followed Elder Zhang towards the isolation chamber, a small, tightly wrapped package was surreptitiously slipped into his hand.

  He glanced down and saw Zhao Yun quickly turn away, a faint blush on his cheeks.

  John unfurled the package and found a small, unassuming rock.

  It pulsed with a faint, familiar energy.

  A spirit stone.

  He looked back at Zhao Yun and mouthed a silent *Thank you*.

  He had a feeling he was going to need it.

  The heavy stone door of the isolation chamber slammed shut, plunging John into darkness.

  He clutched the spirit stone tightly in his hand, its energy a small beacon of hope in the suffocating blackness.

  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

  “Showtime,” he whispered.

  "This is... destiny." John finished, his voice resonating with a conviction he hadn't known he possessed.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  He gambled, hoping the vague, almost mystical answer would buy him some time.

  Master Wu's eyebrows rose slightly.

  "Destiny?" he echoed, intrigued.

  "Yes, Master Wu," John continued, emboldened by the flicker of curiosity in the Sect Leader's eyes.

  "I believe the Heavens themselves have guided me here, to the Qingxuan Sect. This... unique display... is merely a reflection of my predestined path." He gestured towards the swirling lights within the platform.

  "It is not trickery, but a testament to my potential, a potential that I believe can only be realized within these hallowed halls."

  Elder Zhang snorted.

  "Preposterous! Destiny? This is clearly a demonic influence!" He turned to Master Wu, his voice laced with urgency.

  "Sect Leader, we cannot allow such a tainted individual to join our ranks! It would be a disgrace to our ancestors!"

  Liu Feng, sensing an opportunity to drive the final nail into John's coffin, stepped forward.

  "Master Wu," he said, his voice dripping with false concern, "I witnessed this… *John Lee*… sneaking around the library last night. Perhaps he stole a forbidden scroll and used it to tamper with the platform?" He emphasized John's name with a sneer.

  John barely suppressed a groan.

  He *had* been in the library, fascinated by the ancient texts.

  Of course, he hadn't stolen anything, but trying to explain his thirst for knowledge to these superstitious cultivators seemed like a losing battle.

  Zhao Yun, seeing John's predicament, spoke up, his voice calm and reasonable.

  "Master Wu, with all due respect to Elder Zhang and Liu Feng, we have no concrete proof of any wrongdoing. Perhaps this unusual Linggen display is simply a rare phenomenon, one we haven't encountered before."

  Master Wu, his gaze fixed on John, remained silent for a long moment, weighing the arguments.

  The swirling lights within the platform pulsed, a silent testament to the tension in the air.

  Finally, he spoke, his voice firm and decisive.

  “Very well,” he said, his eyes glinting with an unreadable emotion.

  “We will put this… destiny… to the test.

  ” He turned to Wang Tao, the official overseeing the test.

  "Wang Tao, prepare the secondary trial. The Trial of the Whispering Stones."

  A collective gasp rippled through the hall.

  The Trial of the Whispering Stones was notoriously difficult, a test reserved for only the most promising – and sometimes the most suspect – disciples.

  It was a trial that delved into the depths of one’s spirit, a trial that could expose the darkest secrets… and the greatest potential.

  John's heart pounded in his chest.

  He had no idea what this new trial entailed

  The swirling chaos within the jade platform intensified, casting dancing shadows across the solemn faces of the assembled cultivators.

  Whispers rippled through the hall, a mixture of awe and apprehension.

  John, still processing his transmigration, felt a prickle of unease.

  He'd expected some kind of reaction, but this vibrant, almost violent display of… whatever it was… seemed to have painted a target on his back.

  Master Wu, his expression unreadable, raised a hand, silencing the murmuring crowd.

  His voice, amplified by Qi, resonated through the hall.

  “Silence!

  This is unprecedented.

  Wang Tao, explain yourself.

  What is the meaning of this… anomaly?

  ”

  Wang Tao, the testing official, his face ashen, stammered, “Master Wu, I… I assure you, the platform is functioning perfectly.

  I've never witnessed such a… diverse aura before.

  ” He shot a nervous glance at John, who offered a helpless shrug in return.

  Elder Zhang, his face a mask of disapproval, stepped forward.

  "Diverse? It's chaotic! Unnatural! This boy is clearly using some sort of demonic art to tamper with the test. We cannot allow such treachery within our sacred sect!"

  Liu Feng, a lanky youth with a sneer perpetually etched on his face, seized the opportunity.

  He'd been watching John with thinly veiled jealousy since his arrival.

  "Indeed, Elder Zhang. This… *outsider* reeks of suspicion. Who knows what kind of wicked techniques he's hiding?"

  John suppressed a sigh.

  He really wasn't in the mood for this high school drama, especially in a world where people could apparently throw fireballs.

  “If I’m using some ‘demonic art’,” he said, his voice laced with sarcasm he couldn’t quite suppress, "perhaps you could enlighten me as to how I'm doing it? I'm rather new to this whole… magic thing.”

  The sarcasm, however, was lost on the assembled cultivators.

  Elder Zhang’s eyes narrowed.

  “Insolence!

  You dare mock us with your lies?

  ”

  Master Wu, however, held up a hand again.

  He studied John with a penetrating gaze.

  “Silence, Zhang.

  Boy, what is your explanation for this… phenomenon?

  ”

  John took a deep breath.

  Time to improvise.

  "Master Wu," he said, projecting as much sincerity as he could muster, "I swear I have no idea what's happening. I arrived in this world only recently and am just as bewildered as you are." He decided a touch of self-deprecation might help.

  "To be honest, I barely understand what a 'Linggen' is, let alone how to manipulate one."

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Zhao Yun, another prospective disciple, watching him with a curious expression.

  He seemed less hostile than the others, even offering a small, almost imperceptible nod of encouragement.

  Master Wu remained impassive.

  "Your words are… intriguing. However, we cannot simply dismiss this irregularity. We must investigate further." He turned to Wang Tao.

  "Continue the test. Let us see what other… surprises this young man has in store for us."

  John felt a knot tighten in his stomach.

  He had a feeling this was just the beginning of his troubles.

  He glanced at the swirling colors within the jade, a kaleidoscope of unknown potential.

  What fresh hell awaited him now?