Chapter 5: Life 10, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1
“What is your name?” asked the elderly man at the testing orb.
“Su Fang.”
“Place your hand on the orb and channel your qi into it.”
This time, not only did I know what to do, but the action came much easier. Qi flowed from my dantian and into the orb. A dull brown stone appeared in its center.
“Earth affinity. Middle of nine-star,” the elderly man said. His voice sounded only slightly kinder than in the past. Honestly, I didn’t know what a ‘good’ result would be in this test.
“What can you tell us about the blessing you have received?”
“The healing and slight strengthening of my body,” I said. Playing the mysterious angle didn’t work at all, better to try to appear straight-forward.
“Hmm, works with the earth affinity. Very well, give him the Earth Heart Mantra and return him.” This wasn’t much different than the past, but the faint hint of praise gave me hope.
As before, I picked up the scroll and returned to my tiny house. At this point, I didn’t really need the scroll anymore. I already knew what it said. Practicing it this time, however, was different. As I followed the instructions, I could feel a significant difference.