Chapter 48: The All-Rounder

"Hey, hey, wake up! What are you dreaming about in broad daylight?" Tang Yi patted the old man on the shoulder.

"Uh, Tang Yi, right? You are truly a prodigy, you know? This is nothing short of a miracle. Come on, come on, let's go see the dean immediately and tell him about my discovery." The old man grabbed Tang Yi’s hand and tried to lead him outside.

"Wait a moment. You should help me fill out the form first; I still have another test to take." Tang Yi shook off the old man's hand.

"New student, he’s right. Megson, please fulfill your current duty," came a voice from the doorway. Two figures entered; one was the teacher who had just overseen the warrior aptitude test. The other, Tang Yi guessed correctly, was the dean. The elderly man with white hair and beard was Jin Rui, the dean of the Tri-Talent Comprehensive Academy and one of its founders.

"Oh no, Dean, you don’t understand the situation. Listen to me: this student, Tang Yi, is a genius—a polymath rarely seen in a century, no, a millennium, or even ten thousand years. Not only does he possess warrior aptitude above seven stars, but he also has magical aptitude exceeding seven stars. What’s more astonishing is his magical affinity. He has over 98% affinity with every magical element. That’s why I say Tang Yi is a true polymath!" The old man began to babble excitedly. Tang Yi listened silently, smiling with his hands behind his back, as if the words weren’t about him.

"Is that so?" Jin Rui gazed at Tang Yi again, scrutinizing him carefully, but the more he looked, the less he could discern. Shaking his head, the feeling vanished. "Perhaps it’s just an illusion caused by Tang Yi’s unique physique," Jin Rui reasoned silently.

"Tang Yi, I am Jin Rui, the current dean of the Tri-Talent Comprehensive Academy. Would you be willing to undergo another test to measure your magical element affinity?" Jin Rui asked sincerely.

Tang Yi didn’t reply but nodded. Approaching the test platform, he placed both hands on it. Ten crystal spheres lit up simultaneously. The light at their bases gradually intensified until half of each crystal shone brightly in distinct colors. Jin Rui’s mouth hung open in astonishment. As the glow increased, his jaw dropped wider. Though the warrior aptitude test teacher had witnessed Tang Yi’s extraordinary abilities, he hadn’t imagined Tang Yi to be even more exceptional than expected, and his expression mirrored Jin Rui’s.

The ten crystal spheres represented ten different magical elements: milky white for Light, black for Dark and Death, blue for Water, red for Fire, yellow for Earth, green for Wood, translucent white for Wind, purple for Lightning, gold for Metal, and a special gray for the Chaos element, also known as the Spatial element. It was said that individuals with this physique had significant advantages in mastering spatial magic. Normally, only grand mages could cast spatial magic, but those with spatial affinity could do so at the advanced mage level with just a three-star aptitude. With Tang Yi’s aptitude exceeding seven stars, theoretically, he could wield spatial magic even as a novice mage.

"Uh, Megson, please fill in the test results and sign the form," Tang Yi said, retracting his hands and looking at Jin Rui for a moment before the dean seemed to come back to himself.

Megson sighed and carefully filled out the form, then handed it to Tang Yi. Still reluctant, he grasped Tang Yi’s hand again and asked, "Are you really going to the Taoist arts test? Won’t you consider my advice?"

Tang Yi smiled and replied, "Mr. Megson, I have my own plan. Please let go. Thank you! But I can let you in on a secret—I intend to prioritize learning magic. Heh heh…" With that, Tang Yi took the form and headed toward the Taoist arts testing area.

The three exchanged glances and followed him. There was a reason for this: the Tri-Talent Comprehensive Academy was one of the four major academies precisely because it fostered strong internal competition. The three major professions maintained a healthy rivalry under the academy’s regulation, keeping students motivated and driven. This was the secret to the academy’s success. The dean excelled at cultivating this environment.

Arriving at the Taoist arts test area, Tang Yi saw an old Taoist sitting cross-legged, deep in meditation. The man’s attire resembled that of Taoist priests on Earth, especially with one hand performing mudras and the other holding a fly-whisk, resembling a figure from ancient legends. Sensing their arrival, the old Taoist slightly opened his eyes. Seeing the three behind Tang Yi, he stood up, nodded slightly to Tang Yi, then greeted the others: "Dean Jin, Old Megson, Brother Shi, what brings you here today? Almost no students come for testing nowadays."

"Old Chu, today our academy welcomes a treasure—this student Tang Yi," Jin Rui said excitedly.

"Oh? Such good news? Let me see," Old Chu said, taking the form from Tang Yi and examining it carefully. Name: Tang Yi. Warrior aptitude: above seven stars. Tester: Shi Potian. Magical aptitude: above seven stars. Magical element affinity: all ten systems at 98%. Tester: Megson.

Old Chu gasped in disbelief. This was outrageous. While some had high star ratings in both warrior and magic aptitude, one was usually at least one star higher than the other. Historically, the highest dual-aptitude recorded over ten thousand years was a man named Jiang Shuangyang, famous on Dream Blue Star for his prowess in both martial and magical arts, with six stars in warrior aptitude and four and a half in magic. But no one matched Tang Yi’s level. Even more terrifying was Tang Yi’s 98% affinity across all magical systems. Usually, even the most gifted magicians only excelled in three systems at best. Of course, Tang Yi was a super anomaly. Moreover, what they didn’t realize was that this result was deliberately controlled by Tang Yi. Had he not restrained himself like in the previous tests, Megson would have been wailing in despair, and those crystal spheres would have been destroyed.

Old Chu took a deep breath and recovered his composure. "Tang Yi, if you wish to continue with the Taoist arts test, please come this way." He led Tang Yi to the other side of the room.

Tang Yi’s heart stirred in surprise at the sight before him; he hadn’t expected such an advanced formation array on Dream Blue Star. Before him lay a highly sophisticated entrapment formation.