It was time for the affinity test to begin. The proctor called each person up by name, and, using a magic tool, would announce the person’s affinities. People began to slowly file their way up to the examiner. None were particularly exemplary, until one boy whose affinities were so strong with water that the magic tool actually began to turn blue and grow a frosty coat. After that it was more waiting.

“Shiga Wateya!” the proctor shouted out. Shiga stood up and slowly walked up to the platform. After stepping up, the proctor held out the looking glass. Shiga gently placed a hand on the handle of the looking glass. As Shiga grasped the handle, the colors reflected began to swirl and morph until instead of showing the sky, there was the image of a pleasant meadow filled with life and gently blown by the wind.

“Affinities for Air, Earth, and Life!” the proctor announced. Having 3 affinities was not common and a life affinity was slightly less common than even that, but even together they were not the rarest of things that had occurred yet today, and by no means would they gloss over other deficiencies. As he went back to his seat, Shiga mulled over the results of this test. He had known in advance that he was going to have a life affinity; it was hereditary in the family, but the others… They made things different. With more affinities, a cultivator would have more room to grow, and the affinities that Shiga had all had a decent amount of synergy with each other. If he cultivated them properly, he would be stronger than most people, not enough to win any fight, but strong enough to give an advantage in most fights.

Eventually, the test drew to a close and there were only a few people who had any shocking affinities. It was now time to take the talent test. It was a test to see the latent talent of cultivators. For this test every person was given a copy of the Storm Horses Kick technique. The strength of the storm sounds and wind produced by the kick would show the cultivation level of the technique.

First Level - Calm before the storm - a regular kick

Second Level - Gathering Clouds - produces wind

Third Level - Downpour - produces the sound of rain and wind

Fourth Level - Storm - Produces the sound of thunder and wind

Shiga practiced as long as he could and in the end managed to mostly complete the second level. A regular person would have been at the start of the first level, a normal cultivator would have been at the start of the second level, a gifted person would have been at the start of the third level, and a prodigy would have made it to the fourth level.

There were more levels, but if anyone managed to make it to those at this point in time, they most likely wouldn’t even be allowed to complete the other tests because of all the schools trying to recruit them. Shiga had down well on this test, not excelling, but better than most people. The next test was the survival test. It was both a test, and a preparation for the test that came after it, the Dao Test.