blueteamnovel Chapter 25 AFFINITY RESULTS
Chapter 25 AFFINITY RESULTS
Li Hao's hand shot up immediately, nearly knocking over their father's teacup in his eagerness. His enthusiasm was so typical of his personality—always first to volunteer, never hesitating.
Li Hua watched her second eldest brother's excitement with a mixture of amusement and mounting anxiety, her own hands clasped tightly in her lap. The contrast between his boundless confidence and her own hesitation couldn't have been more stark.
Honestly, she was nervous. Nervous of exposure of her past self, nervous that her results would reveal too much—or worse, too little. Would the crystal somehow sense that she didn't belong in this world? That the soul who originally inhabited this body was no longer here? The thought sent a shiver down her spine, despite the warmth of the room.
"Master, it'll be fine." Little Firefly spoke, sensing his master's unease.
When Li Hua and Little Firefly first bonded in her past life, their connection had been raw and unfiltered—every thought, no matter how private, flowed freely between them. It took years of practice for Li Hua to refine this ability, learning to control which thoughts she shared with her companion. Though more disciplined now, their bond remained as intimate as ever.
"I'm just nervous," she responded. The word felt foreign on her tongue—she hadn't experienced true nervousness since her past life, where neither board meetings as a CEO nor assassination contracts had made her hands tremble like this.
"Master, don't worry. This crystal is not an all seeing crystal." He chuckled softly, "It just senses your spiritual powers and places you within the best categories."
She took a deep breath, drawing comfort from Little Firefly's words. After all, the crystal was just a tool for reading spiritual essence—it couldn't possibly understand the complexities of her existence, the memories of past lives, or the knowledge that resided in this young body.
Li Hua watched as Li Hao now held the affinity crystal in his small chubby hands, his face scrunched in concentration as he channeled his spiritual essence into the translucent sphere.
The crystal stirred to life in her brother's hands, pulsing with gentle radiance like moonlight through morning mist. Li Hua held her breath as she watched the white glow strengthen, responding to his spiritual essence. Everything about this world of cultivation filled her with wonder—the flow of spiritual energy, the mysterious white dragon coiled around her golden phoenix core, and now this remarkable crystal that could illuminate the path of one's destiny.
The crystal's depths stirred with tiny motes of light, like fireflies awakening at dusk. Its pure white glow fractured into scattered rays, and then—as quick as lightning splits the sky—two vibrant hues emerged. Red surged upward like flames seeking heaven, while blue spiraled around it like mountain streams, the two colors dancing together in an ancient pattern that seemed both wild and perfectly balanced.
"Good!" Her father shouted from his seat.
Li Hao opened his eyes and beamed with pride, his small face radiating joy at their father's approval.
"Focus," her mother said, turning to look at their father sternly. "There's still one more test."
Her father sat in stunned silence, pride shining in his eyes as he watched his eldest son's remarkable display.
Li Wei's face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and pride as the crystal's light gradually dimmed. "Thank you, Māmā and Bàba."
"Hey... what are you thanking us for? Though when we conceived you, your mother and I were beneath a water—" Her father's words were cut short by her mother's swift fist to his stomach.
Her brothers burst into laughter as their father doubled over, dramatically clutching his middle. "I regret... nothing..." he wheezed, still grinning despite his wife's deadly aim.
"Ahem." Her mother said, her face flushed red as a spring cherry. "Hua'er, it's your turn."
Li Hua's smile quickly faded as she nodded and held out her small chubby hands.
Her brother, Li Wei, carefully placed the affinity stone in her hands.
Sensing that she was slightly anxious, her mother walked behind her, her hands holding Li Hua's arm in gentle support. "Now gently release the spiritual essence in your inner core and focus it into the affinity stone," she instructed with a mother's patience.
Li Hua closed her eyes and felt the warm spiritual essence move from her inner core, threading through her meridians and then focused it, like a gentle stream, pouring into the affinity crystal.
The crystal warmed beneath her touch, and when Li Hua opened her eyes, she witnessed something extraordinary. Within its depths, a symphony of colors bloomed—all eight elemental hues swirled together like paint in clear water. Red, blue, purple, brown, and black wove delicate patterns, but three colors commanded attention above all others: green surging like spring growth through bamboo, wind essence streaming silver-white like storm clouds at dawn, and gold radiating with the brilliance of summer noon.
The light from the crystal painted shadows across her family's faces as they stood in stunned silence. Li Hua felt the weight of their unspoken thoughts press against her chest like a physical thing. No one moved, no one spoke—as if the slightest sound might shatter this moment of revelation.
In the dancing light of the crystal, Li Hua kept her face carefully neutral, even as anxiety coiled in her stomach like a restless snake.
"It's okay, Master. This is very good. Your parents just need some time to process this," Little Firefly's voice whispered in her mind, soothing her anxious heart.
Li Hua nodded slightly and continued focusing her spiritual energy into the affinity stone. The real test was yet to come.
Soon, the colors began their transformation, swirling and coalescing into distinct patterns. Like a celestial dance, spiral patterns intertwined with clashing swords, while geometric shapes merged with flowing feathers. Ripples and bubbles joined the display, creating a tapestry of possibilities that left her parents more speechless.