The dawn in Falling Leaf City cast a solemn golden fringe upon the imposing Temple of the War God. The morning breeze, carrying a hint of autumn coolness, swept across the ancient stone slabs of the plaza before the temple. Knight Owen walked at the forefront, his steps steady and powerful, each one like a beat on the drum of history. Corbin, Matthew, Rhodes, and Lianna followed closely, their young faces a mixture of anticipation, nervousness, and a slight trepidation about the unknown.
Stepping through the temple's massive bronze archway, a solemn and heavy atmosphere washed over them. Unlike the tranquility and peace of other temples, the interior of the Temple of the War God was filled with a beauty of power and order. The towering dome was supported by countless massive stone pillars, their surfaces carved with epic scenes of heroes in bloody battle, from ancient dragon fights to recent kingdom defenses, each image brimming with tension. Light streamed through tall, narrow stained-glass windows on either side; these windows depicted not the mercy of deities, but diagrams of various weapons, battle formations, and silhouettes of heroically sacrificed warriors. A faint mixed scent of metal and leather conditioning oil, a legacy of countless weapons and armor housed here over the years, hung in the air. The floor was paved with enormous black rocks, hard and cold, as if capable of withstanding the trample of a thousand armies.
"Young ones, remember, the Temple of the War God is not only a sacred place for knights but also where all warriors who rely on Combat Aura to fight prove their worth and have their power levels assessed." Knight Owen's voice echoed in the vast hall, tinged with an almost imperceptible gravity. "Whether your future path is to become a guardian knight of a region, a hunter roaming the wilderness, or a warrior pursuing ultimate martial skill, the glory of the War God will fairly judge your valor and potential. Maintain reverence, and give it your all."
The four nodded in unison, took a deep breath, and followed Knight Owen towards the bustling Hall of Knights.
Within the Hall of Knights, dappled light filled the space where nearly a hundred young people of similar age had already gathered. They came from Falling Leaf City and various surrounding territories; some wore family-inherited light armor, while others were dressed in neat, practical attire, with the outlines of different types of weapons faintly visible at their waists or on their backs, clearly indicating that not all aimed to become traditional knights. The air was thick with a suppressed excitement and a strong sense of competition.
A high-ranking cleric knight, clad in ornate sacred armor and with a stern visage, stood on a raised platform in the center of the hall. His voice, like a great bell, resonated throughout the space: "All young people aspiring to prove your valor, welcome to the Temple of the War God! Today, you will be inspected by the War God, and your Combat Aura strength will be evaluated. The trial is divided into two main parts: basic ability tests and practical combat sparring. Those who pass all tests will be eligible to swear an oath before the sacred statue of the War God, receive the blessing of divine grace, and be recognized by the Temple of the War God, becoming officially ranked warriors and receiving the corresponding emblem! May your martial fortunes flourish!"
The basic ability tests began first. Matthew approached the strength testing area and, with a low grunt, easily lifted an rune-engraved boulder over his head. A faint red Combat Aura halo flashed briefly. The examiner recording scores drew a heavy circle on the scroll and added a small star beside it, murmuring, "Pure strength, and excellent Combat Aura response." When it was Rhodes's turn, he swept through an obstacle-laden area like the wind, his movements agile. The examiner's eyes glinted with approval: "Exquisite control over his body." Lianna, holding a practice longsword, precisely condensed Combat Aura on its tip, steadily and persistently hitting all swaying targets. Her focus and tenacity led the examiner in charge to specifically note "excellent endurance and stability." Finally, it was Corbin. His performance remained "perfect"; every move was textbook, yet it caused the white-haired old examiner to frown even more deeply, muttering to himself, "Flawless technique, but... too perfect, not like a youth, as if deliberately suppressing something."
Once the basic ability tests concluded, the young people who passed took a short breather before being guided to a weapon rack on the other side to select weapons for the upcoming practical combat sparring. Most unhesitatingly picked their most familiar and comfortable weapons. Matthew, as always, chose his powerful two-handed greatsword, and Lianna also took up her customary single-handed sword and kite shield. When it was Rhodes's turn, he didn't rush to choose like the others. Instead, his gaze swept over the weapon rack, carefully examining them, as if rapidly assessing something based on certain considerations. Ultimately, he didn't pick the standard knight's sword he usually practiced with the most. Instead, he selected a rapier with a slightly narrower blade and a sharper point, as if he already had a specific tactical plan for the upcoming battle.
The final practical combat sparring showcased the four's characteristics even more vividly.
Matthew's opponent was a youth who also excelled in strength. The moment they engaged, it was a head-on clash, Combat Aura surging, the sound of weapons striking echoing continuously. Matthew fought with increasing valor, seemingly tireless. Relying on his more profound Combat Aura and superior explosive power, he gradually forced his opponent into a corner, finally winning with an unstoppable heavy chop.
Rhodes's opponent was an agile trial-taker using daggers, whose movements were swift as lightning, his attacks fierce and cunning, specializing in close-quarters entanglement. Facing such an opponent, the rapier Rhodes had specifically chosen proved to be a wise decision. He knew that if it came down to a pure contest of extreme close-quarters agility, he might not best an opponent who had dedicated years to practicing dagger techniques. Therefore, leveraging the rapier's lightness, he first ensured his movement speed wasn't inferior, allowing him to keep pace with his opponent. More importantly, he fully utilized the rapier's reach advantage over daggers. As the battle began, the opponent closed in like a phantom, dagger glinting coldly, striking for Rhodes's vitals. Rhodes, however, remained composed, flexibly stepping back half a pace while his wrist flicked. The rapier shot out like a viper, precisely targeting the opponent's advance route, forcing the opponent to slow his assault and change direction. He consistently maintained a subtle distance from his opponent—a distance where daggers struggled to be effective, but the rapier's thrusts could cover precisely. The opponent attempted to forcibly close the distance several times, but Rhodes sealed off his advance angles with precise sword-tip control or used the rapier's longer blade to parry, rendering the short, sharp attacks ineffective. Rhodes didn't rush to attack fiercely but patiently maneuvered, his sword tip like a persistent shadow, constantly threatening the opponent's openings and wearing down his aggression. During one instance when the opponent tried to risk a close-in rush, Rhodes keenly caught a minor opening exposed by the opponent's haste. The rapier suddenly accelerated, thrusting out at a cunning angle, its tip scraping a shower of sparks from the opponent's armguard, forcing his attack to collapse and compelling a clumsy retreat. Though his experience was still shallow and some of his maneuvers were slightly unrefined, his clear tactical thinking—choosing a weapon based on the opponent's characteristics and calmly using its advantages to control the battle's rhythm, ultimately overcoming the enemy's strengths with his own—earned frequent nods from the observing examiners.
Lianna's opponent was a trial-taker known for ferocious continuous attacks, who launched a stormy offensive from the outset, attempting to overwhelm her with momentum and force an opening. However, Lianna was like a reef on the coast that has weathered countless storms; no matter how wild the opponent's attacks, she remained steadfast. Her sword and shield coordination was flawless, each block precisely deflecting the opponent's force. Her footwork was steady as she adjusted her distance and angle. Seemingly on the defensive, she was actually constantly wearing down the opponent's aggression and stamina while calmly observing their attack patterns. Her Combat Aura output was stable and enduring, supporting her impenetrable defense, making each of the opponent's fierce attacks feel like striking resilient cotton, powerful yet ineffective. Finally, when the opponent's impetuous assault faltered momentarily due to exhaustion, a sharp glint flashed in Lianna's hitherto calm eyes. Her counter-attack, long held in reserve, struck out like a precise viper – concise and efficient, a single sword strike to the joint of the opponent's armguard, forcing his attack to collapse and nearly making him drop his weapon. Her victory wasn't as overwhelming as Matthew's, nor as agile and varied as Rhodes's, but it exuded a reassuring reliability and an unbreakable resilience, showcasing excellent battlefield survivability and timing for counter-attacks. The head examiner nodded slightly and said in a low voice to the scribe beside him, "This girl possesses all the qualities to become an excellent guardian knight. Her presence can make comrades behind her feel incredibly secure. In a stalemated battle, warriors like her can often be the key to deciding victory."
Corbin's battle was like a precise chess game. His opponent was a swordsman skilled in speed and technique, but before Corbin, all the swordsman's attacks were like a clay ox entering the sea—ineffective. Corbin always managed to evade or parry the opponent's attacks with minimal movement, perfect timing, and appropriate force. Then, when the opponent's old strength was spent and new strength not yet gathered, he would point his sword, seemingly casually, at a vital spot, forcing the opponent to concede. His victories were clean and decisive, yet they left his opponents with an inexplicable sense of oppression, as if all their actions were anticipated by him, tightly bound by an invisible net. The head examiner, the high-ranking cleric knight, watched Corbin noticeably longer than the others, his brow furrowed even tighter.
Of all the young people who passed both tests, about thirty-odd remained, Corbin and his three friends naturally among them. With excited hearts, they lined up and proceeded to the Statue Plaza in the deepest part of the Temple of the War God. In the center of the plaza stood a ten-meter-tall full-body statue of Barha, the War God. The War God held a greatsword, his gaze sternly overlooking the crowd, his posture full of dynamic explosive power, as if ready to unleash a world-destroying strike at any moment.
The high-ranking cleric knight (the head examiner) ascended the altar before the statue and led the crowd in a loud oath: "I, [Name], hereby swear by my will to fight, that with every swing of my weapon, every release of Combat Aura, I will give my utmost, and not disgrace the name of a warrior! Until my last breath!"
"With every battle, I will give my utmost, and not disgrace the name of a warrior! Until my last breath!" The young, passionate voices merged into a torrent, echoing in the plaza, filled with a desire for battle and faith in their own strength.
After the oath, the head examiner began to pray devoutly. Following his prayers, the statue of the War God began to emit a soft golden light. The light grew brighter and brighter, eventually converging into a thick golden pillar that shot towards the sky, then, like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, it separated into dozens of fine beams, slowly and precisely landing on the head of each oath-taker.
Rhodes and Lianna, bathed in the golden divine grace, felt a warm and pure power surge into their bodies. Their limbs filled with strength, and their spirits were invigorated. On their temporary emblems, the War God's insignia began to glow with a soft, steady light, symbolizing that their Combat Aura strength had been recognized and blessed by the War God. More importantly, they felt their Combat Aura connect with some unseen law, as if an invisible shackle had been undone.
However, an anomaly occurred with Matthew and Corbin.
The pillar of light that fell upon Matthew was noticeably brighter and more enduring than the others. He didn't immediately feel a direct increase in strength like the others. Instead, he clearly felt a warm and powerful force slowly flowing within him, guiding and organizing his originally somewhat wild Combat Aura, as if an invisible master was meticulously instructing him on how to use his power more effectively, making his combat instincts sharper. He could feel that his understanding and control of Combat Aura had risen by a small level in that instant, especially gaining a new understanding of how Combat Aura could break through its own limitations and connect with the external world, with heaven and earth. He looked down at his emblem and found that the War God's insignia on it not only shone brighter but also seemed a fraction clearer than the others, with deeper, fine lines faintly visible under the light, as if containing some martial secret. The head examiner, seeing this, nodded almost imperceptibly, a look of "as expected" in his eyes, as if Matthew's pure fighting passion and talent were precisely what the War God appreciated.
Corbin's situation, however, was the complete opposite. The beam of divine grace attempting to approach him seemed to collide with an invisible, transparent barrier just inches above his head. The beam flickered and twisted violently, fruitlessly trying to break through, but it could never descend. Finally, after several struggles, the beam emitted a faint, unwilling pop and completely dissipated into the air. Corbin stood there quietly, surrounded by an "empty brightness," a stark contrast to his companions bathed in the golden rain beside him. He could clearly sense the strong repulsion of that sacred power towards him, and some inherent quality deep within his soul—perhaps his latent magical affinity, perhaps his overly "calculated" rather than "passionate" fighting style, or perhaps a more fundamental essence of his soul—was in natural, irreconcilable opposition to this War God's divine grace, which resonated only with pure fighting will and Combat Aura. More importantly, he felt that the "barrier of law" obstructing the external release of Combat Aura remained as solid as ever within him, showing no signs of loosening.
The plaza instantly fell into a dead silence. Everyone stared at Corbin in astonishment, and whispers rose like a tide. Knight Owen's face turned deathly pale in an instant, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. Matthew, Rhodes, and Lianna also turned their heads in shock, looking at Corbin standing alone, their eyes filled with disbelief and deep concern.
"Bring him here!" The head examiner's stern voice shattered the silence.