Cultivation is Creation-Chapter 258: The Selection

The six of us stood in silence before the entrance to the Cerulean Spire, our ceremonial robes billowing gently in the breeze.

The spire itself was breathtaking—a massive crystalline structure that stretched impossibly high into the sky, its azure surface capturing and refracting the blue sun's rays in hypnotic patterns. It wasn't just tall; it was unnaturally slender, defying the normal laws of architecture and gravity, tapering to a needle-like point that seemed to pierce the heavens themselves.

I studied my fellow candidates.

Aric Leminov stood with perfect posture, his golden hair catching the early light. Unlike the nervous energy radiating from the others, he projected a serene confidence, as if he were merely attending a social function rather than a life-altering trial.

Next to him, Dorian Velaris made a show of adjusting his immaculate robes, which were adorned with far more elaborate embroidery than the standard ceremonial garments provided to us. Trust a noble to find a way to flaunt status even when everyone was supposed to be dressed identically.

"Custom robes?" I heard Amira whisper to him with a hint of amusement. "Isn't that against tradition?"

"Family privilege," Dorian replied without a trace of embarrassment. "House Velaris candidates have worn these for seventeen generations during Selection."

Amira rolled her eyes behind his back, then caught me watching and gave me a wink. Her honey-blonde braids were woven with tiny azure crystals today, creating the impression of a starry night sky whenever she moved her head.

Bren was stone-faced as usual, his muscular frame rigid like a coiled spring.

And then there was Laelyn, looking simultaneously regal and vulnerable in her ceremonial robes. When our eyes met, she offered a small smile.

"Feeling ready?" she asked, moving to stand beside me.

"As ready as I can be," I replied honestly. "Though I'm still not entirely sure what to expect."

"None of us are," she said softly. "That's part of the test, I think, facing the unknown."

My gaze travelled up the spire, the peak disappearing into the heavens.

"Makes you wonder if anyone's ever tried climbing it from the outside," I murmured.

Aric chuckled softly beside me. "Legend says three foolhardy initiates tried exactly that about eight hundred years ago. They made it halfway before the defense formations activated."

"What happened to them?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"The story varies depending on who tells it," he replied. "The official version is that they were simply teleported back to the ground with a stern warning. The version told in student dormitories claims they were transformed into the crystal birds that circle the spire."

I glanced up, noticing for the first time the small, blue-tinged avian shapes wheeling around the tower's upper reaches. "That seems excessive."

"Welcome, Candidates, to the Cerulean Spire," Elder Sorrin's voice interrupted our conversation as he approached, flanked by two silent attendants in silver and blue.

"For hundreds of thousands of years, the Selection has taken place within this sacred structure," he continued. "It is here, at the point closest to the Blue Sun's grace, that the worthiness of candidates is measured and the Saint is chosen."

He gestured toward the doorway before us. It was deceptively simple, a tall archway carved from the same blue crystal as the rest of the spire, with no visible door or barrier. Inside was only darkness, giving no hint as to what lay beyond.

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"This humble gate is the only entrance to the Cerulean Spire, which otherwise remains inaccessible to mortal means. The Spire itself exists in a state of celestial proximity, physically closer to the blue sun than any other structure in our world."

A small murmur of excitement passed through the candidates. Even Bren, typically stoic, shifted his weight forward with interest.

"The test is simple," Elder Sorrin continued. "Each of you will enter the archway, which will transport you directly to your individual testing chamber within the Spire. There, you will absorb the blue sun's energy for as long as you are able to endure it."

The elder's gaze swept across us. "When you reach your limit, and all of you will reach a limit, you may place your hand upon the formation panel beside the door. This will signal your withdrawal from the test and return you safely to the base of the Spire."

"How will you determine the winner?" Dorian asked, his chin raised slightly. "Is it simply a matter of endurance?"

Elder Sorrin's expression remained impassive. "The blue sun itself will determine its chosen vessel. While duration is one factor, it is not the only consideration. The quality of resonance, the purity of intention, the depth of understanding, all these matter to the First Light."

"And if we choose not to stop?" Bren's gruff voice broke his usual silence. "If we push beyond our limits?"

The elder's eyes hardened slightly. "Then you risk spiritual immolation. The blue sun's energy, when concentrated as it is within the Spire, can overwhelm and consume those who lack the wisdom to recognize their boundaries." He paused. "We have lost candidates in the past to such hubris. I would strongly advise against it."

A tense silence followed his words. I glanced at Laelyn, who had gone slightly pale.

"And how do we surrender if it becomes too much?" I asked.

"Within each chamber is a simple formation near the entrance," the elder replied. "Place your hand upon it, and the door will open, ending your participation. There is no shame in recognizing your limits, many great Lightweavers have served the Order without becoming Saint."

This last part was delivered with a significant look at me, as if to say that a village boy should be particularly mindful of the exit option.

"Will we be able to see how the others are faring?" Amira asked,

The elder shook his head. "Each chamber is completely isolated. You will neither see nor sense the other candidates. This ensures that your focus remains entirely on your own communion with the Blue Sun." He paused. "I should also mention that your perception of time may... vary within the chambers."

So Thara was correct, we really wouldn't know how long we'd been in there.

"I believe that covers the essentials," Elder Sorrin concluded. "We will proceed in alphabetical order by given name. Amira Dawn, please step forward."

Amira took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and approached the crystalline archway. She hesitated for just a moment, then stepped through, and vanished. The darkness within the arch remained unchanged, giving no indication that anyone had just passed through it.

"Aric Leminov," the elder called next.

Aric gave a small bow to the rest of us. "Good luck," he said simply, then walked into the portal and disappeared like Amira before him.

"Bren Heart."

The monk nodded once, strode to the entrance without hesitation, and was gone in an instant.

"Dorian Velaris."

Dorian straightened his already perfect robes, flashed a smugly confident smile at Laelyn, and entered the portal.

"Laelyn Vareyn."

As she moved toward the archway, Laelyn paused beside me. "Good luck," she said softly, briefly touching my arm, then walked through the portal before I could respond.

"Tomas," Elder Sorrin announced finally, though there was no one else left to inform.

I approached the archway, my mind racing with last-minute calculations and contingencies. I had decided to aim for a middle-of-the-pack performance, absorb enough blue sun energy to show respectable talent, but not so much as to win or even place too highly.

The ideal outcome would be to finish third or fourth out of six, demonstrating enough ability to justify the academy providing me their generous resources but without drawing unwanted attention.

"One final word of advice," Elder Sorrin said as I stood before the portal. "Trust your instincts. The Blue Sun will guide you if you open yourself to its voice."

I nodded politely, then stepped through the archway before he could offer any more cryptic spiritual guidance.

The sensation was disorienting, a brief moment of weightlessness combined with a flash of blue light so intense it seemed to penetrate even through my closed eyelids.

When the feeling subsided, I found myself in a circular chamber perhaps fifteen feet in diameter, with walls, floor, and ceiling made of the same blue crystal as the exterior of the spire.

The room was empty except for a simple meditation cushion in the center and a small, faintly glowing formation set into the wall near what appeared to be a door, the surrender option, presumably. There were no windows, but the entire chamber was filled with diffuse blue light that seemed to emanate from the crystal itself.

"Well, this is cozy," I muttered, turning slowly to take in the sparse accommodations.

"At least they provided a cushion," Azure commented dryly. "Thoughtful of them."

I had barely completed my inspection when a subtle vibration ran through the floor beneath my feet. A moment later, the light in the chamber intensified dramatically, and I felt a powerful wave of blue sun energy pour into the room from all directions.

The Selection had begun.