159: Chapter 159, so fast? Finished in just ten minutes?

"The examination begins!"

Following the steward's command,

Upon the massive jade wall,

Spiritual light began to flow.

Images and brief characteristic descriptions of a hundred items began to appear in sequence, each staying for no more than three breaths.

At the same time,

the mountain of miscellaneous items nearby seemed to be activated,

emitting a chaotic surge of Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

The twelve examinees immediately sprang into action.

Only the rustling sound of pen nibs crossing paper remained in the field,

along with the occasional heavy breathing born of urgency.

The gap

became apparent the moment they started.

That elder with hair and beard as white as snow

had a gaze like a torch and a steady hand.

Often, only two or three seconds after an image appeared,

he would have already accurately written down the name.

His pace was even, appearing to handle it with ease.

The green-clad young girl with the lively eyes

was also fully focused; though she occasionally paused to think, her overall speed was quite fast, following closely behind the elder.

Several other middle-aged people who looked somewhat experienced

were also barely able to keep up with the rhythm.

However, the others looked much more strained.

A chubby young man was scratching his head in anxiety,

staring at the image of something called a Seven-Star Mottled Mushroom,

muttering to himself,

"It's a Mottled Mushroom... but these dots... is it seven stars or six? Damn it, I've mixed them up!"

There was also a tall, thin fellow

who wrote in fits and starts,

looking up at the sky from time to time,

trying to dig that blurred knowledge out from the depths of his memory.

Jiang Yun's figure beneath the black robe

did not attract much attention during the initial stage.

He also wrote quickly.

Relying on the foundation laid by his background as a top student, he could write down the first few dozen Common spiritual materials and Ores almost without thinking.

The atmosphere inside the field was incredibly heated,

and the audience outside was equally boisterous.

"It's started! That elder is indeed a big shot! With such a steady hand and extreme speed, he'll surely be the first to pass the exam."

"That's not for sure! The further you get, the more your depth of knowledge is tested! That girl isn't bad either."

"Look, that person in the black robe, their starting speed isn't slow either."

"Hmm, it seems they have some foundation and didn't just come to try their luck."

...The examination proceeded amidst the crowd's discussions.

When the examination had been going on for about five minutes,

after most people had written down fifty or sixty names,

their speed noticeably slowed down.

The items appearing in the images began to become obscure,

and their characteristics were more blurred,

requiring careful identification

and comparison with similar items in their memory.

The green-clad girl's brow furrowed slightly.

The elder's pen nib would also occasionally hover for a moment.

As for Jiang Yun,

after writing down about seventy names,

he also felt the pressure.

Many images became unfamiliar in his eyes,

requiring time to recall and deduce.

"It seems everyone's speed has slowed down! Looks like most have reached their limit!"

"But that elder's speed hasn't slowed much; it seems he's still handling it with ease!"

"This fellow in the black robe was living off his past knowledge before, but now he's probably reached his limit and is showing his true colors."

"Looking at his booklet, he should have written sixty or seventy kinds by now; that's not bad, better than the one over there scratching his head."

Observing the situation in the field,

the crowd discussed.

Just as some thought Jiang Yun would fall into a deadlock like the others,

beneath the black robe,

the corners of Jiang Yun's mouth curled up slightly.

Earlier, he just wanted to see the level of his own abilities!

Now it seemed that if he relied entirely on his brain to pass, it would clearly waste a lot of time.

He didn't have the spare time to keep wasting here.

After all, he still had to undergo the next rank of the examination later.

And he still had a trump card he hadn't used yet.

Manifestation of All Things Entries, activate!

With a slight thought from Jiang Yun,

in an instant,

a blue light flashed in his eyes.

The world became completely different in his eyes.

The images flowing on that massive jade wall,

and that mountain of miscellaneous items nearby,

all had data entries appearing beside them that only he could see.

[Red Iron Ore, Common High Grade, Common auxiliary material for Artifact Refining, value: half a Spirit Stone.]

[Moonlight Grass, Bronze rank Low Grade, prefers shade, one of the auxiliary herbs for refining Heart-Clearing Pills, value: three Spirit Stones.]

[Mottled Gale Wolf Fang (Damaged), Spirit Rank Medium Grade, most of its spiritual power has been lost due to age-related erosion, leaving only a faint wind breath, value: five Spirit Stones.]

[Cleft-Hoof Ox Core, bronze rank peak, abundant blood Qi, can be used to feed carnivorous tamed beasts, value: ten Spirit Stones.]

[Hundred-Refined Fine Iron Ingot, bronze rank peak, artisan-level forged work, few Impurities, value: fifteen Spirit Stones.]

...Talent activated.

The precise names, grades, characteristics, and even value estimations of these items

all manifested!

This was no longer an examination!

It was pure transcription!

The pen in Jiang Yun's hand moved again!

This time,

without the slightest pause or thought,

he wrote with mechanical precision, fluidity, and without stopping!

The rustling sound became dense and rhythmic,

as if he were already full of confidence,

simply transcribing the answers from his mind.

"Eh? Why did he get faster again?"

"Look! He's barely looking at the pen in his hand! It's like... like he's just staring at the jade wall and writing directly?"

"Holy crap! How damn confident do you have to be to write like that! If I didn't know better, I'd think there were words on the jade wall and he's just copying them!"

"This... what's going on? Does he actually recognize all of them?"

"I don't think so! He's probably just scribbling nonsense!"

The onlookers noticed this abnormal scene

and immediately burst into discussion.

Even that elder, who had remained steady throughout,

noticed Jiang Yun's strange situation beside him

and couldn't help but glance sideways.

When he looked at that black-robed figure,

and saw Jiang Yun staring intently at the screen while writing down names on the paper without hesitation,

a flash of astonishment crossed his cloudy eyes.

"Hmm? This fellow! He can actually write them out so quickly; his speed seems even faster than before! It seems he's no simple character!"

The steward's gaze also inadvertently locked onto Jiang Yun.

He stroked his short beard,

his eyes showing surprise and scrutiny.

Time passed minute by minute.

Most of the other examinees were struggling through the seventy or eighty names, racking their brains.

The elder also finally encountered a Bottleneck after writing ninety-six kinds; he stared at an image that looked like a withered vine but had faint thunder patterns flashing on it, his brow locked in deep thought.

"Sigh, it gets harder the further you go!"

"Yeah, many look almost the same; subtle differences in detail decide success or failure. Knowledge reserves and eyesight are both indispensable."

"It looks like this first stage will weed out more than half."

The steward looked at the timing hourglass

and reminded them in a deep voice.

"The examination time is one hour in total! Ten minutes have already passed! There are still two stages ahead, screening and brief description, which will take even longer! I advise you all that it's best to complete this stage within twenty minutes, otherwise, time might not be sufficient!"

As soon as these words were spoken,

those few examinees who were already lagging behind turned pale, sweat appearing on their foreheads as they grew increasingly frantic.

"It's over, it's over, I've only written sixty or so!"

"Don't rush me, the more you rush, the less I can remember!"

Amidst this atmosphere of anxiety and hardship,

a low voice

rang out clearly,

breaking the dullness and tension of the scene.

"Steward, I've finished writing."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap,

exploding in everyone's ears.

In an instant,

the entire examination area,

including the viewing area outside,

saw everyone's gazes lock onto the source of the sound.

All the examinees,

whether they were deep in thought or writing furiously, subconsciously stopped their movements and looked up in unison, their gazes fixed in horror on the source of the voice.

That figure dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask.

"Finished... finished writing? How long has it been? Just ten minutes?"

"My god! Did I hear wrong? He finished writing a hundred kinds so fast?"

"He must have cheated! How could it be so fast?! I haven't even written seventy!"

"This guy! He's a monster!"

Exclamations, doubts, and incredulous discussions rose like a tide.

The green-clad girl's small mouth hung slightly open,

her face full of disbelief.

The fat man who had been scratching his head earlier

had his eyes wide as saucers, as if he were looking at a super Genius.

Even the elder who had remained steady throughout

now put down his pen,

his deep gaze fixed tightly on Jiang Yun,

his heart in turmoil.

"This person... is definitely not ordinary! This speed... is actually this much faster than mine?!"

The steward's face also could not hide his shock.

Having hosted examinations for many years,

he had seen many Appraiser geniuses,

but such speed in the first stage of the first-level examination was a first.

He took a breath,

suppressing the surprise in his heart,

and confirmed in a deep voice.

"Examinee, are you sure you have finished writing a hundred kinds? And that the names all correspond to this pile of items? You should know that if the verification is wrong or the quantity is insufficient, you must go back and rewrite, which will be extremely time-consuming!"

Jiang Yun was calm and unhurried.

He picked up the densely written paper in his hand,

his tone calm but carrying an unquestionable confidence.

"Confirmed. A hundred kinds, not a single one missing, all within this pile of items. Moreover, after finishing, I cross-checked and reviewed them one by one, which delayed some time; otherwise, I should have been able to submit the paper even earlier."

Could have submitted even earlier?!

These words made everyone's mouths twitch.

The steward gave Jiang Yun a deep look,

stepped forward, and took the stack of papers that seemed to still carry the warmth of the pen.

They felt slightly heavy in his hand.

The handwriting on them was neat and orderly.

Just looking at the paper gave one a strange sense of conviction.

"Good, wait a moment while I verify."

The steward's voice unconsciously took on a hint of solemnity.

"If the verification is correct, you will have passed the first stage. You can directly begin the second stage of the examination."

Jiang Yun nodded slightly

and stood quietly to the side.

Everyone's gazes

were focused on the thin sheet of paper in the steward's hand.

Although they couldn't see the specific content,

the emotions of expectation, doubt, curiosity, and shock

almost condensed into something physical.

"How many do you think he'll get right?"

"Hmph, I think he just scribbled to make up the numbers. Finished a hundred kinds in ten minutes and guaranteeing they're all correct? Too fast! It feels unrealistic! After all, even that elder who looks so knowledgeable wasn't that fast."

"But he looks very confident..."

"Confidence? I think he just doesn't know his place! Wait until the steward's verification results come out; I bet he'll show his true colors then!"

Under the watch of countless gazes interlaced with complex emotions,

the steward picked up the Jade Slip containing the official examination list

and began to verify them one by one.

The entire space was silent,

leaving only the sound of everyone's breathing and heartbeats.