160: Chapter 160 - Instant Selection?

Under the focus of countless gazes.

The manager picked up the answer sheet Jiang Yun had submitted.

He began to cross-reference it with the item catalog in his hand.

At first,

his expression maintained a businesslike calm.

But very quickly,

his brows twitched slightly,

and a flash of surprise flickered in his eyes.

He subconsciously slowed down,

carefully reading through it once more from the beginning.

Immediately after,

as if unable to believe it,

he cross-referenced it back and forth three more times!

Finally,

he looked up,

his face now full of shock and undisguised admiration.

He looked toward the black-robed figure with burning eyes.

"Good! Very good! Excellent!"

"Examinee Dong Xuan, for the first stage of the assessment, one hundred item names—all correct!"

"Not only that, the paper is clean, the handwriting is neat, and not a single typo was made!"

"All correct?! Not even a single typo? And he was that fast?!"

"My god! Did he know the answers beforehand?!"

"This knowledge reserve and memory are terrifying! Not even a typo... does he even need to think, or did he just write it from memory directly?"

The manager's announcement

was like a ladle of cold water being splashed into a boiling vat of oil.

It instantly ignited the entire venue!

Exclamations, praise, and sounds of incredulous discussion almost broke through the barrier walls.

"This person is bound to be a leading figure in the Appraiser industry in the future!"

"I wonder if he will continue the assessment today, and which floor he can reach?"

"Don't celebrate too early; he hasn't even passed the assessment for this First Floor yet!"

The crowd discussed fervently.

The manager was also joyful in his heart.

Knowledge reserve is an Appraiser's Foundation.

The depth of this person's Foundation

was truly Rare.

He picked up the recording board,

found Dong Xuan's name,

and prepared to mark the checkmark representing a pass.

However,

when his gaze inadvertently swept over the age information behind the name,

his fingers suddenly froze.

sixteen years old!

His pupils shrank slightly.

In disbelief, he looked up again,

staring deeply at the figure shrouded in a black robe and mask.

Underneath this mysterious mask,

could it really be just a sixteen-year-old youth?

At such an age,

to have such a terrifying performance... this was no longer just a solid Foundation.

This was the emergence of a Genius in the Dao of appraisal!

In the path of the Appraiser!

Is a great prospect finally going to appear this time?!

But?

Why would he conceal his appearance?

Is he a descendant of some Hidden Family out for worldly experience?

Or does he carry some secret that is inconvenient to show others?

Countless thoughts flashed through the manager's mind.

But he knew the rules well and did not ask further.

He suppressed his doubts,

and a warm smile reappeared on his face.

His tone became even gentler than before.

"Young friend Dong Xuan, congratulations, you have successfully passed the first stage! Now, you may begin the assessment for the second stage."

He pointed toward the pile of miscellaneous items,

reiterating the rules clearly.

"Please select three items from these. As long as the total value of the three items you select exceeds 100,000 federal currency, you will pass. Remember, you only have one chance to choose; once submitted, it cannot be changed. If the total value is less than 100,000, this round of assessment will be considered a direct failure."

Jiang Yun understood upon hearing this.

This stage seemed simple,

but it actually contained hidden complexities.

Among more than a thousand items,

the difference in value was vast.

Some looked extraordinary but were actually cheap.

Some looked unremarkable but held hidden wonders within.

Without extraordinary eyesight and accurate value assessment abilities, it was extremely easy to misjudge.

However, for him, who possessed the Manifestation of All Things Entries talent, this held no difficulty whatsoever.

He nodded.

Without the slightest hesitation,

he walked straight toward the dazzling array of items.

The other examinees who were still struggling with the first stage couldn't help but feel a tightening in their hearts upon seeing this.

The number of good things among them was limited.

If the guy ahead of them snatched up the high-value items first, there would be fewer and fewer high-value items left, and the difficulty for them to pass would greatly increase!

Several people lowered their heads even further,

desperately speeding up their writing.

And the eyes of everyone outside the field

were now firmly captured by Jiang Yun.

"Tell me, can he pass this second stage?"

"Hard to say! The first stage tests rote memorization and identification; you just need to put in the hard work. This second stage tests real eyesight, experience, and market judgment!"

"Exactly! A qualified Appraiser must not only be able to recognize things but also accurately assess their value. Otherwise, how can they provide services to customers? How can they be convincing?"

"And there's only one chance! I heard many people spend a lot of time on this stage, comparing repeatedly for fear of making a mistake. Its difficulty is no lower than the first stage!"

The crowd discussed amongst themselves,

thinking that Jiang Yun would surely undergo a long period of careful screening.

They even thought that even so, there was a risk of misjudgment

and failing the assessment.

The manager's gaze also closely followed Jiang Yun,

filled with scrutiny and expectation.

Being able to pass this stage

meant that this youth was not only knowledgeable

but also likely had a deep understanding of market conditions and item scarcity.

This was one of the true core abilities of an Appraiser.

However,

the scene that followed

left everyone dumbfounded.

The entire scene fell into silence!

Almost every single person's face showed a look of astonishment,

followed by an even greater eruption of clamor.

Under everyone's watchful eyes,

they saw Jiang Yun walk up to the pile of miscellaneous items.

His steps didn't even pause for a moment.

His gaze swept across like lightning,

as if he had already locked onto his targets.

He reached out,

as if taking something from his own pocket,

and precisely from three different locations,

he picked out three items.

A piece of seemingly decayed wood, a stone covered in moss, and a rust-covered bronze mirror.

Then,

he directly turned around and walked back.

The entire process was as smooth as flowing water.

It took... no more than three seconds!

"Lord Manager, I have made my selection."

Jiang Yun's calm voice rang out again.

???!!!

?!

...The entire audience,

including those examinees still writing,

were all stunned!

Each and every one of them widened their eyes,

their faces written with question marks and disbelief!

"Se... selected? He's already finished selecting?"

"Am I seeing things? He seems... to have just grabbed three things and come back?"

"An instant selection right as he went up?! What kind of joke is this! Did he even see clearly what those things were? He just grabbed them and came down?"

"This guy... could it be that he knows he can't pass, so he's just smashing the pot and picking a few things at random to give up?"

Voices of doubt, exclamations, and ridicule rose up like a tsunami.

If it weren't for the barrier isolating the sound,

the examinees inside would likely have been drowned out by this massive wave of noise.

In the Viewing Area, Su Qingxue's

lips under her veil curled into a knowing smile.

She whispered in a voice only she could hear,

"This guy... as expected, there's something strange about him. He seems to be able to see through the essence of these things directly. The three he chose have a restrained Spiritual Charm, far surpassing other common items."

Although she didn't recognize these items,

nor did she have the ability to see their information,

as a Vicious Beast,

her perception of spiritual power was extremely sensitive.

She could clearly feel that the items Jiang Yun selected contained strong spiritual power fluctuations.

They were much denser than the other items.

Indeed, it was just as she expected.

When Jiang Yun completed the first stage

and had his talent fully activated,

he had already taken in the value of all the items on the field.

He had long since set his sights on these three items.

That's why he didn't stop for a moment once he went up,

and came down after taking the items.

Moreover,

the three items he selected,

let alone a total value exceeding 100,000,

the value of any single one of them far exceeded 100,000 federal currency!

Inside the field,

many examinees also noticed this scene.

Similarly, they all showed surprise,

astonishment,

and expressions of disbelief!

Some even showed looks as if they were looking at a fool.

Several examinees, clearly old hands who had participated in the assessment many times,

couldn't help but let out cold sneers and sarcasms.

"Damn! This guy is really fucking showing off!"

"Show off! Keep showing off! Does he think he's a Grand Tutor Level Appraiser? Knowing the value with just one look? Too arrogant!"

"Last time I picked for half an hour and was still a bit short! This attitude of his is simply an insult to Appraisers!"

"A clown making a scene, nothing more!"

Even the old man who had been somewhat amazed by Jiang Yun

now shook his head slightly,

a look of disappointment showing in his eyes.

"Young man, it's good to have pride, but being too rigid makes it easy to break... Such haste will definitely lead to a big loss in the Appraiser trade."

Not far away,

the manager was also completely stunned.

He had presided over the First Floor Level 1 Appraiser assessment for so many years.

What kind of scene had he not seen?

But a scene of instant selection like this... it was truly his first time seeing it!

He couldn't help but confirm again,

his tone carrying a hint of warning and disbelief.

"Young friend Dong Xuan, you... you've really selected? Won't you take a closer look? If the value is insufficient, it's a direct failure! I suggest you..."

"Thanks! But no need!"

Jiang Yun interrupted him.

His voice came through the mask,

still calm,

yet carrying an unquestionable certainty.

"Just these three pieces, I've made my choice."

Seeing Jiang Yun so confident,

the manager was momentarily at a loss for words.

He shook his head helplessly,

feeling that his understanding had been challenged.

"In that case... then present the items you have selected."

The manager said.

He wanted to see

whether this mysterious black-robed youth

truly had heaven-defying abilities

or was just an arrogant person who didn't know the heights of the heavens.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone's curiosity, doubt, ridicule, and expectation,

Jiang Yun took a step forward.

With a wave of his right hand,

the three items... that piece of dead wood, that mossy stone, and that rusty mirror, landed lightly on the table in front of the manager.

At this moment, everyone's hearts were suspended.

Their gazes fell one after another on the three items Jiang Yun had selected.

Looking at these three seemingly ordinary,

and even somewhat dilapidated things... everyone couldn't help but frown deeply.

Can these pieces of junk really have a total value of 100,000 federal currency?