164: Chapter 164 Straight to the Fourth Floor? Mid-Grade Appraiser Examination!

Facing the tide of mockery that surged toward him,

doubts, and well-meaning advice,

Jiang Yun, beneath his black robe,

remained calm and unruffled.

It was as if those harsh voices

were merely a passing breeze.

He looked at the stern-faced manager

and explained in a steady tone, "Lord Manager, this Junior means no disrespect. I just feel that... taking these assessments level by level is a bit too slow. This Junior simply wishes to be a bit faster."

Too slow?!

Wants to be faster?!

These words were like adding fuel to the fire,

causing the already noisy hall to erupt once again!

"Too slow?! My god, he calls this slow?"

"Jumping from Low Grade Rank One straight to Grand Tutor Level? Even riding a rocket beast wouldn't be that fast! Does he think Appraiser Ranks are like climbing stairs?"

"He's crazy! Absolutely insane! He's achieved a little success and now he doesn't know his own weight!"

"I think he completely fails to understand the weight behind the words 'Grand Tutor Level'!"

The candidates in the arena

felt a strange sense of insult.

They were struggling just to survive here,

yet this person complained that clearing the levels was too slow?

The Veteran candidate seized the opportunity

and mocked in a shrill voice:

"Grand Tutor Level? Kid, do you know what Grand Tutor Level means in our S Province? Let me tell you! In the entire S Province, with its population of billions, there are only two Grand Tutor Level Appraisers on the surface! One is the President of our Appraisers Guild, a Grand Tutor Rank Two! The other is the helmsman of the Qian Sheng Chamber of Commerce, the Head of the Qian Family, a Grand Tutor Rank One! They stand at the very pinnacle of the appraisal world's pyramid in the entire province. A single word from them can decide the fate of countless treasures, and the leaders of major powers treat them with the utmost respect! What kind of thing are you to just open your mouth and claim such a thing?!"

These words resonated widely.

The crowd chimed in one after another,

their eyes filled with disdain as they looked at Jiang Yun.

They believed he had been blinded by a brief victory,

becoming incredibly naive and ridiculous.

The manager spoke again,

his tone carrying advice and a hint of disappointment.

"Dong Xuan, you must understand that the Dao of Beast Taming requires one to be down-to-earth! The path of appraisal should be even more so! Every Rank of promotion requires the accumulation of massive knowledge and the precipitation of countless experiences! How can it be achieved overnight?"

To make Jiang Yun retreat in the face of difficulty,

he simply gave a brief explanation of the difficulty of the subsequent key Rank assessments.

"Take the Mid-grade Appraiser assessment, for example. It no longer tests basic identification, but rather 'Source Analysis'! One must infer the specific era, place of origin, production process, and even historical background from an ancient object that is incomplete, damaged, or disguised! Without a deep foundation in history, geography, and Materials science, there is simply no way to begin!"

"And the High-Grade Appraiser assessment is even more difficult! It tests 'Spiritual Resonance Perception and Attribute Glimpsing'! One needs to appraise items containing incomplete fragments, describe their attribute characteristics, and even infer their full power! Those with slightly weaker Soul power and Comprehension Ability cannot even find the entrance!"

"As for the Grand Tutor Level..."

The manager took a deep breath,

his tone incredibly solemn.

"That is what one would call Hell difficulty! It tests 'Theoretic Innovation and Ancient-Modern Integration'! You might have to face completely unknown objects never before recorded by the Guild, requiring you to name them, Rank them, and write entirely new appraisal classics! Or, you might need to propose your own groundbreaking insights on a controversial problem that has plagued the appraisal world for years and convince all the examiners! This is no longer just appraisal; it is expanding the boundaries for the entire appraisal industry!"

"Only by doing so can one be called a Grand Tutor Level Appraiser and be respected by the world!"

Hearing the manager's description,

the sound of people drawing in sharp breaths echoed inside and outside the arena.

"Hard! It's too hard!"

"Forget Grand Tutor Level, I feel like I have no hope for the High Grade assessment in this lifetime!"

"He truly doesn't know the height of the heavens! After hearing this, he should finally wake up, right?"

"He's probably already scared witless, isn't he?"

Everyone cast their eyes toward Jiang Yun,

expecting to see retreat, shock, or panic from him.

However,

after listening to these terrifying assessment contents, Jiang Yun's body beneath the black robe didn't even sway.

Instead, his heart became even more settled.

Because the core of these assessments—

information!

Was precisely the fortress that his 'Manifestation of All Things Entries' talent could most easily conquer!

Whether it was tracing sources, perceiving attributes, or theoretic innovation, they were all rendered useless in the face of an absolute information gap.

Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd,

he simply nodded slightly

and said in that same flat tone,

"Thank you, Lord Manager, for clarifying. These assessments are indeed very difficult."

Hearing this, the crowd couldn't help but smile.

As expected, he was backing down!

At least he wasn't too stupid.

However,

just as everyone thought Jiang Yun was going to give up,

he suddenly changed the subject.

"However, this Junior still wishes to attempt the Grand Tutor Level Assessment."

It wasn't that Jiang Yun wanted to be so stubborn and high-profile to attract attention,

but the reward for the Grand Tutor Level was the void plume.

This item was very important to Jiang Yun, and he didn't want to miss it.

The moment Jiang Yun said this,

one could well imagine the reaction.

The crowd: "!!!"

Obstinate and incorrigible!

Unreasonable!

A larger wave of mockery erupted in the arena once again.

The Veteran candidate laughed so hard he doubled over.

"Hahaha! Did you hear that? He's still dreaming!"

"A disgrace to Appraisers!"

"How could such good natural talent be on a fellow like this? What a waste of that talent!"

"Idiot!"

The last flicker of expectation in the manager's eyes also went out.

He sighed deeply

and shook his head,

as if looking at a stubborn rock that could not be carved.

His tone became cold and formal.

"The Guild's rules cannot be bypassed. Taking the Grand Tutor Level Assessment directly is absolutely impossible. If you wish to challenge the Grand Tutor Level, you must first pass the Mid-grade Appraiser and High-Grade Appraiser assessments. This is an iron rule; no one is an exception."

Having received a definitive answer,

Jiang Yun stopped pressing.

He bowed slightly to the manager politely.

"Thank you, Lord Manager. This Junior understands."

With that,

he ignored the mockery, sneers, and voyeuristic gazes interweaving behind him.

He turned straight around

and, under the gaze of countless eyes,

calmly walked out of the assessment area.

Watching his black-robed back disappear through the light gate,

the mockery in the examination hall still didn't stop.

The manager shook his head helplessly,

the bit of appreciation he had for his talent

now replaced by disappointment.

However,

outside the arena, things exploded!

The crowd was like an ant nest into which a giant rock had been thrown,

surging instantly!

"He's out!"

"Look at the direction he's going... it's the stairs! He really is going straight to the fourth floor to take the Mid-grade exam!"

"Go, go, go! Quick, follow him! I don't believe he can be this amazing at the Mid-grade level too!"

"I think he's just bringing humiliation upon himself. Just wait to see him become a laughingstock!"

"I don't think it's necessarily so... what if he creates another miracle?"

"I'm going to follow and see. Such excitement cannot be missed!"

"Even if this guy can't reach the Grand Tutor Level Assessment! If he can pass Mid-grade Rank One, jumping four Ranks in a row, he'd still be a Genius! I'll consider myself a witness to history today!"

The crowd discussed fervently.

Some were jealous and pessimistic,

some were neutral bystanders,

and a few were deeply impressed by Jiang Yun's previous performance,

holding a sliver of expectation,

hoping to witness a miracle.

Only Su Qingxue in the crowd

remained as calm as ever,

as if the surrounding clamor had nothing to do with her.

She elegantly tasted the pastries in her hand,

her beautiful eyes sweeping over the direction Jiang Yun had left.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile played at the corners of her mouth,

as if she didn't care about anything.

Jiang Yun walked out of the assessment area,

ignoring the crowd that automatically parted for him and the complex gazes focused on him.

His gaze swept around,

and he saw that ethereal white figure standing apart from the world at the back of the crowd, but she didn't seem to have any intention of walking with him.

Seeing this, Jiang Yun delayed no further.

He set off,

walking directly toward the hanging stairs leading to the higher floors.

This movement of his

was like a general's command.

A huge flow of people immediately gathered behind him,

moving with him in a thunderous rumble.

The noisy footsteps and discussions echoed through the lower floors of the Jianxin Pavilion.

Many people who didn't know what was going on were startled by the commotion.

An old man grabbed someone hurrying past and asked, "Your Excellency, do you know what's happening? Why such a big commotion?"

The person looked excited and spoke very fast.

"An appraisal Prodigy appeared on the first floor! He just passed Low Grade Rank One and was so arrogant he wanted to take the Grand Tutor Level exam directly! He was rejected, and now he's heading straight for the fourth floor to take the Mid-grade exam! He said he'd take them one Rank at a time. I won't say more; if I'm late, there won't be any good spots left!"

With that, he broke free

and squeezed into the crowd.

Leaving the questioner looking bewildered.

Just then,

behind the bewildered person,

a young man of extraordinary temperament and noble dress happened to walk by,

followed by an old man with a steady aura.

The young man looked at the surging crowd

and asked with great interest, "Elder Hai, what is all that noise up ahead?"

The old man called Elder Hai

evidently had excellent hearing

and repeated what the person had just said.

"Eldest Young Master, I hear an appraisal Genius appeared on the first floor. He is arrogant and wished to take the Grand Tutor Level Assessment directly. He failed and is now heading to the Mid-grade assessment area."

"Appraisal Prodigy? Straight for Grand Tutor?"

A flash of surprise crossed the young man's eyes,

followed by a playful smile at the corners of his mouth.

"Interesting! Truly interesting! In this Starfall District, there is actually such an interesting person? Come, Elder Hai, let's go take a look and see what kind of sacred being this is!"

The old man hesitated slightly.

"Young Master, didn't you come to visit the Young Miss's assessment? She should be preparing now..."

The young man waved his hand,

his gaze still following the direction of the crowd.

"No rush. My sister still needs time to prepare, and the assessment won't start for a while. Let's first see this madman who dared to say he'd take the Grand Tutor exam directly. Perhaps it will be more interesting than watching my sister's assessment."

With that,

carrying a hint of curiosity and scrutiny,

he led the old man and merged into the torrent following Jiang Yun upward.

The massive team,

mighty and grand,

charged straight for the fourth floor!

The place of the Mid-grade Appraiser assessment!