167: Chapter 167 was chosen in just a few minutes?

Spectator Area

A massive one-way observation formation clearly projected the scenes from within the examination hall onto the light wall of the spectator area.

This ensured that every spectator could see every move of the two examinees.

When Jiang Yun and Master Zhang stepped into the examination hall,

the tour group of over a hundred people instantly became restless.

Muffled discussions spread through the crowd like a rising tide.

"Bets are open, bets are open! Guess which treasure that arrogant fellow Dong Xuan will choose as his exam topic?"

A voice rang out with a hint of mockery,

immediately drawing a chorus of agreement and curious gazes from the surroundings.

"How could anyone guess that? There are forty-nine items, and every single one looks extraordinary. But in my opinion, he'll likely pick the one that looks the most magnificent and flashy; that's the only way to maintain his persona as an arrogant scholar!"

A tall, thin Appraiser with his arms crossed and a look of disdain on his face sneered.

"Magnificent? I don't think so. The Medium Grade assessment focuses on tracing origins. The flashier the exterior, the more blurred its history might be, making it harder to appraise. I bet he'll choose something that looks simple and ancient, something with a sense of age, like that tortoise shell or that broken sword."

Another person offered a different opinion.

"Who cares what he chooses! I'm more interested in who will finish their appraisal first, him or Master Zhang?"

A younger apprentice looked around excitedly.

"Do you even need to ask? It's definitely Master Zhang!"

Someone immediately countered with absolute certainty.

"Master Zhang might have... well, a bit of bad luck, but his experience is the real deal! Look at his posture—full set of tools, rigorous steps—he's clearly a veteran! Look at that Dong Xuan: empty-handed, hidden in a black robe, acting all mysterious. How can he compare to Master Zhang's speed?"

"Exactly! Master Zhang has prepared for three years this time; I think there's a high hope of him passing! Didn't you hear how full of confidence he was just now?"

Some held a touch of sympathetic expectation for Zhang Yuan.

"As for that Dong Xuan?"

A chubby Appraiser let out a cold laugh.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried quite far.

"I think even this Medium Grade stage is a long shot for him! Relying on tricks for the assessment downstairs is one thing, but here, it's all about real skill! That act of his won't work anymore! If he can even manage to say something coherent, I'll consider him impressive. Passing? He's dreaming!"

Voices of ridicule and pessimism dominated the conversation,

nearly drowning out Jiang Yun's presence.

However,

there were also a few different voices among the crowd, speaking in low tones.

"I actually think... not necessarily."

A woman wearing glasses,

who looked quite calm, pushed up her frames.

"Don't forget, when he was being assessed downstairs, he also seemed this casual. And the result? A hundred items all correct in ten minutes, and he instantly picked three treasures worth millions... Could that really be just luck?"

"Sister Wang, are you saying... he really might have a chance?"

Someone nearby asked in surprise.

"I'm not sure."

The woman called Sister Wang shook her head,

her eyes fixed on the black-robed figure on the light wall.

"But I always feel that his calmness doesn't seem faked. Perhaps he truly has an appraisal method we can't comprehend. Just watch; I think he might surprise us again."

"Surprise? More like a shock!"

Hearing Sister Wang's words,

someone immediately scoffed.

"Medium Grade and Low Grade are worlds apart. I bet he'll be exposed for what he really is!"

"Right! I also bet he'll fail! Master Zhang is bound to pass this time!"

Discussions, arguments, ridicule, and expectations intertwined, filling the entire spectator area with restless air.

Everyone's attention was focused on the examination hall.

They watched Master Zhang's meticulousness, the slow work that produced fine results,

and then watched Jiang Yun's casual scanning, as if he were taking a stroll in a courtyard.

Only a few minutes had passed.

Just as the crowd was nodding at Master Zhang's fourth close-up observation,

and shaking their heads at Jiang Yun's aimless wandering,

inside the examination hall,

a calm and clear voice

reached everyone's ears distinctly through the formation.

"Steward Li! I have made my choice. I will take this item as my topic."

...Silence!

A deathly silence!

The spectator area, which had been as noisy as a wet market just a second ago,

at this very moment,

instantly fell silent.

All the noisy discussions, heated arguments, and disdainful sneers... all came to an abrupt halt!

On every single face,

expressions froze instantly.

The tall, thin Appraiser with his arms crossed still had his arms frozen in mid-air; the disdain on his face hadn't even had time to turn into another emotion before it completely stiffened, his eyes bulging.

The fellow who had been analyzing how Jiang Yun would choose an ancient-looking object stood with his mouth open, his subsequent words stuck in his throat, turning into a meaningless 'uh'.

The young man who was certain Master Zhang would be faster saw his excitement turn into utter confusion, subconsciously rubbing his ears, doubting if he had heard correctly.

The fat Appraiser who had coldly asserted that Jiang Yun passing was a dream felt the fat on his face tremble; his smile vanished completely, replaced by a sense of absurdity, as if he had seen a ghost.

Even Sister Wang, who held a neutral stance,

forgot to push up her glasses at this moment, her slightly parted lips showing that she had also received a massive shock internally.

Immediately following that,

the long-suppressed clamor in the spectator area

erupted like a volcano!

"What?! He's finished choosing?! How long has it been? Has it even been three minutes?"

"My god! Master Zhang hasn't even finished looking at the third item! And he's already decided?"

"Nonsense! Absolute nonsense! The Medium Grade assessment is such a serious matter—does he think he's buying vegetables at the market? One look and he decides?"

"Grandstanding! I bet he didn't even look closely! He's completely giving up on himself!"

"Maybe he knows he's doomed to fail, so he just picked one at random to end it early and avoid further embarrassment!"

"Hahaha, you're killing me. I thought he actually had some skill, but turns out he's just a flashy show-off with no substance!"

Voices of doubt, mockery, and schadenfreude occupied the vast majority. The difficulty of the Medium Grade assessment was deeply ingrained in everyone's hearts, and Jiang Yun's trifled way of choosing completely ignited the mocking desires of those who already looked down on him.

Of course, a very small number of people held a different view.

"Maybe not... wasn't he also this fast during the assessment downstairs?"

"But downstairs was basic knowledge and low-to-mid-end items. Can it be the same here? This speed is just too ridiculous!"

"I actually think... he might have really discovered something. Look, that bracer he chose is unremarkable and even tattered; could it be some dust-covered treasure?"

But such voices were quickly drowned out by the mainstream verbal attacks.

Meanwhile, inside the examination hall,

Master Zhang's movements also froze completely.

They hadn't even been up there for three minutes,

and the other party had already shouted that he was done?

He jerked his head up,

first looking toward the source of the voice in disbelief.

After confirming it was Jiang Yun,

the wrinkles on his face, which had accumulated over a dozen years of resentment from failure,

twisted due to extreme absurdity and anger.

He could no longer maintain his feigned Great Master's demeanor.

He pointed at Jiang Yun,

his finger trembling with rage.

"You... you... you brat! You are not worth consulting!"

His voice trembled.

He spoke to Steward Li, but it was also like an accusation directed at all the onlookers.

"Steward Li! All our colleagues have seen it! This boy is clearly showing contempt for the assessment! Contempt for the rigor of our path as Appraisers!"

"In such a short time, he hasn't even finished the most basic observation and measurement, yet he dares to make a rash judgment? What does he think appraisal is? Is it based on guessing? Is it based on luck?!"

"If we allow such an opportunistic and impetuous person to pass the assessment, it would be a disgrace to our Appraisers Guild! It would be the greatest injustice to those of us who work diligently and study hard!"

His words were filled with grief, indignation, and unwillingness.

This instantly resonated with a large number of low-level Appraisers who also felt their chances of promotion were hopeless.

For a moment,

the situation was extremely unfavorable for Jiang Yun.

Steward Li's brow also furrowed tightly.

He had presided over Medium Grade assessments for many years

and had seen all sorts of examinees.

There were cautious ones and confident ones, but he had never seen anyone so... reckless!

He even began to doubt

whether the rumors about this person from downstairs

were exaggerated in some way.

He looked toward Jiang Yun and spoke in a deep voice,

his tone carrying a warning and a hint of displeasure.

"Dong Xuan, are you sure you don't want to screen them more carefully? There is plenty of time for the assessment. Once selected, it cannot be changed."

Before choosing, one could use a lot of time to research and analyze the information of the object.

Once selected, an answer had to be given within one hour.

Otherwise, it would be considered a failure.

And after failing, one wouldn't be able to take the exam again for several years.

Under the black robe,

Jiang Yun's gaze was as calm as water,

as if all the surrounding clamor had nothing to do with him.

He spoke again, his voice still steady,

yet carrying an unquestionable certainty.

"I am sure. I choose this item, the beast taming armor condensation."

"beast taming armor condensation?"

Steward Li was slightly stunned.

He subconsciously looked at that broken bracer.

The Guild System's record for this item was quite vague,

only labeling it as a 'fragment of an unknown ancient bracer'.

This youth!

He actually called out its name directly?!!

Upon hearing this, Master Zhang was so angry he laughed.

"Hahaha! Pure nonsense! You even made up a name for it? beast taming armor condensation? Never heard of it! This is clearly just a piece of junk bracer. I'll see how you justify your lie later!"

Jiang Yun, however, ignored him.

He simply looked at Steward Li and gave a slight nod.

Steward Li took a deep breath,

suppressing the doubts in his heart.

Since the examinee insisted, he could only act according to the rules.

"Fine! Examinee Dong Xuan has selected his assessment item. The assessment timer begins now!"

As Steward Li's voice fell,

the gazes of the entire audience—

whether they were of mockery, doubt, curiosity, or a final sliver of expectation—were all locked onto that black-robed figure.

Master Zhang glared fiercely at Jiang Yun,

forcing down the restlessness in his heart.

He told himself he couldn't be affected by such a clown.

He continued to bury himself in his rigorous but slow appraisal process.

Only his occasional dark glances toward Jiang Yun

revealed that his heart was far from being as calm as his exterior.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yun

slowly closed his eyes.

He seemed to be organizing his words in his mind, or rather, reading the incredibly detailed appraisal report that had already been presented before his eyes.

After all, there was some information he didn't want to reveal.