170: Chapter 170 The two elders were dumbfounded!

Starfall District Appraisers Guild.

On ordinary days, it was always bustling with people.

Today, it seemed exceptionally lively.

However, this liveliness...

...was distributed in a way completely different from usual.

The fourth floor of the Assessment Tower.

The Medium Grade Appraiser assessment area.

The originally spacious viewing area was already packed tight by a surging tide of people; latecomers could only stand on their tiptoes and crane their necks, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of the astonishing scene inside the examination hall through the gaps between the heads in the front row.

Low gasps of surprise, incredulous discussions, and heavy breathing from overexcitement intertwined, forming an irrepressible ferment.

The number of people had already broken through five hundred.

It was approaching the one-thousand mark.

Furthermore, more and more people who had heard the news were arriving, clogging the stairs and corridors.

In stark contrast to this...

...was the first floor of the Assessment Tower.

The Low Grade Appraiser assessment hall.

This used to be the most vibrant and noisy place in the Guild.

The newcomers arriving daily to register for assessments, their accompanying friends and family, the successful candidates excitedly chatting after finishing their exams, and a large number of low-level Appraisers observing and learning—all of this meant it was always crowded and bustling with noise.

Yet at this moment... in the spacious hall...

...it actually appeared somewhat empty and deserted.

Only in a few cubicles where assessments were underway were there still candidates fully focused on their questions, along with a few dutiful managers and staff members guarding their posts out of sheer boredom.

Even those candidates who had just finished registering and should have been waiting or observing here were nowhere to be found.

Amidst this unusual desolation...

...two elderly men slowly walked out from the depths of the Guild.

They wore moon-white robes embroidered with intricate cloud patterns and the Eye of Appraisal; their hair and beards were entirely white, their complexions ruddy, and their eyes held a sharp inner light whenever they opened or closed. Their entire presence radiated a stable, mountain-like majesty that commanded respect.

As they walked, they naturally carried an air of sage-like elegance and high prestige.

These were the two powerful Elders of the Starfall District branch of the Appraisers Guild.

Grand Elder Mo Yuan.

Second Elder Qing Xuan.

The two were clearly in a good mood.

They were strolling and chatting with smiles on their faces.

"Brother Mo Yuan, it seems our Appraisers Guild's reputation has been growing day by day in recent years."

Second Elder Qing Xuan stroked his beard and laughed.

His voice was gentle and mellow.

"Look at the popularity both inside and outside this building. Especially this assessment area; I hear dozens of talents pass the exams and join our Guild every day. Those who come to watch and learn are even more numerous. This can truly be called the foundation of our Guild, a cradle of talent."

Grand Elder Mo Yuan nodded slightly.

A look of gratification also appeared on his face.

"Brother Qing Xuan is absolutely right. A scene of prosperity and extraordinary liveliness—this is a sign of the Guild's flourishing. Only with a steady stream of fresh blood can our path of appraisal be passed down from generation to generation and become increasingly brilliant."

The two chatted and laughed.

They felt heartfelt joy at the Guild's vigorous development.

They strolled along, intending to inspect this most vibrant foundational area of the Guild as they usually did.

However...

...when they stepped over the threshold of the first-floor assessment hall...

...both of their steps halted simultaneously.

The smiles on their faces instantly froze.

???

Mo Yuan and Qing Xuan looked at each other.

Both saw deep astonishment and confusion in the other's eyes.

Prosperity?

Extraordinary liveliness?

Wait...

Where are the people?!

They saw...

...this empty, quiet hall before them, where they could even hear the echoes of their own breathing, formed a glaring contrast to the bustling popularity they had imagined!

The two Elders had lived for nearly a hundred years.

They had managed the branch's affairs for decades.

When had they ever seen the first-floor assessment hall in such a deserted state?

It was even quieter than when they closed late at night!

"This... what is going on?"

Elder Qing Xuan's brows furrowed tightly.

His tone was filled with surprise.

"Today isn't a holiday, so why is it so deserted? Where has everyone gone?"

Elder Mo Yuan's face also darkened.

His gaze was like lightning.

It swept across the entire hall.

Finally, it landed on the only place where there were still some people.

The area for ongoing Low Grade assessments.

Which was the same examination area Jiang Yun had come out of.

They walked over.

Inside the cubicle area...

...a manager responsible for proctoring the exam was feeling a bit uneasy.

Because the assessment cubicles were equipped with soundproof barriers...

...he hadn't fully sensed the anomaly outside, only vaguely feeling that today seemed exceptionally quiet.

He had just finished checking a candidate's answer sheet.

He looked up...

...and saw the two solemn-faced Elders walking in. He was startled and immediately bowed in greeting, his tone incredibly respectful.

"This subordinate greets the Grand Elder! And the Second Elder!"

These two were figures in the Starfall District branch...

...whose status was second only to the President and that elusive Vice President!

They rarely came to this noisy first-floor assessment area in person.

He hadn't expected them to suddenly arrive today.

Could they be here to inspect the work?!

Elder Mo Yuan didn't waste words.

He directly asked in a deep voice, "Why is it so deserted today? Where are the applicants and observers? Have you managers been negligent, or has there been some oversight that offended people, damaging our Guild's reputation and causing everyone to flee?"

His voice wasn't loud...

...but it carried an unquestionable authority, making the manager tremble all over. Cold sweat instantly broke out.

"I've been wronged! Grand Elder!"

The manager hurriedly pleaded his innocence, his face turning pale.

"We have always been diligent in our duties and would never dare to be negligent, let alone offend any fellow practitioners who come for the assessment! As for... as for the people... I don't know! Shouldn't they... shouldn't they all be in the outer hall?"

"Outside?"

Elder Qing Xuan pointed at the empty hall, his tone tinged with absurdity.

"Go out and see for yourself!"

The manager's heart skipped a beat.

A premonition of doom welled up in his heart.

He quickly trotted out of the cubicle area.

He reached the hall.

When he saw the empty scene, spacious enough to race horses, he was struck as if by lightning and stood there dumbfounded.

"Ho... Holy crap!"

He subconsciously blurted out a curse.

Then, realizing his blunder...

...he quickly covered his mouth.

But the shock and bewilderment on his face could not be hidden.

"Wait? The... the people? Why is everyone gone?!"

He was completely confused now!

Could it really be as the Elder said?

Had some catastrophic mistake occurred...

...that brought the Guild's reputation to ruin and drove everyone away?"

But he really hadn't done anything!

Just then...

...an image flashed through his mind like lightning.

That youth in black robes, face hidden by a mask, whose tone was calm but whose words never failed to astound!

Dong Xuan!

That guy, after passing the Low Grade assessment, had publicly boasted about taking the Grand Tutor Level exam directly and then headed straight upstairs!

At the time, he indeed drew many followers... could it be... The manager suddenly shuddered.

As if grasping a lifeline, he hurriedly turned around, wanting to report this suspicion to the two Elders whose faces were growing increasingly dark.

However, before he could speak...

"Rumble—!"

A massive, vague sound of commotion...

...seemed to transmit down from upstairs.

Immediately after...

...a tsunami-like roar of exclamations, mixed with countless emotions of shock and disbelief, vaguely penetrated the soundproofing of the floorboards and erupted like a bursting dam!

Although it wasn't clear...

...a few keywords entered the ears of the three men with exceptional clarity.

"One hundred and fifty points!!"

"Holy crap! 150 points!!"

"Crazy! The maximum score is one hundred, but he actually scored one hundred and fifty!!"

"..."

This massive commotion caught the attention of the two Elders.

Grand Elder Mo Yuan and Second Elder Qing Xuan looked at each other again, quite taken aback!

What's the situation?

The sound seems to be coming from the fourth floor?

The fourth floor!

The problem is on the fourth floor!

Something... beyond the ordinary seems to be happening there!

And it has attracted everyone's attention!

Could everyone have run upstairs?

What kind of major event has occurred...

...to draw everyone upstairs?

The two were somewhat bewildered and curious.

They exchanged another look and immediately decided to go up and see.

"You!"

Elder Mo Yuan made a prompt decision.

He pointed at the still-dazed manager.

"Stay here and fulfill your duties!"

"Yes! Yes!"

The manager, as if granted a great pardon, nodded repeatedly.

The two Elders lingered no longer.

Their figures blurred, becoming like two wisps of green smoke.

In an instant, they reached the foot of the stairs.

With an agility that belied their age, they hurried straight toward the fourth floor, where the noise was coming from!

Leaving only the manager behind.

He stared at the empty hall...

...wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.

"I didn't expect that Dong Xuan... to actually cause such a huge commotion... even the Elders were alerted!"

He muttered to himself.

His heart was filled with both lingering fear and intense curiosity.

He looked at the stairs leading up.

His eyes flickered.

"Once this assessment is over, I'll go up to see the excitement no matter what! I want to see just what kind of earth-shaking feat that arrogant fellow has pulled off to attract everyone in the entire Assessment Tower!"