Chapter 253 The Testing Stone is Broken? Questions about Fake Talent?

Boom!!!

A dull explosion sound carried a shockwave of energy that wasn't particularly violent, yet was startling enough.

It suddenly spread out from the center of the testing platform!

The nearby onlookers immediately let out a burst of exclamations.

Many people subconsciously retreated rapidly.

For a moment, the scene was somewhat chaotic.

Those Su Family disciples closer to the testing platform were pushed stumbling by the sudden air wave, shoving each other and crying out in surprise.

That Testing Teacher had the fastest reaction.

Almost at the instant the explosion occurred.

With a low shout, a flash of light appeared beside him.

An Amethyst Rank beast, shaped like a giant rock with profound patterns engraved on its dorsal carapace, appeared out of thin air; a heavy, earthy-yellow light shield instantly enveloped him and the Recording Desk behind him.

With a "thud" sound.

Several flying fragments of the Testing Stone smashed against the light shield.

Stirring up ripples.

After the dust from the explosion and the energy aftershocks slowly subsided.

Everyone.

Whether it was the students and teachers on the square.

Or Elder Mo Chen on the high platform.

Or the various families in the spectator area, or even the inner courtyard big shots in the air with their overwhelming auras, all turned their gazes toward the center of the explosion.

The place where the Testing Stone should have stood.

Now only a few crystal fragments and energy residues remained.

After a brief dead silence.

Came a wave of suspicious and startled voices even more chaotic than before.

"Holy crap?! It... exploded?! The Testing Stone exploded?!"

"Wasn't that red light quite powerful just now? Why did it suddenly..."

"What's the situation here?! How could the Testing Stone explode?!"

"Could it be... it couldn't withstand the energy of that SSS-Rank Talent just now?"

"Impossible! That's an Amethyst Rank Testing Stone specially made by the Academy; it's been used for several hundred years without issue!"

"Then what's going on? Out of nowhere..."

The young students on the square whispered to each other.

Their faces were filled with bewilderment and confusion.

This sudden turn of events.

Was like a bucket of cold water.

Poured onto their enthusiasm, which had just boiled over because of the appearance of an SSS-Rank Talent.

Su Mingxuan was originally being pushed back by the crowd.

His face still held the residue of extreme jealousy, resentment, and disbelief from witnessing the red light pillar.

Why?

Why did that trash matrilocal son-in-law from C City possess an SSS-Rank Talent that even his Elder brother couldn't come close to?!

Something must have gone wrong!

At this moment.

Seeing the Testing Stone explode.

He was first stunned.

Then, a flash of dark pleasure and new hope crossed his chaotic thoughts.

It exploded?

Good! Exploded well!

Best if it blew up that eyesore of a guy along with it!

This way.

That so-called SSS-Rank Talent might... have a problem!

To the side.

Fox Immortal's golden pupils contracted slightly.

At the moment the explosion occurred.

Her heart tightened.

She subconsciously sensed Jiang Yun's state through their contract.

After confirming Jiang Yun was unharmed.

And that even his aura wasn't disturbed, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, but her brow furrowed slightly as she looked at the center of the explosion.

She knew Jiang Yun's uniqueness better than anyone present.

This Testing Stone's explosion... might truly be related to that overly abnormal talent.

Lin Tao, not far away.

Reacted in the exact same way as Su Mingxuan.

He had also been so shocked by the red light pillar just now that his mind had faltered.

Almost falling into despair.

He had actually offended such a future monster?

It's over!

If he gets targeted... he's definitely dead!

But the sound of the explosion woke him up.

Looking at the rising dust.

His face was first blank with astonishment.

Then, an uncontrollable wild joy and malicious expectation surged up.

"Ha! It exploded! It must be fake! What bullshit SSS-Rank, he must have used some underhanded means to break the Testing Stone! Serves him right! It'd be better if it blew him to death!"

He clenched his fists.

Staring fixedly at the center of the dust.

Eager to see Jiang Yun's heavily injured and fallen figure in the next second.

Testing Stone explosion!

Differing reactions from the high platform and the spectator area.

On the high platform.

The excitement and wild joy on Elder Mo Chen's face hadn't completely faded before they were frozen by the sudden explosion.

He leaned forward abruptly.

Both hands tightly gripped the railing.

His old eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.

"The... the Testing Stone... exploded?!"

His voice carried a clear tremble.

This wasn't just because of the explosion itself.

But because of the meaning potentially contained behind this event.

As the reception Elder.

He knew the sturdiness and stability of these Testing Stones all too well.

They were meticulously crafted by the Great Masters of the Academy's Artifact Institute.

And were top-quality products coordinated with the Rune Institute and the Formation Institute.

Sufficient to withstand the energy impact of the highest known talent Rank, SSS-Rank, without moving a hair.

Exploding... this had never been recorded in the Academy's history!

"Could it be... energy overload? Exceeding the design limit of the Testing Stone?"

A thought that made his heart pound uncontrollably surfaced, but he quickly suppressed it because it was too incredible.

SSS-Rank was already the theoretical Peak... how could there be an overload?

Could it be that there are talents above SSS-Rank in this world?

What kind of Prodigy talent would that be?

More like a cheat!

Mo Chen muttered to himself.

Meanwhile.

In the spectator area.

The reactions of the various families were more complex and realistic.

After the initial shock passed.

Various speculations and discussions spread rapidly.

"Testing Stone explosion? This is... unheard of! Never seen before!"

"Could it be that the young man used some forbidden means to forcibly elevate the test results, causing the Testing Stone to overload?"

"It's possible! How Rare is an SSS-Rank Talent? How could it appear so easily on an obscure C City youth?"

"In my opinion, it's ten to one that the Testing Stone itself was in disrepair and malfunctioned; that red light just now might have been an error display."

"If that's really the case... then the Su Family's wild talk just now, wouldn't it become a huge joke?"

"Hehe! Now there's a good show to watch; let's see how Su Yuntian cleans up this mess."

Many people once again showed playful and scrutinizing expressions; the previous eagerness to curry favor with the Su Family receded as quickly as a tide, replaced by cold observation and even a hint of schadenfreude.

Especially those Family representatives who had just been forced to bow and apologize to the Su Family; at this moment, their eyes flickered, and their thoughts became active again.

Su Yuntian naturally also felt the change in the surrounding gazes.

His expression was grave, but his eyes remained firm.

He said in a deep voice:

"The cause of the Testing Stone's explosion is yet unknown; why are you all so quick to jump to conclusions? I believe the Academy will have a fair judgment."

Despite saying so.

His hand inside his sleeve couldn't help but clench, and his gaze turned worriedly toward the dust-filled area on the field.

Jiang Yun, please don't let anything happen... In the air.

The reactions of those inner courtyard big shots were equally bewildered and shocked!

One by one, their brows furrowed slightly.

Showing incredible expressions.

Medicine Dust Son of the Pill Institute stroked his long beard.

His eyes flashed with sharp light.

"The Testing Stone exploded? Strange, very strange. This old man has refined countless Medicinal Pills and is well-acquainted with the properties of Materials; this Amethyst Profound Stone is exceptionally sturdy, and ordinary energy can hardly damage it."

Tie Kuang of the Artifact Institute carried a giant hammer.

He said in a gruff voice: "The stone was made by the Seniors of my institute; the quality is absolutely fine! To make it explode, either this stone had internal injuries long ago, or... this kid's talent is extremely bizarre!"

Dean of Array Department Xuan Jizi of the Formation Institute frowned deeply.

She focused more on the Law level.

"At the moment of explosion, the basic stabilizing formation patterns inside the Testing Stone seemed to disintegrate instantly, as if being forcibly burst by a higher level of power?"

Wen Yuan of the Rune Institute pondered.

"Everyone, an SSS-Rank Talent is indeed startling, but in historical records, it's not without precedent. But for a Testing Stone to explode because of it... to be honest, it's unprecedented. Could it be... that the Testing Stone itself had a problem, leading to the test result just now being incorrect? After all, compared to the appearance of a Prodigy talent that transcends cognition and can burst a Testing Stone, the probability of the Testing Stone malfunctioning, displaying an error, and finally being destroyed seems... much higher."

These words resonated with the other deans.

"Dean Wen Yuan has a point."

"Indeed, an SSS-Rank Talent is already a legend; to surpass it... is truly hard to imagine."

"The Testing Stone explosion itself is a strong signal of an anomaly; perhaps it precisely proves the unreliability of the previous data."

The Dean of the Beast Taming Institute, Zhan Qiong, who had been silent.

His face under the curly beard showed little expression.

His voice was like muffled thunder.

"Speculation is useless. Let's first see who this little fellow who measured an SSS-Rank Talent is, and whether he's injured."

Having said that.

He gave a gentle wave of his fan-like hand toward the square below.

A soft yet irresistible and vast force swept across the square, and the drifting dust and energy debris were wiped away as if by an invisible giant hand.

Instantly vanishing completely.

Revealing the clear scene at the center of the explosion.

Only a shallow pit and some charred marks remained on the spot.

And the youth who should have been standing before the Testing Stone.

Jiang Yun.

Was standing there.

Except for some dust on the hem of his robes.

He appeared completely unharmed!

A very faint, almost invisible glimmer seemed to flash and vanish around him; it was the weak defense automatically triggered by the Tortoise Shell Defense trait.

Jiang Yun was also uncertain in his heart at this moment.

The power of the explosion indeed didn't hurt him.

But this sudden change made him instantly alert.

Looking at the various gazes around him.

Shock, doubt, curiosity, jealousy, schadenfreude... he immediately realized that the explosion of the Testing Stone might cast a shadow over that brilliant SSS-Rank test result just now, and even be questioned as a fake or a malfunction.

"No, I absolutely cannot let this test result be the same as when I first awakened! After all, without talent, it's hard to get attention at Sky Dome Academy! Even more, I won't get the protection of Sky Dome Academy! I might even be doubted about my Aptitude to enter Sky Dome Academy, bringing more trouble!"

Thoughts turned rapidly in Jiang Yun's mind.

His gaze became firm.

He thought that if someone questioned him later.

Then he would request a retest!

If once wasn't enough, then twice!

Until the result was beyond doubt!

This SSS-Rank Talent.

He wanted to measure it fair and square!

No one could erase it!

Only Jiang Yun himself knew.

It wasn't that the Testing Stone had a problem.

But that these Testing Stones simply couldn't withstand the terrifying power of his Divine-Grade talent.

If one exploded!

He would test with two!

If two exploded, he would test with three!

At that time, even if he blew them all up, he had to test!

After all, if a Testing Stone has a problem.

They couldn't all have problems, right?

Only in this way could he convince everyone!

Just as Jiang Yun was secretly making up his mind.

The gazes of the entire field were already like spotlights.

Firmly locked onto him.

"Is it this kid?"

"He looks quite energetic, not injured."

"He's the one who measured... uh, allegedly measured SSS-Rank?"

"Which Family is he from? Why have I never seen him in the top circles of the provincial capital's younger generation?"

"Looking at his clothes and temperament, he doesn't seem to come from a prominent background..."

Discussion rose again.

Seeing Jiang Yun unharmed.

Fox Immortal's tense heartstrings finally relaxed.

Su Mingxuan and Lin Tao were greatly disappointed.

Gnashing their teeth.

Elder Mo Chen carefully observed Jiang Yun.

The more he looked, the more he felt this youth had a steady demeanor.

Facing such a change and the focus of the entire field.

He actually showed little panic.

The intuition in his heart that this boy was extraordinary became even stronger.

Su Yuntian and the others in the spectator area.

Seeing Jiang Yun unharmed.

Also breathed a huge sigh of relief.

And in the air, always standing beside Vice Dean Yan Song.

Qian Rongrong, who was watching below with complex eyes, at the moment she saw Jiang Yun's face clearly, her delicate body shook slightly, and her clear, beautiful eyes were instantly filled with surprise!

It's him!

That youth in that small shop in C City.

The one she had conveniently helped out of a predicament!

He actually came to the provincial capital?!!

And... that red light that caused such a massive shock and even blew up the Testing Stone just now... was actually caused by him?!!!