9: End of assessment

After filling out all the information he had observed, Luo Chen noticed that very few other examinees in the same testing hall were writing much on their papers.

Most of them were staring intently at the three Beast Masters in the cages, brows furrowed tightly, looking as if they were struggling to think.

Feeling a bit uncertain, Luo Chen used his Eye of Truth once more to examine the detailed information of the three Beast Masters, confirming that he hadn't missed anything.

Confidently, he raised his right hand.

Liu Qingyu, who had been scanning the entire room with her eyes, had actually noticed Luo Chen much earlier. After all, among all the examinees, he was the only one writing furiously, which was quite attention-grabbing.

Liu Qingyu descended from the observation platform, walked over to Luo Chen, and asked softly, "Is there a problem?"

"Is it possible to submit the exam early?"

Liu Qingyu picked up the paper from the desk in front of Luo Chen and replied matter-of-factly, "Naturally, it is. You can go wait in the lobby for a while. Your results should be available in about an hour."

The results for the Breeder Center's assessment come out very quickly, typically on the same day. If you pass, you can receive your badge immediately; if not, you can try again next time.

Luo Chen naturally knew all this beforehand, so he didn't say anything more. He obediently went to the lobby to wait for his results.

The other examinees in the same hall watched Luo Chen's retreating figure with envy, while also feeling a surge of anxiety within themselves.

Only after seeing Luo Chen leave the classroom did Liu Qingyu turn her curious gaze to his answer sheet.

After reading it, Liu Qingyu, looking excited, took out her terminal and quickly composed and sent a message.

Luo Chen, who had been waiting in the lobby while playing with his terminal, suddenly heard a gentle voice beside his ear.

"You're Luo Chen, right? Could you come with me to the examiner's office?"

Luo Chen turned his gaze to his left. There stood a young woman in a cyan-blue dress—it was Liu Qingyu, the invigilator from earlier.

After a moment's thought, Luo Chen stood up from his seat and said, "Sure."

He then walked over to Liu Qingyu's side and followed her towards the second floor.

"Is there something wrong with my answer sheet?" Luo Chen asked curiously, looking at the young woman beside him.

Liu Qingyu didn't hide her thoughts from Luo Chen. "Your answers are perfect, no mistakes. It's just that Examiner Liu Chengyu wants to meet you."

Upon hearing this, Luo Chen frantically searched his memory for any recollection related to Examiner Liu Chengyu.

But after searching thoroughly, he confirmed that they were complete strangers and had no idea why the examiner would want to see him.

His mind filled with questions, Luo Chen followed Liu Qingyu's lead up to the second floor.

Passing through a connecting corridor, Liu Qingyu knocked on a stone door. An elderly voice came from inside,

"Come in."

The room's layout was simple. Several shelves held materials related to Beast Masters, there was a desk, and a few chairs presumably for receiving guests.

Examiner Liu Chengyu was sitting behind the room's only desk, his gaze inquisitively fixed on Luo Chen.

"Sit."

After Luo Chen and Liu Qingyu sat down in the two chairs in front of the desk, Liu Chengyu continued,

"May I ask what relationship you have with Master Luo Yuheng?"

Luo Chen withdrew his surveying gaze. Hearing Liu Chengyu's question, a sense of wariness involuntarily arose in his heart.

However, such a relationship was impossible to conceal. If Liu Chengyu wanted to investigate, it would be quite simple.

So, despite his inner caution, Luo Chen chose not to hide it. "He is my father."

Liu Chengyu had already suspected as much, so Luo Chen's admission didn't surprise him. Instead, he wore an expression that said, "Just as I thought."

A thought struck Luo Chen, and he hurriedly asked, "Master Liu, do you know my father?"

Liu Chengyu laughed heartily. "Master Luo Yuheng? Which higher-Rank Beast Master in Qingyang City doesn't know of him?"

Indeed, as Qingyang City's only promising candidate in recent years to advance to Bright Moon Breeder, Luo Yuheng was someone many Beast Masters sought to befriend.

"However, it's a pity. Master Luo Yuheng is currently trapped in the Han Hai Secret Realm and cannot return."

Since this Liu Chengyu seemed to know something about the Han Hai Secret Realm, Luo Chen couldn't help but press further,

"Master, do you know any news about my father?"

Sensing the urgency in Luo Chen's tone, Liu Chengyu patiently explained,

"I don't know much more. The only thing certain is that the Han Hai Secret Realm is indeed not a Spirit Beast secret realm, but a large-scale King Beast secret realm. The portal is blocked by several King Beasts, so the exploration team cannot return."

Seeing that the situation matched his ownguess, Luo Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least for now, his parents and the others were confirmed to be in no immediate danger.

What he needed to do now was improve his own strength as quickly as possible to be able to rescue them from the secret realm. Time was of the essence; every extra day they spent there increased the risk of unforeseen events.

As if to reassure Luo Chen, Liu Chengyu shared another piece of information,

"You shouldn't worry too much. The City Lord has already requested aid from Liuguang City. It likely won't be long before a rescue team arrives."

Hua Nation classifies its cities nationwide into three tiers: Upper, Middle, and Lower. Lower Cities have populations in the millions, Middle Cities in the tens of millions, and Upper Cities have populations exceeding a hundred million.

Qingyang City is one of the 1600 Lower Cities, while Liuguang City is one of the 160 Middle Cities. Furthermore, Qingyang City falls under the jurisdiction of Liuguang City.

A King-Rank Beast Master, considered top-tier combat strength in Qingyang City, while still valuable in Liuguang City, is certainly not a rarity there.

Luo Chen couldn't help but feel a surge of hope regarding the support from the Middle City. However, he dared not place all his expectations on others. The proper course was to improve himself as quickly as possible.

Luo Chen let out a soft sigh. "Thank you, Master Liu, for sharing this news."

Liu Chengyu waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing. I just noticed your name matched the one Master Luo Yuheng often mentioned when talking about his son and wanted to confirm. If I'm not mistaken, you've awakened the Eye of Truth?"

Luo Chen nodded naturally. "Of course. I wouldn't have dared to take the exam without awakening that talent. But I have a question: why did such a simple assessment seem so incredibly difficult for the other examinees?"

Liu Chengyu's expression turned somewhat odd. He cleared his throat lightly. "Qingyu, you answer that."

"Yes, Grandfather."

Liu Qingyu turned to Luo Chen and patiently explained, "Examinees who awaken the Eye of Truth talent are ultimately in the minority. However, the demand for Breeders is immense. Furthermore, simply barring ordinary people from entering the Breeder profession based on talent alone goes against Hua Nation's longstanding philosophy.

"Therefore, the Breeder assessment is also open to the vast number of people who do not possess the Eye of Truth talent. Naturally, for those with this talent, the assessment is as simple as drinking water."

"But for those who haven't awakened this talent, they need to study and memorize a vast amount of knowledge about Beast Masters. However, it's undeniable that many erudite Breeders have emerged from among them, making significant contributions to the nation's Beast Master cultivation."

Now Luo Chen understood. So those people didn't have the Eye of Truth talent. No wonder an assessment that seemed incredibly simple to him required them to frown and think so hard.

Seeing that Luo Chen understood the situation, Liu Chengyu handed him a badge shaped like a tender blade of grass.

"Here, this is the badge that proves your identity as an Apprentice Breeder. However, with your Eye of Truth talent, you'll likely be able to exchange it for the official Stellar badge very soon."

Liu Chengyu's face now radiated a kind of benevolence.

Luo Chen excitedly took the badge. He could finally officially open his shop, and the system's task could finally be completed.

He had been coveting the system's rewards for a long time.