If Hong Yu had seen this person, he would have imdiately recognized the old man erging from the shadows as Master Fan.
Master Fan slowly walked to the front desk and said coolly, "Go and get Huo Lin. Tell him to co to my office."
"Yes, Elder Fan!"
The young woman at the desk nodded hurriedly and respectfully withdrew.
A cold, sinister light glinted in Master Fan's eyes. 'You want to get certified by the Spiritual Craftsman Guild? Heh heh heh, with here, I'm afraid you're in for a disappointnt!'
A short while later, a young man in the guild's uniform arrived at Master Fan's office. On his chest was a faint silver stripe embroidered with three small stars, symbolizing his status: a Tier One Advanced Spirit Craftsman!
This was none other than Master Fan's disciple, Huo Lin, the examiner on duty today.
Huo Lin said respectfully, "Master, you were looking for ?"
"Huo Lin, are you in charge of today's assessnt?" Master Fan asked coolly.
Huo Lin was taken aback for a mont. 'My master never bothers with such trivial matters,' he thought. 'Could it be that an acquaintance needs so back-door help today?'
With this in mind, Huo Lin nodded. "Yes, Master. What are your instructions?"
"Oh, during the assessnt later, if you run into a little fellow nad Hong Yu, be sure to 'take good care' of him for ," Master Fan said, his gaze calm as his fingers gently tapped the desk.
Huo Lin nodded. "Rest assured, Master. I will make sure he passes smoothly!"
"You idiot!"
Master Fan's face darkened. "How can you be so dense?" he raged. "Couldn't you understand my aning? When I said to 'take care' of him, I ant to give him a hard ti! Don't let him pass the assessnt. Understand?"
"Ah?!"
Huo Lin broke out in a sweat and nodded repeatedly.
"Rest assured, Master. Your disciple will make sure he goes ho in tears."
...
"Hey, buddy. You here for the Spiritual Craftsman certification assessnt too?"
Hong Yu was waiting outside the second-floor examination hall when a man with shifty features and an overly familiar deanor sat down beside him, chattering away.
Sighing, Hong Yu nodded and asked, "Judging by your expression, it seems this isn't your first ti here?"
"Heh heh..."
The man scratched his head in embarrassnt. "Well, you see... th-this is my eighth ti. It's just... every ti before, I was just a little bit off. I should be able to pass this ti!"
"Mm."
Hong Yu nodded, noticing the man was clutching an Engraving Plate, a tool used by Artifact Spiritual Craftsn to deduce and develop the construction of Spirit Array Runes.
At that mont, the young man was using the Engraving Plate in his hands to work out a Tier One Junior Spirit Array Rune.
It was the Clear Wind Rune. If inscribed on a pair of Primordial Weapon boots, it could increase speed by thirty percent. It was considered an entry-level Spirit Array Rune that any Tier One Junior Spiritual Craftsman could easily set up.
Hong Yu glanced over and couldn't help but frown. 'No wonder this guy has failed eight tis,' he thought. 'Even on the simplest Clear Wind Rune, he has six incorrect connection points.'
Shaking his head slightly, Hong Yu decided not to say anything.
They were strangers, and an unsolicited suggestion might not be well-received, or could even provoke a defensive reaction. 'Why bother with a thankless task?'
Just then, the light in front of them was blocked as three figures appeared before the pair.
When Hong Yu noticed them, the young man beside him clearly trembled, and the Engraving Plate nearly slipped from his hands.
Even though he tried his best to suppress it, Hong Yu caught a glimpse of the man's knuckles turning white as he gripped the plate. It was obvious he was not calm.
"Huh? Isn't that Beichen Guang?"
"Tsk, tsk. Look at this kid. A re house slave of the Beichen Family, yet he dreams of becoming a Spiritual Craftsman. He really doesn't know his place."
"I heard he's already failed the assessnt eight tis. Sigh, why would a lowly house slave bother with such an absurd daydream?"
"Hahaha, let's go, guys. Let's go sit sowhere else. It's too embarrassing to be seen sitting with a servant like him."
After a round of sneers and taunts, the three left, satisfied at the sight of the young man burying his head in his knees in humiliation.
Only after they were gone did he raise his head again.
Seeing Hong Yu looking at him, he forced an ugly smile. "S-Sorry, you had to see that." When Hong Yu just stared without speaking, his expression turned helpless. "I-If you think it's inappropriate for to sit next to you, I-I can move."
Looking at the young man's bitter and helpless expression, Hong Yu felt a stir in his heart.
'Wasn't I once just like him, a mber of a humble branch family, looked down upon by everyone? Our experiences are so similar.'
'Except I was luckier than him...'
'Because I have the Profound Celestial Tower my father left !'
At this thought, Hong Yu shook his head. "My na is Hong Yu. I heard them call you Beichen Guang? Are you from the Beichen Family?"
Beichen Guang hesitated, as if trying to figure out the motive behind Hong Yu's questions. He wondered inwardly, 'Is he going to mock too?'
After a mont, Beichen Guang gave a bitter smile and nodded. "My family has been enslaved to the Beichen Family since my grandfather's ti. So if you say I'm part of the Beichen Family, I guess I am. But other than the surna, I have no real connection to them. If you feel my status as a servant sullies your presence, I can leave!"
'So he's not really part of the Beichen Family after all!'
Hong Yu shook his head. "No need. Stay right here." After a pause, he continued, "If you trust , when you inscribe the Clear Wind Rune, swap the connections for points three, four, six, and eight left-to-right, and swap the connections for points one, seven, and nine top-to-bottom. That should be enough to pass the assessnt."
"Huh?"
Beichen Guang was stunned, not reacting for a mont.
But Hong Yu said no more.
Beichen Guang frowned, looked down at the Clear Wind Rune on his Engraving Plate, and gritted his teeth. He began to make the changes according to Hong Yu's instructions.
Hong Yu, resting with his eyes closed, felt the corners of his lips curve up slightly.
By the ti Beichen Guang had worked through the Clear Wind Rune to the very last connection point, his face was already alight with ecstasy. Although the rune wasn't complete yet, he could tell from the semi-finished work that once it was done, this Clear Wind Rune would absolutely be perfect.
Filled with gratitude, Beichen Guang was about to say sothing when the examination hall doors slowly opened. A cold voice called from within, "Candidates, bring your assessnt materials and enter the examination hall!"
Huo Lin sat upon the main seat, his wooden expression sweeping over every student entering the hall.
When his eyes landed on Hong Yu, they flickered for a mont, and his lips curved into a playful, knowing smile.
Hong Yu frowned. He instinctively felt that the way the examiner was looking at him was off, but he couldn't think of how he might have offended the man. He could only shake his head, push the matter aside, and get in line.
Huo Lin announced coolly, "All the candidates have arrived. We will now draw lots for the assessnt questions!"
Everyone ford a line, with Beichen Guang just in front of Hong Yu.
The process of drawing lots went quickly. After all, it was only a Tier One Spiritual Craftsman certification, which didn't involve too many complicated procedures.
The entire assessnt consisted of two parts. Part one: Inscribing a rune!
Part two: Refining an Artifact Embryo, branding the rune onto it, and forging a Primordial Weapon!
As long as one could forge a complete Primordial Weapon—even the lowest Mortal Level Lower Grade Primordial Weapon—they would pass the assessnt.
"Lord Huo, greetings!"
Beichen Guang said with so trepidation.
Huo Lin shot him a glance, his eyes filled with disdain. "Beichen Guang? You again? If I recall, you couldn't even pass the first stage last ti, could you?"
"Lord Huo, th-this humble one is well-prepared this ti!" Beichen Guang said.
Huo Lin snorted coldly and waved his hand impatiently. "Hurry up and draw, then get down from here."
"Yes!"
Beichen Guang nodded.
His hand trembling slightly, he drew his question from the box. When he unfolded it, he froze for a second before his expression turned to one of pure joy. "The Clear Wind Rune? I-I actually drew the Clear Wind Rune?"
"What's all the racket? Scram."
Huo Lin barked, then sneered contemptuously, "With your aptitude, even if you draw the simplest Clear Wind Rune, you still have no chance of success."
Naturally, it was Hong Yu's turn next.
Hong Yu maintained the proper respect. "Lord Huo."
Huo Lin glanced at him, a smirk playing on his lips. "So, you're Hong Yu?"
"I am."
Hong Yu nodded, a little puzzled. 'There's sothing strange about the way this Lord Huo is looking at .'
Huo Lin grinned. "You're quite sothing..." He pushed the box of questions aside, pulled out a piece of paper, and slapped it onto the table with a THWACK. A mocking light shone in his eyes. "All the lots in the box have been drawn. This is your question!"
"All drawn?"
Hong Yu raised an eyebrow.
With his Spiritual Power, he could easily perceive that there were still plenty of lots left in the wooden box. So why would Huo Lin claim they were all gone and give him a special question?
Though puzzled, Hong Yu didn't let it show. He calmly took the paper, slowly unfolded it, and frowned almost imperceptibly. "Deduce a Tier One Spirit Array Rune on the spot and completely inscribe it. If successful, you pass the assessnt. If not, you fail?"
The standard assessnt only required one to inscribe a randomly drawn Spirit Array Rune.
Having to deduce a rune on the spot and then inscribe it completely increased the difficulty by more than tenfold. This kind of test was usually for Tier Two Spiritual Craftsn!
Looking at the blatant amusent and mockery on Huo Lin's face, Hong Yu understood. 'I don't know why, but this so-called examiner definitely has it in for . If I were just a regular Tier One Spiritual Craftsman, I really would have fallen into your trap.'
With a calm expression, he closed the paper in his palm and returned to his seat. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he took in the triumphant smirk in Huo Lin's eyes. He took a shallow breath, his whisper filled with deep-seated confidence and nonchalance...
"Too bad... a test for a Tier Two Spiritual Craftsman? Heh heh, I'm afraid you're all in for a disappointnt."
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