The timer started and everyone began concentrating. Lucas wasn’t particularly concentrating. Even before the timer of two minutes started, he had already picked five arrays he was to present. This thing was normal to him, but in reality, it wasn’t. People needed to concentrate just to compare the structures since the arrays on the floor were completely unique and had no visible similarity.
But that wasn’t the case for Lucas. Strikingly, he could see every difference in them as if he was the one who drew them.
Without any effort to do so, Lucas raised his hand and looked at the announcer.
The announcer asked.
"What is it?"
"What will happen if I am already done?" Lucas asked.
The announcer just looked at him with serious intent behind the shadows.
"Don’t be overconfident. We would notice it if you were talented. But since earlier, you didn’t even bother to look at different arrays," the announcer said, with a slight upset tone behind her words.
"Then, what do you propose?" Lucas just asked.
As annoying as it seemed, the announcer just grumbled and answered him again.
"Just let me see them. There are over 200 arrays imprinted there, so pick 5 and I will check it."
’So I just need to walk onto them.’ Lucas thought.
Just beside Lucas, Mischelle was a little bit agitated about why Lucas was talking so boastfully at this moment. Even those who had studied different arrays had a hard time observing the structures of the arrays, but Lucas just finished checking them within 10 seconds.
It clearly didn’t make sense, and because of it, Mischelle couldn’t contain her curiosity anymore.
"Hey! Did you really pick five?" she asked Lucas.
Lucas just nodded. Then he began selecting five arrays that were similar to the structures.
After picking five with still being confident, the announcer paused and reflected on her attitude earlier. All of the arrays were similar, yet she didn’t notice Lucas’s talent from the beginning.
"It’s all correct. You have a total of 125 points. Please proceed to the right to wait for others," the announcer said with a little defeated tone.
Lucas just nodded and continued walking. Before he arrived at the right, Lucas looked at Mischelle, who was concentrating on the arrays.
’It wasn’t that bad. I can feel that she has talents as she was just eyeing the similar arrays. What she doesn’t have is confidence. That’s why she’s having a hard time.’
Why did this become easy for Lucas? Well, technically arrays are set and formation of different characters and symbols.
’Magic circles and arrays are likely similar in principle. And I’ve already observed plenty of structures of magic circles that observing fine details became easy to me.’
After the next few minutes, Mischelle joined him with the rest of the group, who looked at Lucas with an envious gaze.
"Congrats," Lucas said to Mischelle, who also had gotten five correct.
"Thank you," she reluctantly said.
And in the next few seconds, when everyone who had passed gathered, another portal appeared. All of them entered the portal with only 15 examinees who passed the second test.
***
As they moved on to the next test, Lucas saw himself again in the same hall, but this time there were different incomplete spirit jewels on the ground.
"Welcome to the third test of the examination! This time, you will all practice Qi circulation. Don’t worry, you won’t use your own Qi, you will just act as a bridge and combine two spirit jewels’ spiritual energy. If you succeed in doing it, you will proceed to the next test," an announcer said in a male voice, and, as usual, it was from afar and only a silhouette.
But as vague as the previous test’s explanation was, someone from the group decided to ask.
"What is the purpose of the interview? Can’t we just lie about our talents there? I mean, I didn’t see anything that could prove that we were lying."
"Good question. But as the first test was, it is honesty. But you might ask again, what will happen to others? They are honest too, right? And the answer to that question is that we wanted to see if talented people were also arrogantly liars. And since you didn’t lie, you all didn’t need to go to the first test. Think of it as a privilege."
After the explanation, another question emerged.
"How about this one? Didn’t you say that we have a talent in Qi circulation? What’s the purpose of this test for us?"
"Good question! You see, we commended your talent for ’your’ Qi to circulate throughout your body. But how about using your body as a medium to transfer Qi from one storage to another? Listen, we only let you pass the first test as a privilege, nothing more. I don’t know what you heard from other watchers, but this is the truth."
And the next second, no one ever asked again as the test started.
They were only given five minutes and the rules stated that it was a violation to use their own Qi to fill the other spirit jewel. It must be equally transferred since the spirit jewels on the floor had the same amount and were only half completed.
Spirit jewels are technically a condensed materialized Qi, appearing slightly red and pink. But the spirit jewels on the floor were artificially made, which meant they were only containers of spiritual energy.
"Then, let’s start," Lucas mumbled and then started processing.
After only a few seconds, he had already finished transferring and completing one jewel stone. It was fortunate for him that his absorbing passive ability was in use in this case.
"I’m done," Lucas mumbled and presented his jewel stone. And as usual, he was led to proceed to the right to wait for others.
And as the other examinees were still in their process, they could just look at Lucas, who was overwhelmed with talent.
They were not the only ones who noticed it, but also the watchers and the sect elders who were spectating the examination.
"Elder Huang. Please inform the sect master that we’ll take someone in the newcomers! Look at this spectacular, talented young man! He passed every test easily, without any difficulties." One sect elder exclaimed behind a one-way glass window from above the hall.
"Yes, Senior Elder Chan."
Other sect elders were also flickering their eyes while looking at Lucas. He already passed two tests in a sweep of seconds, and as this was already rare to see, they shouldn’t let this person wait in line just to pass. The first two tests he took were already enough for them to assess him.
"Where did this young man come from?" One sect elder asked an elder who had the list of examinees.
There were two sides they could see, but the other one was populated. Thus, the sect elders preferred to watch the less populated side of the test since they were assessed as promising examinees.
"He is named Lucas Wei," the sect elder answered.
Then another sect elder, who had a peerless beauty, talked.
"Wei Family? That mad dog family? How could they conceive this kind of talented young man?"
"Apparently, he wasn’t related to the Wei Family."
"Oh. Fortunate for him. But don’t worry about the Wei family. We must save this young man before the other factions take interest in him. Take him off of the test!"
"Understood!"