Behind the carved long desk, among the six elders of the academy, the remaining grey-bearded old man exchanged a glance with the stern middle-aged man in the grey leather hat. They both nodded slightly.
"Next."
The grey-bearded old man then pointed to another exit of the tent and called out firmly.
Lin Xi opened his mouth slightly, as if wanting to say something, but after thinking it over, he seemed to recall something and quickly walked toward that exit.
That exit led to a series of connected tents—clearly designed to prevent leaks of the exam content. All those who had finished were gathered inside.
With just a glance, Lin Xi spotted Zhang Ping sitting cross-legged in the corner to the left.
Zhang Ping looked dejected and out of sorts—it was obvious his exam didn't go well. Ignoring the eyes of others, Lin Xi strode straight to him and quickly asked, "Zhang Ping, what were you tested on? Was it also matching refined iron pieces with rune patterns, choosing a suitable weapon, memorizing herbs, and identifying which egg was alive?"
"Yes," Zhang Ping said, face pale. "I didn't do well. From what the instructor said, I only got one of the four matches correct. Even if I get into the academy, I probably won't qualify for the weaponry Division."
Lin Xi nodded slightly, furrowing his brow. He simply said, "Go back."
…
The scenery changed abruptly.
"Lin Xi, are you really that confident you'll enter the academy—and even score better than him?"
Lin Xi and Zhang Ping were now outside the professors' tent, no longer inside the candidate holding area. Next to Zhang Ping stood Meng Bai. The two looked at Lin Xi with suspicion, whispering their doubts.
A nearby Golden Spoon youth sneered with disdain, coldly staring at Lin Xi.
"Relax. Unless I want to lose on purpose," Lin Xi smiled faintly, "I'm guaranteed to win."
"Lin Xi, this isn't child's play..."
Just then, the stern, black-robed middle-aged instructor called out gravely, "Zhang Ping!"
Zhang Ping jumped up nervously.
"Wait..." Lin Xi grabbed his shoulder, patted it, and wished him luck. Then he whispered, "Zhang Ping, didn't you want to join the weaponry Division? I recall reading something before. Blackwater Gold pairs with the Watercloud Pattern. Black King Iron needs the Golden Phoenix Pattern. Red Iron matches the Evergreen Pattern. Silvershine Gold pairs with the Vine Pattern… maybe that'll help."
Zhang Ping froze. He clearly didn't understand why Lin Xi would suddenly say something like that. But he had no time to ask. After a glance at Lin Xi, he nodded and quickly followed the black-robed instructor into the corridor.
"He's up!"
Soon after, Lin Xi smiled. At that moment, the stern instructor shouted again: "Lin Xi!"
Lin Xi stepped once more into the large tent where the six elders and the one-armed old man were seated.
The six elders and the one-armed listener all revealed slight surprise.
Any normal youth would show shock upon first seeing such a serious setup, especially the intentionally placed organs and eyeballs—but Lin Xi's face remained calm, with no ripples in his heart.
Just that look made the black-haired man and the plump middle-aged woman behind the long desk silently approve.
"You're Lin Xi? Have you trained in soul power before?"
The cold, black-haired man asked. "Come and take a look at these weapons. Which one feels most natural to you?"
"I'm Lin Xi. I haven't trained in soul power," he replied calmly, stepping forward and picking up the thin, sharp longsword without hesitation.
"Alright, put it down," the black-haired man nodded coolly.
The old woman in black robes, who looked like a witch, spoke next. "Look at these metal pieces and the rune scrolls. Match what feels right together. Put what you think matches side-by-side."
Lin Xi gave a respectful nod and stepped forward.
Still the same four pieces of refined iron, still the same four scrolls of runes. He moved steadily—placing the phoenix-tail patterned scroll beside the black metal, the withered vine pattern beside the silvery metal, the flowing water/cloud pattern with the other black piece, and naturally left the green-leaf vine pattern with the red-gold metal.
As he placed the third scroll, the old woman's eyes already glowed with surprise.
The tent fell briefly silent.
"Look here," the plump middle-aged woman's voice broke the stillness.
"Did you see clearly?" she asked. Then she flicked her hand, a white cloth covering everything on her table.
"Now, tell me: besides the jars and bottles, how many herbs were on my desk, what were their appearances, and where were they placed?" she asked.
"There were fifteen herbs," Lin Xi answered, "Five were planted and still alive, ten were dried. The far left one was yellow, about one foot long, with three black berries on top. Next to it was a live herb in a green ceramic pot, kind of like a rose, with purple flowers and small thorns on the stem…"
Even the stiff-faced man in the grey leather hat now showed stunned disbelief.
Lin Xi kept speaking, but the woman's eyes were already full of excitement—almost feverish. She interrupted, asking seriously, "Did you intentionally memorize the herbs? Even with a strong memory, it's impossible to recall so many details so precisely without preparation."
Lin Xi was slightly startled. He knew his performance had been too perfect and raised suspicion. But he answered steadily, "Not really… it's just that the organs and eyeballs were a bit creepy, so they grabbed my attention. Then I saw the herbs, and they were fascinating—unlike anything I've seen before. So I looked at them a bit longer."
"You thought the herbs were fascinating?" the woman inhaled deeply, voice changing slightly.
Before Lin Xi could answer, an old voice interrupted: "Among these five eggs, only one is alive and can hatch. Can you pick it out?"
"Pfft." Lin Xi chuckled despite himself, remembering the old man's earlier strict demeanor.
"What are you laughing at?" the thin old man scowled. All eyes locked onto Lin Xi.
"Nothing," Lin Xi said innocently, pointing to the red egg, "I just thought that one looks like an ordinary chicken egg… and maybe even a cooked one. I figured you might have accidentally left one of your breakfast eggs in there..."
The old man's eyes widened in shock. "You really think that's a cooked egg?!"
"Yes," Lin Xi nodded, a smile playing on his lips.
The old man swallowed hard. "Then which one do you think is alive?"
"If I had to guess," Lin Xi said, pointing to the largest one, "I'd choose that."
The old man exhaled slowly, staring at Lin Xi. "Good…"
"I have a question for you," said the stiff middle-aged man, adjusting his hat.
Lin Xi tensed slightly. This man hadn't asked anything before.
"From the moment you entered until now, how much time do you think has passed? And how many times has your heart beaten?"
Lin Xi immediately relaxed. He'd studied this intensely.
In this world, one "xi" equals one second in his previous world, and one "ting" equals one minute. From his entrance to now, it had been about 3 tings and 40+ xis, and his heart rate was around 60–65 beats per ting.
"From start to now, about three tings and forty-some xis. My heart beat roughly two hundred twenty-something times," he answered.
The man inhaled deeply, lowered his gaze, and said nothing more.
"I'll test your literary talent," the grey-bearded old man finally said, snapping out of his daze. "Match this line of poetry: 'Don't fear the road ahead holds no friends who know you.'"
"…" Lin Xi froze, body trembling slightly.
Not because he didn't know it—but because that line was so deeply familiar.
"It's alright if you can't answer," the others were already preparing to dismiss him kindly. But before they could say more, Lin Xi slowly recited:
"Who in the world doesn't know you?"
"Don't fear the road ahead holds no friends… Who in the world doesn't know you!" The old man sprang to his feet. Even the one-armed listener's expression shifted—his lips moved as if repeating the verse.
"Who in the world doesn't know you! Well matched! What spirit!" The old man stood frozen a moment before shouting praise.
"You may go," the plump woman nodded meaningfully at Lin Xi.