The Examination Hall hummed with nervous energy as candidates formed orderly rows beneath vaulted ceilings.
Flickering spirit lanterns cast shifting shadows across the display tables, where fifty rare ingredients rested on silver trays.
Each specimen more exotic than the last.
Wu Chen observed the setup with detached interest, his hands tucked casually in his sleeves while other applicants fidgeted with their robes or muttered last-minute mnemonics.
Instructor Bai's staff struck the obsidian floor with a crack that silenced the hall. The senior alchemist's wispy white beard trembled as he unfurled the examination scroll.
"First evaluation: herb identification." His rheumy eyes scanned the assembly like a vulture assessing prey. "Twenty correct identifications to proceed. Fail, and the gates will remember your shame longer than your family does."
A collective gulp traveled through the candidates. Wu Chen noted how the boy beside him began trembling so violently his jade pendant chimed against his belt.
Xu Qing leaned against a carved pillar in the observation gallery, her crimson nails tapping an irregular rhythm against the polished wood.
Her gaze remained fixed on the unremarkable figure of Wu Chen, who stood with infuriating calm amidst the panic.
That same figure who had dared ignore her earlier now commanded her complete attention.
The examination commenced with predictable results:
- A merchant's son collapsed after misidentifying Frostpeak Lichen as common moss.
- Two sect disciples quarreled over Moontear Petals until Instructor Bai banished both.
- A girl in elaborate silks burst into tears when she realized her expensive tutors had never mentioned Voidroot.
Then came Bai Qingyun's turn. The crowd's murmurs swelled like tidewaters as the young master strode forward.
His embroidered sleeves billowing with practiced elegance. The whispers chased him:
"Elder Bai's grandson..."
"Could name many herbs in the compendium by age six..."
"Watch how a true prodigy performs..."
With theatrical flourish, Bai Qingyun began reciting:
"Starfall Sap... Phoenix Tail Fern... Ghostcap Mushroom... Thundervine... Frostbloom Petal... Emberroot... Voidmoss... Soulmend Lotus... Thunderpeak Vine..."
The list continued, each name dropping like a jewel into stunned silence.
At thirty-five identifications - far surpassing the requirements, he finally paused, casting a smug glance toward Xu Qing's observation post.
The gallery erupted in applause.
Instructor Bai's parchment trembled with pride as he recorded the score. "The Bai legacy endures," he declared, prompting another round of obsequious clapping.
Xu Qing's lips pursed. Impressive, yes - but she did scored thirty-nine in her own examination.
Her eyes slid back to Wu Chen, who was studying his fingernails with apparent fascination. That casual indifference set her teeth on edge.
Either he possessed knowledge that dwarfed even the Bai family's... or he was about to become the guild's greatest laughingstock.
Bai Qingyun stepped back with the satisfied grace of a peacock displaying its plumage.
His thirty-five correct identifications hanging in the air like a challenge to all who followed.
The examination continued, but the remaining candidates paled in comparison - most barely scraped past the twenty-herb threshold.
Their voices trembling as they stammered through the harder specimens.
Xu Qing tapped a finger against her chin as she observed from the gallery. "It seems the Bai family's reputation remains well-earned," she murmured, though a competitive spark flashed in her eyes.
She remembered her own record-breaking thirty-nine identifications during her examination, the way the guild elders had whispered about "once-in-a-generation talent."
Seeing Bai Qingyun's performance now, she understood better than anyone the years of brutal study required to reach such heights.
Then the proctor's voice cut through her thoughts: "Next candidate - Wu Chen."
A hush fell over the hall as the plainly-dressed stranger stepped forward.
Xu Qing leaned imperceptibly closer, her crimson nails digging into the railing.
This was the moment of truth - would the arrogant outsider prove worthy of her attention, or become just another failed aspirant?
Wu Chen approached the display table with measured steps, his worn boots silent against the polished jade tiles.
As his gaze swept across the rare ingredients, his mind raced:
"The system has never failed me before... but alchemy is an entirely different beast." His fingers twitched at his sides, acutely aware of his dwindling funds.
'If this doesn't work, I'll have to try the Black Market routes... and that never ends well for outsiders.'
The weight of potential failure pressed against his ribs, but Wu Chen had learned long ago that hesitation was the cousin of defeat.
Drawing a steadying breath, he focused his entire being on the herbs before him, channeling his Supreme Intelligence ability and seeing if he can will for the assistance of the system in his mind.
In the gallery, Xu Qing's brow furrowed. There was something... unsettling about the man's stillness.
Not the panicked freeze of an unprepared candidate, but the utter calm of a predator assessing its prey. Her pulse quickened despite herself.
'What are you seeing that we're not?' she wondered, her scholar's curiosity overriding her earlier annoyance.
The examination hall seemed to hold its breath as Wu Chen's strange trance continued, seconds stretching into what felt like eternity.
A heavy silence descended upon the examination hall as Wu Chen remained motionless before the display of rare herbs.
Thirty-seven seconds passed without a single word - an eternity in the charged atmosphere.
The only movement came from a slowly curling wisp of incense smoke drifting between Wu Chen and the judging panel.
"Is he seriously unable to recognize even one?" a guild apprentice snickered behind his sleeve, the whisper cutting through the stillness like a knife.
Xu Qing's delicate fingers tightened around her jade fan until the veins stood out pale against her skin.
Her earlier curiosity had curdled into something darker.
This peasant had dared ignore her, walked past her without acknowledgment, only to reveal himself as completely ignorant? The insult burned hotter than alchemical flames.
Meanwhile, behind Wu Chen's impassive expression, his mind had become a storm of activity.
The Supreme Intelligence ability awakened like a slumbering dragon, its power surging In his mind .
Each herb's molecular structure, cultivation method, and alchemical properties unfolded before his mind's eye in perfect clarity.
knowledge he'd never studied appearing as if inscribed on his very soul.