Chapter 33: Guide Assessment in Progress 5

"All the patterns in area 43 are lit up. Candidate Lin Yao has passed the basic manipulation test."

The examiner's voice, trembling with difficulty, broke the silence of the Xingluo Courtyard. This announcement was like a stone dropped into a lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves.

StarNet Comments:

"What is that bald kid talking about? This is a basic operation? Opening up the dead end pattern is a basic operation? Which nebula's basic operation?"

"I suspect the examiner's brain has been affected by the star crystal radiation! If the Dead End Mark is considered basic, then shouldn't someone like me who can't even draw a straight line be sent back to the furnace for retraining?"

"Help! Is it possible that the definition of 'basic control' has been tampered with? I've searched the federal assessment manual, and basic operation clearly only requires lighting up one-third of the lines!"

"Don't read the previous part, I just took a screenshot of the original manual. Basic assessment standards:

"Achieve at least 30% of the lines illuminated within the specified time, and maintain stable mental fluctuations." Lin Yao has exceeded the target by three times!

"What's three times that? He lit up the Juelu Mark! The Juelu Mark that's been stuck for a hundred years and has backfired, leaving no one able to break through! Isn't the examiner being sarcastic?"

"Did Mr. Bald (respectful title) get so nervous that he messed up his words? I clearly saw his hands shaking just now. I guess he wanted to praise 'exceeded the target' but ended up saying 'basic pass'?"

"Is there a possibility... This test is called 'Basic Control' (Dog Head Save Life)"

"Don't scare me, the guy above! If this is the basics, then how difficult will the subsequent tests be? I'm afraid we'll have to tear down the Zerg hive's mental barrier, won't we?"

"Did Baita Academy secretly change the difficulty? When I took the exam last year, the basic operation was to light up ordinary patterns, which are very simple to use! When did the Juelu pattern become a basic question?"

"Starnet Encyclopedia Urgent Update: Basic Operations - Specifically referring to Lin Yao's actions of opening up the Juelu Pattern (bushi)"

"Other candidates: Basic operation = Light up 30% of the normal lines.

Lin Yao: Basic operation = open up 100% of the dead end patterns.

I was broken.”

"Did anyone notice Chen Yan's expression? His mouth was open enough to fit a star crystal ball. He must be as confused as we are."

"Teacher Bald: (Trembling) Basics passed.

Lin Yao: (calmly) Yes.

Me: (Pupils tremble) This world is so unfriendly to ordinary people! "

When Lin Yao came out of the energy assessment room, Chen Yan was the first to rush up, but stopped three steps away from Lin Yao.

You…” Thousands of words were stuck in his throat, and in the end, he only uttered a choked “awesome”.

Lin Yao curled the corners of his mouth and was about to speak when he was drowned out by thunderous cheers.

The comments in the Star Network live broadcast room had turned into a blue ocean, with the two words "Lin Yao" and the phoenix tree leaf pattern occupying the entire screen.

Some people even lit celebratory fireworks, and the colorful lights bloomed in the sky, as if they were invisible.

Several reporters carrying cameras and recorders pushed through the crowd and rushed over. The female reporter in the lead said urgently:

"Lin Yao, can I spare you a few minutes? What did it feel like when you opened the Juelu pattern? Do you have any tips you can share?"

Another male reporter followed up with a question: "Are you confident in the upcoming assessment? Did you anticipate your success?"

The reporters pressed forward step by step, and the microphone almost poked Lin Yao in the face.

Seeing this, Chen Yan immediately stepped forward and stood in front of Lin Yao, opening his arms to stop the reporter:

"Sorry, everyone. Lin Yao just finished his assessment and needs to rest. He has another assessment coming up. Please wait until he finishes all the tests before discussing the interview. Please!"

As he spoke, he winked at Lin Yao, signaling him to leave quickly.

Lin Yao understood, and while Chen Yan was dealing with the reporters, he lowered his head slightly and squeezed out through the gap in the crowd.

Some reporters wanted to catch up, but Chen Yan blocked them directly:

"I really can't. The assessment is important. You don't want to affect his performance in the next game, right? Wait until he's done with the assessment, then you can interview him as much as you want, okay?"

The reporters looked at each other, watched Lin Yao's gradually receding figure, then looked at Chen Yan's determined expression, and finally stopped unwillingly.

Chen Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief, quickly caught up with Lin Yao, and patted him on the shoulder: "Let's go back to the rest area. I brought you some nutritional supplements."

Lin Yao glanced back at the reporters left behind and thanked Shen Yan: "Thank you."

"Why are you being so polite to me?" Chen Yan grinned.

Ye Heng stood on the outskirts of the crowd, watching Lin Yao dodging in the crowd, a barely perceptible tenderness flashed in his eyes.

He moved his feet, originally wanting to go forward and say congratulations, but suddenly his mind flashed back to what Lin Yao said yesterday:

"Marshal, you have so many fans. If you come, will they come to see you or to watch the assessment?" He paused.

Yes, if he squeezed in at this moment, the focus of this assessment would really be shifted away from Lin Yao.

Ye Heng nodded slightly, giving up the idea of ​​going forward, and just watched quietly until Lin Yao followed Chen Yan to the rest area. He turned on the light brain, hesitated for a moment on the screen, and finally sent a sentence:

"Congratulations, you're amazing!"

As soon as the message was successfully sent, Ye Heng turned and left.

After getting rid of the people who surrounded them, Lin Yao and Shen Yan walked side by side. Shen Yan was still chattering about the various hot discussions on the Star Network during the assessment just now, and Lin Yao responded incoherently.

Lin Yao's light brain lit up and information came in.

Before opening the message, the murderous vine on his wrist suddenly moved slightly, and a familiar mental wave came from the crowd.

Lin Yao subconsciously stopped because with the awakening of Shasha's new ability, his mental perception became more acute.

Especially for Ye Heng, who has a very high compatibility with him, although Lin Yao doesn’t know that the compatibility between them is very high, it does not prevent him from instantly capturing Ye Heng’s mental fluctuations.

Lin Yao looked around but didn't see Ye Heng.

He took out his laptop and saw that it was indeed a message from Ye Heng. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly unconsciously, and he quickly tapped the screen to reply: "Are you really here to cheer me on??!!"

After thinking for a while, Lin Yao continued, "Do you want to meet?"

Seeing Lin Yao stop and look around, Chen Yan came over curiously: "What's wrong? Who sent this message?"

"A...friend." Lin Yao put away his laptop and looked at Chen Yan, with a vague look in his eyes that he himself didn't even notice.

Chen Yan narrowed his eyes and moved closer: "Friends? What kind of friends would let you rush to see them instead of going back to the rest area to replenish your energy after the exam?"

He blinked mischievously, "Could it be someone very important?"

Lin Yao's ears felt slightly hot when he was asked this question. Just as he was about to refute, his light brain vibrated again. It was a message from Ye Heng, with a location attached.

He seemed to have found a savior and quickly opened it: "He said he found a place and sent the location."

Chen Yan looked over and smacked his lips, "Oh, it's a lounge! Looks like they specially found a quiet place."

He bumped Lin Yao's arm and said, "Alright, I won't disturb you from meeting your 'friend'. I'll go save a seat for you in the lounge!"

-

Lin Yao didn't say anything else, but just unconsciously rubbed the outer shell of the computer with his fingertips.

He couldn't explain why, but the moment he received Ye Heng's message, he inexplicably felt a strong urge in his heart to see him immediately.

It's not to say anything special, nor to ask any questions, I just want to see you.

The feeling is strange, yet extremely clear.

"I'm leaving first. See you in the rest area later." Lin Yao said to Shen Yan, turned around and walked towards the location.

The moment he took a step forward, he even felt a little light.

The Shasha on his wrist seemed to sense his mood as well. The vines swayed gently, and a soft light shone on the ice-blue leaves.

Following the location, we found a lounge hidden at the end of the corridor.

The door was ajar, and Lin Yao gently pushed it open and walked in.

Ye Heng was sitting on the sofa by the window, holding something that looked like a document in his hand. When he heard the noise, he looked up at him.

The sunlight fell on him through the window, outlining a clear outline. He was less sharp than usual, and his dark green eyes were much softer.

"Here I come." Ye Heng's voice was low and pleasant, and seemed to carry some soothing power.

Lin Yao nodded, walked to the sofa opposite him and sat down, his eyes unconsciously lingering on him for a few seconds.

I just realized that the sleeves of Ye Heng's shirt were slightly rolled up today, revealing his smooth forearms.

"You just finished the assessment. Are you tired?" Ye Heng asked with concern.

"Fortunately, I'm not too tired." He raised his head and met Ye Heng's gaze. There seemed to be a lot of things hidden in those deep eyes, which made him feel a little panicked. He quickly looked away and looked out the window.

"How did you find this place? It's quite quiet."

"I've been here a few times before, and I know there aren't many people here." Ye Heng followed him out the window, and lowered his voice, "There were too many people just now, so it was inconvenient to talk."

The lounge suddenly became quiet, with only the occasional bird calls outside the window.

There is a subtle atmosphere in the air. It is hard to describe the feeling, but it makes people feel very comfortable and don't want to break the tranquility.

Lin Yao could smell the faint, refreshing scent coming from Ye Heng, mixed with the scent of sunshine, which was unexpectedly pleasant.

He secretly glanced at Ye Heng out of the corner of his eye and found that he was also looking at him with a focused gaze.

The moment their eyes met, Lin Yao's heart skipped a beat. He quickly lowered his head and pretended to look at the lines on his palms.

Ye Heng looked at him, a very faint, almost invisible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said softly: "Your performance today was excellent."

Lin Yao raised his head suddenly, as if he didn't expect him to suddenly mention this. He was stunned for a moment before saying, "It's okay, I was just lucky."

"It's not luck." Ye Heng's tone was very sure, "You are just very good."

His gaze was too sincere and too focused, making Lin Yao a little overwhelmed.

Lin Yao opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but found that his throat seemed to be blocked and he couldn't utter a word.

Ye Heng picked up a bottle of water on the table and handed it over. "Are you thirsty? This is at room temperature."

Lin Yao subconsciously took the water, and his fingertips accidentally touched Ye Heng's fingers, and both of them paused.

Lin Yao quickly moved away with the water bottle, his fingertips curled up as if they were scalded, and he tightly grasped the cold bottle.

Ye Heng's hand paused in mid-air for half a second, the fingertips still retaining the warmth from the moment they touched. The touch was hotter than a bottle of water at room temperature, burning all the way through the nerve endings to the bottom of his heart.

He slowly withdrew his hand, his fingertips rubbing unconsciously, as if savoring the fleeting touch.

When Lin Yao lowered his head to unscrew the bottle cap, the redness on his ears deepened a little.

The sound of drinking water was particularly clear in the quiet lounge. He drank too quickly, and his Adam's apple rolled a little too much, as if he was hiding something.

"Drink slowly, no one will snatch it from you."

There was a faint smile in Ye Heng's voice, and his eyes fell on his slightly flushed cheeks.

The sunlight shone obliquely, casting tiny shadows on Lin Yao's eyelashes, like a butterfly resting on its wings, about to fly.

Lin Yao hummed, holding the water bottle in his hand, not daring to make eye contact with Ye Heng. His eyes wandered around the room, but were attracted by the rolled-up cuffs.

The skin on Ye Heng's forearms was a cool white with faintly visible blood vessels, which reminded him of the spiritual power patterns on the star crystals illuminated by ice blue.

As soon as this thought came to mind, Lin Yao shook his head violently, secretly cursing himself for having wild thoughts.

But she couldn't help but glance over there out of the corner of her eye, and happened to see Ye Heng looking down at her fingertips, his long and thick eyelashes drooping, casting a light shadow on his eyelids, which was less sharp than usual and more soft and lazy.

They could only let the subtle, sweet ambiguity spread quietly between the two of them.

"you……"

"Next..."

They both spoke at the same time and paused at the same time.

The ambiguous factor in the air seemed to be ignited by these overlapping words and instantly became thicker.

Lin Yao looked at Ye Heng, and Ye Heng also looked up at him. The moment their eyes met, time seemed to be stretched.

The sounds of birdsong and wind outside the window disappeared, leaving only the clear sounds of each other's breathing and the increasingly loud heartbeats in their chests.

"You speak first." Ye Heng's voice was lower than before, with a strange magnetism.

Lin Yao swallowed his saliva, his Adam's apple rolling. "I mean, the next assessment will be in Area A of the Training Hall, a simulated counseling session."

He regretted it the moment he said it. What was the point of saying something like this?

Ye Heng seemed to be listening very carefully and nodded: "I know, the three typical states are not easy."

He paused and added, "But if it's you, it should be fine."

This plain affirmation made Lin Yao's heart beat faster than any gorgeous praise.

Just as he was about to continue, he saw Ye Heng's gaze fall on his wrist. The killing vines had unfurled at some point, and the ice-blue leaves were trembling gently with his heartbeat.

Ye Heng's gaze followed the vine upwards, and their eyes met again. The smile on Ye Heng's lips deepened.

It was as if a fine electric current was running between the two of them, and every breath carried a subtle resonance.

Lin Yao could feel the fluctuations of Ye Heng's mental power, like ripples on a calm lake, gently enveloping him with a reassuring power.

The killing vines suddenly rubbed his wrist gently, as if reminding him of something.

He suddenly came back to his senses and realized that he had been staring at Ye Heng for too long. He quickly looked away, picked up the water bottle and took another sip, but he forgot that there was not much water left in the bottle, and only made a few empty sounds.

Ye Heng looked at his slightly flustered appearance, and the smile in his eyes became even more intense.

He pointed and said, "There's another bottle over there."

Lin Yao looked in the direction he was pointing, and sure enough, there was an unopened bottle of water.

Just as he was about to stand up to take it, Ye Heng had already handed it to him.

This time, both of them deliberately avoided touching each other, but the feeling of just now contact still did not fade away.

"Thank you... Thank you." He took the water, his voice as thin as a mosquito.

Ye Heng's eyes fell on the two bottles of water in his hands, as if he found it a little funny: "Are you planning to drink all the water here?"

Only then did Lin Yao realize that he was holding two bottles of water in his hands, and his cheeks became even hotter.

He wanted to put one of the bottles back, and stretched his hand into the air, but then he felt that this was too deliberate, so he ended up holding it stupidly in his arms, like holding two hot potatoes.

Seeing him like this, Ye Heng finally couldn't help but laughed softly.

The laughter was not as restrained as usual, but carried with it real warmth, like a stone thrown into the lake of the heart, creating ripples in circles.

Lin Yao raised his head and met his smiling eyes, in which his own figure was clearly reflected.

He suddenly felt that it was not bad to sit like this, even if he didn't say anything.

The sunlight moves slowly, casting overlapping shadows between the two people, like an elongated painting, and the ambiguity in the painting quietly ferments over time.

-

The sunlight moved half a foot on the floor, and the silence in the lounge was like softened cotton, wrapping the two people warmly and softly.

Lin Yao lowered his head and traced the leaves of the Killing Tree. When he traced the seventh leaf, his computer suddenly vibrated. It was a reminder of the test, and there was only half an hour left until three o'clock in the afternoon.

He stood up suddenly, and the two bottles of water in his arms almost fell to the ground.

"I should go to the training hall." There was a hint of laziness in his voice, and the ending tone trembled slightly.

Ye Heng also stood up, curled his fingertips at his side, and finally nodded: "Go."

Lin Yao turned and walked towards the door, his hand just touching the door handle.

Then I heard a voice behind me: "I'll wait for you."

He paused, turned his back to Ye Heng and did not look back, but the murderous vines climbed up from his wrists to his shoulders and shook at Ye Heng, as if responding to Lin Yao's words.

Then Lin Yao also said "hmm" softly, pushed the door open and walked into the sunlight in the corridor.

At exactly three o'clock in the afternoon, the indicator lights of the three training cabins in Area A of the affiliated Mental Power Training Hall lit up at the same time.

Lin Yao stood in front of the cabin, took a deep breath, and the murderous ice-blue vines followed his fingertips towards the first training cabin marked "mild rampage".

The jagged mental force field caused by the mecha overload surged in the cabin, with sharp fluctuations like metal friction.

Lin Yao did not rush to suppress it, but let the murderous vines turn into countless streams, winding along the undulating sawtooth surface.

Just like the sudden appearance of soft water plants in the turbulent river, the violent waves slowly became gentle along the direction of the vines.

Ten minutes later, the green light on the first training cabin came on.

On the surface of the second "moderately congested" cabin, dark energy seeped from the fine cracks.

Lin Yao's fingertips hung in front of the cabin wall, and the healing vines carefully penetrated into the cracks, like spring rain soaking the cracked land, gluing the cracks together bit by bit with warm energy.

His mental power output was as stable as a precision instrument. There was no crack expansion due to excessive force, nor was it abandoned halfway due to insufficient force.

Ten minutes later, the second green light came on.

Inside the last "heavy tear" training cabin, an energy vortex was spinning wildly, with bottomless darkness at its core.

Lin Yao let the killing vines weave an ice-blue net around the vortex. The mesh slowly adjusted with the rotation speed of the vortex. It neither hindered the flow of energy, but also seemed like an invisible hand gently fiddling with it.

The speed of the vortex slowed down at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the chaotic energy began to flow in an orderly manner through the gaps in the mesh.

Another ten minutes passed, and the third green light came on.

The examiner looked at the almost perfect guidance curve on the screen and couldn't help rubbing his eyes: "Candidate No. 43, Lin Yao, passed the test."

The barrage in the Star Network live broadcast room was flooded with comments again:

"It's over already? Thirty minutes have just passed!"

"Who said mild rampage is the hardest to handle? Look at Lin Yao, he's doing it like it's a piece of cake!"

"That severely torn vortex! The last time I saw the instructor demonstrate it, he was so flustered. How did he manage to be so steady?"

"As expected of Lin Yao, the one who cleared the dead end pattern!"

As soon as this statement came out, it was followed by this sentence, and then everyone felt relieved. If one could clear the dead end pattern, then it seemed normal to pass the second level quickly.

When Lin Yao walked out of the training cabin, there was still a slight numbness on his fingertips from the release of his mental energy.

He looked up at the exit of the training hall, as if he could see through the wall and see the person who said he would wait for him.

The killing vines danced gently in his palm, as if urging something.