Chapter 30: Guide Assessment in Progress 2
The set meal that Chen Yan mentioned soon arrived. On the metal plate lay a palm-sized grilled star beast steak, drizzled with amber sauce and with a burnt golden edge.
He hurriedly forked the steak into his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it, sighing and praising the boss:
"Uncle Zhang's cooking skills have improved, and the taste is even better! This Star Beast steak is cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The acerola in the sauce has a sweet aftertaste, absolutely amazing!"
The boss, Uncle Zhang, was very happy to receive the compliments and said frankly that he was very satisfied as long as they liked the food!
"You can taste conifer?" Lin Yao was surprised. The taste of this spice is very light and it is difficult for ordinary people to distinguish it.
Seeing Lin Yao's surprise, Chen Yan started to cock his tail again:
"That's right. My wish is to eat the entire galaxy. Whether it's flying in the sky, running on the ground, or swimming in the water, they're all waiting for me to devour them one by one! So this is the basic operation!"
Seeing Chen Yan eating so happily and hearing him talk about it in a lavish way, Lin Yao became curious about the taste of the steak and cut off a small piece with a knife and fork and put it into his mouth.
The warm gravy exploded on the tip of the tongue. The meat was indeed just the right amount of tenderness. The aftertaste of the sauce intertwined with the aroma of the meat, which was surprisingly refreshing, without the greasy feeling of ordinary barbecue.
"How's it? Not bad, right?" Chen Yan's mouth was stuffed full, and his words were a little slurred. "Uncle Zhang's cooking skills are among the best in the entire Central Star. Many people travel long distances just to eat his Star Beast Steak."
Lin Yao nodded, cut another piece and tasted it slowly, while Shasha stayed quietly in his sleeve.
"By the way, let me tell you about the popular contestants in this assessment." Chen Yan swallowed the food in his mouth, drank a sip of energy soup, and his tone became serious.
"Ling Du from the Western White Tower Academy, Rank A, has a spirit form of a sand cat. He excels at soothing. Lu Ran from the Northern White Tower Academy, Rank A-, has a spirit form of an ice rabbit. His defensive barrier is this!"
Chen Yan talked about Lu Ran's defensive barrier, and then gave him two thumbs up. Lin Yao knew that this guide Lu Ran was really the best in this area. After all, Uncle Zhang's steak only got one thumbs up from him!
"Su Man from Nanshu Baita Academy, rank A, spirit form Moonlight Jellyfish, with first-class healing abilities. Chu Yao from Dongji Baita Academy, rank B+, spirit form Colorful Butterfly, purely auxiliary skills, retaining the flow of mental energy."
Lin Yao listened attentively, nodded in response from time to time, and subconsciously slowed down the movement of the knife and fork in his hand.
Chen Yan lowered his voice, "The last one was from your Central Star. Do you know who it was?"
Lin Yao thought he would continue talking, but unexpectedly he asked a question.
However, Lin Yao really didn't know about this matter, because he graduated first and then took the supplementary assessment, and he was not familiar with Baita College.
Seeing that he really didn't know, Chen Yan gave him a look that said, "You don't gossip, I'm very disappointed in you," and continued, "Wen Yu, level A, spirit body Skylark, she's better. Spirit bodies are group support!"
Chen Yan was still praising Wen Yu, but when Lin Yao heard the name, he was stunned. This guide named Wen Yu also had the surname "Wen". Was he a relative of Wen Suhua, who prescribed medicine for him?
After Chen Yan finished speaking in one breath, he did not get a reply from Lin Yao. When he looked up, he found that Lin Yao was looking out the window with a slightly frown on his face, and his expression was not very good.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly put down his knife and fork, nudging Lin Yao's arm with his elbow. "What's wrong? Are you scared by me?"
Seeing Lin Yao turned around, Chen Yan's tone became lighter:
"Don't take it personally! This is just a guide assessment, essentially a qualification certification. As long as you pass the basics, you can get a guide certificate."
"They were just promoted by the academy early on and became famous, so they're called 'popular contestants'. You were injured in an accident before, but you've recovered now, haven't you? As long as you prepare well, you can pass! You may not be inferior to them in the future!"
As Lin Yao listened to his nagging words of comfort, the depression in his heart caused by other things gradually dissipated.
Chen Yan's undisguised concern made him feel very warm.
He took a sip of the energy soup and lightly traced the bowl with his fingertips: "Thank you for telling me this."
"You're welcome." Chen Yan waved his hand and cut another large piece of star beast steak.
"Anyway, we're friends now. After the assessment, no matter what the result is, I'll invite you to the Aurora Observatory in the north. The aurora there can illuminate the entire ice sheet with a blue glow. It's truly spectacular!"
Lin Yao looked at the expectation flashing in his eyes, and couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly.
The sunlight from outside the window shone through the glass onto the dinner plates, reflecting a warm glow. The two continued to eat lunch, occasionally exchanging a few words. The air was filled with the aroma of food and a relaxed atmosphere.
When the two finished eating and stood up, there was still more than an hour before the afternoon practical test.
Chen Yan patted his stomach and said, "I'm full and full of fighting spirit! Let's go to Xingluo Court and take a look around to get familiar with the environment!"
Lin Yao responded with an "ok" and followed him out of the restaurant.
-
The afternoon sun shines through the gaps in the leaves and falls onto the ground, weaving mottled light and shadows. The two walk side by side on the stone road.
Chen Yan was still chattering about how effective the guide monument in Xingluo Court was, saying that some candidates in previous years had suddenly realized advanced guidance techniques while meditating in front of the monument.
Just as I reached the stone steps at the entrance of Xingluo Courtyard, three figures suddenly appeared in front of me.
A spirit form, the poisonous stinging moth, was perched on Chen Yue's shoulder. She stood in the middle with her arms folded, and the followers behind her stood on her left and right, ready to block her. The stone slabs under her feet were cracked by her mental power, and it was obvious that she was really angry.
"What are you hiding from?" Chen Yue's voice was icy, and her gaze was like poisoned needles, piercing Lin Yao's face. "You played dumb in the Hall of Truth this morning, and then you hooked up with a kid from the Northern Territory, and you thought you could get away with it?"
Chen Yan stepped forward and stood in front of Lin Yao. "Be more respectful with your mouth! What's wrong with the North? At least our guides in the North don't bite people like mad dogs!"
"Who are you calling a mad dog?" Chen Yue suddenly raised his hand, and the spirit form of the stinging moth on his wrist flapped its wings and was about to fly, with purple scales falling down.
"Whoever agrees is the winner!" Chen Yan was not afraid at all and retorted directly.
Chen Yue was choked and it took her a long time to recover, but her target was not Chen Yan, so she simply ignored Chen Yan.
Chen Yue's voice was like an ice-hardened needle, piercing the air around him and making it a little colder.
Lin Yao frowned and took a half step back to avoid the stinging moth wings that were almost approaching her.
The phosphorescent light on it brought a faint mental disturbance, making him feel uncomfortable.
Ever since they met, Chen Yue had been mocking him, sometimes complaining that his spirit body was a "vine that only knows how to chew grass" and sometimes complaining that his spirit body was a "vine that only knows how to chew grass".
Then he said that he "used connections to get into the assessment", and his ears were numb from hearing the same old rhetoric over and over again.
"If you fail this afternoon's assessment, you will kneel before the Guide's Monument and cry out 'Senior, I'm sorry' three times! You will voluntarily relinquish your qualification for the assessment and your position in the White Tower, and you will never set foot in the White Tower of the Central Star again!"
The sharp voice pierced the crowd, attracting the attention of the surrounding candidates. The pointing and criticizing gazes were like a dense net, making people feel very uncomfortable.
Lin Yao's fingertips unconsciously rubbed his wrist. Shasha twisted irritably in his mental image. It was obvious that it had had enough of this noisy provocation.
Chen Yan's face turned pale with anger. He took a step forward and tried to protect Lin Yao behind him.
"Chen Yue, don't go too far! Practical assessments are inherently full of variables. Are you trying to ruin him by using this as a gamble?"
"Destroy him?" Chen Yue sneered, his eyes glued to Lin Yao.
"I just want some people who don't know their own limits to recognize their place sooner." She took another half step forward, and the wings of the stinging moth almost brushed against Lin Yao's clothes.
"Why, you don't dare to answer? Or did you already know you couldn't pass and you don't even have the courage?"
"Noisy."
Lin Yao suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but with a coldness that showed he was completely annoyed.
He raised his eyes to look at Chen Yue. There was no panic or anger in his eyes as she had expected, only a calmness after being disturbed, like the surface of a lake that had been swept by a stone but quickly returned to its original shape.
From morning till now, this man has been like a plaster that can't be shaken off. Every word he says is about "bet" and "surrender". If he continues to pester me, I'm afraid even my lunch break will be wasted here.
"Can."
The two words fell lightly, but they instantly quieted the noisy waiting area.
The smug look on Chen Yue's face froze for half a second, as if she had not expected him to agree so readily.
Chen Yan was so anxious that he wanted to pull his arm. Lin Yao patted the back of Chen Yan's hand, signaling him to be patient.
He looked at Chen Yue's stunned face and said calmly, as if he was talking about the weather today, "I accept the bet."
After a pause, he added, his voice finally cold, "But I also have conditions."
Chen Yue came back to his senses and said with his neck stiff, "You say!"
Lin Yao's eyes swept over the ferocious poisonous moth behind her. "I'm a kind person and won't be aggressive. So if I pass, you don't have to give up the test, nor do you have to never step into the White Tower again."
"Just repeat what you just said three times to all the candidates present, and admit that you are the loser who only knows how to talk big."
Lin Yao's words of retreating to advance were like a slap in Chen Yue's face.
Her face turned pale in an instant, and then turned ashen blue. Regardless of whether Lin Yao passed or not, Chen Yue was destined to be known as a vicious guide.
Chen Yue's face turned ugly in an instant, probably because she didn't expect Lin Yao to turn the tables on her.
But the words were already out, and with so many eyes watching, she gritted her teeth and said harshly, "Okay! I promise you!"
Lin Yao was really fed up with this meaningless entanglement.
Rather than being chased and barked at all day long, it is better to put an end to it once and for all so as not to delay the afternoon assessment.
Lin Yao didn't look at her again, turned around and walked towards the rest area.
Shasha swayed briskly in the mental picture, as if happy to finally be free from the noise.
Chen Yan hurried to catch up, stamping his feet anxiously: "How could you really agree? Don't be impulsive, Lin Yao!"
Chen Yan pulled Lin Yao's arm and lowered his voice, "She is just trying to irritate you. There is no need to be angry with her!"
Lin Yao rubbed his eyebrows and felt that his surroundings were finally a little quieter.
As for the bet, it was just a tool to shut up the noisy people.
Lin Yao's eyes swept across Chen Yue's tense face: "Let's go and get ready."
The two men walked through the crowd towards the Guide Monument, leaving Chen Yue standing there trembling with anger, and was dragged away by his followers.
This conflict was like a stone thrown into a calm lake. The five popular contestants mentioned by Shen Yan had different reactions. Some were indifferent, some were very interested, and some disagreed.
-
At 1:00 p.m. sharp, the first phase of the practical assessment officially began.
The chief examiner stood on the platform in front of the Guide Monument, holding a light computer and announced loudly:
"Examinees, please take your seats according to your numbers and maintain silence! During the exam, you are prohibited from talking to each other, using external mental assistance devices, or changing the pattern area without authorization.
If the star crystal flashes abnormally, you must stop tracing immediately and raise your hand to indicate. Violators will have their scores canceled immediately! "
He paused, then brought up a virtual screen to display the scoring criteria:
“The basic score for this Star Crystal Tracing Assessment is 100 points.
The completeness of the grain is 60%, and 5 points will be deducted for each missing branch;
The color change intensity of star crystal accounts for 40%, and is divided into five levels from low to high: white, yellow, orange, red, and indigo, corresponding to 0 to 40 points.
Now, start assigning texture areas!"
The names of the candidates and their corresponding numbers flashed across the computer screen one by one. When the words [Lin Yao, Area 43] popped up, the examination room was silent for a few seconds, and then an uncontrollable discussion broke out.
"Number 43?!" The candidate closest to the scene suddenly took a half step back, knocking over the energy supply station behind him. "Isn't that the "Dead End" pattern? Why did it appear again?"
"It's over, it's over. The bet between him and Chen Yue is completely over..."
"This is such bad luck! What's the difference between drawing number 43 and giving up the test?"
"Chen Yue won without any effort this time. He won without even having to compete..."
The discussions came like a tide. Lin Yao could even clearly hear someone in the back row secretly calculating the odds of his and Chen Yue's bet, as if the result was about to be announced.
He looked at the star crystal pattern in area 43. It was a dark purple pattern that coiled around the bottom of the monument. It was as dull as solidified blood. The star crystals on the edge had long lost their ability to change color, leaving only a lifeless gray-black color.
"Lin Yao!" Chen Yan's voice, tinged with tears, squeezed in from outside the crowd. The fluffy cat on his shoulder stamped its feet anxiously, "How could it be number 43? That place is simply... It's a dead zone!"
He grabbed Lin Yao's arm, his palms full of cold sweat: "I'll go talk to the examiner! There must be something wrong with the system. How can such discarded patterns be put into the examination pool?" As he said that, he was about to rush to the platform, but was pulled back by Lin Yao.
"Don't be impulsive." Lin Yao's voice was unusually calm.
"How can I not be impulsive?" Chen Yan's eyes turned red with anxiety. The fluffy cat slid down his arm and rubbed its head against the back of Lin Yao's hand, as if begging for mercy.
"Do you know why number 43 is called the Desperate Mark? Do you know how many capable guides it has devoured since its birth?"
"Three years ago, a genius guide was tracing the lines there, but his mental strength was countered by the negative energy within the lines, and he became a vegetable!"
"Two years ago, a candidate was misled into thinking he could activate the lines, but his mental strength was shattered on the spot!"
"This line was removed last year, why did it appear again this year?"
Chen Yan was talking incoherently when he suddenly grabbed Lin Yao's wrist and dragged him towards the exit:
"We won't take the exam! Isn't it just a bet? At worst, I can take you back to the Northern Territory. My dad knows the elders of Xingluo Court and will definitely get you a chance to make up the exam..."
"Chen Yan." Lin Yao gently broke free from his hand and didn't say anything!
Chen Yue staggered over with his followers, and the stinging moth fluttered its wings excitedly in front of the dark purple lines. "Lin Yao, it seems that even the heavens don't want you to lose too badly."
She deliberately raised her voice so that the surrounding students could hear, "It's not too late to admit defeat now. There's no need to wait until you fail and become so embarrassed!"
"Shut up." Lin Yao's eyes were as cold as the icy plains of the north. "Instead of worrying about me, think about what connections you have that can help you in this assessment!"
Lin Yao turned around and was about to walk towards the preparation area of Area 43 when an anxious female voice came from behind him: "Wait a minute!"
He turned around and saw a young woman in an examiner's uniform walking towards him quickly. The nameplate on her chest read: Xia He.
She had a brand new silver badge pinned to the collar of her uniform, clearly indicating she was new to the job.
Xia He ran up to him, her chest heaving violently from her rapid running, her hair on her forehead damp with sweat: "You can choose to give up."
Xia He knew Lin Yao and also knew about the bet between him and Chen Yue. She knew the consequences of letting Lin Yao give up, but compared to his life, these were so insignificant.
She reported it as soon as Lin Yao's division was announced, but the reply she received was a cold sentence: "If you can't pass the test, you can give up!" This answer really made her tremble with anger!
Xia He lowered her voice, speaking so fast she almost bit her tongue, her eyes filled with anxiety: "Area 43 shouldn't be in the assessment pool at all. There's no need to risk your own safety!"
Lin Yao felt the examiner's goodwill, but he had his own ideas, so he could only let this kindness go to waste: "Thank you, Examiner Xia. But I want to give it a try."
Xia He was stunned, but it seemed to be expected. After all, he had just walked towards the preparation area. But she still said: "You... do you know what that means?"
"I know." Lin Yao's tone was calm but firm. He looked down at his cuffs. The leaves of the tree were trembling slightly, conveying his eagerness to try. "Challenges are also opportunities."
Xia He was about to say something when the examiner's voice came over the loudspeaker:
"Exam takers, please enter the preparation area immediately. The exam is about to begin. Unauthorized personnel are requested not to interfere with the preparations of the examinees."
She opened her mouth, but in the end it turned into a helpless sigh. She took half a step back and made way.
Looking at Lin Yao's back as he walked towards the dark purple lines, Xia He clenched her fists tightly. The light computer in her pocket was still vibrating, containing the records left from the report just now.
She decided that if Lin Yao really had an accident, she would report the matter to the Interstellar Guide Alliance even if it meant being fired.
Lin Yao continued to head towards the preparation area No. 43. Urged by the chief examiner, the candidates gathered together also went to their own preparation areas.
Chen Yan looked at Lin Yao's back, and his heart skipped a beat. He wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes, clenched his fists, and shouted at Lin Yao's back: "I believe in you! You can do it!"
Chen Yue, who was originally very proud, froze her smile. For some reason, she suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck as she watched Lin Yao walk towards Area 43.
Lin Yao stood in front of the connecting platform of Area 43 and looked at it carefully.
In the original owner's memory, there were two equally difficult areas on the Guide Monument, one was called Chaos Star Vine, and the other was called Dead Road Pattern.
They are spiritual patterns left by two chief guides who lived a hundred years apart. The name of the former one tells you that it is mainly about chaos.
The guide who left it behind had his mental power out of control, so the Chaos Star Vine contains extremely violent and disordered energy.
These energies settled and intertwined in the star crystals on the monument, forming the current intricate patterns, as if the aftermath of a devastating and chaotic spiritual war was permanently solidified on the monument.
As for the Juelu pattern, its origin can be traced back to the tragic purification battle a hundred years ago.
At that time, the Zerg's spiritual pollution swept across half of the human star field. In order to purify the polluted sentinel's spiritual sea, the chief guide Wu Cang merged his own spiritual body with the star core energy and laid a giant purification array on the central star.
The battle lasted for seven days and seven nights. When the last Zerg was eliminated, Wu Cang's mental strength was completely exhausted. The last trace of his consciousness before he collapsed, along with the contaminated negative energy, was imprinted on the bottom of the Guide Monument, forming this dark purple pattern.
Unlike the complex and chaotic Chaos Star Vine, the Dead End Pattern is simple without too many branches, but its horror lies in its corrosiveness and misleading nature.
The outer dark purple layer is actually a solidified spiritual toxin. Any spiritual body that comes into contact with it will be quickly corroded, just like iron encountering strong acid, which will gradually disintegrate from the edges; the toxin covers the original spiritual power lines beyond recognition.
Because of this layer of poison covering, the surveying and mapping instruments are isolated, so now we have no idea about the direction of the lines inside. The existing information is all based on speculation. Because Wu Cang's spirit body is a paulownia tree, some people have seen this spirit body, so a reference line pattern was drawn according to the final appearance of the paulownia tree.
What’s even more terrifying is that behind the poison is a chaos zone, which is the core area where Cangwu’s mental power collapsed.
The energy flows in an irregular manner. It may be a gentle warm current one second and turn into a sharp blade that tears apart the sea of consciousness the next.
There was a guide who didn't believe in evil and, relying on the defense inherited from his family, he forced his way through the poison layer and into the chaos zone. As a result, his spirit body collapsed on the spot and he became severely mentally disabled.
The star crystal with this pattern has long lost its normal color-changing function, not because of energy depletion, but because it has been infiltrated by toxins and turned into an insulator.
When the spiritual power of an ordinary guide touches the star crystal, it is like a drop of water falling on a waxed iron plate. It cannot leave any trace at all, let alone depict the complete pattern.
The Central Star White Tower once tried to clean it with high-level purification techniques, but even the purification light was swallowed up, making the lines even more toxic.
The barely perceptible silver light in the cracks between the lines is actually bait disguised as toxins.
They will imitate gentle energy fluctuations to lure the guide's mental power deeper. Once the mental power is attracted over, it will be instantly entangled and swallowed by the toxins.
Because of this, the Dead End Mark was once recognized as the most difficult section on the Guide's Monument.
It not only tests the guide's mental strength and control accuracy, but also tests his judgment of the nature of energy. If he is not careful, it will not be as simple as failing the assessment, but he will completely lose the qualification to become a guide, and even endanger his life.
In front of it, the Chaos Star Vine became a challenge that could be overcome through skills. At least there was a way out. But the Dead End Pattern was really as its name suggested, with no way out.
It seems to have been declaring since its birth: No mortals are allowed to enter, and once you enter, there is no return.
Because of its dangerousness, it was sealed and no longer used since last year, but for some reason it appeared again this year, and was just given to Lin Yao!
Lin Yao is unable to find out the reason why the dead end pattern appears again, but his intuition tells him that this road is not a dead end for him, but an opportunity and challenge!
-
Ye Mang drove the aircraft and took Ye Heng to the assessment site.
The practical part of this assessment was broadcast live, so when Lin Yao drew the No. 43 Absolute Road pattern, Ye Heng became anxious. The terrifying thing about that pattern was that even he was afraid to approach it.
How could Lin Yao deal with it?
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