Chapter 94: Timed Identification

Whoosh!

Letting out a breath, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes.

After half a day of study, he had gained a deeper understanding of medicinal knowledge.

The vast knowledge he had seen in the room earlier had now become his own, fully integrated.

The Library of Heaven's Path could not only copy secret manuals and combine them into divine techniques of heaven, but it was also extremely fast for learning knowledge.

Clatter, clatter, clatter!

A series of footsteps approached.

"It's the apprentice Zhu Huahua, who passed the exam only half a year ago!"

"Wasn't he said to have become an apprentice to Alchemist Du Man?"

"Yes, coming out now must mean he's announcing the results!"

"I hope I can pass..."

...

Seeing the owner of the footsteps waiting outside the door, everyone immediately tensed up and quickly stood.

"Once the results are out, your pretentious facade will be exposed. Let's see if you can keep up the act!"

Wen Xue sneered coldly, looking at the young man before her.

To be honest, if she hadn't known early on that he was just a frivolous dandy, she might have thought he actually had some skill.

Because... he was too good at pretending!

Nearly an hour had passed since the exam ended, and he could sit motionless. To attract her attention, he was really going all out!

But... it was useless!

Having thoroughly offended her just now, there was no way to change her mind!

"For the first written exam, three have passed!" The apprentice named Zhu Huahua came to the door, took out a piece of paper, and began to read: "First, Sun Tao from Luyuan City, accuracy rate: ninety-one percent!"

"Ah, it's me? I passed..."

As the words ended, a young man jumped up excitedly.

Seeing his reaction, countless people looked on with envy.

Although only one of the three assessments was passed, it showed he was close to becoming an alchemy apprentice.

Even Wen Xue's eyes sparkled with admiration.

"Second, Qian Wenman from Ziyun City, accuracy rate: ninety percent!"

"It's me..." Hearing this, another person stood up, his face flushed.

"Last, Zhang Xuan from Tianxuan City, accuracy rate..."

Zhu Huahua seemed unable to believe it. He looked carefully at the paper, rubbed his eyes, and then confirmed, his voice trembling slightly: "...one hundred percent!"

"What?"

"One hundred percent?"

"That means... all answers were correct?"

"How is that possible?"

"With such difficult questions, getting them all right—who is this Zhang Xuan, some kind of expert?"

"Yeah, who is he?"

...

Hearing that the third passer had a perfect accuracy rate, everyone exploded, searching carefully to see who was named Zhang Xuan.

"Alright, the three who passed, please come in for the second assessment!"

Zhu Huahua interrupted the crowd's discussion and walked into the room first.

The two who had just stood up and passed quickly followed.

Zhang Xuan also stood up.

"All three names have been announced. Still not admitting you know nothing..." Seeing him rise, Wen Xue sneered, about to speak, when suddenly something struck her, and her eyes went wide. She couldn't help but ask, "You... you... what's your name?"

"Zhang Xuan."

Too lazy to bother with this shallow woman any longer, Zhang Xuan stepped into the room.

"Zhang Xuan? He... is called Zhang Xuan?"

"A perfect accuracy rate on the exam?"

Wen Xue trembled, her face turning pale. She instantly felt like a clown, utterly humiliated.

She had been saying all along that he was just putting on airs and had no real ability, but in the end... he achieved an unprecedented perfect score!

Was it real or fake?

Didn't you not even know what was being tested?

Didn't you not even read the books?

Liar...

What a huge liar!

Looking clueless and knowing nothing, then acing the exam... Bro, were you messing with me?

Wen Xue felt her face burning hot, on the verge of losing her mind.

"A guy who just flips through books... actually got a perfect score?"

Uncle Li on the side also had eyes bulging, nearly popping out.

Damn!

He too had thought the guy was just here to fool around, never expecting him to be so impressive.

He had been taking the exams since he was young and never passed, yet this guy got a perfect score...

Truly, comparisons can drive you crazy...

"It's that guy who finished the exam in just half an hour!"

"I thought he gave up, but it turns out he got a perfect score..."

"Too fierce! Getting everything right in half an hour—how did he study?"

Others also recognized him, their minds reeling.

...

Unaware that the people outside were nearly going crazy, Zhang Xuan now sat back down at the table.

On the table before him were various medicinal herbs, most of which were not commonly seen on the market, quite obscure.

"There are ten types of herbs on the table. You have the time it takes for one incense stick to write down their names, properties, and uses. For this assessment, you must be one hundred percent correct to pass!"

Ouyang Cheng stood on the platform and waved his hand: "Time starts now!"

The second assessment, herb identification, required perfect accuracy—meaning if you misidentified even one of the ten herbs, you would be eliminated.

Zhang Xuan looked at the first herb.

It was a plant with green leaves, green flowers, and a green root.

"Green Beard Grass!"

Recalling something recorded in a book, a name surfaced in his mind.

Then, the description of Green Beard Grass from the Library of Heaven's Path appeared before him, and he casually wrote it down.

After finishing the first, he began looking at the second.

Although these herbs were quite obscure, for his current knowledge base, they were nothing. He quickly wrote down nine, leaving only the last one.

This was a strange plant with yellow flowers, white leaves, and a grayish-green root.

Just as he was thinking about what plant it was, he suddenly froze, couldn't help but smile wryly, and slapped his forehead.

What a fool!

With the cheat device of the Library of Heaven's Path, why bother with such effort to identify herbs?

He reached out his finger and gently picked up the herb.

Whoosh!

Sure enough, a book appeared before him, detailing the herb's name, advantages, and disadvantages.

He copied it down casually.

Then he touched all nine previously identified herbs with his hand.

The results were almost identical to what he had determined, except for one that differed.

Zhang Xuan knew the Library of Heaven's Path couldn't be wrong, so he changed it to the correct answer.

He finished writing everything in just half the time of an incense stick.

He handed in his answers.

Having previously thought he was just causing trouble and not taking him seriously, Ouyang Cheng, now aware that he had scored perfectly on the first assessment, dared not underestimate him and quickly picked up the answers to read.

Alchemist Du Man on the side also came over.

They checked the answers on the paper one by one.

As they read, they nodded in satisfaction.

The content written by the young man matched the names, properties, characteristics, and effects of the herbs exactly, without a single error.

Just as they were about to praise him, thinking he would surely pass the assessment, they both suddenly stopped, frozen in place.

"Alright, I announce that only one person has passed the second assessment..."

Soon, the remaining two also handed in their answers. Ouyang Cheng finished grading, looked around, and gave the result: "It's Sun Tao from Luyuan City!"