"What I'm holding is a golden medal. You need to observe and perceive it carefully, then record what you observe and perceive. The time limit is one hour. This is the second part of the assessment!"
As she spoke, Shui Ling placed the golden medal in her hand into a crystal ball.
"Buzz!"
Instantly, a crystal-clear and lifelike projection appeared before all the candidates, including Ye Feng – it was the golden medal.
The candidates widened their eyes and began to observe carefully. At this moment, the staff members distributed papers again, but this time it was ordinary arcane energy projection paper, accompanied by a fine needle that could guide arcane energy...
"So clear... Did they enlarge it to make it easier for everyone to see?"
"It really is exactly the same as the golden medal of the Flame Ranger in my spatial storage!"
"Speaking of which, at the Adventurer's Guild, Miao Dao said the Flame Ranger had two golden medals, related to the Flame Ranger's treasure or something... Where did this one come from?"
Ye Feng examined the projection of the golden medal before him, a sense of puzzlement stirring in his mind.
"Huh..."
Suddenly, Ye Feng frowned slightly.
Although the style, carvings, and etchings of the golden medal appeared identical to the two golden medals in his spatial storage, a closer inspection revealed that the patterns and etchings were somewhat crude... as if the person who carved them was not very skilled...
"This feels like a practice piece or an experimental item..."
Ye Feng speculated after a thorough examination.
Immediately, he turned his gaze towards where Shui Ling had placed the golden medal. He noticed that among the seven judges, someone was also scrutinizing the medal.
"Um... Can I go closer to look?"
After a moment of thought, Ye Feng raised his hand to signal.
Shui Ling nodded, and the host agreed.
Then, Ye Feng quickly walked to the golden medal to observe it.
"What the..."
Ye Feng was somewhat speechless.
The projection was an enlarged image, making some textures and patterns appear clear. The actual object, however, made it difficult to see some details. If not for his far superior vision...
"Hmm?"
After observing for a while, Ye Feng was about to turn away when he suddenly stopped.
Because he had just used his spiritual power to scan and perceive the golden medal, he was surprised to find that within the seemingly damaged cracks, there was actually space... and the patterns were rather peculiar...
Ye Feng concentrated his spiritual power, probing into the cracks of the golden medal...
"Am I overthinking this... Are these just ordinary cracked patterns... Wait..."
As Ye Feng's spiritual power entered the cracks for examination, his expression subtly changed. Although the interior of the golden medal's cracks was messy and lacked pattern, when he used his spiritual power to sense them, he found that some of the patterns reacted...
"Is that so..."
Ye Feng frowned slightly, focusing his perception on the patterns that reacted to his spiritual energy.
Soon, his expression became rather odd.
Just as Ye Feng had suspected, those patterns indeed held a secret, though the content was rather peculiar: "Ate Auntie Wang's Roujiamo today, so delicious!~"
"Making such a fuss... Whose perverted humor is this..."
After another careful inspection, Ye Feng left with a sense of speechlessness.
Upon returning to his seat, Ye Feng quickly used his arcane energy to write down his observations of the golden medal on the paper. After a moment of hesitation, he still included the words hidden within the cracks.
"There are ten minutes left..."
At this point, Shui Ling spoke, "More or less, everyone has heard of the Flame Ranger and knows that his fire-attribute arcane energy cultivation is at its peak. However, few know that he is also an outstanding arcane runemaster..."
Shui Ling sighed, "This golden medal was crafted by the Flame Ranger. It is said to hide a very important secret, a clue to an astonishing hidden treasure!"
"If the projection isn't clear enough for you, you can step closer to examine it!"
As she spoke, Shui Ling glanced at Ye Feng.
"This..."
"This..."
As Shui Ling finished speaking, many candidates looked surprised but did not immediately step forward to examine it. They were well aware that the extremely clear enlarged projection was definitely better for discerning details than looking at the actual object, which was only palm-sized...
However, Shui Ling's words had made them somewhat uncertain...
Soon, some candidates stepped forward to examine it, some followed suit... while others remained where they were, believing Shui Ling's words were part of another assessment.
After all, with only ten minutes remaining, there was a lot of intricate detail on the golden medal, making it difficult to record everything in time...
"Time's up! Everyone remain in your seats, and the staff will collect your papers!"
Ten minutes passed in a flash. As the host's voice rang out, all the candidates put down their pens.
Before long, the candidates in the grand hall began to leave...
"Does this golden medal really hold clues to an astonishing treasure?"
Ye Feng murmured, looking at the golden medal inside the crystal ball.
"Of course it does!"
A white-browed elder chimed in, one of the seven judges. "It's a pity that after observing and perceiving it for over twenty years... I still don't know what the clue to that astonishing treasure is... That astonishing treasure may be lost forever with the disappearance of the Flame Ranger!"
"Young man, the purpose of establishing the Dawn Academy is to find the Beacon of Creation!"
At this moment, Shui Ling's voice sounded. As he spoke, he glanced at the arcane pointer in Ye Feng's hand.
"Oh~"
Ye Feng was unsure how to respond. He gave a soft "oh" and then turned to walk towards the exit of the grand hall...
"How ironic!"
"Someone who doesn't know the purpose of establishing the Dawn Academy is doing what the Dawn Academy is meant to do. Someone who knows the purpose of establishing the Dawn Academy isn't doing it..."
Shui Ling watched Ye Feng's retreating back disappear through the doorway and sighed with a complex expression. He had noticed earlier that Ye Feng had submitted a blank paper...
...
"Ye Feng, let's go eat!"
Shortly after Ye Feng left the grand hall, Jiang Shishan's voice came from ahead.
"Oh, okay~!"
Ye Feng nodded. It was already two in the afternoon, and he was quite hungry.
...
Soon,
Ye Feng and Jiang Shishan found a restaurant called Lanzhou Pork Chop Rice and had a hearty meal.
After eating, the two found a secluded pavilion to rest.
"By the way, Shishan, do you know about the Flame Ranger's golden medals?"
As he spoke, Ye Feng's hand flashed, and he passed two golden medals to Jiang Shishan.
...