Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 140 - A Hundred Points

This question had no established answer as it was an extra question not included in the scoring. It would only impact Liu Wuxie’s total score if he answered it correctly.

This question, which had been in existence for centuries, was a source of concern as no one had dared to answer it. It was traditionally left unanswered in every evaluation.

Sang Yan’s words caught Jiang Yue off guard, as he himself didn’t know the answer to that question. If he acknowledged it as the right answer, it would confirm Liu Wuxie’s correctness. However, if he dismissed it as incorrect, and Liu Wuxie turned out to be right, it would be a significant embarrassment for him.

“Let’s put that question aside and grade the papers!” Sheng Lian stepped forward to prevent further escalation. If Liu Wuxie couldn’t score at least ninety marks, he would fail his assessment. This also meant that Jiang Yue would kill Liu Wuxie, and even Sang Yan wouldn’t be able to save him.

As the three discussed among themselves, fifteen minutes were up, and all the participants put down their brushes.

Sang Yan began to grade from the first participant. As Liu Wuxie was the last to come in, he would be the last to have his papers graded. Everyone presented their answers on the table, and the grading process took no more than a minute.

“Xi Le, seventy-eight points, failed!” Sang Yan announced.

The man called Xi Le fell to the ground weakly. This was his tenth attempt this year, and he failed each time. He lacked talent in alchemy.

The grading continued, and the process of announcing the results was swift.

“Tang Yan, ninety-two points, passed!”

“Niu Li, eighty-nine points, failed!”

“...” Those who passed cheered while those who failed lowered their heads in dejection. Everyone followed behind Sang Yan, examining the papers answered by others.

“Bai Lin, ninety points, passed!” The man in luxurious clothing wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, looking relieved. This was because he barely passed by hitting the passing mark.

“Congratulations, young master! You passed the first stage!” The servant quickly flattered him. Only three of the twelve people who participated in the assessment managed to pass, leaving Liu Wuxie as the last to be graded.

Everyone gathered around Liu Wuxie’s papers, curious about his score. Lan Ruoyu came forth with a cold smirk, looking confident that Liu Wuxie would soon die.

“Lady Lan, don’t worry about it. This brat will surely fail.” Bai Lin stood beside Lan Ruoyu with a fawning expression. He wasn’t trying to curry favor with Lan Ruoyu but with Jiang Yue.

“Hmph. Even if he answers the questions correctly, he still won’t be able to escape his death. The next two stages aren’t that easy,” Lan Ruoyu said with her head raised like a proud peacock. After all, she was the disciple of a four-star alchemist, and she would be at the center of attention wherever she went.

The other participants echoed along, “Lady Lan is right. The next two stages aren’t that easy to pass. He cannot be let off easily for hitting our goddess!”

The praises and flattery from the surroundings made Lan Ruoyu chuckle, enjoying the attention she received.

“Liu Wuxie, a hundred points!”

The sudden announcement made Lan Ruoyu’s smile freeze as if she had been strangled. This feeling was unpleasant, especially for Bai Lin, who had confidently declared that Liu Wuxie would fail. But when the result was announced, Liu Wuxie had obtained a hundred points.

Scoring ninety points was straightforward, but achieving a perfect score was a greater challenge, particularly the final few questions that had remained unanswered correctly for years. For Bai Lin, ninety points were his limit, but for Liu Wuxie, the paper’s maximum score was a hundred points. This was the distinction between them!

“That’s impossible!” Lan Ruoyu looked like a madwoman. She had taken the assessment for three years and had seen countless geniuses before. But no one had ever obtained a perfect score. Ji Yang had scored the best in the past three years, only obtaining ninety-nine points.

“Are you doubting us?” Sang Yan frowned. He had graded the papers with Sheng Lian. Even when Jiang Yue didn’t object, where did a mere apprentice get the audacity to question a three-star alchemist? If she weren’t Jiang Yue’s disciple, Sang Yan would’ve killed her with a slap.

“I dare not!” Lan Ruoyu quickly apologized after seeing that there wasn’t any expression on her master’s face. This was the same as acknowledging Liu Wuxie’s score.

The Alchemy Association set the papers, and the Treasure Pill Pavilion couldn't fake it. Not to mention that Liu Wuxie was the last to enter the room, making it even more impossible for the answers to have been leaked in advance.

“A hundred points? How is that possible?!” The other participants looked at Liu Wuxie in disbelief, as if they were seeing a monster. Many of them had taken the assessment multiple times, and they were just hovering around ninety points.

“Those who failed are required to leave. As for those who made it to the next stage, follow me,” Sang Yan said. The eight who failed left the courtyard with their leads lowered, leaving Liu Wuxie, Bai Lin, Tang Yan, and Cao Qingli behind.

They passed through a courtyard and entered an alchemy chamber for the second stage of their assessment. Lan Ruoyu followed behind Jiang Yue, gritting her teeth. This was because her hatred for Liu Wuxie increased as he displayed higher talent.

“There are five herbs here, and you all must write down their age and effects. Those who manage to answer four questions correctly will pass this stage.” Sheng Lian pointed at the five herbs on the table, signaling they could start the assessment, and the four quickly began to recall the information about the five herbs.

Jiang Yue and Lan Ruoyu stood together as they couldn’t interfere during the assessment.

“Master, what’s that three-leaf herb called?” Lan Ruoyu whispered. She saw a herb she didn’t recognize in the assessment.

“That’s a new variety cultivated by our Treasure Pill Pavilion, and not many people know about it. I only learned about it yesterday. It’s called the Magnolia's Heart. It might be a third-grade herb, but it has a strong effect,” Jiang Yue explained. He wouldn’t have recognized this herb even if it had been placed before him a few days ago.

Hearing her master’s words, Lan Ruoyu wore a hint of a smile. Even her master had only learned about this herb the previous day; the four surely didn’t know about it.

Like the first stage, Liu Wuxie finished writing down his answers in three minutes and handed them to Sang Yan.

Sang Yan nodded without shock as though he had already predicted this outcome.

Ten minutes later, the other three also submitted their answers respectively.

“Old Sheng, take out the correct answers,” Sang Yan said, laying the four papers on the table. Sheng Lian retrieved a box from his robes, tore open the seal, and took out the answer key from within. The results were determined by transparently comparing the participants' answers with the answer key.

Jiang Yue and Lan Ruoyu also approached the table to glance at the participants’ answers.

“He must’ve cheated! Even my master learned about Magnolia’s Heart yesterday. How can he possibly know about it?! You all must’ve leaked the answers to him!” Lan Ruoyu looked as though she had gone insane, pointing at the answers on the table.

Jiang Yue’s facial expression was dark as he glanced at Sang Yan. He needed an explanation because Liu Wuxie’s answers were the same as the answer key. The other three participants' answers were only close, and two got only three answers correct, failing the second stage.

“Sang Yan, aren’t you going to explain?” Jiang Yue inquired sternly. It was unprecedented in history for the answers to match perfectly with the answer key. This could only suggest one thing—the answers were leaked in advance.

“He cheated! I request a retest!” Bai Lin protested as he had failed this stage.

“I also feel that something is off about him. It’s too abnormal to obtain a perfect score for the first stage. So, it turns out that the answers were leaked in advance!” Tang Yan echoed along. Everyone’s gazes were scorching as they looked at Sang Yan, waiting for an explanation.

Among everyone present, only Liu Wuxie had a hint of contempt on his face.

“Master Jiang, mind your words. All the answers were sealed, and everyone saw us opening it earlier. Even we didn’t know that this herb is called the Magnolia’s Heart,” Sang Yan countered. After all, if this were to get out, it would tarnish the reputation of the Treasure Pill Pavilion.

The alchemists in the Treasure Pill Pavilion weren’t always in harmony, as internal conflicts were also present. The higher the sales of the pills one produced, the higher the status was. As Sang Yan studied Master Qin’s book, he made rapid progress in alchemy, showing signs of surpassing Jiang Yue.

On the other hand, Jiang Yue’s sales had dropped recently because of consuming forbidden pills. The baleful aura within his body seeped into the pills he refined, causing discomfort to the people who consumed them. As a result, this naturally caused a fall in the reputation of the pills he refined.

The Treasure Pill Pavilion naturally practiced survival of the fittest, and the annual alchemy competition was the best proof. Whoever had the highest sales would naturally be promoted, and the Treasure Pill Pavilion had been promoting the Heavenly Spirit Pills recently.

“If he’s not cheating, how will you explain his answers?” Jiang Yue felt his status shaken with a ferocious light flashing in his eyes.

“Young Master Liu is the champion of this year’s competition. Is this explanation satisfying enough for you?” Sang Yan said with a hint of mockery in his eyes. He wasn’t polite with his words at all. It wasn’t like they had any friendship to begin with.

When Sang Yan revealed that, Lan Ruoyu fell to the ground weakly with a pale face. It had long spread out within the Treasure Pill Pavilion that the young missus had personally made a trip to Azure Billow City for Liu Wuxie. There were rumors that the champion was a peerless prodigy.

“What?!” Tang Yan jumped because the person they were mocking half of the day was the champion of that year’s alchemy competition. This instantly made everyone’s faces freeze with a sour expression.

“He’s Liu Wuxie?!” The murderous intent in Jiang Yue’s eyes intensified, enveloping Liu Wuxie. This hostility wasn’t due to Liu Wuxie hitting Lan Ruoyu, but was solely directed at Liu Wuxie himself.

Liu Wuxie narrowed his eyes because this murderous intent had grown significantly stronger after his identity as the champion of that year’s alchemy competition was revealed. It was as though Jiang Yue had changed into a different person, and his murderous intent was like a tidal wave, sweeping out along with the aura of the Marrow Cleansing Realm expert.

“Master Jiang, you must have a good relationship with Shangguan Cai, right?” A smile rose on Liu Wuxie’s lips, his gaze piercing Jiang Yue, waiting for his answer.

Sang Yan froze. He seemed to have guessed something because Jiang Yue had a good relationship with Shangguan Cai. Jiang Yue was the pavilion master of the Serene Tomb City, while Shangguan Cai was an alchemist of that branch.

Jiang Yue could be considered a mentor and friend of Shangguan Cai, and their friendship was inseparable.

Now, Liu Wuxie finally had an idea who had leaked the answers during the competition. The leaked answers must have something to do with Jiang Yue!

“Brat, you stole something that belonged to Ji Yang, and you will die today!” Jiang Yue didn’t bother to hide his murderous intent, and the atmosphere turned tense due to the unexpected events during the alchemy assessment.

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