Wang Li Tian was confused as to why the two of them were making that face. "Did I do something wrong?"
Xin Shu Yi stood at the back as she continued to look at the wall of runic symbols, while Long Tang Yun wanted to get a closer look at Li Tian's work. He walked up and started to look at each of the symbols. Wang Li Tian simply left them be and sat by the stone table. He realised that his senior sister was carrying a wooden box that looked like it was supposed to carry food.
"Senior sister, is that food meant for me?" Wang Li Tian mouth was drooling when he thought about Xin Shu Yi's home cooked food.
"Ah? Right, right, I prepared you breakfast." Xin Shu Yi broke out of her stupor as she opened up the box to reveal several handmade steam buns. There were white, green, pink buns, all made from different flower extracts. There was even twice-cooked meat slotted in between each bun.
"Thank you!" Wang Li Tian beamed in excitement. He went straight into the food as he gobbled down everything in the time it takes to brew tea. The young cultivator had been up all night writing every symbol out incessantly. After eating, the exhaustion from his all-nighter went away.
When Wang Li Tian finished his breakfast, Long Tang Yun was also finished with the symbols on the wall. He turned to ask the little boy the burning question in his heart: "Little Li Tian. Why did you write all the basic runic symbols from left to right?"
"Why? I do not really have a reason why?" Wang Li Tian simply wrote it that way as it was natural for the boy who had learnt the Demonic Beast language. "Is it wrong?"
"No, no. There is no write and wrong for the writing order." Long Tang Yun explained calmly, "It is just that, normally, the logical method for artificers was to find a pattern to follow in order to write out the symbol. If everyone had done it like you, which is by splitting it in half, they would have to memorise 200 symbols."
"Then again, you managed to remember all 100 runic symbols in a span of one day. How did you do it?" Both Xin Shu Yi and Long Tang Yun were curious about this question. Wang Li Tian was definitely not smart in the logical aspect. Him being able to memorise the symbols in one night is almost impossible. Only genius cultivators who trained in the mind would be able memorise these symbols in one day.
"I have memorised the symbols before." Wang Li Tian put it out there honestly.
"You have memorised it before? Was it with your master?" Long Tang Yun followed up with another question.
"No."
"Then which artificer taught you these symbols?"
"It is a secret." Wang Li Tian shook his head. He wasn't going to lie about anything to his teacher. However, when it came to secrets, like how the symbols were actually from the Demonic Beast Language, he would not reveal them unless he got permission from the people that he promised. For him, Mr. Dragon imparted him the knowledge and so, he would not pass it on to anyone else unless he gets an approval from his other sworn brothers. That was their prior agreement.
"…" Of course, after his past experiences, Long Tang Yun knew not to let his disciple get into his head. If he got angry at everything his disciple said, the prime elder's life span will definitely be shorter than a thousand years.
"Anyways, this is a good thing that junior brother has managed to memorise all of the basic runic symbols!" Xin Shu Yi placed her hand on Li Tian's shoulder. She was very proud of her junior brother. "Teacher, are we going to start teaching him Scroll Inscriptions to prepare him for the Artificer Union Examination?"
Long Tang Yun nodded and agreed to his disciple's question. "Indeed. We shall start preparing Little Li Tian for the examination. Except, asking him to be ready for the examination in one year is definitely pulling it."
"Teacher, what is this examination?" Wang Li Tian asked probingly.
"So, the Artificer Union Examination is a once in a decade examination that the Artificer Union holds for Novice Artificers. Those that want to officially become an Artificer would have to go through this examination. It is an extremely difficult examination even for the experienced Novice Artificers." Long Tang Yun started explaining. He paced himself around the courtyard leisurely.
"There are a total of two components for the Artificer Union Examination. The first is the written component. It consists of 200 questions whereby you will have to answer them finish in two hours. Only those that are able to pass this stage will be able to go onto the second stage. The written paper was used to get rid of the majority of examinees first, since, how can one be an artificer without prior knowledge?" Wang Li Tian's face got ugly.
"The second is the practical component. There are three rounds in the practical component. Each round the examinee would be given a topic question whereby they would have to solve or create through artificing. The rounds would get progressively harder and in the end, only those that make it through the last round would become a Junior Artificer, certified by the Artificer Union." Wang Li Tian's face got even uglier.
"As the examination is held three years from now, in the capital kingdom of the Shiwen Empire, you have even lesser time to prepare for the examination! So, what do you think about your chances in passing the Artificer Union Examination? Are you excited?" Long Tang Yun turned around to see a youth's face that was as pale as a ghost.