The young man's face turned bright red. Even the other four people around him looked at Sean with disbelief.
It wasn't because Sean's words were too shocking or impressed the scholars, but rather because his words were extremely vulgar. For scholars like them, such language was completely inappropriate, even if they found the metaphor somewhat accurate.
"Do you... do you know who I am?" The young man finally got angry, perhaps out of shame.
Upon hearing the young man's words, Sean was slightly taken aback. It had been a long time since he had heard someone speak like that. In the beginning of the game, people used to talk to him like that quite often—enemies, clan members, and even renowned experts in the industry.
But after he gained fame and even led his own group within the clan, no one had spoken to him like that again.
When his fame reached a certain level, the use of identity to speak became pointless.
For example, if this young man were to ask those three supervising scholars with this statement, they would surely dismiss it. Even the Royce family members, when facing these scholars, needed to be polite.
So why would ordinary people still hold them in high regard? To the scholars, only those with extensive knowledge deserved their respect.
However, at this moment, everyone saw Sean's distracted appearance and thought he was scared.
"Scared, huh? Let me tell you..." The young man continued his incessant talking.
He enjoyed seeing others show fear, as it satisfied his vanity. Although his father was not a noble, their family had money. Even though many considered his family to be nouveau riche, it couldn't hide the fact that they were wealthy. His father wanted to improve the family's reputation, which was why he sent him to participate in the scholar qualification exam.
As long as he successfully passed, no one would dare call his family nouveau riche again.
But now, just as he was about to answer the final question—no matter how reluctantly—he could indeed obtain the scholar's certificate if he answered it correctly. However, all of this was shattered by Sean's sudden actions a few minutes ago.
How could he not be angry? Especially after being mocked by Sean, it reminded him of the faces of those people in the business circle who ridiculed his father.
Young and ignorant.
Ignorant, therefore fearless.
Sean didn't know what was going on in the young man's mind. Even if he did, he wouldn't care because it was destined for two individuals from different worlds.
As the young man continued to boast incessantly, Sean shook his head and chuckled. "I was momentarily distracted, not because I was scared, but because it reminded me of all the people who used to say those words to me before."
He paused, and a slight smile formed on Sean's lips.
"Do you want to know what happened to them?"
The young man suddenly shivered, even he didn't quite understand why. At this moment, Sean's smile also made him feel a bit fearful. He may not be wise, but it didn't mean he wasn't clever.
A person's background often determined their social status, and he had been exposed to some of the situations in the business world, which gave him some understanding of certain things.
He tried to say something but didn't know how to begin.
Sean couldn't be bothered with the young man anymore. He turned his head towards the three scholars and asked, "I am here to participate in the scholar qualification exam. Can we begin?"
The three scholars exchanged glances. Perhaps the young man and the female priest hadn't noticed anything, but the three of them felt the aura of blood emanating from Sean in that brief moment.
Such a condensed killing intent couldn't exist without experiencing real bloodshed.
Typically, people of this kind were not regarded highly by scholars. What did a group of muscular guys know about knowledge?
Even the scholars of the Temple of Wisdom, in the end, were ordinary people with many views no different from the common folk, and they became more stubborn with age.
At a fundamental level, they already had some prejudice against Sean.
However, the scholars of the Temple of Wisdom also had clear regulations.
Any favoritism was strictly prohibited, and since Sean had made his statement, they had to allow him to participate in the exam.
However, there were still some methods they could employ.
"Very well," the central old scholar nodded. "Lena, take him outside."
The young female priest nodded and immediately led the young man out, and the stone door closed once again.
The central old scholar nodded at Sean and said, "Let's begin."
With that, he led Sean to the far left table inside the hall.
On the table lay a dried bouquet of flowers.
At first glance, the flowers seemed to have undergone some processing since the root part was light yellow, in stark contrast to the deep black color that dried flowers usually had.
The upper part above the roots had a dark yellow color with a hint of black pigment, indicating that all the moisture inside had been thoroughly evaporated, even causing some scorching effects within the plant.
Although they were referred to as flowers and plants, the flower buds had already been removed, making it challenging for the participants to identify this dried plant accurately.
"Judging from the color intensity and the cut where the flower buds were removed, this should be the Intense Blossom," Sean glanced at it and calmly stated, "It's a very common plant with a sweet and slightly spicy taste. It has a wide range of uses, most commonly as a seasoning. Although it's an ordinary plant, the dried roots and stems of the Intense Blossom are essential ingredients in alchemists' concoctions for neutralizing agents. Therefore, it is widely cultivated."
From the analysis of appearance to the aroma, properties, and uses, Sean's words were well-founded and exceptionally clear.
What impressed them the most was that Sean could make such an accurate answer with just a glance, without the need for touch or careful identification. It left the scholars astonished.
If it weren't for Sean's previous absence and the fact that the arrangement in the scholar's hall changed daily, they would have even suspected that Sean had set up these items himself.
Seeing the expressions of the scholars, Sean naturally knew what they were thinking.
The scholar qualification exam was the easiest trial for the "spellcasting" class in the game.
Those players who were energetic and had plenty of time on their hands even listed thousands of detailed information about the examination content in the Scholar's Hall.
As an extremely energetic person himself back then, Sean had come across some of these materials.
Although he couldn't remember everything, he had a deep impression of many things he encountered later in the game.
Moreover, now he had the two special abilities of "Survival in Desperation" and "True Sight."
However, he didn't need to rely on True Sight for the detailed information about the Intense Blossom. In his team back then, there was a priest who specialized in flowers and plants.
Of course, Sean didn't show too much of his extraordinary abilities.
For a dried Intense Blossom like this, it did have some flaws. Such roots and stems of the Intense Blossom could only be used in general neutralizing agents. If one wanted to refine a high-purity neutralizing agent, the roots and stems of the Intense Blossom must not be damaged.
In other words, a tiny amount of moisture needed to be retained, preventing the sun from causing scorching effects on them.
However, there was no need for Sean to mention these details.
The several scholars exchanged glances, feeling shocked and unwilling to admit it. Nevertheless, they led Sean to the second table.
"These are just some iron slag," Sean glanced at the black stones on the table with obvious traces of refinement and said casually, "Of course, if we must come up with a conclusion, then I can only say that these are the clumped remains of iron ore slag left after refining. Their purpose is to deceive or mislead other participants."
The faces of the old scholars turned slightly red, clearly showing their displeasure, especially the central figure who had come up with this idea.
"This is the Black Three-Leaf Clover. Although it looks similar to the Three-Leaf Clover, the flower center of the Black Three-Leaf Clover has a black spot that is difficult to notice without careful identification."
"This is the Variegated Poison Lizard, a fourth-tier magical creature that generally grows in poisonous swamps."
"This is the Red Copper Ironstone, a companion mineral of red copper veins."
"This is the Ice Crystal Tear Flower..."
"This is..."
In the Scholar's Hall, the items placed on hundreds of tables couldn't stump Sean at all. Of course, there were some things that indeed required him to use True Sight to discern.
Whenever True Sight was needed, he pretended to bend down and carefully observe, occasionally even picking them up to smell.
Despite this, it still surprised the three old scholars greatly, challenging their conventional understanding of the warrior class as physically strong but mentally simple.
"Cough, your performance has truly astonished us," one of the old scholars spoke, "You are the best-performing candidate we have seen in recent years. So, we have prepared another question for you here, and you can choose whether to accept it. Of course, declining is fine too. If you accept and answer correctly, we will reward you with a small gift, a blessing from the God of Wisdom for extraordinary individuals."
The climax had arrived!
Sean's casual thoughts finally ignited with excitement. This was his true objective! Naturally, he agreed to take on the challenge.
The old scholar nodded and triggered a mechanism in the hall, causing the previously sealed floor to split open to the left and right.
Then, a two-meter tall, eight-meter diameter iron cage covered in black cloth emerged from underground.
Perhaps due to the vibrations caused by the mechanism, a deep muffled roar came from within the cage. The imprisoned creature inside sounded somewhat weak, but even so, it exuded a majestic aura.
To possess such an aura, and with the iron cage specially reinforced and combined with a unique magic array, Sean speculated that the creature imprisoned inside was at least a seventh-tier or higher magical beast.
A creature of this level was already capable of devastating a territory. Although it wouldn't annihilate a small country just because of one such magical beast, severe damage was inevitable.
Sean didn't expect the Temple of Wisdom to be so ambitious, daring to capture such a magical beast for research.
However, Sean's thoughts hadn't yet recovered from this shock when the subsequent actions of the old scholars almost made him spit out— he was grateful that he hadn't taken a sip of water at that moment.
One of the old scholars reached out and pulled the black cloth up, revealing the four limbs of the imprisoned magical beast.
Based on the revealed information, this magical beast should be a mammal and likely possesses beautiful black fur.
Judging by the principle that higher-tier magical beasts have more prominent fur gloss and brightness, if this magical beast is well-developed, its fur should be smooth and shiny like satin.
However, from the glimpses of the fur visible on its four limbs, it's evident that the creature's living conditions are poor. Its fur has completely lost its luster and appears dirty and unkempt.
However, with Sean's True Sight and the special ability Desperate Survival, just by observing these four limbs, he already knows what this magical beast is.
As he suspected, it is indeed a seventh-tier magical beast called the Shadow Demon Eye Leopard. This is a very rare magical beast.
While it does possess the speed capabilities of a seventh-tier magical beast, its strength is not as great as a typical fifth-tier magical beast. However, being a seventh-tier magical beast, it not only possesses the inherent dignity and majesty but also has incredibly powerful mental abilities.
The crystallized core of this magical beast is particularly sought after by soul magic practitioners.
Although Sean knows the answer, he cannot reveal it. As he waits for the scholar to completely unveil the black cloth, he hears the old scholar speak, "Come on, guess what this magical beast is called."
This statement almost makes Sean burst out laughing because it reminds him of a joke that was popular on the internet in the past.
So, Sean turns his head towards the central old scholar and says, "If I fail this assessment, can I still obtain the status of a scholar?"
The three old scholars are momentarily surprised, thinking that Sean finds the question too difficult and is preparing to give up.
In fact, if Sean hadn't demonstrated such exceptional abilities before, they wouldn't have bothered teasing him like this.
Initially, they were slightly dissatisfied with Sean's performance, but the facts later proved his erudition, making it impossible for them, as old scholars, to surpass him in knowledge and memory. Naturally, they harbored some dissatisfaction.
As long as Sean shows a little submission, they won't make things too difficult for him.
At this moment, the central old scholar nods and says, "Yes, you are now a scholar."
Sean nods in understanding and continues to ask, "Regarding my status, will you also register it and issue magical certificates as backup copies to all the Temples of Wisdom?"
"Naturally."
This time, Sean nods with a clear understanding. Then, he turns his head to face the old scholar in charge of pulling the cloth and rolls up his pant leg, all the way to his thigh, before speaking, "Come on, guess what my name is."