The air was thick with regret from those who didn't make the cut. But they could do nothing now. They received their papers with heads low, reviewing their mistakes. Yuan, however, barely spared them a glance. His mind was elsewhere—on that Red-tail rabbit, and how he would get his hands on it.
He quickly found Ming Kai and Han Mu, but instead of focusing on the competition, his thoughts were consumed with the elusive rabbit. Thankfully, Han Mu didn't make the top 40, which gave Yuan a small window of opportunity.
Walking up to Han Mu, Yuan placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder—though Han Mu didn't look reassured at all. His face was pale with disappointment. Ming Kai, his friend and fellow competitor, offered a few words of comfort.
Yuan glanced around, making sure no one was watching. Then, without a word, he passed his storage bag to Han Mu, along with a small note. He gestured for him to read it later, away from prying eyes. Han Mu looked at him, confused, but Yuan nodded, his expression serious. Then, with a final glance at the room, Yuan stepped toward the hall, his mind already racing with plans.
Han Jie looked over the top 10 papers, a frown appearing on his face. He muttered something to the attendant behind him, and moments later, a stack of papers was brought to him. Han Jie sifted through them, and soon, a smile spread across his face.
Mo Xiang, ever curious, was quick to ask, "What happened this time? Is it the same candidate? What was his token number again?"
"857," Yang Jun added.
"Hahaha!" Han Jie chuckled, clearly entertained. However, he was amazed inside that they all were keeping an eye on this candidate even when he wasn't in the top 10 in 2nd round.
"Yes, it's the same person. Quite brilliant, I must say." Han Jie's voice carried a touch of admiration.
Mo Xiang's patience wore thin. "Stop dragging it out, Han Jie. Just tell us what happened."
Han Jie's grin widened. "He only evaluated 4 beasts and didn't even write the name for the fifth one."
Qiu Zhi, the representative from Purple Light Valley, one of the only two female representatives, raised an eyebrow. "Does the fifth one belong to the snake family?"
The room fell silent as everyone connected the dots.
"Are you saying he only evaluated four beasts and still got full marks on them?" Yang Jun exclaimed in disbelief.
Han Jie smiled, though the amusement in his expression faded. "No. He's four marks short of full marks."
There was a collective gasp. The revelation sent a ripple of shock through the VIP stands. No one could deny that this kid was piquing their curiosity. PM Meng felt a knot tighten in his chest. His instincts screamed that this was Yuan, but his brain wasn't willing to accept it yet. He couldn't be sure.
"Why do you think he didn't evaluate the fifth one?" a voice asked, breaking the silence.
No one here knew except PM Meng, but he remained quiet, his thoughts turning inward. He wasn't sure.
In the examination hall, Examiner Jiang's voice rang out, "In the third and final round, you will evaluate three beasts," he announced, signaling for the attendants to bring in the cages covered in black cloth.
"You have two hours to evaluate these beasts. But be cautious. These beasts are fully grown, dangerous, and can be unpredictable. Don't get too close." As Examiner Jiang removed the covers, the heavy, oppressive aura from the three cages filled the room.
Yuan's eyes narrowed as he studied the beasts. Two of the three belonged to the snake family—he recognized one and the other one, though, was unfamiliar, but Yuan could tell it, too, was a rare specimen. The third one was also a rare beast.
His stomach twisted at the thought of the snakes. The memories of his childhood encounter with them surged to the surface. For a moment, he hesitated, deep in thought. After a few moments of deliberation, he made up his mind. He would only evaluate one beast.
A smile appeared on his face as this was the perfect excuse to leave early and secure the Red-tail rabbit.
With renewed resolve, Yuan stepped forward to the first cage. His eyes scanned the beast inside—Yellow Crystal beast. The creature's body was covered in a glistening yellow crystalline skin, but it wasn't the crystals that defined this beast, but because of its love for Yellow Crystal Vine.
Yellow Crystal Vine was a grade 3 herb, known for its deliciousness. So, if there was a Yellow Crystal Vine somewhere, there would definitely be a Yellow Crystal beast guarding it. A mature beast releases a thumb-sized crystal from his body after eating the Vine, which was very helpful to body cultivators in tempering their bodies.
Yuan focused. This was a 3-star beast in its fully grown form, and evaluating it was no easy task. He could already feel the weight of the creature's presence, a power that was hard to ignore. But he was determined. After 45 minutes of careful inspection, Yuan completed his report and made his way to submit it.
Examiner Jiang, seeing the paper in Yuan's hand, stopped him. "You haven't finished your evaluations."
Yuan turned, unfazed. "Yes, I have."
"You've only evaluated one beast. What about the other two?" Examiner Jiang asked, frowning.
Yuan's expression remained neutral. "I don't like snakes. I'm not evaluating them." With that, he turned and left the hall, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.
Outside, Han Jie received the message immediately from Examiner Jiang. He laughed aloud as he read it. "He really left, just like that?" he mused. "That's bold."
Mo Xiang raised an eyebrow as he saw Yuan leaving the examination hall. "Is that kid number 857?"
Han Jie nodded, still chuckling. "Yes, that's him. He evaluated only one beast and then declared he was leaving because he doesn't like snakes."
"Is that kid the number 857?" Mo Xiang asked.
"Yes. That kid is number 857. He submitted his report after evaluating one beast. He said that he doesn't like snakes, so he is leaving." Han Jie explained.
Qiu Zhi's eyes gleamed with interest. She leaned forward, her voice a low purr. "Interesting. That one's mine. No one else is allowed to compete for him."
Yang Jun, Ni Kang, and Li Zhang (the representative from the Myriad Beast Sect) spoke in unison. "You have the same thought as me."
Han Jie laughed even louder, while Mo Xiang simply smiled. "Now, this is going to be interesting," he thought to himself.
It was rare to see them competing for a candidate before the competition had even ended, but Yuan had managed to capture their attention—and not just for his talents, but for his unconventional behavior.
"If you want to recruit this kid, I am afraid it's going to be difficult", a voice suddenly interjected.