Hua Mengyan followed Lin Yun's gaze, a look of mild surprise on her face. "Him? That's Elder Yan Song." She then looked at Lin Yun strangely, as if he had asked what color the sky was. "You really don't know? He's the Head of the Armament Pavilion."
Seeing the blank look on Lin Yun's face, she elaborated. "The Armament Pavilion is where the academy stores, maintains, and distributes all its spiritual weapons, armor, and formation tools. Elder Yan is in charge of it all. He's one of the most respected elders when it comes to artifacts and formations."
She leaned in conspiratorially, her voice also dropping. "To be honest, I'm actually surprised to see him here today. Presiding over a student assessment, especially handling the menial task of bringing out the Profound Beasts... that's not normally his duty. He's the Head of a major pavilion. He has subordinates for that. He usually only involves himself in high-level artifact appraisals or the graduation trials of core disciples."
Lin Yun's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this. The pieces were fitting together, and the picture they formed was unsettling.
The Head of the Armament Pavilion. An expert on artifacts and formations.
The Prowess Stele was a complex formation. Lin Yun had exploited a weakness in that formation.
Elder Yan Song had been watching him intently during the stele test. That glint of understanding in his eyes... he had figured it out. He had realized that Lin Yun could perceive the flaws in the formation.
This was no coincidence. Elder Yan's presence, his assignment to a lowly duty, his intense scrutiny, and finally, the "gift" of the frenzied wolf—it was all connected.
This was a targeted observation. Elder Yan had suspected something unique about him after the stele test, and he had engineered a situation to see how Lin Yun would perform under real, life-and-death pressure. He wanted to see if the perception that allowed him to find the stele's weak point would also work in dynamic combat.
Lin Yun leaned back in his seat, saying nothing more. His face was a calm mask, but his mind was churning.
Why? he thought. Why target me? Is it just academic curiosity? Or does he have a deeper motive? Was it just because I accidentally displayed my power?
He didn't know. He had no history with Elder Yan Song. The original Lin Yun's memories contained no mention of the man. This interest had sprung up entirely because of his own actions today.
It was a dangerous position to be in. To have the focused attention of a powerful, high-ranking elder was a double-edged sword. It could mean patronage and protection, or it could mean being treated as a fascinating specimen to be dissected and understood.
The remaining students in the third batch who had not yet fought soon faced their own Bloody Wolves. The battles were a mix of swift victories and hard-fought struggles, with a few more shouts of "I surrender!" echoing through the arena.
Finally, the last wolf was subdued, and the martial practice avenue fell into a state of exhausted, anticipatory quiet.
Elder Kong stepped forward once more, a new scroll in his hand. The rankings for the practical combat segment were now calculated, factoring in both the time taken and the efficiency of the victory.
"The second segment, Practical Combat, is concluded," he announced, his voice resonating in the hushed space. "I will now announce the rankings for this round."
He began reading from the bottom, building the tension slowly. Names were called, some met with relief, others with disappointment. Lin Yun listened calmly, his mind still partly occupied with the mystery of Elder Yan Song.
Finally, Elder Kong reached the top ranks.
"Sixth place, Lin Yun!"
A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd. Sixth. It was a respectable placement, especially considering his cultivation level and the frenzied wolf he had faced. But after his shocking performance on the Prowess Stele, some had expected him to place even higher.
"Fifth place, Hua Mengyan!" The girl beside him grinned, clearly happy with her solid performance.
"Fourth place, Bai Chenfeng!" The scholarly young man nodded, his result expected.
"Third place, Wang Kun!" The bulky youth puffed out his chest, a smug look of satisfaction on his face. Beating Lin Yun in this round was a balm to his wounded pride.
"Second place, Nangong Qing'er!" She accepted the announcement with her usual serene composure, though a flicker of something—perhaps annoyance at not being first—crossed her eyes.
"And first place for the Practical Combat segment... Ji Xuan!"
Ji Xuan stood a little straighter, a cold, triumphant smirk gracing his lips as he glanced in Lin Yun's direction. He had not only won, but he had decisively beaten the one who had overshadowed him on the stele.
As the students began to chatter, comparing the two rankings, Wang Kun couldn't resist the opportunity. He turned towards Lin Yun, his voice loud and dripping with mockery.
"What's the matter, Lin Yun?" he jeered. "Couldn't find a weak point on a living beast? That stele must have been a fluke after all! When it comes to real fighting, you're still just a 3rd Level nobody! Sixth place! Hah!"
His words were meant to sting, to diminish Lin Yun's earlier achievement.
Lin Yun, however, simply turned his head and looked at Wang Kun as if he were a mildly interesting insect buzzing nearby. He didn't respond. He didn't get angry.
He just looked at him for a moment with an utterly flat, disinterested expression, and then turned his gaze back towards Elder Kong, completely ignoring him.
The dismissal was more effective than any retort. Wang Kun's smirk faltered, replaced by a flush of anger at being so utterly disregarded. He opened his mouth to say more, but a sharp look from a nearby teacher made him snap it shut, fuming in silence.
Lin Yun paid him no further mind. His focus was on the bigger picture. The stele test and the combat test were over. Now, the final part of the martial arts assessment remained. He needed to know what it was.
Elder Kong waited for the murmurs to die down before speaking again.
"The first two segments tested your raw power and your practical combat ability," he declared. "Now, for the third and final segment of the Martial Arts assessment, we will test your potential. Your comprehension. Your ability to learn and adapt."