372 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

Chapter 372: Practical Assessment Array Department. At this moment, the head of the Array Department, Zou Guanqing, felt as though his hair was about to fall out from frustration. Learning arrays was inherently challenging, requiring a talent that was no less than what was needed for alchemy. Moreover, their department's legacy was even more comprehensive than that of the Alchemy Department. Yet, because alchemy was more popular, the majority of applicants each year were drawn to the Alchemy Department. The number of students applying to the Array Department had been decreasing annually. Over the past few days of admissions, he had not found a single promising student among the applicants. Some were only applying to take a chance because they lacked other talents, and thinking of this made Zou Guanqing even more frustrated. Did they think the Array Department was a place you could just waltz into whenever you wanted? "Dean, Dean!!" At that moment, a voice shouted from outside the door. "Why are you shouting? So rowdy—where's your professionalism as a teacher?!?" Zou Guanqing snapped. The teacher who came in wore a conflicted expression on his face. "There’s a peculiar student." Zou Guanqing dismissed it. "How peculiar?" "During the written exam, this student submitted a blank paper." Zou Guanqing scoffed, "A blank paper?! With such simple questions, they turned in a blank exam? Clearly just here for numbers. We will absolutely not accept this kind of person into our Array Department." The teacher continued, "Dean, don't be so hasty to reject. She originally applied to the Alchemy Department, but due to some grudge with Wang Er, she ended up in our Array Department instead." Zou Guanqing sneered. "Wang Er is quite bold, thinking he can rely on some minor connections to do this. However, if she's so unaware of her own abilities and chose to apply to the Alchemy Department, then had the nerve to submit a blank exam, we still don’t want her in our department!!!" For someone who spoke so decisively back then, Zou Guanqing would soon find himself eating his words. The teacher, getting exasperated with being constantly interrupted by Director Zou, opened his mouth again, "Dean, please don't jump to conclusions. I haven’t finished yet." "Although she submitted a blank sheet for the written test, in the second practical exam, she laid out a complete Golden Light Array." Thud~ The sound of a chair hitting the ground echoed as Zou Guanqing sprang to his feet, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the teacher. "What did you say? Say it again. She managed to construct a complete high-level Yellow-grade Golden Light Array?" The teacher nodded. "Absolutely true. The array is still set up in the examination area. We haven't even begun to test its defensive strength yet." "Then what are we waiting for? Quick, take me there! I want to test it myself. Such talent must join our department. She may have initially applied to the Alchemy Department, but now she's in our Array Department. It must be the will of the heavens, ha-ha-ha! We must keep her!" At that moment, Zou Guanqing couldn't recall how adamantly he had refused earlier. The teacher reluctantly followed, seeing that Director Zou kept cutting him off. Meanwhile, at the Alchemy Department, the second exam was in progress—the crafting of high-level Yellow-grade pills. Amidst the students facing the alchemical furnaces, some sweated profusely while others remained confident. Suddenly, a figure in blue appeared in the examination hall, causing a ripple of excitement. Several students were so distracted by excitement that their furnaces exploded. The supervising teacher, seeing the arrival, hurried forward. "Director Hai, what brings you here today?" In past years, Director Hai never attended the Alchemy Department admissions. Why did he come specifically today? This was the question on everyone's mind, including the supervising teacher’s. Master Hai nodded and said, "I'm just here to have a look." As he spoke, his gaze swept across the hall, lingering especially on the female candidates, searching for the blue-clad female alchemist the boss had mentioned. She had reportedly registered for the Alchemy Department's assessment, so today he was eager to see her. One should know what it means to have an alchemist who can craft top-grade pills, especially when she was at least a beginner Earth-grade alchemist. If she was applying to the Celestial Spirit Academy, she likely wasn’t very old, making her a talented alchemist worthy of cultivation, someone he’d want to take under his wing. Despite his eagerness, his face showed no hint of haste as he carefully observed the female students’ pill crafting. However, after surveying the room, his brow furrowed. The students under his gaze were so nervous that they even made mistakes in the order of placing the herbs. Such poor composure meant they couldn’t possibly create top-quality pills. Among them, a girl in a red outfit with a striking appearance made no mistakes. Her composure was admirable, her techniques elegant, and her timing precise. But Master Hai knew that to craft top-quality pills, mere technical skill was not enough. "What’s that young girl’s name?" Ye Linglong pointed at the young woman in red and asked the supervising teacher. The red-clad girl, pointed out by Master Hai, could barely conceal her delight, her eyes brimming with pride. The supervising teacher glanced momentarily and then praised, "Master Hai, this is the youngest daughter of the Sect Master of the Primordial Unity Sect, named Taishi Yan. Her alchemy talent is very high. She’s already able to craft Earth-grade pills with a decent success rate." Master Hai mumbled, "Taishi Yan? Not a Ye." After a pause, he continued, "Do we have any students with the surname Ye here?" The supervising teacher checked the list and pointed out a few, none of whom matched. Eventually, perplexed, Master Hai left, muttering, "Could it be that the Ye alchemist didn't attend the exam?" Supervising teacher: "..." Who was that supposed to be? Unbeknownst to Master Hai, the Ye alchemist on his mind was actually taking the exam at the Array Department. With just a single attempt, she effortlessly set up a high-level Yellow-grade Golden Light Array, without a hint of difficulty, even feeling she had more to spare. However, she lacked an array map at the moment. After the supervising teacher visited, he suddenly rushed off urgently, leaving her unsure whether she had passed or not. Her thoughts were interrupted when a man with a messy head of hair and beard, wearing a gray robe, rushed toward her, stopping at the Golden Light Array she had set up. "Perfect, absolutely perfect. This is the most flawless Golden Light Array I've ever seen." Zou Guanqing gazed in awe at the functioning Golden Light Array, nearly speechless with excitement as he turned to Ye Linglong. "Did you set this up?" Ye Linglong nodded. "Yes, it was me." Upon hearing this, Zou Guanqing burst into laughter, giving Ye Linglong a hearty slap on the shoulder. "Ha-ha-ha, finally, our Array Department, after years of silence, has recruited such a promising student. I declare that you have been accepted. From now on, you are my personal disciple, Zou Guanqing’s last student. This year, we shall surpass those guys in the Alchemy Department!!!" Completely oblivious to the situation at hand, Ye