Among the ten invigilators, Mr. Zhong was considered most experienced and held the highest status. It was only natural that his question was saved for last.
However, Mr. Zhong merely said with a smile, “Everyone has already tested Appraiser Lin in various aspects. It seems to me there isn’t much left for me to ask. What remains is an evolution exam.”
As a beast appraiser, promoting a beast was clearly a skill that held the most weightage, and it was also the most difficult task.
For appraisers at Rank 4 standard, they were expected to have a one hundred percent success rate at promoting a Rank 3 beast to Rank 4. However, the same could not be said for Rank 4 creatures to Rank 5.
All of the invigilators already had experience in promoting a Rank 4 beast to Rank 5, and most of them were capable of success every single time.
Of course, a considerable amount of time was necessary for this.
Lin Jin straightened up because it seemed like Mr. Zhong was about to test him on the hardest subject – evolution.
To everyone’s surprise, Mr. Zhong said, “I won’t be testing you on the study of evolution!”
Everyone else was stunned. Lin Jin was also stunned.
He wouldn’t be testing Lin Jin on the study of evolution?
Then what would he assess?
Then, Mr. Zhong continued, “I’ve been thinking lately that Rank 4 beast appraisers should not only possess competent skills but they should also be knowledgeable enough to teach. I’d like Appraiser Lin to act as a substitute teacher at Heavenly Spiral Academy for three months. If you’re able to produce a Rank 3 appraiser, I’ll acknowledge you as a Rank 4 beast appraiser.”
Lin Jin was dumbstruck.
There were rumors that Mr. Zhong hated playing by the rules and today, Lin Jin was able to witness that in action.
Speaking of which, educating a fellow human was a task that one should never underestimate. This was especially so since he was required to produce a Rank 3 student. While it sounded relatively straightforward, not everyone could advance as the teacher wished.
However, since Mr. Zhong had spoken, no one dared to oppose him nor were they qualified to do so.
“Of course, about the vote that we will hold later on, if Appraiser Lin passes the assessment, you’ll still be considered an official Rank 4 beast appraiser. Even if you don’t take up my challenge, that’s fine. I shall forfeit my vote, neither agreeing nor disagreeing,” said Mr. Zhong.
‘You can do that?’
Lin Jin was surprised.
Indeed, losing one person from a voting pool of ten was not influential enough to change Lin Jin’s fate.
Lin Jin thought about it for a moment before he nodded.
“Regardless of the outcome of the vote, I am willing to act as a provisional lecturer at Heavenly Spiral Academy for the coming three months.”
He already planned to stay at Heavenly Spiral City for a period of time anyway. After all, he had to persuade the emperor of their country to borrow him Daojun’s Hieroglyphic, and that wouldn’t be achievable in a matter of days.
With that being the case, staying here for three months seemed plausible.
More importantly, he would be able to leave a favorable impression on Mr. Zhong by accepting his challenge. Befriending the magnate of their beast appraiser’s community would surely have its perks, even though Lin Jin had no idea what they were at the moment.
But before that, all ten invigilators were expected to raise their hands to show their decision. Depending on the results, Lin Jin might have to roll up his tent and head home if the final number was less than five.
Even if he passed Mr. Zhong’s assessment later on, it would be futile.
On the contrary, if he gained the approval of most invigilators, he would receive his Rank 4 qualification.
In a sense, Mr. Zhong’s opinion was just as important but it wasn’t the ultimate key to success.
Once the voting started, Appraiser Yan was the first to raise his hand. It was evident that he highly approved of Lin Jin. Next up, a few other appraisers raised their hands to show their approval.
On the whole, five appraisers have now raised their hands, excluding Mr. Zhong. A majority of the Rank 4 appraisers have shown their support for Lin Jin.
Among those who didn’t raise their hands, Yang Ming was unsurprisingly one of them.
Suddenly, another invigilator raised his hand. With this, there were six Rank 4 beast appraisers who had approved of Lin Jin.
With this, no matter what Mr. Zhong’s final verdict was, Lin Jin had passed the Rank 4 assessment, thereby successfully obtaining an official qualification.
One privilege Heavenly Spiral’s Beast Appraisal Association Headquarters possessed was the fact that they weren’t under the jurisdiction of their emperor. Boasting strong independence and a considerable level of autonomy, they had the authority to qualify beast appraisers from other countries.
This was also the reason why their headquarters was able to establish themselves as the sacred ground for beast appraisers presiding on United Continent.
“Congratulations, Appraiser Lin!” said Appraiser Yan. The other invigilators who also approved of Lin Jin came over to congratulate him as well.
At Rank 4 standard, the only criterion that impressed them was strength.
Coincidentally, Lin Jin managed to surmount all difficulties, and the competence he displayed surprised them all. Although some were reluctant to accept the outcome out of envy, the majority of them were open-minded enough to acknowledge the fact that a younger man might surpass them in the not-so-distant future.
Of course, there were also appraisers who simply left without saying a word, like Appraiser Yang Ming.
It may be due to their oddball personality, or because they simply disliked Lin Jin. This made itself evident when they refused to raise their hands.
Still, that wouldn’t change the outcome of this assessment.
Lin Jin had passed.
Although he already knew he could pass the assessment, Lin Jin was nevertheless thrilled by the fact he walked away with a pass.
After all, it indicated that his skills had been acknowledged by the upper echelons of the beast appraising community.
Heavenly Spiral’s Beast Appraisal Association Headquarters was quick to react because just moments later, a four-ringed sleeve guard was delivered to him.
Such items were difficult to forge as they were said to be of unique craftsmanship. It was near-impossible to replicate one in the black market.
Lin Jin removed his three-ringed sleeve guard to put on his new one. For a moment there, he felt a slight change in his aura.
Of course, this might just be a psychological illusion.
But without a doubt, he would surely cause a commotion outside with this four-ringed sleeve guard. Even in Heavenly Spiral City, the number of Rank 4 beast appraisers numbered a little over twenty.
“Mr. Zhong has already gone back. He says you can head over to Heavenly Spiral Academy anytime you wish,” Appraiser Yan said smilingly. Lin Jin responded with gratitude and a salute.
He was most grateful to Appraiser Yan for offering his assistance throughout the assessment. If it weren’t for him, Lin Jin might have been required to put in a little more effort than he actually did.
Subsequently, Appraiser Yan offered to accompany Lin Jin to Heavenly Spiral Academy but Lin Jin didn’t want to trouble him any further. With this, Appraiser Yan decided to take his leave.
Before he departed, he added, “Since it’s Appraiser Lin’s first time in Heavenly Spiral City, should you need any assistance, feel free to talk to me.”
With that said, he left.
“What a kind-hearted man,” Lin Jin mumbled to himself. He then went looking for Jiang Tianhe to inform him of his assessment result.
After all, it was that man who helped Lin Jin arrange for the assessment.
By the time they met, Jiang Tianhe was already made aware of Lin Jin’s new status, so he spoke with much more politeness this time.
After all, Lin Jin was currently a full-fledged Rank 4 beast appraiser; he was one full rank higher than Jiang Tianhe himself.
Upon hearing that Lin Jin was to stay at Heavenly Spiral City for three more months, Jiang Tianhe understood what was to come next as it would be inappropriate for Lin Jin to continue staying in an inn for such a long time.
“Appraiser Lin, let me take care of your lodging. It’s not something a Rank 4 beast appraiser should worry about.” Jiang Tianhe decided to take up the task of finding new accommodation for Lin Jin.
Lin Jin thanked him and he made sure to emphasize that money wouldn’t be an issue.
