Chapter 458
Many below-average hunters were eliminated, and the only people who could really pass the audition were those who had mastered certain basic knowledge.
Or, at the very least, a runesmith apprentice.
It was possible to perfectly copy the “scorch” rune but still didn’t have the desired effect. This was due to the difficulty of transferring your source power to the rune pen and then engraving the Rune into another object.
Almost 90% of Tree Shade adventurers who participated in the “Runes” category were failed to hit the brief.
‘Eliminated in the first round… What a cruel world.’
But, Tang Yu asked Chen Haiping and learned that quite a few people under his command passed the auditions in the category of “Runes” and “Potions”.
The company’s primary goal was to bring in professionals from all areas of the territory by sending airplanes after learning that there was a “literary battle”. Of course, these people were successfully passed the test. After all, they were personally trained by Kevin and already had the title of runesmith.
The lineup was so luxurious.
Not long after that, Tang Yu participated in two more examinations in the field of “Potions” and “Appraisal”.
The field of “Potions” was not really a pharmaceutical in general, but identification of medicinal herbs – judging the medicinal properties of medicinal herbs from their characteristics.
The illusion of the herbs was highly realistic, touching, tasting, and even breaking off a corner to taste. Tang Yu’s eyes were glittering with anticipation. He saw so many medicinal herbs that Zhen said only existed in the second era.
‘Heavenly materials and treasures!’
Compared to that, the source plants on earth are so low in source energy and pale in comparison.
The “Appraisal” was also straightforward, testing the power of observation, the mastery of various partial knowledge, etc.
……
Whoosh!
After Tang Yu participated in the 1 vs. 1 “Potions” duel for the second round of Literary Competition, he was not sent back to his original location but in another dimension.
Participating in the second round of ‘Runes’ duel.
“……”
“Do we need to rush this much? Don’t contestants have human rights?”
The person who appeared opposite Tang Yu was a young scholar, wearing a white lab coat and gold-rimmed glasses with reflective lenses, unleashing an incredible aura of nerdiness. The young man’s index finger rested on the bridge of his nose, resting on the frame of his glasses.
Glancing at Tang Yu, dressed for battle, his eyes behind the lenses flashed with surprise, “…… such barbarians, how could he pass the first round of this literary competition? This is the land of our culture and knowledge, and it shan’t be tainted with barbarism!
Very well then, let’s carry on with the examination so I can eliminate you from this competition!”
Brush~
A rune full of golden sharpness appeared in front of their eyes.
The “Primary Sharpening Rune”, one of the most basic runes, was simpler than the “Scorch” rune.
But this time, it wasn’t just a copy, but a real rune was engraved…
A rune with a source power circuit with energy nodes increases the sharpness of weapons.
After copying the Rune, the contestant needed to implement this Rune into an object. The actual rate of rune energy output was used to determine the winner.
Tang Yu glanced at it and stopped looking, picked up the Rune pen, and dropped the brush…the engraving was beautiful, and his movement was fluid.
‘Rune inflection point.’
‘Depth of engraving.’
‘Energy bifurcation.’
His circuit was thorough. He has thousands of inscriptions experience in “primary sharpening runes”, and nobody knows how many rune pens he had wasted in order to build up a good foundation in runic literature.
It can be said that even with his eyes closed, he could easily pass this exam.
The young scholar was also familiar with the “Primary Sharpening Rune”, but he still looked at it twice and then three times.
‘…… What a mind-blowing rune!’
It was different from the Rune that he had mastered in his shelter. Two more dynamic energy circuits made the inscription effect stronger!
It’s a huge upgrade from the normal Rune!
It took him five and a half minutes to finally inscribe the “Primary Sharpening Rune”. The youth wiped the sweat from his forehead and was satisfied with his work of art. He looked up and saw that Tang Yu seemed to have finished inscribing as well but didn’t care. He already immersed himself in the study of the Rune.
“Drop your pen. The time is up –“
“Starting the rune energy output rate test.”
The runes on the young scholar’s desk lit up.
A few moments later…
Tick!
[Energy output rate score, 81 out of 100, good.]
‘This score ……’
‘Was amazing!’
The territory has similar rune testing instruments. Generally speaking, a score of 60 …… that is, a rune with an energy output rate of 60% or more was qualified as a usable rune.
A full score of 100 is a perfect evaluation.
For example, a junior runesmith could produce 10 rune inscriptions a day, and their score, on average, was 60-67. —Some rune inscription companies were even lower than that, they sold their rune inscription with a score lower than 60, but it was still usable for day-to-day operation.
Tang Yu has seen many shelter rune equipment, and mostly, their output rate was extremely low and defective.
81 points was an amazing score, if it were to be inscribed in a normal weapon, the weapon could be considered as an excellent good, and it could increase the sale price 30%-50% higher than the average rune weapon!
‘This young scholar…not bad at all.’
But Tang Yu had more confidence in himself.
The Rune in front of his table also lit up.
Tick!
[Energy output rate score, 120 points, God-tier… God-tier rank!]
“??”
Tang Yu himself was confused.
‘Energy output… how could it exceed the energy originally possessed by the Rune?’
‘It’s not scientific!’
‘The runes produced by the workshop only had an output rate of 100%!’
Although the runes he inscribed were perfect in terms of practicality, appearance, pattern, feel, etc., ……
He looked up and glanced at the sample runes, then looked at the one he inscribed… Well, it’s not the same, and there are a few energy circuit differences.
Only then did Tang Yu remember that the runes given by the Holy Land, and his own, might not be the same version …… also, the “Primary Sharpening Rune” was drawn and improvised too much and then being inscribed out without paying attention.
“But, wait ……”
“The previous “Scorch” rune is clearly not as good as the Holy Land version, but the “Primary Sharpness Rune,” the output rate is higher ……”
Tang Yu observed for a moment that it was indeed inscribed by himself.
‘The 120% output rate comes from comparing with the rune reference given by the Holy Land.’
‘Are you sure you’re not fooling me with an inferior rune?’
There were three sources of runes in the territory.
One is the direct purchase of rune blueprints from the market; second, the purchase from certain equipment blueprints, you can reverse decipher the runes inscribed on them; third, is Kevin and other followers, the master the runes.
The “Scorch” rune was from Kevin’s collection.
The “Primary Sharpness Rune” was one of the three basic rules that came with the workshop when it was built by the system.
[Kevin] < [Holy Land] < [System] ???
……
In the “Runes” category of the duel, Tang Yu advanced all the way, most of his opponents, was just as good as the primary runemaster level, but of course, all of them were outclassed by Tang Yu.
The young scholars he met in the first game were the best of the best.
During this time, Tang Yu finally came across an elementary rune that he did not know, and after observing it with his “Eye of Insight”, he kept it in his mind.
This time, the runemasters who passed the Literary Competition selection in the territory alone exceeded a hundred, and the runes that appeared in each round were different for each person.
After a few rounds, there were already six runes that the territory does not have yet.
But unfortunately, runes are hard to remember.
Except for him, Elaine, and Kevin, who could forcibly remember unfamiliar runes, the others, only after countless practice, could inscribe the runes successfully without reference.
……
For the “Runes” Category, Tang Yu had five rounds of the match and five confirmed kills.
The “Potion” category also has five kills.
The “Appraisal” category was also the same.
–Once he ran into an old expert, Tang Yu’s brilliance almost mentally broke the old man’s monocle.
“I felt pretty bad about that one.”
However, Tang Yu was also happy.
The martial arts battle was easily taken down, as expected, was too easy for him. But on the contrary, the literary battle, an examination of knowledge and brilliance, he managed to crush countless graduate students, doctors, experts, professors, which satisfied Tang Yu.
‘Sure enough, I am also a talented researcher!’
‘My previously bad grades must be the fault of teachers and the textbooks →_→.’
Elaine came over, holding a side of magical beast fur in her hand, with a blue rune inscribed on it.
“Look, Lord, this is the “Permafrost” rune I just got. I gave it an optimization. The energy utilization rate increased by 35% at once, it can be used in the territory’s cooling facilities, and will surely be able to save a lot of source crystals.”
Tang Yu: “……”
He numbly nodded his head.
‘Forget it.’
‘Maybe I need to learn more Rune arts.’
…
Literary Competition winning streak, Tang Yu felt that he would be qualified for admission no matter what happened.
At the end of the Literary Competition, that mysterious power came down under his hood, and he knew he was overthinking it.
Two arcane golden patterns overlapped.
And then suddenly,
An additional stream of information suddenly appeared in his mind.
It was the distribution map of the Sacred Domain.
The eastern eighth district where they were located was only the outer space of the Holy Land, the real Holy Land …… Tang Yu’s gaze was cast into the distance. In the north, there was a wall behind which was full of hazy mist.
That is the real Holy Land.
……
The qualification selection was over, but the other participants who didn’t qualify were not expelled from the Sanctuary space.
Tang Yu explained to the corps senior and municipal officials some matters. He planned to make an integrated town at the sacred domain pillar of light entrance and take advantage of this opportunity to recruit talent from all sides.
And then, with those who had access qualifications, he headed to the north.
Holy Land – East 8.
There were barriers on all sides, and opposite most of them were other outer space areas.
Tang Yu had guessed that some of these areas were non-existent on earth, and it was simply a dimension created by the saints of the third era.
The northern barrier, opposite to the mists.
Upon arriving at the gate, the golden pattern engraved on the back of his hand glows faintly.
On the opposite side, the mist stirred and opened up a passage that could accommodate two people walking side by side, but it was very long, and nobody could see the end of the scene.
The wall in front of him rippled like a surface of the water. Perhaps you’re supposed to walk through it.
The green pillar of light was in the middle of the eighth district, and when Tang Yu arrived, someone had already been inside.
But the area was not small. The northern ledge alone was at least a hundred kilometers long. It was difficult to see other people as far as the eye could see, only the slowly dissipating passages within the mists, showing that someone had walked here before.
After pausing for a while, Tang Yu stepped forward.
Behind him, there were hundreds of uniformed hunters.
……
Holy Land – East 7.
The current patriarch of the Ancient Spirit Royal Clan, “Gu Yi”, smiled at the corners of his mouth as he swept past the countless royal sons and daughters, as well as the talented hunters they had recruited.
He got everything in his hand.
The inheritance of the saints, they are determined to win!
……
The Holy Land – West 15.
The Heroes’ Association.
There were not many of them, but every one of them was a top expert, and there was no shortage of transcendents.
The leader, a strong blond man with thunderous light, looked at the sky and laughed, and then, striding forward, he passed through the barrier and stepped into the mist.
……
South 33.
Mage Alliance.
The old man was wearing a spiked mage’s hat, touching and looking at the barriers, until the barriers began to flicker with bright and indefinite light, like a face that constantly changes its shade.
Only then did the old man let out a dry laugh and reluctantly retracted his hand.
“Let’s go, let’s go, and recreate the glory of the floating city of yesteryear.”
……
East 8, another place.
Nishimura, the leader of “Heavenly Wolf Palace”, came to the ledge with several warriors who had escaped the chase.
The mists dispersed, and Nishimura, with a stern face, stepped in.
In his arms, a small bead from the mysterious man, with an eerie light flowing from it.
……
Outside a certain pillar of light.
The red fog filled the air.
This was a forbidden area for the hunters, and the demonic beasts underneath it were roaring.
A rotten wolf wandered, and suddenly its claws touched the light green pillar of light.
Bzzz–
The next second, the entire body of the rotten wolf turned into countless dust and dissipated… Several figures appeared, standing on the void not far from the pillar of light.
The air around the figures was distorted, and it was impossible to see what they looked like.
One of them stretched out his hand, like an insect’s knuckles, and boom, source power smashed on the pillar of light.
In the next instant, the person deployed his transcendental force field and quickly flew backward, followed by several others.
A faint green light shield spread out, enveloping the sky and covering the earth ……
Within the range, all demonic beasts, buildings, plants all turned into specks of dust.
Only a pillar of light remained, and the surrounding empty ground.
“The boundary laid by that group of saints is not something that you and I can break by relying on brute force-“
A hoarse voice echoed…
“Get ready, the real Holy Land has opened, the time is upon us……”
……
The maze passage was extremely long.
Tang Yu strolled in it, and under his feet was not the ground, but endless emptiness as if he was flying, but strangely, he wasn’t flying. Instead, he and several other people were walking as usual across the emptiness.
The outer space, and the real Holy Land, in between those two places was not just a thin barrier but a long space.
Being in it, Tang Yu did not dare to speed up his steps.
After about ten or so minutes of walking, the light came from the end of the mist.
Tang Yu quickened his pace. His source power was running at full throttle, ready to deal with the breakthrough situation.
Wow…
From under his feet burst an impossible amount of water as if there were a countless waterfall that flew up into the sky.
The water dispersed all the mist, allowing a sun to appear… The sunlight penetrated and spilled onto the earth.
Tang Yu stopped and looked around. His mind was blown.