Chapter 372: First Grade

Ink Painting was awakened by the sound of the bell from Cang Yun Sect.

Confused and groggy, he opened his eyes and realized that he was participating in the Level One Array Master grading examination, and there was only a quarter of an hour left until the end.

Ink Painting checked his answer sheet again, found no problems, and then lay back down on the desk, waiting to hand it in.

The desk surface was clean and bright, cool and refreshing, quite comfortable to lie on.

Only that examiner, who kept staring at him, made Ink Painting feel a bit uncomfortable.

However, he was the examiner, so doing this didn't seem to be a problem.

After a quarter of an hour, the bell rang again.

Then, one after another, array masters sealed their answer sheets and handed them to the examiner.

Ink Painting also followed suit, mingling with the crowd and handing his answer sheet to the examiner.

Ink Painting felt he was already being very low-key, but all the way, many array masters still looked at him.

And that examiner, with a serious expression, didn't look at anyone else, only stared at him, even seeming to want to speak but hesitating.

This made Ink Painting a bit confused.

He hadn't done anything wrong...

Could it be because he fell asleep during the examination?

After handing in his paper, Ink Painting left Wen Xian Hall and suddenly felt completely relaxed.

The examination itself wasn't tiring; he had finished answering quickly.

It was being stared at by others that was somewhat tiring.

Ink Painting's divine sense was strong, and as long as someone looked at him, he could detect it.

As soon as others looked at him, his divine sense would follow, and over time, it was quite exhausting.

After the examination was finished, Ink Painting still needed to stay in Cang Yun Sect for three days.

Within these three days, examiners from Tian Shu Pavilion would grade the answer sheets, review the arrays, and finally determine the quota for Level One Array Masters.

With nothing to do, Ink Painting either practiced arrays by himself or went shopping in Qing Shan City with his father, Mo Shan, buying interesting things to bring back to his mother.

Two days later, the answer sheets had already been graded.

In a sealed large hall, the answer sheets provisionally assessed as Level One were placed together.

There were several examination halls for the grading examination, each with one examiner. At this time, these examiners gathered together and began to discuss the grading collectively:

"Zhao Cheng from Qing Xuan City, one hundred ninety-six years old, his brushwork is experienced, in my opinion, he can be graded as Level One..."

"His style is conservative enough, but lacks spiritual change, I don't think it's particularly good..."

"Yang Xu from Qing Shan City, eighty-six years old, with a deep foundation in arrays, can be called young and promising."

"The Yang family's foundation is indeed not bad, but he is only eighty-six years old, a bit young. Let's give the quota more to some older array masters..."

"How many quotas do we still have?"

"Not many, several large families have sent greetings and requested several quotas, and those several sects have also reserved some, and two quotas are from Jin Dan cultivators for their descendants, donated with spirit stones..."

"Altogether, there are only less than five left."

"Alas... It's hard to do." One examiner sighed.

"Otherwise, what can we do? The superiors have instructed us, we cannot afford to offend them, nor can we not do it..."

Several examiners discussed animatedly.

An examiner with a stern face sat in his seat, however, staring at one answer sheet without saying a word, his face full of disbelief.

"Brother Zhao, what are you looking at?" Another examiner asked curiously.

The examiner surnamed Zhao came back to his senses, then spread open the answer sheet in his hand and slowly said:

"All of you, take a look at this array..."

Everyone looked over, all a little astonished:

"Good brushwork!"

"The foundation is very deep!"

"Like flowing clouds and water, done in one go, it actually has some masterly demeanor..."

"Indeed not bad!"

After the praise, an examiner immediately said doubtfully:

"Such a good array, and we actually overlooked it?"

"Such array attainment is not within the ranks of the proposed Level One?"

A middle-aged examiner smiled bitterly upon hearing this: "I eliminated it..."

Everyone else frowned and asked, "Why?"

This examiner pointed to the name column at the top of the answer sheet, "Guess how old this array master is?"

The header had "Ink Painting" written on it.

Upon seeing it, everyone exchanged glances and all guessed:

"With such a deep foundation, he must be at least one or two hundred years old?"

"I guess over two hundred..."

"Within a hundred years old is not impossible either, after all, among array masters, there are unknown numbers of geniuses..."

The middle-aged examiner slowly said: "Thirteen years old."

Everyone was stunned.

"How old?"

"Thirteen."

"What a joke."

"Thirteen years old, how many arrays can he draw, how many array books has he read?"

"One hundred and thirty years old would be about right..."

The examiner surnamed Zhao sighed, "He is thirteen years old."

The room was instantly silent for a while.

"Really thirteen years old?"

"Impossible."

"Deceiving ghosts."

"Is this drawn by him himself? Could it be ghostwritten by someone..."

"Someone is invigilating, how can it be ghostwritten?"

"Who invigilated this person?"

The stern-faced examiner surnamed Zhao said faintly: "It was me."

This time everyone was speechless.

Someone asked: "Brother Zhao, was this array really drawn by him himself?"

The examiner surnamed Zhao smiled bitterly, "Yes."

He also didn't want to believe it, but with the array in front of him, he had to believe it.

Before, he only thought of flipping through Ink Painting's paper to see what nonsense he had drawn. If it was truly complete nonsense, he would report it to Tian Shu Pavilion and question the local Dao Ting Si.

He just didn't expect that this array made him feel ashamed...

Someone else asked the middle-aged examiner, "Since that's the case, this child drew so well, why did you specifically eliminate him?"

The middle-aged examiner said helplessly: "His age is too young... We have to consider carefully when grading array masters within a hundred years old as Level One, let alone he is only thirteen..."

"If we really give him Level One, others will definitely say we are biased..."

An examiner nodded, "No need for others to say it, I myself feel there's a bias."

"What a pity... This array is really well drawn, anyway, I admit I am not as good..."

Everyone felt a little pity.

The examiner surnamed Zhao said in a low voice: "Give him Level One."

The other several array masters were stunned.

The middle-aged examiner frowned and said:

"If we give him Level One, people will definitely question us and criticize us. If Tian Shu Pavilion investigates, we will also be very troublesome."

"And he is too young, he has many opportunities in the future, no need to rush at this moment."

The examiner surnamed Zhao said again: "If we don't give him Level One, we will have bigger trouble."

The middle-aged examiner frowned: "Brother Zhao, what do you mean?"

The examiner surnamed Zhao slowly said: "As we all know, learning arrays requires master inheritance. Without guidance from a famous teacher, every step will be difficult."

"He is thirteen years old and can reach the Level One level. He must have been taught by a highly skilled person."

"We don't know who this highly skilled person is, but their identity, background, and array attainment must be extremely deep. We cannot afford to offend them..."

"This is just the first point," the examiner surnamed Zhao raised his index finger.

"The second point," he then raised his second finger and sighed: "This child, we also cannot afford to offend."

Everyone was stunned, and then gradually understood.

Thirteen years old, yet already at the Level One array level, his talent was astonishing.

Once he later becomes a Level Two or above array master, if he remembers their grudge, brings up their old accounts, and pursues their responsibility, who can afford it?

"And there's one more point."

The examiner surnamed Zhao added, "This child's array talent is even more terrifying than you currently imagine."

Everyone frowned, not understanding.

The examiner surnamed Zhao was silent for a long time, and sighed bitterly: "Most of the time he was taking the exam, he was sleeping..."

A crowd of examiners looked astonished.

"Sleeping?"

"How is that possible? He was actually sleeping?"

The examiner surnamed Zhao saw that they didn't understand and said helplessly: "This means that he finished drawing the Level One array used in the examination in a very short time, then had nothing to do, and slept until the end of the examination..."

The examiners pondered carefully, and upon realizing, all felt a lump in their throats and a chill in their hearts.

What kind of person is this?

Is this something a human can do?

Where exactly did this little monster pop out from...

"Therefore," the examiner surnamed Zhao looked around and said in a low voice, "We must grade him as Level One!"

The examiners exchanged glances, all stunned into silence, having nothing to say.

Things had reached this point, and this Level One grading had to be given.

An examiner sighed and muttered: "Thirteen years old, this is probably the youngest Level One array master in the Black Mountain State area in almost a thousand years..."

The next day the list was announced, and Ink Painting found his name on the Level One list.

Ink Painting's heart rejoiced.

"Tong Xian City, Ink Painting, Level One array master."

The list only had the place of origin and name, no other information.

Ink Painting also didn't shout "I passed!"

So the array masters around him didn't know that he had passed the grading and become a Level One array master.

After the joy, Ink Painting felt both surprised and not surprised.

Surprised that there was really no corruption.

Not surprised because the answer sheet was indeed too simple, and becoming a Level One array master was not difficult for him now.

His father, Mo Shan, was happy from the bottom of his heart.

Although he had known for a long time that Ink Painting had the ability of a Level One array master, formally passing the Dao Ting grading had a different meaning.

Mo Shan then hosted a banquet at a restaurant in Qing Shan City, inviting several executive officers who were also同行 (peers/colleagues), both to express thanks and to celebrate.

Several executive officers were honored to be invited.

This trip could also be said to be a full success.

They ate and drank for free, had a good time, and also successfully passed the grading to become Level One array masters.

After that, they returned to Cang Yun Sect to pack up a bit and could go home.

Before leaving, Ink Painting actually met the examiner who had invigilated him.

Ink Painting stepped forward and bowed, but didn't know how to address him. The examiner said: "My surname is Zhao, I am a scholar from Tian Shu Pavilion."

Ink Painting didn't know what position a Tian Shu Pavilion scholar held, but still respectfully said: "Scholar sir."

Scholar Zhao said straightforwardly: "I have an impolite request."

"Scholar, please say."

"Follow me."

Scholar Zhao brought Ink Painting to an empty and spacious hall, spread out array paper, took out pen and ink, and said to Ink Painting: "Could I please ask you to draw the Melting Fire Array for me again?"

Ink Painting asked doubtfully: "Is this a subsequent examination for Level One array masters?"

Scholar Zhao shook his head, "No, consider it my private request."

Ink Painting then relaxed, nodded, and with his small hand holding the brush, his movements were like flowing clouds and water. In a short while, he finished drawing the Melting Fire Array.

Although he already had expectations in his heart, Scholar Zhao was still inwardly shocked.

That day, this child's brush flew like a dragon, and he was actually really drawing an array...

It was just that his brushwork was too skilled, casual and natural, and he was also too young, looking like a child just drawing randomly.

Picking it up casually, this was the manifestation of a Level One array reaching its peak.

This child, exactly how high was his comprehension, and exactly how many times had he drawn arrays...

Scholar Zhao's heart was filled with emotions, and finally he only sighed inwardly: "Beyond the sky there are skies, beyond people there are people ah..."

Scholar Zhao's attitude suddenly became much more serious, and brought with it a trace of respect. He cupped his hands and said: "Many thanks, little friend!"

Ink Painting also didn't know what he was thanking him for, but just habitually waved his hand: "Scholar, you are too kind."

Scholar Zhao nodded slightly, his eyes showing appreciation, then said: "This is where we part, if fate allows, we will meet again in the future!"

Ink Painting also cupped his hands to bid farewell, then with his father, Mo Shan, they sat in the Dao Ting Si's carriage and slowly left Cang Yun Sect, embarking on the journey home.

Scholar Zhao stood on the mountain peak of Cang Yun Sect, watching Ink Painting's carriage go far away, not knowing what he was thinking.

After a while, a disciple from Tian Shu Pavilion came over and invited Scholar Zhao to Wen Xian Hall to discuss matters.

Scholar Zhao nodded, but didn't move.

The disciple was a bit puzzled. Following the scholar's gaze, he saw the carriage that was about to disappear into the green mountains, and said a little doubtfully: "Scholar, is this little array master surnamed Mo really that powerful?"

This disciple was also surnamed Zhao, from the same clan as Scholar Zhao, with some connections. So this time, Scholar Zhao had brought him out for experience.

Scholar Zhao nodded: "This is the most talented array master I have seen so far."

The disciple was stunned, and frowned: "It's impossible for his talent to be better than our Zhao family's seventh young master, right..."

This disciple was a little unconvinced, "Although the seventh young master is twenty years old and has reached Level One, if the old ancestor hadn't told him to settle down, he could have participated in the grading earlier. Not thirteen years old, but at least fifteen years old he could have become a Level One array master."

"And our Zhao family has a long history of array learning and a solid foundation. The seventh young master has had to learn many things since he was young, which just delayed the progress of his grading."

"Really discussing talent and future in arrays, this little brother surnamed Mo is not necessarily comparable to our family's seventh young master, right..."

"You don't understand." Scholar Zhao shook his head.

The disciple was puzzled, "Don't understand what?"

Scholar Zhao looked into the distance again, sighed, and slowly said: "The seventh young master became Level One because he could become Level One, and this child became Level One because we could only grade him as Level One..."

Thanks to book friend 20220812183836149 and Youth Ceremony for the reward.

The first volume should be finished today.