Was it feasible?
That was the question on An Yushan's mind.
He couldn't determine it in a short time, so the best course of action was to conduct a trial.
He reconsidered, shook his head with a wry smile, and said:
"Student Su Hao's plan has given us a whole new perspective. Although it hasn't been tested yet and we can't confirm its effectiveness, the most important thing for us spirit nurturers is to have the courage to explore and innovate.
"Student Su Hao started by looking at spirit materials from other lineages and designed a very complete plan. Whether it ultimately works or not, this kind of thinking is commendable and worth learning from.
"In my opinion, Student Su Hao fully meets the requirements of a qualified spirit nurturer."
"So..." An Yushan paused, "My suggestion is to use Student Su Hao's plan for an on-site experiment, but regardless of the final outcome, give the examinee Su Hao a passing slot."
It worked!
The examiners' conversation wasn't kept quiet.
Su Hao, who had been uncertain all along with only a few months of study, finally felt the heavy weight lift from his heart.
My efforts really weren't wasted!
The other examinees had mixed expressions.
Admiration, envy, jealousy...
With Su Hao securing a slot, their chances of passing grew even slimmer.
A deputy examiner shouted a few words toward the back, and moments later, a Gigantamachop came running in, carrying a huge water vat and other materials.
The Gigantamachop, an evolved form of the Long-Arm Ape, stood over two to three meters tall with bulging muscles—a veritable brute among apes—but it handled the water vat with surprising care, gently setting it down in front of the examiners' table.
Then,
The Gigantamachop grabbed a hollow tree stump, gripped it with both hands, and suddenly exerted force.
Bang—
The large hollow stump exploded into splinters, scattering and falling into the bucket filled with Primordial Water Spirit Liquid.
The Gigantamachop seized the panicking White-Headed Turtle, which kept retreating, and shoved its head into the Primordial Water Spirit Liquid with a splash.
Su Hao's eye twitched slightly.
What a...
Waste!
How much was that huge bucket of Primordial Water Spirit Liquid worth!
After being force-fed the spirit liquid, the White-Headed Turtle was tossed into a large vat of clean water.
A Water-Spiral Snail drifted into the exam hall, riding a current.
Su Hao's eyes widened.
The Water-Spiral Snail, an evolved form of the Small Sea Snail, was a giant version of a conch, slightly larger than a backpack.
A tiny head peeked out from beneath the water's surface at the snail's opening, then quickly retreated.
Instantly, the water in the large vat began to spin rapidly. The White-Headed Turtle paddled clumsily with its limbs but was flipped over and over by the vortex.
Forcing it to struggle to maintain balance and swim against the current.
Chief Examiner An Yushan observed for a moment, confirmed it matched the plan, and nodded slightly.
The experiment was safe. Whether it worked or not, the materials and training methods wouldn't harm the White-Headed Turtle, which was why he hadn't hesitated to arrange the trial.
"It'll take some time to verify if the plan works. For now, let's finish the assessment."
The last 29 examinees in the hall held their breath.
Except for Su Hao, their scores were already set.
The deputy examiner began announcing the scores.
"Ai Zishi, 97 points."
"Wang Li, 91 points."
"Wang De, 89 points."
...
"Yang Donghai, 82 points."
"Luo Chengkong, 82 points."
"Zhang Jide, 82 points."
...
Su Hao noticed that when the examiner called out the name Yang Donghai, the middle-aged man visibly flinched.
Then he froze, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Pass or fail?"
Nine people scored higher than 82, including himself, making ten.
And the middle-aged man had mentioned that in the past two years, the number of people passing was eleven or twelve.
But there were four people tied at 82 points.
Sure enough,
The examiner said, "For this assessment, our Yunhua exam hall has a total of 12 registered spirit nurturer slots. Our authority as examiners is to eliminate candidates—we can have fewer, but not more.
"Now, the examinees tied at 82 points will compete for the remaining slots."
He paused, then said, "Five minutes. Write down the current state changes of the White-Headed Turtle."
Uncle Yang and the other three examinees were stunned for a moment, then quickly got into gear.
Su Hao and the others dared not disturb them.
The only sound in the hall was the gurgling of the water.
Five minutes later,
The four examinees submitted their answers.
In less than two minutes, the examiner panel reviewed the answers and announced the final two slots.
"Yang Donghai, Zhang Jide."
Uncle Yang's mouth fell open. He covered it tightly with his hand, trembling, tears of joy streaming down his face.
In contrast, the examinees who had touched hope only to have it shattered slumped dejectedly into their chairs.
Effort... doesn't always pay off. That was reality.
The examiners, having seen it all before, showed no emotion.
They just waited quietly, observing the White-Headed Turtle's state changes.
The other examinees gradually composed themselves, curious to see if Su Hao's plan would actually work.
"The White-Headed Turtle's spirit energy has noticeably increased!"
"Use an instrument to measure it, more accurate."
"Spirit energy value rose by 2.6. The excess nutrients have been digested. A perfect plan!"
The examiners were excited.
The examinees' eyes widened. It really worked?!
The examinee named Su Hao had designed a plan so uncertain that even the examiners couldn't judge it without a trial?!
Chief Examiner An Yushan finally announced, "Examinee Su Hao has opened a new direction, and his plan is flawless. Therefore, for this assessment... full marks!"
He gave it without hesitation!
Wow~!
The hall erupted in noise. Everyone looked at Su Hao with a different gaze.
This kid had a limitless future!
The Spirit Nurturer Association moved quickly.
Just minutes after the candidates for registered spirit nurturer were confirmed, the association sent over twelve qualification cards.
A card with Su Hao's portrait and name, sturdy in texture, prominently marked with the words "Junior Spirit Nurturer."
"With this card, I can work at many institutions and companies, easily earning tens of thousands a month."
"Plus, I can use it to cover up my panel. If anyone questions how I improved my moves, I'll just whip out this card and slap it in their face... And if I discover a new evolution form for the Silkworm Baby later, it won't seem too out of the blue."
"I can also truly step into the industry and enjoy discounts on many purchases!"
Perfect!
"Student Su Hao, any interest in working at our Yunhua City Association?"
Chief Examiner An smiled warmly, showing no trace of the stern examiner from before.
The examiner from the Ancheng Association's face shifted slightly.
Su Hao was from their Ancheng—how dare they poach him right in front of them!
Su Hao paused, thought briefly, and politely declined An's offer. "Sorry, Teacher An, but I'm still a high school student and need to focus on my studies."
"Right, right, studies come first." An Yushan wasn't upset at all. "Student Su Hao, when you graduate, remember to consider our Yunhua Association. Our honorary president is Master Chen Ping, and our resources are among the best in the province."
Su Hao could only nod, nod, and nod again.
But...
His goal had always been to become a Spirit Master, a top-tier one.
That said, a Spirit Master who doesn't want to be a spirit nurturer isn't a good student.