Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life-Chapter 220: The Path to Heaven Through a Hundred Arts: Identifying Talents

Upper Middle Grade A!

A low ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd.

An Upper Middle Grade A evaluation was already considered extremely high for this stage, sufficient to prove one's potential.

But combined with the whispers that had just been circulating about "damage to the Dao foundation," this evaluation seemed draped in a layer of gloomy gauze.

Su Ming calmly withdrew his hand, his palm slightly cool. Regarding the halted light column and the faintly audible discussions, he seemed completely oblivious. He merely bowed slightly toward the stewards as etiquette required, then turned and walked back to the Repair Hall team with steady steps.

"Brother Su!" Wang Defa came forward to meet him, excitement and worry mingling on his face. "Upper Middle Grade A! Excellent! It's just..." He hesitated, leaving the words unspoken.

"It's fine," Su Ming replied with a faint smile. "Passing is good enough."

Qingfeng approached, his clear gaze resting on Su Ming as he said softly, "Su Ming, your foundation is solid, and your temperament is even better. The path of cultivation is long. A temporary obstacle does not necessarily determine one's entire destiny." His words carried encouragement.

Su Ming nodded in thanks, saying nothing more.

"The first stage, 'Touchstone of the Dao Foundation,' is complete!"

As another presiding elder's resonant voice spread across the square, the light from all the stone pillars faded.

"Those who passed: one hundred and sixty-three. The rest, leave the field!"

In just half an hour, the ranks of several thousand had been reduced to less than two hundred.

This was the harsh reality of the cultivation world, and the threshold for selection into the Cloud Hidden Sect.

The eliminated disciples, some wailing loudly, others despondent, were ruthlessly driven from the field by Enforcement Hall disciples.

Watching this scene, Su Ming's heart remained utterly calm.

The successful ones were secretly elated, the eliminated ones left dejectedly. The square quickly regained its solemn atmosphere, though the sense of competition lingering in the air grew even more intense.

Standing among the crowd, Su Ming's deep eyes looked toward the front of the square, where new arrangements were already quietly being made.

On the square, the black stone pillar representing the "Upper Middle Grade A" evaluation slowly sank into the ground. Before the aftershocks had even settled, the bell for the second stage rang out.

"Second stage, Hundred Arts Path to Heaven!"

As Zhang Lie's voice, which seemed to carry sparks, fell, the ground at the center of the square changed once more.

Hundreds of green stone platforms rose with a rumbling sound, dividing the area into five major sections: Alchemy, Vessel, Formation, Talisman, and Beast. Each platform was covered by a faint isolation barrier, preventing both spying and cheating.

"Formation path examinees, line up in the Qian position!"

Su Ming followed the flow of people into the formation assessment area located at the southeast corner of the square.

As soon as he took his place, he keenly sensed several malicious gazes sticking to him.

Looking up, he saw that the one supervising this area was none other than the Vessel Hall steward Sun Tong, who had suffered a setback at the Repair Hall earlier, along with a young steward with a sinister face and prominent cheekbones.

"That's Zhang Lie's brother-in-law, Zhao Yin," Lin Yu's spiritual sense transmitted from within the Xuantian ring, carrying a trace of coldness. "Judging by their posture, they come with ill intent. Disciple, guard your mind and spirit, and proceed according to plan."

Su Ming's expression remained unchanged. He cupped his hands in salute as required, then walked toward his assigned platform, number thirty-six.

"First question: Material Identification."

Zhao Yin swept his cold gaze across the entire area, his voice sharp and thin. "In the path of formations, a tiny error leads to a mistake of a thousand miles. If you can't even distinguish the authenticity and quality of the materials in your hands, the array you lay down becomes a knife that kills—you yourself! On the platform are ten types of formation materials. Time limit: half an incense stick. Write down their name, properties, place of origin, and grade. Begin!"

Su Ming lowered his head to look at the platform.

Ten brocade boxes sealed with Spirit-Sealing Talismans were lined up in a row.

He casually opened the first one.

Inside was a piece of ore, crimson throughout, emitting a scorching aura.

"Vermilion Flame Copper Essence, second-tier lower grade, produced in the shallow layers of the Earth Fire Cavern. Properties: dry and fierce. Suitable for refining fire-attribute formation flags." Su Ming had the answer instantly in his mind and raised his brush to write.

"Wait," Lin Yu suddenly spoke. "Don't be in a hurry to write. Look at the rest. That Sun Tong's smirk is practically reaching his ears. This question definitely isn't that simple."

Su Ming's heart tightened. He put down his brush without changing his expression and continued opening the remaining boxes.

The first nine were all standard, common materials. Although a few might be considered rare in the eyes of the menial disciples taking this assessment, to Su Ming, the "Chief of the Repair Hall" who dealt with scrap and data year-round, they were merely entry-level goods.

Until he opened the tenth brocade box.

*Hum—*

An incredibly pure wave of fire spiritual energy instantly washed over his face. Inside the box lay a crystal, only the size of a thumb, translucent, with what seemed like a ball of golden flame flowing within.

The sound of sharp inhalations immediately rose around him.

"Fusion Fire Gold Crystal?!"

"Heavens, this is a top-tier spiritual material, third-tier upper grade! It only forms in the core depths of the Earth Fire at Hundred Refinements Peak. A piece the size of a fist is priceless!"

"This question... isn't it too difficult? We don't even have the right to see such treasures normally!"

The examinees buzzed with discussion. On Zhao Yin's face, however, a smug, cold smile appeared.

Su Ming looked at that "Fusion Fire Gold Crystal," his brow slightly furrowing.

"Something's wrong."

He murmured in his heart. "Master, this spiritual energy fluctuation... it's too perfect. Perfect to the point of being deliberate. Moreover, it faintly matches the description of a certain failed counterfeit mentioned in an 'abnormal loss record' I sorted through at the Repair Hall before."

"Examine it closely with 'Observation of the Minute,'" Lin Yu said. "If it's truly a counterfeit, there must be a flaw."

Su Ming complied. Using his body as cover, he lightly placed his right index finger on the edge of the platform. The *Like Water Art* quietly circulated. A wisp of dark blue spiritual energy gathered at his fingertip, forming an extremely thin water-mirror film that could amplify perception dozens of times.

Through this watery membrane, Su Ming's perception instantly probed into the interior of the crystal.

The originally radiant, seamless appearance immediately revealed anomalies under microscopic perception. The crystal's structure was not harmoniously dense like a natural growth. Instead, there was an obvious, rough, artificially filled seam at its core. The mesmerizing golden flowing light on the outer layer also carried a trace of stiffness in its rhythm—a stiffness characteristic of being stimulated by a restriction, not nourished by heaven and earth.

"Outer layer is high-purity 'Flowing Fire Jade' melted and recast. Embedded inside is a low-quality 'Vermilion Flame Stone,' then sealed with a sophisticated fire restriction to lock in the spiritual energy, simulating the introverted image of earth fire essence," Lin Yu rapidly judged within the Consciousness Sea. "This method is identical to the forgery technique mentioned in that record from three years ago regarding a batch of 'problematic Fire Spirit Jade' recalled by the Vessel Hall! If this item is mistakenly used as a primary material for refining, once the fire reaches the right intensity, the inner core will disintegrate, inevitably leading to array destruction and personal injury. What a vicious scheme!"

Su Ming withdrew his perception, a flash of cold intent passing through his eyes.

The time of half an incense stick passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhao Yin, with his hands clasped behind his back, strolled over to Su Ming's platform, looking down at the line of writing on his scroll with a condescending gaze.

"What? The tenth question is left blank?" Zhao Yin scoffed, his voice loud enough for those nearby to hear. "The famously great Hall Master Su doesn't even recognize 'Fusion Fire Gold Crystal'? Or is it that the Repair Hall usually only deals with scrap metal and broken iron, resulting in shallow knowledge?"