C13 Identification

Shortly thereafter, all the candidates who had come to register for the Golden Stone Token selection passed the initial screening by the examiners and advanced to the next phase of the selection process.

This next challenge involved appraising raw stones, an area in which Huah Yunfei excelled. Indeed, under his discerning gaze, no high-quality Spirit Stone could remain undetected.

Lau Suifeng, who was particularly incensed by Huah Yunfei's presence, knew of Yunfei's appraisal skills and feared being bested by him in this round of the competition.

As the allotted time approached, the five chief examiners, having received word that registration had ceased, issued the command to begin.

"Alright! Reaching this stage is your real test! The rules are straightforward: each of you will select three raw stones. The higher the quality of the Spirit Stones you reveal, the better your rank. Only those ranked in the top ten will qualify for the next round of assessment!"

No sooner had the chief examiner finished speaking than Lau Suifeng, unable to contain himself, rushed forward exclaiming, "Master Examiner, I wish to lodge a complaint!"

"A complaint? About what?" The chief examiner asked, his brow furrowed in surprise at Lau Suifeng's outburst.

Lau Suifeng swiftly turned, pointing at Huah Yunfei, and addressed the chief examiner, "Master Examiner, I accuse this youngster! He didn't have the proper documentation and bribed the gate guards and previous examiners to gain entry. Please, Master Examiner, expel him!"

Upon hearing this, the chief examiner's expression soured, and he inquired with a frown, "Is this true?"

"Lord Chief Examiner, I was recommended by a group of friends; there was no bribery involved," Huah Yunfei quickly clarified, asserting that Lau Suifeng was framing him.

The chief examiner, still frowning, responded, "I trust that our prefecture's guards and examiners are not the sort to take bribes. Regardless, now that you're here, your abilities will be the deciding factor."

"But, Lord Chief Examiner, this is incredibly unfair to the rest of us!" Lau Suifeng protested vehemently.

The chief examiner's eyebrows shot up as he fixed a stern gaze on Lau Suifeng and declared, "If you have evidence, you are free to present it to the Prefecture Overseer immediately. The examination begins now!"

After the chief examiner rebutted Lau Suifeng with a burst of anger, he spoke with gravity.

Once seated, he addressed the other four examiners, "This young man might have a questionable background, but I doubt he'll get past our stage. We'll see if he's truly capable!"

Lau Suifeng, having been reprimanded by the chief examiner, was seething inside. Yet, he was powerless to do anything; this wasn't his territory to command.

Huah Yunfei ignored him completely. As soon as the chief examiner announced the start of the examination, the red cloths draping the tables were whisked away. Everyone surged forward, clamoring to reach the raw stones first, each hoping to select the finest one before the others.

Huah Yunfei was determined not to fall behind. If all the superior raw stones were taken, how would he stand a chance in the examination?

With a quick survey of the raw stones and tuning into the spiritual energy within, he made a beeline for one in particular.

He allowed himself a slight grin as he chose his raw stone amidst the frantic scramble.

No sooner had the raw stone settled in his grasp than a hand reached out from beside him and snatched it away.

"Hmm! This raw stone seems quite promising! It must be a top-grade Spirit Stone," Lau Suifeng declared, clutching the stone tightly and boasting smugly on the side.

Huah Yunfei turned to face him, taken aback by Lau Suifeng's brazenness. The raw stone had been his choice, yet now Lau Suifeng had the audacity to steal it.

But Huah Yunfei quickly grasped Lau Suifeng's intent. He realized that Lau Suifeng had seen his ability to select a decent Spirit Stone and had therefore seized the stone from him. The aim was clear: to use Huah Yunfei's skill to navigate through the examination.

"You're truly despicable. Stop following me!" Huah Yunfei snapped coldly at Lau Suifeng before turning to walk away.

Lau Suifeng just smiled and promptly trailed behind him. For him, the shame of his actions paled in comparison to the prospect of smoothly passing the examination. Lau Suifeng was resolute in securing the Golden Stone Token for himself, and if he couldn't have it, he was determined to prevent Huah Yunfei from claiming it.

Lau Suifeng examined the raw stone in his hand with a sense of pride.

"This must be the best one here, or he wouldn't have beelined for it. But this kid is odd, not even glancing at the other stones and insisting on this one. Could there be a trick to it?" Lau Suifeng was no fool; he had sensed something off about Huah Yunfei's behavior.

The chief examiner also witnessed this odd interaction and found it quite peculiar.

"Did you see those two just now? The accuser was actually trailing right behind the accused, even snatching a raw stone from him," the chief examiner recounted to his colleagues.

The others, intrigued, chuckled and mused, "We've never seen anything like this before! That boy was so particular earlier, and now he's dogging his heels. Could there be an issue?"

"Perhaps his earlier accusation was just a ploy to eliminate a strong competitor. Now that it's not working, he's resorting to riding on the other's coattails."

The examiners quickly pieced together the situation, though they chose not to intervene. After all, such an amusing turn of events was too entertaining to pass up, and they were eager to see how it would unfold.

Meanwhile, Huah Yunfei, with Lau Suifeng persistently following him, was thoroughly annoyed. But there was no shaking off this persistent pest.

Soon enough, Huah Yunfei spotted a promising raw stone and briskly moved towards it.

Lau Suifeng wasted no time in tailing him. Seizing the moment, he snatched the stone just as Huah Yunfei reached for it.

Huah Yunfei merely smiled at Lau Suifeng's elation, picked up another stone nearby, and walked off.

Lau Suifeng, realizing he'd been duped, abruptly dropped the stone and chased after Huah Yunfei.

Huah Yunfei, for his part, was unfazed. He had already figured out how to handle his unwelcome shadow.

After searching the area, Huah Yunfei once again zeroed in on his target. He remained consistent in his approach. Lau Suifeng, however, had learned from past mistakes and swiftly grabbed a sizeable raw stone nearby.

This time, Huah Yunfei was in no rush. He secured his own stone and departed.

Lau Suifeng was fuming inside, convinced he'd been outsmarted by Huah Yunfei once more.

In just a short time, Huah Yunfei had acquired two valuable stones, and he was confident in their high quality.

One last opportunity remained, and he meticulously combed through the remaining stones.

"Ha! Trying to fool me again? Not this time! I'm taking this one!" Lau Suifeng quickly snatched the stone Huah Yunfei had his eye on.

His timing was impeccable, leaving Huah Yunfei at a loss.

Yet Huah Yunfei had another trick up his sleeve and nonchalantly turned to leave.

Witnessing this, Lau Suifeng's brow furrowed. He glanced at the stone in his hand and, in a fit of anger, tossed it aside.

No sooner had he discarded it than Huah Yunfei spun around and swapped his stone for the discarded one.

By the time Lau Suifeng realized what had happened, it was too late. He could only shoot Huah Yunfei a few furious looks before begrudgingly searching for his remaining two stones.

Once Huah Yunfei had gathered three stones, he didn't rest on his laurels. With many more stones still out there, he knew he needed to select the finest ones to secure a spot in the top ten. Otherwise, he risked failure.

But time for selecting stones was limited, and it quickly ran out.

The stone-cutting master was already prepared and waiting for them.

Cutting the stones was a time-consuming process, and with many people waiting their turn, they began to chat idly, each boasting about the quality of the stones in their possession while disparaging those held by others.

"Hey! Isn't that the guy who bribed the guards and examiners? He doesn't seem to have much skill, does he? Look at those three stones he's holding—they're probably just three solid rocks!"

"Hahaha! That statement couldn't be further from the truth. Everyone knows there's a knack to picking stones. Particularly, as different Spirit Stones form, they leave distinct marks on the surface of the raw stone. Those stones of his are indistinguishable from the river pebbles."

Many eyes turned to Huah Yunfei, clearly influenced by Lau Suifeng's earlier remarks.

Despite their chatter, Huah Yunfei remained unfazed. He casually surveyed the raw stones in their possession and let out a scornful chuckle.

"Heh! Still able to laugh, as if we're the ones who are mistaken. Take a look at this raw stone. See the pattern on its surface? I'm confident this stone could very well reveal a Double Attribute Spirit Stone!"

"As for my stone, I'm not expecting any Double Attribute. But these two green stripes? They're a sure sign of a top-grade Wood Spirit Stone! I've found one before, so you can bet on it!"

With that, they passed their raw stones to the nearby stone cutting master.

The master ignored their boasts, focusing instead on carefully stripping away the outer layer of the stones.

"Just watch! You're about to witness the unveiling of a top-grade Wood Spirit Stone."

The man with the green-striped stone boasted to the onlookers, who watched eagerly.

The master made the first cut – nothing. He sliced again, and this time, something did emerge.

A verdant sliver of a Wood Spirit Stone indeed!