Chapter 139: Chapter 139: What’s so hard about role-playing?
 

Under the full-force repair by Li Youyuan and the Admissions Office, the first batch of new students’ “decryption” assessments began smoothly in the afternoon!

Following the morning’s “hands-on ability” assessment, which proceeded from front to back, the order for the afternoon’s “decryption” assessment was sensibly reversed from back to front.

Just as he did during the aesthetic assessment, Jiang Cheng would perform as the second-to-last candidate, closing the show.

Before the official arrival of the candidates at the examination venue, the teachers participating in grading the “decryption” assessment were already prepared in the examination hall.

Because the teachers’ tasks shifted from “simply grading” to “role-playing during the day, grading at night.”

The original rotation of two groups of teachers became too stressful.

Seizing this opportunity, Li Youyuan smoothly added a third group of teachers, implementing a three-group rotation system.

Each group of teachers would participate in one round and rest for two, ensuring both the teachers’ rest time and the fairness of the examination results, while incidentally fattening Li Youyuan’s wallet, which Jiang Cheng had previously swindled.

Mr. Mao Lang and Liu Lingshen from the Talisman Department, thanks to their outstanding teaching experience and traceless personal networking, were smoothly absorbed into the third group of teachers by Li Youyuan.

According to the pattern that candidates 1100 to 1091 were the responsibility of the first group of teachers, 1090 to 1081 of the second group, and 1080 to 1071 of the third,

The batch containing Jiang Cheng, from 1020 to 1011, which was both the second-to-last and the ninth in order, was precisely to be graded by the third group of teachers—none other than Mr. Mao Lang and Liu Lingshen from the Talisman Department!

The grievances between Mao Lang and Jiang Cheng were well remembered by the joyful senior students who were fortunate to have witnessed the combat assessment.

After all, the combat assessment had happened just yesterday.

And with such explosive results, it was hard to forget.

Mao Lang participating in Jiang Cheng’s assessment was truly a masterful move by the Admissions Office, maximizing the drama of the decryption assessment!

Everybody was wondering how Mao Lang would score Jiang Cheng—would he be impartial or biased?

Or would Jiang Cheng once again strongly counter Mao Lang’s face?

Step on Mr. Mao and claim his fifth perfect score in the freshmen assessment?

Seeing the eager crowd outside the examination hall, waiting to see the show, the budget-conscious Director Li Youyuan suddenly had an inspired idea.

If Lotus University were to recruit students next year, would it be possible to build a stage and sell tickets to the audience who enjoy the show?

If next year there is another entertaining candidate like Jiang Cheng, full of showmanship, then the Admissions Office could make a significant income just from selling tickets.

Li Youyuan considered his idea carefully, and it seemed completely feasible!

Lotus University would gain Spirit Stone revenue.

Director Li would promote educational reform, a great achievement.

The audience who enjoy watching would get a better viewing experience.

A triple win!

Winning all around!

As the examination time arrived on schedule, Jiang Cheng and the other first batch of candidates also made it to the examination site smoothly.

Being the last event for the first batch of candidates, the decryption assessment undoubtedly received unanimous attention from all the students!

On the one hand, some candidates who had not performed well before hoped to turn the tide with the decryption assessment.

On the other hand, the experience of the Illusion Realm was an extremely novel affair.

Core Formation teachers, third-tier Magical Treasures, all sorts of dazzling supporting Formations — weren’t they like a bunch of high-level toys serving Foundation Establishment candidates? How could such fortune be considered small?

Along with the announcer’s command to start the exam, the first batch of candidates entering the Illusion Realm were already prepared at their respective positions.

Different from previous exams, when the Illusion Breaking assessment began, the onlookers who had not joined the Illusion Realm couldn’t peek into what was happening inside.

Firstly, because the flow of time was different, it wasn’t possible to display it synchronously.

Secondly, the Illusion Breaking assessment required secrecy of the “solution,” so it could not be displayed throughout.

Otherwise, if the solution were told to the subsequent batches of candidates, what would be the point of assessing their “decryption” ability?

Only after the assessment concluded, and the Shadow Capture Array collected the images unfolding within the Illusion Realm, would a segment akin to a “promotional video” be automatically generated and show some of the events that occurred inside.

The “promotional video” only displayed some interesting scenes without revealing the story details, hence it could be released to the public.

As the first group of ten examinees entered the Illusion Realm to begin their examination, the five teachers responsible for grading them also entered the Illusion Realm.

The grading teachers all had at least Foundation Establishment cultivation level, so they were very strong at multitasking.

In ten identical Illusion Realms, they played the same NPC character, which was no pressure at all.

If the examinees didn’t reach the scene where they were playing an NPC, they could slack off on the spot just like how a game engine doesn’t render what’s off-screen,

and then take the opportunity to summon the Shadow Capture Array to grant the teacher’s intelligence interface, checking what the examinees were doing at the moment, who they were interacting with, and what approach they were using to crack the illusions. They would then consider how many points to give.

Eight minutes after the first group of ten examinees entered the Illusion Realm, the first one cleared the challenge!

She had spent three days and nights in the Illusion Realm and finally found and successfully killed the concealed Demonic Tao cultivator!

The Shadow Capture Array created a highlight reel for her.

Three days of experience were condensed into a minute, complemented with Illusion Realm sound effects so realistic that the audience was thoroughly entertained!

Following the first one to pass, the second successful candidate emerged twelve minutes after the Illusion Realm opened!

He spent five days and nights in the Illusion Realm and also completed his mission successfully, vanquishing the Demonic Tao!

Of course, there were success stories and also failures.

Examinees who didn’t find the Demonic Tao cultivator within thirty minutes of the Illusion Realm opening were automatically deemed to have failed, and the grading teachers would score them accordingly.

In the end, the examinee who cleared the challenge in eight minutes received a high score of 85!

The one who cleared it in twelve minutes received a score of 75!

The scoring criteria for the Illusion Breaking matched exactly with what Jiang Cheng had guessed: essentially, the less time used, the higher the score.

So this Illusion Breaking exam, though it seemed to test intellect, was actually a test of physical strength!

Speed-run, speed-run, how can one speed-run without physical strength?

Jiang Cheng looked up, watching the highlights of the other examinees, and slowly let out a breath of relief.

During the three days of freshman exams, he had consecutively used the “Crisis Calm Talisman,” “Furniture War God Talisman,” “Reverse Direction Relaxation Talisman,” and “Talisman Army Training Talisman.”

He now had only one disposable talisman left, and it was the “Smart Puppet Talisman” that had a bit of martial arts recorded in it.

He hoped the Intelligent Puppet Talisman would perform well and bring his freshman exam to a perfect close.

After the first group of ten freshmen came out from the Illusion Realm, the teachers responsible for grading them also exited the Illusion Realm.

The second group of teachers would take over from the first group and enter the Illusion Realm to grade the second batch of ten freshmen.

After the first group of teachers came out, they relaxed and rested in the lounge with the third group of teachers who had not been to the Illusion Realm.

The two groups of teachers started to chat leisurely, inevitably talking about experiences in the Illusion Realm.

“In most cases, it’s pretty idle. The examinees come, you just deal with them, and that’s it.”

“Pretty much, it mainly depends on which role you’re assigned, but most roles don’t require much. Quite idle.”

“What’s so hard about playing a random role? Even if there’s a minor oversight, those examinees won’t know we’re acting, what’s there to fear?”

Mao Lang, “I’m not afraid, who’s afraid? Are you scared?”

Liu Lingshen, “I’m not scared, what normal person would be afraid?”

Mao Lang, “Exactly.”

“Jiang Cheng’s talismans may have mixed reviews, but as a person, he’s quite reasonable and polite.”

“That’s right, who would be afraid of Jiang Cheng? His combat exam was so-so. Besides, this is the Illushion Realm we’re talking about.”

“We might as well worry about the second group of teachers.”

“Oh, that student who’s fierce in a fight.”

“1082! Gu Sheng!”

“Right, that’s the one!”