Chapter 262: Debate

"Running?""Running in the library?"Hall Master Feng, Beast Master Wang, and the others looked over, bewildered, as if they had misheard."If you told me he was reading in the library, or even meditating when inspired, I could tolerate and understand that. But running..."

Hall Master Feng blinked. "Are you sure you saw correctly?"The library was packed with bookshelves; it wouldn't even be convenient to run there!More importantly, someone who could tame a savage beast at the Aperture-opening realm must be quite powerful. How fast would they need to run for it to genuinely benefit their cultivation?

"Could it be related to his beast taming method? Maybe running fast helps him keep up with savage beasts?" Beast Master Wang mused.

"He... wasn't running fast, just like an ordinary person. And he was muttering something while he ran, but he was too far away for me to hear clearly," Little Zhu confessed, his face flushed with embarrassment.He was hesitant to describe the scene, fearing he might be mistaken for a lunatic and beaten. Anyone would find it psychologically unbearable that someone who went to the library to 'adjust their state' would instead be running around and muttering.

"Running and muttering?"The three beast masters were truly flummoxed this time. They racked their brains but couldn't fathom how any of this was related to "adjusting one's state"! Frankly, anyone hearing about his actions would think, "What on earth?!"If this wasn't absurd, then how else would one adjust their state? And why specifically in the library? Couldn't he run in a large room like this one? If he found this space too small, there was also the savage beast activity zone outside, kilometers long and wide. Forget running, he could do somersaults for half an hour and still not reach the end...

"No, I must go check. There are far too many precious secret manuals in the library; they cannot be damaged because of this!"After pondering for a moment, Hall Master Feng felt it was simply too risky. If someone running in the library suddenly lost their mind and set the place ablaze, there wouldn't even be time to cry. Such an incident must not be allowed to occur!

With a solemn expression, just as Hall Master Feng was about to head towards the library, he saw a young man approaching, looking slightly fatigued. It was Zhang Xuan.Zhang Xuan now looked completely different from an hour ago. Both his mental and physical states appeared somewhat depleted, as if he had just undergone a brutal training session that had completely drained his energy.

"Are you alright?" Hall Master Feng couldn't help but step forward.When others adjusted their state, they usually emerged refreshed and full of vigor. This fellow, however, looked as though he had just spent a night at a luxury spa. "Are you sure this was adjusting your state, and not depleting it?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Are the test papers ready? Let's begin!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.Although his new method allowed him to quickly absorb all the books in the library, processing such a vast amount of knowledge in a short time had caused intense mental strain, leaving him feeling dizzy and disoriented. It was a pervasive exhaustion, similar to what one might feel after five days and nights without sleep.

"You... want to start now?" Seeing Zhang Xuan's eyes barely open, Hall Master Feng couldn't help but ask again, "Are you sure?""Yes, I'm sure!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Alright then, let's go over there. The recording jade crystal doesn't reach this far," Hall Master Feng nodded. For fairness, all beast taming and pill refining assessments had to be recorded by a jade crystal and then stored, allowing anyone with doubts to review them later.They quickly moved to the center of the room where the recording jade crystal was located, and Hall Master Feng, along with the other two beast masters, took their seats.

As they settled into their seats, everyone below knew what was about to happen and resumed their discussions."The assessment is about to begin!""Yes, directly assessing for beast master without going through apprenticeship—this is the Beast Hall's treatment for true prodigies! Not even Miss Mo Yu received such an allowance. I'm eager to see what face this guy will have left to stay here if he fails!""He just luckily tamed a savage beast. Do you truly believe he possesses any real skill? I'm certain he'll fail!""The first stage is theoretical knowledge. Without years of study, it's impossible to remember all the world's savage beasts and their numerous characteristics. Our prince diligently memorized them every day. This fellow isn't even twenty; even if he started learning in the womb, how much could he possibly remember?""He's merely showboating. What real ability could he possibly have...?"

As Zhang Xuan prepared for his assessment, everyone crowded around, many with gloating expressions. It was the first time in the Beast Hall's history that someone would directly assess for beast master without going through an apprenticeship, and everyone was eager to see him fail. Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang, in particular, due to Yun Tao and Miss Mo Yu's involvement, had grown to intensely dislike Zhang Xuan and yearned for his public humiliation. If he couldn't even pass the theory section, then becoming a "Beast Master" would remain nothing more than a pipe dream!

As these discussions unfolded, Miss Mo Yu, now fully composed, approached and coolly observed the young man from a distance. With just a glance, her delicate brows furrowed. What was wrong with this guy? Just a short while ago, he had been energetically flipping through books inside. How could he look so listless and deflated now, as if he had been boiled?

Not only Miss Mo Yu, but others also noticed. Shen Biru and Yun Tao exchanged worried glances, their faces creased with concern, and couldn't help but step forward."Teacher Zhang, are you alright?""I'm fine!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Just a bit tired!"To absorb so many books in less than an hour, with his mind operating at such high capacity, constantly identifying "flaws"—it would have been strange if he wasn't tired. It was already impressive that he hadn't collapsed on the spot.

"Senior, if you truly feel unwell, why don't we take a break and resume the exam tomorrow?" Yun Tao couldn't help but suggest. This individual before them was very likely a Zongshi realm expert; what could possibly have made such a person so utterly exhausted?

"No bother..." Hearing this, and understanding their good intentions, Zhang Xuan was about to wave his hand to decline when a sneer echoed from nearby."I think he's deliberately faking it. He went to the library to 'adjust his state,' but he probably saw the beast taming books, realized the difficulty of the assessment, and is now feigning illness to avoid it!" It was Zhu Jinhuang speaking, a thick sneer in his eyes, as if he were about to expose a fraud.

"I'd bet that's exactly it. Otherwise, how could reading make someone so lethargic and weak that they can't even lift their limbs? Forgive my ignorance, but this is truly the first time I've heard of such a thing!" Zhou Xuan seized the opportunity to add insult to injury.

"This...""Now that they mention it, it really does seem possible.""He probably thought he could pass the assessment earlier, but then he read the books and realized how profound beast taming is. He must have felt daunted and, not wanting to lose face, deliberately came up with an excuse...""It must be that way..."

Their words echoed around, and the crowd immediately believed them for the most part. If it wasn't like this, why would he specifically go to "adjust his state" only to return looking on the verge of collapse? His face was etched with fatigue, and he appeared as though he could fall at any moment. If he was truly that exhausted from simply reading, it made no sense at all. Since it couldn't be explained otherwise, there was only one possibility: he was deliberately faking it.

"No need, let's start now!" Too lazy to bother with the surrounding doubts and discussions, Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"This is the test paper I just prepared. You can start answering it now. Complete it within one hour, and ensure 100% accuracy to pass the assessment!"Seeing his persistence, Hall Master Feng said no more. He took out a thick stack of test papers and handed them over. Just like the previous pill refining apprentice assessment, it was dozens of pages thick. Simply writing the answers would likely take a long time, let alone carefully thinking and deliberating over each question.

He lowered his head and scanned the paper, seeing it densely filled with various fundamental beast taming concepts, covering numerous aspects. Without sufficient knowledge, one would likely struggle to even understand the questions."Alright, you can begin answering now. Time starts!" Seeing him take the test paper, Hall Master Feng made a sweeping gesture.

"Mm!" Zhang Xuan put down the test paper, picked up a brush, and was about to start writing when he felt a wave of dizziness, and his entire hand began to tremble. Although he had absorbed the books faster than ever before, his current strength was too weak to fully bear the strain. Not only was he low on energy, but his body was also reacting to the exertion. He would likely need at least half an hour to recover.However, time was clearly not on his side. If he truly took half an hour to recuperate, the test paper was so thick that even with proper support, he wouldn't be able to finish it within the allotted time. Getting even one question wrong would mean failing the beast taming assessment. While failure and losing face were minor concerns, the most critical issue was the loss of free access—a prospect he found utterly intolerable.

"Look, he seems so tired he can't even hold the brush!""Heh heh, a cultivator above the Aperture-opening realm, too tired to hold a brush? Do you truly believe that? He's definitely faking it!""Yeah, he must have seen the questions, realized he knew nothing, and is now deliberately pretending to be weak... Honestly, people like this are the most shameless!""Couldn't agree more!"

Seeing his fingers tremble, unable to even grip the brush, everyone sneered again. Not just them, but even Hall Master Feng, Beast Master Lu, and the others exchanged glances, each harboring doubts. Could it be that what others were saying was actually true? If not, even running around in the library wouldn't make him this exhausted!

"Zhang Xuan, if you feel unwell and truly unable to answer, you are permitted to rest for a day and continue tomorrow."After observing for a while and seeing that Zhang Xuan was indeed listless, unable to even hold the brush, Hall Master Feng could no longer hold back and spoke.

Sighing, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and set the brush down. The Hall Master was right; in his current physical state, even if he forced himself to write, his characters would be crooked and illegible. More critically, his speed wouldn't keep up; he'd likely need to rest after writing just a few words, and forcing himself would only slow down his answering pace.To pass the assessment without further delay... there was now only one option!

With a sigh, Zhang Xuan looked up, facing forward."Hall Master Feng, two Beast Masters, I am genuinely too weak to hold a brush. May I choose to answer verbally?"

"Verbal answers?"The three beast masters simultaneously shot up, their eyes wide with disbelief."You... what did you say? You want to choose the most difficult method for the theoretical assessment... verbal answers?"