Chapter 760: Assessment of the Artifact Refiner

"Never taken an exam?"

Yuan Hong staggered, almost spitting out a mouthful of blood. The many master teachers who had followed them felt their eyes nearly pop out. He wasn't even an artifact forger yet, and he was trying to take a five-star exam... and he claimed he wasn't here to cause trouble?

Artifact forging was one of the continent's most prestigious professions, among the top tier. Everyone present had studied tirelessly, neglecting sleep and meals for years, just to gain entry. Even the fastest individuals spent at least a decade of arduous study, while slower ones would never succeed without thirty or fifty years. Yet, here was a man in his twenties, not even a one-star artifact forger, claiming he wanted to test for five stars immediately. Did he truly believe this profession could be mastered so easily? It was preposterous!

"I've privately studied artifact forging; I just haven't had the chance to get certified," Zhang Xuan quickly explained, noticing their shock. He then asked, "How about this: I'll start with the one-star exam! Can I take the one-star exam here? And do I need to be certified as an apprentice before taking the one-star exam?" Although his mastery of artifact forging was comparable to, if not greater than, Wu Yangzi's, he had never undergone any formal assessment. Strictly speaking, he wasn't even an apprentice, let alone a certified artifact forger.

"Apprentice..." Yuan Hong's mouth twitched, and he massaged his forehead. If he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he wouldn't have believed it. Someone who wasn't even an apprentice had come to the Artifact Forger Guild, loudly demanding to take a five-star examination. Not only that, he had turned the entire guild upside down, wrecking the recording channel and the main hall. The most crucial part was that the esteemed Dean Zhao Bingxu, one of the ten great master teachers, still intended to accept him as a student! Even experiencing it felt like a dream.

"You don't need to test as an apprentice; just go straight for the one-star artifact forger exam. Try to succeed today. As for five stars, we'll discuss that later!" Suppressing his frustration, Yuan Hong turned to the group of master teachers. "Does anyone here have an apprentice token?" An artifact forger of his caliber, even with assistants, would only work with those of five-star rank or higher. Apprentice artifact forgers were far too low-level, and since he hadn't dealt with them in a long time, he naturally wouldn't possess such a token.

"An apprentice token?""My assistants are all four-star artifact forgers. That's too low-level; I don't have one!" Everyone nearby shook their heads. Almost all the individuals in the hall were five-star artifact forgers, with the lowest-ranked still being four-star. Finding an apprentice token among them was nearly impossible.

"This..." Yuan Hong's face flushed with embarrassment. What kind of predicament was this? He, a dignified six-star peak artifact forger, was trying to find an apprentice token for someone, and couldn't. The irony was almost intoxicating.

"Vice Dean, I... I have one here!" Just as Yuan Hong was at a loss, a timid voice spoke up. Zhang Xuan turned to see Li Xuan, the same girl who had greeted him earlier. Although she worked at the Artifact Forger Guild, her rank wasn't high, and she happened to possess an apprentice token for new recruits.

"Excellent..." Yuan Hong nodded, visibly relieved. He took the token, imbued it with his spiritual energy, imprinted Zhang Xuan's name on it, and handed it over. "Master Zhang, this is the apprentice token. Take it; with your academic credits, you can activate the Sea of Artifacts and take the one-star artifact forger exam!" "Thank you!" Zhang Xuan accepted the token, nodded, and walked a few steps. Then, remembering something, he paused. "If I take the one-star artifact forger exam now and pass, will I need to spend more academic credits to continue with the two-star exam?"

"If you stay within the Sea of Artifacts, no, you won't need to," Yuan Hong explained. "However, once you exit, re-entry will require additional expenditure." Academic credits were required to activate the Sea of Artifacts. If one remained inside continuously, two credits would suffice. But if one exited and wished to re-enter, another two credits would be required. It was similar to attraction tickets: once you left, you had to purchase a new one to go back in.

"So, I just need to stay inside? In that case... after I complete the one-star artifact forger exam, can I immediately proceed with the two-star exam while still inside?" Zhang Xuan asked, feeling a slight headache at the prospect of needing more academic credits for re-entry. The two credits he possessed had been given by the elder, taken from his own students. He couldn't keep relying on others for such valuable resources, especially when aiming for a five-star certification. Such precious items, even if others possessed them, constantly accepting them would create an overwhelming debt of gratitude. Gratitude, to him, was a form of karma. Throughout his journey, Zhang Xuan had always avoided owing favors, precisely to steer clear of such entanglements.

"Of course, you can, but with two academic credits to activate the Sea of Artifacts, you can only remain inside for a maximum of two hours, regardless of the exam level. This means that within two hours, whether or not you succeed in forging an artifact, you will be automatically expelled," Yuan Hong explained. "Given such a short period, I suspect it will only be enough time to complete the one-star artifact forger exam. Attempting a higher level would be extremely difficult!" The Sea of Artifacts was created to make artifact forger examinations more accessible and efficient. If someone could enter with two academic credits and stay indefinitely, perhaps for half a year, how would efficiency be maintained? Therefore, examinations within the Sea of Artifacts had a time limit, typically two hours. This implied that one academic credit equated to one hour. If an examinee felt they might struggle to pass, they would need to purchase more credits for additional time. During the purchased timeframe, regardless of the exam level or success, once the time expired, one would be automatically ejected. If successful, the Sea of Qi would generate a new token based on the information submitted with the previous one. If unsuccessful, the academic credits would be wasted, and the attempt would yield no results. Master Zhang had two academic credits, allowing him only two hours inside. In such a limited time, merely passing the one-star exam would be commendable. Continuing to a two-star exam seemed highly improbable! Moreover, artifact forging consumed a tremendous amount of true qi. A person's true qi reserves were limited; forging just one artifact would deplete most of their energy. Even with ample time, one might not have the stamina to continue. Thus, in Yuan Hong's opinion, while Master Zhang's idea was commendable, it was almost impossible to achieve. Not only for Zhang Xuan, but even for an artifact forger of his own six-star peak level, two hours would only allow for the forging of two or three artifacts at most; any more would be unsustainable. Unlike pills, even the lowest-grade artifacts required countless strikes and tempering; otherwise, it would be impossible to transform a shapeless embryo into a finished weapon!

"Two hours, alright," Zhang Xuan said, nodding. Hearing the time constraint, he no longer hesitated. He placed his apprentice token and academic credit card on the stone platform in front of the entrance. With a flash of light, the Sea of Artifacts slowly opened before him. He stepped inside.

The chamber within the Sea of Artifacts was similar to the previous recording channel, enveloped in darkness. Then, the ground beneath him shifted, transporting him as if on a conveyor belt into a vast hall. The hall was filled with various ores and metals, a massive cauldron, and an elevated forging platform.

"These... are all illusions?" Zhang Xuan looked around, unable to help but marvel at how indistinguishable the scene before him was from reality. The girl named Li Xuan had previously mentioned that the Sea of Artifacts used the power of illusion formations to simulate a real forging experience, though everything within it was, in fact, an illusion.

He scanned the room. On a nearby table lay a stack of books. He picked one up and casually flipped through it, finding various methods for forging artifacts. Examinees could choose any method they wished; success in forging one would constitute a pass.

"I only have two hours; I must aim to complete the five-star exam..." Knowing how difficult it was to acquire academic credits, and having finally secured this opportunity, he was naturally not content with just passing the one-star exam. It would be ideal to certify as a five-star artifact forger in a single attempt, saving him the trouble of returning later.

"Therefore, the simpler the artifact I forge, the more time I'll save!" Transforming an artifact embryo into a long sword was clearly different in difficulty and time consumption compared to hammering out an iron hammer.

"Just like testing as an alchemist, to pass the artifact forger exam, one needs to refine specific materials to a certain level. The finesse of the forging, at most, only adds minor improvements; there's no need to make it overly exquisite," he mused. An artifact's grade was evaluated across numerous aspects: hardness, flexibility, sharpness, true qi conductivity, and more. It wasn't about how ornate or visually appealing the forging was; such qualities didn't inherently signify a higher grade. While neat and slender forging could provide certain benefits to an artifact, it wasn't the crucial factor for passing the artifact forger exam. Given this, there was no need to invest excessive effort in the artifact embryo. As long as the fusion ratios were correct and the quenching was successful, even low-grade materials could certainly yield a formidable artifact.

"These artifacts are too slow to forge..." He quickly skimmed through the books. It wasn't merely that his current forging skill might not be sufficient; more critically, he couldn't afford the time. Even if he chose to forge the simplest item, his high artifact forging skill wouldn't enable him to complete it in less than an hour. How, then, could he possibly proceed to test for a two-star artifact forger?

"Never mind all that, let's begin!" Disregarding the books, Zhang Xuan walked around the chamber and quickly identified seven or eight types of metals and ores. An idea began to form in his mind. Having studied the Path of Heaven artifact forging, his understanding of the craft already surpassed that of some six-star peak artifact forgers. Even these common metals and ores, typically used for low-grade artifacts, could produce unexpected effects and functions in his hands if combined appropriately.

"This will do!" A faint smile touched his lips. With a gentle sweep of his hand, true qi flowed like water. The seven or eight metals and ores he had selected moments before lifted into the air and simultaneously soared toward the scorching furnace fire nearby. Sizzle sizzle sizzle! Under the infusion of true qi, the furnace fire burned intensely, turning crimson. The metals and ores instantly melted into a liquid, flowing in all directions.

"Merge!" Raising an eyebrow, Zhang Xuan gave a slight smile. He swiftly swept his hand over the liquids, and the seven or eight distinct molten substances immediately separated, beginning to fuse in various patterns.