After entering the archery field, the other fifteen students inside were already in position, nine females and six males.
Li Nianzhen saw Suo Lun being led in by Ye Jing Yu holding his hand and immediately shouted coldly: “In the examination venue, idle people are not allowed to enter.”
Ye Jing Yu ignored her and led Suo Lun into the archery field.
“Alright, I am fine now. You wait for me outside.” Suo Lun said.
Ye Jing Yu held back her tears, suddenly cupped Suo Lun’s face and kissed his eyes as she said: “If possible, I would really be willing to give you my pair of eyes right now, even if I have to be blind for the rest of my life.”
Then, Ye Jing Yu endured the pain and left the archery field, watching from afar outside.
Li Nianzhen said: “Before the exam, I will restate the rules and regulations for this archery great exam. This round of the exam is still divided into three tiers.”
“First tier, full score seventy points, using a one hundred and eighty jin bow, fixed target at ninety metres, moving target at fifty metres.”
“Second tier, full score ninety points, using a two hundred and fifty jin bow, fixed target at one hundred and fifty metres, moving target at one hundred metres.”
“Third tier, full score one hundred points, using a three hundred and eighty jin bow, fixed target at two hundred and fifty metres, moving target at one hundred and eighty metres.”
The full scores for each tier above actually need to be multiplied by two, because the archery great exam is divided into fixed targets and moving targets, with the first and second halves scored independently.
The first tier is set for students who only want to pass the graduation great exam. The second and third tiers are set for those who want to obtain high scores.
Most people will choose the second tier, because the difficulty and score are moderate. The full score of the third tier is only ten points higher than the second tier, yet the difficulty is more than three or four times higher.
Only fourth level warrior archers can obtain high scores in the requirements of this third tier.
As for Suo Lun, judging solely by arm strength, he is at most at the level of a third level warrior archer now. He can barely draw the three hundred and eighty jin strong bow, but it is very difficult for him to aim steadily without moving.
Therefore, choosing the second tier would be the most rational choice for him.
A quarter of an hour later, the examiners for the archery subject and six supervisors all entered the venue.
In this round of the exam, there were only sixteen candidates, but there were sixteen examiners alone, plus six supervisors, which was even more than the number of candidates.
Among the supervisors, two were acquaintances of Suo Lun, namely Princess Zhi Ning and Jian Ning.
The other four all came from the Heavenly Star Hall of the Divine Dragon Holy Temple, all of them dragon archers.
The leading supervisor was named Ba Du. He was thirty nine years old this year, a thin man with a gloomy gaze and very long arms, a natural archer, and one of the most outstanding dragon archers in the Heavenly Star Hall.
“All archers, salute the supervisors and examiners with the warrior salute.” Li Nianzhen shouted.
Suo Lun and the other fifteen students neatly saluted towards the high platform.
“Return to your respective examination positions.” Li Nianzhen shouted.
Immediately, the fifteen students stepped forward and walked towards their examination positions.
The so called examination position was a circle drawn on the ground. But Suo Lun could hardly see anything at all, let alone the circles on the ground.
“Suo Lun, why are you not moving?” Li Nianzhen asked coldly.
Suo Lun said: “Mentor, my eyes cannot see. Please lead me to my examination position.”
As soon as these words came out, everyone was immediately shocked. All the candidates around turned to look at him in unison.
Li Nianzhen looked at Suo Lun’s bright and charming peach blossom eyes and said coldly: “Suo Lun, what trick are you playing?”
Jian Ning saw this scene and finally understood what Princess Zhi Ning meant by guaranteed with no chance of failure. It really was guaranteed with no chance of failure. She had even blinded his eyes. What arrows could he still shoot?
Immediately, Jian Ning could not help but glance at Princess Zhi Ning. He only saw her incomparably beautiful face completely expressionless.
Now it was his turn to appear. Jian Ning stood up and said: “Young Master Suo Lun, if you feel you cannot handle this exam, you can simply withdraw. There is no need to use such a lowly trick. Do your eyes look like they cannot see?”
As soon as these words came out, the students present all showed doubtful expressions.
Although these noble girls had once again become Suo Lun’s fans, they absolutely did not believe that Suo Lun’s eyes could no longer see. They thought he could not afford to lose, so he deliberately found an excuse.
Li Nianzhen said coldly: “Suo Lun, if you cannot afford to lose, then withdraw immediately. Do not waste everyone’s time.”
Suo Lun ignored her and instead looked towards Princess Zhi Ning on the high platform and said: “Your Highness the Princess, whether my eyes really cannot see, you should know clearly in your heart.”
Princess Zhi Ning said coldly: “Suo Lun, I know you are under great pressure. This great exam concerns your fate. However, slandering the royal family comes at a price. You say your eyes cannot see. Lord Ba Du from the Divine Dragon Holy Temple is the most outstanding dragon archer and has the deepest research into human eyes. We can ask him to appraise whether there is any problem with your eyes.”
Ba Du walked down from the high platform, came in front of Suo Lun, lifted his eyelids and examined them three times. Then he said: “The candidate’s pupils are normal, the eye membranes are normal, the light reflection is normal, and there is no problem with his vision.”
As soon as these words came out, everyone immediately showed contemptuous gazes. Although Suo Lun indeed possessed extraordinary talent in art, his character was really unbearable. Because his martial strength was low and he was afraid of making a fool of himself in the final great exam, he actually pretended to be blind. He really could think of that.
Moreover, even if he wanted to pretend to be blind, he did not act more convincingly. His eyes were so bright that even a fool could see at a glance that there was nothing wrong with his eyes.
Suo Lun smiled and said: “I have no intention of making any appeal, nor do I want anyone to feel indignant on my behalf. I merely want someone to lead me to my examination position. That is all!”
Then he stretched out his hand, waiting for someone to lead him over.
But no one stepped forward, because everyone felt that Suo Lun had despicable character and was pretending. They were not without sympathy, they just did not want to be fools.
Thus, Suo Lun stood there motionless like a fool, waiting for someone to lead him to the examination position.
Li Nianzhen said sternly: “Suo Lun, I will count down to ten. If you have not returned to your examination position, I will immediately expel you from the examination venue.”
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…”
All eyes were fixed on Suo Lun alone.
Finally, one noble girl could not bear it. She had once been deeply infatuated with Suo Lun and had also been deeply hurt by him. She had once hated Suo Lun to the bone, but at this moment she really could not bear to see him like this.
Thus, she stepped forward, held Suo Lun’s hand and led him into his examination circle, even though in her heart Suo Lun must be pretending.
When he arrived at his examination position, on the platform in front there were three bows placed, one hundred and eighty jin, two hundred and fifty jin, and three hundred and eighty jin respectively.
There were a total of thirty official examination arrows, plus three trial shot arrows.
“Trial bow.” Li Nianzhen said.
Each student picked up the bow in front of them in turn, tried drawing the string and aiming.
Suo Lun picked up the middle two hundred and fifty jin bow, because he wanted to compete for the noble warrior medal and at least had to use the second tier standard.
He drew the string and felt the balance of the bow.
There was no problem with this bow. On this most superficial thing, the other side had finally not played dirty tricks.
However, it was really completely unnecessary. Zhi Ning had already blinded his eyes. Just this point had already destined Suo Lun to be beyond redemption in today’s exam. Tampering in other places was completely superfluous.
“Trial arrows!” Li Nianzhen shouted loudly.
Before the official exam, there were three opportunities for trial shots, of course only three.
Suo Lun bent the bow and nocked an arrow, opened his eyes to the limit, trying to get even a little bit of light, and aimed at the target fifty metres away.
The trial shot target position now was only fifty metres.
At a distance of fifty metres, in Suo Lun’s view there was almost not even a rough outline or shadow. In front of him was completely a mass of dark shadow.
He aimed with all his strength at the dark shadow in front of him.
He took a deep breath and released the string to shoot.
“Swish…” The arrow shot out.
Then everyone burst into loud laughter.
Because Suo Lun’s arrow missed the target by more than twenty metres.
Yes, for a fifty metre target, he missed by a full twenty metres. The target distance was only fifty metres.
Such results were completely terrible and unwatchable. No wonder he wanted to pretend his eyes could not see. Otherwise, if such terrible results spread out, it would make countless citizens who supported him tear him apart, especially those who had bet on him winning at the casino.
With such poor skill, he should just stay at home. Why come out to cheat people?
Only Zhi Ning did not laugh, because Suo Lun could indeed draw the two hundred and fifty jin bow. He was indeed pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger.
If she had not used her trump card to blind his eyes, he would have succeeded today. Then he, Suo Lun, would have won this bet.
Thinking of this scene, Zhi Ning could not help but tremble.
Fortunately, fortunately she had calculated everything without omission and had blinded his eyes.
Now he was really beyond redemption. Even if the mountains collapsed and the rivers flowed backwards, he could not turn it around.
Suo Lun was destined to lose. He was finished!
Ignoring the surrounding mocking laughter, Suo Lun picked up the second trial arrow, adjusted his position according to the feeling of the previous error.
He aimed for a full two minutes, then released the string to shoot.
“Hahaha…”
Immediately, some people really could not hold back and laughed out loud.
This time it was much better. He only missed the target by fifteen metres.
The other candidates, especially the noble girls who liked Suo Lun, really could not bear to watch anymore. They almost could not help shouting: “Suo Lun, stop shooting, do not shoot anymore, give up!”
Suo Lun picked up the third trial arrow. This was the last one.
He took a deep breath and once again aimed in the darkness, adjusting his position in the darkness.
This time, he aimed for a full three minutes.
At this time, everyone had already stopped and were all staring at his arrow to see what the result would be this time.
Finally the aiming and adjustment were completed.
“Swish…” Suo Lun shot the arrow.
“Hahahaha…” Even more people could not help laughing loudly.
Because this time he missed the target by thirteen metres.
The three trial arrows were all used up. There were no more trial shots. Next it would enter the real great exam.
“All candidates, choose your tier.” Li Nianzhen said.
Then each candidate reported their examination tier. Among the first fifteen students, nine chose the first tier, using only the one hundred and eighty jin bow with a full score of only seventy points. These people only wanted to pass the graduation great exam.
Another six students chose the second tier. They wanted to obtain good scores.
The second tier used the two hundred and fifty jin bow, fixed target at one hundred and fifty metres, moving target at one hundred metres.
“Suo Lun, choose your great exam tier.” Li Nianzhen said.
Immediately everyone pricked up their ears, waiting for Suo Lun’s choice.
“Third tier.” Suo Lun said.
As soon as these words came out, everyone could not believe it and were shocked.
Had Suo Lun gone mad? During the trial shots earlier, he had only used the two hundred and fifty jin bow and a target at fifty metres distance, yet he still missed by more than ten metres.
Now he had actually chosen the third tier.
This used the three hundred and eighty jin bow, and he had to hit the fixed target two hundred and fifty metres away and the moving target one hundred and eighty metres away.
Suo Lun could not even hit a fifty metre target. Two hundred and fifty metres was completely a dream.
Next, Suo Lun did something that shocked everyone completely.
They only saw him take out a black cloth strip from his pocket and completely cover his eyes with it.
He had really gone mad, completely mad!