Shawn Dudley overall evaluation: Theoretical knowledge level 0, score 87; practical ability level 0, score 99.

Shawn Dudley, just like Henry Sutton in the past, has a rather obvious imbalance in his strengths—he’s very skilled with hands-on work, but his theoretical knowledge is just a bit lacking. Even Henry Sutton found it a bit amusing. He used to rank low, always outside the top fifty in the whole department, for two reasons: first, in high school he loved combat-oriented styles. Even after becoming a seedling Spiritwood Master, in his previous life on Earth there was no spiritual power at all, but after being reborn in this life and coming into contact with it in his youth, he especially liked combat techniques like Flying Vine Art and Flower God Art. Nearly half of his three years in high school were spent on these, so naturally there was less time for studying theory.

It wasn’t until the start of his freshman year that he began to catch up, getting back on the right track for a Spiritwood Master. Another big reason was that he couldn’t cultivate Wood God Art, nor did he have innate talents like light, fire, ice, or earth. He simply couldn’t practice skills like Bright Light Art or Temperature Change Art—this was a flaw in his talent.

Those with talent can easily get started with cultivation, and those with money and influence can buy the corresponding spirit plants for talent, but Henry Sutton had neither, which made him seriously handicapped.

This classmate Shawn Dudley struck him as a bit of an oddball—practical ability at level 0, score 99, ready to break into level 1 at any moment, which shows just how talented he is. But when it comes to brainpower—memory and comprehension—his theoretical knowledge is only in the 80s?

Even though theoretical knowledge covers many subjects, memory and comprehension shouldn’t be limited by talent.

Henry Sutton could only sigh—Shawn Dudley probably went down the wrong path in high school just like he did, not interested in theory. Otherwise, he might not have lost to Yu Feihuang.

Standing backstage, waiting for the repeated announcements and introductions from the front of the arena, watching the people around him grow fewer and fewer, and noticing that the applause and cheers for the later contestants were gradually fading?

Henry Sutton wasn’t nervous at all.

“I’m over forty years old if you add up both my lives. I absolutely can’t let a big advantage slip away by messing up on stage—that would be too ridiculous.”

His overall evaluation now surpassed all the other freshmen. Even Grace Warren, who started cultivating at age ten and took all kinds of spirit pills to boost his talent, couldn’t compare to him—the gap was obvious.

But he didn’t dare to be the least bit careless.

Is it rare in the world for someone who worked hard offstage to mess up on stage due to nerves or other factors? Not at all—it happens all the time!

Underperforming in the college entrance exam, making mistakes during the driving test, almost closing a deal but losing it because of a slip-up right before signing...

With the psychological age of someone over forty, Henry Sutton calmed himself down in just a few breaths.

At the front of the stage, Patrick Grant’s new voice rang out: “Next, let’s welcome the final contestant in our Spiritwood Department’s freshman quota competition—Henry Sutton!”

With those words, Henry Sutton calmly stepped forward.

As he walked through the passage, the usual commentary from Professor Warren or Professor Thompson actually fell silent.

The applause from the one or two thousand spectators only erupted when Henry Sutton walked out from backstage and stood on the podium, with girls screaming and clapping.

“Henry Sutton is so handsome!”

“Henry Sutton, I love you!”

“Henry Sutton, go for it! It’s all about participation!”

...

Henry Sutton’s looks and physique were both outstanding. Recently, his personality had become much colder due to major changes at home, but in the eyes of many female classmates, he had actually become even more popular.

Looks are justice. The girls didn’t care whether Henry Sutton’s strength matched up to people like Hugh Warren—as long as he was handsome, that was enough!

Among the boys, some jeered and mocked from the crowd, but they were quickly drowned out.

The cheers and applause, so different from the previous eighteen contestants, snapped Professor Thompson back to his senses. He remembered who Henry Sutton was. “Heh, looks like Henry Sutton is now the face of our department. So many girls are so enthusiastic. I remember this young man—handsome, steady, and he studies hard. He’s a promising seedling.”

Professor Warren frowned slightly. “Henry Sutton, it’s the participation that counts. Take your seat.”

He was over seventy, with cultivation at the peak of Spirit Transformation level 5. Crossing that threshold would make him extraordinary, doubling his lifespan! But he hadn’t crossed it yet—he was definitely an old man.

He really didn’t like young people who aimed too high and loved the spotlight. In his impression, Henry Sutton’s grades were seriously unbalanced. Even in his strong subjects, his theoretical knowledge was only close to the first tier. A handicapped guy like this entering the freshman quota competition? Are you sure he’s not just here to show off and steal the spotlight? Seeing how the girls in the audience, both from inside and outside the department, were all so enthusiastic about this kid, he felt even more displeased.

But since this was the first match of the All-Star Tournament, the opening ceremony, Professor Warren didn’t want to dampen the atmosphere too much.

Henry Sutton calmly thanked the teachers and classmates, then walked to his seat.

The podium, nearly a hundred meters long, had nineteen computers and nineteen seats spaced out, with some formation lights in between to ensure that each contestant couldn’t see the others’ screens.

The inner wall of the podium was covered by a giant LCD screen, even bigger than the movie screens from his previous life, divided into nineteen sections, each corresponding to a contestant. Right now, only the numbers and names were displayed.

As he sat down, Professor Thompson, overlooking the nineteen competitors from the high platform, smiled and said, “Professor Warren, it seems you don’t quite approve of Henry Sutton’s participation?”

Professor Warren chuckled. “Not really. I just prefer young people who are down-to-earth and do things seriously.”

He said it in a cheerful tone, still smiling, but the meaning couldn’t have been clearer.