The red-clay platform was silent.
No wind blew, so the kiln's remaining heat hadn't dissipated. The air was stifling.
The Clay Figure Monster held Lin Baici's work and examined it closely.
"Clear facial features!"
He'd even sculpted the outer ears, and the eyebrows looked very much like Lin Baici's.
"Long, slender limbs!"
The T-shirt clung to the clay figure's stomach, showing the outlines of his abs.
The Clay Figure Monster turned to look at Lin Baici's stomach.
Lin Baici reached his right hand behind his back, grabbed his shirt, and tugged it tight against his abdomen, revealing the contours of his muscles.
"Distinctive features. This is a self-portrait!"
The Clay Figure Monster handed the clay figure back to Lin Baici. "It's not lifelike enough, and the face is still a little different from the real person, but the rest is quite good. I'll give it nine points!"
The Clay Figure Monster's mouth curled into a smile.
This time, it wasn't mocking him. It was pleased, and admired Lin Baici's skill.
For an ordinary person who'd never tried clay sculpting to pick it up so quickly and do this well showed great talent and a rare gift.
"He really did pass!"
"A genius is a genius. Give them the same task, and they'll do it perfectly!"
"You just can't argue with that!"
The travelers were incredibly envious.
"You may step aside!"
The Clay Figure Monster looked toward the crowd, ready to choose the next person.
"Thank you!"
Lin Baici seemed respectful, but as soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly put all his strength into his right arm and smashed the clay figure in his hand into the Clay Figure Monster's face.
The sensible thing would have been to throw it on the ground and crush it underfoot. But after taking