Hearing Square Head's assessment, Chen Lin's heart sank slightly.
The other party had no quarrel with him and was a Nightmare Realm Creature, so there was no reason to target him. This had to be his honest opinion. If so, the Mortal Dust Spirit Dew really might struggle to reach three stars.
Unlike the Golden Goblet Marquis's whimsical assessment, his evaluation was well reasoned and pointed out every flaw in the Mortal Dust Spirit Dew.
Sure enough, after hearing Square Head's comments, the next few judges all awarded it two stars.
There were nine judges in total: one had awarded three stars, five had awarded two, and three had yet to taste it.
To meet the three-star standard, more than half the judges had to award it three stars. Thus, its grade had already been decided, even without the final three tasting it.
Still, no one wanted to miss an opportunity to sample such a delicacy. The last three each poured themselves a cup, and Big-Mouthed Fur Ball even awarded it three stars.
"Final grade: two stars!"
The administrator handling the proceedings announced the result, then handed Chen Lin his rewards.
Everyone below looked somewhat disappointed.
This competition did not rank its participants or distribute rewards according to placement, so naturally, no one gloated over his misfortune. Instead, they hoped the judges would loosen their standards and make the upcoming assessments easier.
Chen Lin's disappointment ran deeper.
The gap between two and three stars was enormous. It meant a considerable windfall had slipped through his fingers, and the loss was not merely temporary. If he opened a shop, it would affect his income indefinitely.
But there was no opportunity to contest the assessment, and he did not want to follow in the first contestant's footsteps. He respectfully cupped his hands