Ordinary observers in fast time travel

Chapter 1127 Hourglass
As Shi Jia added more and more to the picture, a tilted hourglass appeared on the paper.

Two pillars support the upper and lower bases, while also protecting the two opposing quicksand pools in the middle. Sand flows through the central perforation into the lower quicksand pool.

If you look closely, you'll see that each grain of sand represents a number.

The hourglass is now tilting, signifying that the beginning of time is in disarray and that time is about to reverse.

Shi Jia also drew some lines below to indicate the rising wind, and wrote down in detail his settings for this time magic.

He finished writing with confidence, put down his pencil, examined his work carefully again, and nodded in satisfaction.
He turned to look at Teacher Lu, who was focused on drawing, and called out, "Teacher Lu, I'm finished."

Teacher Lu, who was having a burst of inspiration, was startled. He turned his head with deep eyes and looked at the clock on the wall. It was 11:50!
"Timeout."

Upon hearing this, Shi Jia immediately felt uneasy, as he had indeed not paid attention to the time.

"Let me see it," Teacher Lu said, frowning.

"Okay, okay." Shi Jia quickly handed the artwork to Teacher Lu.

He looked at the overturned hourglass and frowned. "Tell me your idea."

Shi Jia immediately launched into a boastful speech.

“That’s well said, but there are three points. First, the one you just drew was a wall clock, while this one is an hourglass. Given your ideas about time magic, why not use a wall clock as the main subject?”

"Can't a wall clock represent time?" Teacher Lu asked sharply.

"Um, well..." Shi Jia was a little embarrassed. Teacher Lu was right, but...

"Secondly, you say this is a spiritual technique! But do you think designing a spiritual technique is just about drawing a random pattern and writing some fancy settings next to it?" Teacher Lu stared at him.

Shi Jia opened his mouth. Isn't that right? That's how he drew his sapling.

What Teacher Lu didn't say was that this kind of drawing wasn't a spiritual technique, but a spiritual artifact. In other words, the sapling wasn't her spiritual technique, but her spiritual artifact—no, it should be called a contracted divine tree.

"Third, this was not originally within my assessment scope, but since your design is fairly complete, let's verify whether your design can be realized."

"Huh?" Shi Jia was a little confused. Didn't Teacher Lu just criticize his design as worthless? Why is he being asked to verify it again?
Teacher Lu frowned. "What? You're not an artist?" Only artists and spirit martial artists can be recommended to study here. Ordinary people can only be admitted to Green Emerald School by passing the annual unified exam and going through layers of selection.

“Yes,” Shi Jia quickly replied.

"Hurry up, I'll give you half an hour. If you can materialize this hourglass artifact, then the rest of the assessment won't need to be conducted," Teacher Lu said calmly.

"Oh, okay." There's an assessment? Wow, getting into this Emerald Academy is really not easy.

Shi Jia summoned his paintbrush, took a deep breath, and began to paint on the canvas.

"Green-level artist!" Teacher Lu's eyes sparkled.

Twenty minutes later, an identical hourglass appeared on the paper. The difference, of course, was that the lines on this hourglass were a manifestation of energy.

Shi Jia touched the lines with her paintbrush, and instantly, a burst of colorful light appeared. The next second, Shi Jia's face turned deathly pale, and the energy was immediately cut off.

"Huff~ Huff~" Shi Jia felt a sharp pain in her head, and the paintbrush in her hand could no longer maintain its physical form, returning to her mental sea.

"Are you alright?" Teacher Lu reached out and placed his hand on Shi Jia's wrist. "Are you out of energy? What just happened?"

Shi Jia took a deep breath. "Teacher Lu, I cannot materialize an hourglass right now."

"It can't be realized now?" Teacher Lu seized on the key point. "You mean your design was successful?"

"Um, I guess so?" Shi Jia was a little embarrassed. She was taking the test, and it seemed a bit inappropriate to say that she had succeeded.
Teacher Lu stroked his chin, considering how to score. "Well, here's what we'll do. You've passed both assessments, but you didn't successfully materialize it, so you can't enroll directly. I'll inform Director Cheng now. You wait here for now."

This surprised Shi Jia; he was surprisingly easy to talk to. Cheng Ning arrived quickly, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Lu. I'll take the person with me now."

Teacher Lu nodded, and after everyone left, he looked at the hourglass.

"A time-manipulating artifact!" Teacher Lu's eyes flashed. He walked over, picked it up, examined it for a while, and then put it back.

With a wave of his hand, a green paintbrush with a bluish glow appeared in front of him. He picked up the paintbrush and began to draw rapidly in the air. Amazingly, with each stroke he made, a line appeared in the air. A few minutes later, an hourglass made of lines appeared in the air.

His gaze sharpened, and as he touched the lines with his brush, a burst of colorful light appeared. The next second, a real hourglass appeared before him, and all the energy he consumed was only the amount of five or six red crystals.

“Just an ordinary hourglass.” Teacher Lu frowned, then looked at the description of the hourglass artifact on the drawing paper. He started drawing in the air again.

Half an hour later, a dozen hourglasses appeared in the studio.

Teacher Lu frowned. "Why didn't it work? Could it be that the design of this magical artifact was not successful?" But the student's performance just now didn't seem fake.

Moreover, I witnessed everything myself, so I can judge whether the design was successful or not.

……

"Look, the principal's office is just ahead. Don't be nervous, the principal is very approachable," Cheng Ning said with a smile.

"Okay, sure." Shi Jia smiled without saying anything. Actually, she had used up too much energy on the painting and was exhausted.

The principal of Emerald Academy was a woman with silver hair and fine lines around her eyes; she looked to be in her forties. She was indeed very approachable.

"Shi Jia, this is Principal Lan Siyue," Cheng Ning introduced.

"Hello Principal Lan, I am Shi Jia."

"Yes, I know. Sister Lan has already mentioned you to me." Principal Lan Siyue pointed to the sofa. "Sit down. Cheng Ning, go and get your things."

Principal Lan sat down on another sofa. "It's something that will test your purification abilities in a little while."

Shi Jia nodded, then became somewhat worried as she thought about her depleted energy.

"You don't look too well. Is something bothering you?" Principal Lan asked.

"Um, Principal, can I replenish my energy first?" Shi Jia asked somewhat nervously. She quickly explained what had happened in the art studio earlier.

"Oh? You designed a magical artifact?"

"Yes, but it didn't materialize successfully." Shi Jia said somewhat embarrassedly.

"No rush. If you're interested in magical artifacts, you can minor in that field," Principal Lan said.

A minor? Shi Jia felt a slight displeasure, but then he understood. Madam Lan Xin had recommended him to study, not just for his academic purposes, but so that he could work better for her in the future.

"Ok."

Principal Lan sized him up. He was of average appearance, but his eyes were quite attractive. As for his personality, he wasn't very quick-witted. "How's Sister Lan doing lately? I heard she's been in the Red Zone for six months now?"

"Madam Lanxin is doing well. I heard that she has already begun preparations for advancing to the Purple Rank." Shi Jia smiled.

"Purple Rank!" Principal Lan's voice rose an octave. "Sister Lan has always had high talent; it's only a matter of time before she advances to the Purple Rank."

She herself doesn't know when she'll be able to advance to the purple rank.

"Knock knock!" The door rang, and it was Cheng Ning. She came in carrying a cage with a gray rabbit inside. The rabbit's eyes were cloudy gray.

Principal Lan said with a smile, "Your assessment is to purify a corrupt beast."