I walk sideways in the game world

Chapter 254: Searching hard for a solution, surrounded by doubts

The last wisp of smoke from the incense burner slowly dissipated. At the same moment, Ren Xiaoyao's pen tip left the exam paper, making a subtle rustling sound that was particularly clear in the silent hall. He set down his brush and breathed a sigh of relief, but his brows were not relaxed at all, but rather more solemn.

He rubbed his swollen temples, his gaze not fixed on the completed test paper, but on the blank draft paper beside him. There, densely packed with various formulas and deduction processes, the result of his recent hard thinking.

Master Mo noticed his movements, a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes, and he asked calmly, "Ren Xiaoyao, did you figure it out?"

Ren Xiaoyao shook his head, a hint of resignation in his tone: "Master, I am a dull student. The solution to this problem is too profound. I...have not yet fully grasped it."

As soon as these words were spoken, a buzz of discussion erupted in the hall. Everyone looked at Ren Xiaoyao with suspicion and ridicule, as if he were looking at a clown who didn't know his place.

Senior Brother Yun sneered and said sarcastically, "I thought he was some amazing genius, but it turns out he's just this good. Junior Brother Ren, I'm not saying this to you, but this is a difficult problem that even the Master praised. You're a freshman, so don't be too ambitious."

Ren Xiaoyao turned a deaf ear to everything around him, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him. He picked up his brush and continued to delve into the ideas from the previous chapter, starting to write and draw on the paper. His brows sometimes furrowed, sometimes relaxed, and the brush in his hand seemed to become an extension of his thoughts, gradually sorting out the chaotic thoughts in his mind.

Seeing him like this, Senior Brother Yun couldn't help himself any longer. He stood up suddenly, pointed at Ren Xiaoyao and shouted, "What are you doing? It's already this late, and you're still doing useless work? I tell you, even if you fill this room with writing, you will never be able to solve this problem!"

Senior Brother Yun's words were like a stone dropped into a calm lake, stirring up ripples. Some students nodded, agreeing that Senior Brother Yun was right, and began to point fingers at Ren Xiaoyao. Whispers filled the hall, like invisible insects, buzzing and disturbing.

"That's right. This is a difficult problem that even Master Mo was amazed at. How could it be so easy to solve?"

"From what I see, he's probably just pretending to be so pretentious to attract the Master's attention!"

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let him hear..."

Xia Lin sat nearby, her brows furrowed slightly as she gazed at Ren Xiaoyao with concern. She was about to speak in his defense, but a look from him stopped her. His eyes were lowered, his expression focused intently on the test paper, as if nothing else existed. Seeing this, Xia Lin swallowed the words that were about to come to her lips, but her clear eyes gleamed with an unwavering determination, as if silently supporting Ren Xiaoyao.

As time ticked by, the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly gloomy. Ren Xiaoyao remained lost in his own world, his pen gliding rapidly across the paper, a rustling sound as if playing a silent melody. His breathing gradually became rapid, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but he remained oblivious, staring intently at the test paper in front of him, as if he wanted to see through it.

Suddenly, Ren Xiaoyao's pen stopped in mid-air. He jerked his head up, a gleam in his eyes, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the blue sky, and a look of ecstasy crossed his face. He took a deep breath, calming his excitement. Then he picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and began writing furiously on the paper.

His movements were smooth and fluid, as if he had it all planned out. The characters, like spirits, danced joyfully on the paper, emitting a dazzling light.

Master Mo looked at Ren Xiaoyao quietly from the side, with a serious expression, without any intention of giving any hint.

Master Mo stood with his hands behind his back, observing Ren Xiaoyao's every move with a deep gaze, occasionally stroking his graying beard, without saying a word. He knew the difficulty of this problem, and even more so the torment of the road to solution, where one seems to have no way out, only to find a bright new way. He was both excited and worried.

The chatter in the hall gradually died down, and everyone watched, some curious, some skeptical, some expectant. Only the rustling of brushstrokes and the occasional cough broke the silence. Ren Xiaoyao seemed isolated in a vacuum, unable to intrude from the outside world's noise, doubts, and expectations. He gritted his teeth, his brow furrowed, his pen moving rapidly across the paper, sketching out one idea after another, only to be repeatedly rejected.

"Am I going in the wrong direction?" Ren Xiaoyao's heart began to waver, beads of sweat covering his forehead. He put down his pen and rubbed his sore temples. His mind kept replaying the knowledge points that Master Mo had explained, trying to find a new breakthrough.

"Heh, you've been pretending for so long, but you still don't know where to start?" Senior Brother Yun's contemptuous voice sounded again, with a hint of undisguised sarcasm.

"Exactly. I think he's just wasting his time, just trying to attract attention!"

The echoes of his voices were like sharp thorns, pricking Ren Xiaoyao's nerves, but he forced himself to calm down, telling himself not to be affected by them. He took a deep breath, picked up his pen again, and fixed his gaze on the test paper. He had only one thought in his mind: I must solve this problem!

Time ticked by, a pin drop audible in the hall. Ren Xiaoyao felt like he was lost in a maze, surrounded by towering walls and no exit in sight. Yet, he kept groping, searching for a glimmer of hope. He tried countless methods, deduced countless possibilities, but time and again he hit a dead end.

Just as he was about to despair, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him. He seized this fleeting inspiration and quickly wrote a formula on the paper. As the formula gradually became complete, his thoughts became clearer and clearer, as if he had seen the light of day after parting the clouds.

"I understand!" Ren Xiaoyao exclaimed excitedly, his eyes flashing with excitement. He couldn't wait to turn the ideas in his mind into words, and he wrote them down in one go.

At this moment, Master Mo, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke, "Xiaoyao, it's time..."