Compared to the more severe consequences that could have happened, this punishment is already very lenient.
Before being led away by the staff, he glanced back at Ron, who had regained his focus.
His eyes revealed indescribable complex emotions—respect, gratitude, and deep shame.
"He truly deserves the ’Treasure Level’ rating," Mueller silently admitted in his heart:
"And I almost caused a disaster out of jealousy, utterly foolish."
With Mueller’s departure, the competition continued.
The previous interference was just a trivial distraction; Ron immediately resumed his full concentration on his creation.
His Crystal Lizard had now completed bloodline modulation and was quietly resting in a specially designed Crystal Container.
Its scales shimmered with a glossy luster under the sunlight, and its purple-golden eyes emitted a rare gleam of wisdom.
Other contestants were more or less affected by the Mueller incident; some became overly cautious;
while others were completely thrown off, frequently making mistakes.
Only Jenny continued to perform steadily.
Her Crystal Lizard, while not as outstanding as Ron’s, reached a fairly decent standard.
The Autophagic Slime Monster displayed a similarly pure and stable silver tone.
"Time’s up!" Maurice’s voice echoed across the square:
"Contestants, please stop your operations, we are about to enter the exhibition phase."
The exhibition phase is the climax of the entire competition, where each contestant must showcase their modulated Crystal Lizard in front of everyone, demonstrating its special ability and stability.
This is both a test of technique and an examination of the contestants’ psychological resilience.
"The first to exhibit is Lecturer Andrews from the Dark House," Maurice announced.
Andrews is a middle-aged wizard in his fifties, with a burly build and meticulously trimmed silver-white beard.
His Crystal Lizard is quite robust, and its scales exhibit a profound blue, as if containing the mysteries of the sea.
"My creation primarily enhances the lizard’s perception ability, especially its sensitivity to sound wave vibrations."
Andrews’ voice was loud and confident:
"It can accurately locate sound sources thousands of meters away and even distinguish the unique frequencies of different material vibrations."
To prove this point, he instructed his assistant to place several mini vibration source devices covertly around the venue.
When the devices were activated, the lizard immediately reacted.
Its head precisely turned towards each sound source direction and tapped its tail accurately, showing its precise understanding of sound frequencies.
The audience responded with enthusiastic applause, the practical exploration value of such an ability is evident.
Next up was Sofia, a young witch from the Elemental Garden.
Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall down to her waist, her eyes shone with the unique focus of a herb researcher.
Her Crystal Lizard had exceptionally vivid green patterns, and its eyes resembled two sparkling green gemstones.
"My creation focuses on enhancing the lizard’s regeneration ability and perception of plants."
Sofia explained with a gentle smile, her voice like a spring breeze:
"This holds extremely important value for survival in the wild and herb gathering."
She lightly slit the lizard’s tail tip, causing a drop of blood to seep out.
But the wound began healing almost immediately, the process was so fast it left no scar.
Additionally, when she presented a dozen different plant samples, the lizard could accurately identify the toxicity and medicinal properties, showing caution towards poisonous plants.
One after another, contestants displayed their creations.
Some Crystal Lizards could briefly breathe underwater;
some could endure extreme temperatures;
others possessed special camouflage abilities or combat skills.
However, some creations encountered issues during the exhibition.
A contestant from the Green Leaf School had just started to exhibit when his lizard began twitching unstably, its scales rapidly dulled, eventually turning into a lifeless body.
Another contestant’s creation suddenly went into frenzy, attacking its owner, requiring emergency isolation.
Jenny’s exhibition was quite successful.
Her Crystal Lizard demonstrated strong environmental adaptability, quickly adjusting its body temperature and metabolism levels to cope with various extreme environments.
The Autophagic Slime Monster’s response consistently maintained a stable silver hue, showcasing the high quality and durability of the creation.
"The last exhibitor is Teaching Assistant Ron Ralph from the Crystal Tower."
Maurice’s voice carried an imperceptible sense of anticipation.
Ron stepped onto the exhibition platform, cradling the transparent Crystal Lizard in his hands.
Under the golden sunlight, the lizard’s scales glittered with a dreamlike finish, each scale resembling a meticulously crafted piece of art.
"My creation is an all-round enhancement of the Crystal Lizard’s inherent traits, especially its precognition ability and perception acuity."
Ron’s voice was calm and penetrating:
"While maintaining its essence unchanged, I’ve maximized its innate advantages."
He first demonstrated the lizard’s intuitive perception of danger.
When several hidden energy fluctuations were released, the Crystal Lizard responded accurately.
Not only could it distinguish the direction and distance of danger, but it also displayed, through varying body colors, the precise type and intensity of the threat.
"Most notably, this lizard can sense spiritual power interference."
Ron continued to explain, his tone plain yet filled with strength: