It was at this moment two rays of light descended in front of Zhang Sheng and Wei Yuan and transformed into Daoists. The older Daoist gave the boy a glance before checking the book he was holding. He then said, “I confirm that this boy is Wei Yuan of Fengyuan Commandery. Take him to the dormitories!”

Surprised, Zhang Sheng asked, “Already? Isn’t this a little early?” 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Sun Yu was one step behind the scholar. When he appeared beside him and heard the question, he answered, “Listen to me first, junior brother. As I said earlier, the number of candidates this year is higher than usual. That is why this specific rule is added. Once an examinee has passed through the immortal gate, they are to enter the dormitories immediately. They are not allowed to interact with any outsider until the exam is over.”

Zhang Sheng looked at his senior brother, the two Daoists, and the countless immortal vessels and auspicious beasts one after another. While wearing a thoughtful expression, he said gently to Wei Yuan, “Off you go then. Do not be afraid and simply focus on showing off what you’ve learned to your heart’s content. I will take care of everything else.”

Wei Yuan nodded firmly. He was a precocious child, so he already noticed that something was off about the atmosphere.

Zhang Sheng took a step backward, and the younger Daoist grabbed Wei Yuan’s hand. They then disappeared into the distance in just the blink of an eye. The older Daoist put down a checkmark on his book before excusing himself and leaving.

After they were gone, the scholar slowly scanned the square. His powers might be sealed, but his ken was not. Thus, he recognized almost every mount and auspicious beast present just by looking at their appearances. The flying vessels and immortal carriages were much more varied, but most of them carried their clan’s emblem. Again, he recognized most of them.

Even at a glance, Zhang Sheng counted several prominent mounts or vehicles at the scene. Some belonged to a distinguished clan, and some were the descendants of the sect master or the elder of a major immortal sect. In comparison, the two nine-colored profound deer from the Eastern Sea could not even enter the top five[1].

It was at this moment Sun Yu spoke up again. “There is no need to worry too much, junior brother. You know the dormitory rules as well as I do, not to mention that Truemen and great scholars are keeping a close eye. No one would dare to try something here.”

Zhang Sheng responded indifferently, “No one would dare to try something, you say? More like who wouldn’t dare.”

Sun Yu pretended he hadn’t heard him and continued, “The Palace of Absolute Beginning isn’t the only one who showed up this time. The Four Sages Academies and the Great Exquisite Blossom Pure Land are attending as well.”

Zhang Sheng immediately recalled the terrible fortunes the Gui Water Light Convergence Array had drawn out six years ago. Now that he thought about it, enough time had passed for these fortunes to merge with humanity and cultivate many extraordinary individuals. The greater ones must have divined this, which is why three of the Four Immortal Sects were present, not to mention the grotto-heavens and blessed lands. They had all come to snatch up a Chosen One for themselves.

The scholar could not help but feel some mixed feelings when he recalled the fortunes though. He wondered what the Ji King would think, and what the Tang Emperor would think when they found out that the immortal sects had recruited such... special Chosen Ones.

Meanwhile, the white jade boat belonging to the Eastern Sea finally found a parking spot, and a file of people descended to ground level. They were grouped around a boy like he was the heart of their group. The boy was eight or nine years old with a dark skin tone, slightly curly hair, and a couple tiny, pearl-colored scales covering his neck. His eyes were bright amber in color and the clearest proof of his heritage. It could not be any clearer that he was a pure-blooded male of the Eastern Sea bloodline.

Zhang Sheng wore an odd expression when he saw the young boy’s appearance. He asked, “You’re telling me that he is a native of Fengyuan?”

The Immortal Sect Unified Examination had always stipulated that, for a candidate to be eligible for an exam outside of their birthplace, they must have at least one blood relative within three generations who had resided in that particular region. Otherwise, they could only take the exam in their birthplace. For the longest time, this rule had always been strictly enforced without exception.

The Eastern Sea and Yong Province might not be a million li apart, but a couple hundred thousand li definitely wasn’t out of the question. It was one thing if the boy was a mixed-blood of a collateral branch, but there was simply no way for a pure-blood and direct descendant of the Yan Clan to share any connection with Fengyuan!

Sun Yu kept his gaze firmly on his nasal tip and answered in a tone that betrayed none of his true thoughts and feelings, “He is.”

Zhang Sheng let out a cold chuckle. “Yan of Eastern Sea, the Great Elder of the Bluewater Flowing Goblet Sect, and the Minor Sage of Shi Ming Academy. The closest of the three is almost a million li away from here, and the farthest is several million li away. And yet, you’re telling me that they have blood relatives within the three generations in Fengyuan?”

Sun Yu let out a sigh and replied, “They do. Yes, some of these blood relatives had just revealed their ancestry and returned to their roots last month, but there are irrefutable witnesses and evidence proving their claims. There is no overturning this, Junior Brother.”

The man had stressed out the words “blood relatives”. It was a brave response. After all, if a member of the clan or organization were to overhear their conversation, it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a grave offense worthy of violent retribution.

Scorn spread across Zhang Sheng’s face as he asked slowly, “They’re not even bothering to hide it anymore, are they?”

Sun Yu sighed again. “Hasn’t that always been the case? Anyway, please come with me to the Concentration Hall. We can speak freely there. Also, the rules and regulations of Fengyuan’s unified exam have undergone a major overhaul this time—they call it ‘discarding the old and introducing the new’—and I’m sure you would want to take a look at them.”

Zhang Sheng didn’t move at first. He waited until two Daoists showed up and took the Yan boy away before he finally left with Sun Yu.

Meanwhile, the younger Daoist had taken Wei Yuan to a picturesque valley. It was filled with rows and rows of two-story buildings. Every room opened onto a corridor, and every door had a number on it. The boy saw one of the numbers lighting up as soon as he entered the valley.

The younger Daoist took Wei Yuan to his room in just one step. He then said, “This room is numbered seventy-seven. It will be your number for the duration of this exam. You are free to move within the dormitories before the exam begins. You may encounter other candidates during this time, and again, you are free to converse with them. However, under no circumstances should you reveal your identity or your name. You will be punished severely if you are discovered! Got it?”

The boy nodded in acknowledgement.

The younger Daoist pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was simple yet exquisitely furnished. It had a bed, a table, and a chair. There was also a sandalwood flower stand where a fruit tree was growing. Its trunk was as thick as a human arm. The tree was laden with golden fruits that emitted a faint but pleasant scent.

“This is the Manyleaf[2] Fruit Tree. It will clear your mind and affirm your will. You must not eat the fruits though. It will kill you without fail.”

“This is the Northern Sea Ice Pear Bed. If you sleep on it, it will expel your heart devils and nourish your primordial spirit. As you haven’t begun cultivating yet, none of its benefits will work on you. However, sleeping just two hours on this bed will restore your energy and spirit.”

“This is the Heavenly Mysteries Table... this is the Li Fire Inkstone... this is the Water Primary Brush...”

After he had introduced every object in the room and explained their functions, the younger Daoist finally said, “The exam regulations will be issued during the You Hour[3]. Make sure you read them carefully so that you won’t be caught off guard. Also, the aptitude test will take place first thing in the morning. Make sure you don’t miss it.”

He left after he was done giving instructions.

Suddenly, Wei Yuan saw a booklet lying on the floor in front of the door. It looked like the younger Daoist had “accidentally” dropped it. When he picked it up, he noticed that the title of the booklet read: “Great Tang Immortal Sect Unified Examination Rules and Regulations”.

Midday had just passed. It should have been a couple more hours before the regulations were issued. Wei Yuan instantly understood that the younger Daoist was secretly granting him a small favor.

Wei Yuan sat down at the table and went through the rules and regulations carefully. However, the more he read, the more he was astonished. It was because they greatly differed from what Zhang Sheng had told him.

According to Zhang Sheng, the Immortal Sect Unified Examination consisted of two parts: the aptitude test and the literary test. The aptitude test assessed a candidate’s cultivation talent, foundation, and fortune. The literary test assessed a candidate’s knowledge on human affairs such as composition, history, policy essay, military strategy, and more. Typically, two or three questions would be asked, each requiring an essay answer.

The literary test didn’t just assess the accuracy of a candidate’s answer. It also assessed their insight. For example, it was usually ill-advised to present a radical argument, but if they could demonstrate originality and coherence in their answers, then doing so would actually earn points for insight.

This year’s examination looked different, however. For starters, there was now a martial test on top of the existing aptitude test and literary test. The standards for the aptitude test—specifically the part where a candidate’s foundation and fortune were assessed—were stricter as well. The grading was finer, and the classifications were more detailed. Each classification corresponded to a specific score range.

Since a martial test was added to the exam, the weighted percentages of the overall evaluation had changed as well. Originally, it was 60% for the aptitude test and 40% for the literary test. Now, it was 40% for the aptitude test, 30% for the literary test, and 30% for the martial test.

The ratings of the tests had changed as well. In the past, a candidate was rated “Human”, “Earth”, or “Heaven” based on their performance. It was a vague rating system to put it mildly. But now, it had been replaced by a scoring system. The aptitude test was worth forty points, and the literary and martial test were worth thirty points each, adding up to a total of one hundred points. One’s overall score would determine their final ranking.

Previously, Zhang Sheng had told him that Fengyuan was a remote commandery that had just experienced a terrible famine and lost countless lives as a result. Thus, the number of candidates participating in this exam couldn’t possibly exceed twenty. In reality, one look at the dormitories told him that even two hundred would be a low-ball estimate of the number of candidates that were participating in this exam, not to mention the grand spectacle he was treated to when he first passed through the immortal gate. Speaking of which, that same spectacle told him that countless distinguished figures would be attending this exam as well.

Not only were the rules and regulations majorly overhauled, the competition was way fiercer than it had any right to be. Naturally, Wei Yuan felt like dark clouds were gathering above his head. However, if there were two things he inherited from his master after studying under him for three years, it was an iron will that never backed down in the face of adversity, and a tenacious spirit only grew stronger with every setback.

Thus, Wei Yuan calmed down despite enduring an unprecedented level of pressure on his shoulders. He began reading the rules and regulations carefully.

One must maintain composure in important matters. That was how Zhang Sheng had taught him, and he would conduct himself.

1. Imagine driving a BMW to a party and finding out that the top dogs are all driving racing cars. ☜

2. It’s talking about the Paris plant, but well, the word Paris doesn’t exist in Chinese, so I went with another common name instead. For your reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_(plant) ☜

3. 5 to 7 pm. ☜