At that time, two Taoists arrived in a flash of light, landing in front of Zhang Sheng and Wei Yuan. The older Daoist glanced at Wei Yuan, then looked at the book in his hand, and said, "Fengyuan County's Wei Yuan, confirmed without error, take him to the dormitory!"
Zhang Sheng was taken aback and said, "Why do we need to enter the dormitory now?"
Sun Yu, who was a step late in entering the Immortal Gate, appeared beside Zhang Sheng and said, "Junior brother, don't rush. This session has many examinees from Fengyuan County, so a rule has been specifically set. All examinees must immediately reside in the dormitory upon entering the Immortal Gate, and are not to communicate with outsiders until the exam concludes."
Zhang Sheng looked at Sun Yu, then at the two Taoists, and then at the countless auspicious beasts of Immortal State in the square, seemingly thoughtful. He said to Wei Yuan in a gentle voice, "Then go, do not be afraid, just focus on demonstrating what you have learned, I will handle the rest."
Wei Yuan nodded vigorously, already sensing the unusual atmosphere at the moment.
Zhang Sheng stepped back, and the young Taoist pulled Wei Yuan away; their figures flickered and disappeared in an instant. The older Daoist then marked a check in the book and left after excusing himself.
Zhang Sheng's gaze slowly swept across the entire square.
Although his Dao Power was sealed, his vision remained sharp. Just by the mounts and the outward forms of the auspicious beasts, he could recognize most of them. While the Flying Boats and Immortal Carriages varied in style, most bore the crests and clan emblems of their families, which Zhang Sheng largely recognized. With just a glance, he spotted seven or eight distinguished carriages, either belonging to members of a noble family or descendants of a sect master or elder from a major Immortal Sect.
The two nine-colored divine deer from the East Sea couldn't even squeeze into the top five here.
Sun Yu said, "Junior brother, don't take it to heart. You know the rules of the dormitory. Besides, with true masters and great scholars watching over us, no one dares to tamper."
Zhang Sheng replied indifferently, "No one dares to tamper? I fear there are only a few who wouldn't dare!"
Sun Yu, pretending not to hear, said, "This time, it's not just us from Taichu Palace; Four Saints Academy and Great Treasure Flower Pure Land are here too."
Zhang Sheng immediately recalled the terrifying luck from the Gui Water Light Array six years ago. Six years had passed, and that luck should have begun to merge with people, producing many corresponding extraordinary individuals. It seemed that the powers above had accounted for this, thus three representatives from each of the four major Immortal Palaces had come, as well as many from Grotto Heavens and blessed lands, all ready to vie for the Child of Luck.
Just thinking of that luck, Zhang Sheng felt odd. The Immortal Sects recruiting these individuals, he wondered what Prince Ji and Emperor Tang would think.
At that moment, the White Jade Boat from the East Sea finally docked properly, and a group of people filed down from the boat, surrounding a youth like stars around the moon. The youth, around eight or nine years old, had dark skin and slightly curly hair, with several fine pearl-colored scales on his neck protecting his throat, and his pupils were bright amber. This youth was unmistakably of pure East Sea lineage, his eyes being clear proof.
Seeing the youth's appearance, Zhang Sheng's expression changed as he asked, "Is he a native of Fengyuan County?"
The Immortal Sect's unified exam had always stipulated that examinees must have three generations of blood relatives who had resided in a certain county to register for the exam there; otherwise, they had to participate in the unified exam in their original state county. This rule had always been strictly enforced, with no exceptions. The East Sea was tens of thousands, if not a million miles away from Yong State. It might be plausible for a collateral mixed-blood from the Yan Family to be involved, but how could a direct pureblood be connected to Fengyuan County?
But Sun Yu, looking at the tip of his nose, said without any fluctuation in his voice, "He is indeed a native of Fengyuan County."
Zhang Sheng sneered, "The East Sea Yan Family, the elder of the Bishui Liushang Sect, the Little Saint of Shiming Academy—these three, the nearest being almost a million miles away and the farthest a few million miles, have had three generations of blood relatives here?"
Sun Yu sighed and said, "They do. However, I heard that some blood relatives only recognized their ancestry last month. But there are witnesses and material evidence, so those are indeed true blood relatives, and junior brother, you can't overturn it."
Sun Yu emphasized the words "true blood relatives." It was already quite difficult for him to speak to this extent; if these words were heard by the related Gate Valve Families, it would be gravely offensive.
Zhang Sheng's face showed mockery as he slowly said, "Not even covering it up anymore?"
Sun Yu sighed, "Hasn't it always been like this? Follow me to Qianxin Hall first; it's easier to talk there. Besides, the charter for this Fengyuan County's unified examination has greatly changed, claiming to innovate from the old, and you need to read it too."
Zhang Sheng stood still until he saw two Daoists taking away the youth from the East Sea Yan Family, and then he left with Sun Yu.
A young Daoist brought Wei Yuan to a beautiful valley with rows of two-story small buildings. All the rooms' doors were on the corridors, each labeled with a number.
As soon as Wei Yuan entered, he saw one of the numbers light up.
The young Daoist led Wei Yuan to that room and said, "This is number seventy-seven; this will be your identification code during the exam period. Before the test starts, you can move freely within the dormitory, and you might also meet other candidates. You may interact, but remember not to reveal your real name or identity. If discovered, strict punishment will follow! Do you understand?"
Wei Yuan nodded.
The young Daoist opened the door. The room's furnishings were simple yet refined—a bed, a desk, a chair, and a rosewood flower stand with an arm-length fruit tree on it, laden with golden fruits that emitted a faint, delicate fragrance.
"This is the Heavy Building Fruit Tree; it can help clarify your thoughts and stabilize your mind. The fruits are not edible; eating them means certain death."
"This bed is the North Sea Ice Pear Bed, which, when slept on, can drive away inner demons and nourish the Primordial Spirit. Since you haven't started cultivating yet, you won't benefit from it. But sleeping on this bed for one hour each day is enough to replenish your spirit."
"This is the Heavenly Mechanism Table, this is the Li Fire Inkstone, this is the Water Element Pen…"
Having introduced the various objects in the room, the young Daoist said, "You will receive a copy of the comprehensive exam process at the 'You' hour. Study it carefully so that you're not caught off guard. The Dao Test is first thing tomorrow morning; do not miss the appointed hour."
After giving the instructions, the young Daoist exited.
Suddenly, Wei Yuan noticed an additional booklet by the door that seemed to have been accidentally left behind by the young Daoist. He picked it up and saw that the cover read 'The Great Tang Immortal Sect Comprehensive Examination Procedures.'
Normally, this booklet was supposed to be distributed at the 'You' hour; it was only midday now, and still a full two hours away from the 'You' hour. Wei Yuan realized that the young Daoist had secretly given him a slight advantage.
Wei Yuan sat down at the desk and began to read through the procedures. As he read, he became somewhat surprised. The rules of the exam mentioned in the document greatly differed from what Zhang Sheng had described.
According to Zhang Sheng, the comprehensive exam of the Immortal Sect consisted of two parts: the Dao Test and the Literary Test. The Dao Test assessed one's cultivation talent, foundations, and if one was endowed with Luck. The Literary Test involved worldly knowledge, including literature, history, strategic discussions, and military tactics, usually comprising two or three topics, with an essay required for each topic.
The Literary Test not only checked if the answers were correct but also intelligence. A candidate might have radical theories, but as long as they could defend their argument and stand out, they could score points for their ingenuity.
However, the document in Wei Yuan's hands indicated that besides the Dao Test and the Literary Test, there was now also a Martial Test. The original foundations and Luck sections in the Dao Test were further refined into more detailed rankings, with corresponding scores for each.
With the addition of the Martial Test, the proportion of each test in the overall evaluation had changed to forty percent for the Dao Test, thirty percent for the Literary Test, and thirty percent for the Martial Test, whereas the original proportions were sixty percent for the Dao Test and forty percent for the Literary Test.
The grading of the three tests had also moved away from the vague Heavenly, Earthly, Human Three Grades to a point system, with the Dao Test worth forty points, and the Literary and Martial Tests each worth thirty points, adding up to a total of one hundred points to determine the rankings.
Zhang Sheng had also said that due to Fengyuan County's remoteness and recent severe calamity that had cost numerous lives, there would be no more than twenty candidates this year. But now, just from the dormitory rooms, the number of people seen far exceeded two hundred. Wei Yuan knew from his initial glimpse upon entering the Immortal Gate that numerous prominent figures had arrived for the exam.
Given the major changes in the examination procedures and the unprecedentedly keen competition, Wei Yuan felt the clouds of anxiety gathering overhead. However, having been taught by Zhang Sheng for three years, he inherited a spirit of growing stronger through setbacks and going against the current. Faced with unprecedented pressure, Wei Yuan instead calmed down and began to study the procedures more carefully.
As Zhang Sheng had taught, in times of great import, one must remain calm.