Just like every morning for the past fourteen years, Chen Changsheng woke up at five o'clock. Before he opened his eyes, he took five breaths to calm his mind. He got out of bed, put on his shoes and clothes, made the bed, then began to wash his face and rinse his mouth. This done, he went to the front hall of the inn and ate a bowl of duck meat porridge and four meat buns piping hot from the first batch. He returned to his room and used last night's old tea to rinse his mouth. He looked at a copper mirror and tidied up his clothes, and then he walked out into the small courtyard.
This was not Xining Village's small temple, so he didn't need to cut firewood and fetch water. He turned to the newborn morning fog and the distant daylight which passed through it, closed his eyes, and began to calmly think. In his mind, he silently began to recite the scrolls of the Dao. Only when he felt refreshed did he consider his homework complete. He exited a side door and walked onto the street which was gradually beginning to get more lively. In an extremely unremarkable fashion, he mixed into the crowd and started his day.
In his hand was a list naming various schools in the capital. After asking for directions to the first school from the market manager, he quickened his steps. He did not notice that a carriage followed behind him, nor did he realize that the horse had the blood of a Unicorn. And he even less noticed that the shaft of the carriage carried the gloomy crest of a blood-red Phoenix.
Countless years ago, the Heavenly Tomes descended to the earth and the minds of the people were opened. They developed into countless areas of study, but despite countless changes, none of them departed far from the original. They were all chasing the original source, and they were all included in the Daoist Canon—agriculture, business, and every other subject. As for the standard for evaluating these things, it was publicly acknowledged that the most authoritative standard was the Grand Examination held by the Great Zhou Dynasty each year.
The Grand Examination was first created by Emperor Taizu of the Zhou Dynasty. Whether entering the court to become an official, entering the army to become a general, or entering the Orthodoxy to become a priest, the scores from the Grand Examination were the most important criterion. Crucially, Emperor Taizu decreed that only those who ranked in the three banners had the qualifications to enter the Mausoleum of Books and look upon the Heavenly Tomes. Because of this rule, innumerable experts from around the world would congregate at the beginning of the year in the capital. In the very first Grand Examination, Emperor Taizu stood on the city wall and looked down at the geniuses of the various sects of the continent as they swarmed like fish to get in. He laughed and said a set of very famous words that also established the status of the Grand Examination.
The various kingdoms of the south, especially the Longevity Sect and other sects, were naturally extremely displeased by this rule. In their view, although the Mausoleum of Books was in the capital of the Great Zhou, the Heavenly Tomes were divine rocks that had descended to earth, so it was only natural to think that they were the shared wealth of the entire continent. For this reason, the south boycotted the Grand Examination several times, and the relations between both sides grew even worse.
However, the Mausoleum of Books was far too important to cultivators. Although the Great Zhou Dynasty was powerful, it could not risk facing condemnation for its monopoly over the mausoleum. The various powers of the south were also incapable of resisting the enticement of entering the Mausoleum of Books and viewing the Heavenly Tomes. Even in that period when the demons were pushed back and the two sides began to gradually distance themselves from each other, the south continued to resist on the surface, but there were still many experts from various sects who came in a private capacity to participate in the Grand Examination.
Finally, when the Divine Empress took power, the Zhou Dynasty at last reached an agreement with the southern powers. The various kingdoms and sects of the south could voluntarily send a diplomatic mission to take part in the Zhou Dynasty's Grand Examination. The evaluation would also be performed jointly by both sides. In addition, the students from the south could not accept the titles and offices conferred by the Zhou Dynasty. Everything else was considered equal. In the same way, under this new agreement, the Grand Examination received a new name.
Over countless years, the Grand Examination had selected countless experts. It was said that every one of the present experts who stood at the peak of the continent had once come to the capital of the Great Zhou and participated in the Grand Examination. And everyone knew for a fact that the present Pope of the Orthodoxy and the elder of the south's Holy Maiden Peak had both once been well-known figures in the Grand Examination. Not to mention how several geniuses from the Demi-human race in the west had transformed into humans and taken part in the test. Even a certain prince of the demons had risked coming to the capital, but the previous Pope had seen through his disguise, and the demon prince was turned into gray ash by the Pope's divine technique.
Those were all stories from many years ago. Now there were different questions on everyone's minds. Would the Longevity Sect's Qiushan Jun take part in next year's Grand Examination? How many of the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws would enter the first banner? Would Xu Yourong break through beforehand and leave Holy Maiden Peak to return to the capital? Would that cold-blooded and mysterious genius expert in the wastelands of the demons appear before the common people for the first time, or would he continue his bloody mutual chase with the demon experts? Besides these things, what most concerned the people of the capital was which geniuses from the schools of the capital would cause their eyes to light up.
Yes, the capital had many schools. When the Divine Empress took power, the government was ruled harshly, but the style of government was well ordered and the lives of the people began to gradually improve. Over the past several decades, the world had been at peace and had entered a period of prosperity. Many schools had popped up like spring bamboo after the rain. In the last few years, there were even many private schools that especially focused on the Grand Examination, where experts of the Orthodoxy taught in secret. Of course, the most famous schools were also the most powerful, or those whose history was the longest. Amongst them, there were two schools whose history was even longer than that of the Zhou Dynasty.
Chen Changsheng's list had six schools. The Heavenly Dao Academy which he was heading to was ranked first on the list. The fact was that in the entire continent, the Heavenly Dao Academy had the qualifications to be ranked far in front—for almost two hundred years, students of the Heavenly Dao Academy had obtained the first rank of the first banner in the Grand Examination twenty-four times. The students that studied here were all extraordinarily gifted. This academy had produced many priests of important positions for the Orthodoxy, had consecrated countless cultivating geniuses for various sects. Most importantly, the current Pope of the Orthodoxy had once been a student of this academy.
The Heavenly Dao Academy had obtained the best scores throughout the history of the Grand Examination, so it was naturally the most difficult to enter, yet it still had the greatest number of people attempting its examination. Chen Changsheng walked over to the entrance of the Heavenly Dao Academy and saw the majestic and imposing school gate constructed of dark jade. When he saw the academy name which had been personally written by Emperor Taizu, he very naturally began to feel admiration and yearning. But soon after, this sensation was completely dispelled by the bustling market-like environment around the gate and the pungent smell of sweat and ink. He subconsciously lowered his head.
Before he left Xining, he had already calculated the time. The moment when he arrived in the capital was precisely when the great schools were recruiting new students for the springtime. He could also imagine that the people applying for the Heavenly Dao Academy would be many, but he could not imagine that there would be such a frightening number. Especially that crowd of youths leaning around by the gate with naughty expressions, pointing at people in the crowd. Their presence made him feel somewhat out of place.
The clothing those youths were wearing was all very similar. It was mostly black with a golden belt tied around the waist. It was probably the uniform of the Heavenly Dao Academy. Chen Changsheng knew that these youths were likely those old students that had not passed the Grand Examination at the beginning of the year. These people were proud and arrogant, but because they had failed the Grand Examination, they had rather foul moods. They would definitely not show a good face to these new students that had come to take the examination for the Heavenly Dao Academy. Hearing their sharp and unkind words, seeing the mockery in their eyes, he inadvertently lowered his head even more.
He didn't lower his head because he was afraid, but rather because he was somewhat of a clean freak, both physically and mentally. So he did not want to smell the stench of sweat coming from the crowd, nor did he want to hear those words.
"Look at that idiot over there, he looks just like a pig! There are still even some pockmarks on his face! Why does he want to stick a fan in his neck? Does he think he's Lord Huanyu? He didn't even think about how those layers of fat on his neck are almost about to snap that fan in two."
"You're right, look at how unstable and weak his footsteps are. At most, he only went through Purification two months ago. It's highly likely that he hasn't even toughened his muscles and bones before. To actually dare to come test for my Heavenly Dao Academy, just what does he think this place is? The Orthodox Academy? Haha…I really don't understand just what all these idiots are thinking. Could it be that with that weak and pitiful spiritual sense, they can become well-read in the Daoist Canon?"
"Well-read in the Daoist Canon? Even that bookworm Gou Hanshi would not dare to say these words, right? You sympathize with the bitter experience that idiot will go through in a while, but I sympathize with his father and mother. To suffer some humiliation is only second in importance, while the money spent beforehand can't be gotten back. If I were that idiot fatty's parents, I might as well take the money and go to the altar and buy a few pills for him to eat, make him lose some weight, and at least get him a wife."
"And so what if he gets a wife? Even the Cold Plum Pill only affects himself. In the future when he has seven or eight sons and daughters who are all as fat and stupid as him, raising a pack of pigs, are you telling me that's a good thing?"
Those students were heartily laughing while unrestrainedly discussing these examinees. Their words were exceptionally difficult to listen to, and they didn't even attempt to control their volume. Perhaps they even meant for the targets of their jeers to hear their commentary. It was extraordinarily repulsive. The fat youth that was the subject of their discussion was blushing, but he didn't dare to protest, because what those students said was the truth. He truly had only gone through Purification some ten-odd days ago. To get into the Heavenly Dao Academy had always been a near impossibility. Crucially, even if his luck was so good that it defied fate and he was able to enter the academy, he still would not be able to offend these seniors.
As Chen Changsheng walked through the crowd, he heard these filthy words and his brows slightly rose up. He thought to himself that if they were talking about him, he didn't know if he could hold back. Fortunately, his head was lowered and his air was far too normal. Amidst the crowd, he was very unremarkable and very difficult to notice. Luckily, he avoided being ridiculed and very smoothly passed through the dark jade gate and entered the academy.
Because he was thinking about these things and had his head lowered, he did not notice that on the two sides of the stone path that led into the Heavenly Dao Academy, there were two huge stone walls. On these walls were carved strange flowers and spirits, and in the middle, tightly packed together, several hundred names were written. It seemed like some sort of list. Many gazes rested on these names, fervent and admiring.
The family members and servants that followed all the prospective students were forbidden from entering the Heavenly Dao Academy, so once he walked into the academy, the environment suddenly became much quieter. Chen Changsheng extracted a pure white handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the fine beads of sweat off his forehead. After taking a breath, he felt somewhat more comfortable. Following the student in front of him, he lined up at the end of a very long queue.
The people taking the test to enter the Heavenly Dao Academy were many and the line was very long. It looked just like the legendary Hundred Zhang Branching Snake said to live in the west in the land of the demi-humans. It extended from that distant building all the way to this grass lawn. In the middle, it even passed through a clear stream. Many prospective students stood on the wooden bridge crossing the stream. Struck by the cold wind of the beginning of spring, their faces were so frozen that they seemed a little ashen.
Very quickly, people emerged from that distant building, all young men and women. Their faces were as ashen as those of the people on the bridge and were extremely unsightly. Since they weren't frozen, they had definitely not done very well on the examination. When the people still in line saw their dazed expressions, they instantly grew more nervous and were no longer in the mood to chatter.
Chen Changsheng didn't know anyone, so he naturally didn't chat with anyone. He looked at the distant building and thought it was rather interesting. Right now, he was concerned about whether the entrance exam for Heavenly Dao Academy was like what was described in the books, whether it still used that sort of method. Why was it that the people that had failed had come out so quickly in a wave? Or was it that the Heavenly Dao Academy's test really had changed?
The crowd incessantly moved forward, crossing the lawn and stream, but before they had even gotten close to the building, the line came to a bamboo shed. Seeing the solemn-faced Heavenly Dao Academy teacher sitting behind the stone table, seeing that rock on the table that was black as obsidian, Chen Changsheng realized what it was. He remembered an old lawsuit he had seen in a scroll and was a little stunned.