I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 109 Literary Brilliance Soars to the Sky
"What a magnificent display today! Who has a grievance to redress? It is a display of power that is unmatched in the world."

"What a bold and audacious person! In today's world, when all is at peace, how can there be the saying 'When the world prospers, the people suffer; when the world perishes, the people suffer'?"

“Old Master Wei Shu, you can see for yourself whether the people are suffering or not. To you, hiding in your study all year round reading books, and even exchanging children to eat, I’m afraid it can only be summed up in four words.”

"Wang Xiangqing, how dare you mock this old man."

"Alright, everyone, Canglan has produced another extraordinary talent. If I'm not mistaken, the Earth Witch who was killed should be Yama, the King of Hell. This villain has been a menace for hundreds of years, and he has done his fair share of burning cities and massacring towns."

This thief's skills were so formidable that even a Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't defeat him. If it weren't for the inscription "Ten Thousand Banners Slay Yama," carrying a soaring killing intent, they might not have been able to kill him.

“Brother Ni, isn’t there a shortage of school places in your Canglan Prefecture? Xue Xiang can easily transfer his registration to Jiannan. I won’t make things difficult for him.”

"roll!"

Ni Quanwen said sternly, "Gentlemen, do not sit and watch the show. Once this chaotic literary energy explodes, it will affect more than just my Canglan Prefecture."

Why don't you all join forces to help Canglan Prefecture overcome this crisis?

“Fellow Daoist Ni is right. Everyone, now that we’re here, we can’t just be here to watch the show.”

"Fine, let's test the limits of these chaotic literary elements."

"........."

Everyone agreed.

At this moment, those who could rush over were all important figures in the prefectures and counties, and naturally they would not sit idly by and watch the literary tradition and the heavenly way be in chaos, causing destruction to the region.

"Life is like clouds on a mountain peak, which scatter into frost and then into dust."

Suddenly I saw the mirror and was startled by my snow-white hair; only then did I realize that the person in the mirror was someone I knew before…

"Fate's ups and downs have no root; a leaf drifts on a boat in the waves."

Do not complain of the high winds and treacherous paths, for the world is full of abysses...

"Life is like a game of chess, with each move bringing new developments; to have no regrets after a move is true naivety."

Victory or defeat is etched in the stars; let not worldly tribulations linger…

As everyone chanted, the five giant dragons of literary energy shattered instantly, and various strange phenomena appeared.

Gradually, all the golden, purple, black, white, and cyan curved lines in the field dispersed into the strange phenomenon.

This is precisely the method by which many great Confucian scholars guide the chaotic literary atmosphere.

As long as all the scattered literary energy of the Heavenly Dao is absorbed into the strange phenomenon, the chaotic literary energy in this area will be straightened out.

Finally, all the literary energy in the room was absorbed into the strange phenomenon.

The twilight sky, veiled by a thin layer of light, slowly opened, and the sunlight shone down, making it exceptionally warm.

“Brother Ni, I really like this child, Xue. If your Canglan Academy would be willing to transfer his enrollment…”

"Go away, go away, is there nothing else to say? We at Canglan Academy accept this favor, and will repay it double another day."

"Haha, what a stingy fellow. Brother Ni is ultimately too short-sighted. There are countless talented people who are famous throughout the world these days."

Although Xiao Xue is extraordinary, who knows if he hasn't brought out all his hidden talents? When the county examination comes, he's likely to suffer a severe embarrassment.

"As far as I know, after the imperial court increased its favor towards the imperial examinations, many ancient families that did not engage in worldly affairs also began to encourage their members to participate in the competition for the imperial examinations."

Who knows how many outstanding individuals will emerge at that time?

Let's wait and see.

"........."

Everyone was chatting and laughing.

Suddenly, a snowflake drifted down, and everyone's eyes widened.

A snowflake-shaped aura rose from the ground, and everyone stared wide-eyed.

In an instant, everyone realized that the problem was serious.

They exerted their efforts simultaneously, reciting poems and articles, absorbing all visible literary energy, and evolving extraordinary phenomena.

But no one expected that literary talent was hidden underground.

If not a single wisp of literary energy is absorbed into the anomaly, it means that everything the big shots did just now was in vain.

Sure enough, not long after, a second snowflake drifted out from the ground.

It was precisely when Xue Xiang recited "Peaks and ridges gather like a crowd, waves surge like fury" that the literary energy buried underground was used by Yama, the King of Hell, to perform the secret method of "emptying the five aggregates" and manifest a large number of plants, trees, earth, and stone formations.

"This is troublesome. If there is literary energy buried underground, it must be a masterpiece of literary brilliance that can reach the heavens, otherwise it is impossible to absorb all of this literary energy."

"All that work for nothing, what a waste of a masterpiece. It's time for you all to use your best stuff."

"There has to be a masterpiece of literary brilliance, but it's not so easy to come by."

"........."

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, the curtain of light finally parted, then closed again, returning to its gloomy state.

Suddenly, large swaths of golden, purple, black, white, and cyan aura, like snowflakes, willow catkins, and cotton wool, drifted down.

In an instant, they reassembled into five long dragons of literary energy, roaring as they rushed towards Xue Xiang.

"Gentlemen, saving lives is the priority."

Ni Quanwen shouted loudly.

But then a voice rang out, "When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the heavens. I wonder what year it is tonight in the celestial palace."

boom!
The five long dragons of literary energy shattered instantly, and the gloomy sky transformed into a bright moon shining in the sky, changing the world in an instant.

"I long to ride the wind and return, yet I fear the jade palaces and crystal towers, where the cold is unbearable at such heights. Dancing with my shadow, how can it compare to being in the human world?"

boom! boom! boom!
A vast expanse of golden literary energy blossomed first, illuminating the world.

One by one, the characters, as large as mountains, appeared in the sky.

The entire ground was filled with spiritual energy, which was absorbed and merged into the strange phenomenon.

"The literary brilliance soars to the heavens, this is the literary brilliance soaring to the heavens!"

"His literary talent soars to the heavens, visible for thousands of miles. This boy, this boy is truly remarkable, truly remarkable."

"This, this is a poem, right? In terms of poetry, 'Wen Guang Chong Xiao' is already the pinnacle that poetry can achieve."

Going further, educating the world and shaping the nation's destiny through literature—those are achievements only attainable by writers of the highest caliber, capable of shaping the fate of an era.

"…………"

All the great Confucian scholars were completely obsessed with it.

"Turn around the Zhu Pavilion and look down at the Qihu. The light will make you sleepless."

………………

Thirty miles away, in Yunmeng City.

The clear blue sky and bright sunshine instantly transformed into a bright moon hanging high in the sky.

Strange phenomena appeared on the azure sky.

A young scholar, raising his cup to the heavens, appeared as carefree and unconventional as an immortal.

The entire city was in turmoil, and everyone looked up at the sky.

Madam Wei opened the window of her boudoir immediately, and at a glance, she recognized the young man who stretched across the sky.

With a trembling heart, she went into the kitchen, washed some vegetables, dismissed the maids, and leaned against the fragrant couch by the window, her starry eyes gradually becoming misty.

…………

Three hundred miles away, Songyang Academy.

Three hundred Confucian scholars from all over gathered at Jingxin Pavilion to listen to the renowned Confucian scholar Fang Xiaozong explain the Book of Rites.

Fang Xiaozong was a renowned scholar from Canglan Prefecture, and was widely known in both capitals. This time, he returned to his hometown to pay homage to his ancestors and was invited to give lectures at Songyang Academy.

He quoted extensively from classical texts, drawing on a wide range of sources, and his eloquent speech won the admiration of countless Confucian scholars.

After finishing the third chapter of the Book of Rites, a Confucian scholar asked Emperor Xiaozong to critique the poems and essays that had recently become famous.

Emperor Xiaozong always granted requests. He gently walked to the window, lifted the curtain, and let in the lush greenery of the mountains. “Recently, many talented young people have risen to prominence, and those who have become famous are as numerous as carp crossing a river.”

As far as I know, this year alone, more than three thousand poems and articles have been included in the temple.

Among them, Wen Guangchongxiao's policy essays numbered three, which was truly gratifying.

"Teacher, I have always wanted to know about the classification of poems and essays. I have asked some seniors before, but they all gave me only vague answers."

A pale-faced scholar asked.

Fang Xiaozong stood tall and elegant, and said in a clear voice, "This is simple."

The ink strokes begin to take shape, thoughts flow like a spring, the sound of gold and jade resonates, shaking mountains and rivers, and the light of literature soars to the sky.

Literature fosters morality, literature brings peace to the country, literature safeguards the nation's destiny, educates people in all directions, and literature carries the Way.

It is worth mentioning that the ultimate limit of poetry is its literary brilliance reaching the heavens.

The next five levels require exceptional writings and classic policy essays.

Of course, classical essays and policy proposals are not what you should be considering right now. Your literary skills are mostly at the stage of refining your words. Being able to write poems and lyrics with flowing inspiration is enough to make you proud.

"May I ask, sir, which of these recently renowned young talents do you admire most?"

“Canaan, Xuexiang.”

Emperor Xiaozong gently stroked his long beard.

"Canaan, Xue Xiang? Who is this person?"

"I think I've heard of it before, but I can't remember."

“I remember now, he had a nickname, Mr. Two-Fishing. I heard that he wrote two excellent poems about fishing, one of which is a line about fishing alone in the cold river snow, which captures the essence of coldness.”

“I also know this person. I have been appreciating his poem for more than a month, ‘The clouds remind me of her clothes, the flowers of her face.’”

"Even if this person is quite clever, it is not enough to make you so highly praise him. Jiannan Wang Andao published the New Yuefu Poetry Collection, which made ghosts cry and gods weep."

Xu Qi'an of Xiaoxiang composed three poems entitled "The Great Wind," depicting a white rainbow piercing the sun; could such a person not even meet the esteemed gentleman's standards?

Fang Xiaozong said, "Wang Andao and Xu Qi'an were certainly outstanding talents of their time, but their styles were relatively fixed."

Similar to Canaanite style, it has many variations and is generally of very high quality.

Such talent and ability cannot help but inspire admiration and praise.

"What you say is true, but as far as I know, Xue Xiang has not produced a single work that has reached the level of earth-shattering impact, while there are works by other people present who have achieved this level."

There is no absolute first place in literature; whenever the topic of poetry and prose competition comes up, writers will inevitably look down on each other.

Emperor Xiaozong smiled but remained silent.

Just then, the clear sky suddenly darkened, and strange phenomena appeared, soaring into the heavens.

"This is someone making a fuss, stirring up the literary atmosphere."

"No, could it be the work of a sage? Otherwise, how could such a strange phenomenon occur? The literary quality alone is not enough to sustain it."

"Wait, it seems to be smoothing out the literary energy. Could it be that somewhere forcibly activated the literary veins and the Heavenly Dao has fallen, causing chaos in the literary energy?"

"It must be so, otherwise there wouldn't be such abundant literary energy to support such a magnificent phenomenon."

"Could it be that a great figure from the academy has made a move? Look, there are unusual signs with inscriptions. Let us appreciate them together."

"When will the bright moon come? Ask the sky for wine..."

"A divine work, a divine work indeed! No wonder its literary brilliance soars to the heavens!"

"It is truly exquisite and unparalleled, with strict rules and regulations, as if it were a masterpiece created by nature, picked by a master by chance."

"The scholar in the strange vision, raising his cup to question the heavens, could he be the author's self-portrait? He is indeed exceptionally handsome, though perhaps a little too old..."

"...Yunmeng, Xue Xiang."

The author's name was even added at the end of the poem.

"Ah, another Xue Xiang has appeared, Xue Xiang from Yunmeng."

“Yunmeng is under the jurisdiction of Canaan County, and it must be Canaan Xue Xiang without a doubt.”

"How old is he to be able to create such a brilliant work?"

"What a waste! Such a magnificent and beautiful essay, instead of being used to make a name for itself in the imperial examination, it is being squandered here."

"Brother Feng, do you think everyone is like you? You never utter a word on ordinary days, saving it all for the exam, don't you?"

"Canaanxexiang's reputation is well-deserved."

"Sir, you truly have discerning eyes; I am completely convinced."

…………

Five thousand miles away, Jiannan Prefecture, its capital, Guangming County, and Guangming City.

Upstairs in Yuhua Building, a gentle breeze blows, and one can almost pluck the stars from the sky.

Under a clear blue sky, a woman in a yellow dress quietly turns the pages of a book. In a secluded spot, with her face bare, she radiates unparalleled beauty.

A thin loungewear piece of clothing perfectly accentuated her waist and hip curves.

With the chest binding loosened, her breasts appeared as if they were clustered together.

She rested her delicate hand on her beautifully shaped chin, flipping through a newsletter from the clouds, still damp with moisture.

Looking at the newspaper masthead, it's today.

She held a high position and was extremely wealthy.

Before parting, Xue gave her a copy of his manuscript "The Mortal World," worried that she would never see it again in Jiannan.

Little did she know, she possessed the Demon Blood Golden Eagle, capable of traversing 20,000 miles day and night. If she wanted to eat lotus root shoots from Yunmeng, she could get fresh ones, let alone a newspaper.

But she would not let down the students' kind intentions.

"Hey, you never come downstairs, Yuanjun, you've gained weight."

Xue Jian emerged from behind the brocade screen.

"what."

The woman in the yellow dress was startled. She quickly pinched her buttocks, then lifted her breasts, exhaled inwardly, glared at Xue Jian, and sneered, "You little brat, watch out!"

Xue Jian stuck out her red tongue. "Yuanjun, I think you read this 'Wrong Carriage, Right Groom' with more enthusiasm than 'Mortal World'."

The woman in the yellow dress said, "The novel 'Mortal World' is novel and full of fighting and killing, which I don't particularly like."

This piece, "Getting on the Wrong Bridegroom and Marrying the Right One," has the potential to be a masterpiece.

I really don't know how someone so young could come up with such a vivid and interesting plot.

Xue Jian laughed and said, "Some people are just born romantics."

I think Xue Langjun is just like that; otherwise, how could he have so delicately and subtly portrayed the feelings of a young woman in the book?

I wonder how he's doing in Yunmeng. Old Tu said last time that he seemed to be in trouble.

The woman in the yellow dress waved her hand, "It's alright, I've already sent a message to Elder Tu, asking him to keep an eye on Xue Xiang's stall for the time being."

"Old Master Tu is experienced and mature; he will surely be unharmed."

"Hey, why has the sky changed color?"

Xue Jian exclaimed, "Oh, look! It's Young Master Xue! How did Young Master Xue appear in the sky?"

"Wen Guang Chong Xiao, this, this is a huge mess."

The woman in the yellow dress was quick-witted and immediately grasped the essence of the problem. Her eyes were fixed on the mountain of words in the sky.

After looking at it, the woman in the yellow dress remained silent.

Xuejian murmured, "What a wonderful saying, 'May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, though separated by a thousand miles.'"

"My Lady, to whom is he speaking these two lines?"

The woman in the yellow dress had a rosy glow on her face. "Who knows? Don't ask such nonsense."

Xue Jian said, "There aren't many old friends who are now separated from Master Xue by thousands of miles."

"Begging for a beating."

The woman in the yellow dress had barely raised her hand when Xue Jian darted behind the brocade screen.

…………

Ten thousand miles away, high in the heavens, lies a sacred temple and celestial palace.

The Wen Dao Bell was struck by an invisible force, causing it to ring out repeatedly.

As soon as the Wen Dao Bell rang, several elders who were gathered in the Wen Yuan Pavilion of the Great Xia Divine Kingdom stopped talking and looked out the window.

Then strange phenomena appeared in the sky, and literary energy soared to the heavens.

"Ha, another masterpiece of literary talent has been produced. It's been about half a year since the last one."

"The vital energy comes from Canglan Prefecture, and another outstanding person has emerged from my hometown."

"This year's imperial examinations need to finalize the tiered system based on literary talent. We can't give those below too much autonomy, or things will become chaotic."

"I second that. It's time for the children to see blood too."

………………

The strange phenomenon in the sky above Suiyang Town lasted for more than a hundred breaths before it finally ended.

The turbulent atmosphere in the air dissipated completely.

Xue Xiang bowed to Ni Quanwen and the others, expressing his gratitude for their help.

"Kid, are you really not going to consider changing your student status?"

An elderly man with white hair and beard extended an invitation to Xue.

The people of Canglan Academy were furious.

If his previous attempts to poach Xue Xiang were mostly sarcastic, the white-haired old man's actions, after witnessing Xue Xiang's brilliant and outstanding poetry, were tantamount to provocation.

Since it was Canglan Academy's territory, all the big shots quickly moved away to avoid it.

Ni Quanwen, the magistrate of Canglan Academy, gently shook his white robe and stared at Xue Xiangdao, saying, "I hope you will behave yourself and remember today's lesson."

Having said that, he waved his sleeve and drifted away.

Immediately, everyone from Canglan Academy left, leaving only Xue Xiang behind.

"Once we arrive at the Wenxu Blessed Land, we'll see what you call me."

Xue Xiang thought to himself, "This is a bad thing."

The script was different from what he had envisioned.

He let Xie Haiya go first, just to make this a big show of things.

He had thought that the big shots at Canglan Academy would be vying to take him as a disciple and regard him as a rising star, but he never expected that they would just leave behind a couple of warnings and then disappear without a trace.

Although Xue Xiang was surprised, he had no time to linger here.

He rushed to Jiufen Mountain, where everyone he met congratulated him.

Clearly, an extraordinary phenomenon occurred, and everyone witnessed him raising his cup to question the heavens.

He didn't see Xie Haiya in the Plum Blossom Hall, but he received a letter from Xie Haiya asking him to wait in the Plum Blossom Hall.

Before half an incense stick had burned out, Xie Haiya returned, looking exhausted.

"Senior brother, how is Sister Mei?"

"Unexpectedly, she is a descendant of the Spirit Clan. To save you, she forcibly underwent a second mutation, almost successfully reverting to her ancestral form. Now, her spirit blood is coursing through her body, and the blood poison is piercing to the bone. This is a huge problem."

"Where is she? I need to see her."

“She refuses to see you, so I’ve placed her in an underground icy pool to temporarily suppress the poison in her blood. What girl doesn’t love beauty? Now that she’s like this, she’ll feel ashamed if you see her. No matter what you think, that’s what she will think.”

Xue Xiang was stunned and pounded his head hard.

Xie Haiya waved his hand, "You didn't do anything wrong either."

I know the whole story.

In that situation, you either continue investigating the case or hand over the credit to someone else.

If it were me, I would also risk going.

You can only say you were unlucky, kid. You stumbled upon the lair of the Witch God Cult on one expedition.

Fortunately, the ending was good. You destroyed the Earth Witch King Yama and dismantled the Witch God Cult's stronghold in Canglan Prefecture. Your contribution was considerable.

Xie Haiya was insightful and had a clear understanding of the overall situation.

Xue Xiangdao said, "The adults from the academy have come, but they were indifferent to me, which is quite strange."

Xie Haiya said, "What's so strange about that? The fact that they didn't get angry at you already proves that they value you."

"Why is this?"

"Your breaking of the seal and stamp has revitalized the declining literary tradition, causing irreversible damage to the literary monument of Canglan Prefecture. Regardless of your original intention, this is the fact."

Besides promoting Confucianism throughout the prefecture, the academy's more important task was to stabilize the literary tradition and safeguard the prefecture's cultural heritage.

As he spoke, Xie Haiya handed Xue Xiang a cup of tea, saying, "They won't like any actions that harm the Wendao Stele."

If it weren't for your extraordinary talent at the last moment, creating a brilliant and inspiring poem that calmed the chaotic literary atmosphere and restored the natural order of literature, the academy might have even punished you.

You're already legendary enough, kid. As far as I know, no one has dared to break a seal or stamp in the last thirty years.

You've broken a record.

"grown ups."

Tong Shouhu suddenly rushed in, "The Lord's personal guards are leading a team to break in and arrest people. I can't stop them any longer."

"Wait a minute, Master Si? Arrest people? Explain yourself."

Xie Haiya said coldly.

"It was the First Division Chief Fan Yuanchen who ordered his personal guards to come and arrest Chief Xue."

No sooner had Tong Shouhu finished speaking than a white-clad armored soldier led a group of soldiers in, barging in menacingly.

The white-clad armored soldier announced in a loud voice, "Is this the Venerable Xie? I am Chao Bei, the chief bodyguard of Venerable Fan, the First Division Chief of Canglan Prefecture. I have been summoned by Venerable Fan to summon Xue Xiang for questioning."

"Where should we question them? And why?"

Xie Haiya was completely confused.

Regardless, Xue Xiang has made a contribution, so what is Fan Yuanchen up to?
Although he was somewhat confident, he couldn't help but worry.

Fan Yuanchen's position is too high; he is a fourth-rank Immortal Talisman.

According to the Great Xia Divine Kingdom's system, the hierarchical structure is as follows:
Central government, state, prefecture, city, town.

The highest-ranking government office in the central government was the Wenyuan Pavilion, where the Grand Secretaries jointly managed the major affairs of state, and the emperor ruled with an air of nonchalance.

At the state level, each state has a governor and a department-level office.

Below that is the prefecture, which has a prefecture lord, and each prefecture has a hall-level government office.

Below that is the city, and each city has a city magistrate, and each city has a court-level government office.

The lowest level is the town, which has a town magistrate, and each town has an office at the sub-provincial level.

Upon closer examination of the system, Xue Xiang, as the section chief, is utterly incompetent and doesn't even deserve a magic talisman.

Gao was a town-level official, and should have been qualified to receive the lowest-level tenth-grade immortal talisman, but he was just an agent and still didn't have one.

Specifically, Xie Haiya's original position was a ninth-grade immortal talisman. Only after being granted the city-level seal was he granted the title of eighth-grade immortal talisman.

City Magistrate Wei Yang is a genuine seventh-rank Immortal Talisman.

Fan Yuanchen, as a high-ranking official in Canglan Prefecture, is on the same level as the Prefect of Canaan County. His personal guards are used to seeing high-ranking officials from prefectures and counties, so they naturally have the right to look down on Xie Haiya.

"The reason for arresting people is not something you should know, but I can tell you the location: the headquarters."

Chao Bei waved his hand, and two armored soldiers stepped forward and seized Xue Xiang.

Xie Haiya gestured to Xue Xiang not to act impulsively. Xue Xiang knew perfectly well that if he dared to fight against Yama, it would be justice judging evil.

But right now, it's the system's power that's strangling us; using force would be suicide.

He could only let the two of them hold him.

Half an hour later, Xue Xiang was taken to the special office, a place located more than ten miles west of the Suiyang Town wharf.

At that time, the Eleventh Bureau, which was under Xue Xiang's control, contributed a great deal to the construction of this special headquarters.

A few days ago, the official headquarters was disbanded, and some merchants even set their sights on the site, wanting to rent it out.

Unexpectedly, before the military headquarters could even be rented out, it has now become the core of a major military pay scandal.

Not far from the headquarters were mountains and forests, with towering metasequoia trees that would fetch a high price if transported from Yunmeng to the capital.

But near Suiyang Ferry, things could be cut down or built up just as easily.

The council hall, constructed entirely of wood, is incredibly spacious, large enough for horses to gallop across.

The council hall is lined with rows of barracks, which are now almost full of people.

Fan Yuanchen made a huge commotion. His official rank was too high, so when he came down to the local area, officials from the prefecture and the city had to accompany him.

Not only must the chief official of the relevant department accompany him, but also the relevant department under Fan Yuanchen's supervision.

For example, Song Kuan, the head of the First Hall of Canaan County, and Zhao Jing, the head of the First Academy of Yunmeng City, both came with the team.

In addition, Wang Wei, the Assistant Magistrate of Canaan County, Wei Yang, the Magistrate of Yunmeng City, Zhong Bei, the General Flag Officer of the Garrison in Yunmeng, and the main and secondary responsible persons of the relevant government departments involved in the case all came.

When Xue Xiang arrived, it was already night. In the spacious council hall, dozens of chairs were lined up in a row, and seven or eight luminous pearls adorned the four directions, illuminating every detail in the hall.

(End of this chapter)