I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 130 Treasure Hunt
With Mr. Fan's cooperation, the process of entering the teleportation array went smoothly.

With a flash of light, Xue Xiang returned to the Military Equipment Hall.

Returning to the same place, Xue Xiang was as familiar with the place as ever.

All the candidates ahead of him had completed their exchanges, leaving the entire Armory Hall empty.

Xue Xiang stepped inside.

The air inside the hall was a few degrees colder than outside, carrying the scent of elixirs and minerals.

Nine luminous pearls hanging high illuminated the entire hall as if it were daytime.

Around the walls, rows of jade shelves were arranged, each displaying a shimmering light and holding a treasure, as if it were sealed within a galaxy.

There was a flying sword, about three feet long, with a dazzling light. Its blade trembled slightly, as if it could pierce the sky at any moment.

It had jet-black armor, with shimmering spiritual patterns on its back, as if a protective aura was hidden within.

There are also jade boxes, ancient bamboo slips, and brocade pouches, some containing elixirs, others treasured talismans.

In the center of the ground, a wide bluestone path leads to the end of the hall.

At the end, a deacon in a green robe sat quietly behind a long table, with a dusty jade tablet beside him.

His expression was indifferent, like a face carved in stone, completely unmoved.

Xue Xiang stepped onto the last stone step and bowed deeply.

The green-robed deacon raised his eyelids, his gaze sweeping over him like a sharp blade, and spoke calmly:
"All the results obtained by the examinees will be placed on the jade plate and calculated by the formation."

Before the table was a round jade plate, its white jade warm and lustrous, with a shimmering light flowing across it, like ripples on the surface of water.

Xue Xiang took a deep breath and flicked his sleeves.

Instantly, two black crystal cores, one purple crystal core, the Monkey King's golden sword tentacles, the remains of the Blood Lion and the Azure Scale Thunder Crane, and a hundred white crystal cores all fell into the array of light emanating from the jade plate.

The previously indifferent-looking deacon in the green robe was startled and stood up. "The leader is indeed the leader. Others are undergoing trials, but you look like you're going to buy goods."

The light screen lit up instantly, and runes, like ancient dragons awakened, spiraled upwards.

On the jade plate, a black crystal core floated up, the array hummed, and golden light patterns engraved the number "fifty".

The second black crystal core followed closely behind, also revealing the number "fifty".

Immediately afterwards, a purple crystal core rose up, and a dark purple light suddenly exploded, as deep as a galaxy, even dimming the nine luminous pearls.

The array hummed incessantly, as if thunder was surging within it, and it took a full three breaths for the fluctuations to stabilize.

The number began to climb rapidly, eventually settling at five hundred.

Immediately afterwards, a hundred cyan crystal cores, the Monkey King's corpse, the golden sword tentacles, and the remains of the Blood Lion and the Azure Scaled Thunder Crane rose to the surface one by one.

The formation emitted light like flowing water, and the numbers rose continuously, eventually increasing by 207 points.

The final score was 807 points.

Immediately, the 807 digits were illuminated and disappeared into the talisman ring.

"Candidates can enter and choose freely. Each item is marked with a score, so candidates can choose according to their score."

The green-robed deacon spoke loudly.

Xue Xiang bowed in thanks, then slowly moved to the jade disc and began to examine it closely.

Soon, he set his sights on a purple-gold storage ring.

The ring face is simple and unadorned, with interlocking spiritual patterns on the inner wall.

Next to the ring was a card: Storage Ring, 200 points, with a built-in space of one zhang in diameter.

Xue Xiang felt a pang of toothache, thinking it was too expensive, but his heart was itching with desire.

During my time in the Trial Realm, I kept a document ring with me, which made storing and keeping things very convenient.

Having driven a private car, I ultimately don't want to walk to distant places anymore.

He didn't rush to exchange the currency, but instead continued looking ahead.

Soon, he set his sights on the Yuan Burst Beads.

Three white jade beads hung quietly in the jade holder, their surfaces resembling ice but not quite, yet within them surging spiritual energy like thunder.

A sign nearby read: "Built-in high-explosive array; explosive power sufficient to severely injure a Core Formation expert; 150 points per piece."

"Good stuff, I'll take two, high and low."

Xue Xiang secretly made a mental note of it and continued wandering around.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on a celadon box.

The box was half-open, and inside lay three warm, jade-like pills.

The surface of the elixir was as smooth as cream or as white as snow, with a faint glimmer of light.

The small sign next to the table clearly reads: "Youth Preservation Pill: The main ingredients are thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum, Tianshan snow lotus, and golden dew Ganoderma lucidum, supplemented with a variety of fragrant ingredients."

Taking it can preserve one's youthful appearance for thirty years, making one's face ageless;
For practitioners, taking it can strengthen their foundation, clear their mind, and delay the decline of their vital energy and blood.

Price: Two hundred cents.

"This thing is great, how can it be so expensive? It's outrageous."

Xue Xiang clicked his tongue in amazement; he really wanted to buy one and give it to Liu Mei.

But the price made him hesitate.

He had secretly calculated that the crystal core could directly enhance literary talent, and its value was immeasurable.

He knew that items obtained from the training grounds would be discounted when exchanged at the Armory Hall, but he didn't expect the discount to be so outrageous.

Before long, he stared at a jade box with red and gold patterns, inside which lay several pills, their color a mixture of red and gold, exuding wisps of faint spiritual energy.

The plaque next to it clearly reads: "Foundation Building Pill. Made with the essence of the spiritual spring, a hundred-year-old dragon blood grass, seven-flame elixir heart fruit, and refined through nine cycles of fire."

Those who consume it can help condense their vital energy in their dantian and build the foundation for immortality.

Price: 1200 cents.

Xue Xiang gasped in shock; this person clearly had no intention of having someone switch places with them.

He had long heard of the fame of the Foundation Establishment Pill.

After reaching the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, what all cultivators yearn for most is Foundation Establishment.

There are many preparations to be made for Foundation Establishment. In addition to finding a suitable location for Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment Pills become an essential item.

Although there is a Wenxu Platform with the function of breaking through realms within Xue Xiang's Wenxu Blessed Land.

However, the Wenxu Platform can only help break through minor realms. The leap from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, a major realm, involves changes in all aspects of the physical body and soul, and must be supplemented with divine pills such as Foundation Establishment Pills.

The effect of Wenxu Terrace on breaking through realms is negligible.

The user manual inside the Wenxu Terrace provides a very detailed explanation of this point.

Xue Xiang had been eyeing the Foundation Establishment Pill for a long time, but he didn't expect the price to be so outrageous.

Moreover, as far as he knew, the worse one's spiritual root aptitude, the more Foundation Establishment Pills one would need during Foundation Establishment.

If there is not enough Foundation Establishment Pills during Foundation Establishment, there is a high probability that the Foundation Establishment will fail.

If the foundation building fails, the path to immortality is interrupted.

Xue Xiang stared greedily at the Foundation Establishment Pill for a long time, but in the end, he could only leave disappointed.

"No rush, take your time looking around. You're the last one anyway."

The green-robed steward comforted him.

Upon hearing this, Xue Xiang was taken aback.

With so many treasures, how long will it take me to see them all?

With professionals here, why bother going to great lengths?

Xue Xiang then walked towards the green-robed steward, and upon approaching him, cupped his hands and said, "I would be grateful if you could give me some guidance."

As he spoke, Xue Xiang slipped a bead, as smooth as if polished by moonlight, from his sleeve and quietly rolled it onto the desk of the green-robed steward.

"Oh, fellow Daoist, you dropped something."

Xue Xiang said with a smile.

The green-robed deacon's fingertips trembled slightly; he could hardly believe his eyes.

"The Rejuvenation Pill, what a generous offer! This one pill is worth a year's salary of mine."

He was startled and quickly withdrew his Yuan Dan. When he looked at Xue Xiang again, he felt that Xue Xiang was kind and friendly. "Look at me, I was just so careless. Come, come, sit down and let's talk."

The steward in the green robe dragged over a chair and invited Xue Xiang to sit down.

Xue Xiang's heart was bleeding. If he could, he would give away ten spirit stones rather than part with the Rejuvenation Pill.

This elixir is a truly rare commodity; in the market, it is always available but never sold.

But now that he is in the examination hall, he has not brought any of his personal belongings.

This is the only thing you can use to give as a gift.

"What are your thoughts on the treasures in the Armory?"

The green-robed steward takes money and gets things done, getting straight to the point.

Xue Xiang cupped his hands in greeting, "I was just about to ask you for guidance, fellow Daoist."

"What do you lack most? Defense, offense, or resources for advancing?"

"They are all lacking."

The green-robed deacon chuckled, "Since you're short of everything, I'm afraid your nine hundred points won't be enough to cover everything."

In my opinion, we should concentrate our efforts on purchasing scarce resources that are almost never available from the outside world.

Xue Xiang paused for a moment, then acknowledged the green-robed steward's analysis.

He wanted too much: storage rings, youth-preserving pills, Yuan-exploding beads, and a lot of talismans.

With his limited points, it's impossible for him to manage both.

"Please give me some advice, fellow Taoist."

Xue humbly sought advice.

The green-robed steward nodded slightly. "It's not easy to get in here. If you trust me, go and retrieve the Poet Demon Sword's Heart."

As he spoke, the green-robed steward led him to a jade shelf, where a round ball was placed, and a plaque next to it read: "Sword Courage, 800 points."

Its specific function was not specified. This sphere was slightly smaller than an infant's fist, yet its shape was as round as a heart or gallbladder.

It was completely black, so black that it seemed to have swallowed up the light of the nine luminous pearls.

Upon closer inspection, in the depths of darkness, an extremely thin thread of light swirls and wanders, like a stream of stars trapped in a vortex in the night sky, occasionally flashing a sharp glint, as if about to burst forth.

The voice of the green-robed deacon slowly rose, as if recounting the history of an old object:

"This gall bladder is the essence of the soul left behind by Yang Chaotian, the Poet Demon, a hundred years ago."

That poetic genius was soaring in talent that he used poetry to forge swords and his spirit to create sharp edges.

Even after death, the sword's intent remains, and the soul is united to form this courage.

The sword's spirit has form but no form; whoever possesses it can make it sharp with a mere thought, ever-changing and supremely sharp.

As he spoke, he opened the jade shelf, took out the sword core, and handed it to Xue Xiang.

The touch was warm. With a thought, Xue Xiang's sword spirit flowed out and transformed into a long sword, as clear as autumn water, with a faint cold light.

His thoughts shifted again, and his sword spirit transformed into a long hook.

With another thought, the sword's courage continued to extend, eventually transforming into a ten-zhang-long rope.

"Good baby."

Xue Xiang was overjoyed, "This item is extremely mysterious, why is it only priced at eight hundred?"

The green-robed steward said, "The Poet Demon's sword spirit has countless applications, but this sword spirit is entirely nourished by talent."

Without sufficient nourishment of talent, it will only weaken day by day.

Talent is extremely scarce for ordinary people; they'd rather save it to refine into literary energy than use it to nourish a swordsman's courage.

"It is only because you, Xue Kuishou, are like a poet immortal banished to the mortal realm, that I dare to recommend this treasure."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist. I'll take this sword spirit."

As he spoke, Xue Xiang focused his mind into the document ring, and soon, streams of light flowed out.

His points have decreased by 800, leaving him with just over 100.

Seeing that Xue Xiang had finished exchanging the pills, the green-robed steward secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he had finally put in some effort and hadn't taken the Rejuvenation Pill for nothing.

Next, with the remaining hundred-plus points, Xue Xiang exchanged them for a jade buckle under the guidance of the green-robed steward.

This is a palm-sized jade buckle with a warm and lustrous color. The surface of the jade is carved with extremely fine palindromic patterns, resembling spreading ripples.

The openwork design seems to reflect light and shadow, revealing a silent spirituality.

"This buckle is called 'Shadow and Sound'. Wear it on your clothes and it can capture images and sounds whenever you think of something."

The green-robed steward slowly introduced, "This item was crafted by a master who was skilled in illusion arrays. He was not good at fighting, but only curious about the world and human affairs. He used this item to collect information and record events, and all the sounds and images of all things were contained within it."

One hundred points can be redeemed for other things, but in my opinion, this item is extremely rare and has some useful applications.

Even if you don't use it yourself after exchanging it, you can still make a profit by reselling it.

Little did the green-robed steward know that in Xue Xiang's eyes, this image and sound clasp, capable of preserving images and sounds, was a hundred times more important than a storage ring or a Yuan Explosion Bead.

With the county examination over, his next step is undoubtedly to enter officialdom.

In the treacherous world of officialdom, having a secret weapon as a trump card will significantly reduce the probability of being plotted against.

Opportunities to plot against others have increased dramatically.

After exchanging the items, Xue thanked the green-robed steward and returned to the examination hall via the teleportation array.

The examination hall was already open, and all the candidates had left, leaving only Wei Wendao and a few other students from Yunmeng waiting for him.

After leaving the examination hall, the group returned to the inn to rest for the night before heading back to Yunmeng the next day.

………………

The fog had not yet lifted in the early morning.

The streets and alleys of Yunmeng City are like a traditional Chinese ink painting just beginning to unfold in the morning light, so quiet that only the occasional crowing of roosters can be heard from afar.

Suddenly, a rapid sound of galloping hooves came from the west of the city.

Iron hooves pounded the ground, the mist swirled, shattering the tranquility of the entire street.

At the Xue family mansion, everyone was up very early.

The candlelight flickered in the hall, and even the air seemed to be filled with a sense of anticipation.

Madam Xue sat in the armchair, fiddling with a string of prayer beads in her hand, her fingers repeatedly pinching them together, her brow furrowed, her gaze frequently drifting towards the door.

Liu Mei knelt beside her, her hands clasped together, her fingertips already white from being gripped so tightly.

Xiao Wan patted her shoulder gently, but she was full of confidence.

Fan Youyi, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, paced back and forth at the kitchen doorway.

Although Xiao Shi was young, he sat upright like an adult, but his eyes were fixed on the doorway, his pupils filled with anxiety.

Xue Xiang's maternal uncle, Song Yuan, and aunt, Zhang, arrived early with their children.

"Honey, I hope Xiao Xiang won't cause any trouble this time."

Zhang lowered her voice and said, "I've heard people say that the county exam is ten times harder than the city exam. It's common for the top ten in the city exam to fail the county exam."

What was Xiao Xiangcheng's ranking again? I don't think he made it into the top ten, right?

"shut up!"

Song Yuan said in a low voice, "Xiao Xiang's talent is beyond the comprehension of a fool like you."

These days, the Song and Yuan dynasties are truly shaking.

It is said that a father's status rises because of his son, but his status rose because of his nephew.

Not only did he get a promotion, becoming a squad leader in the police force, but he also got a permanent position.

Within Yunmeng City, he was already a respected Master Song.

He knew all too well whose halo he was borrowing.

More than anyone else, he longed for Xue Xiang to take things a step further.

Zhang nodded and dared not retort.

During this period, she was truly insecure, fearing that she might anger Song Yuan and cause him to take another concubine.

In the corner, Song Xiaoyuan twisted her handkerchief into a crumpled ball and muttered to herself, praying that all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens would bless Xue Xiangshun.

Song Zijie couldn't sit still at all. He kept going back and forth between the main room and the courtyard, wishing he could rush to Yong'an City and copy the list back himself.

As everyone waited anxiously, the fog outside was gradually cleared by the sunlight, and the sound of horses' hooves grew closer.

Zhang suddenly held her breath and whispered, "Could it be good news?"

Upon hearing this, everyone rushed towards the door.

The next moment, accompanied by a crisp "clattering" sound, a group of knights in blue uniforms stopped in front of the Xue family's gate.

The lead knight dismounted and stood outside the gate, his voice booming like a bell: "Good news! Master Xue of Yunmeng has achieved the top score in the county examination, ranking first!"

A short sentence, like a thunderbolt!

The courtyard fell silent for a moment, then erupted in chaos.

"I won! First place, first place..."

Song Zijie was the first to jump up, his voice cracking as he shouted.

Zhang covered her mouth, unsure whether to be happy or worried.

A sudden glint of tears flashed in Xue's mother's eyes, as if she had finally caught her breath and exhaled it all at once, leaving her swaying precariously.

"Mistress".

Liu Mei and Xiao Wan quickly helped her up, their eyes brimming with tears.

Fan Youyi excitedly brandished the spatula, took off his apron, and rushed into the yard.

Xiao Shi jumped up and down like a little firecracker, shouting, "Big brother, you won! You won!"

"Fire off the cannons! Fire off the cannons!"

Song Yuan shouted loudly, and the patrol team members who had been lying in ambush outside dragged over several large carts of firecrackers.

Just as Liu Mei finished giving the reward money to the team announcing the good news, firecrackers started going off.

Red paper flowers fluttered in the air, like a sudden, crimson snowfall.

The entire street was startled by this sudden joy, and neighbors all peeked out.

Then, a massive influx of people surged in from all directions.

"My goodness! Lord Xue has won first place!"

"I knew that Lord Xue was a literary star incarnate, but I never expected him to have such good fortune."

"Quickly, let's go offer our congratulations!"

In an instant, the entrance to the Xue family's residence was packed with people, with gongs and drums beating loudly, and laughter and exclamations filling the air.

Before long, an even more imposing cavalry caravan slowly approached from the street corner.

Knights lined up on both sides, with brocade banners fluttering in the wind in front, the words "Yunmeng" embroidered in gold thread.

The crowd scattered in a panic.

It turned out that Wei Yang, the magistrate of Yunmeng City, had personally led the team here!

Wei Yang dismounted, a broad smile on his face, holding a large gilded plaque with the four characters "Light of Yunmeng" written in a bold, flowing script.

"Xue Xiang is the top scholar in the county, and the whole city is honored by his achievement. I have come to offer my congratulations!"

The accompanying officials carried various gift boxes, which were neatly placed in front of the hall, forming a long row.

Song Yuan was terrified. He had never seen a city magistrate before. He stood there dumbfounded, like a wooden chicken.

However, Xue's mother remained composed and greeted Wei Yang with proper etiquette.

The sound of firecrackers echoed throughout the city, and the sound of gongs and drums was deafening.

Amidst the bustling crowd, the golden plaque bearing the inscription "Light of Yunmeng" was held high, gleaming in the sunlight.

On this day, the brightly colored paper flowers in front of the Xue family's gate seemed to stretch all the way to the horizon.

(End of this chapter)