I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 175 A Few Things About the Academy

A night breeze blows, and the lights on the lake gradually fade into the distance.

Zhao Huanhuan was half-pushed and half-pulled out of Lanyuan Villa by Xue Xiang. Suddenly, she stopped, leaned against the railing, and blinked her beautiful eyes, saying:
"Lord Xue, I can't walk anymore, my legs are too weak from fright."

She opened her arms, her expression a mixture of grievance and mischief.

Xue Xiang knew she was using seductive tricks, but he didn't feel disgusted; instead, he found her charming and adorable.

He lowered himself down, and Zhao Huanhuan cheered and jumped onto his back.

They hadn't walked more than a few steps when a horse-drawn carriage slowly passed by in front of them.

The carriage was painted dark blue, with a brocade canopy and lanterns hanging on both sides, illuminating the sign that read: "Rental Carriage".

Xue Xiang hurriedly called to the driver. Zhao Huanhuan twisted her back in dissatisfaction and looked at Xue Xiang from the side. She saw that his handsome face was flushed red, and even his eyes were red.

She couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, letting him walk towards the carriage.

These types of rental cars were specifically for outings and pleasure trips, and were mostly rented by scholars.

Therefore, the price is quite high, and the interior is also quite elaborate.

The carriage, four feet wide and over ten feet long, was lined with thick, soft mattresses. The walls were inlaid with pear wood, carved with swirling clouds and floral patterns. The lights outside the windows shimmered through the patterns, casting dappled shadows.

Sitting inside feels like being cut off from the hustle and bustle of the world, with only gentle rocking and the soft light remaining.

"Sit down."

Xue Xiang helped her to sit against the carriage seat.

Zhao Huanhuan tilted her head back and touched his cheek with her delicate hand, "My lord, why is your face so red and hot?"

Xue Xiang glared at her, and Zhao Huanhuan giggled, leaning close to his ear and whispering, "It seems our Lord Xue isn't such a clueless blockhead after all."

"Stop talking nonsense. I knew I shouldn't have brought you along."

"You wouldn't take me with you, and you'd just let others bully them. Would you be willing to do that?"

As she spoke, she straddled him.

"Sir, we've arrived."

The coachman's voice came from behind.

“Take another walk around Ink Lake.”

Xue Xiang leaned his head out of the window.

…………

Five days have passed in the blink of an eye, and the day to report to Canglan Academy is getting closer and closer.

In the past few days, Xue Xiang, besides indulging in revelry with Sect Leader Zhao, hasn't forgotten his serious business.

His main task, besides continuing to draw spirits into his body, was to thoroughly understand the ancient runes that could break the restrictions of storage rings and to develop his own secret techniques.

As the restrictions on storage treasures were broken one by one, Xue Xiang's smile grew wider and wider.

Apart from keeping the extremely valuable resources for his own use, Xue Xiang entrusted Zhao Huanhuan to bring in Dong Jiacun, the head of the United Business Association, and put the remaining resources up for auction at the United Business Association's auction.

In this way, they can both expand the influence of the United Trading Company and get a good price.

It's worth mentioning that the ancient ring exchanged from Yunmeng Academy was immune to the ancient patterns and remained completely unmoved.

This left Xue Xiang scratching his head, and he became increasingly curious about what was hidden inside that ancient ring.

On the sixth day, Xue Xiang came to Wenxu Blessed Land, visited the still-sleeping baby, and then bid farewell to Zhao Huanhuan before returning to Yunmeng.

After spending two days with his mother in Yunmeng, he summoned Wenshan and Chengbei and instructed them to take turns guarding the vicinity of his home.

After arranging everything, Xue Xiang rushed to Canglan Academy.

…………

Canglan Prefecture, Canglan Mountain Range.

A towering green peak pierces the sky, and a white jade academy hangs atop the mountain, its vermilion eaves reflecting the sunset, and auspicious clouds transforming into dragons.

Before the nine-tiered steps, ancient steles are engraved with the maxims of sages, and golden lists hang in the air, each word shining brightly.

As the crane's shadow swept across the sky, the bell tolled three times, its resounding Confucian chants echoing across the mountains and rivers.

This white jade academy is the famous Canglan Academy, which is in charge of the imperial examinations in Canglan Prefecture.

At this moment, on a mountain wall three hundred feet away from the White Jade Academy, a cave dwelling was carved out. Inside the cave dwelling, there was a table and a futon, and the bright sunlight shone in and shone on Xue Xiang.

He sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed, and with a thought, a wisp of fire appeared at his fingertips.

The flame was initially no bigger than a bean, pale yellow in color, flickering like a candle flame in the wind.

His mind raced again, and the flame suddenly lengthened, eventually condensing into a thin line of fire, like a snake flicking its tongue, winding through the air.

The fire line twisted and swayed, sometimes shrinking into a ball of fire, sometimes spreading its wings of flame, as if trying to break through the cave ceiling.

However, once the fire grew too intense, it became difficult to tame. With a loud bang, the flames exploded, igniting a corner of the prayer mat.

Xue Xiang reached out and wiped his hand, and the spiritual energy transformed into a gentle breeze, dispersing the remaining flames.

As the firelight died down, the cave returned to silence, leaving only a blackened corner on the prayer mat.

"The art of fire control may seem simple, but in reality, the fire in one's heart is difficult to tame."

He muttered to himself, a thin layer of sweat already beading on his forehead.

He has now been at Canglan Academy for over a month.

When he first arrived, Wei Fan secretly met with him on behalf of the academy's higher-ups and instructed him to change his name and settle down at the academy for a while.

Xue Xiang thought of the protagonist in the mortal realm, so he changed his name to Xu Yi and settled down in the academy.

In addition to being responsible for the scientific examinations of a prefecture, Canglan Academy has two other major functions.

Firstly, he taught Confucian scholars basic cultivation methods.

Secondly, the training and improvement of the ideological awareness of grassroots officials is, frankly speaking, similar to the responsibilities of a certain school.

Although Xue Xiang had suddenly entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, his knowledge of basic immortal techniques was extremely limited.

Now, studying at Canglan Academy is the perfect way to make up for this shortcoming.

He went to the magic hall every day to listen to lectures, and was especially keen to study the magic of the Five Elements.

The unparalleled Dao Foundation played a crucial role at this time.

Despite his failure in learning basic fire control techniques, this was actually his first attempt at fire magic.

If a renowned teacher were here, they would surely be astonished by his terrifying learning ability.

In fact, Xue Xiang has now mastered the Ice Spike Technique and the Earth Splitting Technique.

With his unparalleled foundation in Dao, he clearly has a natural advantage in cultivating the Five Elements techniques.

He mastered these basic techniques with remarkable ease.

Of course, he practiced these basic Five Elements techniques not to prepare for future battles, but purely to understand and master the power of the Five Elements.

Because besides literary energy, the power of the five elements is also the fundamental power of this world.

In addition to learning these basic techniques, he was also arranged to attend a class on official ethics, which mainly focused on popularizing the law, respecting superiors, and gratitude.

Xue Xiang showed little interest, but was extremely interested in the large library of Canglan Academy.

Aside from cultivating, he usually immersed himself in it.

In addition, he has conquered more than a dozen ancient patterns in recent days.

The more ancient runes he conquered, the more mysterious will emanating from them he received in his mind, and the deeper his understanding of them became.

Now, he can draw some purification spells and wind-summoning spells in the air.

However, they do not yet have the ability to create talismans or formations.

Xue Xiang had limited energy and never considered developing in these areas.

Although he temporarily settled in Canglan Academy and lived a peaceful and carefree life, his goal remained extremely clear.

First, to prepare for the imperial examinations two and a half years later.

Strictly speaking, the imperial examinations of the Qing Dynasty only had three levels: Xiushi, Jushi, and Jinshi.

As for city students and county students, they were merely a prelude to the imperial examinations.

Only by passing the examination for the title of Xiushi can one truly achieve fame and be recorded in history.

Moreover, the upward channel will truly open up.

Otherwise, given his status as a county student, a ninth-grade immortal talisman would almost certainly be the ceiling for promotion.

To achieve another breakthrough, one must go to the north, where the borders are being opened up, new regulations are being established, and there is still room for further migration.

Second, achieve a breakthrough in the initial stage of sentence context.

To achieve the initial stage of sentence construction, one must rely on the literary stele hidden deep within the academy.

Xue Xiang found out that there were still three months before the Wendao Stele would open to the public.

Third, once he reaches the realm of casting sentences, he plans to go to the North.

1. To achieve a breakthrough in official position.

2. Hunting living demons and capturing their cores is the only way for him to quickly advance his cultivation level.

After figuring things out, Xue Xiang washed up and headed to the cafeteria.

Even if he achieved great success in his cultivation, he would not want to live the life of fasting.

Arriving at the canteen, it was lunchtime. I got two jin of spirit rice and three bowls of meat and vegetables, and was about to find a corner to sit down when I suddenly saw a familiar face sitting in front of me.

It was Xu Yifan, whom Xue Xiang had bought cultivation knowledge from at the Feiyu Trading Company after returning from the Demonic Land. At that time, Xue Xiang knew that Xu Yifan was from the Academy. When he first arrived at the Academy, Xue Xiang had asked around about him, but to no avail.

I never expected to see you here today.

During his time studying at the academy, Xue Xiang lived in seclusion, focusing solely on cultivation and reading. He hadn't really interacted with anyone much, but when he encountered an acquaintance, he found himself more inclined to talk.

Xue Xiang sat down opposite him and said with a smile, "So it's Brother Xu, long time no see."

Xu Yifan looked up, his expression indifferent, and continued eating his rice.

Xue Xiang was stunned for a moment before he remembered that he had met Xu Yifan wearing a fake leather mask that day, so it was normal that Xu Yifan didn't recognize him.

He mentioned Feiyu Trading Company briefly, but Xu Yifan remained indifferent, saying, "Since we're talking about Feiyu Trading Company, you must know my rules."

You give me money, I sell you knowledge, and that's it.

Xue Xiang then realized that he had encountered a weirdo.

Upon reflection, he understood; there was really no need for the other person to exchange pleasantries with him.

At that moment, he didn't want to be met with indifference, so he ate his meal quietly.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the cafeteria, with many people moving around.

Even Xu Yifan was tidying up the table to his left.

Just as someone finished eating and left, some rice grains were left on the table, which Xu Yifan quickly cleaned up.

Xue Xiang followed the sound and saw a beautiful woman in palace attire carrying a tray. Her hair was loosely tied up, her chest was full and her hips were pert. She had a slender waist and long legs. Her skin was radiant in her plain clothes and skirt. She was elegant and graceful.

Xue Xiang looked at her more and more, and after staring at her for a few moments, he finally recognized her as Song Tingfang.

She had changed her appearance and looked so beautiful that Xue Xiang was almost in a daze. She was completely different from the girl next door who used to play mahjong and eat hot pot at home.

"They're here, they're here..."

Xu Yifan muttered to himself, then suddenly nudged Xue Xiang's arm, "Hurry up and move aside, I'll give you a quarter of an hour for free Q&A, quick, quick..."

"Brother Xu, you won't go back on your word, will you?"

Xue Xiang smiled.

"Are you kidding me? Hurry up, half an hour should be enough."

Xu Yifan grew increasingly nervous because he noticed Song Tingfang walking towards them.

"receive."

Xue Xiang picked up his plate and moved to another empty seat.

Xu Yifan was overwhelmed with excitement. He could already smell the subtle fragrance on Song Tingfang's body, and he couldn't help but think to himself, "It must be my talent that has finally moved this ice beauty. Heaven has eyes..."

Finally, when Song Tingfang appeared three steps in front of him, Xu Yifan stood up, "Song..."

Just as he was about to call out, Song Tingfang sat down at the table next to him, right across from Xue Xiang.

Instantly, many people in the cafeteria inquired about Xue Xiang's identity, but couldn't get any answers.

"Why is my senior brother here too?"

Xue Xiang placed the boundary seal on the dining table openly and used his mind to set the size of the barrier, which was just right for him and Song Tingfang to be inside.

"Although I am a woman, I have been to the land of demons and gathered my literary energy there. As the representative of the Tongjiang School in Canglan Prefecture, is it strange that I am here?"

Song Tingfang asked, "I heard you've been here for quite some time now. Have you made any progress?"

Xue Xiang nodded. "I've learned a great deal. Has Sister Zhiwei written to you?"

He and Liu Zhiwei had agreed that Liu Zhiwei would write to him every two weeks to let him know she was safe.

Although he could not reply to letters, he continued to receive letters from Liu Zhiwei.

Song Tingfang said, "You don't need to worry too much about Zhiwei. She is far more powerful than you imagine."

What level of literary skill have you reached now?

"The third stage of word formation is about to be completed."

Xue Xiang felt no need to conceal his strength from Song Tingfang.

Song Tingfang's eyes lit up. "So, you also intend to contemplate the Literary Dao Stele three months from now?"

"of course."

Xue Xiang ate his rice while talking, quite quickly.

"What's the rush? You look like a starving ghost. Perfect timing, Master Zhou gave me too much, I'll give you some so it won't go to waste."

Song Tingfang transferred two-thirds of the spiritual rice, vegetables, and chicken leg from her plate to Xue Xiang's plate.

She did it so confidently, little did she know it would shock everyone.

"How many credits have you accumulated? The rankings will be announced at the end of the month, and I didn't see your name in the top 100."

Song Tingfang picked at the grains of rice in her plate, speaking casually.

"Credits? What are those?"

Xue Xiang was stunned.

Since entering Canglan Academy, in addition to studying the Five Elements Techniques, he has been researching ancient runes and drawing spiritual energy into his body.

He devoted the rest of his time and all his energy to the Great Library.

I know nothing about anything else, and I don't ask anything else.

Song Tingfang's almond-shaped eyes widened and her red lips parted, "What are you doing? What do you think the Literary Dao Stele is?"
Throughout history, there have been no more than 108 steles bearing the words and deeds of sages.

It contains the supreme artistic conception of the cultural lineage and the way of heaven; anyone who wants to contemplate it can do so.
This monument is open to the public once every three years.

Based on the credit system, only the top 100 are eligible to visualize.

Those ranked in the top ten will receive double the meditation time.

You haven't earned a single credit, and you're still thinking about contemplating the Literary Stele.

"This……"

Xue Xiang grew anxious, "My senior master must have something to teach me."

"Teach you my foot!"

Song Tingfang was so angry that she lightly tapped him on the head with the end of her chopsticks. "Heaven knows how you can be so confused."

Actually, you arrived late to begin with.

Even if you start accumulating credits as soon as you enter the academy, it will only take a little over four months at most.

They've been saving up for two or three years, how can you possibly compare?

I think you'll have to wait three years until the Wendao Stele reopens.

Xue Xiang frowned, he couldn't wait three years. "Senior Uncle, how exactly are credits accumulated?"

Before Xue Xiang could finish speaking, a plate landed next to Song Tingfang's plate.

Xue Xiang looked closely and saw a person standing beside Song Tingfang.

He was in his early twenties, dressed in a long brocade robe, with a carved longsword hanging at his waist. His black hair was tied up high, and he had a handsome face. Every move he made exuded the air of someone who had long been in a superior position.

"Tingfang, now that you're here, why didn't you look for me?"

The handsome young man smiled warmly, his eyes filled with deep affection as he looked at Song Tingfang.

Suddenly, a cold glint flashed in his peripheral vision, locking onto Xue Xiang. "Who is this?"

"Just like you, you're my junior apprentice..."

Song Tingfang had barely finished speaking when Xue Xiang interrupted her.

"My name is Xu Yi. May I ask how you should address me, fellow Daoist?"

Xue Xiang bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

Only the higher-ups at Canglan Academy knew about his alias; they hadn't yet informed Song Tingfang.

He was afraid that Song Tingfang would reveal his identity, so he spoke first.

At the same time, he was also extremely curious.

Since this person is also Song Tingfang's junior apprentice, how dare he address Song Tingfang by his full name?

"Stop fooling around. I'm not one of your Tongjiang School members. We grew up together, and even the Master said we should be equals. How dare you try to take advantage of me again?"

As he spoke, he nodded slightly to Xue Xiang, "Your senior uncle and I have something to discuss. You can go ahead."

Xue Xiang had seen too many pretentious people and was already numb to it.

He was now preoccupied with figuring out the points system and had no time to spare for this person, so he put away the boundary seal, picked up his plate, and sat down some distance away.

Before long, Xu Yifan came looking for him. "That Yin Tianci is the most arrogant. He relies on his good family background and hangs out with the higher-ups at the academy all day long."

He considered himself the best among the students and looked down on everyone else.

I heard that despite being Song Sizun's junior, he dared to make advances towards him; he's truly a beast.

Xue Xiang glanced at Xu Yifan and thought to himself, "Jealousy can distort one's appearance. Even this aloof, bookish scholar has started to chatter incessantly."

But he said aloud, "Brother Xu, do you still stand by what you just said?"

Xu Yifan paused, remembering that he had just asked Xue Xiang to move aside and promised to answer Xue Xiang's questions for half an hour.

"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond; if you have something to say, just ask him."

(End of this chapter)