I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 208 The Battle
The guards then retreated to the side.

Ni Quanwen stepped forward slowly, his posture upright, the gold patterns of mountains and rivers on his robes shimmering slightly in the morning light.

He surveyed the three camps, bowed respectfully, and spoke in a steady and clear voice that reached every corner.

"Fellow practitioners, the triennial event of viewing the monument is about to begin again."

The unveiling of the Literary Stele resonates with the divine will; once the tide of literary tradition surges, it will be an opportunity to resonate with the will of the sages. This opportunity cannot be sought by human effort; if any of you are able to attain this connection, you should cherish it and not jeopardize it.”

The square fell silent as hundreds of Confucian scholars listened intently, holding their breath.

Ni Quanwen continued, "If you receive the blessing of the Flower of Literary Lineage, the Tree of Literary Qi can sprout new blossoms, laying a solid foundation for your future cultivation. May you all do your best and make this trip worthwhile."

He paused slightly, his expression turning solemn. "Finally, within the Literary Dao Stele lies endless illusions, used by the sages to test our minds. When our thoughts enter the stele, illusions frequently arise, causing considerable harm. At best, they shatter the mind; at worst, they cause mental confusion, plunging us into an abyss of illusion. Therefore, you must act according to your abilities. If you encounter an extremely powerful illusion, do not be reckless; withdraw your thoughts, and you will be safe."

The wind swept down from the mountaintop, stirring up the surrounding banners.

Ni Quanwen stood there, his clothes fluttering slightly, and concluded, "May all those who view this stele today find their own meaning, understand their own path, and live up to the value of this culture."

On the square, the scholars echoed in unison, their voices like a surging tide, reverberating across the sky.

After Ni Quanwen finished speaking, he cupped his hands to the left front and stepped aside.

A middle-aged official dressed in a black robe ascended the stone steps. That man was none other than Mu Qingniu, the head of the Canglan Prefecture's Imperial Seal Temple and the Director of the Discipline Inspection Commission.

He was tall and imposing, with a steady gait, and his voice resonated like metal: "Our dynasty was founded on literature and cultivated itself through propriety. Today's gathering to view the stele is not only a celebration of literature and morality, but also a matter of social order and moral principles..."

He represented the Canglan Prefecture government and emphasized the importance of discipline in Balayi.

Shen Sanshan also took the stage. Although his official rank was not high, he represented the central government and therefore had to speak.

To demonstrate his authority, he constantly referred to the "central government."

After rambling on for a while, he finally finished his concluding remarks.

No sooner had Shen Sanshan finished speaking than a loud voice came from the central camp.

"What the seniors have said is certainly reasonable, but I have something to say about the fairness of this memorial viewing."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, and the speaker was none other than Kuangzhan.

He was clad in black armor, his red hair was like fire, and his brow bones were high. He looked like a burning iron tower as he stepped out of the crowd.

"absurd!"

Shen Sanshan said sternly, "What kind of occasion is this? How dare you cause trouble? Get down here!"

Kuangzhan raised his head and said, "Although my family is in a remote place, there are sages among our ancestors. We have been guarding the righteous path of humanity in accordance with our ancestors' last wishes."

In today's grand event, is fairness even upheld?
"If you gentlemen do not allow me to speak, and fairness is lost, then I have no choice but to withdraw."

"you!"

Shen Sanshan's face flushed red, his heart filled with joy, but he pretended to be troubled and looked at Ni Quanwen and Mu Qingniu.

"Let him speak."

Ni Quanwen said coldly.

"Tell me!"

Shen Sanshan pointed at Kuangzhan, feigning anger, "If what you say is baseless and nonsensical, then the glorious laws and regulations were established for people like you."

Kuangzhan cupped his hands and said, "There is something I don't understand. More than ten days ago, Xue Xiang wasn't even on the academic ranking list. Why is he suddenly in the top ten of Canglan Academy today?"

As soon as he said that, a commotion broke out in the square.

"It's none of your business to interfere in the affairs of Canglan Academy."

"What great name is 'Lamenter of Autumn'? So what if he's in the top ten?"

"That's not how it works. If you can break the rules just by having a reputation, you can break the rules just by having power in the future. Then everyone will be a victim."

"..."

Whispers spread like waves.

Kuangzhan continued, "Although I am not a member of the Canglan Academy, I have always loved to fight for justice."

If the credit ranking list released by Canglan Academy is indeed rigged...

"Ha, then how much is this word 'fairness' worth?"

Shen Sanshan glared at the raging warrior, feeling exhilarated.

He secretly submitted the Canglan Academy credit ranking to Kuangzhan.

He was also worried that, given the current situation, the Berserker wouldn't dare to unleash his power.

It seems that those from barbarian lands, while lacking in other qualities, possess astonishing audacity.

Seeing that the time was right, Shen Sanshan shouted sternly, "Still daring to talk nonsense? Who gave you the right to speak here? Seize him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several law enforcement officers stepped forward, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The Berserker did not back down. He crossed his arms and his eyes burned with fury. "I, the Berserker, have not spoken falsely. Everyone knows this."

He strode forward and raised his voice, "I admire the name of the 'Lamenter of Autumn' as well."

His poetry and prose were indeed exceptionally talented, and his fame spread throughout the world, a rarity in the world.

But so what?
This world is no longer the era of literary decline, where a single poem could determine life or death!

He suddenly raised his hand and pointed towards the sky.

"The literary tradition and the way of Heaven are hard to lower. Even Confucian scholars mainly cultivate spiritual power and secondarily cultivate literary energy."

Even if Xue Xiang possessed extraordinary talent, in a world where the literary tradition and the natural order could not be compromised, he was not enough to dominate the world.

Moreover, if Xue Xiang were to be included in the top ten without any justification during this grand event of viewing the monument, it would be unfair to the others.

There are injustices at Canglan Academy, but the Confucian scholars there remain silent. I alone speak out, so how has it become my fault?

This junior is confused; I humbly request your clarification.

His words caused an uproar.

"These barbarians may be aggressive, but they are not without reason."

“Yes, if the poet Beiqiu is to be treated with special privileges everywhere just because of his poetic fame, then no one should bother with cultivation anymore, they should just study poetry.”

"That makes sense. In this era of declining literary tradition, we can no longer rely on poetry and literature to dominate the world. We still need to establish rules."

The murmurs spread across the square like waves.

Some nodded secretly, while others glared angrily.

The Berserker stood in the center of the wind, his red hair fluttering and his black armor gleaming, like a hero fighting against injustice.

Ni Quanwen's gaze darkened, and he strode forward, saying loudly, "

Xue Xiang was ranked among the top ten because of his outstanding achievements.

This matter was jointly decided by our Canglan Academy and various departments, and has been reported to the Confucian Temple for a final decision.

Xue Xiang's points today have only been lowered, not raised.

As he spoke, Ni Quanwen looked around, his voice authoritative without being angry: "If you still have any doubts, you may appeal to the Confucian Temple."

At this point, his voice suddenly turned cold: "The grand formation is about to be activated, and the Literary Dao Stele will soon appear. Anyone who tries to disrupt this with other matters will be expelled immediately!"

The words fell like gold, the spirit array trembled slightly, the array patterns flashed, and the atmosphere in the entire square suddenly tightened.

Berserker clenched his fists slightly, his red hair brushing against his face, but in the end he bowed and retreated to the central camp.

Behind him, a tall figure slowly moved forward half a step.

The man was dressed in black and gold armor, with sharp brow bones, hawk-like eyes, broad shoulders and a deep, heavy aura.

It was Kuang Beiming, Kuang Zhan's elder brother.

Kuang Beiming sneered, his voice low but loud enough for everyone around to hear: "Heh, what Bei Qiu Ke? He's nothing but a little chick hiding under the hen's wings."

"Indeed."

"They just dare to do it but not dare to admit it."

"........."

The Confucian scholars in the central camp discussed among themselves. Since they were able to obtain quotas from the central camp, they were no ordinary people and did not have much reverence for the authority of Canglan Academy.

"Everyone."

A voice rang out, and everyone fell silent.

The speaker was dressed in white, with handsome features and an air of dominance about him.

He was none other than the son of the previous emperor, Wang Baxian.

After the founding of the Great Xia Divine Kingdom, it did not completely eradicate the previous dynasty's royal family.

Therefore, the bloodline of the former emperor has continued to this day, and Wang Baxian is the direct descendant of the former emperor.

His family had been favored for generations, and Wang Baxian himself was exceptionally talented and invincible. Some busybodies even called him the son of the previous dynasty's emperor.

The central government did not take offense, and Wang Baxian never offered any explanation. Relying on his brute force and his achievements in opening up the northern border, he firmly established his domineering reputation.

"Gentlemen, true skill lies in the body, not in the mouth. We should strive to dominate the entire scene, leaving no room for criticism. How can we, who are skilled at verbal sparring, possibly compete with those who are adept at it?"

Wang Baxian, dressed in white, spoke softly and had an exceptional appearance, which caused several female cultivators' beautiful eyes to well up with tears.

Within the central camp, everyone nodded in agreement.

Ni Quanwen was also afraid that something else might go wrong, so he hurriedly ordered Pei Wei, the abbot of Xinghe Temple, to activate the great formation.

Pei Wei accepted the order and strode forward. He summoned spiritual energy from the void, and before long, the bell on the mountain peak rang again, resounding throughout the heavens.

Suddenly, the stone wall on the left side of the Star River Temple behind the square opened up, and a spiraling array plate slowly rose up, with intertwined spiritual patterns and starlight falling from the sky.

Pei Wei, clad in a star-patterned robe, soared into the air, holding a scroll of starry sky in his hand.

He rose with a flourish of his sleeves, his voice like an ancient bell: "Activate—the formation!"

Boom!

Countless starlight descended from the sky, transforming into a river of light that cascaded down.

The entire plaza was filled with surging spiritual energy, and the underground array patterns lit up in unison, like countless veins flowing together and intertwining.

In an instant, it was as if a veil had been lifted from the sky.

A myriad of stars swirled in the sky, ancient celestial trajectories slowly unfolding across the heavens. That was the Star River Temple's secret array, the Starry Sky Array Diagram.

The scholars held their breath and watched, feeling their spiritual senses drawn to the radiance, their minds trembling slightly.

As the star array fully unfolded, a colossal shadow that blotted out the sky appeared in the Milky Way.

That was a stone tablet.

The stele is thousands of feet tall and thousands of feet thick, as black as iron, with thousands of runes engraved on its surface, the patterns deep and undulating like stars.

The Wendao Stele slowly reveals its true form along the ancient starry path.

In an instant, a vast and profound truth descended from the sky, and everyone felt as if they were being bathed in a spring breeze.

The spiritual energy of the entire Xinghe Temple suddenly surged back, and three beams of light burst forth from the Wendao Stele, pouring down and illuminating the sky.

The three beams of light, like three pillars of heaven, were firmly locked onto three points in the void, and then three magnificent star maps appeared.

A blue-gold color, with swirling light, is called the Giant Star Map.

A deep blue expanse, dotted with stars like waves, is called the Lan Yuan Star Map.

A painting of raging crimson flames, with a golden crow seemingly appearing and disappearing, is called the Xuan Yang Star Map.

The three images complement each other, with the sunlight streaming in like a waterfall, illuminating the entire starry sky above the observation deck.

Ni Quanwen stood in the center, his long sleeves billowing out, his voice resounding throughout the crowd:

These three images all depict the best areas for contemplating the Wendao Stele.

Please have each of the three factions send representatives to choose one of the star charts to guard and guide the students in their visualization practice.

Before the words had even finished, representatives from all three camps had already moved out.

Within the Jiannan Academy's formation, Shen Baoshi soared into the air;

Within the central leadership, Shen Sanshan personally took charge;
On one side of Canglan Academy, Wei Fan and Ni Quanwen exchanged a glance, neither willing to back down.

Then, something surprising happened.

The spiritual light beneath their feet converged, all heading in the same direction toward the giant star map!

The starlight flowed, and the star map shone brightest there, with star patterns like a tide, from which the faint sound of the Great Dao could be heard.

Everyone understood that it was the place where the cultural lineage and the Way of Heaven were most clearly projected and most easily comprehended.

All three team leaders entered the Giant Star Chart, and an awkward atmosphere filled the air.

Shen Baoshi, Wei Fan, and Shen Sanshan, being proud of their status, naturally wouldn't openly compete with each other.

The three of them looked at each other, none of them intending to move.

After all, it's as clear as day when it comes to the three star charts: which star shines brightest and which receives the strongest projection of the Heavenly Dao's cultural lineage.

They may choose not to compete, but they cannot neglect the well-being of their own disciples.

They remained silent, mindful of their own status, while the Confucian scholars from different factions began to argue.

The Confucian scholars of Canglan Academy believed that the other two groups had benefited from the academy's influence and should be grateful to it; there was no reason for them to compete with the academy's host.

The Confucian scholars of Jiannan Academy argued that since the guests were guests from afar, it would be a huge joke if the host failed to show proper hospitality and instead argued with the guests.

The central faction was even more domineering, believing that the Great Xia Divine Kingdom was under the control of the central government, and how could the local areas dare to compete with the central government?

For a time, all sorts of strange and absurd theories resounded throughout the sky.

Ni Quanwen's face was already showing signs of embarrassment.

He is the host and also the person in charge of this grand event of viewing the monument.

He certainly bears responsibility for this predicament.

In truth, he was wronged.

In the past, each academy would visualize the literary stele in its own prefecture, and the central government would send in-house quotas, usually just a few, so there was no need to open up multiple star maps.

This time, with all three parties present, Ni Quanwen truly did not expect to make such a big mistake in the selection of the star chart.

He could mediate if it were done privately.

However, with everyone watching, he couldn't very well give in on behalf of Canglan Academy, since it would be the interests of all the students of Canglan Academy that were being ceded.

Ni Quanwen felt extremely troubled, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and deal with it. He was about to call on Fan Xingchen, the Palace Master of Jiannan Academy, and Shen Sanshan to discuss countermeasures when he heard a voice coming from the crowd.

"Ni Gongguan is known for his noble character and integrity. He must be pondering how to best give this giant star map to us, the younger generation who have come from afar?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wang Baxian, dressed in white like snow, had arrived in front of the central camp.

Sunlight fell on his shoulders, his clothes fluttered slightly, and his handsome face carried a sense of composure and pride.

Then he said loudly, "However, we are all selected by the central government, and we cannot disgrace the central government's authority. We dare not take such an advantage."

They were both Confucian scholars and monks.

In my humble opinion, good positions should be earned through merit, not through verbal disputes.

Upon hearing this, Ni Quanwen's expression changed drastically.

Shen Sanshan shouted, "Stop talking nonsense, Wang Baxian, do you dare to represent the central government?"

Wang Baxian cupped his hands and said, "This junior is naturally unworthy to represent the central government, but since a problem has arisen, I have a good solution and dare not remain silent."

Originally, drawing lots was a good method, but how could we cultivators use such a vulgar method? It would only make us a laughingstock.

Since we cannot use the vulgar method of drawing lots, why bother with a battle to determine the victor?

These words caused an uproar throughout the room.

Ni Quanwen glared at Wang Baxian with hatred.

Drawing lots was the solution he came up with, one that wouldn't compromise his dignity.

Now that Wang Baxian has publicly criticized this method as too vulgar, it's no longer effective for him.

But if the three parties were to fight, things might escalate.

He only wanted to finish the matter of viewing the stele peacefully.

Now that Wang Baxian has stirred things up, he's truly in a difficult position.

Ni Quanwen glanced at Shen Sanshan out of the corner of his eye, secretly resenting him. With his experience, he could naturally tell that this was a cunning old fox.

Every time Mr. Shen makes a statement, seemingly to uphold the authority of the organizers, he is actually stirring up trouble and creating chaos.

Ni Quanwen, considering the overall situation, was still hesitant, but the young Confucian scholars of Canglan Academy were unwilling to bow their heads and suffer humiliation.

Suddenly, a loud voice pierced the air, "Since Wang Baxian has challenged us, Canglan Academy shall naturally accept the challenge! I, Gu Jianchen, am willing to test my academy's strength first and will never diminish the prestige of Canglan!"

As he spoke, Gu Jianchen, dressed in flowing green robes, with striking eyebrows and bright eyes, exuded an elegant and refined air.

He ranked first on the credit list, so he was naturally qualified to represent all the Confucian scholars of Canglan Academy.

Moreover, Xue Xiang shone brightly at the grand banquet yesterday, which Gu Jianchen witnessed firsthand. His heart was filled with excitement, and he could no longer suppress his ambition to become famous throughout the world.

Clearly, there is no better opportunity than now.

"it is good!"

"With Gu Jianchen making a move, he will surely be able to control the situation!"

"How can we allow outsiders to bully our Canglan!"

Among the crowd, the disciples of Canglan Academy echoed in unison, their momentum instantly overwhelming the others.

Ni Quanwen secretly groaned.

High in the sky, Wei Fan, representing the Canglan Academy and refusing to budge from the Juque Star Map, loudly proclaimed, "The Ni Palace Temple is honored to receive the inscription, and viewing the stele is a grand event; a grand event should be accompanied by a grand ceremony."

Young people are full of vigor and eager to learn and exchange skills, which is a good thing for the academy. We should go with the flow in this matter.”

He paused, then added with a half-smile, "I think it would be better to let them have a chance to compete in poetry and prose among three parties."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

The sound of the wind seemed to be suppressed by half an inch.

Immediately, a deafening roar of boos and uproar erupted.

"Poetry and prose? Are you crazy!"

"Isn't this blatantly giving Xue Xiang a stage to perform on?"

"If you're so capable, let's have a contest of martial arts! Who can beat him in poetry and prose?"

"Senior Wei is making a name for his students; the abacus beads are clattering so loudly that the whole of Fujian province probably heard it."

"Let's go to Fujian People's Hospital, it's no good..."

The roar was so loud it almost lifted the eaves of the entire Xinghe Temple.

Wei Fan threw his head back and laughed loudly, his long beard trembling slightly, looking smug: "Hahahaha... Gentlemen, you are all Confucian scholars, discussing literature and poetry at the perfect time."

Ni Quanwen was also inexplicably delighted.

He had been cornered by Wang Baxian, but now, with a push, he had put his opponent in a difficult situation.

"Elder Wei is joking. Today is no ordinary day. Besides, the Autumn Lamenter already shone brightly at yesterday's grand banquet. There's no need to repeat the same trick today."

Kuang Beiming took a step forward, his black gold armor reflecting a sharp, cold light in the sunlight. "My younger brother, Kuang Zhan, is right."

This is no longer the prosperous era of literature, when its literary tradition was in decline. Although Confucian scholars cultivate their literary spirit and refine their literary talents, how many Confucian scholars in the world can truly use poetry to wield sharp tongues and defeat their enemies?

Regardless of whether they were Confucian scholars or not, everyone present was a cultivator. Faced with this indecisive moment, why should we cultivators hesitate to fight?

As he spoke, he raised his hand, causing the void to tremble slightly. A surge of fierce energy rose into the sky, shaking the spiritual barrier on the plaza and even causing the array patterns underground to hum.

A deafening roar erupted from all around.

"That's right! Cultivators are all about combat strength!"

"That's right! So what if someone is a scholar? So what if they cultivate literary energy? How many people can actually defeat others based on literary talent alone? It should be a contest of combat strength."

"The poet of autumn's sorrow is unparalleled; in today's battle, do you dare to step onto the stage?"

"........."

The sound waves were like thunder, surging in layers, almost shaking the star map in the sky.

(End of this chapter)