I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 211 Annihilation
Kuangzhan snorted coldly, crossed his arms, and stood proudly in the center of the arena. "You surnamed Xue, you don't even have the Core Formation Realm yet, and you still dare to hold your head high. If I go all out, it's because I'm bullying you."

"Alright then, my brother just let Song Tingfang have three moves; I'll give you ten."

"How magnificent, Berserker!"

"If the madman is defeated by the sorrowful autumn guest, he will surely become famous throughout the world."

"........."

The central camp erupted in clamor.

Kuang Beiming snorted coldly and instructed, "Second brother, hurry up, everyone is waiting to see the stele."

He turned around and was about to leave.

Xue Xiang suddenly stepped forward, his sleeves billowing out, blocking Kuang Beiming's path.

“Since we’re in a hurry,” he said, his white teeth gleaming, “then you brothers can all come at me together.”

This sentence was like a thunderbolt thrown into a clear sky.

"He's crazy?"

"The Kuang brothers, one at the peak of Core Formation and the other at the pinnacle of Body Refinement, need to attack together?"

"Xue Xiang... he hasn't even reached the Core Formation stage yet!"

The murmurs rose and fell, and even the screen in the square where the monument was erected rippled slightly.

Even Ni Quanwen and Wei Fan's expressions changed slightly, but they did not speak up to stop it.

Shen Sanshan couldn't contain himself any longer and sent a telepathic message to the Kuang brothers, telling them to go all out. He assured them that as long as they didn't kill Xue Xiang in public, even if they destroyed Xue Xiang's Dan Palace, he would cover for them.

Overjoyed, Kuang Zhan pointed at Xue Xiang and shouted, "Kid, you asked for this! I'll tear you apart alive!"

Before the words had even faded, the person had already rushed out.

The arena beneath his feet exploded, cracking inch by inch, and he transformed into a black shadow, lunging towards Xue Xiang.

However, he had only gotten half a zhang closer when Xue Xiang's figure suddenly blurred.

In that instant, it was as if the wind had broken its string.

Kuang Zhan only felt a blur before his eyes, and Xue Xiang had already swept past him, heading straight for Kuang Beiming!

Indeed, in Xue Xiang's eyes, Kuang Zhan, who was defeated by him, was like a piece of meat with no chewiness at all, while Kuang Beiming looked much more palatable.

Kuang Beiming was both shocked and furious. "You're asking for death!"

He twirled the black knife in his hand, and the blade's light licked the edge and gushed out.

No sooner said than done, Xue Xiang had already pounced forward like a blur.

To Kuang Beiming's horror, Xue Xiang did not dodge the blade's edge at all, and directly swung his fist down.

He was overjoyed, but this joy seemed to pass through his mind in a fleeting moment.

The next instant, the arm holding the knife seemed to have been struck by lightning.

"Click"

The Black Blade of Drinking Ice shattered with a crash.

His arm, which was holding the knife, was also blasted apart.

This was a divine weapon forged from Xuan Tie (a type of iron), yet it was shattered?
Kuang Beiming had no time to react.

Xue Xiang's fist technique had fully exploded, with layers of qi rushing through the air, causing it to explode.

Kuang Beiming's arm and half of his chest were shattered by the shock, his flesh and bones were torn apart, and he was thrown out and crashed heavily into the center of the arena, causing a surge of spiritual light.

The berserker was stunned, his eyes wide open, and he even forgot to breathe.

He tried to stop and retreat, but it was too late; Xue Xiang had already transformed into a black streak and pounced on him.

The black blade in his hand and the black blade in Kuang Beiming's hand were a pair. In the rush, Kuang Zhan unleashed the full power of the blade's light, almost igniting the black blade.

However, Xue Xiang ignored everything else, rushed forward, let the blade light lick his body, and threw a punch. The blade shattered, and the madman's chest collapsed.

Xue Xiang deeply hated this scoundrel, and with a stomp of his feet, he crushed the man's legs to pieces.

Even with the help of miraculous medicine, the Kuang brothers would not be able to stand up for at least three to five months due to their injuries.

In other words, it was done in full view of everyone, to avoid being branded as a murderer; otherwise, the Kuang brothers would have been reduced to two piles of minced meat long ago.

The dust had not yet settled, and the square was deathly silent.

Xue Xiang stood slowly, his robes billowing, his gaze cold and stern, as if the series of killing blows just now were nothing more than a flick of his wrist.

The wind swept through the arena, stirring up dust.

No one dared to speak.

Only Kuang Beiming, whose bones were shattered, and Kuang Zhan, who was on the verge of death, groaned in pain from the dust.

Only then did the Confucian scholars in the square dare to breathe.

After a moment of silence, the entire venue erupted in cheers.

"He—he won?!"

"It wasn't that we won, it was that we almost killed the Kuang brothers!"

"To break through the Core Formation stage using Foundation Establishment?"

The noise was so chaotic that it almost overturned the entire monument square.

Shen Baoshi was the first to stand up, his face deathly pale, and the ivory pen in his hand snapped in two with a "crack".

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. He felt a tightness in his throat and a buzzing in his head.

He remembered that when he first met this man in Wei Fan’s mansion, he was just a poet and official. Who would have thought that he would have such amazing skills, smashing the famous Kuang family’s White Bone Battle Body with a single punch!

That sense of absurdity made him feel like he was in a nightmare.

Yin Tianci's reaction was even more exaggerated.

He stood frozen in place, his mouth slightly open, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

The bone wound on his shoulder that Xue Xiang had crushed seemed to hurt again, and he subconsciously reached out to cover it, but his hand trembled uncontrollably.

"This...this is impossible...this is absolutely impossible..."

He murmured, but his voice was swallowed up by the gasps of surprise around him.

He wanted to escape, but his legs felt like they were made of lead.

Shen Sanshan's face was as cold as ice.

He sat in the front row of the Jiannan camp, his hands slowly clenching, the veins on his palms bulging.

To outsiders, it was impossible to tell that he was actually experiencing a great deal of turmoil within his heart.

He understood that Xue Xiang's attack not only defeated the Kuang brothers, but also officially established him as a peerless genius and future overlord in the world.

Because those who could become the hegemon of their time were all as stunning and unparalleled as Xue Xiang back then.

Should I really go all out against someone like that?

Is there any possibility of reaching a settlement?

Putting himself in Xue Xiang's shoes, he suddenly realized that Xue Xiang would never forgive him.

Damn it, if we don't destroy these kinds of things when they're still in their bud, can we really just let them grow up?

With this thought in mind, Shen Sanshan gritted his teeth.

Even Ni Quanwen, the usually composed and unwavering head of the temple, could not completely hide the surprise on his face at this moment.

He first slowly stood up, then sat back down heavily, his gaze fixed on Xue Xiang. He remained silent for a long time, his aura fluctuating, clearly indicating that his state of mind had been greatly shaken.

Wei Fan called to him in a low voice, and he raised his hand slightly to acknowledge him, then transmitted his voice, "No wonder this kid is valued by the old master Mingde Dongxuan, a prodigy, this is a prodigy..."

Before the dust had settled on the arena, the Kuang brothers were carried off for emergency treatment.

Xue Xiangchong cupped his hands in greeting and announced loudly, "The battle with the Kuang brothers just now was to settle our personal grudges. This battle will not be counted in the main competition."

The murmurs in the square immediately ceased.

"Now, I represent Canglan Academy in the battle. I request the Central Camp to send someone to the stage."

As soon as he finished speaking, the air suddenly tightened.

Ni Quanwen nodded slightly, clearly agreeing.

Pei Wei also looked pleased.

Although it was he who decided that no one could participate except those who had reached the Core Formation stage, it was only an internal selection standard within the Canglan Academy camp, and how to adjust it was still up to the Canglan Academy itself.

For a moment, the entire room fell silent.

All eyes turned to Wang Baxian of the central camp.

The person who had been so proud and confident as the leader of the central camp now had a slightly flushed face, and a barely perceptible hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.

Wang Baxian said loudly, "Although the battle between Xue and the Kuang brothers is not included in the main competition, they have still fought a match and their energy has not yet recovered. They should rest first."

Wang did not want to take advantage of someone's vulnerability, lest his victory be dishonest.

After saying that, he cupped his hands towards the Canglan Academy camp and said, "Gu Jianchen, come out. I have been waiting for you for a long time."

The moment the words were spoken, the spiritual screen trembled.

Several people in the Canglan camp immediately stood up, all looking in one direction.

Gu Jianchen slowly stood up, his white robes as white as snow, the long sword on his back trembling slightly. "Wang Baxian, you've come to the wrong person."

Although it's widely rumored that Gu is the top Confucian scholar among this year's Canglan Academy students, there's no need to argue about who the true number one is. Xue Xiang broke through to the Core Formation realm with only a Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, possessing both literary and martial arts skills—far beyond my reach. If you, my friend Wang, wish to fight, please challenge Bei Qiu Ke.

As for excuses like Xue Xiang having fought a previous battle and being exhausted, making such a refined and elegant way of avoiding battle only makes him a laughingstock.

These words caused another uproar in the audience.

"Gu Jianchen... actually voluntarily stepped down?"

"He's widely recognized as the number one player in Canglan!"

"Bei Qiu Ke's strength is undeniable; he is a monstrous talent destined to become a future overlord."

"Wang Baxian is truly shameful. He is afraid to fight, so he is afraid to fight. His reasons for avoiding war are laughable."

Wang Baxian's face was ashen. Several times, he felt an urge to rush out and fight Xue Xiang.

But he knew the risks were enormous.

My ultimate mission for this trip is to obtain more and better cultural essences while contemplating the Wendao Stele, so even though it's hard to swallow this anger, I have to endure it.

Just as Wang Baxian was in a difficult situation, a shout rang out, "That's enough."

Shen Sanshan said, "Canglan Academy is, after all, the host of today's stele viewing, and it is only right that it occupies the Juque Star Map. You all have had a good time."

In my opinion, this friendly match should end here.

He spoke casually, but in reality, he was helping Wang Baxian out of a difficult situation.

Wang Baxian gratefully thanked Shen Sanshan telepathically.

Ni Quanwen was extremely hostile towards Shen Sanshan and did not want to cause any more trouble. He gave a few perfunctory words and considered the hasty fight over.

At that moment, Ni Quanwen announced loudly, "The trial of viewing the stele officially begins from this moment on."

To prevent confusion, the three groups were divided into three categories based on the credit system.

The third level is limited to half an hour of observation.
The second level allows entry for one hour.

First-class students are granted two hours of entry to the temple.

After saying that, he looked around at the three camps and said, "All parties shall enter in order and shall not cause trouble."

Anyone who causes further trouble will be immediately expelled without pardon.

Upon hearing this, the square fell silent, as still as a frozen pool.

Pei Wei loudly accepted the order, "The three camps shall each send their third-class cultivators to enter the temple in turn!"

The spiritual barrier trembled.

The three factions launched their attacks almost simultaneously.

The figures from Jiannan Academy, Canglan Academy, and the Central Camp rose up, transforming into streaks of spiritual light that disappeared into the three star maps.

The three diagrams of Juque, Tianheng, and Dousu intertwine with light and swirling with starlight.

Before long, the third-class observers from all three sides entered the formation and floated in the sky.

Above the Star River Viewpoint, three major star charts flow endlessly.

Suddenly, the surface of the Wendao Stele trembled, and a deep rumble came from the sky, like an ancient bell tolling in one's heart.

The ancient patterns on the stele shone brightly, and layers of golden light spread from the bottom to the top of the stele, its brilliance like waves.

The next instant, a blazing holy light burst forth from the center of the monument, like a celestial river pouring down, illuminating the entire monument viewing plaza.

The radiance contained profound literary meaning, as if the voice of a sage echoed through the heavens, deep and solemn.

"The Wendao Stele has been opened."

The scholars held their breath.

Holy light surged forth, like a waterfall or a curtain, completely enveloping the three star maps.

The Confucian scholars selected for the trial felt a jolt of consciousness, their figures hovering in mid-air, while the literary energy within the literary palace surged continuously.

Then, everyone felt a chill between their brows, as if drawn by some ancient power, their consciousness leaving their bodies and slowly entering the holy light.

In an instant, the square fell silent.

Hundreds of Confucian scholars stood still, their eyes closed, their souls already inside the stele.

Only starlight and monument light intertwined and flowed around them.

After an unknown amount of time, a person's head suddenly trembled slightly, and a ray of blue light emanated from it.

The light, like the new buds of spring willows, coalesced into the shape of a flower, sparkling and flowing, with a faint glimmer dancing at the center of the petals.

"The Flower of Cultural Heritage!"

Xue Xiang's heart skipped a beat.

This is precisely the treasure that countless Confucian scholars have pursued by completing tasks, accumulating credits, and going through countless hardships.

Xue Xiang stared intently at the blue flower, which spun above the man's head for a moment before slowly falling and disappearing into the scholar's brow.

At the same time, the man's aura surged, and his presence became completely renewed.

Immediately afterwards, a white flower rose above the head of another person, its radiance as pure as snow, its petals spotless. After falling into the center of their brow, a faint white light enveloped their entire body.

Gradually, more and more flowers began to fall.

Above the star map, flower shadows fluttered, and holy light layered, like countless miniature stars illuminating the dome.

The disciples of Canglan Academy, Jiannan Academy, and the Central Camp were all immersed in that solemn and magnificent sea of ​​light.

At that moment, heaven and earth stood still, and only the flower of cultural heritage bloomed silently, reflecting the aspirations and destinies of countless people.

Xue Xiang stared intently at the various colored petals on the star map, remaining silent for a long time.

Before they knew it, someone approached and whispered, "Brother Xue, I've thought it through. I won't ask you for money anymore."

The speaker was Xu Yifan.

He was the all-knowing scholar of Canglan Academy, and Xue Xiang also obtained the core knowledge points about the Flower of Literary Tradition from Xu Yifan.

At that time, the two agreed on a price and agreed that Xu Yifan would come to formally analyze the knowledge points when the Confucian scholars actually viewed the stele.

At this moment, Xue Xiang was still immersed in the overwhelming divine aura, and almost forgot that Xu Yifan was supposed to explain the Flower of Literary Lineage.

"Hmm? It's free, what do you want?"

Xue Xiang was completely baffled.

Xu Yifan said in a serious tone: "If I had known you were this good, why would I have needed your money? You could have been my bodyguard from now on."

"Whoever I ask for money from, you beat them up for me. Whoever asks me for money, you beat them up for me too."

Xue Xiang rolled his eyes: "Stop talking nonsense and get to the point. Otherwise, I'll fucking beat you up first."

Xu Yifan shrank back. Although he knew that Xue Xiang would never be so ruthless, he still couldn't help but feel uneasy when he thought about the terrifying methods this guy used to wipe out the Kuang brothers.

He quickly said, "You know without me saying it, those flowers are the flowers of cultural heritage."

I don't need to waste my breath; you should already know that different colors of the flower of cultural heritage correspond to different levels.

But you probably don't know that flowers of different grades have different grades of medicinal effects.

Xue Xiang frowned. "Stop beating around the bush, tell me everything."

His fierce aura was already established, and Xu Yifan dared not utter a sound. Pointing at the flower of literary lineage, he hurriedly asked, "Brother Xue, do you know about the primal force in this world?"

Xue Xiang nodded, "Broadly speaking, it's Yin and Yang energies; more specifically, it's literary energy and spiritual power, both of which belong to the original force; and if we break it down further, literary energy can be broken down into wish energy and talent energy."

Spiritual power can be broken down into the power of earth, water, fire, wind, and thunder.

These are all primal forces of heaven and earth.

Xu Yifan gave a thumbs up, "Brother Xue's explanation is excellent."

Brother Xue, have you ever considered why, after reaching the third level of the Word Realm, with enough effort, you can manifest the literary energy of almost all characters, yet when writing characters like fire, thunder, wind, and water, the literary energy fails to appear?

Xue Xiang was stunned. Of course he had thought about it, but he had no answer.

Xu Yifan smiled and said, "Based on my reading of countless classics, I have come to the conclusion that it is not that the literary talent is lacking, but rather that the literary talent is a kind of primal force composed of aspiration and talent."

Earth, water, fire, wind, and thunder belong to another type of primal force.

The two cannot be converted into each other.

The birth of the Flower of Literary Tradition provides a perfect channel for the combination of literary spirit and the power of the Five Elements.

Xu Yifan looked on with anticipation, "Once the flower of literary tradition falls on the precious tree of literary spirit, it will bloom."

Flowers can contain the power of the five elements. Once the melting process is completed, words can freely unleash the power of heaven and earth.

At that time, the power of the Five Elemental Arts manifested by the literary energy was in no way inferior to the top-tier Five Elements techniques.

Xue Xiang nodded and said, "Do the different colored vein flowers mean that they can contain different amounts of primal force?"

Xu Yifan shook his head, "That's absolutely not the case."

Different colors of the cultural flower indicate its grade.

The higher the level of the cultural flower, the more types of the five elements' power it contains.

A blue flower of veins can only nurture one type of primal force; a white one can nurture two; a black one can nurture three; a purple one can nurture four; and a gold one can nurture five, which is the Great Perfection, perfectly accommodating the five types of primal forces.

However, to date, no one has been heard of obtaining the Golden Flower of the Text from the visualization stele.

Xue Xiang felt a longing in his heart and asked in a deep voice, "Then what kind of strange phenomenon would occur when everyone visualized the Literary Dao Stele and entered the Literary Dao Stele with their minds?"

(End of this chapter)