I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 54 Worldview within the World

Song Shijia stormed towards Xue Xiang, determined to settle both old and new scores.

Here, outside the Trial Realm, poetry remains just poetry and can no longer manifest as a powerful weapon.

He was confident enough to easily defeat Xue Xiang.

He was running fast when, suddenly, someone kicked him from behind, sending him sprawling face-first into the mud.

"Who the hell did this?"

Song Shijia jumped up in a flash, looking like a madman.

To his surprise, he found that the group of people behind him all had unfriendly expressions and mocking eyes.

Song Shijia swept his gun across one of the men and shouted sternly, "Wang Dang, tell me, who did this?"

"I...I didn't see it?"

Wang Dang, with his fair complexion and clean, clear and pure eyes.

"You're right behind me, didn't you see me?"

Song Shijia was stunned.

Wang Dangke was his follower, and had been hanging around with him in Yong'an City for many years.

This is... this is a public betrayal! It's insane, absolutely insane!

"Song Shijia, I advise you to behave yourself. This isn't your home. Who are you trying to bully?"

Lu Weimin shouted loudly.

"That's right. If it weren't for Brother Xue, I would have been eliminated long ago. Although I didn't refine the literary energy, at least I was touched by it, so I am not susceptible to evil spirits."

"You're the one who's dishonest, yet you dare to blame Brother Xue? I think you're asking for death by looking down your own wits."

"........."

Song Shijia was completely dumbfounded.

The people who reprimanded him came from Foshan, Jingshan, Panyu, Anlu, and even Yong'an.

In such a short time, he has become a public enemy.

Under the scorn of many, even a hero like Song Shijia couldn't help but become listless and dispirited.

Suddenly, a large array on the ground emitted light.

When Xue Xiang looked again, he was already inside the examination hall in Yunmeng City.

No one came to inquire about the results of the trial, as if the results were naturally meant to be kept secret.

As soon as they appeared, a melodious shout rang out, "Open the examination hall!"

Just then, the bright sun shone into the arena, its rays dazzling.

………………

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 inscribed 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.

Feng Jing, one of the chief examiners of the Yunmeng City examination, was dispatched from here.

In the west courtyard of Canglan Academy, the stargazing room of Xinghe Temple, which had been sealed for many years, suddenly opened its doors wide.

The Palace and Temple Commissioner Ni Quanwen, the Palace and Temple Deputy Commissioner He Changqing, the Education Commissioner Deng Fangzong, the Scripture Commissioner Kong Yourong, the Hongwen Elder Wei Fan, the Xinghe Temple Abbot Pei Wei, and the six academy masters of the Six Arts Academy were all present.

Apart from the annual birthday of a sage, such a gathering of academic leaders has not occurred for many years.

"Master Pei, could you please explain the situation?"

Ni Quanwen was in his early forties, tall and imposing, with striking eyebrows and bright eyes. He wore a scholar's robe and exuded an otherworldly air.

"That's right. This morning, the protective barrier in the star-gazing room sounded, and I rushed over to check the star map, where I saw this scene."

Pei Wei strode to the central altar. As he inserted a jade pendant into the eye of the altar, the entire ceiling of the Star River Chamber suddenly transformed into a vast starry sky map.

The Milky Way shines brightly, its surface shimmering like water.

Pei Wei waved his hand rapidly, enlarging the Star River Map, and a huge stone tablet appeared within it. The stone tablet, whose length and width were unknown, stood amidst the starry river, its bluish-gray surface covered with cracks.

He Changqing, the deputy envoy of the palace, pointed at the stone tablet and exclaimed in surprise, "What's going on with that stroke in the Qian position of the Wendao Stele? It looks like it was cut by a sharp sword. It's so deep, and the lines are clearly fresh."

Pei Wei said, "The problem lies here. Every crack on the Wendao Stele is recorded in the Xinghe Temple."

The horizontal line in the Kun position was created when the one from the Nine Netherworlds let out a gasp.

The vertical line at the Kan position was formed by the bones of several withered bones from Xingxu.

But whether it was that one from the Nine Netherworlds or the withered bones of the Star Ruins, the damage they caused was not as terrifying as that slash on the Qian position this morning.

It nearly shook the very foundations.

"Have you contacted other academies? Have the literary steles they guarded undergone similar changes?"

The speaker was Elder Kong Yourong, with a full head of white hair and gentle eyes.

"I've already contacted them."

Pei Wei frowned and said, "The literary stele they guard is fine, but the literary stele guarded by our Canglan Academy has that terrifying extra stroke."

"In that case, the problem must still lie in Canglan Prefecture."

Ni Quanwen frowned deeply. "Have you investigated any unusual activity in various places? Especially the recent strange events."

Pei Wei said, "We've already received feedback. I've summarized it, and there are roughly only two points worth noting."

One is that the Witch God Cult has become more active recently, frequently causing trouble in various places, and it is likely that they will make a big move soon.

Another group is the Spirit Race. The unusual movements of those few withered bones in the Star Ruins have stirred up the long-dormant Spirit Race as well.

"If anyone could cause such a commotion, besides these two major forces, I can't think of any other possibility."

Everyone seemed to be deep in thought. Ni Quanwen's eyebrows twitched slightly. "By the way, it's the city examination. Did the Qingyun Platform start its trials this morning?"

"Yeah, could it be that something went wrong in one of the trial realms?"

“The candidates don’t have that ability. How could they possibly shake the cultural essence of these ancient sites?”

"What if it's the Witch God Cult or the Spirit Race who take the opportunity to stir up trouble? Many trial realms have already endured many hardships, and the literary and spiritual hearts within them are not so stable."

"Is it not impossible to damage the Literary Dao Stele by attacking it through the Trial Realm?"

"Then let's check it out."

After Ni Quanwen gave his approval, Pei Wei manipulated the Star River Map, and streams of light wove together to form information, which was then sent out.

Before long, streaks of light flashed back onto the Star River Map.

After performing his actions, Pei Wei's expression turned solemn, and he shook his head, saying, "There are no abnormalities in the initial trial realm."

The so-called Elementary Trial Realm is a trial realm that only allows a few dozen people to participate in the trials.

The intermediate trial area can accommodate several hundred people.

Why not investigate the intermediate trial realm?

"The intermediate trial realm is filled with miasma and its cultural lineage is stable. Even if evil forces want to exploit the trial realm, they would never target the intermediate trial realm."

"Report!"

As soon as Pei Wei finished speaking, his lookout rushed over and reported, "We received an urgent report from Donglai that all the missing villages, including Youlidong Village, Xiahexi Village, and Xiaotang Village, have reappeared."

Everyone was horrified.

The only explanation for the escape of these villages trapped in the miasma is that the trial realm surrounding them collapsed.

But the military dependents' village is located in a medium-level trial area.

To shatter the very fabric of the Heavenly Heart and the spiritual energy of this level of trial realm—how absurd would that be?
"How is this possible? The Heavenly Heart of the Literary Vein in the intermediate trial realm is incredibly stable. Unless those old monsters are willing to risk being eternally suppressed by the Heavenly Dao of the Literary Vein, how could those small fry possibly break it?"

"The problems here are too big, they're terrifying."

"........."

The bigwigs of Canglan Academy were all deeply worried.

"Should we check the candidates who took the exam for the Hangu Ruins? If I remember correctly, they should be from Canaan County."

The new idea was proposed by the Education Inspector Deng Fangzong.

(End of this chapter)