From Celestial Official to Great Celestial Venerable

Chapter 60 Interview
The myriad realms of the heavens and the myriad worlds float above the chaotic sea, like a mustard seed on the vast ocean. Regarding the true form of the Heavenly Dao, there have always been two theories in the cultivation world:

Some say that all the heavens worship one sovereign, just as the stars turn to the Big Dipper.

Some say that each realm has its own minor heavenly path, like a hundred boats racing against each other, and all things under the frosty sky competing freely.

Feng He's question, seemingly probing the heavenly way, was actually a subtle dig—intending to steer Qin Chuan's thoughts toward the debate on the doctrines of the heavenly way.

This is a dilemma; whether you answer "same" or "different," you are likely to give others ammunition to use against you.

Qin Chuan frowned slightly, instantly understanding the key to this matter.

It must be that old scoundrel Feng He who harbors resentment over Su Liao's expulsion and is using the assessment as an opportunity to sabotage him and cause him trouble.

Just as he was deep in thought, trying to find a balanced and appropriate response, a clear cough suddenly broke through the hall:

"Just focus on whether your Taoist skills are superior or inferior, and don't lose sight of the main point."

The one who spoke was Ji Yuqi.

This statement, seemingly a reminder to Qin Chuan not to go off-topic, actually contains a hidden edge—it has already pointed out that Feng He's question has deviated from the original purpose of the assessment, subtly rescuing Qin Chuan from the predicament.

Qin Chuan understood that this friend he had met at the chanting group was extending a gesture of goodwill. He immediately cleared his mind of all distractions and said aloud:
"There must be a distinction between high and low levels in Taoist arts; this is the ultimate truth of heaven and earth."

This is because the Way of Heaven exists in the universe, and it is inherently in a state of constant flux and continuous change.

The Book of Changes says, "All things change, but change itself is unchanging." This word "change" is the true nature of the Way of Heaven.

Therefore, Taoist arts that are divorced from the changes of the Heavenly Way are naturally backward and inferior methods.
The Taoist arts that follow the changes of the Heavenly Way are the advanced and superior methods.

This matter is also clearly documented in historical records.

In ancient times, primordial deities still existed, which proves that this statement is true.

Those ancient gods, born under the laws of Heaven, possessed unparalleled supernatural powers, yet they did not know how to follow the will of Heaven and adapt to the times. They clung to the old ways and disregarded the flow of Heaven's way, and were ultimately abandoned by Heaven, leaving only their names engraved in ancient books, never to be seen again.

The downfall of the Great Zhou Heavenly Court was also due to the same reason.

The Way of Heaven evolves constantly, moving forward step by step, but the Great Zhou Heavenly Court remains stagnant, indulging in the worship and sacrifice of ancient gods.

In terms of Taoist arts, the abilities of the ancient gods were nothing more than relying on their profound origins, like brute force to move bricks—strong but crude.
The Taoist arts of today have evolved over 100,000 years, and have become so diverse and numerous that they have even caught up with the ancient gods in their understanding of the origin of the Heavenly Dao, adding a touch of exquisite and magical transformation.

Even now, we have to admit it.

Within the myriad realms and seas, the Perfect World, established only nine thousand years ago, has risen to become a dominant power among the myriad realms precisely because it possesses the most advanced Dao techniques currently under the Heavenly Dao's jurisdiction. Far from falling behind, it has actually accelerated the evolution of the Heavenly Dao, leading to a flourishing of life and prosperity within its domain.

Seeing that Qin Chuan, under Ji Yuqi's guidance, only answered questions about Taoist arts and avoided the struggle over the Heavenly Dao, perfectly escaping the trap, Huo Yuanjue finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his gaze towards Ji Yuqi held a hint of gratitude.

Although the examiner had the responsibility to inspire and guide during the oral exam, such theoretical and literary matters were not Huo Yuanjue's forte. Previously, he only felt resentment towards Feng He for setting a trap to harm Qin Chuan.

It is important to know that the wording traps in such defenses can be fatal once you fall into them—in such an examination setting, a single wrong word could end your path to immortality.

"Alright, Fellow Daoist Qin Chuan's oral exam is over."

After Qin Chuan finished speaking, Master Xuanji immediately made a decision, ending this tense debate.

"Thank you, examiners."

Qin Chuan remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he had already memorized Feng He's face and voice.

"It was clearly your female disciple who tried to harm me, and she only has herself to blame. You old bastard, you harbored resentment towards me before, and now you've set up a huge trap for me in this situation. If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Ji Yuqi's help, I'm afraid I would have been defeated by you today!"

He secretly vowed, "If I ever get what I want and rise through the ranks, I'll make you, you old bastard, regret targeting me!"

After Qin Chuan stepped down, Gu Ling'er immediately stepped forward to present her "A Study on the Correlation between Musical Frequency and Insect Resistance of Spirit Rice—On the Damage Reduction Effect of the 'Qingxin Pushan Mantra' in Rice Fields," thus beginning her defense...

Half an hour later, the oral examinations for all the cultivators finally came to an end.

"All three tests have been completed."

Master Xuanji slowly spoke:
"The results of the final two trials will be decided by me and my fellow Daoists tomorrow. At that time, you can go to the newsstand and see who will have the opportunity to accompany me on this journey to the outer heavens."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked disappointed and filled with unease, and they dispersed.

The next day, just as dawn broke, Qin Chuan arrived at the newsstand, only to unexpectedly encounter someone who shouldn't be there at Nongling Temple. He was surprised and asked in surprise:
"Fellow Daoist He, what brings you to Nongling Temple?"

The newcomer was He Xingchen. Behind him was a Taoist priest, holding a round light mirror and a recording talisman. The round light mirror was an imaging magic tool that matched the Xuan Guang mirror. Its body was engraved with round light magic patterns, which could capture all the scenery, people, and sounds. It was a standard magic tool.

Although some small sects that run official gazettes may also be equipped with such magical artifacts, they are quite expensive, costing a total of 1,800 spirit coins per set.

Those with exquisite craftsmanship can cost tens of thousands, which is simply unaffordable for ordinary Qi Refining cultivators.

These magical artifacts are expensive, partly because their forging requires specialized magic and craftsmanship, making the entry barrier extremely high.

Secondly, there is a scarcity of materials—after all, all means of production in this world, such as spiritual fields, spiritual mines, and spiritual materials, can only be cultivated and harvested after the Heavenly Court has verified their qualifications.

Anyone who steals minerals without authorization commits a grave crime that violates divine law.

"Naturally, it's because some cultivators from our county will soon be traveling to outer space with a delegation!"

He Xingchen's eyes were filled with excitement, and her gaze towards Qin Chuan held a hint of expectation:

"I am here today on the orders of the cabinet, specifically to wait for the announcement of this quota so that I can get first-hand information and go back to compile the official gazette."

Qin Chuan suddenly realized that they had come to stake out information.

"Everyone arrived early today; the newsstand hasn't been updated yet."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a man carrying a scroll of documents walked toward the newsstand.

The results are about to be released!

In an instant, all the cultivators in Nongling Temple rushed over—everyone knew that this scroll was the "Golden List" that determined the quota for the expedition to the outside world.

He Xingchen and Qin Chuan followed immediately.

"Fellow Daoists, excuse me! I am He Xingchen, a Daoist from Langyin Pavilion in this county. I hope you will grant me this favor!"

The Taoist priest of Langyin Pavilion was in charge of delivering messages and compiling official gazettes. He had always been respected among cultivators and was treated with deference by many fellow cultivators.

A moment later, He Xingchen and Qin Chuan had squeezed to the bottom of the list. On the list recording the rankings and scores of the three trials, the first place was clearly written with the name "Qin Chuan":
Valley test: 10 points

Written Exam: 10 points

Oral exam: 9 points

Total score: 29 points

Ranked first!

"Qin Chuan!"

"It's Qin Chuan from our Nongling Temple!"

"Qin Chuan is going to the outer heavens!"

In an instant, the monks in Nongling Temple cheered and were extremely excited.

Throughout life, people always seek a sense of identity—among the three groups of people participating in this assessment, only Qin Chuan came from Nongling Temple, while the others were either cultivators from the Agricultural Academy or fellow practitioners from other counties or blessed lands.

Now that Qin Chuan has won the spot, all the cultivators of Nongling Temple feel a sense of pride and are sincerely celebrating for him.

The remaining people on the list were all cultivators from Dragon Tiger Blessed Land and Agricultural Academy, and they all lowered their heads unwillingly.

Although they had vaguely anticipated the outcome when they saw the spirit grains cultivated by Qin Chuan sprout ahead of schedule in the middle of the month, they still couldn't hide their disappointment when they saw the list in person. They hadn't expected that Qin Chuan would not only win the grain test, but also excel in the written and oral tests. In particular, his article on "Taoist productivity" was superior to everyone else in both conception and quality.

If Miao Yusheng hadn't performed perfectly in the oral exam and scored full marks, Qin Chuan would probably have swept all three rounds of first place, achieving a complete and overwhelming victory.

Qin Chuan looked at the list and saw his name at the top.

Although I had always been quite confident in myself, seeing the results confirmed and knowing that I would be joining the group on the trip to outer space, I could no longer contain my excitement. My heart was pounding and a surge of heat spread from my heart to every part of my body.

Just as he was feeling agitated, a slender, white jade talisman was suddenly handed to him.

Looking up, he saw He Xingchen's smiling face. Following the etiquette of interviews conducted by the official gazette, he asked in a gentle voice:

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qin Chuan. I am He Xingchen, Daoist of Langyin Pavilion in this county. First of all, congratulations on winning this precious opportunity to visit the celestial realm. May I have a moment to interview you?"

(End of this chapter)