Gate of God

by Stayrr

This is a strange and inexplicable world…Mountains, water, stones, flowers, grass, trees, wood, the Sun, moonlight, stars… All creation under the Heavens and Earths are sources of energy. In this world, there are all the classics from his previous world, but there is a new addition: The Law of Dao. Fang Zhengzhi was conflicted. I can obtain power from reading books? Should I read T

6. 173

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Chapter 173: A Serious Incident

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

It was a release that welled up from the bottom of his heart. From the moment he stepped into the room, for the whole 4 hours, Fang Zhengzhi did not stop writing. This feeling of serenity after the anxiety…

It was a feeling that only those who had experienced it could understand.

Therefore, when Fang Zhengzhi sighed, he unconsciously let out his voice. The sound was not loud. It could only be considered as mumbling to himself at the most.

However…

His voice easily propagated through the silent examination room. Everyone's eyes swept across the room and focused their sights on Fang Zhengzhi.

"Finished?!"

Everyone felt like they were just struck by lightning. Fang Zhengzhi's voice continuously reverberated in their minds.

"You really finished everything?!" Yan Xiu's eyes revealed the shock that struck his heart.

"Here you go lying again… Why can't you be honest for once?" Ping Yang had an indignant look of disbelief.

The rest of the candidates had a variety of expressions. Some faces were shocked, and some were too shocked to even make a sound. However, there were more people that were sneering and mocking.

"He actually said he finished everything? Hahaha… What can be funnier than this?"

"As a human… He should have more integrity and be more humble. One should not be too shameless…"

"I have never seen someone so thick-skinned and despicable!"

The jeering of the candidates naturally attracted the attention of the four invigilators. Four pairs of paralyzing eyes suddenly all focused on Fang Zhengzhi.

After that, one of them noticed that Fang Zhengzhi still had his pen in his hands.

At that exact moment, his eyes flashed. He was entrusted with a mission in this round of invigilation. His eyes were locked on Fang Zhengzhi the whole time.

However, from the start of the examination, Fang Zhengzhi did not move a single centimeter from where he sat. For the whole duration of four hours, he was writing and writing…

Just like an unstoppable mill.

Under such circumstances, even if he was purposely trying to find fault, there was no opening for him.

"Cheating by exceeding the time?!"

Although it was a small violation and they could not cancel Fang Zhengzhi's eligibility, they could at least nullify the marks for that question. In this way, they could have something to show for.

Thinking of this, the invigilator did not hesitate. He took a few strides and came to Fang Zhengzhi's side.

"Just now when the gong sounded off, didn't you hear it?" The invigilator scanned the pen that Fang Zhengzhi just put down, his tone was stone cold.

Fang Zhengzhi who was preparing for a liberating stretch heard the voice. He turned and saw the invigilator looking at him with an icy expression. His heart froze. Could it be that they discovered that he wrote the last sentence after the sound of the gong?

Usually, such an incident would not have any impact. There were many times when the invigilators closed one eye to such a violation.

However...

This did not mean that it was allowed. If the invigilator was to be impartial, then writing his last line did indeed exceed the time.

But will Fang Zhengzhi honestly admit that?

Of course not!

"Yes I did hear it," Fang Zhengzhi replied boldly.

"Since you heard it, why were you still moving your pen?" The invigilator's eyes revealed the icy chill swirling within.

"Did I? I did not notice... Oh right, I have a habit of spinning my pen. Have a look if you don't believe," Fang Zhengzhi innocently picked up his pen and started spinning it in his hands...

The invigilator's eyebrows furrowed. He did not expect Fang Zhengzhi to stubbornly deny. However, in this situation, if he did not produce any evidence, there was nothing he could do to Fang Zhengzhi.

"You moved. I can be the witness. I saw it clearly just now." On the left-hand side, a voice softly floated by, threatening to add oil to fire to satisfy her mischief.

Fang Zhengzhi did not even need to turn his head to know that the voice belonged to Ping Yang.

Someone who had done nothing wrong would not be afraid of accusations. However, this Ping Yang was weird. She had answers on her body yet she dared to report to be a witness?

"With a witness, then that question you were answering would have its marks nullified!" The invigilator's eyes lit up the moment he heard Ping Yang's words. He held up Fang Zhengzhi's script and asked, "Candidate, please clarify which was the question that was answered after the gong?"

"It was on the last…" Ping Yang was preparing to say it was the last page when her tiny cherry lips opened wide.

Because…

She saw on Fang Zhengzhi's last page was filled with characters scrunched together to fit into the page.

"A whole paper totally filed up?!"

Ping Yang's eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets. She remembered what Fang Zhengzhi said just now. Her glassy orbs once again shifted to the rest of the papers.

Then, she saw that the previous page was filled and so was the page before that…

At this point, her eyes froze on that page. She stared intently at Fang Zhengzhi's script and could not look away for even a second.

The invigilators also noticed Ping Yang's peculiar behavior at this moment.

His eyes also shifted to the paper in his hands. He was stunned. Page after page flew up as he flipped.

One page, two pages, three pages… Twelve pages of the examination script!

All were filled!

There was not a single question left blank!

"My god… What is this that I see?!" The invigilator's face suddenly changed from white to red, then from red to purple and lastly, it swelled to become a purplish red that matched the color of a pig's liver.

He had been working for the Imperial Academy for about six years now.

Within that time, he oversaw the conduct of two county examinations, assisted the Imperial Examiner with the conduct of the provincial examinations and had been the invigilator for the Imperial Examination twice including this time.

However…

It was not just him who had never seen it. Even the whole of Imperial Academy had never seen anyone who could complete the scripts.In the whole history of the Great Xia Dynasty, there had never been anyone who could finish the whole examinations script within the allocated time.

"Is this fake?! Cheating?" The invigilator simply could not believe his eyes. However, he had been intently observing Fang Zhengzhi's hand since he began writing.

He knew it clearer than anyone.

The examination script was produced by Fang Zhengzhi own two hands.

It was just that this matter was too unbelievable. How could such a thing even happen? Even if this paper's answer was placed in front to let him copiously copy, it would be difficult to even finish copying everything within the allocated four hours.

To do finish…

The mere thought of finishing everything was hard to swallow like a fishbone lodged in the invigilator's throat. His mouth was gaping yet he was not taking in any breath.

Fang Zhengzhi did not know what the invigilator and Ping Yang were currently thinking. Instead, he was only thinking, that damn Ping Yang, since you dared to testify against me, I dare to report you!

"I want to make a report!" Fang Zhengzhi decided to take the advantage of making the first move.

"Oh," the invigilator nodded in a daze.

At this moment, Ping Yang also still reeling from shock. She did not even register Fang Zhengzhi's voice.

The rest of the candidates and invigilators heard Fang Zhengzhi's report. However, there was already an invigilator beside him, the rest of the invigilators naturally would not intervene.

As a result, Fang Zhengzhi realized that his proclamation was ignored.

"I said, I want to make a report!" Fang Zhengzhi was peeved. In this broad daylight, as a morally upright citizen, he wanted to lodge a report yet everyone ignored him?

Where is the justice!

"Oh… Ah?!" The invigilator finally reacted, "What do you want to report?"

"I'm reporting her for cheating. She had answers with her. Search her body if you don't believe!" Fang Zhengzhi pointed at Ping Yang, waiting for her to be searched. After getting her expelled from the room, then there would be no one to act as a witness against him.

"What?! You dare to report me?" Ping Yang regained her sense when she heard the word "answers". Her pale flawless face contorted. She totally did not expect Fang Zhengzhi was actually going forward and report her?

"Answers?!" The invigilator felt that his brain was about to crash, there was no way for him to make a sound judgment.

However, when the rest of the invigilators heard "answers", they could barely suppress the shock on their faces.

If…

Someone really had answers on them, that meant that the examination script was leaked prematurely. If that was true, this incident would shake the whole Great Xia empire. If it was traced, from the bottom Imperial Messengers to the top Chief Imperial Messenger, even the Headmaster of the Imperial Academy would be implicated.

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Chapter 174: Six Sets of Examination Script

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The invigilators' shock originated from the severity of such an offense. However, when Fang Zhengzhi made the report against Ping Yang, the rest of the candidates all had a face of puzzlement.

When Ping Yang chased away that noble, everyone found out about her identity.

Now…

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to report her?!

Was it possible that Fang Zhengzhi actually did not know who she was? It was highly unlikely because the incident at Ping Yang's birthday banquet was the talk of the capital.

Since he knew, he still dared to report?

Everyone was waiting for Ping Yang to start firing at him.

Then, she really did. However, the target was not Fang Zhengzhi, it was the invigilator who did not recognize her.

After reeling in shock, the invigilator regained his senses.

"Someone snuck in the answers?"

With such a serious incident, there was no way he could be careless.

"Search!"

"How dare you!"

The first sentence was utter by the invigilator while the one after came out of Ping Yang.

The invigilator was once again stunned by Ping Yang's audacious words. This was the Imperial Academy, he was one of the Imperial Messengers with the responsibility of conducting the examination.

Within the examination room, there was actually someone who challenged him?

Such gall!

Just as he was about to exercise his absolute authority to subdue this impertinent candidate, his eyelids did a jump.

Because…

He noticed that the eyes of the candidate had such clarity, similar to an autumn pond.

The pair of eyes were gorgeous but only one person in the of the Yan Capital, or rather the whole of the Great Xia Dynasty had such gorgeous eyes.

Princess Ping Yang!

"Prin...prin…"

"What are you mumbling on about? Collect the scripts and scram!" Ping Yang slightly tilted her chin up, a face of haughtiness and dominance. She did not wish for her identity to be revealed too much.

However, that did mean that she could just allow this invigilator to search her body.

"Yes, yes!" The invigilator dare not speak further. He swiftly collected Ping Yang and Fang Zhengzhi's scripts, fearing to question Fang Zhengzhi's transgression of exceeding the time limit any further.

Compared to his mission, his head was definitely more important to him.

The rest of the invigilator noticed the abnormality. They were prepared to go forward to check it out when they saw Ping Yang turned and gave them a small smile.

In an instant, the three invigilators felt a chill shot down their spine.

"Why did this demoness want to participate in the Imperial Examinations?This...this is simply too…" The three invigilators gave each other a look and quickly decided on the path of self-preservation.

It did not matter if she really snuck in the answers. Even if she was guilty, there was no one who dared to charge her. In the end, they would be the one at the short end of the stick.

In this situation, it was more rational to ignore her rather than checking her.

It did not take long for the four invigilators to collect all of the scripts.

After reaching this stage, Fang Zhengzhi felt that it was about time to return to the inn for a bath and some rest. However, Ping Yang definitely would not let him escape so easily.

"Hmph, don't think you are such a big shot just because you could finish the whole paper. I also know how to write bullshit!" Although Ping Yang was shocked by Fang Zhengzhi completion of the entire examination script, she did not have a clear look at the legitimacy of his answers.

"What? He really finished everything?"

"Twelve pages of questions, he finished every question?"

"How is that possible? There were six sets to the twelve-page examinations script…"

"If he finished everything, didn't that meant that he finished six examinations worth of questions? To complete six examinations within four hours…"

Those candidates that were preparing to leave had their jaws agape as they heard Ping Yang's words.

They could not believe that such a thing would happen. However, since Princess Ping Yang said this, then it was highly likely that it was the truth.

At this point, Yan Xiu was looking at Fang Zhengzhi like he was a monster.

Six sets of examination questions in four hours?

"Yes, I'm dead tired from it. Luckily I made it in time… What's wrong? Did you not finish?" Fang Zhengzhi was confused after hearing Yan Xiu's question.

"Did you not know that you can choose which questions to do? Every question had a marking to indicate which set it belonged to. Did you…miss it?" Yan Xiu questioned further.

"Marking to indicate which set? I saw it!" Fang Zhengzhi remembered after Yan Xiu reminded him. At the beginning of every question, there was a special marking.

However, Fang Zhengzhi did not know what those were for. All along, he thought it was for aesthetic purposes.

"You saw them yet you finished every question?" Yan Xiu's face revealed confoundment.

"Oh no… Did I break a rule?" Fang Zhengzhi's expression changed when he heard Yan Xiu's words.

Break a rule? Yan Xiu observed Fang Zhengzhi tensing up and his face was at a loss. Such a way to break a rule. It was not some rule that anyone could break just by thinking of it. An average person was really not capable of breaking such a rule.

"I don't think so," Yan Xiu shook his head.

"Oh, that's great! For a moment, I thought I broke a rule. Since it was not against the rules then all is well. The questions were so simple anyway and I knew how to do everything. So, I finished them without a pause."

Yan Xiu stared at Fang Zhengzhi's relaxed face, his mouth opening then closing. Not really sure what to say.

The rest of the candidates at looked at one another.

"Simple?!"

"Know how to do everything?!"

"So he finished them without pause?!"

"Did he have to insult us like that?!"

Ping Yang focused her glassy orbs at Fang Zhengzhi. She was very annoyed, extremely annoyed! What was the meaning behind this? What was the meaning of the "simple questions"?

It was obviously used to outrightly insult her!

"Fang Zhengzhi, I'm going to kill you!"

"Sure thing. However, now is not the time," Fang Zhengzhi gave Ping Yang a bored stare. After that, he pulled Yan Xiu with him out of the room.

He did not wish to continue spending his time with the unruly princess.

The rest of the candidates saw Ping Yang started firing and immediately scatter like spooked birds.

In an instant, the examination room only left Ping Yang who was shaking and pouting her tiny cherry lips.

"What was there to gloat about? So what if he finished all six sets… My god! That fellow actually finished all six sets of questions? What for?"

The biannual Law of Dao examinations had always been the focal points for both the citizens and officials in the whole of the Great Xia Dynasty, The Imperial Examinations was the focal point of the focal points.

After every Theory Examination, many of the candidates would discuss among themselves the difficulty of the examination.

Furthermore, some officials would take the lead to open up a forum to exchange ideas with the candidates on the thought processes required to answers the questions.

The idea was to examine the questions together with the students, analyze and come to a conclusion together.

In actuality, those officials were also gauging each students potential from the way they approached the analysis. This allowed them to pick out the students with exceptional talents in advance.

After all, to approach them after the release of the results might be too late.

Moreover, to provide them with opportunities before they know of their choices would very much reduce the costs and easier to win over their hearts.

However,

There was an exception in this year's Imperial Examinations.

Because after the Theory Examinations, the whole of Yan Capital exploded. Everyone was debating about the legendary rumor. Which was about how Fang Zhengzhi finished all six sets of the examination script!

Four hours, six full sets of examination papers. He actually answered all of the questions without fail in such a demanding examination.

Since the establishment of the Great Xia Dynasty, such an event had never happened before…

No one was willing to believe it was possible but the authenticity of this incident could be questioned no further.

All of the candidates that were in the same room of Fang Zhengzhi could pat their chest confidently and even dig out their eyes to support the credibility of such claims.

The invigilators in the Imperial Academy could also confirm the rumors.

This was even witnessed by a mysterious big shot in the capital.

Well, who was this person? No one dared to utter her name as they were quite happy with their lives in Yan Capital.

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Chapter 175: Aftermath

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The next morning, the whole of Yan Capital, from the various palace officials in their conference halls to the restaurants in big streets and small alleys. There was no one who was not talking about one name.

He was Fang Zhengzhi.

"An examination script with six sets, the whole six sets were finished in just four hours?!"

"Even if he did finish it, so what? Who knows if he just simply filled in nonsense? If it was nonsense, I could finish it too!"

"It was probably not nonsense, right? It was the Imperial Examination after all."

"Well then, have you seen anyone who finished all six sets of the examination script before? If it was not nonsense… How did he finish them?"

"Most likely…"

The East Palace, within the Royal Palace, was the residence of the crown prince for generations.

Today, within the East Palace sat a person. He wore a White Dragon Silk Robe. With willowy eyebrows and a pair of narrow eyes, he stared at the pot of "Tri-crowned Orchid"

It was a species of orchid that grew in the Southeast. It was unbelievably rare and priceless.

Crown Prince Lin Tianrong had a unique adoration for orchids. He felt that they were pure and elegant. Not unlike his own status and style.

He loved the arts. Frequently saw the orchids as his friends and include them in his writings.

At this moment, below him sat another person. He had a greying beard and hair dyed by the white sands of time. His face was thinning but his eyes showed an intense vigor.

He was dressed in a red palace robe.

Within the palace of the Great Xia Dynasty, there exist a system where red represented the ministers while purple represented marquis.

From this point, the person's identity was not hard to guess. He was the current Left Prime Minister, Yu Yiping. Yiping as first-class[1]. It was unclear whether his forefathers had to foresight to name him as such.

Currently, Yu Yipping was indeed a first-class official in the palace court.

The Crown Prince, Lin Tianrong did not really like Yu Yiping because the way Yu Yiping did things was too direct. Sometimes, this bluntness did not sit well with him.

However, the Sacred Lord liked Yu Yiping's bluntness.

Therefore, Crown Prince Lin Tianrong had to tolerate him. Even when Yu Yiping almost smashed his pot of "Tri-crowned Orchid" into a pile of dirt, Lin Tianrong did not show any outward signs.

"Didn't Prime Minister always allowed me to settle things? Why are you risking yourself for such a small matter?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong found it hard to wrap his head around this or it might be he did not bother to try and understand this.

No matter what kind of suggestion he brought up, Yu Yiping would always come up with enough reasons to support his own "correct" opinion such that there was no way for the Crown Prince to reject it.

Then…

Why should he try and understand?

Or it might be that in front of Yu Yiping, there was no need for him to try and understand.

This seemed like spineless but the intelligent people could easily see the rationale behind this. Although he was bestowed the title of Crown Prince, before he ascends to the throne, he was nothing.

He needed to rely on the palace officials and the Left Prime Minister was the best official there is.

It was just that this palace official was a bit more direct. Therefore, as the Crown Prince, the best way to interact was to "show need". Only when he showed enough need for him, he could have a use for the Left Prime Minister who had great influence in the palace.

"My actions were precisely so because this issue needed to be settled. On the side of Han Changfeng, they already sent out the news. Fang Zhengzhi did indeed finish all six sets of the examination script. Furthermore, from his previous interaction with Fang Zhengzhi in the River of Trust Province's provincial examinations, the chances of Fang Zhengzhi writing nonsense was zero. Then… This person was the one existence that could threaten the balance of the palace politics!" Yu Yiping's face was much calmer than it was a moment ago.

"Then, Prime Minister's meaning is?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong prodded.

"Edit! Now we can only take the risk of editing his answers. In the Imperial Examinations, only Fang Zhengzhi finished all six sets of questions. This is a pro and a con because this way, we could easily find his sealed script among the others. With just some minor adjustments, we could kick him off the roll," Yu Yiping's eyes shone with an icy glare.

"However, I've heard that King Duan also wanted Fang Zhengzhi out of the roll. I always thought that we should save those that King Duan wanted gone. Why are we on the same side as King Duan this time, Prime Minister?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong expressed his opinion to show his need for him. He must act to win him over.

"We have to act according to the situation. If you blindly move ahead, how could you achieve great things?" Yu Yiping indeed did not take bother with the Crown Prince's opinion.

"Prime Minister's advice is indeed wise. Then let's move according to your plan," the Crown Prince replied. After that, he slowly lifted the pot of "Tri-crowned Orchids" and carefully walked towards the backyard.

He murmured to himself as he walked, "My precious... Where should I place you?"

Within the Imperial Academy, Han Changfeng's eyebrows were scrunched tightly. He would never have thought that such a miracle could happen. Someone actually finished all six sets?

This created an uneasiness in his heart.

Heavenly Reflection at fifteen.

In the Imperial Examination, he finished all six sets in one sitting…

Impossible!

If Fang Zhengzhi was the one mentioned in the Heavenly Prophecy, then, the incident at the doors of the River of Trust examination location was enough leverage for Fang Zhengzhi to bring me to my grave.

Whether it was for the stability of the palace politics or for the preservation of oneself, Fang Zhengzhi must be eliminated.

Han Changfeng was waiting.

Waiting for the reply from the East Palace because to do this, he needed cooperation from the Left Prime Minister. Even if he was the Chief Imperial Messenger for the Imperial Academy and the Chief Examiner for the Imperial Examinations, he lacks the power to carry such a plan.

Similar to Han Changfeng, King Duan Lin Xinjue was just as anxious. As the Supervising Inspector of this round of Imperial Examinations, he naturally had the power to inspect any of the candidates' scripts.

Therefore, he had immediately sent someone to retrieve Fang Zhengzhi's script.

After that…

He felt that his mind just got whacked by a sledgehammer. A bit of dizziness and a bit of disbelief.

Fang Zhengzhi's script was easy to recognize. The seal did not need to be opened to know which one it was. The couplets on the script had five to six paired sentences for each one. What was the meaning of this?

Didn't he lack the skills of pairing couplets?

Was it all an elaborate act?

King Duan had a soreness in his heart that came from being outplayed by someone else. He believed that Fang Zhengzhi did this on purpose. He purposely pretended that he did not know how to pair couplets so as to lower the difficulty of the Theory Examinations in the Imperial Examinations.

All for the goal of his noble triumph of finishing all six sets of the examination papers.

Despicable!

King Duan was so enraged he almost tore up the papers in front of him. However, he manages to suppress that urge because he could not do it, not in front of the hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at him.

"Edit! Even if I was to be accused of being an incompetent inspector, his script must be edited!"

Within the Ping Yang Residence, the Ping Yang dressed up in a red cloak was not happy. The more she thought about it, the more furious she got. The more furious she was, the more her lips pouted.

"I'm furious, furious…"

Stalks of brightly blooming flowers suffered horrible fates in her poisonous hands. Even the flower pot was shown no mercy.

Ping! Piang! These sounds echoed in the small garden.

At this point, a Chi Guyan wearing a pink dress appeared. Her gentle footsteps were heard and even flowers bow in her presence.

"Sister Yan!" Ping Yang jumped up the moment she saw Chi Guyan.

"What's wrong? Why are you expressing your frustrations here alone?" Chi Guyan calmly walked towards Ping Yang, then, she pulled Ping Yang towards her to sit.

"Who else but that despicable man. Sister Yan, you knew that I was going to enter this round of Imperial Examinations. Initially, I thought that with my answers, I would definitely win him. However… that fellow actually finished everything? That was totally unreasonable!" Ping Yang was once again enraged at the thought of this.

"I see. But it's not worth it to be angry at such a shameless person. You said that he finished everything but that did not mean that he will beat you."

"How can he not? Six sets of examination papers… He finished everything by himself!" Ping Yang did not understand.

"He merely finished. Are you sure that what he wrote was correct?"

"How do I even confirm? I'm not the Chief Examiner. How would I know if it was right or wrong?" As Ping Yang said this, she was humbled because even as the Chief Examiner, she would not be able to judge whether Fang Zhengzhi's answers.

"Would you like to be the Chief Examiner though?" Chi Guyan gently smiled.

"Of course. However, the Chief Examiner was already appointed. I don't have a chance even if I wanted to," Ping Yang did not really catch Chi Guyan's meaning.

"It's not totally impossible."

"Sister Yan, is there still a way for me to become the Chief Examiner?" Ping Yang's eyes revealed her incredulity when she heard that.

[1: First-class translate to Chinese is 一品 which is read as yi pin and sounds the same as Yu Yiping's name, hence the pun.

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Chapter 176: Quality over Quantity

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"There is a way but it only allows you to examine one person's script. Would you be willing?" Chi Guyan asked.

"Of course I will! I'm only afraid that…"

"Afraid that you can't tell the difference between right and wrong?"

"Sister Yan, you are teasing me again…"

"Then don't you just need someone to look at it for you?"

"Who?"

"I believe… His Majesty should be interested in that shameless fellow's script."

"Father?!" Ping Yang was briefly stunned. After that, her glassy eyes immediately shimmer, "I understand now. Sister Yan wants me to find my father. If Father gained some interest in that fellow's script, he would definitely order the people at the Imperial Academy to send it over?"

"Ping Yang is indeed smart. Enlightened with only a little guidance."

"Hahaha… Naturally. I shall go find my father now!" After finishing the sentence, Ping Yang disappeared in a blink of an eye, skipping and hopping as she went out of the courtyard.

Chi Guyan looked on at Ping Yang's fading figure, then turned towards the direction of the palace, "If I'm not wrong, Your Majesty also needed a reason to have a look at Fang Zhengzhi's script right?"

Inside the palace, within the study room.

The Sacred Lord, Lin Mubai, dawned his Golden Dragon Robe and sat in his Dragon Throne. In his hands, he was flipping through an academic memorial but his eyes were looking out the window.

At this moment, the doors were pushed opened by someone from the outside.

Such an impudent action was worthy of a beheading.

Instead, the Sacred Lord's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Only Chi Guyan knows the way to my heart!"

The Sacred Lord did not even need to turn his head to know that it was definitely Ping Yang who was approaching. Only she could barge into the room with such gall.

"Ping Yang, you came? Come sit beside me," the Sacred Lord showed an amiable smile.

"Father!" Ping Yang lightly skipped to the side of Lin Mubai.

"What brings you to me?"

"Did Father heard of the incredible rumor? It is currently making waves everywhere in the capital."

"Oh? What could cause such a big uproar? Even my Ping Yang was disturbed?"

"I wasn't really disturbed by it. I'm just curious. I've heard that Fajg Zhengzhi actually finished all six sets of the examination script. I was thinking...he definitely deceiving us!"

"Oh really?" The Sacred Lord gave a small smile and resumed reading the academic memorial within his hands.

"Is Father not curious to have a look at what kind of cheap method that the scum, who was merely pining for fame, used?" Ping Yang saw that the Sacred Lord seemed to be disinterested. In the instant, she was anxious.

"The conducting structure for the Theory Examinations of the Imperial Examinations was headed by Han Changfeng as the Chief Examiner. Even I found find it hard to interfere with this," the Sacred Lord seemed to be out on the spot by Ping Yang.

"What is a mere Han Changfeng? I shall go the Imperial Academy now and order him to obediently hand over Fang Zhengzhi's script to us. He dares to defy my orders? Hmph!" After her outburst, she jumped up.

"This...this is not very nice?" The Sacred Lord was about to stop her but Ping Yang did not even bother with him and was already gone with the wind.

"She really does come and go like the wind. This personality definitely took after her mother…"

Within Yan Capital, low and high ranking officials were holding academic conferences within their residences.

Among them, the conference at the Left Prime Minister's Residence was the most respected and grand. Countless of the Imperial Examinations candidates entered its halls, hoping to be guided towards enlightenment by the Left Prime Minister.

The Left Prime Minister, Yu Yiping, personally welcomed them into the main courtyard, where he sat at the head of the conference. His smile perpetually painted with a slight smile while he discussed with the candidates as he savored his tea.

After a thorough discussion of the questions, naturally, the candidates began to probe the Left Prime Minister on his predictions of which families would clinch the top three positions.

The prediction of the three positions had always been a hot topic in these conferences.

This indicated the official's judgment of the current political climate. The candidates also used this to gauge whether they had followed the right people or would they have to reconsider a place that could bring forth their potentials.

After all, the choice had to be mutually beneficial.

Yu Yip was naturally prepared for this, therefore, he did not even show a trace of panic.

"In this round of the Imperial Examinations, the were several outstanding individuals. Close to home, we have Xing Qingsui from the Stabilisation Constabulary and Su Clan's Su Donglin. Further away, we have Nangong Mu from the Nangong Clan. If I'm not wrong, the top three in this Imperial Examinations would be between these three."

"Comparing this three, Su Donglin's reputation is the biggest and also the most likely person to clinch the top spot. However, in my opinion, the Roll Champion would instead give taken by Nangong Mu!"

After Yu Yiping finished, he gently lifted his teacup and took a small sip.

"Nangong Mu? Isn't he Nangong Hao's younger brother?"

"Prime Minister Yu's analysis made sense. Nangong Hao is already the Great Xia Empire's greatest talent. Nangong Mu is Nangong Hao's blood-related younger brother. Their age difference is only two years. After taking the title of Roll Champion at the Capital Examinations two years ago, because of Chi Guyan, he abruptly pulled out of the Imperial Examinations. This time round's Imperial Examination, he is sure to clinch the top spot."

"However, this round's Imperial Examination had Fang Zhengzhi… He answered all six sets of the examination script. Wondering what is Prime Minister Yu's views on this?" One of the candidates could no longer hold back after hearing this.

When the other candidates heard this, they too showed the look of anticipation.

Yu Yiping seemed like he was expecting this question. With his smile showing no signs of diminishing, he slowly put down his cup. After that, he calmly stated, "Although Fang Zhengzhi was the Double Roll Champion in both the county and provincial examinations, both cannot be compared to the Imperial Examinations. Since the establishment of the Great Xia Dynasty, no one had ever finished all six sets of the examination script in four hours. This person did something like this only belies the suspicion that he is simply stealing fame and reputation."

"I'm have always believed when it comes to such things, quality is required more than quantity. The more you do, the more mistakes you make. Even if the highest scoring set is used as a gauge, he would just as easily drop to the lower-class rolls!"

"The most he could hope for is only the second-class roll!"

As Yu Yiping approached the end, his tone was incomparably firm.

"I see!"

"I have greatly benefited from listening to Prime Minister Yu's speech!"

"Low-lives that spread lies and deceit to garner undeserved fame do not last long. After the release of results three days later, I would like to see whether Fang Zhengzhi would still have the face to participate in the Combat Examinations?"

"By that time, he might just gain the reputation of being the laughing stock, hahaha…."

When the candidates heard this, they could not hold in their laughter too. This was not saying that they were near-sighted but in their hearts, they simply could not believe that Fang Zhengzhi could do finish everything and still maintain accuracy.

Just as the Left Prime Minister had said.

Quality over quantity. Who could argue with such logic?

How would it be possible?!

Fang Zhengzhi did not know about the discussions that surrounded him happening all over Yan Capital. After the end of the examinations, he and Yan Xiu rode out of Yan Capital…

Five kilometers outside of Yan Capital, there was a quaint and serene villa. Within the villa was a huge lake dubbed the "Five Kilometers Red".

The name came from the five kilometers of red shores.

It was described as five kilometers of red shore because along the lake, scarlet red rocks lined the shores. Whether it was the sandbanks or rocks along the shoreline, everything was painted a fiery red.

Rumour was that the Five Kilometers Lake was the site of the most devastating and brutal battle between the Demon Army and the Human Alliance.

The whole lake was dyed red, even the rocks by the shores were not spared.

After millennials, this red still did not fade.

The purpose of Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu's visit was obviously not to commemorate the heroes of the past. They were here to appreciate the view and of course, one more thing. To use the lake as a mirror to solve Yan Xiu's Mirror Projection mystery.

The villa did not have many guests here. Yan Xiu originally wanted to book the whole place but he was stopped by Fang Zhengzhi, "There are not many people here anyway. Here is quite quiet."

While Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu were enjoying their vacation at the lakeside villa, the Imperial Academy was plagued by a devastating peril the likes of which they had never seen for the past hundred years.

Ping Yang was coming.

With the attitude of an unruly bandit, she kicked aside the guards at the gates of the Imperial Academy. She, just a single individual, viewed the hundreds of guards at the Imperial Academy as ants.

She opened a bloody path towards the heavily guarded Script Grading Hall of the Imperial Academy with gale force speed.

Nearly a hundred Imperial Messengers who were buried in the scripts all raised their heads in unison.

Seated a fair distance away, at a large study desk was Han Changfeng. In that moment, his face immediately changed. The ink brush that was just dipped in jet-black ink was dropped onto the floor with a "Pa" due to alarm.

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Chapter 177: Release of Results of the Theory Examinations

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Was Han Changfeng not calm enough?

Of course not.

It was just that anyone who was caught red-handed doing something unspeakable would struggle to keep their cool. Especially when the person who caught him was the Sacred Lord's most beloved Princess Ping Yang.

Ping Yang invaded the Imperial Academy?!

The purpose of yer visit was clear to everyone because no matter how much chaos she caused in the capital, she had never disrupted the conduct of political matters.

So...

Just as Han Changfeng's face ashen, Ping Yang cut through the crowd of Imperial Messengers while wearing her red cloak. She was like a red fireball that shot in front of him.

Her tender cherry-sized lips curled into a smile.

Her glassy orbs studied Han Changfeng's face at close range.

"Lord Han, you look nervous… Don't tell me you are illegally altering the scripts?"

With this sentence out, the whole Imperial Academy was like the surface of a lake after a giant rock fell into it. All the Imperial Messengers were momentarily dumbfounded.

Han Changfeng's jaws dropped like a stone. He was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out.

"Princess Ping Yang, please don't make such accusations so easily…" Han Changfeng's heart was in turmoil but he quietly reigned in his facial expressions.

"Hahaha, Lord Han sure can't take a joke as usual. I'm here on the orders of my Father to retrieve someone's script," Ping Yang smile with such vibrancy it was comparable to the sakura blooms in spring, after seeing Han Changfeng's agitated expression.

Nights in Yan Capital was not quiet. Candle flames in residences lit up like the stars in heaven. People from all walks of life moved about within these residences, causing a flow of dark shadows that traversed the streets outside.

Compared to Yan Capital, the surface of the Five Kilometer Lake was much calmer. A crisp green covered the lake like a coat of jade. The moonlight that drifted down bathed the area with a silver hue.

Fang Zhengzhi stared at the surface of the lake, his mouth slightly opened and his eyes were not even blinking.

Because…

He saw a woman. A woman dancing under the moonlight. Just like the scene he saw at the Heavenly Treasure Hall. The same dress floating in the air, the same elegant figure.

However, this was not the Heavenly Treasure Hall. It was the Five Kilometers Lake.

So…

Where did this woman come from?

Fang Zhengzhi was stumped. He really wanted to have a good look at her features but there seemed to be a veil of light in the air in front of him, reducing the clarity of the woman's features.

However, he felt a great sense of wonder.

He felt that the woman was familiar. He must have seen her somewhere before but he did not know exactly where.

The woman softly danced on the surface of the lake, enjoying the glow of the moon. The scene was stunning yet strange. Fang Zhengzhi's heart felt like it was struck by lightning.

However, this was different from the quick glance he had at the Heavenly Treasure Hall. This time, Fang Zhengzhi could study her carefully, scrutinize her every move.

Hence, he realized that the woman kept her dancing within a certain area.

It seemed circular.

It was not a big circle but the woman could never leap out of that circle. It felt like she was doing this on purpose yet when looked upon closely, it seemed like she was trapped inside.

Fang Zhengzhi played with the thought of calling Yan Xiu here to have a look. However, just as he was about to get up, packets of radiance slowly drifted down from the sky.

Almost like the moonlight dripped down from the skies.

Pure white light gently floated down from the heavens.

Right at this moment, a ray of light of the same kind shot out from the woman's forehead. That light consumed those starry lights drifting down or rather, it assimilated with them.

As Fang Zhengzhi was mesmerized by this sight, the woman suddenly disappeared.

As if she had never existed.

Serenity returned to the lake surface. The blood-soaked rocks along the shoreline were the same intense red. A breeze came along, revealing a soft glow in the air…

Three days later, daybreak.

The fiery sun rose, slowly peeking it's head out, bathing the horizon in its golden rays and painting the sky gold.

At the gates of Yan Capital, two young adults riding side by side, they rode on the Snow Treading Dragon Stallions that was only possessed by the Divine Constabulary of the Northern Desert.

The two young adults were not riding very fast, therefore, the guards at the capital gates could easily discern who they were.

No one stopped them.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at the aloof Yan Xiu beside him. He did not probe him because he knew what Yan Xiu was thinking. In his heart, he firmly believed that Yan Xiu could definitely do it.

At the gates of the Imperial Academy, the crowd was packed like sardines.

Countless of candidates were already waiting at the gates before the sun even rose because today was the release of the results of the Theory Examinations.

Such a day was of incredible significance.

Too many of the candidates, this could be the pivotal moment in their lives.

Hence, last night was fated to a sleepless night, not just for the candidates. The Imperial Messengers that were evaluating the scripts lost their sleep too.

The Imperial Examinations gathered talents from the Northern Lands, Western Liang, Southern Nation and the Eastern Metropolis. It was the grandest occasion in the Law of Dao Examinations.

This meant that many of the candidates traversed thousands of kilometers to get here. Therefore, there were situations of candidates red-eyed and still chewing on dry rations in the mouth.

Other than the candidates coming to see their results, the Yan Capital's palace officials appeared too.

The release of results of the Theory Examinations was the best time to seize the talents. It was also the time to test their own intuition. To successfully pull over a candidate on the first-class roll would be a significant achievement.

"Quick, look. It is Xing Qingsui from the Stabilisation Constabulary!" The crowd rapidly grew noisier. After that, all eyes were on the young man that was walking here from a distance away.

The young man was about twenty-three to twenty-four years of age. His face was dark. He did not look like someone grew up in comfort like the rest of the noblelites but his aura was extremely intimidating.

Like a coiled panther that was ready to spring on its prey. His eyes possessed a soft gleam and his thick eyebrows gave him a wild demeanor.

"I've heard that Xing Qingsui was in the middle stages of the Heavenly Reflection State. He was even personally groomed by Lord Xing from the Stabilisation Constabulary. He has been sharpening himself on the battlefield for a few years. In this round of Imperial Examinations, he will probably get a good position."

"For this round of the Imperial Examinations, I look forward to seeing Su Dongling from the Su Clan."

"Well, I would disagree on this point. Su Donglin might be in his later stages of the Heavenly Reflection State but his skills were not tested on the battlefield. Although his state level is high, he may not fare well against Xing Qingsui on the battlefield.

"Su Donglin is arriving!"

As the crowd was discussing, a young man wearing a white traditional chinese outfit made his way here. His age was about twenty-five to twenty-six years old. The face was smooth and pale but in between his eyebrows, there was a tiredness that could not be shaken off.

Almost as if they pushed himself too much on certain things.

Behind the young man, followed two young female attendants.

The two female attendants had delicate features. One wore a green dress that reached their ankles while the other wore a red one. The common feature was the sword that was slung on the backs of these two attendants.

The sword was similarly distinguished by green and red, matching each attendant's outfit color.

"Look, it's Su Donglin's left and right attendant!"

"Lord Su's love for his son is extraordinary. The left and right attendants actually followed him to see the results. This is simply too…"

"Don't hide your envy you brat, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Hahaha…"

The crowd's attention at this point was all focused on Xing Qingsui and Su Donglin. No one noticed a pair of eyes. That pair of eyes was calm, not a tiny glimmer was reflected in those eyes.

However, that pair of eyes was special because it was too calm. In the context of the congregation of talents at the gates of the Imperial Academy, this pair of eyes did not fit in.

The owner of this pair of eyes did not seem to want the attention of others.

He simply stood under the shade of a tree. He wore a plain shirt with a whitening sash that hanged off of his hair.

This kind of outfit was extremely ordinary.

An average person would not even look twice at him.

Yet it was exactly this kind of ordinary person that attracted the gaze of many palace officials. All the officials present subtly glanced over at the young man.

However, no one went forward to interact with him. Within their eyes was the expression of apprehension. Fear from the bottom of their hearts.

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Chapter 178: Arrogance

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The palace officials fear a young man?

This was defying common sense. However, if this young man's surname was Nangong, then it would be understandable to a certain extent because there was a peerless genius produced by the Nangong clan.

A genius that was possibly on par with Chi Guyan.

He was the number one prodigy of the Great Xia Dynasty, Nangong Hao.

The young man in front of them would be Nangong Mu, the younger brother of Nangong Hao.

Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu returned to the inn on their Snow Treading Dragon Stallions. As they secured the reins of these horses, they could feel the obvious increase in foot traffic along the main streets. Most were all in one direction.

That direction was naturally the Imperial Academy.

Today was the release of results of the Theory Examination. The atmosphere in Yan Capital was heavy and tense but it seemed to have no effect on Fang Zhengzhi. He always preferred to go with the natural flow.

Similarly, Yan Xiu did not show any indication of nervousness. He occupied his mind with introspection. From the end of the Theory Examinations till now, he had been reflecting and trying.

On their way back, the two exchanged few words.

As Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu approached the Imperial Academy's gates side by side, heads looking like black dots stretched as far as their eyes could see. Forget about the Results Tablet, even the guards at the gates were completely blocked.

Any sort of elevation near the Imperial Academy was fully packed with people.

Fang Zhengzhi had a small scare when he saw such a sight. He recalled that there were not so many candidates that participated in the examinations.

So where did all these people come from?

As he was thinking, he subconsciously scanned the crowd surrounding him. After that, he realized that other than the candidates, there were some palace officials wearing their official uniform mixed with the crowds.

There were even some passing merchants that came to see what was going on.

Without a doubt, the Imperial Examinations' release of results was indeed one of the grand occasions in the Great Xia Dynasty. Be it, officials or citizens, everyone was keeping an extremely close watch of the event.

Fang Zhengzhi's leisurely stroll with an easygoing expression on his face while humming a small tune. His eyes sweeping the crowd in front of him, looking for the limited empty spaces.

However, when people start noticing him and Yan Xiu, the crowd start to bubble with discussions.

This puzzled Fang Zhengzhi. He remembered when he was going to take Theory Examinations, he and Yan Xiu were obscured by the blinding talents of Yan Capital.

However, today…

Seemed a bit special.

Of course, he did not know that in the three days that he was gone, he had become the talk of the capital. From the main streets to the back alleys; small and big residences, everyone knew and talked about him.

He made history. No matter what method he used, whether he wrote nonsense or not, it was an irreversible fact that he broke the rule that no one else could for the past thousand years.

Everyone, simultaneously turned their heads to face one position. Countless pairs of eyes all pointed in unison at Fang Zhengzhi.

"It's Fang Zhengzhi?!"

He finally came. What do you think his expression would be when he drops out of the roll?"

"Well, I feel that he wouldn't drop so far off the roll. To be able to become the roll champion in the River of Trust Provincial Examinations, won't he at least have a shot at getting on the second-class roll?"

"Didn't you hear about Prime Minister Yu's analysis?"

"You mean that sentence about quality over quantity?"

"That's right. If Fang Zhengzhi earnestly attempted the questions in the Imperial Theory Examinations, he might have a chance at the second-class roll. Unfortunately, he finished all six sets of the script. Such low-life that lusts after superficial fame and wealth would naturally not have time for checking and refinement."

"Brother Tang's eyes sure are sharp. I'm impressed!"

The candidates started to murmur among themselves. They were looking forward to Fang Zhengzhi's expression when he dropped out of the roll. This intention was probably spurred on by jealousy.

It was like when people are used to wearing clothes out, then suddenly one day, one person did otherwise. Propounding that going out naked could allow one to fully embrace what Mother Nature has to offer.

Then…

This person would be either stoned or drowned in spit.

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi's actions this time did not simply break the mindset that was instilled over a long period of time. He went and crushed the history of the Great Xia Dynasty since its founding under his feet.

He did something that no one had done since the beginning of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Finishing the six sets of questions in the examination script in under four hours.

If such a thing actually happened, then didn't it meant that he was one level higher than the likes of Chi Guyan and Nangong Hao?

Whether it was the previous round when Chi Guyan became the Double Roll Champion or the round before that when Nangong Hao who got the title of roll champion for the Imperial Examinations, no such thing had happened before.

No one believed that such an achievement was possible.

Furthermore, it was achieved by a mountain villager that had not ever step foot in a Hall of Dao before. The officials did not believe and the noblelites even more so.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at those eyes that shot at him and felt confused. Yet, at this time, a disturbance arose in the crowd.

A young man wearing a white traditional chinese outfit, followed by two female attendants wearing a red and green dress respectively, forced a path through the crowd towards Fang Zhengzhi's position.

With this, the already packed crowd that blocked the Imperial Academy's gates barely had any room to maneuver. Some of the slower people were pushed down with the butts hitting the floor.

Hence, among the soft discussions, the disharmonious cursing grew.

"Where're your eyes?!"

"Leg, leg... My leg!"

"Ahh, Lady, you're sitting on my face!"

The extremely puzzled Fang Zhengzhi heard the moans of the last guy. His curiously wondered what kind of soreness would that be when someone sat on his face.

Therefore, he started to find out the source of this voice.

However…

Unfortunately, as he was still finding, a figure blocked his line of sight. Furthermore, two more people stood on each side of this figure.

It was Su Donglin and his two female attendants.

The two attendants had delicate and elegant features. It was hard to discern their age. On their backs was a sword slung diagonally. The unique features were their eyes. Sharp and piercing just like the swords sheathed in the scabbard.

"It's the Sword Attendants," Yan Xiu spoke. His gaze was not on Su Donglin either. Like Fang Zhengzhi, his attention was on the two attendants.

The feeling of being overlooked caused Su Donglin's face to darken. The once pale and unblemished face immediately dropped in temperature.

"So you are Fang Zhengzhi?" Su Donglin opened his mouth.

"Looking for something?" Fang Zhengzhi heard his question and turned to look at Su Donglin in slight annoyance.

Su Donglin saw the look of annoyance on Fang Zhengzhi's face. It was like his heart got pierced by something, the chill on his face got even icier.

"Do you know what kind of people I hate the most? It's those low-lives like you who chase after fame and glory by faking it. I'm different from the likes of you. I relied on my abilities. Soon, my name would be carved on the Roll Tablet. There's a place where you could no hope to even see!" Su Donglin stared at Fang Zhengzhi, his eyes brimming with arrogance.

Rationally speaking, he had no grudges against Fang Zhengzhi but in the three days after the examination, the person everyone was talking about was Fang Zhengzhi.

He originally thought that after the examination, he would be able to enjoy the most triumphant of glories but instead, he was all but forgotten.

The feeling was like after marriage, as he was about the go on a honeymoon but realized that someone was already a step in front of him and enjoy himself.

How could he bear with such a feeling?

Fang Zhengzhi did not understand Su Donglin's thoughts. He felt that everything was happening too suddenly. Without antagonizing anyone, someone jumped out and proclaimed that his abilities were superior to Fang Zhengzhi's abilities.

You had the ability…

You came up just because you had the ability?!

"Have you heard of this saying?" Fang Zhengzhi did not reply Su Donglin. Instead, he posed a question to him.

"What saying?"

"Thirty years on the east bank, the next thirty years on the west bank."[1]

"Are you saying that you are young and still have a lot of time ahead of yourself?" Su Donglin underestimated him.

"No, what I meant was, I'm the east bank and you are the west bank. If you want to be at the top, wait another thirty years," Fang Zhengzhi answered in an exceedingly indifferent tone.

"You...arrogant prick!" Su Donglin's face changed. HIs pupils dilated in rage and his aura exploded. A raging tidal wave of energy poured out from his body.

With his Late Stage Heavenly Reflection State's capabilities, he had confidence that he could make someone who just reached the Heavenly Reflection State to kneel before him.

However, to his disappointment.

Fang Zhengzhi totally did not sense the pressure from him.

Instead, he looked at Su Donglin innocently. He felt like a boat inside the storm. Bobbing up and down within the storm but never sinking.

"Young master, Master has ordered to refrain from causing trouble!" Right at this moment, the attendant in red suddenly opened her mouth. Although her voice was not loud, it had a mysterious sharpness to it.

"Hmph! I hope there is a fluke and you pass the Theory Examinations!" Su Donglin was held back by the attendant. However, unlike most noble young masters, he did not vilify her for her disrespect but instead, he collected back his aura.

Peace was restored.

Fang Zhengzhi's gaze once again went past Su Donglin, directing it at the female attendant in red. He could sense that those two were not the common attendants because their power was definitely above average.

Su Donglin once again felt the piercing pain of being overlooked. His eyes flashed but he did not dispute with Fang Zhengzhi any further because the gate of the Imperial Academy had opened.

Two rows of soldiers in shining armors swiftly marched out from within the gates.

The crowd that initially surrounded the gates saw the soldiers and immediately retreated to a distance. They opened a path from the gates of the Imperial Academy to the Roll Tablet.

[1] This Chinese saying "三十年河东,三十年河西" means that the world is ever-changing, nothing will stay the same. For the first thirty years, you might be on the east bank side of the Huang River but in the next thirty years, the flow of the Huang River might change such that you become situated on the west bank instead.

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Chapter 179: Happiness, Anger and Sorrow

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

No one was discussing anymore. Not one dared to delay the soldiers' time by even a second because they knew that the release of results was upon them.

Rows of anxious and nervous pairs of eyes focused on the soldiers and the inside of the Imperial Academy. The atmosphere seemed to be suffocating as some kind of pressure started bubbling up.

Some candidates were so nervous that their faces were turning green.

Although Fang Zhengzhi would not mind whatever results he got, however, that was not to say that he did not care about it at all. Therefore, he was beginning to fill up with anticipation.

Yan Xiu, at this point, abandoned his thoughts and focused his eyes on the Imperial Academy.

Soon, a team of official messengers in their black official robes appeared in their sights. Every one of the officials had the character for "Imperial" on their chest, representing their rank.

The person leading the team was someone Fang Zhengzhi knew. He was the Chief Examiner for the Huai An County County Examinations, Imperial Messenger Qin Yumin.

After Qin Yumin stepped out of the gates of the Imperial Academy, his eyes swept the crowd in front of him. He showed a slight hint of shock. It was obvious that the crowd today was greater than the crowds that showed up for the past release of results for the Theory Examinations.

However, it was not surprising if he thought about it.

Previous results release of the Theory Examinations had more candidates and palace officials while the majority of the citizens would view the results after the Combat Examinations.

However, this time it was different.

Because…

A heavenly miracle happened in this round of Theory Examinations, therefore, passing merchants and citizens with free time would come and squeeze for a look.

Everyone wanted to see the outcome of this Theory Examinations.

Qin Yumin did not stand at the gates for long. He cut through the crowd and came to the two huge Roll Tablets beside the door.

These two tablets were different from the tablets at the River of Trust Province.

The tablet had the standard features of a tablet but magnified to gigantic proportions and dark as ink. Whether it was the height or width, they were all twice in size in every dimension compared to the Roll Tablet at the River of Trust Province.

"This round of Imperial Examinations had two thousand three hundred and fifty-seven candidates. Following the rules of the previous rounds, the Theory Examination will have first and second-class rolls. The first-class roll will contain the top twenty while the second-class roll will start from the twenty-first position to the two hundredth position."

As Qin Yumin explained to this point, his eyes surveyed the anxiously waiting candidates and spectators.

When the candidates heard the number of them that participated, they were all dumbfounded. They would publicise the number of participants in every round of the examinations. However, in this round, the number of participants was a full five hundred more than the previous round.

In this case, the chance of acceptance became all the more precious.

Furthermore, this was only the Theory Examinations. If the disqualifications from the Combat Examinations were taken into account, then, in the end, those that truly passed the Imperial Examinations at most also would not exceed fifty candidates.

Every two years, the number of people in the Great Xia Empire that manage to pass the Imperial Examinations were not more than fifty. For the more than two thousand candidates, their chances were paper thin.

However, if they ever pass, it would be equivalent to the carp jumping through the dragon gate. They gain the rights to step into the palace courts.

Qin Yumin did not say anything redundant because he knew that everyone now only cared about the names on the Roll Tablets.

He swiftly took out an exquisite rectangular box made out of pure metal from his chest.

The box was black and it was hard to tell what was the exact material used to craft it. On the top and four sides of the box were different characters carved into it, there were even some archaic patterns adorning the surface.

"Ka!"

Qin Yumin removed the seal on the box.

After that, he took out an ink-black jade rock that was shaped like a cube from inside the box.

All the candidates immediately tensed up because when this ink-black jade rock was pushed into the tablet, it would determine the fate of their futures…

"Wvoom!"

The ink-black jade rock was pushed into an indentation on the Roll Tablet. After that, the enormous Roll Tablet started to shine was blinding light.

One by one, names started to appear on the rock.

The tension at the location reached saturation point. Everyone opened their eyes wide, intensely scanning the rock for names.

They were all overly anxious to the point where they forgot about their money pouch.

Within the fully packed crowd, some figures started to wind their way through. No matter which world, there was no shortage of such people.

This also made sure that today was a definitely a day filled with happiness and shock.

"It's out!"

"I thought I just saw my name, where did it go? Where did my name go?!"

"Ah, that's my name but…why is the address behind my name wrong?!"

There were more than two thousand people participating in the Imperial Examinations, there were bound to have people with the same name. As a result, after every name was the address of each individual and the index number for the examination.

This helped to facilitate the determination of passing candidates in the event of any confusion.

Surprise but after that, it turned to a heavy disappointment so the candidates that tool such a blow broke down and cried on the spot.

"Ah...Why? Why is it that I have the same name but different fortune!"

"It was obvious that I made it. How is it possible that I didn't? There must be a mistake, a mistake…"

Sobs started to sprout from within the crowd.

"I passed! I really passed this time!"

"I made it… I made it into the roll!"

"Hahaha, ten years of hard work, ten years of poring over books. I finally passed the Theory Examinations today!"

Such exclamations would naturally exist but compared to the wails of failing, it was obviously fewer.

However, these exclamations attracted the most attention.

Whenever there was someone screaming "I passed, I passed", the surrounding people all looked towards that person with expressions of envy and jealousy.

The students that came from the same province state, after getting over their disappointment, started celebrating for those that made it onto the Roll Tablet.

As everyone was sharing their happiness and sorrows, some voices that did not fit the situation rang out.

"There is no Fang Zhengzhi!"

"Fang Zhengzhi's name is not on the Roll Tablet!"

"Did he drop out of the roll as expected?"

"In pursuit of quantity, he neglected quality. Such an outcome was as expected. He might have had a chance to get on the second-class roll but he fell out of the rolls instead. He deserved it!"

"As a human, it's better if we lead down-to-earth lives! Why force it out if we really cannot do it?"

As these voices grew, more people joined in. Whenever they said something, they would subtly glance over at Fang Zhengzhi.

However, Fang Zhengzhi maintained an expression free of worries.

Second-class Roll?

Fang Zhengzhi barely gave a thought about the Second-class Roll Tablet. At the very least, he felt that Yan Xiu and his name would not appear on that tablet.

Similarly, Yan Xiu did not pay much attention to the Second-class Roll Tablet despite the fact that he was only sixteen.

He was the noblelite from the Yan Clan of Western Liang. Although it was not something to be bragged about, it was his greatest source of motivation.

There was not a single noblelite from the Yan Clan that would want their names on the second-class roll.

There was no such history since the establishment of the Great Xia Dynasty.

As a result, Yan Xiu also would not do it. In his heart, if he got into the second-class roll, it would be equivalent to dropping out of the roll altogether.

Yan Xiu's expression was aloof. He was waiting.

Fang Zhengzhi was waiting as well.

However, this did not mean that the citizens felt that Fang Zhengzhi should continue to wait because coming up was the first-class roll of the Imperial Examinations.

On the roll would be only twenty names.

Within these twenty names, from the top to bottom, no one was expecting to see his name.

Whether it was during or after the Imperial Examinations, no one had ever thought about this. The reason was simple. Fang Zhengzhi just entered the Heavenly Reflection State.

This was not enough reason to support their predictions.

However, when Fang Zhengzhi's ability was compared to other candidates, there was quite a considerable gap.

The top twenty in the whole of the Great Xia Empire. Which one of them wasn't an elite that got into the Rising Dragon Roll? There were even some that had the ability to be in the top twenty or thirty positions on the Rising Dragon Roll but because of the age restrictions, they were not on the roll.

Those people would be the fiercest competitors in this round of the Imperial Examinations.

Forty-year-olds in the Heavenly Reflection State!

They had meditated in the Heavenly State for at least ten years. Whether it was their foundation or their understanding of the Dao of All Creation, they had all reach the highest of levels.

The gap between such individuals and a fifteen-year-old who just entered Heavenly Reflection State was not even the difference between Heaven and Earth.

It was at least, the difference between worlds.

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Chapter 180: Missing person

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

After the 180 names were announced, Fang Zhengzhi's name was still nowhere to be seen. It would seem that Fang Zhengzhi had failed to be ranked.

Su Donglin did not wander far. Upon seeing Fang Zhengzhi's name missing from the Second-Class Roll, he walked over.

"Congratulations!"

"You too!" Fang Zhengzhi replied.

"Me too?" Su Donglin was taken aback. He was clearly being sarcastic, but Fang Zhengzhi didn't seem to get it.

Just as he was about to reply, one of his servants shot him a look.

Su Donglin had no choice but to keep quiet.

However, he snorted to himself, "I will let you be happy for a while, after the First-Class Roll is released, I will see where you can hide!"

After Qin Yumin released the Second-Class Roll, he waited for a while so everyone could soak it in. Then, he coughed lightly.

"I believe that everyone knows that the Chief Examiner of the Imperial Examination is the great Han Zhangfeng. The emperor has also sent King Duan and the Ninth Prince to assist him."

"Now, I would like to invite Official Han to release the First-Class Roll!"

After Qin Yumin finished, he looked respectfully towards the Imperial Academy. All of the messengers and soldiers also became extremely serious.

The moment Qin Yumin finished his statement, a line of people exited the Imperial Academy.

The leader of the pack was dressed in white. His clothes were adorned with golden embroidery of beasts. The beasts were the symbol of the Empire's armies.

There was only one person in the empire who could wear this design on his clothes. He was the person who controlled the armies, King Duan.

To the left of King Duan was a young man. He looked slightly younger than King Duan, possibly in his early twenties. He was dressed in green, and there was an Ink Lotus on his clothes.

He looked rather pale, but had an aura of elegance about him, except, it was slightly too much...

Even though the youth walked to the left of King Duan, neither Qin Yumin nor the academics, or even the common people took a second look at him.

Even Han Zhangfeng, who was dressed in white official robes, had more looks in his direction than the youth.

"We respectfully welcome King Duan, Ninth Prince, and Official Han!" Qin Yumin led the academics in a deep bow.

King Duan nodded lightly as he turned to look at Han Zhangfeng, "Official Han, can you kick off the First-Class Roll?"

"Sure!" Han Zhangfeng did not hesitate as he walked to the front of the stone.

Then, he retrieved a ink colored box and opened it.

Without a second word, he placed the inkstone inside the grooves of the stone.

In an instant, the First-Class Roll glowed golden. It was as almost as bright as the sun and it stained the entire sky golden.

All of the candidates struggled to open their eyes.

However, no one wanted to shut their eyes. They all wanted to see who had made it to the roll.

Su Donglin did not look at the stone. Instead, he looked at Fang Zhengzhi. He did not believe that Fang Zhengzhi could make it.

He saw Fang Zhengzhi looking at it.

However, his expression was still one of boredom.

Very quickly, names began to appear on the stone. Then, a scream of surprise could be heard.

"Xing Qingsui!"

"Who would have thought that he would have been on the First-Class Roll?!"

The first voice was of surprise, the second one was one of doubt.

It seemed like a good thing.

However, not everyone saw it as a good thing. The fact that Xing Qingsui's name is on the First-Class Roll meant that he was not in the top three.

Then...

Who could be better than Xing Qingsui?

Su Donglin?

They quickly thought about Su Donglin. However, before long, Su Donglin's name appeared as well.

"Su Donglin is on this roll too?"

"What... what's going on?"

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. In everyone's view, the only person who could defeat Xing Qingsui was Su Donglin.

But Su Donglin had only made it to the First-Class Roll.

This threw everyone into confusion.

Being in the advanced stages of the Heavenly Reflection State meant that he was the top candidate in the Imperial Examinations.

So, who could defeat Su Donglin?

The key issue here was that it wasn't just one person. Three people had better scores than Su Donglin.

"Congratulations young master Su!"

A voice rang out.

This voice was like a thorn in Su Donglin's side. His expression immediately darkened.

He clenched his fists so hard they were turning white.

The person who said this was none other than Fang Zhengzhi.

Furthermore...

Fang Zhengzhi had looked so innocent and sincere when he said that.

It was almost as if he was congratulating a friend.

Su Donglin was fuming, but he decided to suppress it. He saw that Fang Zhengzhi was quite happy, showing no signs of sadness at all.

Did he make it as well?!

Su Donglin looked to the roll as he thought about it.

Then, he realized that Fang Zhengzhi's name was not there.

"Hahaha... then I must congratulate Young Master Fang for missing out on this one too!" Su Donglin found a sliver of consolation from this.

Top three?!

That was an absolute joke.

There was saying, "The more you do, the more mistakes you make." Even if one person did the six highest scoring papers on the examination, he could not beat the one person who concentrated on doing one.

"Nangong Mu's name is not there!"

"Nangong Mu's name is missing!"

Someone in the crowd suddenly remembered that Nangong Mu, a visitor from the Nangong family, had also come to participate.

More importantly, Nangong Mu had a brother.

He was Nangong Hao, the first talent of the empire.

Could someone like him miss out on the ranking?

Definitely not.

That could only mean one thing. Nangong Mu was in the top three, and he possibly topped the rankings.

All of the officials turned to look at the youth, who was standing under the shade of the trees.

He was wearing an unassuming t-shirt. His ordinary features became rather outstanding and his white patches of hair fluttered in the breeze.

"It is no wonder he is Nangong Hao's younger brother!"

"With a brother like Nangong Hao teaching him, isn't it quite expected of him to make the top three?"

"I heard that Nangong Mu had the ability to pass the Imperial Examinations two years ago, but he gave it up."

"It seems that it had something to do with Chi Guyan, but no one knows the details."

None of the commotion seemed to affect Nangong Mu. His gaze was still calm, almost lifeless.

"Why does it feel like... there is one name missing from the roll?!"

Just as all the officials were focused on Nangong Mu, a question arose from near the front.

A missing name?!

Even though this sounded ridiculous, it caught the attention of everybody. However, they quickly realized what this person meant.

The First-Class Roll contains 20 names. Taking away the top three, 17 names should have been released.

However...

There were only 16 names on the board?!

"There really is a missing name!"

"It's not a missing name, it's a missing person!"

"Could they have missed it out?"

All the confused gazes concentrated on Han Zhangfeng.

However, Han Zhangfeng's expression did not change.

He simply looked towards King Duan, who was standing nearby.

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Chapter 181: Topping the Theory Examination

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

King Duan naturally knew what Han Zhangfeng meant.

Even though Han Zhangfeng was the Chief Examiner, he was still a King. As such, Han Zhangfeng would not willfully announce the top three names.

In actual fact, King Duan had not wanted to announce the top three. He had tried to push it away, but Han Zhangfeng vehemently refused, even falling to his knees.

"King Duan, please let me off. I am already very old, I cannot take this kind of trauma!"

This exasperated King Duan.

As for the Ninth Prince "Lin Yun", he was next to useless. All he did usually was race horses and gamble.

He clearly could not take on such a responsibility.

King Duan cleared his throat and retrieved a gold card.

There was a saying that the top names must be written on gold.

This was all the more so for the Imperial Examinations. Writing their names on a gold card emphasized their value.

Seeing the gold card, the entire crowd quietened down.

"As everyone can see, there is one less name on the First-Class Roll. That is because, for the first time ever, there had been a tie in the top three!" King Duan quickly allayed everyone's worry.

"A tie!"

"That means that there are three others other than Nangong Mu in the top three?!"

"Oh gosh, another three people managed to better Su Donglin and Xing Qingsui? How is that possible..."

The chatter below intensified following the announcement.

Su Donglin's expression darkened. He did not mind being beaten by someone like Nangong Mu. But being beaten by yet another three people? That was something he could not swallow.

"The tie this time is for third place. The two people are Nangong Mu from the Nangong Noble Family and Qing Yang from the Qing Clan!" King Duan opened the gold card and announced.

"Nangong Mu is third place?!"

"And who is Qing Yang? Why haven't we heard of him?"

"Where is the Qing Clan? Is that a location or a residence? If he can take top three in the Imperial Examination, why does no one know him?"

The discussions intensified after the announcement.

There were way too many surprises in this edition of the Imperial Examination. First, Xing Qingsui and Su Donglin had failed to make the top three, and then, an unknown named Qing Yang had made it.

King Duan could guess who this Qing Yang was. However, he could not say it because he knew that even the emperor knew about this.

Since the emperor had not said anything, he had to keep his mouth shut as well.

Nangong Mu, who was standing in the shade, had the first glimmer of emotion in his calm eyes upon seeing his name on the roll.

"Third?"

King Duan knew the impact that this ranking would cause. As such, he did not interrupt the discussions, letting them die down on their own instead.

Finally, all their gazes returned to him.

"For this edition of the Imperial Examination, the second place goes to Yan Xiu of the Yan Family!" King Duan unconsciously in Yan Xiu's direction as he announced the name.

Everyone looked in that direction as well.

Yan Xiu was just 16 and at the pinnacle of the Star Conglomerate State. Because of his second placing at the River of Trust Provincial Examination, he moved to 13th place on the Hidden Dragon Roll.

That was quite a good result.

However, no one was too surprised. After all, he was from the Yan Family.

However, today...

The 16 year old Yan Xiu had managed to take second place in the Imperial Examination. This took the world by surprise because he hadn't even attained the Heavenly Reflection State.

A Star Conglomerate cultivator can get second place?!

At this point, everyone looked at Yan Xiu with shock. This meant that Yan Xiu's potential had not been fully harnessed.

When he finally broke through, he may be even better than many of the Heavenly Reflection State cultivators in the city.

Did the Yan Family manage to cultivate yet another talent?

But...

Why would such a talent stay together with Fang Zhengzhi, who did not even make it? That was so confusing. As everyone looked at Yan Xiu, they looked at Fang Zhengzhi as well.

When one person did well, it was only natural for others to compare him with those around him.

But the difference was way too big.

One was the second place in the Imperial Examination. The other was a greedy, obnoxious, reputation driven boy. It defied reason why the two would hang out together.

At this point, Su Donglin came over with two of his servants.

"Congratulations! The fact that Brother Yan is able to come in second place surprises me. I heard that you are still in the Star Conglomerate State. For the combat examinations, you can travel with me. I can make sure you make the First-Class Roll!"

"It's okay." Yan Xiu glanced at Su Donglin expressionlessly, almost as if he was talking to a stranger.

"This is the first time Brother Yan is participating in the Imperial Examinations. I am afraid you do not know the dangers of the combat examinations. Furthermore, this edition will be different from the others. It would be unwise for you to travel alone as a Star Conglomerate cultivator." Su Donglin advised again.

"You're... very naggy!" Yan Xiu's tone became incredibly icy.

"Naggy?!" Su Donglin's expression changed and he clenched his fist before lightening his grip.

The Yan Family...

No one dared to antagonize them, even in the capital.

"Why don't you tell him that you already have a partner?" At this point, Fang Zhengzhi looked at Su Donglin and Yan Xiu.

"Even if I told him that you would be travelling with me, I doubt that he would be able to comprehend it based on his intelligence." Yan Xiu replied.

"That's true!" Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

When Su Donglin heard the conversation, his expression darkened significantly and was filled with disbelief.

"Fang Zhengzhi is travelling with you? Hahaha... you're telling me Fang Zhengzhi is travelling with you?! How can someone who didn't even make the list travel with you?!" Su Donglin looked at Yan Xiu and chuckled.

Even though he did not dare antagonize the Yan Family, he still dared to throw in a few words of mockery.

At this point, King Duan's voice rang out again.

"The top scorer on this edition of the examination is the River of Trust Province, Huai An County, Northern Mountain Village's... Fang Zhengzhi!"

Su Donglin's laughter ceased.

He couldn't even close his jaw. His entire face was contorted into an unrecognizable mess. This was a face of immense sadness and disbelief.

At this moment, the entire crowd went silent.

All of those who were just discussing why Yan Xiu would hang around with Fang Zhengzhi all stared in disbelief.

"Fang Zhengzhi is the top scorer on the Theory Examinations?!"

"How can he possibly top the Theory Examinations?!"

"This must be wrong, it is definitely wrong. He completed six different papers, how can he possible top the exam? Does the theory exam value quantity over quality?"

"We want to examine the papers!"

"Yes, we don't believe that he can top the exam!"

No one was willing to believe that Fang Zhengzhi could top the Theory Examinations even though the announcement came from king Duan.

How can someone so greedy and unfocused top the examinations?

How can someone possibly finish six papers in four hours and still manage to top the examinations? That is impossible.

King Duan's expression was quite ugly. In fact, announcing that last name was incredibly difficult for him.

He knew the impact that this announcement would cause.

When he had heard the news, he was in greater disbelief than anyone in the crowd.

However...

That was the truth.

Fang Zhengzhi had finished six papers in four hours. Furthermore...

Every word was flawless!

Full marks.

There was nothing to fault in any one the papers.

When King Duan had saw Fang Zhengzhi's answer sheet, he was incredibly conflicted. He had never expected that someone could be this good.

Han Zhangfeng was trembling slightly.

He knew that he had defied an order, but, he did not regret.

In fact, whilst he was in the Imperial Academy, he had plenty of time to alter Fang Zhengzhi's script.

However, he hesitated. He hesitated upon seeing Fang Zhengzhi's script. The script was too perfect. It was a flawless work of art.

For some like Han Zhangfeng who spent his life amongst books, this work of art was of extraordinary value.

This represented a piece of history.

This was one of the greatest moments in the entire history of the empire.

In four hours, a candidate managed to complete six sets of papers flawlessly. His handwriting was immaculate and his answers were well thought out. It was almost a replica of the answer sheet.

How can he let such a script disappear simply because of a personal feud?

Han Zhangfeng raised his pen again. He had dipped it in ink, but he could not bring himself to alter the script, finally dropping the pen to the ground.

At that point, Han Zhangfeng was stunned.

But he was incredibly happy.

He had personally sent this script into the annals of history for the entire populace to see.

This script was now available to all the officials, all of the noble families...

It was possible to finish all six sets of papers!

"King Duan, my lord, please release the papers!" Han Zhangfeng bowed. He was unwilling to let Fang Zhengzhi pass. In fact, he did not want Fang Zhengzhi to live.

However, he had to respect the script, the script that could bring the entire empire to its knees.

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Chapter 182: World of the Sage

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Release the scripts!"

"Yes, we want to see the scripts!"

Upon hearing Han Zhangfeng, the entire crowd turned rowdy again. Without seeing the script, none of them were willing to believe the fact.

This was something that went against anything that they could understand or comprehend.

King Duan looked at Han Zhangfeng, then back at the rowdy populace. If he had a choice, he would reject the proposal.

But, he did not.

Ever since the moment he began announcing the top three, he knew that no one would be able to believe the result.

As such, the only choice was to release the scripts to prove the fairness of the examination. Furthermore, this was an order from the Emperor, Lin Mubai.

An academic wearing black official robes appeared next to King Duan (Lin Xinjue). In his hand was a wooden box covered by a gold cloth.

King Duan knew that it contained Fang Zhengzhi's script.

"Release it!" King Duan nodded. He tried to look as approachable as possible. He had to bring himself to smile.

So, he smiled, and he smiled radiantyly.

The gold cloth was lifted and the wooden box was opened. The other academics move forward.

12 academics held up each of the 12 pieces, raising it high above their heads. They stood in a straight line and the name on each script was clear for all to see.

Fang Zhengzhi.

More importantly, each paper had the same score, each one had the same imperial seal which read, "The Emperor's Seal"!

The entire crowd fell silent.

The entire crowd stared at the row of scripts wide eyed. They did not need to verify that, they knew what the seal meant.

"The Great Sage marked it himself!"

"The Emperor's Seal... it is the Emperor's Seal!"

"All correct?! He got them all correct!"

"12 pieces papers, four hours, not a single mistake, not even a misspelled word!"

"No marks deducted at all!"

All of the officials at the scene were stunned. The crowd was in awe, especially the candidates who had just taken the exam.

They were the least willing to accept this fact.

Anyone who had seen the exam knew that this edition of the Imperial Examination was much harder than any they had ever seen.

Four hours...

They couldn't even finish two papers.

Those who had made it to the Second-Class Roll had finished one paper at most, and those who had made it to the First-Class Roll had only managed to do most of the questions.

It was too difficult!

Yet, for such a set of papers, someone actually managed to finish them all in four hours, and without mistake! Completely flawless!

How did he do it?

It was impossible for someone to cheat. In the entire history of the empire, no one had managed to cheat the exams.

So how did he do it if he didn't cheat?

Su Donglin felt his face heat up as he flushed. He felt like his face was on fire.

"The Emperor's Seal... all correct?!"

Su Donglin felt like he had wasted two decades studying. In the face of the examination paper, he felt worse than a three year old kid.

"Fang Zhengzhi!" Su Donglin began to tremble. That was a tremble of shame and anger.

He thought about what Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu had said previously.

"Why don't you tell him that you already have a partner?"

"Even if I told him that you would be travelling with me, I doubt that he would be able to comprehend it based on his intelligence."

"That's true!"

That was mockery and humiliation. Complete, unadulterated humiliation. Su Donglin was being completely ignored by Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu.

"The first round!"

"The first round of the combat examinations!"

"I will be sure to kill you!"

Su Donglin did not stay around. He could not. Just moments ago, he had said to Fang Zhengzhi, in front of everyone, that his name would be carved at the highest point of the Roll.

But now...

Fang Zhengzhi's name occupied the top spot.

The top scorer of the Theory Examinations, Fang Zhengzhi!

At this point, no one dared to question the validity of Fang Zhengzhi's ranking. Everyone looked at Fang Zhengzhi with envy and jealousy.

All of the officials were incredibly flustered.

An unprecedented talent had just made his name today. This meant that the ancient traditions of the courts were bound to be injected with new blood.

All of the candidates looked at Fang Zhengzhi with fire in their eyes.

He may be the top scorer in the Theory Examinations. However, he is just in the elementary stages of the Heavenly Reflection Realm. What a great stepping stone. What a great opportunity for them all.

Why won't they be excited?

As long as they defeated Fang Zhengzhi in the combat examinations, the whole world will focus on them.

All of the Heavenly Reflection candidates looked at Fang Zhengzhi like wolves stalking the sheep. They were all filled with anticipation.

Nangong Mu, who was in the shade of the trees, also left.

He left the moment the scripts were released. He did not say anything to anybody. Just before he left, he unconsciously glanced southward.

That was where the Nangong family was.

There was another stunning talent there, Nangong Hao.

Xing Qingsui did not leave. He was not angry. However, when he saw those scripts, his eyes became brighter and brighter, almost like a predator who had just spotted its prey.

Inside the aromatic garden of Ping Yang's residence.

Ping Yang wore a red cloak as she sat on the swing, staying still as she stared in the direction of the academy.

"He must be very happy now?"

"Damn it, I can't let him be this cocky!"

"But, why is it that this damned hillbilly can do that well? The entire test..."

"Argh, he'll be the death of me, he'll be the death of me, oh oh oh..."

Ping Yang continued to mutter to herself as her expression changed continuously. She was happy, angry, sad, crazy...

At an isolated small courtyard on the other side of the Ping Yang residence.

Chi Guyan, who was dressed in a pink dress, lay on a wooden chair wrapped with beast hide. The dress was knee length, and it revealed her exquisite legs.

Her posture looked rather lazy, and her starry eyes looked into the sky. The golden rays of light from the sun shone on her, making her look like an immortal who descended from heaven.

"It is no wonder that shameless thief always lies down in this position. It is quite comfortable... the entire examination. This time, I don't have to push, he went up there himself, then let me take a break..."

Chi Guyan muttered to herself before closing her eyes, smirking to herself.

Yue Er, who was dressed in a green dress, stood guard at the entrance to the small courtyard.

She was stunned by what she saw. Having followed by Chi Guyan's side for so long, she had never seen Chi Guyan sit this way.

"Why does it feel like missus has changed. Didn't she always scold me for poor posture?"

With the announcement of the Theory Examination rankings, everyone could not believe their eyes and the commotion in the city showed no signs of abating.

There were still quite a few people who came to visit Yu Yiping, the Left Prime Minister. However, his gates were visibly less popular.

He had once said that it was unwise to try to finish the entire exam. Yet now, it had become a forbidden phrase.

No one dared to mention the incident.

However, it was now a story that everyone in the city knew. The storytellers in the teahouses even weaved stories based on it.

This was clearly the work of his detractors.

Yu Yiping knew this, and so did the Crown Prince, Lin Tianrong. Only Lin Xinjue told it to everyone he saw, "I don't know! Who is so audacious? Who dares to defame the Left Prime Minister!"

The stable political system was now being rocked. This did not seem to have anything to do with Fang Zhengzhi. But without Fang Zhengzhi, would this even have happened?

The combat examinations would be held in bad weather.

The rain on this day seemed to be even stronger than before. Dark clouds filled the sky and winds raged around the entire city.

Today was the beginning of the combat examinations, and the weather was not good.

But so what?

There could be no rainbows if there was no rain.

Over 200 candidates in armor stood in the open as the rain pummeled their bodies. They stared intently at the front.

The entire atmosphere at the Imperial Academy's backyard was solemn.

There was a yellow umbrella in the midst. This umbrella covered two people. One was the bored looking, sapphire color armored Fang Zhengzhi, and the other was the seemingly icy Yan Xiu.

The two of them stood under the yellow umbrella. They looked extremely clean, a clear difference from the rest of the competition.

Han Zhangfeng, who was in white official robes, stared at the lonely umbrella. He raised his head to look at the torrential rain.

Did I make a mistake then?

After so many years of being Chief Examiner, he had seen his fair share of bad weather. However, he had never seen a case where the candidates used an umbrella when he himself did not!

He could only wish that this kind of people did not join the army. Else, such undisciplined fellows were bound to suffer.

But this was just the Imperial Examinations. Could he say anything?

Naturally not.

"You are all the elites of the empire. You are also the future of the Empire. One day, when you walk into the courts, into the armies, I hope that your indomitable spirit will hold strong!"

"The keys to the Great Xia Dynasty will soon be open to you. However, you must first cross this door. Inside this door is competition, cruel, intense competition!"

"They will try to stop you in your tracks. Your responsibility is to smash them!"

"I believe that you all know what "Meng Tian" means to the Great Xia Dynasty. That's right, he is the one who rode a thousand miles to kill the Devil Lord, "Di Sikong", the "Sagely Battle God!"

"Today, you all have the honor of entering the "World of the Sage". That is Meng Tian's world, and it records all of Meng Tian's exploits.

"At every level, you will all see a different world, and understand different things."

"Of course, you must be able to find them, and remain standing!"

"The rules are simple, the last one standing is the champion of this edition of the combat examinations!"

As Han Zhangfeng finished, he scanned the group of candidates. All of them had an insatiable thirst.

They looked on in anticipation.

For this edition of the Imperial Examination, the Emperor had agreed to use the "World of the Sage" as the battleground. He may have been feeling generous. Anyone who entered, regardless pass or fail, would benefit greatly.

However, this also meant that there were immense dangers...

The World of the Sage may be rather difficult for the candidates here today. However, as the Emperor aptly said, "Which warrior has not bled?"

Naturally, Han Zhangfeng knew what he meant.

Without brushes with death, one could not stand tall in the battlefield no matter how strong one was. That person could not be the bastion of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The demons were incredibly vicious and this was a fact every human must accept.

However...

Why did it look like Fang Zhengzhi was not at all nervous. In fact, he looked like a bored outsider?

Han Zhangfeng could not understand what Fang Zhengzhi was thinking about. Did he not want to pass the combat examinations? Or, was he that confident?

That was impossible.

The combat examinations were different from the theory examinations. They required skill.

Even though an elementary stage Heavenly Reflection Cultivator was not weak, he was in no position to be cocky. Furthermore, there was a target on his back.

More importantly, the people controlling the World of the Sage were Han Zhangfeng and King Duan.

Time, space, and people...

If Fang Zhengzhi still managed to be the last man standing.

That would be senseless.

"Go on in!"

"Yes!"

Everyone except for Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu answered in unison.

Fang Zhengzhi could not be bothered, and Yan Xiu was unwilling to answer.

They felt completely differently, but the two of them stood under the same yellow umbrella.

The huge stone door parted.

This signalled the official opening ceremony of the Imperial Combat Examinations...

"The World of the Sage? Meng Tian... why haven't I heard of him?" Fang Zhengzhi looked on in confusion. Then, he sighed lightly as he looked at the drenched candidates around him.

"Why act... dumb!"

However, he did not notice that every candidate who walked through the stone doors unconsciously looked in his direction, their eyes glimmering.

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Chapter 183: Weak

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi had never heard of Meng Tian, and he had never heard of the World of the Sage. But so what? It would all be fine as long as Yan Xiu knew about it.

Yan Xiu and Fang Zhengzhi trusted each other immensely.

"Do you know this Meng Tian?"

"Yes I do."

"Do you know about the World of the Sage?"

"I know a little."

"Good!"

Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

Each of the candidates rushed to go through the gates.

There was an age old saying that it was better to enter first. Being inside first meant that one was more familiar with the world and thus in an advantageous position.

However, Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu were in no hurry.

As such, the two of them waited quietly outside. They only made their way through the gate after everyone entered.

There was no big plan behind their patience. Fang Zhengzhi was just afraid that squeezing with the rest would dirty his clothes. He also did not want to get wet.

The moment they stepped through the stone doors, the rained stopped.

A vast expanse greeted them. There were no tables or chairs, not even a tree in sight. The only thing that could be seen were the green stones on the ground.

The space was not big, but it allowed enough space for all 200 of them to stand inside.

In the near distance was a bridge, a stone bridge. To be more accurate, it was a broken stone bridge.

On the other side of the bridge was a mountain. The mountain was covered by mist so no one could see anything clearly. They surmised that it was a mountain from the silhouette.

This did not seem much different from an ordinary pocket dimension. However, since it was known as the World of the Sage, how could it be this simple?

"Cross the stone bridge!"

Four simple words echoed out throughout the space. It clearly laid out what they had to do.

This was a stone bridge that was broken from the center.

There was a stone at the start of the bridge. It was carved with two words, "Broken Bridge!"

There was nothing else.

Everyone's gazes focused on the broken bridge but no one took the first step. This was an endless broken bridge.

The gap was clear for all to see, but everything past the gap was covered with white mist.

No one knew how long the bridge was, or if there was even a bridge on the other side.

Everything was unknown.

This was the most unsettling thing.

Fang Zhengzhi did not look at the bridge. He looked at the stone plate, at the two words to be exact...

"Broken Bridge."

These were two incredibly sharp words.

Every stroke was carved deeply into the stone.

"If my guess is correct, Meng Tian's weapon was a sword?" Fang Zhengzhi glanced at Yan Xiu.

"It was a sword, but he stopped using it." Yan Xiu was slightly surprised. How did Fang Zhengzhi know Meng Tian used a sword when he didn't even know who Meng Tian was?

Fang Zhengzhi pointed at the two words.

Yan Xiu glanced at it and nodded in understanding.

"Speaking of swords, there is a legend in the Great Xia Dynasty. It says that a sword is hidden in the World of the Sage. That is the sword that Meng Tian used to kill the demon lord Di Sikong!"

"There is a sword hidden in the pocket dimension?" Fang Zhengzhi was confused. If that was the case, why can't he keep his own sword in his pocket dimension?

"When you are at that level, you can keep tens of thousands of things in your pocket dimension. Naturally, you can keep a sword." Yan Xiu was not surprised by Fang Zhengzhi's question. After all, he knew Fang Zhengzhi had never gone to school. Ever since Fang Zhengzhi completed the Theory Examination in four hours, he believed this fact even more.

No academy would teach a student like that.

"So... where is the sword?"

"No one seems to be able to find the sword. It is said that the Sagely Battle God never used it again after killing the Demon Lord."

"Then what did he use?"

"Sabre, a short one."

"A short sabre? Why would someone who uses a sword change to using a short sabre..." Fang Zhengzhi had difficulty understanding it. Would a right handed person be able to use his left hand to write at such short notice?

Neither he nor Yan Xiu understood it.

No one in the Great Xia Dynasty could explain it either. However, the fact was that he did change to using a short sabre after killing the Demon Lord.

Just as Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu were discussing it, a figure appeared next to them. This was a figure in a red cloak, and her petite body made her look rather frail.

"You managed to sneak in?" Fang Zhengzhi did not even need her to take off her hoodie for him to recognize her.

"What do you mean sneak in? I came in here on my own accord okay?" The crisp, unhappy reply came from under the red cloak.

Fang Zhengzhi was in disbelief. He did not see Ping Yang in the Imperial Academy. She was also not in the courtyard when they entered the World of the Sage.

It was easy to verify this, her cloak was dry.

"Do you have something to say?" Fang Zhengzhi was too lazy to call her bluff.

"I want to defeat you!"

"Sure, but I heard that there is a sword here. I want to go take a look first."

"You're talking about the Sagely Battle God's sword? Hahaha... you want to find that sword? No one has been able to find it in centuries... okay, this feels like fun, I have decided to join you, celebrate!"

Ping Yang stiffened, then guaffawed. She immediately agreed and proposed something rather selfless.

It was all a quick process.

Then, Ping Yang waited for Fang Zhengzhi to welcome her into the group, but instead, Fang Zhengzhi shook his head.

"You are too weak!"

This was a simple and direct statement. But it was an impactful one. Ping Yang began to doubt herself for the first time.

"Fang Zhengzhi, how dare you say that I am too weak?!"

"Isn't that the case?"

"I am somoene who wants to defeat you!"

"But, the truth is that you are too weak." Fang Zhengzhi maintained his viewpoint.

"Okay, you forced me into this!" Ping Yang pouted, her crystal clear eyes filling with rage.

Then, she turned and left without hesitation.

Fang Zhengzhi was quite pleased with Ping Yang. At the very least, she knew what shame was. It was not easy for a Star Conglomerate State cultivator to leech of someone like him.

However, very quickly, Fang Zhengzhi found that he had overestimated Ping Yang.

Because...

Ping Yang returned quickly. This time, there was a male in bright green armor next to her.

"Bodyguard? Protection?" Fang Zhengzhi thought to himself.

"Tell them what your cultivation level is now." Ping Yang walked to Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu and said.

"In reply to the princess, I hit the Heavenly Reflection State a year ago!" The middle aged man replied respectfully.

"Okay, now, I want you to defeat me!" Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi as she said this.

"I cannot touch the Princess!" The middle aged man was scared out of his wits when he heard it.

"Enough with the excuses. If you can't defeat me today, I will go raid your house tomorrow!" Ping Yang was incredibly domineering, ignoring the pleas of the man.

"Princess, do you really want me to defeat you?" The middle aged man was in disbelief.

How could he possibly take up this battle. He was in the Heavenly Reflection State and she was just a Star Conglomerate Cultivator. The difference was way too stark.

"Of course!" Ping Yang nodded.

All of the other candidates began to take notice as well.

All of them were in disbelief.

"That's... Princess Ping Yang!"

"Why is she in the combat examinations? And it looks like she's challenging Wang Chuanping?"

"Wang Chuanping is a Heavenly Reflection cultivator. Princess Ping Yang is only in the Star Conglomerate State, why would she challenge him? Did Wang Chuanping antagonize her?"

The candidates thought to themselves.

Su Donglin stepped out from the crowd at this moment.

Su Donglin was dressed in green. His hair was let down and he was inexplicably charming. However, it was a pity he could not rid himself of that look of tiredness.

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Chapter 184: Ping Yang's Pillar

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

He looked at Fang Zhengzhi and Ping Yang, his fists clenched, "Fang Zhengzhi, you look like you're quite free?"

Fang Zhengzhi was really quite free.

He finally understood what Ping Yang wanted to do.

She wanted to challenge a Heavenly Reflection candidate to prove her abilities? This was not something normal people would choose to do.

But, Ping Yang was just a Star Conglomerate cultivator, where did she get the confidence to defeat a Heavenly Reflection cultivator from?

"Princess, my apologies!" Wang Chuanping also understood. He was already 36 years old and the competition was getting more and more intense each year.

He did not wish to give up his chance here.

Furthermore, Ping Yang had already asked him to defeat her. All he had to do was ensure he didn't injure here.

Ping Yang smiled when she heard Wang Chuanping.

Then...

Something unbelievable happened.

Ping Yang attacked.

She jumped into the air and kicked at Wang Chuanping. Even though she could not match him in cultivation level, she did not lose out in speed or power.

Wang Chuanping did not move. He did not even think of dodging.

If he had to dodge, then what was the difference in their cultivation levels for?

"Bang!"

Ping Yang stopped in mid air, almost as if there was an invisible wind stopping her from getting any closer.

"Star Conglomerate against Heavenly Reflection? It doesn't seem like much of a fight..."

"But, she's Ping Yang!"

Two of the candidates began to discuss the battle, and the tide also seemed to change slightly.

Ping Yang, who was finding it difficult to advance, burst into flames. That was real flames, and it burnt her red cloak into ashes.

The sky was scattered with grey ashes.

However, in the middle of the ashes, almost like an elf bathing in fire, Ping Yang looked out arrogantly.

A bright red armor covered her body from head to toe.

This was an armor for a lady. It was designed with flowers and red crystals lined the plates, each crystal bursting into flames.

"The Red Flame Flower Armor!"

All of the candidates, including Su Donglin, realized what was going on the moment they saw the armor.

That's right...

She is Ping Yang, the princess most pampered by the emperor. It was only normal that she had the best treasures the empire had!

So long as she wore the Red Flame Flower Armor, even the advanced Heavenly Reflection Stage Su Donglin could not do any harm to her.

Wang Chuanping, who was only in the intermediate stages, was even less of a question.

But was the armor enough?

It would only be enough to force a tie.

"Roar!" A beastly roar rang out, and another flame shot skywards from Ping Yang's body.

Under the intense red light, there was a spot of gold that seemed to flicker.

It was like a gold point, and from the moment it showed itself, it brought with it an incredibly vicious and domineering aura.

"The Blazing Qilin Spear!"

"One of the ten great treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty!"

"The Emperor actually gave her the Blazing Qilin Spear..."

All of the candidates were in awe when they saw Ping Yang holding the Blazing Qilin Spear.

They had all heard rumors that the Emperor, Lin Mubai, had given the Blazing Qilin Spear to Ping Yang for her birthday, but no one had seen it before.

Until today...

The Blazing Qilin Spear was out for all to see.

The devilish girl of the capital was no longer just armed with an indestructible armor, she was now armed with the Blazing Qilin Spear. She was now... a vicious devilish girl with a credible way to hurt people.

That being said, no one would dare attack Ping Yang.

However, daring to, and being able to, were two completely different concepts.

To put it simply...

They had the ability to protect themselves before. Now that Ping Yang has the Blazing Qilin Spear, she could destroy any defence they put up.

Fang Zhengzhi had heard about the Blazing Qilin Spear when Lin Mubai mentioned it at Ping Yang's birthday party.

Today was the first time he saw the Blazing Qilin Spear in person.

It was a completely red spear. At the tip of the spear was a golden pearl. Light flowed inside the pearl, almost as if there was some sort of blood flowing inside.

Below the the pearl were scale like designs. The designs extended all the way to the bottom of the spear, making it incredibly exquisite.

"Good spear!" Even though Fang Zhengzhi did not know his spears, it did not take a genius to figure out that this was a good spear.

Wang Chuanping's expression of calm had been replaced by crimson.

He had finally understood why Ping Yang had said that if he did not fight her, she would go raid his home.

A Star Conglomerate Ping Yang was nothing to be afraid of.

But, with the protection of the Red Flame Flower Armor and the attacking prowess the Blazing Qilin Spear brought, Ping Yang was incredibly terrifying.

Ping Yang smirked as she raised her head. She unconsciously looked at Fang Zhengzhi as she thursted the spear towards Wang Chuanping.

"Roar!" The beastlike roar echoed out once again.

The entire sky filled with flames and crashed towards Wang Chuanping. In the midst of the fire was a golden point, which was going straight towards Wang Chuanping's throat.

Wang Chuanping wanted to retreat, but the aura seemed to root him in place.

He wanted to defend himself. However, the wind he controlled only managed to repel the flames but not the golden light.

That was a homing golden light.

It was impossible to block!

This was the Blazing Qilin Spear. It could penetrate everything.

Only a spear like that could qualify to become one of the top ten treasures of the Great Xia Empire. It was said that this was the most fearsome weapon around.

The golden light stopped.

It stopped about an inch from Wang Chuanping's throat.

Wang Chuanping sat on the ground. He had underestimated his opponent, and that was his undoing. If he had kept his distance from Ping Yang from the start, he would not have lost so quickly.

"So what about my abilities?" Ping Yang turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi ignored Ping Yang, looking at Yan Xiu instead.

Yan Xiu understood what Fang Zhengzhi was asking, and nodded.

Then, Fang Zhengzhi nodded to Ping Yang.

"Not bad!"

"Not bad?! You..." Ping Yang wanted to flip out. Her Blazing Qilin Spear and herself were not just 'not bad'. No one there could block an outright attack from her.

However, her goal was to join Fang Zhengzhi's group and find the legendary sword.

Even though...

The possibility of it was unlikely, she had a feeling that if anyone had a chance, it would be Fang Zhengzhi.

Someone who managed to finish the entire examination should know this world well right?

That was what Ping Yang thought.

If Ping Yang knew that Fang Zhengzhi did not even know Meng Tian, she may not think that way...

Ping Yang swallowed her words before she could say them.

As such, Fang Zhengzhi did not say anymore and accepted Ping Yang with exasperation. Then, he walked over to the fallen Wang Chuanping.

"You have lost!"

"Yes..." Wang Chuanping was not happy about it, but that was the fact.

"The Imperial Examinations are only held once every two years, and each one is harder than the last. You don't want to go out like this, do you?" Fang Zhengzhi pressed.

"Of course, but..." Wang Chuanping's eyes glowed with pain, but he could not do anything.

"Then, do you want a second chance?" Fang Zhengzhi smiled radiantly.

"A second... second chance?!" Wang Chuanping was floored. He did not really understand what Fang Zhengzhi was saying.

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Chapter 185: Who's going out first?

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"That's right, a second chance. A chance for you to retake the exam." Fang Zhengzhi explained.

"Another chance?! Then... what do I need to do?" Wang Chuanping finally understood what was going on. He was not dumb, a price must be paid for what he wanted.

"It is very simple. All you have to do is challenge that fella!" Fang Zhengzhi casually pointed towards the crowd.

The entire crowd became tense.

Then, everyone's gaze looked towards where Fang Zhengzhi was pointing.

The entire crowd was stunned.

Because...

Fang Zhengzih was pointing at Su Donglin?!

"How is that possible? How can Wang Chuanping challenge Su Donglin?"

"Isn't that asking Wang Chuanping to kill himself?"

"This is the second chance?"

No one could believe what they were seeing. But, Fang Zhengzhi was pointing at Su Donglin, and everyone could see it clearly.

Su Donglin squinted. Naturally, he heard the conversation between Fang Zhengzhi and Wang Chuanping, and saw where Fang Zhengzhi was pointing at.

In an instant, he knew what Fang Zhengzhi was trying.

"So, he wants to use Wang Chuanping as a stepping stone?" Su Donglin decided.

It was easy to guess. He had already made it clear to everyone that he wanted Fang Zhengzhi out in the first round.

Now, Fang Zhengzhi was sending someone to challenge Su Donglin, so that he could send Su Donglin into the second round.

That meant that Su Donglin could not find trouble with him in the first round.

The other candidates also understood what was going on. But it was quite the shameless move.

"Isn't this quite shameless?"

"He's using Wang Chuanping as a shield!"

All of the candidates were furious. However, they couldn't do anything because Ping Yang, with her Red Flame Flower Armor was standing next to Fang Zhengzhi.

Just moments before, Ping Yang had taken Fang Zhengzhi's side. This was something no one had expected, but something they had to consider.

Wang Chuanping was filled with fear. He too was keenly aware of what was going on.

"Fang, Young Master Fang... you must be joking. Su Donglin is in the advanced stages of the Heavenly Reflection State, I... how can I beat him?"

Wang Chuanping knew that he was in no position to bargain, but, if this was his second chance, it was as good as nothing.

"You definitely can't defeat him, but with me, we can." Fang Zhengzhi smiled.

"You?!" Wang Chuanping was stunned.

He did not understand what Fang Zhengzhi was saying. If Fang Zhengzhi wanted to use him as a stepping stone, then, Fang Zhengzhi had no reason to fight.

But...

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to fight?

What is the logic here?

When the other students heard what Fang Zhengzhi said, they too were confused. Even Su Donglin was confused.

Wang Chuanping and Fang Zhengzhi teaming up?

Two elementary stage Heavenly Reflection cultivators, one of whom recently broke through, want to fight an advanced stage Heavenly Reflection State Su Donglin?

Is this not courting death?

No one understood what was going on. With Fang Zhengzhi's stellar performance in the Theory Examinations, he did not need to take such a risk.

Does he not want to pass the Imperial Examinations?

Then, at this point, Yan Xiu, who was standing next to Fang Zhengzhi, spoke up.

"And me!" Yan Xiu's tone was cold, but incredibly firm.

Everyone thought that Fang Zhengzhi was planning to use Wang Chuanping as a stepping stone, but Yan Xiu knew he would not do that.

Fang Zhengzhi had no reason to do it.

Pass one round?

That was not something Fang Zhengzhi would consider. Fang Zhengzhi's first priority was always to remove the 'obstacles'.

This was the same thing he did in the River of Trust Province Examinations.

Since Su Donglin had already said that he will knock Fang Zhengzhi out in the first round, why would Fang Zhengzhi let him pass the first round?

This sounded quite unbelievable, but Yan Xiu believed that Fang Zhengzhi could do it.

Ping Yang smiled radiantly.

Her petite face lit up bright red with excitement.

"You three want to battle Su Donglin? Sure, I want to join too!" As she spoke, she waved the Blazing Qilin Spear animatedly.

The candidates who were mocking Fang Zhengzhi were all stunned.

This was not a simple 2v1.

This was...

"A 4v1?!"

"Princess Ping Yang, Yan Xiu, Fang Zhengzhi, Wang Chuanping... four against one Su Donglin?"

"How... shameless!"

The other candidates finally reacted. Actually, they had already reacted ever since Fang Zhengzhi spoke to Wang Chuanping.

They should have thought that it would end it a 4v1?

This was even more shameless than using Wang Chuanping as a stepping stone.

Initially, Su Donglin had thought that Fang Zhengzhi was just prolonging his time here. Now, his expression changed as he looked at Ping Yang and Fang Zhengzhi.

If it was just Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, and Wang Chuanping, he may not have thought much of it. But with Princess Ping Yang in the picture, he had a problem on his hands.

He knew how ridiculously powerful the Blazing Qilin Spear was.

Furthermore, Ping Yang was protected by the Red Flame Flower Armor.

More importantly...

No matter how daring he was, he wouldn't dare to injure Ping Yang!

"Fang Zhengzhi, do you really want to do this lopsided fight?" Su Donglin felt that no matter how shameless a person, they must have their boundaries. A 2v1 was shameless enough.

Now, it was going to be a 4v1.

Was there anything more shameless?

This was completely ridiculous.

"I think that a 4v1... sounds great!" Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

He did not think that there was anything wrong with this. He wanted Su Dongping out of the combat examinations. A 2v1 and a 4v1 made little difference.

As for being a gentleman...

That was not something he valued.

"You..." Su Donglin's expression darkened. All this while, he had been plotting how to get rid of Fang Zhengzhi in the first round.

But now...

He was about to be kicked out?!

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Chapter 186: Yan Xiu in Danger

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

In the Imperial Academy, both King Duan and Han Zhangfeng looked uncomfortable as they stared at Fang Zhengzhi and Ping Yang through the screen.

They knew that Ping Yang, armed with the Red Flame Flower Armor and the Blazing Qilin Spear could make waves in the combat examinations.

Time, space and people...

Everything was within their calculations. Everything except Ping Yang.

They had guessed that Ping Yang may smuggle herself into the World of the Sage. However, they had thought she would be there to try it out. They did not expect her to team up with Fang Zhengzhi.

The great princess of the Great Xia Dynasty had wanted to join Fang Zhengzhi so badly she even found a Heavenly Reflection student to fight...

Now, she was teaming up with Fang Zhengzhi to partake in a 4v1 battle.

No one could have predicted this.

The Ninth Prince, who was near Han Zhangfeng and King Duan, was confused. Doesn't Ping Yang hate Fang Zhengzhi?

During her birthday party, she had also asked him for ideas...

What's going on?

In the World of the Sage.

Wang Chuanping's expression kept changing. He had no other way out. He had to either withdraw now or battle Su Donglin with Fang Zhengzhi.

This was not a difficult choice.

The first choice had him waiting for another two years, the second choice gave him a lifeline.

"Thank you Young Master Fang for the chance! Thank you Princess Ping Yang! Thank you Young Master Yan Xiu!" Wang Chuanping made his decision quickly and drew two huge blades.

When battling Ping Yang, she did not draw a weapon before. As such, he did not draw his. By the time she drew her weapon, it was too late.

But now, he did not hesitate to draw his weapon.

He was battling Su Donglin after all.

Yan Xiu also opened up the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

Ping Yang was incredibly excited and she stepped towards Su Donglin.

As for Fang Zhengzhi. He walked over slowly towards Su Donglin and smiled.

"Young Master Su, I am sorry!"

"Humph, Fang Zhengzhi! Are you getting ahead of yourself?" Su Donglin's eyes shined with an icy glow despite being surrounded.

1v4.

Two elementary stage Heavenly Reflection cultivators, Ping Yang decked with treasures, and a son of the Yan Family, holding the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

For Su Donglin, he had a chance at victory...

But that chance was a slim one.

But this was the Imperial Examinations, not a real fight to the death. Su Donglin's chances were significantly higher.

He did not have to defeat all four of them.

He just needed one.

As long as he could defeat one of them, he could enter the second round easily.

From there, he can plot his revenge...

Everything was within control!

"So, who to defeat first?" Su Donglin looked at Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu, finally deciding on Yan Xiu.

The reason was simple.

Yan Xiu was the weakest, and he was Fang Zhengzhi's closest buddy. He was the best choice, all things considered.

But...

Is Yan Xiu really the weakest?

Su Donglin felt that way. Everyone else felt that way, including Ping Yang and Wang Chuanping.

But Fang Zhengzhi did not think so.

But this did not matter, the battle had begun.

The first one to attack was Ping Yang.

Even before the other candidates could fully clear the area, Ping Yang attacked, her Blazing Qilin Spear burning up the air as a homing golden glow shot towards Su Donglin.

This attack had floored Wang Chuanping before.

However, Su Donglin was not Wang Chuanping. He was in the advanced stages of the the Heavenly Reflection Realm, and he was one of the core disciples of the Su Clan.

More importantly, Wang Chuanping had no idea that Ping Yang had the Blazing Qilin Spear. Furthermore, he had not kept his distance from Ping Yang.

Su Donglin knew that Ping Yang had the Blazing Qilin Spear.

As such, he dodged the attack easily.

When Ping Yang attacked, Su Donglin already began to move. He moved as quickly as a bolt of electricity, almost as if he predicted the attack...

In fact, he was electricity.

A purple electric glow wrapped his body.

He was almost like a purple snake, dodging and weaving about, never letting anyone get a clear view of him.

He was bathing in the purple electricity.

No one could follow his speed.

In the blink of an eye, Su Donglin dodged Ping Yang's attack, took a leap, and appeared right in front of Yan Xiu.

All of the candidates did not even have a chance to gasp.

Xing Qingsui's eyes were filled with fire as he watched on. His expression darkened as he considered how he would dodge this attack when he was faced with it.

There was also another youth in the crowd.

He was immensely calm. Even after seeing Su Donglin's electrifying speed and agility, he was still expressionless.

His t-shirt and armor looked rather workaday.

However, everyone around him unconsciously maintained their distance.

He was Nangong Mu, Nangong Hao's brother.

Su Donglin's idea was simple.

He wanted to defeat Yan Xiu before Yan Xiu had a chance to react. This was the power difference between them. He had no intention of letting Yan Xiu use his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

This was just the first round of the combat examinations.

He did not want to use too much time and energy on a 1v4. He had a long way to go, and he wanted to get to the top.

Now that Su Donglin was right in front of Yan Xiu, a large current of purple electricity exploded outwards.

At the advanced stages of the Heavenly Reflection Realm, he could easily manipulate everything around him.

Even though there was no clear indication of electricity around him, he was able to find whatever little bit there was.

He was able to influence the outside world and cause purple electricity to flow.

Ping Yang's Blazing Qilin Spear worked the same way. Due to its unique construct, it was able to create fire in the surrounding.

The Blue Fire Wolf was also similar.

Due to its intense speed, the friction between its body and the air caused a fire to burn. However, its fire was definitely no match for the Blazing Qilin Spear.

Electricity had the potential to temporarily paralyze someone. Furthermore, its speed was only second to wind and that was why it was Su Donglin's choice.

Inside the Purple Lightning Storm, an electric snake shot towards Yan Xiu and it covered Yan Xiu's body, almost as if it was going to shatter him.

Su Donglin's eyes glimmered. He knew that once the electricity wrapped around Yan Xiu, it was over.

Yan Xiu would not be able to move.

But he could.

"You're done!" Su Donglin bellowed, then drew a sword.

When the sword was drawn, the tip began to drag a shadow. That was a black silhouette, almost as if it was attached to the tip and forcefully dragged along.

The entire air was filled with static as the black figure was drawn through it.

"This is the Su Clan Shadow Blade Technique!"

"Su Donglin wants to defeat Yan Xiu first?!"

"How fast... first, he used the electric field to immobilize Yan Xiu, then he's using the Shadow Blade Technique to pierce Yan Xiu's defences!"

"I get it now, Su Donglin wants to knock Yan Xiu out so he can advance to the second round!"

When Su Donglin drew his sword, all the candidates knew what was going to happen.

However, no one could save Yan Xiu now.

Yan Xiu was already enveloped by the electric field. Under its influence, he was going to be numb and it could prove lethal in battle.

This was the greatest difference between the Heavenly Reflection Realm and the Star Conglomerate Realm.

Restriction by field!

The Heavenly Reflection cultivator could control the various fields that the surroundings had, and he could use them to attack and defend. More importantly, he could use them to suppress and interfere.

No matter how powerful the Star Conglomerate cultivator, he would find it difficult to bring his powers to bear in this field.

And the Heavenly Reflection cultivator could only get stronger when in this field.

He was faster and stronger.

The electric fields combined with the Su Clan's speed and Shadow Blade Technique.

This was quite the unavoidable combination.

Everyone thought this way, including Su Donglin, Ping Yang, and Wang Chuanping.

The only person who didn't think so was Fang Zhengzhi.

The shadow buzzed as it flew towards Yan Xiu.

Then, Yan Xiu dodged.

Whilst being wrapped by the purple lightning, he moved and his Wind Shadow technique allowed him to dodge Su Donglin's attack.

Su Donglin could not believe his eyes.

"How is this possible?!"

The other candidates also could not believe their eyes. How was Yan Xiu not numbed by lightning. This was virtually impossible.

It did not make any sense.

It was almost as if a human, who was locked up and chained inside a wooden box, suddenly escaped. More importantly, the lock and box were undamaged.

Unless...

A thought flashed by their minds, but, it quickly disappeared.

Very quickly, all of their jaws dropped. The next scene was utterly unbelievable.

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Chapter 187: The Third Heavenly Reflection

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Yan Xiu was still icy and expressionless.

However, his body was surrounded by a green glow as leaves circled him.

Other than this, his skin was covered with a thin grey layer of substance. It looked like the branches of a tree, and there were clear markings on it.

"Another field!"

"It's wood... no, it's a field of trees!"

All of the candidates were unable to conceal their shock and awe when they saw this scene unfold before their eyes.

Yan Xiu was standing inside the protection of a huge tree.

This could only mean one thing...

Yan Xiu was in the Heavenly Reflection State!

For over a century, no one had managed to breakthrough to the Heavenly Reflection State before 18. That was until Chi Guyan came along.

Not long ago, Fang Zhengzhi broke through at the Divine Constabulary, making him the second youngest Heavenly Reflection talent.

Within a few years, there were now to Heavenly Reflection powers under 18.

This was a stunning fact.

And now...

Yan Xiu, at the age of 16.

He managed to breakthrough during the Imperial Examinations, becoming the third person to attain this feat under the age of 18.

No one could believe their eyes.

Three Heavenly Reflection powers under 18?!

One was a surprise, two was a coincidence, three...

Was earth shaking.

If not for the fact that Chi Guyan and Fang Zhengzhi had already done it, Yan Xiu's breakthrough would have rocked the entire empire.

Top of the two Dragon Rolls.

Yan Xiu was just 16, and well within the parameters of the Hidden Dragon Roll.

After all, he still had two more years to go, and anything could happen in these two years.

There was another name that could fulfill the great prophecy. Yan Xiu.

Inside the Imperial Academy, King Duan and Han Zhangfeng stared wide eyed at the screen. They could not believe their eyes.

"How is this possible?"

"Yan Xiu broke through to the Heavenly Reflection State?"

"Yan Xiu of the Yan Clan..."

King Duan looked at Han Zhangfeng and saw Han Zhangfeng looking back at him. They were both thinking of the same thing.

After all, they were looking at the future.

Han Zhangfeng was of the view that they should cultivate their own dragon. As such, they had to remove all the obstacles in their chosen dragon's way.

They could remove Fang Zhengzhi by saying that he was a threat to the stability of the empire.

But what if the person was going to be Yan Xiu?

Han Zhangfeng frowned. He could not treat Yan Xiu the same way he treated Fang zhengzhi.

If anyone in the Yan Family caught wind that Yan Xiu was under threat, the backlash would be uncontainable.

King Duan was different from Han Zhangfeng. He wanted to become the dragon. He wanted to rule the Great Xia Empire. That was a position of unmatched power, wealth, and fame.

That was what he was truly after.

However, in order to do so, King Duan needed to be sharp enough to get rid of all the obstacles in his way.

If the person in the prophecy was really Yan Xiu...

Then what was he to do?

Just as Han Zhangfeng and King Duan were deep in thought, the Ninth Prince gasped, then heaved a sigh of relief. However, no one knew what or who he was relieved about.

"Yan Xiu is in the Heavenly Reflection Realm!"

"16 year old Yan Xiu has really broken through!"

All of the candidates in the World of the Sage looked at Yan Xiu in awe.

Su Donglin felt the tide of the battle turn. The moment Yan Xiu was in the Heavenly Reflection State, then his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan was incredibly scary.

The Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan was a reflection of its user's power.

Furthermore, the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan had its own suppressive field. Combing the two fields, Su Donglin would need all his power in a 1v1.

More importantly, Yan Xiu was only 16. Heavenly Reflection State at 16...

Su Donglin would never be daring enough to antagonize a 16 year old Heavenly Reflection Yan Xiu. Yan Xiu was very different from Fang Zhengzhi.

Yan Xiu had the terrifying, intimidating Yan Family standing behind him.

Then...

His original plan could no longer work.

His eyes glimmered and he grit his teeth. His gaze quickly shifted from Yan Xiu to Fang Zhengzhi.

If Yan Xiu was in the Heavenly Reflection State, then the weakest person was naturally Fang Zhengzhi!

This was an easy decision, but not easy to execute. It would be difficult to defeat Fang Zhengzhi before the others had time to react.

Fang Zhengzhi was already in the Heavenly Reflection State, so he lost the advantage of a difference in cultivation level.

This made it at least 10 times more difficult.

But Su Donglin had no other choice.

He had to try.

Su Donglin did not turn the blade towards Fang Zhengzhi. Based on his own power, Fang Zhengzhi would react immediately or run if he saw the blade turn towards him.

That was not something he wanted.

As such, he decided to feint towards Yan Xiu. When Fang Zhengzhi came to help, he would turn around and attack Fang Zhengzhi.

However, before Su Donglin could attack Yan Xiu, Fang Zhengzhi 'fell into the trap' on his own accord.

He was also surrounded by the purple electricity, almost as if he was being strangled by a purple electric snake.

Boom!

Both of their electric fields clashed together in mid air, causing a loud crash.

At the same time, the purple electricity from each field interacted with each other, hissing and crackling, suppressing and attacking each other.

All of the surrounding candidates were greeted with yet another unbelievable sight even before they could react from the first one.

Because...

When Fang Zhengzhi's electric field clashed with Su Donglin, it did not vaporize immediately. In fact, it held its own, forming a clear division between the two fields.

"How is this possible?!"

"There is no clear winner?"

"One is an advanced stage Heavenly Reflection State cultivator, the other just entered the state two months ago..."

"Why are they so evenly matched?"

All of the surrounding candidates could not believe their eyes.

Su Donglin himself could not believe it either. When Fang Zhengzhi's electric field hit his, he felt a wave of unprecedented suppression.

He had a feeling that if he did not put everything he had into it, his own field would be suppressed.

This was something he could not bring himself to accept.

"How is that possible, how can you... be so evenly matched with me when it comes to field controlling?!" Su Donglin was wide eyed.

"Evenly matched?" Fang Zhengzhi was taken aback. This is evenly matched?

But he did not feel this way?

This was just very normal controlling...

What was going on?

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea, so he could not answer Su Donglin's question.

King Duan and Han Zhangfeng were stunned as they watched the battle unfold.

Neither of them could believe that Fang Zhengzhi, who had just broken through, could force a tie with Su Dongling when it came to field controlling.

In this combat examination, Su Donglin's greatest advantage was his cultivation level.

Advanced stage Heavenly Reflection Realm.

This meant that he had much more control over the various fields than anyone. When the fields clashed, his would generally suppress those of his opponent.

This was common sense.

However, Fang Zhengzhi defied all common sense.

"What is going on?" The two of them were confused.

In actual fact, Fang Zhengzhi's experience was anything but normal.

Eight years ago, Fang Zhengzhi thought about cultivating after looking at the Illustration of all Creation.

Then, he officially became a cultivator after fighting with the Blue Fire Wolf.

In one year, he managed to attain the Star Conglomerate Realm smoothly.

Fang Zhengzhi had thought so for the longest time. He had no idea that after he had attained that state, he needed to link up the stars he collected with the outside world to attain Heavenly Reflection.

His idea was simple, collect more stars and raise his powers.

In actual fact, his ideas had shown results.

Upon collecting his second star, his power rose. This way, he kept thinking that the self proclaimed genius he was had found the right way.

As such, he began collecting the third star.

Each star represented another Dao in the Dao of All Creation.

There were the simple ones, wind, fire, lightning, ground. Then there were, flowers, grass, trees, wood, mountain, rivers...

In the end, after collecting everything there was around him, he even began to collect stars of the sun, moon, stars. He tried understanding everything he could.

In seven years, he never stopped trying to collect new stars and understand new elements. In the end, his pocket dimension had hundreds of stars.

He had thought that this made him immensely powerful.

However...

He quickly realized that he was wrong. Upon participating in the River of Trust Province Examinations, he realized that he was still in the Star Conglomerate State, and there was a Heavenly Reflection State above him.

In the Heavenly Treasure Hall, he understood a way for him to link up his pocket dimension with the real world.

This allowed him to breakthrough.

He did not need to train as hard as Yan Xiu, and he did not need to link up each item inside his pocket dimension individually with the outside world.

He had managed to attain the Heavenly Reflection State the moment he wanted to.

Because...

He was always in the Heavenly Reflection State!

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Chapter 188: Mountains and Rivers

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

King Duan and Han Zhangfeng did not think of this. The Ninth Prince was also equally confused.

Even Fang Zhengzhi did not know what was going on.

No one had ever had a similar experience. As such, there was no record of it in history.

But he had some idea.

In the World of the Sage, Fang Zhengzhi saw Su Donglin's expression and knew that he was just as powerful as Su Donglin in this aspect.

This came as a pleasant surprise.

More surprisingly, he felt like he still had energy in reserve.

A such, he continued to exert his suppression over Su Donglin. Little by little, his electric field began to suppress Su Donglin's.

Su Donglin started to sweat.

This was such a domineering electric field. He did not want to go down like this.

He could not take this.

As someone who had already spent a few years in the Heavenly Reflection Realm, he felt that he had to go down with a fight.

How can he be suppressed by someone who had broke through barely two months ago?

That would be immensely humiliating?!

All of the other candidates were going crazy. They had thought that Su Donglin was not giving it his all when Fang Zhengzhi matched him previously.

But now...

Su Donglin was being suppressed by Fang Zhengzhi? He looked like he was losing ground, and his sweat did not look fake at all.

"Fang Zhengzhi is suppressing Su Donglin?!"

"How is that possible, he just broke through recently!"

"Elementary and advanced stages... there are two rungs of difference?! What is going on?"

All of the candidates looked at each other in confusion. Then, they looked at Fang Zhengzhi with awe and fear.

He was really a demon.

Wang Chuanping felt the suppression from Fang Zhengzhi's field and completely forgot to help.

Ping Yang also stopped moving.

She had always thought that she was the key to winning this battle.

The last time, she did not wear her Red Flame Flower Armor and did not wield her Blazing Qilin Spear. She was subdued as a result.

However, she had never expected that result.

As such, she decided to come take her revenge, armed to the teeth this time.

But now...

It would seem that revenge would be hard fought.

Yan Xiu had always trusted Fang Zhengzhi's abilities. After Fang Zhengzhi had taught him the theory, it was almost as if he saw a glimmer of light in the dark.

He was at the peak of the Star Conglomerate Realm at 16. His talent was unquestionable.

With Fang Zhengzhi's direction, together with more than a decade of knowledge, he trained hard. He had spent the past two months trying and breaking through, and he finally made it a day ago.

He had told this to Fang Zhengzhi.

He had thought that he would be on the same starting line as Fang Zhengzhi once again, but now, it seemed like Fang Zhengzhi had given him nothing but dust to bite.

He was able to go even with Su Dongping, even suppressing Su Dongping.

Did Fang Zhengzhi manage to reach the advanced stages of the Heavenly Reflection State in two months? Or... the pinnacle?!

This was not something people wanted to think about, or know the answer to.

However, Yan Xiu did not find this hard to accept. He would just be in awe if that was the case.

Everyone looked at Fang Zhengzhi in disbelief.

Fang Zhengzhi himself was in disbelief. Why is Su Donglin so weak? Where is the power of the advanced Heavenly Reflection State?

Show it to me!

Hiding it?

Okay then, if you want to hide it in a 4v1, then I will kill you!

Fang Zhengzhi drew his sword. This was a white jade sword. Even though it was not as powerful as Ping Yang's Blazing Qilin Spear, it was not bad.

"Mountains and Rivers!" Fang Zhengzhi said softly.

Then, the white jade sword rang out with the thunderous boom, its blade glimmering. Then, a mountainous suppressive force crashed towards the ground. A silver light pierced the shadow and landed on the tip of the sword.

At this point, there was the sound of flowing water.

Su Donglin was in utter disbelief. He actually felt like there was a mountain holding him down and the silver light was like a waterfall.

Dripping water could pierce a rock. In fact, it could even pierce steel.

This was one of the sword techniques that Fang Zhengzhi learnt in the Heavenly Treasure Hall. It had no name, so he came up with his own.

Rainbow White Light.

Su Donglin was suppressed by this mountainous energy and had no way of dodging. He could only meet the attack head on.

The Shadow Blade Technique hummed as it burst through the air.

The two incredibly sharp blades impacted each other.

The white blade from the top, the shadow blade from the bottom.

"Boom!"

The impact from the two electric fields, as well as the contact between the blades, caused an immense energy field which blew everyone backwards.

The calm after the storm.

It was completely silent.

Su Donglin looked in horror at his own blade. There was a hole in the blade, a clean hole that wasn't there before.

A blade destroying another?!

Su Donglin looked at Fang Zhengzhi in disbelief.

Fang Zhengzhi's previous tie with him could be forgotten. After all, as long as two people were in the same cultivation realm, it could happen.

But...

Why would his family's top technique lose to Fang Zhengzhi's 'Mountain and Water' blade?

No one had even heard of that technique!

Fang Zhengzhi did not look at Su Donglin, looking at his sword instead.

The white jade sword continued to glow with light. However, when the two blades collided, he felt as if he could not use all his energy.

It was almost as if the blade would break if he used all his energy.

The mountain and water technique was incredibly domineering. Any technique formulated by battle was definitely powerful, but the white jade sword was definitely not as powerful.

Both of them were incredulous.

All of the candidates were stunned.

In the clash, Fang Zhengzhi had come out on top.

The two month Heavenly Reflection hillbilly.

He actually managed to match the heir of the Su Clan evenly in the manipulation of fields. Then, in a battle of blades, he actually came out on top?!

What is this... f*ck us all!

Yan Xiu was stunned. But, he was more taken aback by the familiarity of Fang Zhengzhi's technique. It felt as if it was from the...

Ice Wall!

The ice wall in the Heavenly Treasure Hall!

Did Fang Zhengzhi really understand the sword techniques? Mountain and water... Yan Xiu searched his mind. He had understood some of it.

But it was rather blurry.

His memory was jolted when Fang Zhengzhi used the technique in real life. This allowed him a slightly deeper understanding.

Wang Chuanping was on the verge of breaking down.

When he had first entered the World of the Saint, he had thought of how to defeat Fang Zhengzhi and use that to get to the top.

But now...

That looked like courting death.

Ping Yang's eyes glowed. No matter what, Fang Zhengzhi's 'Mountain and Water' technique looked quite manly and domineering.

Just as she was about to compliment him, she realized Fang Zhengzhi was looking at her.

He looked like he was looking at a lamb.

She recalled what had happened previously and blushed. Just at this point, a voice rang out.

"Hi, can I borrow your Blazing Qilin Spear for fun?"

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Chapter 189: Catch one more

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Ping Yang suddenly heard Fang Zhengzhi's voice and this jolted her out of her thoughts.

Borrow the Blazing Qilin Spear...

For fun?!

What did he mean?

This was the combat examinations, who ever borrowed or lent weapons in here? Even though they were temporary allies, this did not mean that they were going to be on the same side the whole time?

How shameless must he be in order to even think of asking?

Furthermore, the Blazing Qilin Spear was one of the 10 greatest treasures in the Great Xia Dynasty.

At the very least, he should respect the Blazing Qilin Spear and be polite about it. He had to promise to treat the Blazing Qilin Spear well.

What did he mean by for fun?

In an instant, that shred of a good impression that she formed disappeared into thin air.

Ping Yang was furious. She had gone through so much begging and pleading just to get this Blazing Qilin Spear, yet now, someone was asking to take it out for a spin...

"No way!" Ping Yang rejected him outrightly.

"Oh, I see, then it's okay!" Fang Zhengzhi did not seem to mind and was not disappointed at all.

Ping Yang's clear gaze stared through Fang Zhengzhi. Did I reject him too outrightly? I guess I could have let him take a look.

She was rather generous if people asked nicely.

After all, Fang Zhengzhi would not dare to steal her Blazing Qilin Spear.

That was her special right.

Just as she was thinking about it, Fang Zhengzhi asked again, "If you can't lend me your Blazing Qilin Spear, do you have any other treasures? Maybe a good sword that you can lend me. You're a princess after all, I'm sure you have something?"

"I'm sure you have something?"

Fang Zhengzhi's voice echoed through the World of the Sage.

All of the candidates were stunned when they heard this. They could not believe how shameless Fang Zhengzhi was.

"Fun... I will make sure you have fun!" Ping Yang could not take it any longer.

The Blazing Qilin Spear in her hand began to roar. She did not send it flying at Su Donglin, sending it towards Fang Zhengzhi instead.

The golden light was extremely domineering.

Fang Zhengzhi jumped. He had thought that he was rather sincere. She could have lent anything other than the Blazing Qilin Spear.

He wasn't particularly picky. It could have been a blade, a pole...

Why would she attack him all of a sudden?

He may not have experienced the power of the Blazing Qilin Spear personally, but he was not blind. There was no way he would defeat it head on.

As such, Fang Zhengzhi began to run.

Ping Yang chased him manically at the back.

Of course, Fang Zhengzhi could not run too far. He had to ensure that Su Donglin did not escape their control.

As such, he ran circles around Su Donglin.

Ping Yang raged and followed behind him, chasing for her life. However, due to the differences in their cultivation level, she was much slower.

The entire scene began to look very strange.

The battle had turned into a chase between the two of them.

All of the candidates did not know what to think of this development.

"What's going on?"

Just as they were trying to figure out what was going on, Su Donglin raged.

"Fang Zhengzhi!" Su Donglin could almost breathe fire.

Is this the time to be borrowing weapons? And then, after trying to borrow weapons, he's playing catching in front of me?

What is the meaning of this!

Do I mean so little?

Su Donglin had lost count of how many times he had been ignored by Fang Zhengzhi. He hated this feeling; he had always been the center of attention.

"Go to hell Fang Zhengzhi!" Su Donglin could no longer suppress his rage. He couldn't even be bothered to change his sword as he charged at Fang Zhengzhi.

A strange black shadow appeared on the tip of his blade once again. This time, it was even darker, almost like a bottomless abyss.

Fang Zhengzhi, who was running around, felt the blade flying towards him.

Then, he smirked, "You're finally angry!"

Without hesitation, he sped up and the electricity around him exploded outwards. A bolt of purple electricity passed through Ping Yang.

Even though Ping Yang was wearing the Red Flame Flower Armor, she still did not dare to face the electricity head on.

As such, she could only use the Blazing Qilin Spear to block it.

Fang Zhengzhi used this opportunity to leap into the air, his white jade blade glimmering in the air. The white light glowed like the stars in the Milky Way.

At the same time, Yan Xiu also attacked. The fan in his hand glowed radiantly as it linked up together with his tree field.

It turned into a whole new drawing.

A huge wave of suppressive force fired towards Su Donglin. It brought with it immense sadness and the branches of trees.

Upon seeing this, he finally reacted. As a spectator for most of the battle, he could clearly see that Su Donglin had attacked Fang Zhengzhi with everything he got.

From the start, Su Donglin had no way of retreating.

He could not possibly pass up this incredible opportunity.

Two blades appeared to his left and right.

"Hack together!"

"Kaboom!"

Fang Zhengzhi and Su Donglin clashed, then, Yan Xiu and Wang Chuanping's attacks hit.

"Sh*t!"

Su Donglin spat out a mouthful of blood as he stared at the four people in front of him. He was immensely pale and tired from the battle.

He held a broken sword in his hand...

Fang Zhengzhi's blade trembled slightly, humming as it did. But, it did not break.

This meant that in the clash, Fang Zhengzhi had come out on top by a little bit.

Combined with Yan Xiu and Wang Chuanping's attacks, Su Donglin did not stand a chance.

"Have I lost?!" Su Donglin was stunned. He had never expected to lose in the first round, but the fact was that he was out. He was quite badly injured.

As the other candidates looked at the bloody Su Donglin, no one could believe that he was out.

"Su Donglin lost?!"

"Isn't that a little too quick..."

"It did not look like he gave Fang Zhengzhi any trouble at all?"

The candidates looked at the defeated Su Donglin. No one was willing to accept the truth that was laid out in front of them.

Before entering the World of the Save, everyone was thinking of how to defeat Fang Zhengzhi, or of how Fang Zhengzhi would avoid Su Donglin's challenge.

But the fact was...

Su Donglin's defeat had opened up the Imperial Combat Examinations.

The First-Class Roll, advanced Heavenly Reflection State Su Donglin, was knocked out in the first round?!

No one could believe this. All of them refused to believe it despite seeing it with their own eyes.

In the middle of the crowd, an initially calm pair of eyes glimmered.

Nangong Mu ruffled his clothes and his lips parted, "Fang Zhengzhi huh? I wonder how much effort I would need?"

No one heard Nangong Mu speak because he was too soft. It was almost as if he didn't speak.

But if anyone had heard it, they would have been shocked beyond words.

Fang Zhengzhi had proven that he was on par with Su Donglin. What did Nangong Mu mean by how much effort would he require?

Nangong Mu did not look at Fang Zhengzhi any longer and his expression returned to one of calm.

Not far away from Nangong Mu, Xing Qingsui, who was dressed in black, was also staring at Fang Zhengzhi. He exuded a strong aura of battle intent.

"Interesting, this combat examinations will be interesting!"

"Master, is it time to act?" A middle aged man standing behind Xing Qingsui spoke up. He was dressed unassumingly and looked rather frail, but he had a scar on his neck.

It looked like his throat had been slit by a knife. However, no one knew how he avoided death.

"No, I want to observe further!" Xing Qingsui shook his head.

Inside the Imperial Academy, King Duan and Han Zhangfeng frowned. They had never expected this battle to end so quickly.

Furthermore, Su Donglin did not even injure Fang Zhengzhi.

"I had heard that Su Donglin was quite powerful, but lacks experience. It really showed today!" Han Zhangfeng looked at the bloody Su Donglin and shook his head.

"Su Donglin had never been in battle, so he didn't understand the importance of a cool head!" King Duan nodded, then looked to the Ninth Prince.

"Ninth Brother, what do you think about Su Donglin's first round exit?"

The Ninth Prince was still stunned. He stiffened slightly upon hearing King Duan's question.

"About that..."

"Forget it, you've been addicted to horse racing all these years. I doubt you have any interest in this. If you're ever free, come roam the camps with me and expand your horizons."

"Thank you brother. However, you mentioned battle experience just now. Has Fang Zhengzhi ever been on a battlefield?"

"Him? He's a hillbilly. What kind of battle experience can he have? He may have some hunting experience. His victory was based on some wit. If he was ever in a real battle, I think he will wet his pants. It should show when he fights Xing Qingsui." King Duan chuckled dismissively.

"Mm, King Duan is right. Xing Qingsui has been under the tutelage of Xing Hou all this time. He probably knows all the tricks by now." Han Zhangfeng nodded in approval.

"Official Han's words are exactly my sentiments. However, there is a problem. Fang Zhengzhi and three others defeated Su Donglin, who shall move on to the second round?" King Duan asked.

"Wang Chuanping challenged Su Donglin, so he should pass!" Han Zhangfeng immediately understood what King Duan was driving at.

"Okay, since Official Han is the Chief Examiner, we will do just that. Brother, do you have any objection?" King Duan did not even wait for a reply before glancing at the examiners.

Inside the World of the Sage, a huge door appeared in front of Wang Chuanping. At the same time, a crisp voice echoed throughout the space.

"Su Donglin is out, Wang Chuanping advances to the second round!"

All of the candidates, who had not even collected themselves after that shock, all turned to Wang Chuanping.

Their eyes filled with surprise.

Never did they expect that the winner would be Wang Chuanping!

"What's going on?"

"Why is Wang Chuanping through to the second round?"

"I'm guessing it's because he challenged Su Dongping?"

Some of those who had entered in the competition before guessed this. Such scenarios had happened before.

Under such circumstances, the judgement lay with the Chief Examiner.

Sometimes, the first one to attack would be deemed the winner. Sometimes, the one who inflicted the heaviest damage would be deemed the winner. Other times, the one to issue the challenge would be handed the credit.

However, for the current case, Fang Zhengzhi should have been he logical winner. Afterall, he had done the most work.

Without Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu and Wang Chuanping could not have succeeded.

But the fact was that Wang Chuanping was through.

All of the candidates could not understand the decision. However, the decision did not contravene any rules so no one protested.

They all looked at Fang Zhengzhi, expecting him to protest.

However, when Fang Zhengzhi heard it, he was extremely happy.

"Hahaha... that's great, I didn't make it through!" It was almost as if Fang Zhengzhi had expected this to happen.

"That's great?!"

All of the candidates could not believe their ears, Is he out of his mind?

Ping Yang was immensely conflicted. She should have been angry about being struck by Fang Zhengzhi's lightning. However, in the next moment, Su Donglin was defeated.

She wondered why she was so 'cooperative' just now. Was she smart, or dumb?

Now that she heard what Fang Zhengzhi had said, she was even more conflicted.

"Why are you so happy?"

"Of course I'm happy. I never wanted to go to the second round this way." Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ping Yang with disdain.

"This way? You don't want to enter the second round through battle? Then what do you want?" Ping Yang felt that she was always being schooled by Fang Zhengzhi. However, the truth was she couldn't understand what Fang Zhengzhi was thinking.

"I want to go through there!" Fang Zhengzhi did not explain any further, simply pointing away from himself.

Fang Zhengzhi was actually pointing towards the broken bridge. The mist still covered the other side, and no one knew how big the gap was.

It was impossible to see what was on the other side.

"You want to cross the broken bridge?! Why... why?" Even Ping Yang was shocked. She knew what the broken bridge was.

"Fang Zhengzhi wanted to cross the broken bridge?!"

"Is he dumb? Based on his abilities, he can easily find someone weaker than him and bully them!"

"Why is someone so dumb already in the Heavenly Reflection State whilst I'm still in the Star Conglomerate..."

All of the candidates were shocked to hear what Fang Zhengzhi had to say. That was a very willful thing to consider doing.

If he couldn't cross the broken bridge, he would be out.

Fang Zhengzhi ignited the discussion around him. He looked at the broken bridge, deep in thought, almost as if he could see the other side.

"Did you forget our goal?"

"Our goal? You're referring to that sword... right?" Ping Yang seemed to remember something.

"Exactly, since we want to find that sword, we cannot fight our way through this examination. As such, we must try the broken bridge." Fang Zhengzhi asserted.

"But what if you can't go over? Then won't you be out? Then, how would you enter the second round?" Ping Yang did not understand.

"I already thought this through. I will first find someone to accompany me. If I can't cross it, I will push him down. That way, I can enter the second round." Fang Zhengzhi said honestly.

Ping Yang was stunned, then her eyes glimmered.

"Fang Zhengzhi... there is no one on this Earth who is more shameless than you! However, your idea is not too bad. Furthermore, it sounds like a lot of fun. I have decided to stay with you. I will even help you catch someone to stay behind with you." Ping Yang said excitedly.

"It'll be great if you can get one for me too!" Yan Xiu chimed in.

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Chapter 190: Taking a risk

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi, Ping Yang, and Yan Xiu quickly reached an agreement, stunning all the other candidates.

What's going on?

They were such bullies.

They were treating them like lambs. If they couldn't make it across they would simply push them off. Could they be any more shameless?

Each of the candidates looked at each other.

They hoped that someone would protest this and chide them for being so shameless, kicking the three of them out in the process.

But who would step up?

Nangong Mu had no interest in interfering, and Xing Qingsui did not want any trouble right now.

Su Donglin's example was clear for all to see.

1v1?

Right now, that was impossible. Any fight would be a 3v1. The only thing they could do was wait.

Nangong Mu and Xing Qingsui were both waiting.

The other Heavenly Reflection State candidates would not push their luck either. Ping Yang would not lock onto them. The reason was simple. She was looking for lambs, the weaker the better.

As such, they couldn't be less bothered.

This was the combat examinations, and not the time to let emotion rule their actions. Furthermore, everyone wanted to see how Fang Zhengzhi would be after crossing the bridge.

All of the Star Conglomerate candidates looked at each other in exasperation and helplessness.

Ping Yang looked at them and smiled radiantly, almost like a Blue Fire Wolf looking at its prey.

Other than those who were in the Heavenly Reflection Realm, all of the others began to look for places to hide themselves. However, the area was small and unblocked. Where could they possibly hide?

This scene looked quite strange. A bunch of people manically trying to hide. This was a stark difference from the confidence they had when they entered the World of the Sage.

Ping Yang's abilities could be seen from how she caught people.

"You, exactly, you! Come over! You dare to not come? When we get out of here, I will go raid your home!"

"Ah?! Your highness, mercy please..."

After a string of threats, three poor souls had been captured by Ping Yang. The three of them looked extremely bitter.

All of the candidates who had been let off heaved a sigh of relief. They would live to see another day.

"Let us go. We just want to participate in the examination!"

"Exactly your highness. You all can continue crossing the bridge, but we are innocent..."

"Your highness, I have an eighty year old mother. My wife left me very long ago. I am the only one left to feed my mother. The examination is my only hope. Your highness, please leave my family with this sliver of hope."

The three poor souls pleaded with Ping Yang. One of them was even on the verge of tears.

"Shut up. You still have mouths to feed? I have heard that so many times. Based on your abilities, you all have no chance of passing the examinations. Stop struggling. If you're obedient, I will give you 500 taels of silver each right now!" Ping Yang produced three cheques with a wave of her hand.

She did not even blink.

"Thank you your highness!" The three poor souls immediately said their thanks.

Just as Ping Yang said, they did not have much of a chance to pass the combat examinations. Not getting knocked out in the first round would be a good result for them.

Now that they were each given 500 taels of silver, they considered themselves lucky.

After they said their thanks, the three poor souls wanted to take their cheques.

However, when they raised their heads, the cheques were gone from Ping Yang's hand. They had changed hands and were now held by Fang Zhengzhi.

"Don't show off your wealth. Don't you know that? Damn it, let me help you safekeep it." Fang Zhengzhi said sincerely and kept the cheques.

Ping Yang was stunned, but Yan Xiu was calm.

As for the three poor souls, they looked at their silver disappear. This guy was such a bully. Not only was he taking them as disposable, he even took away their silver.

"Actually, you all should thank me." Fang Zhengzhi began to console the three of them.

"Thank you?!" The three of them looked at each other, unsure of what Fang Zhengzhi was saying.

The other candidates began to chide Fang Zhengzhi in their hearts. How shameless? You take them as your stepping stone, and you still want to take their money?

"If my guess is right, you three are on the Second-Class Roll right?" Fang Zhengzhi continued, ignoring the chatter around him.

"Yes... that's correct." The three of them nodded.

"According to the rules of the Imperial Exam, the First-Class Roll people need to pass only two rounds to pass the exam. But for those on the Second-Class Roll, you all need to pass three, or even four rounds, am I right?"

"That's correct..."

"Then, based on your powers, how many rounds can you pass?"

"Well... if we are lucky, we can pass the first. If we get even luckier, we may pass the second. As for the third and fourth..." The three of them looked at each other. They knew that it was too difficult for them to pass those rounds.

For this edition of the combat examinations, there were more than 30 Heavenly Reflection cultivators. All of the Star Conglomerate cultivators also had secret techniques of their own.

"This is why you all should thank me. If I cross the broken bridge, then you all can follow me. I can bring you along for the rest of the rounds as well. As long as you follow me to round four, you would have passed right?" Fang Zhengzhi explained.

"Cross the broken bridge? To round four... this..." The three poor souls wanted to say it wasn't very possible, but they couldn't bring themselves to say it.

"Oh yes, I forgot, this is just the first payment. If you manage to follow me to round four, then each of you must give me... mm, let's say, another 500 taels of silver!"

"Young master Fang, if you can bring us to round four, even a thousand taels will not be expensive."

"Is that so? Then let's make it 2000."

"..." The three of them were speechless. Then, one of them tried to speak up, "Young master Fang, if you... fail to cross the bridge and throw us off, that silver... return..."

"I said that it's payment, so it's not refundable. How can you do business without taking risks? Is there anything certain in this world? Don't you agree?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the three of them.

"Yes, young master Fang is right... we were too naive." The three of them looked at each other, tears in their eyes. Isn't all the risk with them?

"Okay then, let us cross the bridge." Fang Zhengzhi walked towards the broken bridge.

The other candidates were all speechless. This works? This is no business deal, this is daylight robbery!

No refund if they lost, and they had to make extra payment if they won...

"Shameless!"

Inside the Imperial Academy, King Duan and Han Zhangfeng looked at each other. They looked at Fang Zhengzhi and said the same thing.

However, the Ninth Prince's eyes were glimmering.

I guess being this shameless is quite a plus point? The Ninth Prince thought to himself.

The broken bridge did not change. The only difference was that there was now one person standing on it, the breeze causing his sleeves to flap.

There were five others standing at the starting point.

Ping Yang and Yan Xiu looked at the man on the bridge intently. The other three had their heads lowered, visibly troubled.

The other candidates did not bother waiting any longer.

They began to fight. Every now and then, the sky would echo with the elimination of one person and the advancement of another.

"How long has it been? How boring... I think he should just push them down and forget about it!" Ping Yang was slightly impatient. Fang Zhengzhi had been standing there for over an hour.

Yan Xiu did not speak, whilst the other three were shivering in their spots. They did not like putting their fates in the hands of others.

"I think Fang Zhengzhi is being stubborn. Yan Xiu, you should know that we cannot pass the barriers in this world with our current abilities. They only used this world to let us train. Do you really think he can cross the broken bridge?" Ping Yang asked again.

"He definitely can." Yan Xiu replied calmly.

"You trust him that much? If we spend so much time in this round, will we still have opponents in the second round? Then are you going to fight with Fang Zhengzhi?" Ping Yang questioned.

"I believe him." Yan Xiu repeated, his tone without doubt.

As time passed, the number of people left in the first round became lesser and lesser. The sounds in the air continued to echo. There were already people in the third round.

The rest of the candidates stared at Fang Zhengzhi in disdain.

"So long? Has he fallen asleep?"

"I think he is waiting! He is waiting for us to progress to the next round before pushing the three of them down. At the very least, he will not be criticised as much?"

"Hahaha... I think so too!"

After they finished, they continued to fight, ignoring Fang Zhengzhi.

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Chapter 191: Seemingly Broken

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Inside the Imperial Academy, Fang Zhengzhi had disappeared from the screen. The screen was filled with many candidates.

King Duan and Han Zhangfeng were staring at Xing Qingsui.

At this point, Xing Qingsui had just dispatched his opponent and entered the third round.

"Not bad, clean!" King Duan complimented.

"Mm, Xing Qingsui has indeed gotten some of Xing Hou's battle prowess after following him around the battlefield for so many years. Even a Heavenly Reflection opponent did not manage to last a minute. These years were not wasted by him. Nobles with such thirst are rare now." Han Zhangfeng nodded.

Xing Qingsui's abilities did surprise him.

"This edition of the Imperial Examinations are very exciting. Official Han, why don't you analyze who will come out on top. Will it be Xing Qingsui or Nangong Mu?" King Duan turned to look at Nangong Mu, who had also just made it to the third round.

"King Duan, my lord, that is difficult for me to say. Pardon my blindness, but Nangong Mu's opponents have been too weak... almost as if he was purposely trying to conceal his powers." Han Zhangfeng shook his head.

"Mm, this Nangong Mu..." King Duan did not continue, deep in thought.

The Ninth Prince also seemed to be deep in thought.

Han Zhangfeng did not engage King Duan anymore, looking at the time instead. Then, he happened to see the Ninth Prince deep in thought.

"Haha... what is the Ninth Prince thinking about?" Han Zhangfeng asked politely.

"Mm, I am wondering if Fang Zhengzhi can cross the broken bridge." The Ninth Prince replied after some thought.

"The Ninth Prince thinks too much. The World of the Sage was created by the Sagely Battle God himself. His will is in each barrier. It is not very possible for a Heavenly Reflection State cultivator to break them." Han Zhangfeng's eyes glimmered as he heard the question. However, he still explained it patiently.

"Then is there no way to pass this barrier?" The Ninth Prince asked doubtfully.

"It is passable, but you need to find the right place. Those who had chosen the broken bridge have yet to find the right way and too many have failed trying to go up against it. However, to the best of my knowledge, never in history has a Heavenly Reflection State cultivator made it through." Han Zhangfeng smiled and nodded.

"I see, then... I guess he won't be able to break it either." The Ninth Prince said disappointedly.

"It's not a guess, it's definite!" King Duan spoke up again, then sighed lightly.

His eyes seem to sigh with him.

"Ninth Brother, I am not trying to chide you, but you are of the royal bloodline as well. Sometimes, you must be more careful. Even though you're just an assistant and Official Han is still the Chief Examiner, you should at least go read up on the World of the Sage right? It's a good thing no one heard your question. How can a Heavenly Reflection State cultivator cross the Broken Bridge Barrier? That is simply the twisted idea of an arrogant youth."

"My Lord, you are wise!" The Ninth Prince nodded as he listened to King Duan, but his eyes continued to think.

However, the screen was focused on the second round of the World of the Sage and he did not know how the First Round was unfolding.

Inside the World of the Sage.

Ping Yang's voice had become more and more impatient.

Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu are already through to the third round, and I am still here in the first round!" Ping Yang pouted in frustration.

Yan Xiu was still calm and icy, almost as if he never heard the announcements.

As for the three poor souls, they became more and more worried. The longer Fang Zhengzhi took, the higher the chances of them being pushed over.

Fang Zhengzhi looked the most relaxed amongst them all.

He was not overly serious or stern. He looked rather bored as he looked at the stones on the bridge and the thick mist on the opposite side.

He looked more like he was trying to enjoy the view.

From the moment he stepped on the bridge, he had been admiring it.

He had been looking at the stone plate for quite a few minutes. Then, upon stepping on the bridge, he looked at every stone, even every crack.

It must be said that the broken bridge showed signs of age. If this was his previous world, this would be a popular tourist attraction.

Since this was a barrier in the World of the Sage, what was so special about it?

Fang Zhengzhi could tell that the World of the Sage was different from the pocket dimension he was in during the River Of Trust Province Examinations.

Those barriers were linked by magical formations. However, the Broken Bridge was different. This was an exquisitely built bridge, with nothing else apart from its beauty.

He didn't feel any pressure when standing on the bridge. There were no falling rocks, no hidden traps. It looked like an ordinary bridge.

But this was the World of the Sage.

This was a world created by the Sagely Battle God Meng Tian.

This was definitely not a normal bridge.

Fang Zhengzhi had expected to see some hints on the bridge, some words or patterns at the very least.

However, after more than an hour, he realized...

There was nothing.

This design was utterly intoxicating.

However, Fang Xhengzhi was not bothered. He was actually quite relaxed.

After all, if he couldn't cross it, the solution was simple.

He would just throw someone off.

Since it was so simple, Fang Zhengzhi naturally did not need to be so stubborn about crossing the bridge.

Crossing it was a bonus.

There was no loss to him even if he failed to cross it.

Fang Zhengzhi had always been very willful. As such, after admiring the scenery, he began to look around the bridge, seeing if there were any floating reflections of sorts.

However, he was disappointed to find nothing under the bridge. There were no rocks or floating images. All he saw was the dark valley.

He could not see the bottom. Perhaps, there was no bottom.

"Even though there is no particularly beautiful scenery below, one still feels like god looking down on Earth."

"Broken Bridge..."

Fang Zhengzhi looked at the blurry white mist and shut his eyes, enjoying the breeze. Then, a picture formed in his mind.

It was also a broken bridge.

Every time there was a snowstorm, the bridge would be covered by snow. As a result, it blended into the surroundings and the bridge would barely be seen. The snow would make it look like it was broken in the middle, but it was merely an illusion.

"A river runs through the heart of the lush valley."

"The air is moist even though there is no rain, the sky is dim even though there are no clouds."

"The Broken Bridge stands in the middle of it all as flowers wilt all around it."

"The bells chime in the Northern Forest as I think about the view from my Western Window." [1]

"The Broken Bridge during Winter is one of the ten greatest sights in the West Lake. Have I suddenly returned to my previous world? Wouldn't it be cool to destroy a luxury car?"

Just as he was thinking about it, Fang Zhengzhi stiffened.

"Hang on!"

If he thought of the white mist as the the snow, then this would just be like the Broken Bridge on the West Lake. They were both ancient and had elements that prevented others from seeing it in its entirety.

The West Lake Broken Bridge was an optical illusion created by the snow.

The current Broken Bridge was obscured by mist, and this created a rather holy illusion.

It looked blurry.

It wasn't actually broken!

Broken Bridge!

"I think I get it... no way?! Could it be that this broken bridge is..." Fang Zhengzhi's eyes lit up, almost as if he had been enlightened.

[1] adapted from a poem written by Zhang Hu.

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Chapter 192: Jumping into the Valley

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Blurry is a term usually used to describe something that is partially obscured and not very clear.

However, Fang Zhengzhi was not using that term in this regard. He was thinking of a stranger and more mystical meaning.

The design in front of him was not too difficult to guess.

Usually, all of the barriers in the pocket dimensions would contain some form of hints. At the very least, they would tell you what you needed to do to pass.

However, the Broken Bridge gave no such hints. From the words on the stone, to the construct of the bridge, everything was very normal.

It would be difficult to know where to begin.

This looked like a barrier which required raw power to go through.

But, this was a barrier, a barrier in the World of the Sage. There had to be more than one way through.

There was no hint. That meant that the hint had already been given.

That is because...

The hint is the broken bridge!

Fang Zhengzhi did not know if he was right. This was too daring and novel a move. Very few people would think of the same idea.

However, if it was the same principle as how he attained the Heavenly Reflection State...

Then it was not impossible.

If this bridge was a reflection, then there had to be a real stone bridge somewhere else.

As he thought about it, he turned around and left the bridge. He then walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked over.

"Is he planning to jump off the cliff simply because he can't cross the bridge?" Ping Yang kicked her leg in the direction of Fang Zhengzhi, her expression doubtful.

"I don't think so?" Yan Xiu had no idea what Fang Zhengzhi was doing. However, he knew that Fang Zhengzhi would not do something so extreme.

As for the other three poor souls, they sweat profusely as they looked at Fang Zhengzhi pacing about, "What is he doing? Is he trying to find a good burial ground for us?"

They wanted to cry just thinking about it...

Even though they knew that it was inevitable, they still felt sad when it came.

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea what Ping Yang and Yan Xiu were thinking. All he thought about was finding that other stone bridge. He walked the cliff, stamping his foot every now and then.

"No? No rush... there are still many more places to go."

"No again?"

"What bad luck, still nothing?"

Every time he walked a few steps, he would extend his leg and step down, trying to see if there was a hidden stone bridge.

However...

Even after going around the entire cliff, he still did not step on anything solid.

Was he wrong?

Fang Zhengzhi felt that if the bridge they saw was a fake, then there should be a real one by the cliff side.

But there wasn't.

"That's not quite right? Isn't there supposed to be a real one and a fake one?" Fang Zhengzhi cursed in his heart, his mind twirling.

Blurry.

It looks like it's broken when it's not...

This theory should still hold true.

So what was the problem?

Just as Fang Zhengzhi was thinking, he turned to look at the white mist at the other side. He began to observe the changes carefully.

Time began to pass.

A moment later.

His eyes glimmered.

"Broken Bridge... broken! I understand now, I thought that there was another real bridge, but there isn't. Since this is named the broken bridge, it really is a broken bridge. There is another half on the other side, but they are not in a straight line. They are apart!"

This way, those not powerful enough will definitely fall to the valley.

Yes, this must be the case!

Two halves that are not placed in a straight line.

The broken bridge was the hint, hinting that there was a hidden half on the other side. As long as the direction was correct and one was powerful enough, one could reach the other side.

It was simple.

However, if one could not see the opposite side, it would be difficult to understand the logic.

It was a good thing Fang Zhengzhi could apply what he learnt.

So...

What was the correct direction?

Fang Zhengzhi began to look at the white mist once again. Very quickly, he found the position of the other half. The mist was a little thicker there.

This was a very ordinary scene. Mist would always be a little thicker at certain places.

Those who did not know why the mist would be thicker would not know that there was another bridge behind it.

What allowed Fang Zhengzhi to know that that was the location was that no matter the changes, the mist around that area was always thicker than the surroundings.

"Let's go, we will cross the bridge!" Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Yan Xiu and Ping Yang, smiling.

"Cross the bridge? How?" Ping Yang was taking a nap, her eyes snapping open in doubt when she heard Fang Zhengzhi's voice.

Yan Xiu did not speak, but, he was equally doubtful.

"Of course we'll jump, watch closely!" After Fang Zhengzhi finished, he did not explain any further, jumping off the cliff and towards the mist.

This shocked Ping Yang.

She never understood why Fang Zhengzhi would think of such a method after more than an hour examining the bridge?

Jump...

Was it so easy?

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi did not jump from the broken bridge. He jumped off the cliff?

He really jumped off it!

"Fang Zhengzhi really jumped off the cliff!" Ping Yang's jaw dropped.

"..." Yan Xiu's jaw also dropped. He did not understand why Fang Zhengzhi would decide to jump off the cliff all of a sudden. Was he hallucinating?

The three poor souls also stared widely as they saw Fang Zhengzhi jump.

"Jump off a cliff?!"

"That's his bright idea?"

"How did he manage to attain Heavenly Reflection? Who does something so dumb? If you gave me an hour to think, I would at least use a bamboo stick to help me jump!"

The five of them looked at Fang Zhengzhi's disappearing silhoueete.

Fang Zhengzhi was floating in mid air, a light breeze supporting him. He was clearly controlling the wind elements around him.

This was something very normal.

It was not special at all.

It was the pedestrian nature of his actions that puzzled everyone.

So many people before him had tried the same tactic. Some of them had jumped from the cliff, the others from the broken bridge.

They all ended up...

The same way.

"Drop down!"

The three hostages shouted in unison.

No one expected Fang Zhengzhi to be able to cross the broken bridge. Never would they expect that the way to cross the bridge was by jumping.

Yan Xiu wanted to stop him, but, it was too late.

Fang Zhengzhi had already took the leap. He was incredibly quick and disappeared into the thick mist in an instant.

"So dumb! To think I trusted him so much!" Ping Yang scolded, then, she turned to look at the three hostages, almost as if saying, "So who wants to go first?"

The three hostages immediately understood what Ping Yang meant. They looked at each other. Since Fang Zhengzhi had jumped, one of them had the chance to live.

Under such a circumstance, no one was willing to step out.

The three of them did not move.

However, Yan Xiu moved. He looked at the white mist in the distance, his expression icy. Then, he also jumped in the same direction as Fang Zhengzhi.

Ping Yang was just about to choose yet another two people. Seeing Yan Xiu walk to the edge of the cliff, her jaw dropped once again.

"Yan Xiu, are you going to follow Fang Zhengzhi's footsteps and jump? Don't be dumb... this is the World of the Sage, I will never believe that this is the way to pass the barrier!" Ping Yang said in disdain.

"Since he jumped, I will jump too!" Yan Xiu's voice was icy. He ignored Ping Yang's advice and walked towards the spot where Fang Zhengzhi had jumped off

He squatted, then leapt into the air!

"No way?! He really leapt!" Ping Yang looked at Yan Xiu, who was in mid air, in disbelief.

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Chapter 193: Into the Second Round

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The three hostages were in utter disbelief. If Fang Zhengzhi was stupid to jump, Yan Xiu was clearly not some who would do something so dumb!

Furthermore...

Even if Yan Xiu thought that Fang Zhengzhi was right, he need not be in such a hurry to jump.

Since Fang Zhengzhi had already jumped, he could have waited for the announcement that Fang Zhengzhi passed before jumping.

But he jumped even before the announcement was made.

This was clearly irrational.

"Has he also become stupid from hanging out with Fang Zhengzhi?"

Just as they were thinking about it, a crisp voice rang out in the sky.

"Fang Zhengzhi is through to the second round!"

"Hahaha... Fang Zhengzhi is indeed out, which one of you will let me push you... oh? Hold on... he advanced to the second round?!" Ping Yang's expression stiffened.

The three hostages were also shocked.

"Fang Zhengzhi advances to the second round?!"

"How is that possible?!"

"He really jumped over? Is that possible?"

The three hostages looked at each other, filled with disbelief. They found it hard to accept the truth.

Fang Zhengzhi did not push them off the cliff.

If he advanced to the second round, that could only mean one thing.

He crossed the Broken Bridge!

"He... he really crossed it?!" Ping Yang stared at the white mist, unable to bring herself to believe that this was true.

The Broken Bridge in the World of the Sage...

No Heavenly Reflection state person had ever crossed it in centuries.

But Fang Zhengzhi managed?

"What is his cultivation level? No way... no way he has broken through the Heavenly Reflection State right?" Ping Yang only had one explanation, but that explanation seemed even more ludicrous.

Just at that moment, a second voice rung out in the air.

"Yan Xiu advances to the second round!"

"What?!" Ping Yang's jaw dropped. Her surprise and shock was even more than when Fang Zhengzhi had saw her naked.

The three hostages were also in shock.

If Fang Zhengzhi had passed because he had been hiding his true powers, then how did Yan Xiu make it over?

"You can actually jump over!" The three hostages could not believe it. But they had to, that was the truth.

It had happened right in front of their eyes.

Time passed slowly. By the time Ping Yang and the others reacted, minutes had past.

Ping Yang quickly looked to the three hostages.

"You all jump first!"

"What?! Please no... princess please!"

"If not, I will push all three of you down!" Ping Yang picked up the Blazing Qilin Spear, a raging flame around her.

She looked like she was bathing in fire.

The three of them looked at Ping Yang and resigned to fate.

"Your Highness... since we are going to jump, can I jump from here?" One of the hostages looked at the Broken Bridge. He felt that jumping from the cliff side was too crazy.

If he had to jump, he would rather jump from the Broken Bridge.

"Okay then, go ahead!" Ping Yang looked at the Broken Bridge, then at the cliff, her lips curling upwards into a sneer before nodding.

The hostage did not notice her sneer. Upon hearing that he could jump from the bridge, he heaved a sigh of relief.

He did not delay any longer.

He rushed to the Broken Bridge and leapt before Ping Yang could change her mind...

"Ah!" His screams could be heard as he fell.

"Song Zailin has been eliminated"

The crisp voice resounded through the air after a brief pause.

When Ping Yang heard the voice, her smile became even more radiant, "What an... idiot! You two, where do you want to jump from?"

"We will jump from there!" The other two hostages broke out in cold sweat upon hearing Song Zailin's elimination. They chose to jump from the same spot as Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu without hesitation.

"Okay, you all can go ahead." Ping Yang nodded.

"Young master Tang please?"

"Young master Li, I think you should go first!"

The two of them began to push each other forward.

"Enough nonsense. You, stay. If he is eliminated, I will push you down. You... go jump!" Ping Yang ordered them in exasperation.

The two hostages looked at each other. They knew that they had no other choice. At least they had a chance to live if they jumped.

As such, young master Tang grit his teeth and sprinted to the cliff. Then, he leapt into the white mist.

Ping Yang looked on nervously as she saw him disappear into the mist.

"Tang Jiming advances to the second round!"

The crisp voice rang out in the air once again.

"Hahaha... I am so smart. You have to jump from that location!" Ping Yang was excited when she heard the voice.

The other hostage began to sweat, "What has this got to do with your highness? Fang Zhengzhi figured it out."

"What did you see?"

"Ah?! I said that your highness is smart and able to see through the trap!"

Do you really think I'm stupid? I just don't want to kill you and stop me from going through using the Broken Bridge. Else, I would stab you right now with my spear." Ping Yang walked towards the cliff, ignoring the hostage.

The hostage did not say anything else. He exclaimed to himself, "Your highness... you can only pierce with a spear!"

Inside the Imperial Academy.

King Duan and Han Zhangfeng were looking at the screen.

It was showing the third round of the World of the Sage. After intense competition, almost all of the candidates were in the third round, leaving only a few in the second round.

"I guess Nangong Mu will have to start showing his true abilities now?" King Duan sipped his tea excitedly.

Anyone who could enter the third round was probably in the Heavenly Reflection State. It would not be as easy to conceal one's abilities now.

Just at this moment, a black robed messenger ran from the other room.

"Message for King Duan, Ninth Prince and Official Han. Fang... Fang Zhengzhi has already entered... entered the second round." The messenger struggled to swallow his saliva as he delivered the message, clearly still recovering from his shock.

"What's the use of being so flustered?" Han Zhangfeng was clearly displeased by the messenger's demeanor.

"Yes... yes..." the Messenger replied, mouth agape.

"No worries, it's over already. How many people are left in the second round?" King Duan waved Han Zhangfeng away and did not chide the messenger for his flustered demeanor.

"In... in reply to your highness, there were originally two left, but now, there are seven." The messenger knew that he was slightly out of sorts. He took a deep breath before continuing his message. What he just saw was way too stunning.

"Two left? Haha... that's not enough for the three of them. They'll have to fight amongst themselves... hang on, you said seven?"

King Duan smiled when the messenger replied with two. But upon closer thought, it did not seem right. How did two plus three give seven?

"Messenger Wang, are you okay? You seem to be talking nonsense. How are there seven people in the second round? Didn't you say that there was no one left in the first round?" Han Zhangfeng's tone was icy.

"King Duan, Official Han, please forgive me! There is no one left in the first round. However, of the three people Fang Zhengzhi and his group captured, two of them passed as well, so there are seven in the second round."

"What do you mean? You're saying that two of his hostages passed... are you saying..." Han Zhangfeng seemed to finally see the light and his expression changed.

"They... passed the Broken Bridge Barrier!"

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Chapter 194: Just Passing By

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"What?!" King Duan's teacup fell to the ground when he heard the news, "You said that they crossed the Broken Bridge? How is that possible?!"

"He really crossed the Broken Bridge..." The messenger was also in disbelief, but that was a fact.

"He really crossed the Broken Bridge?!" King Duan's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. He kept staring at Han Zhangfeng. Han Zhangfeng was equally shocked by the news.

Both King Duan and Han Zhangfeng knew that Fang Zhengzhi had a high chance of passing the first round, but neither of them expected him to do so by crossing the Broken Bridge.

In so many years, no one had been able to find out the truth behind the Broken Bridge.

But now...

Fang Zhengzhi figured it out?

"How did he cross the Broken Bridge?!" Han Zhangfeng was in awe. In his many years as the Chief Examiner, he had seen his fair share of talents, but he had never been floored like this.

This was the World of the Sage.

A world created by the Sagely Battle God Meng Tian. How could it be solved so easily?

"He jumped. He jumped over..." The messenger's voice became softer towards the end. Even he could not believe that one could jump over.

"He jumped over?!" Han Zhangfeng had expected a different answer. When he heard what the messenger had to say, he was completely stunned.

Was there an even more direct and simple answer?

This method must have been tried by others before him.

"How did he manage to jump over the Broken Bridge?" King Duan had expected Fang Zhengzhi to have a different method. He refused to believe that Fang Zhengzhi had used such a "stupid" method.

"He did not jump from the Broken Bridge. He jumped from the cliff side." The messenger explained.

"From the cliff? This, this..."

King Duan and Han Zhangfeng looked at each other once again. As a king and a Chief Examiner, they could not be too liberal with their expressions in front of their subordinates.

That being said, they could not understand where they had went wrong.

"Okay, I got it. You... may take your leave." King Duan did not say anything else.

As a king, he did not want his intentions to be too obvious. As such, he had to try to calm himself down, but his fists were clenched. He did not understand how Fang Zhengzhi could create miracle after miracle.

He was someone who had never ever been formally taught.

First, he had topped all the prior examinations. Then, he broke through to the Heavenly Reflection State at the Divine Constabulary, becoming only the second person under 18 to achieve that feat.

After entering Yan Capital, he completed the entire theory examination in four hours. Furthermore, his scripts were completely flawless, making him the top scorer in the Theory Examinations.

Now...

He managed to solve the unsolvable Broken Bridge?

And he jumped from the cliff!

Could he be any more crazy? Were these all coincidences? Or heaven's will?

King Duan did not know, but for the first time ever, he felt threatened, almost as if there was a sword dangling over his head.

Han Zhangfeng looked at the leaving messenger. He too was unsettled. Ever since Ping Yang joined Fang Zhengzhi, nothing had gone their way.

Fang Zhengzhi had showed stunning abilities, knocking Su Donglin our in the first round.

And now, he actually managed to cross the broken bridge?!

This made him lose his cool.

He had to calm himself down. He no longer watched Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu. He closed his eyes, deep in thought as he pondered the his next moves.

He needed to deliver a lethal blow.

"Fang Zhengzhi... the Broken Bridge. He managed to cross it... the Broken Bridge!" Han Zhangfeng kept repeating it to himself. He wanted to calm himself down and convince himself that it was all a coincidence. But when someone experienced too many coincidences, it was no longer a coincidence.

What now?

He cannot be flustered. The more flustered he was, the worse it will get.

This is a confidence, this must be a coincidence. He definitely cannot pass the second barrier, definitely not! Han Zhangfeng convinced himself as his breathing slowed.

The Ninth Prince did not even look at the leaving messenger. He did not say or ask anything from start to finish.

It was almost as if he did not even hear the messenger.

Fang Zhengzhi did not know what was going on inside the Imperial Academy. He was strolling along the Broken Bridge, enjoying the view as he went.

That's right, he was still walking on the Broken Bridge.

However...

This side was surrounded by thick white mist. It was almost like a palace in the clouds. The view was outstanding, but he could not see what was ahead.

What he could be sure of was that this bridge was way longer than the one before.

If the two parts were like a sword, the first one would be like the sword hilt, and the one now was the sword blade.

A blade many times longer than the hilt.

"That is indeed the case! There is another bridge on the other side, but it is a much longer one!" Fang Zhengzhi finally understood why it was impossible to jump from the bridge on the other side.

When he turned to look behind, he could not see anything but white mist.

However, another figure quickly came through the white mist.

It was Yan Xiu, dressed in white.

"You're here?"

"I'm here."

Their conversations were rather simple. They did not need lengthy sentences to convey what they wanted to say to each other.

"Let's go." Fang Zhengzhi looked at Yan Xiu.

"Okay." Yan Xiu nodded.

As such, the two of them began to walk slowly along the bridge. It was almost as if they were walking on clouds.

"Hahaha... so there is another Broken Bridge on this side. I actually managed to cross it. Father must have been shocked that I jump? Sister Yan would also not have thought of this, hahaha... I am to good, too smart."

Just as Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu were waking, Ping Yang's voice rang out behind them. Then, a red light shone through the white mist as she walked out, waving her Blazing Qilin Spear.

"Hey, Fang Zhengzhi! Why didn't you wait for me?" Ping Yang chased from behind, looking rather discontented.

"Why did you wait so long before coming over?" Fang Zhengzhi replied without turning his head.

Ping Yang was stunned as she blinked. She knew what Fang Zhengzhi was driving at, but it was difficult for her to admit her mistake.

As such, Ping Yang laughed after her eyes darted around for a little bit.

"Hahaha... it's like that. There was one person who insisted on jumping from the bridge. I tried very hard to stop him but to no avail. In the end, not only did he fall to his death, he also delayed me."

After Ping Yang finished, the two hostages looked on in disbelief. What utter rubbish? Since when did you stop him? You agreed to let him jump!

But after some thought, they decided against calling Ping Yang out.

Fang Zhengzhi did not believe it either, but he chose not to call her lie. He continued walking ahead, but slowed down slightly for Ping Yang to catch up.

After all, he was not in a rush. He would just enjoy this scenery for a little longer.

There were two candidates left in the second round. The two of them were bruised and battered. Their breaths were labored and raspy, their eyes bloodshot. They held their weapons shakily.

The winner advanced and the loser was out.

This was the combat examinations, why wouldn't they give it their all?

"Kill!" One of the candidates drew his sword. Just as he was about to go all out, he heard footsteps, accompanied by the laughter of a girl.

"Why are there other people?" The two candidates looked to their back suspiciously.

They saw five figures walking out of the white mist. The entire scene was rather weird.

Before long, the figures became clearer.

Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, Ping Yang, and the five others appeared.

The two candidates were stunned by what they saw.

"Fang... Fang Zhengzhi?"

"Princess Ping Yang?!"

"And Yan Xiu, young master Tang... what is going on?"

Fang Zhengzhi appeared from the mist. He heard his own name being called. When he turned his head, he saw two candidates staring at him.

"It's been tough on you both. Please carry on, we are just passing by." Fang Zhengzhi greeted the two candidates and walked on, ignoring them thereafter.

Yan Xiu and Ping Yang ignored the two candidates as well. They followed behind Fang Zhengzhi and walked towards the second round barrier.

The two candidates looked at the group in shock. They gently rubbed their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Just passing by? What is the meaning of that?"

"Was that really Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu? Are... are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

"We can't both be blind right?"

"Then... can you tell me why there are five of them?"

"Could it be... that they crossed the Broken Bridge?!"

"My gosh, that's... that's impossible?!"

The two candidates were stunned. They simply could not believe that anyone could cross the Broken Bridge. However, it was a fact that they were traveling as a group of five.

Then...

There was only one possibility. They crossed the Broken Bridge, all five of them.

But why were they a group of five and not a group of six?

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Chapter 195: Twin Stone Tablets

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

No one answered the questions of the two candidates. The group of five had already walked to a tall tree some distance away.

This was a rather dense tree, but there were no fruits on it.

It was a very normal looking tree, and there were two pitch black stone plates below.

"This is the second round barrier!" Ping Yang pointed towards the two stones underneath the tree and told Fang Zhengzhi.

"How do you know?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the stones.

These were too completely identical black rocks. The only difference was that the one in front had scriptures carved all over it whilst the one at the back was smooth as a mirror.

"Of course I know, how else do you think I got in here?" Ping Yang said contentedly.

"Oh? How did you get in here?"

"I had... ahem, that's a secret. I'm not telling you!" Ping Yang caught herself in the nick of time.

"If my guess is correct, this must be the "Spiritual Chinese Scholar Tree" which let Meng Tian understand the Dao of Heaven. This would mean that the two stones are the "Twin Stone Tablets." Yan Xiu spoke up suddenly.

"Yan Xiu is right. These are the twin stone tablets. However, they have never been solved by anyone all these years. They are very different tablets, one has words on it, the other doesn't. However, the one with words will change every 15 minutes." Ping Yang interjected.

"Then, how do we solve it?" Fang Zhengzhi did not want to destroy Ping Yang's excitement.

Furthermore, he did not understand any of these.

"One has to memorize all the words in 15 minutes. Then, you have to copy them on the other board. You will only pass if you get them all correct. If you're off by even one word, you're out." Ping Yang said arrogantly.

"So easy?" Fang Zhengzhi could not believe it.

"Simple? Who knows how many incredible talents have failed at this stage. The words on the tablet are from an ancient language, not something that we use now. Memorizing 3000 constantly changing foreign words with no rules to them is simple to you?" Ping Yang asked in disdain.

"Is that not simple?" Fang Zhengzhi replied condescendingly.

Ping Yang's face immediately flushed red with anger.

"Humph. I can guess what you're thinking. Many people have tried what you're about to do. There have been many equally shameless people who tried to copy down the words on pen and paper. However, the words here are incredibly complex. Copying them down would take a huge amount of time. It would be impossible to copy them over to the other stone in time! I think that we should go kidnap the other two before one of them emerges victorious?"

Ping Yang snorted, then unconsciously looked towards the two seriously injured candidates. Her Blazing Qilin Spear began to buzz.

"I said that it was simple. We will definitely pass it!" Fang Zhengzhi ignored Ping Yang and took out pen and ink.

"What are you taking pen and ink for? I already told you copying is no use!" Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi with condescension.

"Did I say I was going to copy it down?" Fang Zhengzhi returned the condescending look.

"If... if you don't plan on copying, then why have you taken out ink?" Ping Yang flung her hands in the air.

"To pour!" Fang Zhengzhi immediately splashed the ink on the stone. The black stone became even more black with ink.

This was blasphemous.

Utterly blasphemous.

Ping Yang was livid. She never expected that Fang Zhengzhi would do something so blasphemous. He was destroying the tablets!

More infuriatingly, after Fang Zhengzhi splashed the paint, he took out a huge brush and began scrubbing the stone.

Fire began to dance on Ping Yang's Blazing Qilin Spear.

Just as she was about declare battle on Fang Zhengzhi, Fang Zhengzhi retrieved a few pieces of paper and began to join them together.

"Oh? What are you doing?" Ping Yang froze as her eyes revealed her confusion. What was he doing, joining the paper together?

"Do you know what is a letterpress?" Fang Zhengzhi did not even raise his head.

"What press?"

"Aish... with your intelligence, you won't understand even if I explained it to you. Let me show you a mold." Fang Zhengzhi continued to work.

Yan Xiu quietly watched by the side, not speaking.

The two hostages were quiet as well. They did not dare say anything.

Ping Yang was clearly on the edge of blowing up. They were certain that only Fang Zhengzhi had the audacity to speak to Princess Ping Yang like this.

"How dare you insult my intelligence? If you don't explain to me what press and mold you're making, I will challenge you in a fight to the death!" Ping Yang was furious.

"Sure, but you have to do me a favor." Fang Zhengzhi said unhurriedly.

"What is it?"

"Lend me your Blazing Qilin Spear for fun."

"Quit dreaming!"

"Then do you want to quickly enter the third round? Valuable time will be wasted if I don't have the Blazing Qilin Spear."

"Humph, don't try to lie to me. I am smart enough not to fall for it." Ping Yang snorted derisively as she pouted, determined not to fall for the trick.

Fang Zhengzhi did not say anymore. He picked up the joined up pieces of paper and pressed them on the stone tablet.

Before long, he turned around.

The white paper was filled with the words of the tablet.

Ping Yang was quickly mesmerized by the words. Her eyes darted around as she pondered over it. However, she couldn't fully understand it.

"Do you plan to memorize them in advance? It's no use. The words will change order in a while." Ping Yang looked at the paper with the words. She still thought that this method was not going to work.

"Don't talk so much rubbish, pass me the Blazing Qilin Spear!"

"You... humph, if you dare lie to me, I will fight it out with you!" Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi's extended hand and unwillingly placed the Blazing Qilin Spear in his hand.

Fang Zhengzhi took the Blazing Qilin Spear in his hand and stabbed it into the ground.

A huge column of flames shot up into the sky. It's domineering aura seemed even more intense in Fang Zhengzhi's control.

"Boom!" A loud sound echoed out.

A huge hole appeared instantly in the ground.

"What... what are you trying to do?" Ping Yang was unsettled by this.

"Trying out its power? Do you have a problem?" Fang Zhengzhi spun it around contentedly before getting to work.

In his previous world, he would need at least a couple of days to build a three thousand word letterpress.

But it was much easier in this world.

Him, Yan Xiu, and Ping Yang could control the elements around them. As such, the five of them could easily change the shape of the soil to make a mold.

Building a letterpress would probably only take them 15 minutes here.

Then, Fang Zhengzhi began to delegate the work. The paper in his hand was torn into five pieces and each person began to make the mold.

Ping Yang was slightly unwilling. However, she began to become more excited after seeing Fang Zhengzhi's demonstration.

Before long, with five people working on it, a mold as large as the tablet was formed.

Then, Fang Zhengzhi began to explain to Ping Yang and Yan Xiu how this mold was used.

At the start, Ping Yang was still doubtful and untrusting. However, after hearing it through, her eyes began to glimmer.

"That works? But... isn't it too shameless?"

"Do you understand?"

"Understand."

"Then I will demonstrate once. After I pass, I will leave the mold behind."

"Go on."

"There's something I must say first. After we get out of this place, I want to patent this technology. Anyone who wants to use this must pay me silver. Do you all understand?"

"What is a patent?" Ping Yang was confused.

Fang Zhengzhi began to sweat. It looks like this world is really very different. Forget the patent, let's just pass the Twin Stone Tablets.

He walked up to the tablet with scriptures. The moment the words changed, he quickly raised up the mold in his hand.

Seconds passed.

Ping Yang and Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi nervously.

After about ten minutes, Fang Zhengzhi had completed his three thousand word mold.

Then, he began to stroll over to the empty tablet.

He brushed his mold with ink as he walked over.

"I press!" Fang Zhengzhi immediately pressed the mold against the empty tablet.

When Fang Zhengzhi lifted the mold, the tablet was filled with the 3000 words from the other tablet. They were naturally identical.

"Hum!" A bright, golden ray of light shot skyward.

Inside the Imperial Academy.

King Duan was clearly unsettled, his eyes glowing as he pondered.

Han Zhangfeng closed his eyes, silently sitting on the chair, not commenting on the third round as he had done before.

The Ninth Prince, on the other hand, was enjoying the third round competitions.

Then, he saw a figure appear in the picture. That was a figure who should not have been there. He simply appeared out of thin air in the middle of the raging battle.

His blue colored long sleeves were gently flapping in the breeze.

"Fang... Fang Zhengzhi?!" The Ninth Prince was so shocked by what he saw that he couldn't help but exclaim.

"What is Ninth Brother yelling... oh? That, that is Fang Zhengzhi?! How... how did he advance to the third round?" King Duan was just about to chide the Ninth Prince about breaking his train of thought when the figure caught his eye.

He wasn't the only one who was fascinated.

Everyone in the third round stood rooted to the ground.

They all looked at the youth dressed in the blue long sleeve. It was indeed Fang Zhengzhi.

Just at this moment, the messenger from before entered the room once again. He walked briskly, even forgetting some of the formalities in the process.

"King Duan my lord... Ninth Prince, Official Han, Fang... Fang Zhengzhi crosses the Twin Stone Tablets! He... he's into the third round!"

"Hm?!" Han Zhangfeng's eyes shot open. His sharp gaze scanned the screen, finally locking into Fang Zhengzhi.

He wanted to calm down, but he couldn't.

Fang Zhengzhi had just crossed the Broken Bridge! And now he's crossed the Twin Stone Tablets?!

If this was luck, how f*cking lucky was this guy?

"The Twin Stone Tablets... he actually cleared the Twin Stone Tablets! What... what is going on?!" King Duan, despite his temperament, found it difficult to calm down.

He could have attributed Fang Zhengzhi's crossing of the Broken Bridge to luck.

But it was impossible to get lucky with the Twin Stone Tablets.

Furthermore...

Countless geniuses have failed to cross the Twin Stone Tablet barrier. It was too difficult, bordering on impossible to solve.

"How did he solve it?!"

By this point, King Duan and Han Zhangfeng were quite puzzled.

Even the Ninth Prince could not figure out how Fang Zhengzhi did it.

The messenger really wanted to respond, but he did not really know how to describe Fang Zhengzhi's method of solving the Twin Stone Tablets.

"He... seemed to make a rock just like the Twin Stone Tablets... with identical inscriptions, then... he pressed it on the empty tablet. Then... he passed!" The messenger himself could not even understand what he was saying.

"Rubbish, the inscriptions on the Twin Stone Tablets change every fifteen minutes. How could he manage to make an identical one in that time?" Han Zhangfeng's voice became incredibly icy.

"About that... I don't know. But that was what he did. And Yan Xiu and the others..." Before the messenger could finish, a figure dressed in white appeared on the screen.

It was Yan Xiu.

Then, moments later, Ping Yang and the two hostages also appeared in the third round.

"Five... five?! They... they all passed the Twin Stone Tablets?! What... what is going on? How could all five of them memorize the 3000 words?!" Han Zhangfeng lost his cool.

He was seeing something completely senseless.

Fang Zhengzhi could be a genius. He could have incredible talents. But how did he manage to impart it all to the other four?

If only Fang Zhengzhi had passed the Twin Stone Tablets, one could attribute it to him being talented and having superb memory.

But...

All five of them passing?

That was beyond any logical explanation.

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Chapter 196: Storm and Fire

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Han Zhangfeng was not the only person to lose his cool.

The entire Imperial Academy exploded into chatter upon seeing Yan Xiu and Fang Zhengzhi appear on the screen.

No one could explain why Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, and the three others could all pass the Twin Stone Tablets.

Could it be that they had managed to memorize all 3000 words on the first tablet and copy them over to the second one flawlessly?

How is that possible?

At this moment, everyone could only think of one possibility.

"Did they cheat?!"

What could they possibility have done to cheat and give all five of them superhuman memory?

No one could figure it out. The candidates of the combat examinations were also equally stumped.

Fang Zhengzhi was standing idly in the third round.

This was also a plain. There were rocks piled neatly on one side and a stone house stood to the east of the plain. It was surrounded by a forest of trees.

In the plains, each of the candidates were hurt rather badly.

However, they all stopped battling, staring in awe at the five figures who had appeared on the plain.

"Fang... Fang Zhengzhi?!"

"Five people?!"

"Why is it five people... how did they make it to the third round?"

All of the candidates remembered the three hostages that Ping Yang caught. They were thought of as being extremely unlucky. But now, two of them stood in the third round.

"Gulp!" One of the candidates swallowed his saliva with difficulty.

"Could it be that... they crossed the Broken Bridge?!"

"If it's five people, wouldn't it mean that they crossed the Twin Stone Tablets as well?" Another candidate added.

"How is that possible?! I will never believe that all five of them passed the Twin Stone Tablets!"

Their shock was possibly even greater than Han Zhangfeng and the others in the Imperial Academy. After all, they had paid in blood to get to the third round.

But Fang Zhengzhi and his group were unblooded.

They didn't even have a scar.

"Oh, so you are only in the third round?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the surrounding candidates. He seemed slightly surprised, but a different kind of surprised as compared to the other candidates.

"What do you mean by only?"

The candidates were completely thrown off by the comment.

"Then, you all can carry on!" Fang Zhengzhi did not see a need to explain himself to them.

He just snatched the mold from one of the hostages and placed it inside his Heart Protection Mirror.

This mold contained the 3000 characters on the Twin Stone Tablets and was of significantly higher value.

He wanted to keep it as a souvenir.

Furthermore, it was the key ingredient to press.

That being said, it was not that easy to make the mold for 3000 words in under 15 minutes.

If not for the abilities that he had gotten in this world, allowing him to form the mold so easily, he would not have finished it in such a short time.

If this was the previous world, he would probably take more than an hour to form the words.

Fang Zhengzhi did not explain this to the other candidates, and did not bother wandering the battleground. The number of candidates was less than he expected.

This meant that there were people already through to the fourth round.

There were only four worlds in the World of the Sage. Entering the fourth round meant that one was into the final round of the combat examinations.

"Is that the las barrier?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the stone house some distance away.

He had no idea what was inside. Everyone who entered had no memory of what had happened inside. Also, no one had every come out of the stone house...

The rain in the capital showed no signs of stopping. In fact, it grew in intensity, eventually turning into a downpour.

Very little people roamed the streets in this weather.

Even the guards of the city showed signs of frustration as they stood at the gates.

Just at this moment, a group braved the rain and walked towards the city. They were all armored soldiers. However, as they walked, it was almost as if the rain parted for them, never actually landing on their armor.

This scene alone was sufficient for others to know that they were all at least in the Heavenly Reflection State.

Each of the soldiers rode a fine stallion. Each one was pitch black and their hooves were covered in scales. They kicked up clouds of mist as they galloped.

The guards at the gate immediately rid themselves of their frustrations. Those expressions were quickly replaced with ones of respect.

They did not stop as they passed through the gates.

They were headed for the palace complex.

When this group of soldiers passed, the guards heaved a sigh of relief. However, their eyes glimmered with curiosity and nerves.

Calm seemed to return after the soldiers left.

But things were not as they seemed.

15 minutes after the group of soldiers passed the gates, a black robed man wearing a hat appeared in their field of view.

The guards tensed once again.

This figure was not as open with his cultivation level and abilities as that group of soldiers. However, the guards could tell that he was not a simple person.

In fact, anyone who was traveling alone in such torrential rain would attract attention. Furthermore, this person wore his hat very low, obscuring his face from view.

"Freeze, take off your hat!" Two of the guards reacted instinctively.

The figure stood still in the rain.

However, he did not take off his hat. He stood there quietly, almost like a black statue.

"Didn't you hear me, I asked you to take off your hat?" The two guards bellowed once again, their spears raised. They glimmered after being washed by the rain.

A line of archers above them were also alerted to the scene.

They quickly drew their bows and tensed. They were ready to shoot at a moment's notice.

Security at the capital was incredibly tight.

There were two guards outside the gate, eight more inside, and a line of archers above. There were no less than 20 guards.

No one dared to act rashly with such a troop guarding the gates.

But the black robed man moved.

After the bows were drawn, he began to move excruciatingly slowly. He raised his hands, almost as if he was surrendering.

The guards began to tense.

Their training told them that these people were always extremely dangerous. They would not let down their guard until the threat was gone. This man had to first take off his hat and announce his identity.

If it was someone suspicious, they would instantly raise the alarm, activating the guards in the city, including those in the guard camp.

"Take off your hat slowly. Do not try to resist. There are at least 10 arrows aimed at you!" The guard warned. This was both a warning and a test.

The black robed man did not speak. He raised his hand slowly and pointed it at the two guards.

"Fire!"

The guards' expressions changed. They had already seen the black robed man draw something from his sleeves. His sleeves were pitch dark, but there was something glowing faintly.

That was a scary sight.

"Bang bang bang..."

The sound of arrows releasing pierced through the sky.

10 arrows pierced the rain without any loss to their momentum as their bright tips, glowing faintly in the rain, flew towards the black robed man.

"Hum!"

A ray of light shone from the man's sleeves. In a swift motion, he broke all ten arrows and shot through the rain. He passed by the bodies of the two guards and left a small crack on the city walls.

It was a swift knife stroke.

The two guards looked at the black robed man in disbelief.

However, they could not speak. Their throats had already been slit. Each slit was as clinical and clean as the one on the city wall.

The torrential rain showed no signs of stopping.

A second wave of arrows was fired, but the black robed man had left.

It was almost as if he never appeared at the city gates.

He had killed two guards.

Then he had left?

This did not make any sense, especially for someone as skilled as him. But that was what he did, and he did it all without saying a single word.

On the banks of a lake, a red rock stood tall in the rain. It was almost like a raging fire in the rain and it looked like it was going to boil away all the rain in the sky.

A lady in a white dress stood atop this rock. She held a green umbrella in her hand. There was an ink painting on the umbrella.

However, this painting was clearly no ordinary painting.

From the stroke of the brush, to the red stamp at the back of the painting, everything about it screamed that it was worth more than jade or jewels.

However, this painting was drawn on the umbrella. And the lady was using it in the rain.

She raised her head slightly as she looked in the direction of Yan Capital. Her silky black hair flew in the wind as her white veil was blown up by the rain, revealing a beautiful face underneath.

"What a great view..." The lady seem to moan lightly. She sounded like she was talking to herself, but also like she was greeting the black figure walking towards her.

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Chapter 197: Crumbling

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The black figure came closer and closer, his hat cleaned by the torrential rain. His robe flapped as the wind blew.

Very quickly, the black figure arrived in front of the lady.

Then, he stopped, but he did not speak. He stood still like a black statue about two meters from the lady.

"Do you have something to ask me?" The lady asked as she looked at the black robe man.

"I wouldn't dare." The black figure shook his head. He didn't say he didn't have a question. He simply said that he wouldn't dare in an icy tone.

"Ying Shan has another brother?"

"Yes!"

"Which other territory amongst the ten has a vacancy for vice ruler and above?"

"The Dark Territory."

"Go see to it."

"Yes master!"

The black figure left, leaving the lady standing in the torrential rain, her white dress dancing in the sea of red.

Inside the World of the Sage.

Everyone stared wide eyed at Fang Zhengzhi, who was standing in front of the stone house. Only now did they believe that Fang Zhengzhi had passed the Broken Bridge and the Twin Snow Tablets.

If not...

How could he think of entering the stone house?

Fang Zhengzhi stared at the outside. There was a wooden door.

It was not yet dark. Normally, one should be able to see the inside of the stone house through this door. However, it was pitch black inside.

Fang Zhengzhi could not see anything no matter how hard he tried.

He turned to look at Yan Xiu.

This time, Yan Xiu did not speak.

Then, Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Ping Yang.

Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi, blinking her crystal clear eyes over and over again. However, her lips never parted.

"Okay then, I'm going in..." Fang Zhengzhi could guess what they were thinking.

If Ping Yang could not say anything about the stone house, it could only mean that there were absolutely no records about it.

Ping Yang nodded.

Yan Xiu stood icily by the side, neither shaking nor nodding his head.

Fang Zhengzhi stepped forward and pushed open the door.

Having made it into the third round, he was a lot more confident. He had already passed the examinations, ranking was secondary.

There shouldn't be any threat to his life inside a pocket dimension, right?

Just as he thought about it, Fang Zhengzhi stepped into the stone house and blended together with the darkness in an instant.

Inside the Imperial Academy, King Duan felt slightly relieved as he saw Fang Zhengzhi enter the stone house.

Han Zhangfeng's expression was much more complicated. He wanted to say that Fang Zhengzhi was not getting out of there, but, after the past two incidents, he was losing that confidence.

The Ninth Prince was the calmest of them all. As he saw Fang Zhengzhi enter the stone house, he raised his cup and sipped his tea. Then, he let out a puff of steam...

Fang Zhengzhi felt like he had entered a house.

This house did not seem very big. He was able to walk to each end within a few steps. It probably wouldn't take more than a minute to finish going through the house.

That was what he had thought.

However, when he saw a ray of light in front of him, he realized that he was quite wrong.

The world in front of him was huge and he could not see the end.

Because...

This was a desert, a desert filled with endless sand.

But this was no ordinary desert. There were four doors in each of the four directions, North, South, East, and West.

Each door was made of the same yellow rock. More importantly, all four doors were completely identical.

"It looks like this round is luck?" Fang Zhengzhi immediately knew what this round was about. Choose one of the four. His chances did not seem bad.

A figure appeared in front of him.

This middle aged man wore an academic green tunic. He had broad shoulders, thick eyebrows, and large eyes.

He looked like a ferocious general on the battlefield, but he was a ferocious general dressed like an academic.

The middle aged man looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi looked back at the middle aged man, his eyes revealing a hint of surprise.

"Mirage? Or hologram?" Fang Zhengzhi could not figure it out and he did not have anyone to explain it to him.

"Choose one, choose one from four, it is very fair!" The middle aged man spoke flatly.

"It is very fair. So what happens if I choose wrong?" Fang Zhengzhi feigned interest.

"Naturally, you'll be out."

"Then what if I get it correct?"

"You'll advance."

"Can I not choose?"

"No."

"If I don't go through any door, I won't be choosing."

"You will have to go through the door."

"You're so sure?"

"There's no other way other than to go through one of these four doors."

"What if I simply defeated you?"

"A lot of people have tried, you can try to." The middle aged man replied calmly, not at all surprised by Fang Zhengzhi's question.

"I guess I have to choose one."

"Yes."

"Any hints?"

"No."

"Okay then, goodbye." Fang Zhengzhi waved to the middle aged man. Then, he turned and walked away. There was one more door, the door that he had come through.

"Hang on! I would like to remind you that you will be withdrawing if you go through that door." The middle aged man called out to Fang Zhengzhi.

"You think I will believe you?" Fang Zhengzhi pushed open the door and stepped through without looking back.

The scene in front of him changed again. The desert, stone doors, and the middle aged man disappeared.

He was back in the third round, and there was a stone house right in front of him.

Yan Xiu was to his left, Ping Yang was to his right. He was back where he was. It was almost as if he had never gone through the stone door.

Fang Zhengzhi was confused, Is that all?

"Fang Zhengzhi, eliminated!"

At this point, a crisp voice rang out in the air.

Yan Xiu and Ping Yang were shocked. They looked slightly excited, but slightly disappointed at the same time.

The other candidates were all rooted in their positions.

However, they recovered quickly and stared at Fang Zhengzhi with condescension.

"Fang Zhengzhi has been eliminated?"

"Hahaha... he's really been eliminated!"

"Can the stone house barrier even be passed? I guess he has no hope of topping both ranking rolls now?"

The candidates mocked.

Fang Zhengzhi's body began to disappear slowly, almost as if a strong wave of force was drawing him out.

"I guess I am not very lucky..." Fang Zhengzhi's lips twitched.

"Aren't you angry?" At this point, the middle aged man's voice rang out in Fang Zhengzhi's mind. His tone was slightly mocking.

"Why should I be angry?"

"Don't you want to advance?"

"I do, but advancing is not important to me. I value the process more than I value the result. I will... take the result as it comes." Fang Zhengzhi had always been like that. It would be great to advance, but he didn't really care even if he failed.

The scene changed once again.

Fang Zhengzhi felt that he should be in the Imperial Academy by now, but he wasn't. He was still faced with the desert, the four doors, and the middle aged man.

"You chose wrong once, but, I think you have good character. I am giving you another chance to choose." The middle aged man looked at Fang Zhengzhi calmly.

"Another choice?"

"Yes."

"I never change my mind after I've made a decision." Fang Zhengzhi turned around and walked through the door behind him without hesitation.

What the hell? Choose again? Do you really think I am stupid?

Fang Zhengzhi pushed open the third door.

He was still faced with the third round. Yan Xiu was to his left and Ping Yang was to his right.

Everything was the same as what he had just experienced.

The only difference was that Yan Xiu's eyes were expressionless and showed no trace of surprise. As for Ping Yang, her jaw had dropped.

"You... how are you out?!" Ping Yang's eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Fang, Fang Zhengzhi is out?!"

"How is that possible, how did he get out?"

"Stone house, he came out from the stone house?"

"Is he eliminated?"

All of the candidates were stunned when they saw Fang Zhengzhi exit from the stone house.

At this point, a shaky voice rang out in the air.

"Fang Zhengzhi, advances... to the fourth round!"

The voice was not as crisp as clear as before. It was almost as if the person behind the voice could not believe what was happening.

Even so, the voice rang out throughout the entire third round world.

All of the candidates were stunned by what they heard.

"Advance... advance to the fourth round?!"

"Boom!" Just as all the candidates were focused on Fang Zhengzhi, the entire third round world began to tremble. This was completely different from when Fang Zhengzhi had crossed the Broken Bridge and the Twin Stone Tablets.

It was almost as if the world was going to collapse.

Even the stone house and the trees were shaking vigorously.

The change in the environment caused many candidates to turn pale. They had no idea what was going on.

In the history of the Great Xia Empire, there was no record of a pocket dimension ever collapsing.

What's going on?

What the hell is going on?

No one could explain why the World of the Sage was trembling. The World of the Sage was created by the Sagely Battle God Meng Tian, and even the Great Xia Empire had not uncovered all of its secrets.

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Chapter 198: Meng Tian's Sword

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"Boom!" The ground caved in.

Everything happened in an instant. Many candidates had not even fully recovered from the shock.

Fang Zhengzhi himself was rather doubtful of what just happened. He was still quite lost, unsure if what he was seeing now was real or fake.

Moments ago.

He had been eliminated and told to advance at the same time.

Was this collapse the same as before? Try again after the world had collapsed?

In actual fact, Fang Zhengzhi's choice may have seen random, but it was actually based on hints gotten from the previous two barriers.

The first was the Broken Bridge.

The second was the Twin Stone Tablets.

They had already revealed the rules of the World of the Sage.

Blurry.

One in the light, one in the dark.

Since that was the case, a choice between four should not appear.

One in the light, one in the dark, and blurry.

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea if he had guessed correctly. That being said, he felt that if he had to make a choice, the door behind him would give him the highest chance.

It did not seem very logical, and there was no way of proving that this was the correct method.

That being said, passing the stone house required luck.

Then...

He did not need to go off much logic or sense.

He was just trying his luck.

Inside the Imperial Academy, King Duan and Han Zhangfeng grew increasingly unsettled.

A king and a Chief Examiner should never have such expressions, but they had it. Even the Ninth Prince dropped his cup of tea.

The three of them had the same reaction. Even the messenger who rushed over was incredibly flustered.

The screen in front of them had completely blanked out.

That meant that the World of the Sage was out of control.

This was something that was rare, even in the annals of history. A pocket dimension rarely went out of control.

The only way that could happen was that the pocket dimension grew a consciousness. However, Sagely Battle God Meng Tian had died a long time ago.

How could his pocket dimension have a consciousness?

That was impossible.

Unless...

King Duan and Han Zhangfeng looked at each other. There was only one possibility, one reason to explain what was happening.

"Meng Tian left a shred of his consciousness in the pocket dimension before his death?"

The two of them spoke at the same time, stunned by what they were suggesting.

If Meng Tian had left a shred of consciousness in there, why hasn't anyone found it all these years? Why hasn't anyone come into contact with it?

Is it possible that he left it...

"In that sword?!"

Han Zhangfeng thought of it first.

That was something that existed only in legends. No one had seen it or found it before.

They could not even be sure that it exists.

However, everyone knew that he had made his name whilst using a sword. He had also killed the Demon Lord with a sword.

But...

No one saw that sword after he dispatched the Demon lord.

Meng Tian left the world and left behind the World of the sage. However, he did not take the sword with him. As a result, everyone naturally guessed that the sword was in the World of the Sage.

King Duan's gaze was icy. He was fully aware of the implications of losing control over the World of the Sage during the Imperial Examinations.

"Ninth Brother, you and I have the responsibility of being invigilators of this edition of the examinations. Now that the World of the Sage is out of control and unpredictable, I have to stay with Official Han to deal with it. Please brave the rain and report this to the Emperor!"

"Sure!" The Ninth Prince did not hesitate to agree.

Then, he turned and left.

After the Ninth Prince had walked out, King Duan looked at Han Zhangfeng.

"Official Han, how do you propose we resolve this?"

"Go and see if the doorway into the World of the Sage is passable, then, report back to me immediately." Han Zhangfeng ordered one of the messengers.

"Yes sir!" The messenger ran out upon receiving the orders.

"Now that the World of the Sage is out of control, what do you think are Fang Zhengzhi's chances of coming out alive?" King Duan smiled.

"I think they are slim!" Han Zhangfeng replied softly. However, his expression was slightly pained.

As the Chief Imperial Messenger of the Imperial Academy, Han Zhangfeng has presided over many imperial examinations. He never wanted to see the elite talents stuck in a pocket dimension.

But...

This was Meng Tian's pocket dimension. In order to break it down by force, one needed to be at least three or four times more powerful.

Even if it was possible, it could cause the World of the Sage to crumble.

This was why Han Zhangfeng thought the chances were slim.

In the World of the Sage, Ping Yang grabbed Fang Zhengzhi's arm tightly. Her eyes were filled with awe, her jaw dropped as she gasped.

Fang Zhengzhi did not like the fact that she held his arm in a death grip.

However, he decided against throwing her off when he saw what was unfolding in front of his eyes.

The sword...

The sword that Fang Zhengzhi had wanted to find.

This was a sword that many people, not just Fang Zhengzhi, had wanted to find. However, for the past few centuries, no one had even laid eyes on it.

And now, there were many swords.

Heavy ones, light ones, long ones, short ones...

Countless swords were stabbed into the rocks on the ground. In the middle of it all, there was an exquisite sword which glowed with a golden light. A golden dragon wrapped itself around the sword hilt, and here was a golden pearl at the tip of the sword.

However, that sword was chained up.

Black chains locked the hilt in place, and they were tied in all four directions to large black rocks.

"That sword... could it be?!"

"That must be Meng Tian's sword!"

"My gosh, this sword really exists?!"

There were only about 30 students left in the World of the Sage.

All of the candidates clustered together, including Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu, who had advanced to the fourth round.

No one bothered about why there was a sea of swords after the World of the Sage crumbled. They were all looking at that sword.

Yan Xiu was staring at it too. He did not move, turning to look at Fang Zhengzhi instead.

Fang Zhengzhi stared at that sword.

He could feel that the sword was immensely powerful. It glowed as brightly as the sun amongst the sea of swords. It was clearly the king of all the blades here.

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Chapter 199: The battle intensifies

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

"This sword... is probably worth quite a lot of money!" That was the first thought in Fang Zhengzhi's mind.

The sword's workmanship and material were clearly superior. Without even considering the fact that it was sealed in the World of the Sage, it would be worth a huge sum of money even if it was made by a blacksmith.

Fang Zhengzhi only thought of money.

The other candidates thought of other things.

For example, Would my time in the examinations be easier after I got that sword? Would I be able to inherit Meng Tian's techniques?

No matter what it was, the sword was incredibly attractive to all the candidates.

Naturally, the candidates swarmed towards the blade. Their greed was evident in their eyes, almost like hungry wolves spotting helpless lambs.

Lunging could not fully describe the intensity of the snatching contest that followed.

All of them exploded towards the sword.

They forgot everything else, each of them focused purely on that sword.

"That sword is mine!"

"That sword belongs to whoever can get it."

"Move aside, don't try to block me!"

The black chains were pulled taut by many of the candidates.

Over a dozen others rushed straight towards the sword, each of them demonstrating superhuman agility.

The rock was not high at all.

As such, a few of them made it to the top rather quickly.

It was a good thing the rock was wide.

It could still fit over a dozen candidates comfortably.

However, when they all reached for the blade, the peace was shattered. What followed was an intense snatching contest.

However, not everyone decided to partake in the snatching contest.

Xing Qingsui, who was dressed in black, decided to stay out of it. An icy middle aged man who stood behind him also decided against joining in the slugfest.

Apart from them, Nangong Mu was one other who did not move.

He did not even bother much about the sword. He glanced at it out of the corner of his eye, then ignored it thereafter.

Following which, he looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

"Ah!"

"Ouch..."

Pitiful screams could be heard from the rock.

The clashes of the various fields had reached an all time high. They attacked and suppressed each other, making the rock a complete bloodbath.

Cracks and booms echoed from the top of the rock.

Very quickly, candidates began to fall from the rock. Some were attacked from the back, whilst the weaker ones were simply kicked off the rock.

The one who suffered the worst fate was a candidate dressed in purple, tight fitting shirt.

He was the fastest amongst all the candidates. He stood in the middle of the rock and reached for the sword. He was on the verge of touching the hilt.

However, his position also meant that he took the brunt of all the attacks.

"Sh*t!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood as his body was thrown into the air. Then, as he was sailing through, he was attacked no less than a dozen times.

He finally fell to the base of the rock.

Quite pitifully, he had fallen at a bad location. He was just at the edge of the rock, his head rested against it.

As a result...

He was trampled all over as people tried to scale the rock.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at the pitiful candidate. Then, he raised his head, staring at the rapidly darkening sky.

He was waiting.

He was waiting for the voice to ring out.

He was waiting for this candidate's elimination announcement.

However, the voice never rang out.

It was strangely quiet.

The bloodbath raged atop the rock.

"Something is wrong!" Fang Zhengzhi muttered to himself. He did not know if what he was seeing was real. If it was, there was a serious problem.

Ping Yang released her grip on his hand.

Fang Zhengzhi was slightly stunned by his newfound freedom.

Ping Yang should be the least tempted by the sword.

She already had the Blazing Qilin Spear, one of the ten greatest treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty.

But Ping Yang was walking towards the rock against all his expectations, almost as if she was going to take the spear?

Fang Zhengzhi was slightly surprised. However, he could understand why Ping Yang was doing that. The reason was simple, she was the beloved Princess.

Who would dare snatch anything from her?

It seemed logical and simple, at least to Fang Zhengzhi and Ping Yang.

However...

That was far from the truth.

A figure stepped in front of Ping Yang. This figure had not moved before, but he moved now.

This man was Xing Qingsui. He was the scion of Xing Hou. Bar any surprises, this man would inherit the leadership of the thirteen constabularies.

He was immensely muscular and his eyes glowed with a beast like nature.

He too held a sword in his hand. It was a black sword, almost twice as wide as a normal sword. It did not glow, but no one doubted its power.

This blade was named "meteor", and it was made from an actual meteor mold.

It was also known as an aerolith.

"You are the third placed Qing Yang?" Xing Qingsui grabbed his sword and stared Ping Yang down.

It was a simple question.

However, none of the candidates understood what Xing Qingsui meant.

There was no Princess Ping Yang, there was only a Qing Yang.

So why did he call her Ping Yang?

Ping Yang pouted. She knew what Xing Qingsui was thinking. She could deny that she was Qing Yang and walk up to the sword undisturbed.

But, would she?

Naturally not.

She was Ping Yang, the arrogant Ping Yang.

"That's right, do you want to stop me?" Ping Yang raised her head, her Red Flame Flower Armor flowing with a red light. Her Blazing Qiling Spear was lowered, her voice dangerous.

"Of course." Xing Qingsui nodded, not retreating in the slightest.

Those candidates who did not scale the rock gasped. They did not scale the rock for a simple reason, they were simply not strong enough.

In such a scenario, giving up was their best option.

By giving up now...

They would have a chance at the scraps later.

The logic was simple. They were happy to see more people join the furball, especially Ping Yang.

Ping Yang vs Xing Qingsui?

This was a great battle. On one side was one of the favorites to top the combat examinations, on the other side was a young girl with two very powerful treasures.

Who will win?

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Chapter 200: Battle Spirit

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Ping Yang smirked.

She didn't even ask for help from Fang Zhengzhi or Yan Xiu. She immediately sprang into action, attacking the Heavenly Reflection State Xing Qingsui despite being in the Star Conglomerate State.

This was not a wise decision. It was too rash.

However, Ping Yang made the decision without any hesitation. Her crystal clear eyes were filled with arrogance, the arrogance of a princess.

There was also a hint of stubborness.

This was Ping Yang.

She unleashed the Blazing Qilin Spear, a tall column of flame shooting skyward. It crashed down towards Xing Qingsui, a golden light flashing in the sea of fire.

It was like a lamp in a storm.

"Roar!" The beast like aura filled the sky.

This was one of the ten greatest treasures of the Great Xia Empire, the most powerful weapon there was. It could pierce any material and burn the area to ashes. Who dared to go up against it?

The candidates near Xing Qingsui unconsciously retreated a few steps.

None of them dared to get too close to the Blazing Qilin Spear. Who knows if it'll cause any collateral damage?

Furthermore...

They knew that if Xing Qingsui wanted to defeat the Blazing Qilin Spear bearing Ping Yang, his only chance was a roaming battle.

He had to dodge the lethality of the Blazing Qilin Spear.

If he could do so, he should emerge victorious.

However, against their expectations, Xing Qingsui did not dodge. Not only did he not retreat, he advanced and went into the sea of fire.

"Is he crazy?!"

All of the other candidates thought to themselves.

Yan Xiu's calm expression also changed. In actual fact, he was still expressionless when Xing Qingsui challenged Ping Yang.

However, he became extremely solemn after seeing Xing Qingsui advance instead of retreat.

Fang Zhengzhi's eyes also flashed with a curious glow. He knew how powerful the Blazing Qilin Spear was. He could not understand why Xing Qingsui wanted to meet it head on.

That being said, he knew that Xing Qingsui would not walk into his death.

Then, was he trying to find survival in the most dire of situations?

Xing Qingsui would obviously not stop to explain himself. He was incredibly quick, even faster than the Blazing Qilin Spear.

However, his Meteor black sword was dragging behind him, not raised to strike.

When facing a sea of fire, many people would have attempted to use water or unmeltable ice. However, Xing Qingsui had neither of these things.

Even so...

He managed to break through the sea of fire.

A subtle aura around him seemed to slice open the sea of fire. It was as if his sword parted the waves, allowing him safe passage through.

Fang Zhengzhi had once heard a famous quote.

Can you part the sea with your sword?

He did not know if anyone could do it at that time. But now, Xing Qingsui had done it. Furthermore, his blade was still dragging behind him.

"It's battle spirit! Sword like battle spirit!"

"It's no wonder he is the heir of the Stabilisation Constabulary. He has already realized the battle spirit of the Dao of all Creation at such a young age! He has also been hiding this ability in previous duels."

"I guess no one pushed him to use it before?"

All of the students who saw this scene stared wide eyed as they gasped.

"Battle Spirit?" Fang Zhengzhi seemed to understand.

This was almost like the Asura that Yan Xiu had showed previously. This Battle Spirit probably had the same effect, despite going by a different name.

However, Asura used killing to increase the prowess of the technique.

On the other hand, this Battle Spirit seemed to come from inside, allowing the user to charge forward courageously.

This spirit originated from one's courage and grew stronger from the blood and fire of the battlefield. Xing Qingsui had made this battle spirit his field of control. Since it was as sharp as a blade, it could easily split open the sea of fire.

He was like a talented general wrecking havoc amidst mere soldiers.

Xing Qingsui and Ping Yang advanced towards each other.

They closed in quickly.

They were so close that the Blazing Qilin Spear was almost within range of Xing Qingsui's forehead.

The spear had a golden glow at the tip. That was what gave the Blazing Qilin Spear its piercing power.

Xing Qingsui stared down the golden glow. His expression showed no fear. His blade finaly swung into action when the golden glow was less than an inch from his forehead.

He met the Blazing Qilin Spear with a simple stroke, his blade drawing a dark line in the air as it moved.

It clashed with the golden glow.

"Boom!"

A sharp blade aura exploded outwards from the merge of the Blazing Qilin Spear and the Meteor black sword.

"Bang bang bang..."

The blade aura smashed into the swords lying about the rocks, letting out metallic screeches as it passed.

"Kacha!" Countless blades broke!

The weapons parted after the merge.

Xing Qingsui retreated a couple of steps. After all, he was facing one of the ten greatest treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty. The most lethal Blazing Qilin Spear.

Even though he was in the intermediate stages of the Heavenly Reflection State, he was still knocked back.

Ping Yang was not thrown backwards by the impact. She charged forward, the Blazing Qilin Spear a mere five meters from Xing Qingsui.

She wanted to strike whilst he was frazzled.

The logic was simple.

Everyone knew that, but Xing Qingsui didn't seem to be clear about it.

When Ping Yang charged forward once again, Xing Qingsui matched the charge, his sword trailing behind him just as he had done previously.

"Boom!"

The Meteor black sword and the Blazing Qilin Spear clashed once again.

The result was no surprise.

Xing Qingsui was thrown back.

However, he was thrown back a significantly shorter distance this time.

The spectating candidates all shook their head. Not everyone could realize the tiny details amongst such an intense battle. As a result, they did not understand why Xing Qingsui insisted on battling this way.

To them, this was a very stupid method, possibly even stupider than Ping Yang not requesting for help.

However, Yan Xiu did not shake his head.

He had spotted the tiny details.

The second time Xing Qingsui rushed towards Ping Yang in the same manner, he had been concentrating on how far Xing Qingsui was thrown back.

Fang Zhengzhi did not focus on the same things Yan Xiu did.

He was looking at Xing Qingsui's expression.

Xing Qingsui showed no signs of fear. He charged on courageously, his courage seeming to build with each clash.

If Xing Qingsui was relying on his Battle Spirit,

Then...

This could only mean that Xing Qingsui's battle spirit was getting stronger and stronger.

Fang Zhengzhi looked to Yan Xiu. He realized that Yan Xiu's expression was becoming increasingly solemn.

"You realized it too?" Fang Zhengzhi whispered.

"Yup." Yan Xiu nodded.

"This is the Xing Qingsui you told me about before?"

"Yup, Xing Qingsui of the Stabilisation Constabulary!"

"What is your confidence level if you had to fight him?"

"None. No one is confident about going up against a member of the Stabilisation Constabulary."

"What are their origins?" Fang Zhengzhi asked.

"The Stabilisation Constabulary is the leading constabulary. However, they are the ones with the least history. When our ancestors set up the Great Xia Dynasty, the Stabilisation Constabulary was just a nomadic clan. However, when the country was stabilized, they had become one of the thirteen. Furthermore, they became the leader of the Thirteen Constabularies."

"Was there some chance encounter?" Fang Zhengzhi's interest in the Stabilisation Constabulary was piqued.

"No, there was no coincidence in their growth. They managed to achieve everything through battle. They were not particularly talented, but they had a thirst for battle, a thirst that bordered on craziness. Even today, the Stabilisation Constabulary holds true to their roots. Every disciple is dragged off to the battlefield at the age of six. They start by being a stable hand, and slowly progress into the ranks of the army."

"Just like this?" Fang Zhengzhi stared intently at Xing Qingsui.

"Mm, the more intense the battle, the stronger the Battle Spirit of their disciples. Xing Qingsui is probably using Ping Yang's Blazing Qilin Spear to refine his Battle Spirit!"

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Chapter 201: Frail man

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi stared at Xing Qingsui, not speaking.

In actual fact, he had not had any interaction with Xing Qingsui. He had only heard about this person from Yan Xiu. They had not really met in both the Theory or Combat Examinations.

However, from Xing Qingsui's rising Battle Spirit, he could sense that this man had the same crazed Battle Spirit and technique of the Stabilisation Constabulary.

Perhaps...

This was how the people of the Stabilisation Constabulary fought.

Go against the current and end up losing ground.

Realizing the Dao of all Creation in battle allowed one to get used to the heat of conflict.

"Boom!"

Xing Qingsui's Meteor black sword clashed with the Blazing Qilin Spear once again.

This was the fifth time these weapons had clashed.

Countless sharp auras flew around the two of them. Smashed rocks and broken swords circled the two as they fought.

But this time.

Xing Qingsui retreated less than three meters.

The retreating candidates were all stunned by the intense battle. No one had expected the battle between Xing Qingsui and Ping Yang to turn out this way.

Clashing head on?!

Ping Yang's Blazing Qilin Spear continued to glow as columns of flame shot skyward.

However, Fang Zhengzhi realized that Ping Yang's chest was heaving, her dainty lips panting.

The Blazing Qilin Spear was one of the ten greatest treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty.

However, if the person using it was not strong enough, then wielding it will also take its toll.

This was the case for everything. Even medicine has side effects.

Ping Yang was only at the pinnacle of the Star Conglomerate State. Each use of the Blazing Qilin Spear took more and more energy out of her.

This was not advantageous for her.

However, with Xing Qingsui going head on against her, she was in the most advantageous position possible.

As such, she did not consider a roaming battle with Xing Qingsui.

The battle raged on.

Xing Qingsui was clearly panting more than Ping Yang. His chest heaved with each breath. He was sweating so profusely his shirt stuck to his back.

However, he held his blade steady.

No matter how deep his footprint, no matter how tired he was, the hand holding his sword was always calm and steady.

"Fight!" Xing Qingsui charged forward once again.

Ping Yang stabbed with her Blazing Qilin Spear.

Columns of flame shot skyward once again. Xing Qingsui used his Battle Spirit to slice open the sea of fire once again. Then, he struck with the Meteor sword.

"Boom!"

Unsurprisingly, the sword clashed with the golden light.

This was something within everybody's expectations.

However, what they did not expect was that this time, Xing Qingsui was not immediately thrown backwards. After the weapons clashed, he still managed to complete his strike.

"Boom!"

The golden light shimmered and an aura exploded from the clash.

The two of them flew backwards.

The distance was four meters.

Even further than the previous hit.

Then, everyone was shocked. They were all in disbelief. Of the four meters of separation, one was caused by Ping Yang retreating.

This was the first time Ping Yang had been thrown backwards in the entire battle.

Xing Qingsui had retreated a mere three meters, no different from the past five times.

"He actually managed to push Ping Yang back after going head to head?!"

"That's quite unbelievable!"

All of the candidates could not believe their eyes.

Ping Yang could not believe it either. This was the first time her eyes glowed with surprise.

Just now.

She had expected it to play out like the previous few times.

However, her expectations were shattered by the blow from Xing Qingsui.

She had never expected him to have the energy to continue the strike. He should have been thrown back.

That was what everyone expected.

Everyone except Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu.

"What do you think?" Fang Zhengzhi asked.

"It's difficult." Yan Xiu shook his head slightly.

Fang Zhengzhi's question and Yan Xiu's answer were incredibly vague.

However, they understood each other perfectly.

Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu continued to discuss the battle whilst Ping Yang raged. If she could not defeat Xing Qingsui with the Blazing Qilin Spear, how was she going to defeat Fang Zhengzhi and top the combat examinations?

As such, she was about to go crazy.

She lunged.

Almost like she had been set on fire.

Xing Qingsui did not retreat. His eyes glowed like a beast as he gripped his sword tightly.

"Boom boom boom..."

The weapons clashed repeatedly.

Ping Yang attacked with the Blazing Qilin Spear over and over again.

Columns of flames shot skyward as the golden glow homed in on Xing Qingsui, flickering as it circled his body.

Everytime the golden light got close to him, his blade was there to block it.

Ping Yang advanced bit by bit.

Every step she took was labored. Each time she pushed Xing Qingsui back, he would quickly recover and lunge forward, making it difficult for her to suppress him.

Xing Qingsui was still calm as he fought, a strong will fueling him.

Even though he was sweating profusely and his clothes had been shredded by the battle, he didn't seem to care.

He clashed with the Blazing Qilin Spear repeatedly.

He did not even dodge a single time.

The battle between the two heated up. It got so intense even the candidates on the rock stopped fighting.

All of them stared at the two battling figures.

They all wanted to know how this intense battle would turn out.

Only a few knew that this white hot battle was already coming to an end.

The few of them included Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, Nangong Mu, and a middle aged man standing closest to the battle.

He wore a very workaday attire. He looked quite frail, and had a scar on his neck that seemed to fade in and out of view.

Weirdly, his clothes were very clean.

He wore a blue long sleeved shirt that was almost as clean as the one Fang Zhengzhi wore. It was almost as if he hadn't been in battle.

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Chapter 202: Sword to the back

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

With the tense atmosphere, no one noticed that this frail youth's clothes were impeccable and clean.

Everyone was focused on Ping Yang and Xing Qingsui.

Ping Yang was attacking manically...

However, even the wildest of storms had to break sometime.

After all, Ping Yang was only at the pinnacle of the Star Conglomerate State. There was a limit to how much she could attack with the Blazing Qilin Spear.

"Boom!"

The two figures parted.

Ping Yang fell back.

She did not want to fall back, but Xing Qingsui's sword had impacted her arm.

So she fell back.

Even so, thanks to her Red Flame Flower Armor, she was unhurt.

When Meteor impacted the armor on her arm, a flash of red light ensured that she took no damage. Even so, she was forced backwards.

She began to pant as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. The arm holding onto the Blazing Qilin Spear began to tremble.

Xing Qingsui was also panting heavily. His breathing was hastened as he began to sweat even more profusely. Despite all this, his sword arm was still extremely stable.

"How powerful!"

"It is no wonder their constabulary leads the thirteen. It is extremely admirable of him to continue to charge forward in the face of the Blazing Qilin Spear."

All of the candidates began to discuss the battle, focusing their gazes on Xing Qingsui. They momentarily forgot about the sealed sword on the rock.

"You've... lost!" Xing Qingsui looked at Ping Yang and gasped for air.

Ping Yang did not speak. Even though she knew that it would be difficult for her to raise her spear, she did not believe that Xing Qingsui could raise his sword either.

This notion was dispelled quickly.

Xing Qingsui raised his sword.

The Meteor was raised and pointed at her. Xing Qingsui's sword arm did not shake.

Ping Yang bit her lip. She was silent for some time. Then, she walked to Fang Zhengzhi, "I've... lost, so I'm... about to be eliminated. However, I am curious... what did you see in the stone... stone house?"

"Hallucination!" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the panting Ping Yang. He could not describe what he had seen, so he used the simplest possible explanation he could think of.

"Hallucination? I see that it is testing... your character! Hang on, in the hallucination... were...were there any ladies?" Ping Yang suddenly thought of some of the character tests using hallucinations.

There were usually some unspeakable scenes.

Fang Zhengzhi did not understand why Ping Yang would ask this. He wanted to ignore her, but, after recalling her understanding of the Twin Stone Tablets, perhaps she had found out something about the stone house?

He began to think, then recalled that he had seen her after coming out of the door.

"Mm, I saw you."

"You saw me?! You're... completely shameless!" Ping Yang's face flushed as red as an apple.

She immediately thought of the time when Fang Zhengzhi had saw her naked. She simply could not understand why Fang Zhengzhi would say something so shameless in public.

Even though Fang Zhengzhi did not mind being called shameless. However, this was a little too much. She had asked if there were any ladies and he had just replied honestly. Yet, he was being scolded for that?

Was it possible to be even more wronged?

"You son of a b*tch!" Fang Zhengzhi replied rudely, his voice having the accent of a northern villager.

"You... you f*cking hillbilly. How dare you scold me?!" Even though Ping Yang did not understand the slang, she knew that the phrase was definitely not nice.

"So what if I'm scolding you? Do you want to fight it out with me? Do you even have the energy?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ping Yang's trembling arm with condescension.

"You, you..."

"Why aren't you out yet?" Fang Zhengzhi stared into the sky, ignoring the fuming Ping Yang.

He had found it a little weird.

He had his doubts from the moment the candidate fell off the rock.

That candidates wounds made it impossible for him to continue participating in the combat examinations. He should have been immediately evacuated for treatment.

But now...

That candidate was still lying on the ground, in a puddle of his own blood.

Right now, Ping Yang had already admitted defeat.

Why was she still able to stand here and argue with him?

Fang Zhengzhi's question pissed Ping Yang off. Just as she was about to gather her last bit of energy to attack him, she stopped.

She realized the implications of Fang Zhengzhi's question.

Fang Zhengzhi was right, this was the combat examinations...

Why was she still here?

"Han Zhangfeng, are you sleeping? Why aren't you letting me out?!" Ping Yang stared into the sky, knowing that Han Zhangfeng would be looking down at this.

The other candidates also began to react after hearing what Ping Yang said.

The intense battle atop the rock had caused serious injuries to a few candidates. They should all have been eliminated.

But...

They were still here.

The sky was still silent, and no candidate was eliminated.

"What's going on?"

"Have the rules changed? Are there no more eliminations?"

"How is that possible?"

All of the candidates looked at each other in doubt.

Then, they all thought of the same thing.

Previously, they were all too attracted by the sword to think of the issues that stemmed from its appearance.

Now that they thought about it, there were way too many issues...

Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu had already advanced to the fourth round.

Why are they still here?

Furthermore, what was up with that feeling of crumbling? It was almost as if the World of the Sage was completely smashed, then reformed.

Advancing into the fourth round should not have had such a strong sensation.

"Where is this?"

"Is this still the World of the Sage?"

"Why is everyone here at the same time? Where... did the blades come from?"

Questions began to surface in everyone's mind. No one could figure out what was going on. None of them had ever experienced something like this.

They were all here to participate in the Combat Examinations.

But now...

The rules seemed to have changed.

There was no voice in the air, the injured candidates were not eliminated. Everything seemed strange and unexpected.

"Could it be that the World of the Sage..."

All of their expressions changed as the possibility surfaced in their minds.

"Is the World of the Sage out of control?"

"How can it be? The World of the Sage was created by Meng Tian! And Meng Tian has already left for so long..."

"What if this wasn't the World of the Sage? Why are there no eliminations?"

"The sword... the problem is with the sword!"

When someone exclaimed, everyone turned to look at the sword on the rock. It still glowed with a golden light, but everyone's feelings about it had changed.

Previously, everyone wanted to get hold of that piece of treasure. But now, the feeling was completely different.

It would be great to be in possession of a piece of treasure.

However, if the treasure was controlling them.

Then it was quite dangerous.

"The World of the Sage is out of control, and that sword... that sword is controlling it?" One of the candidates guessed.

"It could be a test. A test in the middle of the combat examinations to see how we adapt to such challenges?" Another candidate suggested.

All of the candidates were at a loss. Who knew what was happening?

Inside Yan Capital, it continued to pour.

A soldier in flashy armor galloped into the palace complex.

When the guards at the gate saw this man, they did not stop him. They did not even ask for his identity.

Everyone who saw this soldier accorded him a lot of respect.

Not long after the soldier entered the palace complex, the Ninth Prince galloped through the gates. He did not hold an umbrella, and did not have many guards around him.

"Did the Emperor ask for you to be here?" The guards immediately extended their hands when they saw the Ninth Prince.

"There is an emergency at the Imperial Examinations. I need to see the Emperor right away." The Ninth Prince was not angered by the blockade, but he was in a hurry.

"If the Emperor did not ask for you, we will have to inform him first and wait for the Emperor..."

"I know the rules, but this is an emergency. I have to see him right away!" The Ninth Prince interrupted the guard and repeated.

All of the guards looked at each other, slightly hesitant.

"The Ninth Prince is invigilating the Imperial Examinations. If it is an emergency, there is no need to report, just let him go!" A voice rang out from inside the palace complex.

"Yes!" The guards replied immediately.

"Ninth Prince, please!"

"Thank you!"

The Ninth Prince said a simple thank you. Naturally, he knew where the Emperor would be at this time of day and headed straight for the Imperial Academy.

Inside the World of the Sage, almost everyone was staring at that blade.

"Regardless whether the World of the Sage is out of control, or the rules have changed, the problem must be with the sword. Everything should be resolved if we manage to take it out!" A candidate suggested.

The other candidates nodded as they heard the suggestion.

So, who was going to do it?

It looked like a simple question.

But it was difficult to execute.

Because...

There was a problem that no one was willing to raise.

If the World of the Sage is out of control, and the problem is with the sword, then this sword has a consciousness.

In other words, the sword was in control of the World of the Sage.

Whoever could extract the sword...

Was basically in control of the World of the Sage.

This was something no one was willing to say, but it was something everyone knew deep in their hearts.

"Since we are in the Imperial Examinations, let's go by the rules? Whoever is the final victor will have the right to extract the sword!"

A suggestion was thrown out very quickly. This was a suggestion that was fitting for the time and the environment.

No one objected.

Everything was based on one's ability.

The students on the rock came down unwillingly. Even though they agreed with the suggestion, they were slightly unhappy.

After All, they had all fought for the sword previously.

Of the 30 candidates, less than 25 still had the ability to fight.

Xing Qingsui kept his sword. He had spent a great amount of energy in the battle with Ping Yang. According to the rules of the Imperial Examination, he should be in the fifth round.

As such, his opponent would also have to be someone in the fifth round. This gave him some time to rest.

Everything seemed very normal.

Xing Qingsui kept his blade and walked to the middle aged man. He sat down and closed his eyes.

No one bothered to look at Xing Qingsui any longer. All of the candidates who had yet to pass the third round began to fight.

Ping Yang was resting as well.

However, her expression was not good as she grit her teeth everytime she looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi ignored Ping Yang.

After coming out of the stone house, he was through to the fourth round.

Some people were not too happy about that.

However, this did not matter to Fang Zhengzhi. He could easily subdue them later.

With Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu and Ping Yang teaming up, the rankings were quickly set. Those who were displeased with Fang Zhengzhi were all subdued.

The rest of the candidates continued to fight.

Everything seemed to be in order. Everyone was here for the examinations. There were no personal feuds here, so no one went for the kill.

Even so...

The orderly atmosphere was quickly shattered.

This sound did not come from the battle. The position from which the sound originated from was not quite right. It's tone was also filled with disbelief.

"You..."

All of the candidates battling stopped.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Then, everyone's eyes widened. No one wanted to believe what was unfolding before them.

No one could believe that Xing Qingsui was the origin of the sound.

No one expected Xing Qingsui to cry out like that.

Right now...

There was a blade sticking out of Xing Qingsui's chest. The blade was driven in from the back and came out on the other side. Blood dripped from the tip.

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Chapter 203: Difficult to Survive

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

The blade looked extremely ordinary, like one of the blades lying on the ground.

Even more strangely, there was no one behind Xing Qingsui. It was empty with the exception of some blades in rocks.

Xing Qingsui paled and winced. He was in extreme pain, his lips quivering as he gripped the ground.

He was stabbed in the back?!

He did not scream. Instead, he had only said 'you...'. This was testament to Xing Qingsui's endurance.

But, why was there a blade sticking out of his chest?

Furthermore...

Why couldn't anyone spot his attacker?

Most importantly, who was Xing Qingsui referring to when he said 'you'?

Questions flashed past the minds of everyone on the scene. They were all stunned by what they saw. Who had the audacity to attack Xing Qingsui?

Fang Zhengzhi was not too surprised.

Afterall, he did not understand this world very well. If he had tried to get to the bottom of everything, he would have a really bad headache by now.

As such, he was only curious about the strange happenings, never shocked.

This kind of attitude caused him to think not about who the blade had pierced, but why the blade was an ordinary one.

After all, this was the Imperial Examinations.

Which person here did not have a decent weapon?

His concentration was drawn away. He guessed that the blade was possibly embedded in one of the rocks before. This realization caused him to notice a surprising scene unfolding before his eyes.

Many of the blades began to rise from the ground.

It was almost as if an invisible hand was pulling them from the ground, causing a light grinding sound as the blades were extracted.

However, all of them were so absorbed by the fact that Xing Qingsui was stabbed that none of them realized that there was a blade at their back.

"Yan Xiu!" Fang Zhengzhi lunged without a second thought.

He knew that there was a blade at his back without even looking. He was not going to stand still and be stepped.

Yan Xiu was looking at Xing Qingsui, his gaze filled with doubt and curiosity.

He suddenly heard Fang Zhengzhi's voice echo out.

Before he could turn around, he felt a wave of force crashing into him. Then, his body was forced towards the ground.

He instinctively wanted to fight it and break free.

However, he gave up quickly.

He had heard Fang Zhengzhi's voice, and Fang Zhengzhi was standing next to him.

Even though he did not know why Fang Zhengzhi would lunge at him, he did not resist.

"Plonk!" The two of them crashed to the ground.

Just at that moment, the sound of blades rushing through the air could be heard above them.

That was not all.

Sounds of blades piercing bodies seemed to ring out simultaneously. The ring was slightly icy as the blades pierced their chest.

They were all stabbed in the back, just like Xing Qingsui.

"Ah!"

"Ah, ah, ah..."

Cries of pain echoed out.

Not everyone had Xing Qingsui's endurance. As such, many of them began to cry out pitifully, their cries echoing throughout the sea of blades...

"The swords... the swords are attacking us!"

"The World of the Sage is out of control!"

"Run."

Screams pierced through the chaos.

Any candidate capable of entering the third round would be reasonably alert. As such, there were a few who still managed to dodge the attacks of the blades.

The entire crowd went out of control.

"Who dares to attack me?! Are you tired of living?!" An arrogant voice pierced through the crowd. Even Ping Yang was not spared from the attack.

She was Princess Ping Yang, the most pampered princess in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Who had the audacity to sneak and attack on her?

This was an almost lethal attempt on her life.

How could she not be enraged?

Ping Yang's rage reaffirmed everyone's suspicions. There was no candidate who would dare to do such a thing.

The only possible explanation was that the World of the Sage was out of control.

Fang Zhengzhi had initially thought so too. However, he quickly dismissed the thought.

He recalled what Xing Qingsui had said when he was stabbed in the back.

Xing Qingsui had said, "You..."

He did not scream.

Xing Qingsui, having been the first to be attacked, naturally had the greatest say in the matter.

In fact, Xing Qingsui's subsequent actions proved it all.

Xing Qingsui was on the move.

Even though he was seriously injured, he stubbornly held Meteor in his hand as he struck at the frail looking middle aged man next to him.

The blade sliced through the air.

"Clang!" One of the blades from the ground met Xing Qingsui's attack in mid air.

This made it easy for the middle aged man to dodge the first attack.

Even though Xing Qingsui was already injured from the attack, the middle aged man never let down his guard.

"Why is young master doing this?" The middle aged man looked at Xing Qingsui in surprise.

"Ahem... this... shouldn't I be asking you that? Who... are you?" Xing Qingsui bit his lip, his sword drooping.

His hand was shaking.

This was the first time his hand had shook.

Perhaps he was too emotional, or perhaps his injuries were too severe.

The middle aged man smirked. He looked at all of the injured candidates before his gaze returned to Xing Qingsui.

"Has young master forgotten my name? I am your most loyal guard. I saved your from the battlefield three years ago. I am Xing Zhong. Have you forgotten the name you gave me?" The man looked at Xing Qingsui.

"Three years ago..." Xing Qingsui's gaze was slightly lost.

The middle aged man was right. He had been severely injured in the battle three years ago. At that time, he had been cornered at the top of a mountain by a thousand strong devil army.

He had spent all his energy in an attempt to get out of the trap.

He ended up in a coma.

When he awoke, this man was by his side.

Much like him, the middle aged man had entered a coma, and he had taken a few nearly lethal blows to the neck.

If not for the timely arrival of reinforcements, the two of them would not have escaped death.

As such, Xing Qingsui had requested that this man be allowed to take on the surname Xing. This man would also become his most loyal guard, someone who he taught everything to. In three years, this man had never left him.

This man had done a lot whilst joining Xing Qingsui on the battlefield.

"You are not Xing Zhong. Xing Zhong died... three years ago. Who are you?" Xing Qingsui was sure of himself.

He had checked up Xing Zhong's identity. This man could not have existed.

The man in front of him was clearly not Xing Zhong.

"Isn't it a little too late for young master to realize this now?" The middle aged man smirked. At this point, Xing Qingsui realized that there was another blade aimed at his neck.

All of the candidates saw the scene unfolding before them.

They had heard the conversation between the two people, but they could not fully understand what they were saying.

Even so, they could be sure of one thing. Xing Qingsui had already deduced the source of the attack. More importantly, the flying blade had proven the point.

"Who is he?!"

"Why would Xing Qingsui's guard turn on him?"

He is actually trying to attack us."

The questions and answers were incredibly messy.

However, this was clearly not the time to ask these questions. Those uninjured candidates began to turn their weapons on the middle aged man.

Three of them even started to attack.

Three sword glimmered in the air. Two went towards the middle aged man whilst the other one went for the sword in mid air.

This was the best way they could help now.

However, the blade aimed at Xing Qingsui's throat was already in motion. It was quick as lightning, much faster than any of the other three blades.

Xing Qingsui stared at that blade, but did not close his eyes.

Closing one's eyes was the action of a coward. As the heir to the Stabilisation Constabulary, he would stare death in the eye without any fear.

Why didn't Xing Qingsui try to block it?

His hands were already trembling. How was he going to raise his sword?

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

Two crisp sounds rang out.

The blade aimed at Xing Qingsui fell to the ground. Another blade fell to the ground with it. That was a jade green blade.

Another blade also fell to the ground.

That blade was slightly further from Xing Qingsui.

That was a deep blue blade, slightly longer than the jade green one.

The middle aged man did not have a sword in his hand. All he had was a sabre. His sabre was undecorated, but glimmered with an icy glow. It had a faint blood aura. This sabre had taken lives before.

"Oh?" The middle aged man looked to his right.

That deep blue blade had been launched at him. However, it had not come from the three charging students. It had come from a youth to his right.

This youth wore a short sleeved workaday top, but his gaze was incredibly calm.

This youth was Nangong Mu.

"It's the Green and Blue Dual Blade!"

"The Green and Blue Dual Blade of the Nangong Clan is with Nangong Mu? Is he training with the Green and Blue Secret Art?!"

"My gosh, is there anyone in this world who can perfect that?"

The candidates were all in shock when they saw the blades on the ground. Their shock from this was significantly more than when they were attacked by the middle aged man.

One of the reasons was that...

Nangong Mu was using the Green and Blue Secret Art.

The other three candidates were unsurprisingly stopped. Their blades were met by three other hovering blades.

"I would expect Nangong Hao's brother to be slightly smarter. I never expected him to be such an idiot?" The middle aged man mocked.

"Indeed." Nangong Mu nodded.

He did not hesitate to reply, seemingly unprovoked by the middle aged man's provocation. It felt like he was replying to a normal comment.

The surrounding candidates could not understand.

Why would Nangong Mu be so accepting of mockery?

"I guess you're not very talkative huh?" The middle aged man seemed slightly taken aback by Nangong Mu's reply.

He definitely was not naive enough to think that Nangong Mu would be scared of him. If Nangong Mu was afraid of him, he would not have attacked.

"You can use your shadows to control the blades on the ground and can hide your shadows underground. Such abilities are rather surprising. It's a pity you're not human!" Nangong Mu did not respond to the question, choosing to mutter to himself.

"You're a man of few words, but your observation skills are quite exemplary. There is something I don't quite understand though, why do you think I am not human?" The middle aged man smiled.

"In order to have such control, one must be above the Heavenly Reflection State. There are only 39 people in the world who are capable of manipulating shadows to such a level, and none of them are here. As such, you are definitely not human. If I am correct, there is someone amongst the devils who fights like you do. That man is Ying Shan." Nangong Mu replied.

When the middle aged man heard the name "Ying Shan", his smiled froze and his eyes glittered with surprise for the first time.

He was not surprised by Nangong Mu's abilities, but he was surprised that Nangong Mu could guess who he was through observation, knowledge and his fighting technique. That was something to fear.

"You remember it so clearly? You can't be a fake... I can't believe that the Nangong Family still loves to keep records of these even after they went underground. It's a pity you're going to die." The middle aged man did not deny what Nangong Mu said.

So...

In a way, he had admitted that Nangong Mu was right.

The surrounding candidates all stepped backwards unconsciously. Their faces were filled with fear.

If what Nangong Mu said was true...

This was way too scary.

There was only one person named Ying Shan amongst the devils. He was the Vice Domain Chief of the Ying Domain of the Ten Devilish Domains.

"How is that possible?!"

"Why would the demons send a Vice Domain Chief to the Imperial Examinations?"

"No, I don't want to die just yet."

All of the candidates felt incredibly helpless. They had no chance of facing off against Ying Shan.

He was more powerful than any Heavenly Reflection cultivator.

"Is Ying Shan... very powerful?" Fang Zhengzhi climbed up from the ground and asked Yan Xiu.

"I think it's very difficult to survive!" Yan Xiu nodded.

This was the first time that Yan Xiu had described a situaation this way. And he had to pick a time like this to say it.

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Chapter 204: Supernatural State

Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations

Fang Zhengzhi frowned. Difficult to live meant that their chances of survival were extremely low. No one was willing to accept that fact.

Fang Zhengzhi frowned.

He was still a virgin.

He could not simply just die like this.

Fang Zhengzhi did not want to give up so easily, but would Yan Xiu joke about such matters? Naturally not! This was a truly dangerous situation.

"Do we have any chance to survive?" Fang Zhengzhi asked.

"The chances are extremely slim. Ying Shan entered the "Supernatural State" four years ago. He is probably in the intermediate stages now. Even if we all joined forces, it would be a hard fought battle. Furthermore, more than half of the others are seriously injured." Yan Xiu shook his head as he looked around.

Fang Zhengzhi did not know much about what came after the Heavenly Reflection State. He did not know what the Supernatural State was but he knew Yan Xiu would not lie.

Furthermore, just as what Yan Xiu had said, more than half of the candidates were seriously injured. There were less than 10 people who could fight.

If they included the difference in cultivation level, their chances of winning were extremely low.

"First, tell me what are the differences between the Supernatural State and the Heavenly Reflection State." Fang Zhengzhi did not think it was an appropriate time to ask this question but it would be even worse to enter battle knowing nothing about the opponent.

Yan Xiu knew what Fang Zhengzhi was thinking and did not find the question inappropriate.

"Without truly entering the Supernatural State, it is impossible to fully understand the differences. When do you think a person is able to unleash his full power?" Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

"Full power?" Fang Zhengzhi had no idea why Yan Xiu would ask that question. He thought for a moment, then answered, "In moments of extreme anger? Or when filled with love?"

This answer was one that he got from a movie. Whenever a person saw someone they loved being squashed by a rock, they would be able to explode with unimaginable power.

"Mm, that is one. However, that stems from a lack of control over one's emotions. Even though the power is immense, it is not easily replicated. Furthermore, love and hate would not be able to heal the physical wounds." Yan Xiu shook his head.

"They can heal their wounds?" Fang Zhengzhi did not understand. He was under the impression that an injured person would need to seek treatment. How was it possible to heal wounds with power?

"The Supernatural State gets its name from its ability to allow the person to enter the said state." Yan Xiu explained solemnly.

"Supernatural?" When Fang Zhengzhi heard what Yan Xiu said, he began to get suspicious. Isn't that something that happens to people when they are about to die?

"Mm, it is said that a terminally ill patient is able to go about normal activities during this phase. They are able to recover from their injuries. They are completely lucid and their power is at a maximum."

"What do you mean?" Fang Zhengzhi seemed to understand. He was not fully sure, but he was beginning to understand what Yan Xiu was saying.

"People in the Supernatural State are able to walk the line between life and death. They are able to perfectly combine their strength and speed with their pocket dimension, thus allowing them to unleash their full powers. More importantly, they have incredible healing!" Yan Xiu finished solemnly.

Fang Zhengzhi was equally solemn. He had expected the Supernatural State to be very powerful, but he ever expected it to be this ridiculous.

Supernatural...

He could remember clearly that the ancient annals recorded this state very clearly. Even the most gravely injured people could walk when they were in that state.

To control one's body and maintain it in that state?

Walking the line between life and death?

Must it be that ridiculous? Even if I critically injure him, he can still jump around?

He finally understood why Yan Xiu said it would be difficult for them to live through this. This man was virtually invincible.

How are we ever going to defeat a man who can unleash his full power and still get up despite being critically injured?

Fang Zhengzhi was silent. His gut told him that running away was the best option now.

But...

What if they couldn't get out?

They were essentially stuck now that the World of the Sage was out of control. No one could get in or out, and they were stuck here with a Supernatural State cultivator hell bent on taking their lives.

And this man had to be a demon. There was no room for negotiations.

What now?

Fang Zhengzhi and everyone else had the same ideas. In the face of a Supernatural State cultivator, a Heavenly Reflection State cultivator could only run, the further the better.

But now, they had no chance of escaping.

Who wouldn't crumble?

Cries rose and fell as people sighed and cried in fear and resignation

When Ping Yang heard Ying Shan's name, a look of fear spread over her dainty little face.

She was no different from a helpless chicken in the face of a Supernatural cultivator. This was despite her possessing the Red Flame Flower Armor and the Blazing Qilin Spear.

She was easy prey.

She unconsciously started to run. She ran next to Fang Zhengzhi and grabbed onto his hand. She had no idea why she did that.

However, she felt slightly safer next to Fang Zhengzhi, even if it was just for a moment.

Fang Zhengzhi felt his arm being squeezed by Ping Yang once again. He felt uncomfortable, but he did not push her away.

As a guy, he had to give in to a lady.

As such, no matter how unwilling he was, he would take point.

Nangong Mu's expression did not change much. He was the first to guess Ying Shan's identity. Furthermore, he had chosen to step out and fight, meaning that he did not fear Ying Shan.

Xing Qingsui was not scared either. He only had one mentality, go against the current and lose ground. That's the way he refined his abilities. However, he was in no position to advance now.

Ying Shan chuckled as he looked around at the trembling candidates.

"Actually, I had never expected to get out of this place alive. I thought that I only had one chance at an attack. The moment my identity was revealed, the invigilators would intervene. However, heaven has been kind to me. The World of the Sage is now out of control. There is no need for me to hide any longer."

Ying Shan smirked as he looked at Nangong Mu, Ping Yang, and finally at Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea why Ying Shan would look at him, but he knew that it wasn't a good sign.

Nangong Mu also turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi.

Everyone seemed to look at Fang Zhengzhi. They all realized that the person who had caused the World of the Sage to go out of control was probably Fang Zhengzhi.

"Extract the sword and the seal would be broken. Then, the invigilators can regain control and come save us!" Fang Zhengzhi knew what these people were thinking.

He quickly devised a plan to divert all their attentions.

Luckily, this plan was not a bad one.

This gave everyone, who were on the verge of giving up, a shred of hope.

With hope and a goal, then even arch enemies could become allies. Furthermore, they were looking death in its face.

The candidates began to move. They no longer fought each other like before. Instead, each one of them aimed to remove the sword.

Ying Shan's gaze turned icy in an instant.

"Young master was right, you are an unpredictable person!" Ying Shan said cryptically before disappearing.

Then, a loud boom could be heard.

In the next moment, Ying Shan appeared at the bottom of the rock.

There was one person in front of him, and that was Nangong Mu.

Nangong Mu's right hand covered his chest. There was a trickle of blood that wasn't there before. It was clearly caused by that loud boom.

"The Nangong Family are indeed idiots. You want to try to stop me without any swords?"

"I will have a sword after I stop you." Nangong Mu replied flatly.

Then, the Green and Blue Dual Blades appeared in front of me. The blades were not anywhere near Nangong Mu initially, but they were near to Xing Qingsui.

He kicked them over to Nangong Mu.

Nangong Mu retrieved them and held the blue one in his right hand, and the green one in his left.

"I have always heard that the Nangong Family had two great teachings, the "Dragon Combat Plan" and the "Green and Blue Secret Art". However, people have only seen the Dragon Combat Plan. I guess you should know why?" Ying Shan mocked as he looked at the Green and Blue Dual Blades.

"Shouldn't you be rushing to get a blade of your own?" Nangong Mu ignored the question.

"Is there a need?" Ying Shan replied.

Just as Ying Shan finished his statement, the candidates on the rock seemed to be frozen in place, each of them wincing in pain.

Then, blades began to rise from the ground.

They flew towards the candidates.

They stared wide eyed at the flying blades. They wanted to dodge, but it was difficult to.

"Boom boom boom..."

The blades smashed against the fields of the various candidates and turned to metal dust. The candidates all paled from the impact.

"Sh*t!"

One candidate could not hold it in any longer and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Very quickly, there was a second, then a third...

"I think you do!" Nangong Mu sprang into action. He stabbed the Green and Blue Dual Blades into the ground. Two rays of light shone and intersected each other like two enormous dragons.

"Kaboom!" Two cracks appeared in the ground.

A ray of green light and a ray of blue light shone from the ground.

All of the candidates on the rock seemed to heave a sigh of relief as their bodies relaxed.

"It seems like I have underestimated you!" Ying Shan was slightly taken aback as he began to take Nangong Mu seriously.

All of the candidates who were seriously injured stared wide eyed at the scene unfolding before their eyes.

They could not believe what was happening.

"He managed to block it?!"

"Is this the power of the Green and Blue Secret Art?"

He managed to block the underground shadows of Ying Shan despite only being in the Heavenly Reflection State. That was quite shocking.

Then, an even more shocking thing happened.

Nangong Mu attacked Ying Shan. He held one blade in front of him and one behind as he attacked. A green and blue field began to surround him.

Green for wood, blue for ice.

These were two completely immiscible fields.

Wood would die in ice.

It was like a tree in winter - there was no chance of survival.

However, when Nangong Mu controlled these two fields, these two completely polar fields began to intersect and combine.

This was completely unbelievable.

Green and Blue Secret Art, wood and ice?

This was unthinkable.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at Nangong Mu. He could feel what the two colors stood for. How did Nangong Mu manage to combine these two fields?

He realized...

It was not very possible for the two fields to mix.

However, Nangong Mu seemed to prove him wrong; ice and wood could mix.

Ying Shan did not retreat. He simply used a sword to block it. However, this simple action did not seem too simple.

Since Nangong Mu was attacking, his blades would naturally clash with Ying Shan's.

The blue sword was up first. He was attacking with ice.

An incredibly icy wave crashed towards Ying Shan. The blade which clashed with the blue blade instantly turned to ice.

Then, the green blade clashed with Ying Shan's blade.

At that very moment, something strange happened.

The ice on Ying Shan's blade seemed to take on a life of its own. It began to extend towards Ying Shan's arm, covering it in an instant.

"Is this the Green and Blue Secret Art?!"

"It's so powerful!"

All of the candidates began to cheer when they saw this. They saw a possibility of victory.

However, Ying Shan's expression did not change too much. He quietly looked at his blade and his frozen arm.

"I am curious, how did you do it?" Ying Shan asked.

"Blue is ice, green is wood. However, wood is not just wood, it is life! Everything has life, including ice." Nangong Mu replied.

"Wood is life... I see. However, aren't you afraid that answering me so directly would reveal the secret of the Nangong Green and Blue Secret Art?" Ying Shan nodded.

"So what if you know? Can you do it?" Nangong Mu replied calmly.

"Haha, you are right, I can't do it. I have to admit, if I was still in the Heavenly Reflection Realm, I would lose!" Ying Shan nodded once again.

Then, with a shake of his arm, the ice covering it crumbled. However, because his arm had been covered with ice, his skin was a little purple from frostbite.

Even so, the purple tint began to fade quickly as the redness returned to his skin.

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