Chapter 169: Imperial Examination
Chapter 169: Imperial Examination
The red sun had just risen. Mu Yuan finished washing up and slowly walked out of the True Lord’s Mansion.
The morning in Fanming City was very lively. Most people were out buying groceries to cook, or simply enjoying street snacks. The kingdom was prosperous and the people well-off, presenting a scene of thriving vitality.
However, Mu Yuan was thinking about visiting Chen Huayi and You Longfei at the lodging place of the envoys from Tiandu Kingdom!
The lodging places for the various kingdoms were not far from the Imperial City. As Mu Yuan strolled along, he often saw many monks, some from the city itself, some wandering. He found it strange; although Buddhism was flourishing in Tianyu Kingdom, why was there only one monk who stood out this time!
That monk, whose religious name was Hui Cheng, was said to be a practitioner from the Great Xiangguo Temple in Tianyu Kingdom.
The Great Xiangguo Temple was not a sacred cultivation site, but rather a royal temple. Hui Cheng had arrived at the temple three years ago to stay, gaining many followers, yet his own origins remained a mystery.
Mu Yuan was not in the mood to investigate deeply. Although Monk Hui Cheng had profound mystical techniques, Mu Yuan did not necessarily covet them.
Soon, he reached the place. Without waiting for an announcement, Mu Yuan directly concealed his form and passed through the wall.
Just as Mu Yuan stepped inside, several powerful Divine Senses swept over. Mu Yuan spat in disdain, thinking to himself, “What are these cultivators randomly scanning for when there’s nothing going on!”
However, among the people from Tiandu Kingdom, that Confucian disciple and another who controlled phosphorescent fire still could not detect him. Chen Huayi and You Longfei, with their high cultivation levels, naturally noticed him.
“Greetings, two senior brothers!”
Mu Yuan knew he could not hide from them, so he turned into a soft breeze and floated in, then revealed himself, grinning playfully at Chen Huayi.
Chen Huayi immediately gave him a knuckle rap on the head. “You rascal! Back when you went down the mountain for Condensing Evil Energy, you never returned. I thought you had died out there!”
Mu Yuan chuckled. “Senior brother, what are you saying? Your junior brother’s life is tougher than gold, how could I die so easily!”
Chen Huayi’s face turned stern. “Cut the nonsense. What have you been up to recently?”
Mu Yuan then briefly recounted his recent experiences, leaving both You Longfei and Chen Huayi amazed.
“To think that in the Southern Barbarians’ demon chaos, there was such a powerful figure hidden. This trip must have been quite dangerous!”
“Not necessarily. That Monster Saint was seriously injured in the battle at Kunlun and probably hasn’t recovered yet. I don’t understand why this person stirred up trouble but clearly had no great ambition. Otherwise, if he had taken action, the southern border would have fallen long ago.”
“We must be cautious. In this Southern Barbarians’ demon chaos, many sects sent their disciples to accumulate merits. If they are not careful, they might fall victim to the Monster Saint. Should we inform the sect leader about this?” You Longfei suggested.
Chen Huayi pondered for a moment before finally saying, “It wouldn’t hurt to inform the sect leader, but we need not exaggerate the severity. According to Junior Brother Mu, that demon is so fearsome that he escaped unscathed under the watch of Kunlun’s nine Primordial Spirit experts. Even if all our sect’s elders were to mobilize, they might not be a match for him. Since that’s the case, there’s no need to worry the sect leader.”
Both Mu Yuan and You Longfei nodded in agreement.
“Enough of this. Once matters here are settled, Little Mu, you should return to the mountain. There’s still one year until the Divine Land Daoist Sect’s Dharma Discussion, where cultivators from all over will gather at Kunlun. By then, our sect will surely select disciples to attend. You have great potential and must not miss it!” Chen Huayi advised.
“What is this Daoist Sect Dharma Discussion?”
You Longfei smiled and explained, “It’s held once every fifty years, no wonder you haven’t heard of it. Each sect will choose three to five disciples to participate. Our generation is still young and hasn’t witnessed it. You’ll understand once you go.”
Mu Yuan nodded. “I see. Kunlun is large and influential, with countless disciples. There are many exceptionally talented individuals far beyond what other sects can match!”
Chen Huayi laughed. “There’s no need to belittle ourselves. Although Kunlun is powerful, it cannot dominate alone. This Dharma Discussion is divided by age groups. I see that you, Little Mu, possess Divine Abilities that are probably no inferior to Kunlun’s exquisite techniques.”
He then paused for a moment. “Although our Longevity Palace is only a small sect, it has been passed down for a thousand years and should not be underestimated. The Longevity Art is a first-rate method for attaining the Dao. Although it may not excel in combat, achieving longevity and carefreeness is not difficult!”
Mu Yuan remained silent.
Although the Longevity Art made it easy to attain the Dao, to roam the world freely required great Magical Power and great Divine Abilities. Otherwise, there was still the risk of being killed. Fortunately, he now possessed the Five Elements within him. Although the Forge Furnace Art was incomplete and the Eternal Art was not whole, once he achieved the Golden Core, the path ahead would be much smoother.
Once he contributed the techniques to the sect, it was not impossible for Longevity Palace to grow stronger.
The three talked for a while longer before Mu Yuan quietly left.
After witnessing Kunlun’s power, Mu Yuan felt deeply shaken and developed a desire to revitalize his sect.
However, revitalizing a sect was extremely difficult, and the most important aspect was the cultivation techniques.
For cultivators, wealth, companions, methods, and places were essential. What Longevity Palace lacked the most was powerful techniques.
When he entered Star Metal Mountain, Zuo Hui passed down the Eternal Art, and he made a vow not to disclose the techniques. He would naturally not break that vow!
But the Forge Furnace Art and the Great Sun Divine Fire Art were acceptable to share, especially the Great Sun Divine Fire Art, which recorded many Divine Abilities and spells with great destructive power. Moreover, with the Wood element generating fire, the combination of the Longevity Art and the Great Sun Fire Art was perfect.
Returning to the True Lord’s Mansion, Mu Yuan began refining the Formation Diagram together with the Mountain Elf.
The Great Reincarnation Sword Formation of the Heavens itself was not complicated, but it was not simple either. In the past two days, the Mountain Elf had only managed to carve out some of the sword formation’s transformation methods.
With both of them refining it simultaneously, the progress sped up considerably. At the very least, there were slight changes in the spatial illusions, enemy restraints, and killing techniques. However, fully refining it successfully would still require much time.
Through this refinement process, Mu Yuan became much more familiar with the many variations of the sword formation.
Cultivation knew no passage of time.
Unknowingly, more than half a month passed. The envoys from various kingdoms had long returned to their countries. Tianyu Kingdom had already prepared its military and was ready to set out. The palace inevitably sent many people to notify cultivators from various places to accompany the army.
After instructing the Mountain Elf to stay and oversee the refinement of the Formation Diagram, allowing him to leave once it was completed, Mu Yuan made his arrangements.
The Mountain Elf had no objections. Having obtained the secrets of the Formation Diagram, he had new techniques to practice and was naturally happy. It was rare for Mu Yuan not to restrict his movements, and he gladly accepted the spells Mu Yuan taught him.
Currently, the Mountain Elf practiced the Tidal Flow and was at the Void Refining Realm. The path to his Elixir Formation was even longer.
After giving his instructions, Mu Yuan paid no attention to the Mountain Elf’s little schemes. He called Yun Xi and set off with the army.
Throughout the journey, they traveled by carriage. The army’s progress was not fast, and Mu Yuan seldom had such leisurely times, allowing him to witness many beautiful landscapes.
Among the various kingdoms, Tiandu Kingdom had the most scenic views!
Tiandu Kingdom was a wealthy region, especially in the south, where willows were shrouded in mist, the sounds of oars and reflections on water created a gentle and lingering atmosphere, perfect for sightseeing.
Although Tianyu Kingdom could not compare to Tiandu, as they traveled south, there were also shimmering waters and numerous boats. It was the transition between spring and summer; the green water was bluer than the sky, and painted boats listened to the rain—a true enjoyment for these rarely idle cultivators!
In the mortal world, there were many talented scholars and beauties. Fine words and beautiful poems, masterpieces passed down through generations, often showcased talents that cultivators lacked.
Mu Yuan had also read the books of sages. In his youth, he had not been without the dream of becoming a talented scholar. Although it seemed distant now, he still admired it.
Where the army passed, the atmosphere was solemn and severe, diluting much of the gentle and lingering beauty.
However, Mu Yuan did not mind. Such experiences still delighted him greatly!
After witnessing these scenes, Mu Yuan felt somewhat tempted. The army would take over ten more days to reach the border. He immediately instructed Yun Xi, saying he would go have some fun first and meet him at the border in a few days. Then, he left the team!
Yun Xi shook his head and sighed. He was not like Mu Yuan and had little interest in these things!
In his youth, living within his family, he had also been wild and frivolous, experienced romantic years. Having passed through countless flowers, neither green leaves nor red blossoms could stir his heart any longer!
After leaving the team, Mu Yuan strolled leisurely. Following a merchant ship, he crossed borders and provinces, unexpectedly passing through Tianyu Kingdom and arriving in Tianlong Kingdom!
Tianlong Kingdom did not have many mountains and waters. Most of its people were serious, much like those in the north. Currently, the kingdom was holding the imperial examination, with strict governance, making it unsuitable for tourism. After walking around for a while, Mu Yuan found it boring and decided to have a meal at a tavern, planning to leave shortly.
Suddenly, a burst of noisy chatter came. Mu Yuan followed the sound and saw a group of young scholars crowding around several students wearing moonlight-white Confucian robes with the emblem “Longyue Academy” on them, quickly coming upstairs.
He heard several people loudly exclaim, “In this imperial examination, several brothers have passed with high honors. In the future, during the palace examination, they will bring great prestige to our academy!”
“Yes, yes! Brother Feng achieved the top rank in the imperial examination. In the future, he might even win the national top scholar title. The academy head will surely view you in a new light!”
“Waiter, quickly bring good wine and dishes to celebrate Brother Feng and the others!”
These scholars were extremely noisy, their voices filling the entire tavern.
Mu Yuan could tell that the three people being crowded around were among those who had passed the Tianlong Kingdom’s imperial examination, with one seemingly being the top scorer.
No wonder these people were so excited. For scholars, the only way to serve the country was through the imperial examination. Once they achieved success, they would return to their hometowns with honor and bring glory to their families.
Back in the day, he had also thought about passing the provincial, imperial, and palace examinations, achieving the top rank in all three. Thinking back now, it felt like a lifetime ago.
“Hmph!”
A very discordant sound came from not far to Mu Yuan’s left, standing out on this floor and catching the attention of those scholars.
“Oh, isn’t this Junior Huang? The results were posted today; why wasn’t your name on the list?” one scholar said with a sarcastic tone.
“Yes, yes! Junior Huang has always been famous in Longyue Academy. Perhaps my eyesight is failing, and I didn’t see clearly!”
“Really? I also looked for a long time and didn’t find your name!”
“There are many who gain fame without merit in this vast world. I never thought there would be such a person in our Longyue Academy. How shameful!”
The group seemed to have a poor relationship with this person, their words filled with mocking intent.
Mu Yuan slightly frowned.
These people’s cold and sarcastic remarks truly lacked the refinement expected of scholars and were quite harsh.
“When autumn comes on the ninth day of the eighth month, my flowers bloom and all others perish.”
“Their soaring fragrance permeates Tianlong; the entire kingdom is clad in golden armor!”
The scholar named Huang angrily slammed the table and stood up, downing the cup of wine in front of him. He then recited a four-line poem with seven characters each, stunning everyone upstairs.