FVN Chapter 69 Passing the Imperial Examination
Chapter 69 Passing the Imperial Examination
Chapter 69 Passing the Imperial Examination
"hiss!"
"Who exactly is this Zhao Cheng'an?"
"I don't recognize it, and I've never heard of it before. Am I seeing things?"
Looking at the names displayed on the list, apart from a few candidates from the Seven Kingdoms and Qingling regions, everyone had the same question in their minds.
Not to mention these outsiders who had never met him before, even Zhao Cheng'an himself found it somewhat unbelievable.
He was very clear about his own abilities; based on his previous scores in the two tests, there was absolutely no way he could stay in first place forever.
However, after a brief moment of shock, Zhao Chengan quickly discovered the reason.
The rankings on the list are based on the order in which the assessment results are published.
At this time, only the results for the Rune category were announced, and Zhao Cheng'an's score was A, making him the only person in the entire examination hall to pass the trial, which is why he was temporarily ranked first.
But that's still quite amazing.
The fact that Zhao Cheng'an ranked first in one subject, and that it was the most important one, the rune subject, is enough to prove his talent and skill in the art of runes.
With the release of the results for the second subject, practical training, and the results combined, Zhao Chengan's ranking began to decline rapidly.
Meanwhile, traditional geniuses like Luo Qingyi, Ning Zixu, and Qi Lianshan began to rise rapidly in the rankings.
Although it was only a brief stay in first place, it still caused a huge uproar in the square.
"Who is this Zhao Cheng'an?"
"I don't know, he seems to be a cultivator from a remote little place."
"As expected, this place is full of hidden talents; even a place like this can produce such remarkable individuals."
Many people were whispering and discussing it.
In the Haiyue Palace's group, Luo Qingyi, with a faint smile on her face, turned to look at the middle-aged female cultivator beside her.
Although she didn't speak, the meaning in her eyes was quite clear.
The middle-aged female cultivator's expression became much more serious. She nodded and said, "Indeed, she is a rare genius. Qingyi, your choice is correct. You can get to know her better in the future. Our family's desire to revive the Haiyue Palace cannot be separated from cultivating such promising academic connections."
Luo Qingyi seemed to be thinking of something, and the light in her eyes gradually dimmed, returning to her usual coldness.
On the other side, in the Yujing Academy's group, Qilian Shan's simple and unadorned face showed a hint of admiration.
"As expected, someone managed to clear that tower smoothly. That's impressive."
Looking at the list, Qi Lianshan muttered to himself, "There are countless masters in the world, but that's precisely what motivates me to improve. If I have the chance, I hope to get to know this Fellow Daoist Zhao."
In the group from the seven kingdoms, Xiang Yunyuan and Chen Heng looked at Zhao Cheng'an with utmost respect.
Although they knew Zhao Cheng'an was powerful before, they didn't expect him to be this powerful.
Moreover, it's not that I'm particularly powerful; what truly matters is that I'm willing to lend them a hand, providing them with spiritual rice and manuscripts. That makes me a true benefactor in their path to enlightenment.
Sun Fuli and Xu Baiheng were so shocked that they were speechless.
They didn't even pass the first hurdle, achieving the worst grade, D. Looking at Zhao Cheng'an now, they felt that although the two had similar physical forms, they seemed to be two completely different species, which was truly strange.
"Relax, relax, everyone's watching." Zhao Chengan took a deep breath, signaling the students around him to calm down.
At the same time, he rubbed his wrist, which was aching from Chen Heng's pinching, with a hint of helplessness.
Chen Heng was clearly a slender woman, but her strength was terrifying. Zhao Cheng'an felt that if he squeezed her any longer, he would lose consciousness.
Chen Heng realized he had been too excited, his face flushed slightly, and he released his grip somewhat embarrassedly, apologizing softly, "I'm sorry, Fellow Daoist Zhao, I was a bit out of line just now."
"It's alright."
Zhao Cheng'an waved his hand, and the group continued to look at the list.
As the results of the second subject were announced, Zhao Chengan's ranking began to decline, dropping to seventh place.
Next, the results of the third cultivation subject were announced.
Zhao Cheng'an's ranking slipped again, falling outside the top ten and ultimately settling at thirteenth. Next was Chen Heng, who achieved first-class results in both cultivation and combat, and her rune technique wasn't too bad either, placing her sixteenth overall.
There were thousands of candidates in the entire examination hall, but only seventeen were ultimately on the honor roll.
These are candidates who have a chance of being selected by the Golden Elixir Daoist lineage.
Next is the silver list, which has many more people on it, around one hundred.
Finally, there is the bronze list, which has more than 500 members.
Xiang Yunyuan saw his name on the bronze list, ranked 431st.
Although this result wasn't outstanding, it was enough for him to enter a second-rate or higher lineage and receive systematic training.
Moreover, their own safety can be guaranteed to a certain extent, so they won't be used as guinea pigs or overly exploited.
Xiang Yunyuan breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face.
He turned around and bowed solemnly to Zhao Chengan.
"Brother Zhao, thank you very much. Both your spirit rice and the talisman manual have been of great help to me. Without your guidance, I would never have been able to get to this point."
Zhao Chengan smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Your choice is also important; not everyone has your perseverance and determination."
Sun Fuli and Xu Baiheng's expressions were somewhat gloomy.
Although this outcome was entirely within their expectations, now that the final decision has been made, they still feel somewhat uncertain about their future.
On the other side, in the Qingling region's team, Gu Qingfan's expression was very unpleasant.
He ranked first on the silver list, but this was not the result he wanted, which meant that he had no hope of entering the Golden Core lineage.
His poor performance in the practical exam affected his mindset, causing him to make mistakes in the subsequent rune exam as well.
The most important thing for engraving runes is to calm down, and as a result, he failed to do well in both subjects.
Gu Qingfan found it hard to accept such results, and his face was filled with deep self-blame.
Lu Huaishuang shook her head, a gentle smile on her face, and simply patted his shoulder without blaming him.
Zhao Cheng'an chatted with Chen Heng and the others for a long time before he noticed that Shen Yanshan was standing to the side without saying a word.
He looked up and found Shen Yanshan standing there blankly, as if he had been stunned.
"The chief priest, the chief priest?"
Xiang Yunyuan stepped forward and called out softly a couple of times.
Shen Yanshan took a deep breath and murmured, "Am I...am I dreaming?"
"How about I give you a slap to help you wake up?"
Xiang Yunyuan mustered his courage and spoke jokingly.
"You unfilial disciple!" Shen Yanshan glared at him and cursed with a laugh.
Xiang Yunyuan chuckled and shrank back behind Zhao Chengan.
Shen Yanshan glanced at the students in front of him, then looked up at the magnificent list in the square, his eyes slightly reddening. "So it really is true. I wasn't dreaming—"
"After spending so many years at the Imperial Academy of the Seven Kingdoms, it has finally come to a good end."
However, he quickly composed himself, reached out and patted Zhao Cheng'an's shoulder, saying with satisfaction, "You are all excellent, even more outstanding than I imagined."
Zhao Cheng'an cupped his hands and said, "This is all thanks to the teacher's daily instruction."
Shen Yanshan waved his hand.
"I am merely a guide; ultimately, it depends on your own efforts and destiny."
.
As he spoke, Shen Yanshan couldn't help but look in Lu Huaishuang's direction.
The two brothers had been fighting each other their whole lives, and now he had finally proven himself to be the one with the superior skills.
Shen Yanshan should have gone over and given Lu Huaishuang a good dressing down, but seeing how Lu Huaishuang was comforting her disciple, he felt a little reluctant.
"I finally beat you this time, and you act like this? It's really unpleasant—"
"Alright, alright, I'll let you off the hook today."
95
Shen Yanshan thought to himself.
The grand examination of the Daoist court has finally come to an end; next, it is time for the Daoist lineages to submit their intentions.
Within the Floating Scale Cave Heaven, there are also leaders from different lineages who keep an eye on promising young talents during the assessments and extend offers in advance.
In the attic at the edge of the square, Lin Tan finished organizing the data in his hands: "Zhao Cheng'an's overall score is actually ranked thirteenth, which is not particularly outstanding. As a result, he may not attract the attention of some sects."
"This is a great opportunity for me; I must seize this chance."
Looking at Zhao Cheng'an's name on the roster, Lin Tan thought to himself, "We must offer him generous treatment as quickly as possible to bring such a genius of runes into our Qingmu Academy. If we succeed, it will be a great achievement."
"Even if we can form a positive connection with the other person, it will greatly benefit our future spiritual practice. We must seize the time and take action!"